Spring is closing in fast and what that means is LONGER DAYS!!!! Yipeee…
March 5, 2010 by Nicola · 1 Comment
I wrote a blog a while ago about how to stay motivated during the dark winter months. Today, I will talk about all the amazing things you can do OUTSIDE! Really, nothing is better than getting some exercise in the fresh air, rain or shine (it’s still Vancouver after all).
I have found myself more motivated than ever and perhaps that is because it isn’t dark out when I wake up and when I get off work. I feel like I have more energy as well as time. There are a lot of activities you can do outdoors, for example, hiking, biking, running, walking, skipping, roller blading, and the numerous team sports that exist out there (soccer, ultimate Frisbee, basketball, tennis).
For those of you who want to strength train but have been hesitant because you don’t like being inside, take your workout to the streets. Here is a simple beginner workout which can be done in less than 45 minutes. All you need is yourself, a band, and the great outdoors. Always warm-up/cool-down with some light cardio (5 min) and dynamic (before) and static (after) stretching.
Circuit 1: repeat 2-3 times
- Push-ups (modified- bench push-up), as many as you can or 10-15 reps
- Tubing row (wrap tubing around a pole, fence post etc), 10-15 reps
- High Knee’s, 30 seconds
- Front bridge (modified on bench), hold as long as possible
Circuit 2: repeat 2-3 times
- Squats, 10-15 reps
- Tubing shoulder press, 10-15 reps
- Step up’s on bench or high step side walk, 10-15 reps
- Side bridge (modified from bench), 10-45 sec/side
Circuit 3:
- Walking lunges, 10-15 reps
- Tricep push-ups (modified: on bench) narrow arms, 10-15 reps
- Stair run or sprint, 30 sec-1 min
- Bird Dog, quadruped opposing limb raise, 1 minute.
Working out can be fun, especially when you are in your natural environment.
Until next time,
Nicola Gildersleeve, athlete ambassador
PART 2- Nutritional benefits of Elevate Me!
February 5, 2010 by Nicola · Leave a Comment
I hope you enjoyed part 1 of the nutrition health benefits of all the wonderful foods that make up our favorite all natural energy bars by Elevate Me. I introduce to you part 2, enjoy!
I must admit, the first time I ingested Matcha Green Tea it was in my Elevate Me nutrition bar. The health benefits of matcha tea exceed those of green tea because when you drink matcha you ingest the whole leaf, not just the brewed water. One glass of matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of its nutritional value and antioxidant content. It is rich in antioxidants and chlorophyll and is shown to enhance mood. Another benefit is that it has a rating of zero on the glycemic index; therefore it will not raise your insulin levels.
I cannot even begin to list off the thousands of health benefits there are to this next fruit, but it truly is Bananas (pun intended)! This yellow, half moon shaped super food, has been shown to reduce depression by improving mood. Bananas are relatively high in iron, which helps the body’s hemoglobin function. Due to their content in fibre, they help restore a normal bowel function. Banana’s help with eyesight protection, aid in bone and kidney health, and the absorption of calcium. Lastly, bananas are extremely high in potassium, yet very low in sodium (1mg), thus having a perfect ratio for preventing high blood pressure.
I’ll be honest and tell you that Papaya is not on my weekly shopping list, but I am starting to reconsider that because it is an amazingly rich source of the proteolytic enzymes. These are the chemicals that enable the digestion of protein. Thank goodness I can get a source of Papaya in my Elevate Me energy bar! Papaya is also a great source of magnesium, and potassium.
This next fruit I often use to make a quick Salsa to put on fish. Mango! This amazingly delicious fruit is high in Iron, helps relieve clogged pores, combats poor digestion, helps protect against heart disease, and contains phenols which have a powerful antioxidant and anticancer abilities.
Nothing taste better than a good old fashioned Blueberry pie! That must be because Blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit. These berries neutralize free radicals in the body which can affect disease and aging in the body. They also aid in reducing belly fat, brain health, promote urinary tract health, preserve vision, help cure heart disease, helps constipation and digestion, and reduce the risk of cancers!
If you have never heard of Goji Berry, listen up! The Goji contains more beta carotene than carrots, more iron than spinach, and more vitamin C than an orange. Goji has a long history of treating eye problems, skin rashes, allergies, chronic liver disease and tuberculosis. Who knew?
