How On-Going Nutrition Coaching Works!
November 8, 2020
Written By: Nutrition Coach Mairead Have you been interested in our On-Going Nutrition Coaching Program, but not been totally sure how it all works? Today we'll go through what's included and what happens every step of the way to help you decide if this could be the right choice for you!
(PSA: if you're looking to get started or use extended benefit coverage before the end of 2020, there's limited spots available!)
Getting started:
You've decided you have some nutrition goals and want to do On-Going Nutrition Coaching - yay! You book a 60-minute appointment with our Registered Dietitian that fits your schedule. You will also be asked to complete a food log for 3-7 days to give both you and your dietitian an idea of what you're eating.
First nutrition meeting:
You show up for your first meeting! Meetings can also be done by phone or Zoom video call if that's easiest for you. In this meeting, you'll be asked about your specific goals, any relevant medical information, your general eating habits, food likes and dislikes, as well as any other information relevant to your goals. You'll set some habit goals to start working on and decide how you'll measure progress on them. You'll also receive a habit tracker to help you stay on track! Before leaving, you'll pick a day of the week to consistently do email check-ins and schedule your in-person or virtual monthly check-in meeting. If you need an invoice for reimbursement from extended benefits, it will be emailed to you after the session.
Email check-ins:
Each week you'll email your Dietitian to check in! This is to help you stay accountable and give you any support you need along the way. In this email, you'll go over how you're doing on the specific goals set at your meeting, as well as any questions and anything else you're hoping to discuss.
One week after your first meeting:
Within a week of your first nutrition meeting, your Dietitian will email you with a few things. You'll receive the link to join the private Nutrition Coaching Facebook group where you can participate as much or as little as you'd like. You'll also get your personalized sample nutrition plan. This plan combines your current eating habits with the goals set to give you ideas when you're feeling stuck. It's not meant to be a perfect plan or that you have to stick to it, but many clients find it helpful as a starting point or when things are busy!
Monthly meetings:
Each month, you'll have a meeting scheduled with your dietitian. This is a chance to go over your habit tracker, check in on the progress you're hoping to make, adjust your goals or set new ones, and chat about anything you haven't covered in emails.
We know that clients who have more accountability are more likely to reach their goals than those who are trying to do it on their own - that's why our On-Going Nutrition Coaching works!
With tons of support along the way, there's always a chance to ask questions and help you adjust as needed.
We always recommend that nutrition clients stick with the program for 3-4 months to really start laying down some great habits for the long term - our most successful clients have stuck with it for at least 6 months or over a year! When you know quick-fixes don't work, you have to be in it for the long term.
Ready to get started or want to learn more? Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com
for more info or click here
to book your FREE 15-Minute Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat to meet your Dietitian and find out if our programs are the right fit for you.
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian Have you heard of the "Complexity Bias"? This is the idea that the more complicated something is, the more effective and accurate we perceive it to be. In terms of exercise, this could look like very complicated plans, complex movements, and fancy equipment. When it comes to nutrition, we often see this look like overly complicated food rules and diet plans. All over the internet, you can find lists of foods to eat or avoid, specific times to eat, combinations of foods you need to eat together... the variations of complicated rules can go on and on. Just because something looks fancy on paper, that doesn't mean it's actually going to be effective for your goals, or even that it's technically true! However, we are often drawn to these more complicated diet plans and rules. They can make us feel good, like we've got it "right", and give us a sense of control. If we're eating our prescribed 137.5 grams of protein, we've got to be on the right track, right? Diet plans that are too complicated can actually make it harder to reach our goals. The more complicated something is, the harder it is to keep doing, day after day, especially when things are busy or you're even slightly out of routine. While nutrition is highly complex, the important parts for most people actually boil down to the basics, which are fairly simple and not hyper-specific. Eat lots of vegetables and fruit, and aim for variety with this. Eat some sort of protein at most meals and snacks, and aim for some variety in your protein sources. Include healthy fats in your diet daily. Again, aim for some variety. Eat on a fairly consistent schedule. Come to your meals and snacks hungry enough to eat and enjoy your food, but not so ravenous that you won't even taste your food. Drink enough water. Eat pretty well most of the time, and don't sweat the occasional treat. For most normal healthy people, these habits will improve your diet quality and nutritional intake way more than any complicated rules will. Remember, for nutrition habits to work, you need to able to maintain them. And if you're going to maintain them, they can't be too complicated. Looking for more personalized nutrition help? Let's chat! Our Dietitian is now scheduling for Nutrition Programs again! