President Trish Ellingson explains, “We started this business in our tiny apartment, then moved to a night-kitchen and then to our own facility, which was great. But recently we were bursting at the seams again, so much so that we had to lease an extra property for our offices. So we finally bit the bullet and moved to a brand new space in a beautiful new building.”

In addition the company is hiring new staff, purchasing new equipment and launching a brand new flavor: “Strawberry Apple Pie”, made simply with strawberries, apples, cranberries, raisins, dates, almonds and pure whey protein isolate. Chief Bar Maker Kurt Ellingson says, “This was a recipe we worked on for a long time, and we finally got it right. As soon as we tasted the mix of strawberries with the protein and apples we knew we had a winner.”

As a launch special, founders Trish and Earl are offering a free a box of “Strawberry Apple Pie” bars to the first 3 people who email marketing@prosnack.com with the answer to this question: “how many grams of fibre and protein are in the new bar?”

Founded in 2003, ELEVATE ME! has grown from a mom and pop operation into a successful growth company, selling several million bars in the process to health and grocery stores throughout Canada and into the United States. ELEVATE ME! Bars are popular because they are made simply with real fruit and pure whey protein. They are gluten-free, not baked, not coated.

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

As an athlete, travelling to different race venues is common practice. As an athlete on a budget, getting to these places can take days, depending on mode of travel. Lucky for me, my boyfriend loves to drive; therefore it usually takes us a couple days to get to international events in the U.S.A.

I am especially picky about the foods I eat the week of a race. I have a few sensitivities when it comes to food and I need to pay close attention to what I am eating. Any irritation inside my body could lead to poor nutrition results during the event.

Here are a few tips about eating well on the road:

1. Pack snacks and staples with you, whether you are flying or driving. If flying domestically, you are allowed to bring fruit on the plane!!! Make sure to pack some cutlery and plates/bowls.
2. Shop at local grocery stores versus eating out for every meal
3. Be mindful of portion sizes. A restaurant meal is generally much larger than you would make at home.
4. Pack your day of race food in your luggage. You might not be able to find it in your host city.
5. Drink lot’s of water and avoid caffeinated beverages while flying.
6. If you are staying at a hotel, try to find a room with a fridge so you can grocery shop and keep your foods fresh. If the room does not have one, try asking the concierge if they have one you can borrow. In the last hotel I stayed in, they had an extra fridge and microwave.
7. If you have to eat out, don’t be afraid to be picky. Try to avoid fried foods. Look for meat that is grilled or baked. Ask for low-fat dressings and on the side if possible. See if the restaurant serves whole wheat pasta or brown rice instead of their white counterparts.
8. Pack a box full of Elevate Me organic energy bars. They are loaded with quality ingredients and will keep you satisfied until your next meal. They were my life savior on my trip to Virginia last weekend!

There you have it, 8 tips to keep in mind when travelling. Remember, when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Always be one step ahead of the game and success is bound to follow.

Nicola Gildersleeve

So what do I do? I swim, I bike and I run. However I also go to school, do yoga, lift weights, follow a proper nutritional diet and somehow manage to fit in time for fun and friends. Not saying that training isn’t fun, it is very fun and fun is partially what motivates me to train over 24 hours a week. This is just a quick summary of my life and it may sound crazy but with the right planning and drive anything is possible. How do I know this? Well because in one short year of training for the sport of triathlon I’ve gone from being a total Rookie to Junior National Champion to Canada Games Champion to 6th at Junior World Championships. A lot of hard and painful work was required but just putting in the hours doesn’t cut it. Believing in yourself and in what you’re trying to accomplish is key to any success. I have to admit I never believed I could even qualify for World Championships let alone place top 6. However, I did believe in myself, hard training and busy lifestyle regimen …and look what happened.

Starting the sport of Junior Triathlon racing at a later age than most (16, now 17) I had to motivate myself not to get discouraged by the fact that younger more experience athletes were ahead of me in many areas. I focused on my individual goals, such as learning how to properly corner while cycling. The simplest of things were what I struggled with the most. I just wanted to be out working hard on my bike with my teammates. But along with motivation you really need a lot of patience, which to tell you the truth I lack! My coach pushed me at my own pace and eventually I was out working hard on my bike with the other girls and I was even keeping up with them. The rest is history.

So I guess if I could sum up this post I would say the motivation of just doing my best is what pushed me through countless obstacles on my way to success.
My next race is in Mexico to qualify for Junior Olympics in Singapore, however this race isn’t until April and I am kind of in off season at the moment. I’m in the middle of working on my goals of reaching ultimately reaching the podium in the 2010 Junior Worlds in Hungary. I look forward to keeping you all up to date on my goals, and training and stories from the road. Training is something I’ve come to love and hope you too find the sport that drives your passion.

Until next time,
Alison Hooper
Junior Elite Triathlete
alisonhooper@blogspot.com

Wait a minute…we missed something there…OH YA…EXERCISE!!!!!!!