Last but certainly not least, I give you one of my absolute favorites, Cocoa! Chocolate and cocoa derive their health benefits from flavonoids, which are plant pigments capable of acting as antioxidants to counteract some of the cellular damage that can lead to chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Cocoa powder has also been shown to lower blood pressure and improve blood flow in humans.
I hope you found my last two blogs very informative! Now we just need to educate the rest of the world because there are way too many processed foods out there. Until next time,
Nicola Gildersleeve
Athlete Ambassador/ Trail Runner
Resolutions… Really?
January 12, 2010 by Alison · Leave a Comment
So this time of year many people are trying to follow new “fads” to quickly reach their new-year resolutions. I find with resolutions you have to be very careful because many people do crazy diets or workout regimens that are so out of the ordinary. If your new workout plan is so far from your regular schedule it makes in close to impossible to stick with it because life will get in the way!
What works best for me is changing the little things in my daily routine to reach my ultimate goal. If you want to lose weight try not to have ice cream in your freezer all the time or make sure that you eat small portions every two hours- none of this crazy dieting! This year I really want to become more flexible. It will help me with racing and training and be another defence against injuries! What I have planned is to go to workouts 10 minutes early 3 times a week to get in a little extra stretching. I am also looking into another yoga class that is scheduled on my day off so no conflicts will happen. The more conflicts this resolution causes within your life means the harder it will be to accomplish.
Baby steps in changing over time will work better than huge change all at once. Plus your body or lifestyle won’t have to go on a roller-coaster ride some resolutions can send you on!
So one thing I love doing is having smoothies after my workouts. My favourite is banana, 1/3cup milk, chocolate protein powder (I use Genisoy) and 1 and 1/2 tablespoons almond butter. Or if you’re not a chocolate person- vanilla powder and then instead of almond butter add different types of berries and orange juice. This seems to gets me through the morning and provides me with the protein and fruit I need for my routine.
I have also come across these new microwave egg cookers- you can find them as freebies at most Running Rooms. It is really simple and takes about a minute to cook an egg! Tastes great and is perfect for a good addition of protein to your breakfast even if your in a hurry like myself.
Here is a link about the egg cookers-
http://blog.getcracking.ca/microwave-egg-cookers-cooking-tips-and-recipes
To sum up this post: SIMPLE=ACHIEVE.
Thanks,
Alison Hooper – Canadian Junior Elite Triathlete
Winter Cross-Training: An Ode to Snowshoe running
December 4, 2009 by Nicola · Leave a Comment
It’s hard trying to find the motivation to exercise outdoors when the weather is less than optimal and the skies say goodnight by 5pm (A.K.A- its dark!). It’s a good thing we have activities like swimming, killer gym sessions, spin classes, yoga, snowboarding, skiing, and snowshoeing…just to name a few! The options are literally endless.
This winter I am making it my mission to get up the mountain at least once a week to go snowshoe running. Not only does it billed a wicked running base and increase cardiovascular endurance, you can get a killer workout in less than an hour. Warning: snowshoe running is hard, it gets the heart rate up and you will be tired at the end of it. Perfect! Snowshoe running also uses all of the same muscles as running on dry land: the quads, hamstrings, calf muscles and the smaller muscle groups of the feet and ankles. Depending on how much you weigh, you can burn approximately 11 calories per minute, which is over 600 calories an hour!
If you have never been snowshoeing, there are a lot of different options out there to get yourself introduced to the sport. Most of the local mountains have nightly snowshoe clinics, where you can rent snowshoes and get a semi-private tour of the mountain. If you want to have some fun and be a little more competitive, you can sign yourself up for two of the Yeti Snowshoe running races. The first one takes place on Mt. Washington and the second is a local race on Mt. Seymour. They are loads of fun and a great way to spend time outdoors with like minded individuals. You can race solo or as a team of 5 or more people. Just make sure to recover properly and eat an Elevate Me! protein bar directly after the race.
See you in the trails…or in the snow!!!!
Nicola Gildersleeve
Ambassador Athlete
Elevate Me Hits the VIP swag bag at the Whistler Film Fest!
November 27, 2009 by prosnack · 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.
