Why are you moving so fast?
August 29, 2012 by prosnack · Leave a Comment
In todays world of automated convenience, we often have become so efficient at “life” that we can’t distinguish the days from one another. We eat fast, we work fast, and we sleep fast. Everywhere we look there is somebody selling a new way do do something faster or more efficiently. We read books with titles like “The 4 Minute Body” and “Work Faster with Less” in an attempt to speed up our daily tasks and presumably make more time for enjoying life. But even when we get the chance to do that, when we get the chance to spend time with our kids or loved ones, it’s often all too rushed. Before you know it that time is gone, and the next morning you are heading to an abbreviated gym session, and then rushing off to work for a day of fast-paced meetings before just barely getting to a speed dating event later that night and finally getting home late for a short restless sleep. And the cycle repeats.
While you can be healthy with this type of constantly fast paced lifestyle, its far too often not the case. Food that’s fast is never very good for us. Working fast is followed in many cases with severe stress of deadlines and the like. Sleeping fast(or getting too little because its a “waste of time”) can wreak havoc on our health and immune system. Not only does living in this constant fast-forward effect our health, it affects our life. After-all with a lifestyle like this, even if you are practicing healthy living, you may be “healthy” but are you really living?
The Slow Movement is a global movement with the message of living consciously, Slow Living. This movement isn’t a campaign to do everything slowly. Slow living is about living lucidly, it’s living aware and present. It’s about doing the right things at the right speed.
Authors Beth Meredith and Eric Storm summarize Slow Living as follows:
Slow Living means structuring your life around meaning and fulfillment. Similar to “voluntary simplicity” and “downshifting,” it emphasizes a less-is-more approach, focusing on the quality of your life. … Slow Living addresses the desire to lead a more balanced life and to pursue a more holistic sense of well-being in the fullest sense of the word.
Carl Honore explains his experience with Slow Living in this video. Carl is an advocate of Slow Living, and the author of the book In Praise Of Slow.
Much Ado About Wheat
August 22, 2012 by prosnack · Leave a Comment
A new study published recently has come up with some very interesting findings that may add some legitimacy to the gluten-free lifestyle. The aim of the study, which was conducted to the scientific “gold standard”;double-blind and placebo-controlled, was to investigate the relationship between wheat how it’s effects differ in patients with Celiac-disease(CD) and non-Celiac patients. Until recently, the notion of someone without CD having a wheat sensitivity(WS) was dismissed as just an abstract idea. However with more people eliminating wheat from their diets now than ever before, the question has been raised whether or not to avoid wheat for optimal health.
During the study, it was found that some patients without CD reacted with remarkably similar inflammatory responses to wheat as a CD patient would. An interesting note in the study is that it appears there were two different classifications of reactions to wheat in the patients. During the research one groups physiological reaction to wheat was similar to a CD patients, and the other reacted to wheat more as if it were a food allergy. This study not only confirms that non-Celiac WS is, in fact, a legitimate condition, but also that there are two distinct populations in this realm.
This new research is a landmark study in the field of wheat research. While there are limitations to this study, a the very least it provides food for thought for people suffering from what they think is a food allergy or potentially CD. A lot more needs to be looked at in terms of WS research, but this study makes for a compelling start.
Three Rules for Maintaining Energy Throughout the Day
August 8, 2011 by prosnack · Leave a Comment
Feeling sluggish? Follow these three rules for maintaining energy throughout the day:
(ARA) Whether you’re a busy parent, a career go-getter or both, modern life has never been more hectic. Busy days can leave even the most energetic people tired and drained. If you want to live a more healthful, energized life, some simple choices can help you make each day dramatically different.
For more info, tips and trends on back to school, healthy snacks, the San Francisco marathon and our community partners please subscribe to our newsletter!