Where the heck are we going to make room for that? The darkness and cool temperatures make it a lot harder to get ourselves out of bed in the morning for our daily walks, runs, gym sessions, or bike rides.  So, you tell yourself you will do it after work, but by then its dark and cold outside and your tired from a long day at the office.

I have heard every excuse in the book about what’s preventing people from exercising and eating right. I really have. But, I also know first hand what it takes to get around those excuses. Here are a few examples of the most common excuses I get when it comes to lack of exercise and poor eating habits.

Excuse # 1: It’s too cold outside.

If your one of those people, who hates the cold weather, try an indoor spin class, bootcamp, yoga, circuit, or core class. There are a lot of options out there for the price of a Starbucks Venti latte and a pastry.

Excuse #2: I lack motivation.

Try working out with a buddy or going to a group class. It’s a lot easier to motivate yourself to get out the door when you know you have someone else waiting for you. You won’t let them down. Another good way to stay motivated is to write your goals down on a piece of paper and put them  on the fridge and at your work desk. If you constantly see what it is you ultimately want, you are more likely keep focused and make it happen.

Excuse # 3: I am so tired after work.

If you are one of those people who lack energy after work, I’ll pay you $100 if you go exercise and don’t feel energized afterwards. No matter how tired I am, if I just get out the door and start moving, I am instantaneously filled with energy. You will come home and your kids won’t know what hit them. Also, if I am tired after work, I am less likely to make something healthy for dinner. I am more likely to order out. If I have exercised, I have more patience to cook. Furthermore, I am more likely to cook up something healthy for all that hard work I just did.

Don’t let your energy slip during the day. Keep snacks on hand and eat at least once every 4 hours and try to have a snack in between. A good example of things to keep on hand: a handful of nuts, dried fruit, crackers and peanut butter, or an Elevate Me protein Bar!

Excuse # 4: There is no food in the house.

I get this one all the time. Write down 6-7 healthy and nutritious meals you are going to cook that week. Post them on the fridge so that they are in clear view. When you go to the grocery store at the beginning of the week, buy everything you need to make those meals. Then when you come home, all the ingredients will be on hand. If your children are old enough, get them to help with dinner. They can start preparing food while you are on your way home from work or your workout. One of the best things to do is take a couple hours on one of your days off to cook. Prepare a few meals you can put in the freezer. Pull it out in the morning or when you get home from work. Make a nice salad or steamed veggies to go along with it and presto, you have yourself/family a nice healthy meal.

Excuse # 5: Someone has to look after the kids.

Set up a plan with your partner. Maybe you do your exercise in the morning while he gets the kids ready for school, and he can do his exercise after work. Better yet, get the family together for some exercise. Take them for a nice walk, run, or bike ride.

There you have it, a list of excuses and the solutions to help you work around them. The best thing you can do is set a goal(s), identify barriers, and implement strategies to avoid those barriers. Set short and long term goals. A long term goal might be to train and finish a 10 km running event. A short term goal would be to run 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Remind yourself of your goals everyday because you are more likely to see them through to fruition.

Until next time,

Nicola Gildersleeve

Personal Trainer/ Endurance Coach

Elevate Me Ambassador/Athlete

http://www.ngildersleeve.blogspot.com

But are you getting enough protein?

Protein is the building block of muscle, so you’re protein requirements will increase with any form of training. A lack of protein will result in muscles loss, a weaker immune system, slower recovery time and less energy.

Try this simple calculator: The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight or 56 grams of protein a day for the average male and 46 grams for the average female. For people with an active lifestyle the protein requirements jump to 1.7 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight. If you want to build muscle as fast as possible, you will need at least 2.5 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight.

Why Whey?

Whey protein contains amino acids such as leucine which increases protein synthesis and speeds up recovery time. Studies have also shown that whey protein increases cellular glutathione levels. Glutathione is an antioxidant that combats free radicals in the body and helps reduce the risk cancer.

Now for the fun stuff!

Here at Elevate Me! We are running a contest for the best Elevate Me! picture. The first 3 people to send in a picture of you and your Elevate Me! bar doing any of the fantastic sports you enjoy, be it yoga, running or simply walking in Lynn Canyon will receive a box of Elevate Me! bars.

Start sending in those awesome pictures now!!

Email them to marketing@prosnack.com

Coreylee
Marketing Manager

For just a few days save $2.00 per box of bars as we welcome you back to school and work!

This is a great time to start planning those lunches and getting organized as we head into September.

The brain is a hungry organ that cannot function at optimal levels without the proper fuels. To keep the brain functioning at top performance, diets packed with brain boosting essential fatty acids and good quality proteins are a must! Next to water, protein makes up most of the weight of our bodies. Muscles, organs, hair, nails and ligaments are all composed of protein, so it’s obvious why protein is an important part of the diet.

This is your chance to try a flavour you haven’t tried before or to stock up on the ones you love. Keep these bars in your car, your gym bag and at your desk and next time you are hungry and need a snack, do something healthy for yourself and your brain and reach for a low fat, high fibre Elevate Me protein bar!

Enjoy!
Coreylee Essig
Marketing Manager
_______________________
ELEVATE ME! energy bars

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

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