A Health Coach’s guide to UNIQUE Holiday Gift Giving

The gift of HEALTH is the ultimate gift that keeps on giving! There are the popular choices for healthy gift giving: gym memberships, workout wear, activity trackers, healthy cookbooks, etc., all of which can provide great value. But if you pride yourself on finding that unique gift, you’ve come to the right place! I offer my TOP 8 UNIQUE (and yes…some unusual) suggestions:

(It’s important to note that these are my personal unbiased favorites and in no way do I receive any “kick-back” for promoting certain products.)  

SLEEP SMARTER book (by Shawn Stevenson) – There are many books that I could suggest, but this one tops the list because quality sleep impacts all other aspects of health – mind, body, and spirit. Poor sleep quality has significant hormonal, metabolic, emotional, and physical consequences that will undermine even the best of health programs. More information can be found here: http://sleepsmarterbook.com/        

JOURNAL – Journaling is an instrumental part of my health coaching practice for many reasons. Writing things down provides awareness and clarity, boosts self-confidence and self-discipline, can help control emotions and stress, and increases probability of reaching goals, among other benefits. As part of a health program, a journal can be used for practical purposes such as keeping a food log and tracking health habits, or for more emotional benefit, like recording gratitude and spiritual insights. You can buy them blank or with some structured journal prompts built in. This is one of my favorites: https://www.intelligentchange.com/collections/all/products/the-five-minute-journal

ESSENTIAL OILS – I am not an expert on oils, nor do I sell them. And even as a holistic health coach, I was skeptical of their effectiveness, until I tried them for myself. Whether you diffuse, ingest, or apply topically, high quality essential oils are shown to help with everything from allergies to snoring; digestion to headaches; moodiness to wrinkles. The key words are HIGH QUALITY. More info can be found here: https://doterra.com/US/en or https://draxe.com/natural-remedies-category/essential-oils/

SQUATTY POTTY – Bet you didn’t know that there is an ideal “potty posture”! The Squatty Potty is a bathroom aid that, shall I say, helps with comfort and ease of elimination. The obvious health benefit of elimination is removing toxins from our bodies, while also reducing bloating and other gastrointestinal distress. And, come on…we all just feel lighter and healthier afterward! This would make a memorable “Secret Santa” gift! More info can be found here: https://www.squattypotty.com/

RESISTANCE BANDS – Regular exercise is important to overall health, and strength training is a key component to a well-rounded fitness program. Lean muscle mass not only looks good on the outside, but also provides advantages on the inside like increased metabolism at rest, bone health, and improved balance. Resistance bands provide a low impact, portable, and affordable option for people of all fitness levels.

OMELET PAN – I thought long and hard about the one kitchen item I would include here; there are many on my list of “must-haves”! So why are omelets so ideal? EGGS are a near perfect food, containing good fats and high quality proteins, and nearly every vitamin and mineral our bodies need. Not only that, but they are a great vehicle to hold other nutrition powerhouses like avocados, smoked salmon, spinach, etc. And eat the whole egg, not just the whites. Most of the benefits are found in the yolk. Don’t worry; studies show that the dietary cholesterol in eggs has little impact on blood cholesterol levels.

BLUE TOOTH SPEAKER – Optimal health includes managing our stress levels and, in my opinion, music is one of the best ways to do so. Whether you choose soothing or upbeat; music can have a profound effect on emotions and energy levels. And if you dance along, you get the added benefit of burning a few calories!

THRIVE MARKET Membership– This online, membership-based market provides the best healthy and natural products for your home, kitchen, and body at a fraction of the cost you’d pay at higher-priced natural markets. The best part of this gift is that for every paid membership, Thrive market provides a free membership for a family in need. Truly the gift that keeps giving! www.thrivemarket.com

Stay tuned for future posts about my favorite things related to the items above like my top 10 book recommendations, my essential kitchen tools, and my favorite Thrive Market items.

Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy holiday!

Beyond Bananas and Bagels: 6 Foods Every Endurance Runner Should Consider

Pasta, Bagels, Peanut Butter, Bananas, Gels, Energy Bars…all items likely to be found in the runner’s kitchen leading into race day, and each for good reason, as they contain certain macronutrients to potentially boost running performance. But to help ensure a strong training season long before race day, runners need a well-rounded nutrition strategy.