Tips to Enjoy Your Most Nutritious & Delicious Summer Vacation
July 10, 2011 by prosnack · Leave a Comment
On the road: Tips to enjoy your most nutritious – and delicious – summer vacation
…While grabbing your friends or family and heading out for time away may be great for enjoying all that summer has to offer, it’s usually never good for the waistline. Busy travelers often opt for convenience over nutrition, filling up on high-calorie foods that have little to no nutritional value. But with a little pre-planning, you can choose to avoid the food option pitfalls that frustrate even the savviest travelers…
Read great articles, tips and trends on everything from health and wellness, nutrition and our team ambassadors… subscribe to our newsletter and stay ELEVATED!
Effective Dry-Land Training Structure for Hockey Players
June 14, 2011 by prosnack · Leave a Comment
In celebration of our very own Vancouver Canucks and Stanley Cup PlayOffs, check out our newest Partnership with Crash Conditioning. A great article by Doug“Crash” Crashley, president of Crash Conditioning, a hockey performance center in Calgary, Alberta.
Effective Dry-Land Training Structure for Hockey Players
By Doug “Crash” Crashley, President of Crash Conditioning
Full Article in Stack Magazine
When developing a dry-land training program, hockey players and their strength coaches need to consider many factors to ensure that it is effective and leads to athletic development.
Some of the factors are obvious—e.g., age and development level. A veteran NHL player will not follow the same plan as 20-year-old Edmonton Oilers rookie Jordan Eberle, or as a 13-year-old bantam house league player. Also, simple differences in physical maturity between male and female athletes of the same age must be taken into consideration.
Other factors are more long-term and developed. Effective dry-land training requires a properly phased program, including workouts that are individually broken down. An athlete’s program should have small and medium goals that lead to his or her long-term development. Every exercise performed should have a reason, and progressions done correctly should link together like puzzle pieces—creating a better athlete overall.
At the simplest level, athletic development for hockey is structuring an individual workout to get the most out of an athlete. And with a basic program to follow, it can work for any age, skill level and degree of commitment. From the time an athlete shows up at the gym to when he or she is walking out the door, the workout structure should be designed correctly and efficiently.
For the most part, I use the following template to develop my players’ workouts:
General Warm-Up
Skip, bike or jog for five to 10 minutes; this increases physiological and psychological levels.
Dynamic Warm-Up
The athlete spends 20 to 40 minutes going through a series of exercises to increase range of motion; activate specific muscles and muscle groups; and wake up the central nervous system [CNS] to increase efficiency and reaction speed for movement patterns. I start to blend this phase with the next one, but some exercises can fit under either heading.
CNS Development
CNS development focuses on speed, agility, quickness and power [SAQP] training. During this time, the athlete works on various high-intensity exercises, never allowing fatigue to harm technique. The exercises include plyometrics as well as other agility drills such as speed ladders, mini hurdles, jump training and sprints. For older athletes, this phase may include Olympic lifts, as does the next phase.
Power and Strength
This phase can include any exercises that involve resistance training. According to livestrong.com, “resistance is simply putting a load on a muscle, making it move against a force. That force might be external, such as a weight, or it might be internal, like another muscle in your body.”
Energy System Development
This can actually be done on a separate day, involving as little as 15 to 20 minutes of work. It includes threshold training, jogging or biking to specific agility patterns for longer duration.
Recovery/Regeneration
Flexibility training, such as stretching and rolling out with a foam roller, and even ice baths and massages, are as vital as any other aspect of the workout, because they allow better nutrient transportation and recovery for the next event
Nutrition
After the end of a workout, it’s time to refuel the tank!
