Protein Intake

A lot of people can become hyper-focused about consuming more protein when they start going to the
gym, and you may have heard of a few recommendations out there:

• 1g per pound of bodyweight
• 0.8g per kg of bodyweight
• 1.6g per kg of bodyweight
• 10-35% daily calories from protein

It’s enough to confuse anyone and send people scrambling for their food scales and macro calculators,
but it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Rather than focusing on the numbers, look at the big picture:

1. Are you eating at least three meals a day approximately every four hours?
2. In at least two of those meals, are you eating 1-2 palms of protein per meal (approximately 20-
30g of protein)?
3. Are you adding in multiple protein options into a meal, especially if you’re vegetarian or vegan?
Consider combining things like dairy, soy, whole grains, legumes, and seeds to get a bit more
protein in a meal.
4. Can you add a bit of protein into your snacks? Rather than just eating an apple, pair it with a
glass of milk/peanut butter/cheese/pepperoni stick, etc.
5. Could you make a protein shake if you don’t have time to eat, even if it’s just powder mixed with
water or milk, or a to-go protein drink like Gud, Core Power, Fairlife Nutrition, etc?

Based off a 2020 meta-analysis published in the journal Nutrition Reviews, protein intakes ranging from
0.5 to 3.5g per kg of body weight can lead to increases in muscle mass. That’s a big range! Essentially,
any kind of additional protein intake can help with your gains, so don’t sweat the numbers and just eat
consistent, balanced meals.

Body Acceptance

Most people start going to the gym or begin a diet because they’re unhappy with their current body. We believe a transformation will make us happier, more confident, feel better, and look better, and while investing in self-improvement is certainly beneficial, it may not be the fix-all solution.

All bodies deserve respect and dignity, and that includes your own. You can be happy, confident, and look good in your current body if you’re willing to train your brain to appreciate it. How would you feel if you stopped focusing on the number on the scale and instead dedicated yourself to implementing healthy habits and behaviours? How liberating would it feel to stop comparing yourself to others and finally feel like you’re enough?

 

Admittedly, it sounds like a bit of a pipe dream, and going on the diet or training rigorously may actually be easier than reframing the way you think about yourself, and it’s fine if that’s the route you choose. Someday, however, you have to make peace with the fact that our bodies are always changing, and you might not be able to always stay thin, muscular, athletic, etc. How will you then feel about yourself? Can you still respect your body, feel good, look good, and be confident?

 

If this post resonates with you and you’re struggling with body acceptance and image, nutrition coaching can help! Complete the form below to book a free assessment and learn more about how to shift to an anti-diet approach that seeks to nourish and improve your relationship with food and your body.

Post-Workout Nutrition – What Should I Eat and When?

 

If you’re new to training, or starting to kick your workouts into the next gear, you may be curious about the best way to refuel your body after a challenging workout. With lots of differing opinions and theories out there, it can be easy to get a little lost in the weeds or decide to chug a protein shake, perhaps a hefty smoothie, immediately after your training session. Here’s our take on it:

 

When Should I Eat?

Post-workout nutrition is more straightforward than it may initially seem. You might have heard of something called “the anabolic window”, which is the idea that your body has a finite amount of time to optimize post-workout recovery. While there is an element of truth to this, it’s definitely not as finite as some would have you believe. 

 

After your workout, when you and your muscles are hungry for fuel, blood flow is increased to deliver nutrients more efficiently for up to an hour, so it is theorized that this is the best time to recover. In reality, it’s not that clear cut and there is lacking evidence to indicate when exactly post workout meals are best. For most people, waiting until your next meal is just fine, and post-workout meal timing isn’t a crucial component to your diet or fitness success. However, if you are a high level athlete, training for several hours at a time or multiple times per day; being more diligent and strategic with your nutrient timing will help you sustain energy and promote recovery from one training session to the next.

 

What Should I Eat?

