Elevate Me Hits the VIP swag bag at the Whistler Film Fest!

November 27, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

North Vancouver’s own protein bar Elevate Me! was invited to participate in this year’s gift lounge at the Whistler Film Fest Dec 3rd to 6th.  With all eyes on Whistler, this event should prove to be exciting exposure for Vancouver’s own protein bar.

“Elevate Me! will be such a good fit at this event! Perfect crowd, perfect venue,” commented CEO of The Uptown GiftBox Company and producer of the VIP Lounge, Gabrielle Durning.

Company owners’ Trish and Earl Ellingson, who have been making Elevate Me! bars since 2003, are very excited to be selected to participate in this event.  “We love our bars and we love our customers who love our bars,” say the Ellingsons. “So anytime we can get more people to try Elevate Me, the better!”

With the Olympics coming to our proud city, people will be heading up to Whistler. This is the perfect bar to take up the hill or to have handy at 3 p.m. It’s pre-portioned into 3 easy to eat pieces and doesn’t melt or isn’t coated with chocolate. “The world simplest protein and fruit energy bar”

Elevate Me! bars are gluten free whey protein bars that are made with all natural ingredients. Trish and Earl grew this family business out of a vision and mom’s recipe and have turned it into one of Vancouver’s most successful small businesses. Check out their website for updates, contests and athlete sponsorship opportunities. www.prosnack.com.

 

 If you would like more information on this topic or to schedule an interview with Trish and Earl Ellingson please contact Coreylee Essig at 604-980-6160.

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How to Eat Well on the Road

November 23, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

How to Eat Well on the Road

As an athlete, travelling to different race venues is common practice. As an athlete on a budget, getting to these places can take days, depending on mode of travel. Lucky for me, my boyfriend loves to drive; therefore it usually takes us a couple days to get to international events in the U.S.A.

I am especially picky about the foods I eat the week of a race. I have a few sensitivities when it comes to food and I need to pay close attention to what I am eating. Any irritation inside my body could lead to poor nutrition results during the event.

Here are a few tips about eating well on the road:

  1. Pack snacks and staples with you, whether you are flying or driving. If flying domestically, you are allowed to bring fruit on the plane!!! Make sure to pack some cutlery and plates/bowls.
  2. Shop at local grocery stores versus eating out for every meal
  3. Be mindful of portion sizes. A restaurant meal is generally much larger than you would make at home.
  4. Pack your day of race food in your luggage. You might not be able to find it in your host city.
  5. Drink lot’s of water and avoid caffeinated beverages while flying.
  6. If you are staying at a hotel, try to find a room with a fridge so you can grocery shop and keep your foods fresh. If the room does not have one, try asking the concierge if they have one you can borrow. In the last hotel I stayed in, they had an extra fridge and microwave.
  7. If you have to eat out, don’t be afraid to be picky. Try to avoid fried foods. Look for meat that is grilled or baked. Ask for low-fat dressings and on the side if possible. See if the restaurant serves whole wheat pasta or brown rice instead of their white counterparts.
  8. Pack a box full of Elevate Me organic energy bars. They are loaded with quality ingredients and will keep you satisfied until your next meal. They were my life savior on my trip to Virginia last weekend!

There you have it, 8 tips to keep in mind when travelling. Remember, when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Always be one step ahead of the game and success is bound to follow.

Nicola Gildersleeve

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Canadian Junior Elite Triathlete

November 13, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

Hi, this is Alison and I am a Canadian Junior Elite Triathlete. I’ve been training for many years and often find good quality snacks hard to come by. When I was first introduced to Elevate Me back in early last year through one of my dad’s business partners I was excited and relieved because I finally found a bar that used whole foods and actually tasted good!

So what do I do? I swim, I bike and I run. However I also go to school, do yoga, lift weights, follow a proper nutritional diet and somehow manage to fit in time for fun and friends. Not saying that training isn’t fun, it is very fun and fun is partially what motivates me to train over 24 hours a week. This is just a quick summary of my life and it may sound crazy but with the right planning and drive anything is possible. How do I know this? Well because in one short year of training for the sport of triathlon I’ve gone from being a total Rookie to Junior National Champion to Canada Games Champion to 6th at Junior World Championships. A lot of hard and painful work was required but just putting in the hours doesn’t cut it. Believing in yourself and in what you’re trying to accomplish is key to any success. I have to admit I never believed I could even qualify for World Championships let alone place top 6. However, I did believe in myself, hard training and busy lifestyle regimen …and look what happened.

Starting the sport of Junior Triathlon racing at a later age than most (16, now 17) I had to motivate myself not to get discouraged by the fact that younger more experience athletes were ahead of me in many areas. I focused on my individual goals, such as learning how to properly corner while cycling. The simplest of things were what I struggled with the most. I just wanted to be out working hard on my bike with my teammates. But along with motivation you really need a lot of patience, which to tell you the truth I lack! My coach pushed me at my own pace and eventually I was out working hard on my bike with the other girls and I was even keeping up with them. The rest is history.