Now, I’ll preface this post with full disclosure on my scope of practice: I am a Certified Health Coach, Personal Trainer, and running enthusiast. I’m not a registered dietician so I won’t spell out ideal macronutrient percentages, meal plans, and food timing. I’ll leave that up to your coaches and/or doctors. Instead, based on my work with clients, nutrition research, and my own experience, I offer 6 foods that are especially important for endurance runners:  

Spinach – Why? IRON!

Iron is a major component of our red blood cells which help to carry oxygen to our muscles. Obviously, this is especially important for endurance runners; the iron demand is higher, thus can be depleted faster. It's estimated that over 50% of endurance runners have depleted iron stores. If training runs feel increasingly hard and/or you become fatigued more quickly, the cause may be depleted iron. Not a fan of spinach? Other great sources of iron include red meat, oysters, clams, muscles, sardines, and egg yokes.

Tip: Chase your iron-rich meal with some O.J. as research shows that vitamin C will help your body absorb the iron.

One important note about iron supplementation: iron can be dangerous in too high amounts, so always check with your doctor before taking iron in a pill form.

Greek Yogurt - Why? CALCIUM AND PROTEIN!

Not to oversimplify, but okay... Calcium strengthens bones. Protein builds and repairs muscles. Strong bones and muscles are essential “equipment” for endurance runners. Any weakness can, at minimum, impact running performance and at worst, lead to injury.

Tip: Stir in some mandarin oranges. Just as with iron, vitamin C can help calcium absorption.

Quinoa - Why?  PROTEIN AND CARBS!

I’ve already mentioned the benefits of protein above and quinoa is a plant-based source of a complete protein. So let’s turn our attention to carbs. Carbohydrates are an important macronutrient for both quick and stored energy. Carbs can get a bad rap because over-consumption turns to extra sugar in the body which can be stored as fat. Consumed in the right quantities and quality however, carbs are an important part of a balanced meal plan, especially for runners who demand more energy during training season. Aim for a balance of unprocessed sources: quinoa, potatoes, rice, fruit, etc.

Tip: Your muscles and liver can store up to 2000 calories worth of energy from carbs which will give you plenty “in the tank” for runs shorter than 90 minutes. Longer than that, determine your personal plan for consuming additional simple carbs during your run (honey, jelly beans, gels, etc.).

Salmon - Why? PROTEIN, FAT, VITAMIN D

Runners need good healthy fat. Unsaturated sources have been shown to improve metabolism (aka energy), heighten brain function, protect joints, aid recovery, and boost immunity; I don’t know of a runner out there who couldn’t benefit from all of that! As an added bonus, Salmon is a good source of Vitamin D which is linked to increased muscle strength (of course, few runners are deficient in Vitamin D since the main source is sunlight).

Tip: If you’re not a fish fan, other sources of healthy fat include nuts, seeds, olive oil, and avocado. Just watch your portion sizes as fat grams are more calorie-dense.

Almond Butter Why? ALL OF THE ABOVE ON ONE SPOON!

Nut butters contain a near perfect ratios of carbs, healthy fats, and protein. Peanut butter is usually a staple in a runner’s diet, but other nut butters can be less inflammatory to the gut. The reason is that a peanut is not a nut at all; it’s a legume…a bean…and well, you know what beans can do to your gut. Not ideal for running.

Tip: Almond butter makes a great pre- or post-run snack. Spread it on a rice cake with bananas one hour before or immediately following a long training run to boost both energy and recovery.

Cherry Juice – Why? RECOVERY!

Cherries contain nutrients and antioxidants that work to reduce muscle soreness and inflammation, thus helping runners recover after a long training run. Look for organic, pure, 100% tart cherry juice, not the watered down cherry-flavored juice “look-alike”. If you don’t like the tartness of cherry juice, watermelon also contains anti-inflammatory components.

Tip: Post-run recovery drink – blend equal parts tart cherry juice, almond milk, and ice!