As far as balancing your post-workout meal, prioritize carbohydrates and protein. Working out requires your body to use its glycogen stores (glucose stored in the muscles) for energy, and the fastest way to replenish these stores post-workout are with carbohydrates. Along with the glucose, your muscles will draw in water and other nutrients (such as protein) that improve your recovery. Pairing your carbohydrates with protein helps the body absorb more of the amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) to repair the typical, minor wear and tear on the muscles that occurs during training.

 

With all that being said, keep in mind that for most people, your calorie and macronutrient intake  over the course of the day is far more impactful to your fitness goals than specific post-workout meals. In most cases, a healthy and balanced meal after the gym is sufficient to replenish your body.

 

Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health Report

Recently, Canada replaced its 2011 Low-Risk Guidelines (LRDGs) with new recommendations for alcohol
consumption based off the latest research. The original LRDGs suggested:

• Drinking no more than 10 standard drinks a week for women, with no more than two drinks a
  day most days
• 15 standard drinks a week for men, with no more than two drinks a day most days.
• No more than three standard drinks for women or four standard drinks for men on any single
  occasion.

To refresh your memory, a standard drink serving size is as follows:

• Notes on a Standard Drink In Canada, a standard drink is 17.05 millilitres or 13.45 grams of pure
  alcohol, which is the equivalent of:
  – A bottle of beer (12 oz., 341 ml, 5% alcohol)
  – A bottle of cider (12 oz., 341 ml, 5% alcohol)
  – A glass of wine (5 oz., 142 ml, 12% alcohol)
  – A shot glass of spirits (1.5 oz., 43 ml, 40% alcohol)

The new alcohol and health report, however, offers a drastically reduced amount of drinks, and state
that the risk of harm from alcohol is:

• Low for individuals who consume 2 standard drinks or less per week;
•  Moderate for those who consume between 3 and 6 standard drinks per week; and
• Increasingly high for those who consume 7 standard drinks or more per week.

Other key points of the report include:

• Consuming more than 2 standard drinks per drinking occasion is associated with an increased
  risk of harms to self and others, including injuries and violence
• Above the upper limit of the moderate risk zone for alcohol consumption, the health risks
  increase more steeply for females than males
• Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more standard drinks in one setting for men, or
  four or more standard drinks in one setting for women
• Men drink more alcohol than women and are more likely to drink in excess. Consequently, they
  are more likely to be involved in alcohol-impaired driving collisions, to be treated in hospitals
  and hospitalized for alcohol-related medical emergencies and health problems, to be diagnosed
  with an alcohol use disorder and to die from alcohol-related causes
• Alcohol is a leading preventable cause of death, disability and social problems, including certain
  cancers (particularly breast and colon cancers), cardiovascular disease (contrary to popular
  belief that red wine is good for the heart), liver disease, unintentional injuries and violence
• You can read the full report here

These new guidelines may be upsetting to some; like food, alcohol is a social connector as it brings us
together, helps us celebrate, loosens us up, facilitates socializing, etc. It can be difficult to give up
something we enjoy, but the point of this report is to create awareness around the risks we choose to
take.

The good news is every drink counts, so any kind of reduction will be helpful, particularly if you’re in the
high risk range. You can reduce your consumption by:

• Alternating alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic drinks, especially water
• Set days of the week as dry days to limit consumption
• Drink slowly and mindfully; avoid shots
• Don’t keep alcohol in the house
• Organize social gatherings and events that are not based on drinking/eating at a licensed
  restaurant
• Ensure you’re measuring your drinks to the standard serving size
• Consume a meal before, during, or after drinking alcohol

As we approach the end of January, we wanted to keep the momentum going with our goals for this year. We checked in with some of our trainers to see what their goals are, and how they plan to make them happen this year. Everyone gave one fitness/performance related goal, and one non-fitness related! We appreciate all of our trainers keeping it real and being open about their goals!

Kate:

– Learn to accept my body at any size in order to maximize performance in my Olympic lifts. I’m working with an Registered Dietitian and counsellor on body image while eating more to feel fueled for all my workouts.

