In fact, the only boxing they got to see was when they got tossed into the “To Donate” box when I was preparing to move. Little did I know that just a month later I would be sitting in the dojo of a new training centre hearing my instructor suggest we bring our own gloves and wraps in the following weeks. D’oh!

I recently joined the newly renovated Versus Training Centre in downtown Vancouver, located between Abbott and Cambie along West Hastings Street. My decision was the result of a too-good-to-be-true GroupOn offer for one month of unlimited classes, including Total Strength, Agility and Core, Circuits, and Kickboxing. Enthusiastically, I showed up on my first day to an agility and core class, and, for lack of a better expression, got my butt seriously kicked. Although I could barely move the next morning, I managed to peel myself out of bed again for the following day’s total strength class. I was hooked.

The teachers I’ve had so far are great; they are non- intimidating, have great instruction, and are helpful for all levels of students. Because they cap their classes at around 15 students, the teacher is always able to make sure all students have proper form and are benefitting from the exercise. In fact, one teacher was so on the ball that he saw right through my false-struggling bench press . “Hmmm, that weight looks a little easy for you!” Even some of the students are helpful. When partnered up in a strength circuit, in the midst of shaking through what was probably my 44th push up of the morning, my partner coached me (in the midst of his own plank, mind you), “Come on! Pick up your knees – just for the last 10 seconds!”

All and all, I’m totally impressed with this new gym, and am looking forward to sharing my experiences and growth with you as I continue my training. Yesterday, I brought in a variety box of ElevateMe Bars, along with a handy order form for the manager and staff to check out. I’m hoping they will love them as much as I do, perhaps as a nice ‘break’ from all the protein bars and supplements loaded with unpronounceable ingredients that dominate the market, and add them to their snack bar.

For now, I’ll keep my own stash handy in my back pack. Stay Elevated!

Over the years, I have spent a lot of time in the mountains, however, always running or day hiking. This summer, Peter and I went to Revelstoke to visit friends Todd and Kristen. It was Todd (an assistant Ski Guide) who came up with the brilliant idea to summit Mt. Begbie. This would not be an easy task and it would be an all day adventure. As we began packing the next morning, I was handed an Ice axe and some serious looking Crampons and wondered what I was getting myself into!

The day started out with steep switchback hiking. I don’t think I have ever hiked up switchbacks that were this steep. I started to sweat immediately and honestly could not wait to reach the tree line where the grade lessened. After 3 hours of hiking we finally came into a brilliant rocky meadow. The view was breathtaking.

The next section was the toughest of the day (for me). The 4 of us, all connected by the same rope, worked our way across a rather large glacier. My previous experience with this equals none. The 3 others I was with all donned mountaineering boots, while I, was wearing my low profile trail running shoes. I felt a little unprepared but they assured me I’d be fine. You could see the crevasses throughout the glacier but there were also some you could not see. Todd, in front me, was jabbing his ski pole into the snow to see if it was solid. I remember quite vividly this one time the pole went straight through. Todd put a big ‘x’ in the snow and said to me “Nicola, do not step here or you will fall to your death”. I was a little more than freaked out but managed to jump my way across it!

We finally reached the rocky peak we had to climb up. This peak was unlike anything I had ever been on this high up on a mountain. It was as though someone had stacked flat rocks a thousand feet high. The scramble up was by far my favourite part of the day. It was almost as good as the view from the top. We ate some lunch and relaxed for a while before heading back down.

The last thing that I was nervous about was rappelling back onto the glacier from the rock. Rappelling, I was told, was going to be easier than climbing back down to the glacier. It was actually really fun and because the rock was overhanging, I was just lowering myself in thin air. From there we made our way back across the glacier and hiked all the way back down. Peter and I decided to run back down and I cursed the now steep downhill switchbacks once more. I was happy to have brought my Elevate Me protein bar because I was so hungry on the way down.The entire round trip took 11 hours and it was well worth it. My first dose of mountaineering was a success and I look forward to trying it out more in the future.

My boyfriend has been climbing for almost 17 years and naturally he has taken me out a few times. I have to admit, I have a fear of falling and this used to be a real problem in the beginning. To take this admittance even further, I found myself in a state of panic on the rock a few times. But then I learned a valuable lesson, a lesson that holds true in all facets of life. I learned to trust- the rope that is. I eventually realized through trial and error that when I let go of the rock (or fall), I didn’t go anywhere.

This break from training has allowed me the freedom to spend time climbing and I AM LOVING IT! It’s so different than running and works a completely whole new set of muscles in an entirely different way. I am starting to get pipes! I am feeling stronger than ever because when you run long distances like I do, you lose muscle in the process.

I can remember being a child and my dad would frequently take us camping and hiking in Squamish. Whenever we drove by the Chief, he would always point out the little people climbing on the rock. They looked so small on that giant piece of granite. Now I am one of them. It’s crazy! This summer, climbing has taken me to the Rockies, Revelstoke, Squamish, and even in my own backyard in the Lynn Valley Headwaters.

I will never stop running and I am the first to admit that. However, sometimes it’s nice to break away from the everyday routine of training and try something new. You learn more about yourself doing something new than you do doing the same thing over and over.

On that note, get out there and make it your goal to try something new in the remaining months left we have in 2010.

Note: All of my climbing endeavours have been powered by Elevate Me energy bars! When your climbing, you need to pack light! These high protein bars are as light as they come!

Nicola Gildersleeve
Athlete/Ambassador

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

1. Push-ups (modified- bench push-up), as many as you can or 10-15 reps
2. Tubing row (wrap tubing around a pole, fence post etc), 10-15 reps
3. High Knee’s, 30 seconds
4. Front bridge (modified on bench), hold as long as possible

Circuit 2: repeat 2-3 times

1. Squats, 10-15 reps
2. Tubing shoulder press, 10-15 reps
3. Step up’s on bench or high step side walk, 10-15 reps
4. Side bridge (modified from bench), 10-45 sec/side

Circuit 3:

1. Walking lunges, 10-15 reps
2. Tricep push-ups (modified: on bench) narrow arms, 10-15 reps
3. Stair run or sprint, 30 sec-1 min
4. 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

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

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

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! 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.

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

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