Final Thought…

As endurance runners, we are great at developing training plans to get us to race day in top form. To maximize this training, we need to give the same thought and attention to our nutrition plans. Food has the power to energize, strengthen, protect, and restore the body…what everyone needs, but most especially runners! My final and most important tip: don’t test any new food strategy on race week, only during training. I don’t want you cursing me out on race day because your new “Greek Yogurt Spinach Quinoa Cherry Juice” smoothie recipe is not settling!

Happy running…and eating!

p.s. Consult a registered dietician if you want a customized nutrition approach.

Sleep your Way to Better Running!

Let me start by stating the obvious: to be a better runner, you need to run! Putting in the miles is required of any runner, whether they want to go faster or further. But there is a tipping point at which more miles could result in over-training and decreased performance. Luckily, there are several things you can do “off-road” to improve running performance. This post is about my favorite: SLEEP!

In fact, Usain Bolt (who knows a thing or two about running) shares my enthusiasm. He is quoted as saying that SLEEP is the most important part of his daily training explaining that, “I need to rest and recover for the training I do to be absorbed by my body.” As a Health and Fitness coach (and runner myself), I’ve seen personally and professionally how this one factor can influence running effectiveness.

Why?

The very simple explanation: When we run, we break down muscle. When we sleep, our bodies release growth hormones which stimulate muscle growth and repair. If we are sleep deprived, we can’t release as much, thus muscles don’t get sufficiently repaired. At minimum, this will lead to decreased strength in our runs; at worse, this can lead to injury. Additionally, sleep does a “whole bunch of other great stuff” (scientific term) for your body like boosting your immune system, regulating hormones, boosting brain power, etc. My personal “go-to” expert on all things sleep is fitness and nutrition expert Shawn Stevenson, and his book SleepSmarter. Highly recommend for anyone, but especially runners. 

How Much?

So, how much sleep are we talking about? Interestingly enough, studies differ on the best total time, but here is what is documented: 1) runners/athletes in season need more sleep; 2) the harder you train, the more you need; 3) runners who increased their average sleep time, increased their average speed; 4) elite athletes sleep on average 9-10.5 hours each night.

There is also interesting research which tells us to focus on the sleep cycle more than the total length. Without diving deep into sleep science, just know that a typical sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes and to feel most refreshed, you should aim to wake at the end of each cycle. You know how you feel “groggy” if you are startled awake from a deep sleep vs. waking naturally? This is your sleep cycle in action. Of course, there are always other factors at play that could affect this cycle but in general, aim to sleep in 90 minute increments with 6 hours being the minimum (i.e, 6, 7.5, 9, 10.5 hours, etc.).

Tips for Better ZZZ’s

1. Get on a schedule – same time to bed and wake every day; yes, that means the weekend too!
2. Keep your bedroom cool and dark (zero light; seriously…ZERO).
3. Limit caffeine after lunch. This will vary per person as we all metabolize caffeine at a different rate, but this is a good general rule; adjust accordingly for you.
4. Here’s a biggy…no screen time at least one hour before bed. Wait...what? What about my IPAD, Kindle, Phone, Laptop, TV, etc? Again, without diving into science, just know that the blue light emitted from these and other electronic devices suppresses your natural ability to release sleep hormones like melatonin. Recent studies also show that this light may increase the “stress” hormone cortisol. This is the exact opposite of what you want at bedtime which is higher melatonin and lower cortisol. If you must use these devices before bed, enable the “night shift” mode if available or buy special glasses that block out this blue light.
5. I highly recommend the book mentioned above for more information on these tips and so much more about the science of sleep!

Final Thought…

Running is a tough sport and we runners are a determined, tough bunch. We set our sights on a goal (whether personal or a schedule race) and then prioritize our life around the running plan to get there. We pound the pavement over endless miles often in less than desirable weather; we sacrifice Friday night parties, wine with dinner, lazy weekend mornings, and toenails all for the sake of this plan. But we are missing out on maximizing this plan if we simply focus on the miles. Like Usain Bolt, I encourage you to think of SLEEP as an important part of your plan; a time for your body to "absorb the training". Stay tuned for a future post on my other “Off-Road” Tip to improve your running performance. Until then...good night!