– Journal every night. I use an app called Habit to remind me to journal every night at 10pm, close to my bedtime to help me do a brain dump before sleep.

Calum:

– Train to reach the point that I’m able to comfortably run again so I can play in a local lacrosse league. My biggest problem here will be accepting the need to prioritize myself.

– On the same vain, reframing how I look at Vancouver as more than where I live but rather my home. Joining the lacrosse league would be a step towards this.

Dayton:

– I would like to get consistent again with doing proper rehab for injuries that have been limiting my running, and to get to a point where I don’t dread the out coming workout worrying if I’ll injure myself again.

– Make time to prioritize my health in other aspects of life by writing a list down and making sure I tick on thing of a week

Nicole:

– Incorporate more outdoor running into my fitness routine. Starting by doing more running in general at my own gym or at Orangetheory.

– To establish a sense of self worth through internal means such as finding and prioritizing happiness, my interactions with loved ones and my mental health rather than external factors such as physical accomplishments in the gym, my body image and and in my career. I’m doing this by working with a counsellor regularly.

Nathan:

– Compete at a high level at powerlifting with a goal of being more competitive at my respective weight class nationally. I will attempt to do this by keeping the consistency in my training and trusting the process. I work with a nutritionist and a coach to ensure this is also feasible. Long term goal is to maybe represent Team Canada one day.

– Establishing a good work/life balance especially with the introduction of my amazing daughter in my life. I will do this by capping the hours of work I will do weekly in order to spend more time with my family.

Mitchell:

– Compete in my first Provincial level Powerlifting meet. The goal is to get a feel for competing at a level higher than local meets, and enjoy the process of doing so. I will continue to work with my coach to keep pushing my strength without injury, and execute a solid game plan on the day.

– Develop systems and strategies/behaviours and routines to help me maintain focus and prioritise tasks in a more efficient manner. To do this I am setting and maintaining firmer boundaries with my work/life balance (not biting off more than I can chew), and continuing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy every 2 weeks.

Alejandra:

-Increase the frequency with which a I work on my overall mobility to help with my longevity in olympic weightlifting. I’ll achieve this by converting one of my weightlifting training days  to mobility focused days.

– Keep in touch with my parents in Honduras more often, and improve the quality of our relationship by setting time aside on the weekends to have longer, and more in-depth conversations.

Transformation Photos

 

With the approach of January comes New Year Resolutions, and you might start to see more and more body transformation photos online to promote change. On the surface transformation photos may seem harmless; what’s there to hate about celebrating another person’s accomplishments? 

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with sharing your victory, consider these points as well when posting or viewing transformation photos:

• Businesses use transformation photos to sell you their memberships and programs (yes, even personal training and nutrition coaching!). Sometimes these photos don’t even reflect an actual change, but instead the pictures may have been altered and/or staged with better lighting and posing.
• Some people are blessed with amazing genetics, and their three month transformation does not necessarily mean you will get the same results.
• We don’t know what kind of methods the person used to get their results. Was it slow, consistent weight loss or was it a crash diet that ruined their physical, social, and mental health; were the means worth the result?
• Transformation photos idolize thinness/weight loss and muscularity which promotes weight stigma by suggesting your body only has worth and value if it meets the ideal beauty standard: your fat body was “bad”, your new thinner body is “good”, but then what happens if you regain the weight as most dieters do?
• Viewers of the photo may feel inferior, shame about their own body, play the comparison game, or trigger relapse in those with eating disorders.

So if you do want to post a transformation photo to celebrate your accomplishments, perhaps consider sharing a photo of you setting a PR instead, or at least talk about what you had to sacrifice in order to get results (no one ever seems to mention the missed social events, mood swings, lethargy, and restriction that come with dieting). 

At the very least, do not disassociate yourself from the old photo and speak compassionately about that body. You may have changed but that “before body” is still you, and one day, for whatever reason, you might find yourself back in it. Should that happen, you haven’t failed, you don’t lack willpower or motivation, and you still have self-worth. It’s just normal for bodies to fluctuate and change.

