People keep asking me what I am going to do during the Olympics. I honestly have not put too much thought into it. I had pondered the idea of Volunteering, and then at least I could see some of the games. But, that involved time off work and I didn’t want to give that up. I fantasized about going away somewhere exotic and warm, but that also involved taking time off work. I concluded that I was just going to watch the Olympics live on my T.V with everyone else who could not afford to buy tickets!

I hiked up to Grouse Mountain this morning via the BCMC Trail. The BCMC parallels the grind and is approximately 10 minutes longer on average. I prefer this route because it doesn’t feel like a stair master and is less crowded. However, at this time of year, neither trail is crowded. Once I got to the top, I ate my Elevate Me Energy Bar and boarded the gondola to get down the mountain. On the way down, the gondola conductor (as I named him) told us about the plans Grouse Mountain has for during the Olympics. He told us that Grouse Mountain will be open 24/7 for the entire duration of the Olympic Games!!!!! That’s not all, NBC is going to be taping live from the top of the mountain (or the chalet area)

This means that you can literally ski everyday all day for 2 straight weeks! The gondola and restaurants will be open for 24 hours. You can snowshoe, hike, and even zip line at night. They have been planning this for 3 years and it sounds like it will be an amazing and entertaining adventure. I can’t wait to be a part of it.

My couch and television may remain empty during the games as I plan on hiking up the mountain to listen (to NBC reporters) and watch the games live (on big screens). Come try something different this year and experience something you will never forget!

Nicola Gildersleeve

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

I am going to do this blog in two parts. I introduce to you, part 1. The second is to be continued…
Let’s start this party off with Dates. Not only are they loaded with fiber (helps us stay regular), they are an excellent source of potassium.

Cranberries are one of my favorite dried fruits to eat in salads and are now my favorite turkey topper. They have long been valued for their ability to help prevent and treat urinary tract infections. Now, recent studies suggest that cranberries may also promote gastrointestinal and oral health and prevent the formation of kidney stones. The party doesn’t stop there, they also lower LDL (bad) and raise HDL (good) cholesterol, aid in the recovery from stroke, and even help prevent cancer.

Acai berry has existed for a very long time but this powerful berry has only been main stream for a short while. Acai has a remarkable concentration of antioxidants that help combat premature aging. It also consists of monounsaturated (healthy) fats, dietary fiber and phytosterols to help promote cardiovascular and digestive health.
Almonds are definitely on my list of daily eats. They are a great source of vitamin E and have good amounts of magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and fiber. This tear shaped nut is also a great source of healthy monounsaturated fat and they contain more calcium than any other nut which makes them great for vegetarians who do not eat any dairy products.

A few months back I was looking to increase my protein consumption by adding protein powder to my shakes. With so many different varieties on the market, it was hard to know which one to purchase. I consulted my naturopath and she suggested whey protein. Whey Protein is a main ingredient in all the Elevate Me Protein Bars as it helps to increase lean muscle mass. It is useful for weight loss, specifically fat loss. Our brain function relies on appropriate protein and it has also been shown to enhance immune function.

Raisins are a dried fruit I have everyday in my morning bowl of oatmeal. The health benefits of raisins include relief from constipation, acidosis, anemia, fever, and sexual weakness. Raisins also help in eye care, dental care, and bone health. Especially as a female athlete, keeping our bones healthy is a top priority!
You know the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Apples offer bone protection, helps asthma, lowers cholesterol, assists in the prevention of Alzheimer’s/lung/colon/liver and breast cancer, helps with weight loss, and diabetes management.

WOW!
All these foods are great to eat on their own, but, if you don’t have the time to shop, need healthy food fast that will keep you going for hours, or need to fuel up before or after exercise, reach for an Elevate Me Bar. Will all these wonderful health benefits, you would be silly not to!

Enjoy the day!
Nicola Gildersleeve

“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.

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.

I’m Earl the co-owner and co-founder with my wife Trish who wants nothing to do with writing about herself, so you’re stuck with me.

Since this is blog 1 I guess I’ll talk about the genesis of our little protein/energy bar project. We started this little company as all good little companies start, either in someone’s parent’s garage, basement or studio apartment. Since we moved around back in the early 2000’s all of those apply. As college students we were living off student loans and my mom would occasionally fire us some of her little creations, called Power Balls (disclaimer: nothing to do with Powerbar). They were ugly little things wrapped in saran wrap but did they ever fill the gut in a hurry and keep the flow going for dubious studying, so we inhaled them.

Fast forward to 2002 through school, a couple corporate gigs in the real 9-5 world and we sit down for a heart to heart about what the hell we’re really going to do to make a living. Our memories tweak back to those powerballs and we start thinking of health foods as a career: They are nutritious, portable and travel well, how can it lose?

And wouldn’t it be fun to own our own company, be our own bosses and work only when we feel like it? Yeah!