To view videos of the about training principles or to see Doug “Crash” Crashley in action please visit the full article at: http://blog.stack.com/author/doug-crashley/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Doug “Crash” Crashley is the president of Crash Conditioning, a hockey performance center in Calgary, Alberta. Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith and nominee Mike Green, along with other NHL players and prospects, come to Crash each year to prepare for their seasons. Crashley’s training focuses on enhancing hockey performance through both physiological and psychological conditioning. He has been a lecturer and presenter for Hockey Canada, Hockey Alberta, Nike Hockey and CBC Hockey Night on Canada’s Hyundai Nation. His work has been featured in Hockey Now, Royals Report, Hockey Calgary and STACK magazine
4 STRATEGIES FOR SUMMER “NO SLOTH LIKE” HEALTH
June 2, 2011 by prosnack · Leave a Comment
By Sarah Jamieson, Personal Coach, YT, FMS 2
Winter hibernation has finally come and gone, however, if you are one of the many who are still somewhat, sloth like…get over it and get out of the hacienda!
As summer quickly approaches, parks and beaches will soon be in full swing. Why wait? Get out there and take advantage of the early bird summer season with 4 easy strategies to staying healthy and fit, post hibernation and pre summer bliss…. Subscribe to our June Newsletter for more info…
May Newsletter
May 5, 2011 by prosnack · Leave a Comment
May is finally here, exams are done and school is almost out! It’s time to get fit and healthy for summer.
Check out our May newsletter for tips and trends on summer health!
Kicking of the summertime festivities check out the Events Section of our newsletter – New Partnership with the Dunbar Cycles, DC Pro Team, crushin’ it! Check them out: http://www.dunbarcycles.com/
Elevate Me Spartan Team
April 21, 2011 by prosnack · Leave a Comment
Over the last couple weeks we have generated a great deal of buzz surrounding our SPARTAN CONTEST for the first ever Canadian Spartan Race; which will make its debut on May 14th in North Vancouver. Elevate Me is doing their part by Sponsoring the Spartan Race in Vancouver and will also be competing in this epic adventure!
Who is Spartan Enough?
LET THE GAMES BEGIN: Graham Snowden… Spartan Enough? we think so! Let’s take an in-depth look a typical training day
- 2km open water swim with the sharks
- Sprint pyramids and 8x stair repeats vs the African cheetah
- Casual summit of a local snow covered mountain
- Peak Yoga, recover with Yoga on top of the peak
- NBD – No Big Deal, that’s all before breakfast
Graham comes packed with a long list of sports accomplishments under his armour, some of which include the Big Five Marathon in Africa, the Alcatraz Triathlon in June and Racing The Planet in Nepal – a 100 km – 250km self-supported footrace which takes place in remote locations around the world.
Crazy enough to be a Spartan – confirmed! Tattooed on his back (of his shirt)… “You’re not that bad, I am just that awesome.” – Just do it – NIKE!
MEET THE ELEVATE ME SPARTAN TEAM:
Earl Ellingson – Big Dog at Elevate Me, devoted bar maker, master of hard knocks, marathoner, avid worker-outer of adventure and health promoter, husband and father to Spartan-in-training little one.
Sarah M. Jamieson – Marketing Maveness at Elevate Me, ultra runner, Coach and Yoga Zen Teacher, Parkour and Ninja-Superhero wannabe, engages in anything athletic with the chance to support a cause for the greater good of all humanity.
Kirsten Rusko –Dodgeball Extraordinaire, on the team “Not in the Face, We’re Models” and an intense competitor of the “paper, rocks, scissors” Vancouver championships. Studying Medieval Literature at the University of Oxford makes her uniquely qualified for the Spartan Race. Avid trekker, health educator and do’er of all things epic and unorthodox!
Graham Snowden - Newest member of our Elevate Me! Athlete Ambassadors, “Racing for Lives” Athlete and Founder, triathlete, adventure seeker, runner of a muck and domination do gooder. Oh, and he’s in real estate and marketing to boot.
HONORABLE MENTION: Thank you to Jared Pearson, of Innovative Fitness, West Vancouver for showcasing your SPARTAN TRAINING! The force is strong with this one!
Don’t forget to swing by our booth for some pre race Spartan Fuel! Let the Primal Challenge begin….
April Newsletter
April 10, 2011 by prosnack · Leave a Comment
Join Elevate Me! The Spartan Race Vancouver Event!
ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH! Spartan Race comes to Vancouver! Are you as excited as we are!! Spartan Race’s mission is to get you active, healthy, and excited about change! “Prepare for Glory” and return to your ancient roots; running through woods, getting dirty, climbing walls and facing adversity…it’s part of everyday life. Spartan events are all about challenging today’s perception of normal. Who doesn’t like getting dirty from time to time!
ELEVATE ME! SPARTAN CONTEST:
We are looking for a couple “tough ELEVATE ME! SPARTANS” to join our team…
“ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH?” Contest:
What’s your day of training in the life of a Spartan look like? Elevate Me! wants to know!
April 1st – April 15th we are accepting submissions, its easy!
1. Submit your mini blurb “a day of training in the life of a Spartan” and tell us your daily training regime on getting fit for the Spartan Race.
2. Take a photo of your best Spartan exercise or pose! Be creative!
3. Email to marketing@prosnack.com
4. We will announce the winners April 16th on facebook
5. What do you win? FREE ENTRY into the Spartan Race on the Elevate Me! Team and your favorite box of BARS!!
Check out our facebook page for on-going Spartan details, and subscribe to our Newsletter for more tips and trends on health and wellness…
The Last 10KM Walk in Her Shoes for Care Canada
March 21, 2011 by prosnack · Leave a Comment
THE LAST 10 KM “WALK IN HER SHOES FOR CARE CANADA” 100KM
By Sarah Jamieson, ACE, YT, FMS 2
The last 10km is a metaphor for life, a metaphor for stepping outside your own comfort zones and investing in the bigger picture. It’s also a metaphor for success, a metaphor for the human spirit. On March 8th I endured to walk/run 100km, my first ever 1ookm event and it was one of great success! 4 months ago I set out with a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) to spearhead a campaign for CARE, one of the leading humanitarian organizations in Canada for the celebration of 100 years of International Women’s Day.
Now, my last 10km was actually at the 64km – 74km mark, needless to say I didn’t make the full 100km, but I did achieve what I set out to do – and that was to bring awareness to CARE Canada and their featured programs geared towards women’s empowerment. Each step was a reminder of what women living in poverty must undergo every day for clean water, basic healthcare and basic life necessities for their families. This was the backbone of our cause.
“Education, local capacity building and sustained economic growth, are critical to fighting poverty in developing countries. Women and girls hold the key. Walk In Her Shoes has the potential to unlock the hope and optimism towards sustained economic opportunities. This March, as Canadians WE have the chance to bring to the forefront of our time, the direct impact we can make by investing in and empowering all girls to transform their world; by mobilizing them to engage in cultural exchange, gain a global perspective, and create and lead social change.”
As a Movement and Performance Coach, Yoga Teacher and Elevate Me! eater, I understand the complexities an event of this magnitude calls for; the specific periodization and skill training involved, the hours of corrective strategy and re-patterning to ensure proper bio mechanics, and not mention the nutritional aspect of a 12 hour event, which Elevate Me! played a large role. Fast tracking my own training to only 7 weeks lead up time I feel I did my very best! Thankfully, the 10 years of marathon running and Yoga built a great foundation!
I am a proud athlete, calculating well over 750 km, 77,733,300 steps over the 7 week span.At the end of it all, we raised close to $5,000. We had over 45 people out along the Vancouver route, many students and community patrons! Walk In Her Shoes was a success globally, thousands of women walked 8,000 (6km) between March 2 – March 8th for CARE Canada.
This is a great example of ‘The Sports Philanthropy Movement’; where athletes and local companies within the health and wellness industry come together and use their skills for a global effort.
Sarah M. Jamieson
Athlete Ambassador & Marketing Team
Movement & Performance Coach and YogaFORM Teacher
-
Recent Posts
-
Categories
-
Archives
- August 2012
- February 2012
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
-
Links
Brave Media Internet Marketing Vancouver