The turn of a New Year is often an opportunity for people to make positive changes to their lifestyle, and Dry January can be one of the most manageable ways to do that. As one of the most popular New Year health initiatives, a lot of people are already planning and pre-empting their alcohol-free month. While this is certainly a noble effort, there are are a few things to consider when going dry for the first month of the year. We’re going to break them down, and provide you with some strategies to be successful.

 

Things to consider:

 

1. Cravings and temptations – Let’s start with the obvious. Depending on how much you drink, giving up alcohol entirely for a whole month can be quite the undertaking. Cravings will likely occur, and temptations may linger. It can be beneficial to keep non-alcoholic beverages in the house in place of alcohol for the time being. Mocktails, sparkling water, diet soda, non-alcoholic wine/beer may not be the real thing but, when it comes down to it, they serve as exactly what they’re intended to be – a substitute.
2. Slip-Ups – Nobody is perfect. 30 days can feel like a long time, and life happens. Just like with your diet at any other time of year, just get right back on track again tomorrow and don’t beat yourself up over it.
3.  Rebounding in February – We’ve written before about the binge-restrict cycle, and the same applies here. If you decide to take on Dry January, be sure to consider how much of a sacrifice that will be for yourself, and if that may lead to a heavy rebound at the end when you “allow yourself” to drink again. Start small, maybe that means only re-introducing 1-2 drinks per week at first. If the momentum is going strong however, why not try for another few weeks?

Alcohol in moderation can have its perks. When not properly moderated, going cold turkey can lead to serious side effects. If you notice any signs of withdrawal from alcohol, we encourage you to seek medical advice right away.

 

Need more help?

Accountability is a big part of sticking to any goal, so if you’re thinking about Dry January, and need someone in your corner to help keep you accountable, share your goals with friends, family and co-workers. If you feel you would benefit from additional guidance in your health and fitness goals in the New Year, contact us for your FREE Nutrition Assessment and consultation!

Intuitive Eating

 

We are all born intuitive eaters, but as we age diet culture, whether it’s promoted by family, friends, or
media, teaches us that we need to fit a certain thin ideal in order to have value. Dieting convinces us
that our bodies can’t be trusted and need to be monitored, and creates a fatphobic society that
dismisses anyone who doesn’t fit into the mold of thin/lean/fit/athletic/muscular, etc.

 

Eventually, some people come to the realization that they can’t possibly endure another diet, but still
want to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. The solution may be intuitive eating, “an evidence-based,
mind-body health approach, comprised of 10 Principles and created by two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and
Elyse Resch in 1995” (quoted from the Intuitive Eating website). This is a weight-neutral approach that
does not focus on weight loss, but instead promotes a healthy relationship with food and the body
through interoceptive awareness.

 

The popularity of intuitive eating has been steadily growing for the last decade, especially as numerous
studies report that this approach to food can improve self-esteem, self-compassion, quality of life, body
image, body appreciation, while also reducing dieting and concerns about weight, emotional eating,
disordered eating behaviours, cholesterol, glucose levels, and blood pressure.
The 10 Principles are a step-by-step guide for returning to intuitive eating:

 