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more info, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian February is Heart Health Month! So what better time to focus on habits that can help improve our cardiovascular (or heart) health! Cardiovascular disease includes high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and coronary artery disease. All of these factors can increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. While some of your risk is genetic, many factors can be improved with lifestyle habits - which are in our control! Check out these ways you can improve your heart health this Heart Health Month! Know your risk level Many people may be walking around with high cholesterol or high blood pressure and not know it. If we don't know something is a problem, we can't fix it! Make sure to complete any tests your doctor recommends in a timely manner, and follow up afterwards. If you do find out there's a problem, it's much easier to start making changes when something is a smaller potential risk factor than after something serious has happened. Not sure where you're at? Ask your doctor if this is something you should monitor! Get enough exercise We don't have a magic pill that fixes everything, but exercise does come close! For heart health, exercise will help decrease your blood pressure and promote healthy cholesterol levels. The recommendation for most healthy Canadian adults is to aim for 150 minutes of "moderate to vigorous" exercise a week - this means your heart rate is up and you are breathing at least a bit harder than at rest. If you feel you fall short of that goal, try slowly increasing by 5-10 minutes a week as your body allows. Any type of exercise that gets your heart rate up counts! Watch your salt intake While we know we do need some salt or sodium in our diet, many of us eat too much salt. Much of this comes from processed foods or take out - it's not just about whether you add salt during cooking and at the table. For those who are at risk for high blood pressure, a high sodium intake can increase that risk, and decreasing your salt intake can help promote more normal blood pressure. Staying between 1800mg and 2300mg of sodium daily will make sure your body is getting what it needs without overdoing it. Try checking your labels to see if you're taking in more salt than you realize. Use the "percent daily value" on the right-hand side of the nutrition facts table - remember, 5% is a little bit, 15% is a lot! Increase your fibre intake Fibre does many great things for our body - including helping to improve your cholesterol levels, or maintain them in a healthy range. The total recommended amount of fibre daily is 20-25g for women and 30-38g for men - that's a lot!! Sources of fibre include vegetables, fruit, whole grains and whole grain products, nuts and seeds, and legumes. If you're choosing foods with a nutrition label, use the "percent daily value" to choose higher-fibre options. Remember to make changes in your fibre slowly and make sure you're properly hydrated to avoid any bowel upset. Remember, health isn't all or nothing! If you're ready to improve your heart health, pick one habit to focus on and figure out how you can implement in your daily life consistently! Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more information about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE !
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian There's just so much information out there about carbs. Are they good? Are they Bad? What about complex ones? When should you eat them? Will you lose weight if you don't eat them? With contradictory answers, it can be confusing and hard to know what's actually important and will help you improve your health and fitness! "Carbs" is short for carbohydrates, one of our main macronutrients. Carbs are the brain and body's preferred main source of fuel and energy. We can make that energy last longer by choosing carb options that are higher in fibre, and pairing them with protein and fat. These components help slow the break down of the carbs, making that energy last over a longer period of time, rather than leaving us feeling hungry and tired again quickly. Carbs are often referred to as "simple" or "complex". Simple carbs are foods like white bread, and are more processed and lower in fibre. Complex carbs are foods like whole grains, which are generally closer to being whole foods, are less processed, and are higher in fibre. Focusing on swapping simple carbs for complex options can help improve our heart and bowel health, better manage blood sugars, and promote more consistent energy levels throughout the day. Now, should you follow a low carb diet? It's totally up to you! For people with concerns about their blood sugars, it can be worth learning more about carbohydrates, how much are in certain foods, and how to time them consistently. For most normal healthy people, there are healthy ways to eat any amount of carbohydrates, as long we're including a variety of foods and not neglecting our other macronutrients (fat and protein). Low carb diets can help with weight loss for people who enjoy eating in that way over a long period of time. Like any diet changes, you need to be able to maintain it for the long-term. A low carb diet can create a calorie deficit (where you're taking in less calories than you are consuming), especially when carb foods are replaced with lower calorie foods (like vegetables) or those that might create more of a feeling of fullness (like proteins). Some people also see some quick initial weight loss when following a low carb diet - this is often water weight rather than true body mass loss, because carbs cause the body to hang on to a little bit of extra fluid. This initial loss will quickly return if you go back to eating your normal amount of carbs. Like anything in nutrition, there's a lot of variation in what can make up a healthy diet! When it comes to carbs, aim for higher fibre and more complex options to improve your overall health. Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com or click HERE for more info about our Nutrition Programs!