Carbohydrates: before/during/after Exercise
November 2, 2009 by Nicola · 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
Elevate Me! World’s Simplest Protein and Fruit Energy Bar
August 19, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Hi! This is Coreylee, the new marketing manager at Elevate Me! I’m very excited to be a part of such a great team of people and I personally love this bar! My experience in the health food industry has lead me around a lot of products that claim to be good for you but which are riddled with hidden fats and sugars. It is with great pleasure that I come on board to help spread the good word –That Elevate Me! “Is the world’s simplest protein and fruit energy bar.”
As you know, we love to support athletes any way we can. So if any of you Elevate Me! fans are in the Toronto area and would like to check out the Grapple Girls Open Grappling Tournament this Saturday August 22nd we have 3 tickets set aside for our company. The first 3 people to email me at marketing@prosnack.com with the code “ Grapple Girls” will get in for free. I will put you on the guest list under Elevate Me! Information on the event is below:
Toronto Wrestling Development Center (TWDC) Aug 22d Start: 11:00 am
http://www.womensgrappling.org
I look forward to telling you all about the kind of fun and exciting events that are coming up! Stay tuned and stay active with Elevate Me! Bars.
In GOOD health,
Coreylee Essig
Marketing Manager
ElevateME Protein Bars – Update
August 4, 2009 by admin · 1 Comment
It’s been awhile, so busy my apologies. Let’s see, we hired a great new Marketing Manager, Coreylee has joined the team and we’re thrilled and excited to welcome her to the team. She has a pretty big job ahead, helping us grow our Elevate Me! bars to feed more hungry athletes, students, employees, employers, kids, teens and well you get the idea. We’re going to be launching some swag so I’ve had a few emails for stuff like t-shirts but keep ‘em coming and if we do it you get the first one produced.
We just signed on with Canadian Sports Centre Pacific so we will be working closely with hundreds of professional and Olympic caliber athletes to fuel their incredibly arduous training, with the Olympics here in a few months the timing is perfect. We’ve already sold tons of bars to the snowboarders, speedskaters, lugers, ski jumpers etc., Now we just need to share our bars with all the pro sports teams out there, once they try them they’re hooked, so that helps.
We’re offering some guerrilla freebies away so let’s start now: the first 3 people to email me at info@prosnack.com and mention the codephrase “Flumoxed by Calamity” will get a free mix box sent in the mail, no strings…offer good now until Aug 7th 2009….keep on enjoying the ridiculous summer heat.
in GOOD health,
Earl Ellingson
Chief ELEVATE ME! Officer
ElevateME Energy Bars – Economics
June 17, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Summer’s about here now and the protein bar industry keeps keeping on. This recession hasn’t affected our energy bar per se, foods are pretty protected from the dips and valleys of economics I guess.
We’ve heard that organics are hurt somewhat as the price is higher and I can believe that. Our unique flavors like the goji berry, acai, matcha and blueberry keep our awesome clients interested. I think its because we’re gluten free and the only simple whey protein bar in the whole wide world too that helps.
In fact, we’re trying to hire our first real bona fide “white collar” employee to push our marketing and sales growth. So if you know anyone with, say, great contacts at Whole Foods USA then send them to me. Of course they should have an MBA and years of experience in the health food industry too. And they have to be super fit and filled with pure energy! And of course we want them to live in Vancouver or move up here too. We’re upgrading our offices and production area to make the bars as we’re bursting at the seams where we are. Calling all experts with nutrition, breakfast and granola bars. We want to hear from you. Once we solidify that stuff and our bigger plant then its time for new flavors and products that will be excellent in quality and nutrition and real whole fruits and nuts and seeds and protein of course.
Elevate Me Energy Bars – Growth
June 2, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Wow 5 months of the year are done, when you do this for awhile everything is measured in yearly quarters and we’re almost done the second one.
Right now we’re balancing our growing family with growing the company. Our staff has been fantastic, especially Kurt, as we have adapted to balancing family and business.
So now we are planning to get back into the business mind-set with some big adventures: new staff to promote our beloved bar, new products that will be creative and excellent, and a new facility, because we’re busting at the seams in our current 2 properties. We need one big one!
Stay tuned for the next Elevate Me! Energy Bars whatever, its going to be good.
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