1. Reject the diet mentality – commit to giving up diets by throwing out your diet books, deleting
tracking apps, and establishing boundaries with those who want to discuss dieting and bodies.
2. Honour your hunger – tune in to what physical hunger feels like for you and feed yourself with
adequate energy and carbs to avoid excessive hunger.
3. Make peace with food – give yourself unconditional permission to eat. Feelings of restriction
and deprivation will cause cravings and binges.
4. Challenge the food police – identify food rules, disordered dieting thoughts, and your internal
destructive self-talk.
5. Discover the satisfaction factor – give yourself permission to enjoy your food to ensure you feel
satiated and thus less likely to overeat.
6. Feel your fullness – tune into your body for fullness signals and fuel yourself with filling meals
that won’t leave you hungry in an hour. Listen to your internal cues rather than external (ie.
cleaning your plate, a pushy host, etc).
7. Cope with your emotions with kindness – recognize that food will not fix your feelings. Food is
neutral, so identify what you actually need to feel better and cope with your emotions.
8. Respect your body – all bodies are diverse and deserve dignity. Learn to appreciate yours by
practicing self-care, wearing clothes that fit, and avoiding body bashing (whether your own or
others).
9. Movement-Feel the Difference – focus on how it feels to move your body rather than how many
calories you’re burning or how much muscle you’re building. Movement should be joyful.
10. Honour your health with gentle nutrition – eat for taste as well as health. Your diet should
include indulgent play food as well as whole grains, fibre, a variety of protein, fruit, vegetables,
and water.

 

This is a short summary of these principles and implementing them can be a lengthy, difficult process, so
it can be helpful to incorporate a registered dietitian, certified intuitive eating counsellor, or a weight-
inclusive nutrition coach versed in intuitive eating into your recovery.

What is PNF stretching?

 

PNF stretching stands for Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, and this involves low-intensity muscle contractions to assist in the stretch. Simply put, when a muscle is stretched to its end range and we contract it, it signals our nervous system to turn off any muscle to help protect it from tearing. This is specifically using a structure called the Golgi Tendon Organ, which senses when there is a lot of force (like contracting the muscle at end range, as we do with PNF) and signals the muscle to stop any activity so we don’t accidentally tear the muscle. We can also contract the opposite muscle, or the antagonist, and this will help deepen the stretch for our target muscle, because when one muscle in a stretch contracts, the other will relax. This is called reciprocal inhibition.

 

How can I incorporate it?

Here’s a simple way to add PNF stretching into your daily stretch routine. Here, we’ll use the example of a supine hamstring stretch:

1. Start by holding your stretch as you normally would for 10 seconds.
2. Lightly contract the muscle you’re stretching and hold for 5-10 seconds. In this case, contract the hamstring that’s in the air by trying to pull your leg to the ground. The leg isn’t moving, it’s just an isometric contraction.
3. Contract the antagonist. Contract your quads of the top leg and hold for 5-10 seconds as you actively pull your leg to your face. You may get a bit of movement of your leg here, but it won’t be much.
4. Relax, and now hold the stretch deeper for 30 seconds (you should be able to get your top leg closer to your face).
5. Repeat a few rounds (3-5) or until you feel the muscle isn’t being stretched any further.

 

You can use a band, a partner, or your hands to give resistance to your contraction. PNF is a great way to make your stretching much more effective!

“What I Eat in A Day…”

 

As nutrition coaches, we often get asked what we eat, or what our day of eating looks like. You may even be familiar with the popular trend that a lot of “influencers” are now following such as “What I Eat In Day to *insert fitness goal*”. These videos are generally just a snapshot of what person’s day to day diet looks like, but are they more harmful than helpful?

First off, everybody is different. Whether it be height, weight, lifestyle, or sex, we all have different caloric needs. Not to mention specific dietary restrictions in some instances. You could give 5 different people the exact same diet, and end up with 5 wildly different results. So with that being said, copying somebody else’s diet is unlikely to give you the results you’re looking for.

What can we learn from these videos, though? Well to start with, you can take some inspiration from the meals they create. Customise the meals to suit your own needs, experiment and get creative! You can also take notes of how the meals might be structured – Is the meal balanced with protein, carbohydrates, fats and vegetables? Is the meal serving a particular purpose such as pre or post workout nutrition? Be wary of anything that is too restrictive, or uses firm rules against particular foods. Avoid putting foods into “good”, “bad”, “healthy” and “unhealthy”. 

Keep in mind, the best diet is one you can stick to for the long term. Something that is sustainable for you, built around foods you enjoy. If your day to day eating, meal structure, or nutritional knowledge is something you’re looking to improve, email Kate@groundworkathletics.ca to book your FREE Nutrition Assessment today!