What are you doing for the 2010 Winter Olympics?
February 12, 2010 by Nicola · Leave a Comment
I remember the day I heard that Vancouver was going to be hosting the 2010 Olympics. It was way back in High School and I was still in my teens. I remember thinking how crazy it was going to be because I was going to be 25 years old when the Olympics came to town!!!!! That was so old, I thought. I have to look back and laugh because being 25 years old feels incredibly young. I wish I could remember what I had imagined myself doing at 25 back when I was only 16 yrs old.
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
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
Happy Holidays~!
December 11, 2009 by Alison · Leave a Comment
So trying to keep this month’s blog in the theme of Christmas I want to share a couple of my secrets to avoiding those extra unneeded snackies and maybe…possibly sneaking in a little exercise? Because I am based in a year-round training center we don’t technically get any time off. However, we do have a whole week this year of on-your-own training which is sometimes hard to fit in, especially around a holiday like Christmas. Not including the chilly weather, relatives and friends would probably take priority over going to the gym for a workout. What I do:
-Plan ahead and schedule what workout I am going to do and when I am going to do it the day before so it is set in stone
-Try and incorporate a workout around something else that needs to be done (going to get a Christmas tree? Walk to the store)
*-But what works the best is getting up a little earlier and squeeze my workout in before all the planned daily fun starts. (Last year I did a swim and a run before half my family had got out of their pyjamas)
-Finally, try and get the whole family involved. My family, ever since I can remember goes for a long walk early afternoon and finishes right before Christmas dinner duties call.
Now about those snacks….there are going to be everywhere of all varieties so prepare yourself! The one thing that gets everyone are the little dishes or bowls of mixed nuts, crackers or sweets. Since you’re not putting them on to your plate it’s hard to pay attention to how much you’re eating. Also, liquid Calories…Alcohol and many seasonal drinks taste good but are loaded with sugar and sometimes fat! What I do:
-Take 1 portion only and then ignore that dish (its hard but I’ve trained myself)
-Limit myself to one drink every night and depending how much I plan on eating, 2 drinks on Christmas
-Water, Water, and Water…besides that fact that your body needs and craves it to run properly…drinking water before a meal or appy’s will fill the spaces that maybe unnecessary cheeses or chocolates could.
Holidays are hard and there is a fine line between enjoying yourself, letting loose and over indulging.
Here is a great Oatmeal Pancake Recipe that I love- fat free and full of protein they last me forever!
6 egg whites
1 cup oats
1 cup cottage cheese
2 tsp sugar (I use brown sugar splenda)
1 tsp vanilla
And some cinnamon
You can add whatever else desired- I usually put some raisins. And make sure you use a good non-stick pan!
Merry Christmas
Alison Hooper
Canadian Junior Elite Triathlete
November 13, 2009 by Alison · Leave a Comment
Hi, this is Alison and I am a Canadian Junior Elite Triathlete. I’ve been training for many years and often find good quality snacks hard to come by. When I was first introduced to Elevate Me back in early last year through one of my dad’s business partners I was excited and relieved because I finally found a bar that used whole foods and actually tasted good!
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
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