So I guess if I could sum up this post I would say the motivation of just doing my best is what pushed me through countless obstacles on my way to success.
My next race is in Mexico to qualify for Junior Olympics in Singapore, however this race isn’t until April and I am kind of in off season at the moment. I’m in the middle of working on my goals of reaching ultimately reaching the podium in the 2010 Junior Worlds in Hungary. I look forward to keeping you all up to date on my goals, and training and stories from the road. Training is something I’ve come to love and hope you too find the sport that drives your passion.

Until next time,
Alison Hooper
Junior Elite Triathlete
alisonhooper@blogspot.com

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Carbohydrates: before/during/after Exercise

November 2, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

Even after the whole “low carb” diet phase that struck North America a few years ago, I still meet people who have this “fear” of carbohydrates. I hear outrageous statements such as “carbs will make me fat” and “I don’t eat carbs past noon” just to name a few. In the words of Nancy Clark, the author of my favorite nutrition book, “Carbohydrates will not make you fat, excess calories will make you fat”.

As an athlete, I need carbohydrates because they are the most important nutrient for exercising muscles. Not only do they keep my brain fueled, they fuel my muscles during activity, and are a great source of dietary fiber. There aren’t so called “good carbs and bad carbs” but there are one’s that are going to fuel the body better than others.

Let’s now review the carbohydrate. There are two types: Simple and Complex. Simple carbohydrates are also called simple sugars and are found in refined sugars (white table sugar). They are also found in foods such as fruit and milk. Complex carbohydrates are also known as starches. Starches include grain products, such as bread, crackers, pasta, and rice. Some complex carbohydrate foods are better than others. White rice and white flour have been processed, which removes nutrients and fiber. It is always better to choose whole wheat flour and brown rice whenever possible. These grains contain vitamins and minerals and are rich in fiber, which aids digestion. Fiber also helps you feel full, so you are less likely to overeat. Depending on activity level, most individuals require 4-6 grams of carbs per kilogram (1.8-2.7 per pound) of body weight.

Pre Activity: it is important to fuel your muscles with carbohydrates. They should be eaten with a little bit of protein approximately 1-3 hours prior to activity, depending on your digestive system. If you process food really quickly, then 1-2 hours should suffice. On the other hand, if you have a slow digestive system, 3 hours may be better.

During Activity: If you are exercising longer than 75 minutes you will need to replenish your glycogen stores with the necessary fuel to keep your muscles functioning optimally. This may come in the form of energy drinks (Powerade, Refresh, Ultima), gels (GU, Powergel, honey Stinger), and/or gummy chews (Sharkies, Clif Shots, GU chomps). The ideal is 100-250 calories (or 25-60 grams of carbs) per hour, after the first hour of running (Nancy Clark, 2008). That is the equivalent of one to 2 ½ sports gels or 16-40 oz of sports drink per hour. If you are like me and can’t handle taking a flavored energy drink, you will need to find another way to get the necessary electrolytes which are lost through sweat. My product of choice is an electrolyte supplement called Thermolytes. A serving size (2 capsules) packs 300 milligrams of buffered sodium to replenish the sodium lost through sweat. All that sodium is balanced with potassium (85.2 mg), calcium (25.2mg), magnesium (12mg) and a few more mg of trace minerals. Salt stick and Elite are 2 more products of this kind. As for me, in a race that is a marathon or longer, I take 2 gels an hour, 1-2 salt pill an hour, and 500 ml of water per hour. In the event that I really start to cramp up in an ultramarathon, I will take a bunch of salt pills and a lot of water, until the cramp subsides.

Post Activity: Directly after prolonged or intense exercise, specifically within the first 15-30 minutes, it is important to replenish muscle glycogen. The tank is going to be empty and unless you replace what you used, the tank (your muscles) will be dry the next time you go to use it. Liquids are the easiest and quickest way to do this. It is recommended to have a ratio of 3:1 carbs to protein. Shakes and smoothies are great but I personally use a product called Endurox, which contains L-Glutamine that helps with muscle repair. If I do not have access to that, I’ll grab low fat chocolate milk, as it has the perfect combination of carbs, fat, and protein. Post exercise, blood is still in your muscles, there is not a lot in the stomach for digestion. If you eat solid food to replace your stores, it may take longer to be absorbed and digested, and you risk missing that 30 minute window. It is important that within the next 45-90 minutes you have a larger whole foods meal with a 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein. Examples include almond butter on a bagel and a banana or eggs on whole grain bread with an apple. If you are in a rush or you don’t feel like eating any solid food, eat an Elevate Me Organic Energy Bar, which pack approximately 16 grams of muscle repairing protein  and 35 grams of carbohydrates per bar!

Carbo-loading:

It is common for endurance athletes to carbo-load for events 90 minutes or longer. Carbo-loading aims to prevent the onset of fatigue during endurance events. If completed properly, carbo-loading will almost double the normal amount of stored glycogen found in a trained person. It is suggested to carbo-load in the 2-3 days leading up to an event. Sports nutritionists recommend consuming 9-10 grams of carbs per kilograms of body weight.

I hope this has cleared up the false notion that carbohydrates are ‘Bad’ for you! Athletes, eat up, and remember  to choose organic whole grains whenever possible.

Until next time,

Nicola Gildersleeve

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