Athlete Ambassadors – New Year’s Resolutions

January 27, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Keep your New Year Resolutions on track with some friendly advice from our very own Athlete Ambassadors. January and February we are featuring tips from our ELEVATED athletes.

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS FOR 2011
Nicola Gildersleeve – Ultramarathon Runner

No matter what, whenever a new year is about to begin, we feel the need to make some resolutions. Wouldn’t it be nice if we actually did everything we told ourselves to do throughout the year and never had any resolutions to make? Unfortunately for most (this includes me), this is not a reality and there are ALWAYS things we can do to make ourselves a little bit happier and healthier.

One of my own resolutions is to cook more at home. I really try hard to cook as much as possible but as athletes, we often find ourselves doing workouts that run late into the day. I am not always as prepared as I would like to be and I want to make an effort to have things premade so by the time we get home, we can be eating within 30 minutes. Of course, this takes a lot of planning and I just need to sit down at the beginning of the week and do it.

If your resolution in 2011 is to eat better, here are a few tips that can go a long way

1. Sit down at the beginning of the week and plan out your meals. By doing this, you can do one big grocery shop at the start of the week and have everything on hand. Then your not rushing to the store last minute (like everyone else), waiting in lines, and not eating dinner until 8-9 pm, or ordering something in.

2. On a weekend day, after you have done all your activities, cook some meals that you can leave in the freezer. Pull them out on weekdays when you know you are going to be tied up late at work or with training after hours.

3. Cook in mass quantities. I used to half all my recipes because there were only 2 of us at the table. I finally smartened up and now I keep all the extras for leftovers. There’s one meal I don’t even have to think about!

4. Make your lunch and snacks the night before. I always find myself rushing in the morning before work. Often, I don’t leave enough time to make my lunch and will grab something out. If it’s ready the night before, all I have to do is grab it out of the fridge and I am good to go. You can also try packing it while you are making dinner. If we have a salad with dinner, I just make it big and throw the rest of it in a container for lunch (with some left over chicken)!

5. Keep extra snacks in your purse, car, desk drawer and anywhere else you find yourself starving in the afternoon. This prevents you from hitting up the vending machine or the corner store for something that will not be as nutritious. Elevate Me bars have saved me on more than a few handfuls of occasions!

Here is to a happy and healthy 2011.

Nicola Gildersleeve

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Alison Hooper – Canadian Junior Elite Triathlete

January 18, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

KICK-START 2011 WITH SOME ADJUSTED LIFESTYLE CHANGES FROM ONE OF OUR ATHLETE AMBASSADORS!

I have never really been one for new years “resolutions”, simply because they are really hard to maintain for a long period of time. I like to call them adjusted lifestyle changes because that way I set little goals and changes that I will actually stick to!

The things that are on my list for the 2011 season:

  1. Time management between school and training (and life??). I have planned to just spend 5min at the beginning of the week to figure out when I am going to study in between my 14+ weekly workouts.
  2. Vitamins….taking them….on a regular basis! Vitamin D and Calcium/Magnesium for strong bones and a multi-vitamin for immunity and also iron to keep me energized
  3. Recovery…so more sleep, more stretching and more treatments (physio, massage and acupuncture). I had a rough battle with injuries for a lot of the 2010 season and I am doing my best to avoid them now. Another huge part of avoiding injury for whatever sport or activities you do is listening to your body. Am I really tired today? Is anything hurting? Should I being doing this much volume? Focusing on yourself and your body’s needs are the most important despite what training partners are doing or what coaches are telling you to do.
  4. Be Happy. I am reminding myself that I lead a great life; I live in a great country surrounded by great people and have access to everything I need. Smile!

2010 HIGHLIGHTS

This past year of racing was very exciting. I traveled to Mexico twice for international races and going to places like that is always a challenge because of the heat and the access of clean food.

I recall finishing a whole box of ELEVATE ME! in one week the first time I was away. Traveling to different countries it is always a mystery of what will be there, what won’t, if the race will be organized and what facilities will be accessible. I also went across to Eastern Canada for two races that were really great. I love racing within the country and getting to know the Canadian competition. This past summer I was lucky enough to be chosen for a racing camp that involved going to Europe for three weeks and racing every weekend. I had never been to Europe before and was super excited, but also nervous.

We stayed in a tiny town in France and would travel to different parts of Switzerland for racing. It was a great opportunity for travel and race experience. I was so out of my element and had no idea who I was racing! I finished off the season in Budapest, Hungary for the Junior World Championships. The course and the race were a little bit chaotic but provided yet another great experience.

In September I flew home from Hungary and started my first semester at University of Victoria and so far things are going great.

“We wish you all the best Alison and look forward to your updates on your next competition.” – The ELEVATE ME! Team

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Jingle Contest Winner

January 8, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

contest winner

Congratulations to Paul Purin of Cumberland, BC.

Paul Purin is the winner of the ELEVATE ME! Jingle Contest! Ding, Ding, Ding!! You have won $100 CASH and in honour of your dedication, ELEVATE ME! will make a donation to the Cumberland Community Schools Society in your honour.

ELEVATE ME! was given the opportunity to correspond with Paul, and find out a little more about his passions and philanthropic projects over the holiday season. Apart from his love of our Coca Coconut Cluster Bars, which he says play a large part in his personal health food chain regime. Paul is a director with the Cumberland Community Schools Society (CCSS); which is a volunteer based program that runs a healthy hot lunch program for their elementary school as well as numerous after school programs for all kids in their community.

Paul plays an active part in promoting healthy food choices to the community through his employment with “Two Rivers Meats” located on North Shore; focuses on providing specialty meats free of antibiotics, hormones and chemical feed additives to our community. “It’s Nice to Meat You” ingenious tag line is a great representation business owners thinking globally, by practicing good health locally.

This adorable photo is of Paul’s daughter sitting with Santa at their annual Santa’s Breakfast.

HIS CAUSE: Cumberland Community Schools Society

The CCSS mission is to strengthen their community through participation & knowledge sharing activities by facilitating educational, recreational, cultural programs & support services for the community of Cumberland. They provide educational, recreational and cultural programs for children, youth, adults and seniors in the Village of Cumberland.

For more information on Paul’s cause visit: http://cumberlandcommunityschools.com/

Thanks again to Paul for an amazing celebration of your community during the holiday season, keep up the great work!

- Your ELEVATE ME! Team

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Sneak Peak at Our January Newsletter

January 6, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

How to keep those healthy eating resolutions – in January and beyond
By ARA Website

While lifestyle and diet resolutions are not new, the new year is still a welcome and opportune time to make a fresh start in healthy eating, including developing better snacking habits.For many of us, the season of gluttony begins with candy-laden Halloween, continues through bountiful Thanksgiving and festive Christmas, and wraps up with party-time New Year’s Eve. January hopefully represents a clean slate and, for many people, a cleaner plate.

Indeed, finding snacks that fit into a resolved new way of eating is not always easy, especially when snacks have long been viewed as an indulgent reward. The good news for those intent on starting 2011 with a different snacking mindset is that a wider array of better-for-you products are available and the overall approach to eating better is more focused on sensibility than on fleeting fads….

Find out more about healthy eating for your new year resolutions, the scoop on protein and how to reduce your waistline AND make a positive impact on your environment…

To subscribe check us out here…. http://www.prosnack.com/elevateme-newsletter

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