The time has arrived, the holidays are upon us and the Christmas parties have started. I am all for a good time, good food and some indulgence - but with balance. So this Christmas season, indulge a little, but move and exercise a little (or a lot) too, Use these five tips to navigate the festivities and come out still feeling tip top in January! 5. Show up to Christmas parties with some food in your belly - don’t be ravenously hungry when you arrive, which might lead you to stuff your face. If you’re feeling hungry, make a protein smoothie before heading out. to help you feel at least temporarily satisfied. 4. Hydrate while you dehydrate, eg. drink water between drinks! At the end of the night, add electrolytes to your water - Ultima Replenisher from MEC is a good one. You’ll thank me in the morning. 3. If attending a buffet or finger food-style party, where possible, make a meal on a plate, rather than just picking here and there. When you pick at a buffet, or finger foods, you don’t always know how much you have eaten. Follow the Ideal Dinner Plate rule: your plate should contain 1/4 protein, 1/4 smart carbohydrates, 1/2 vegetables. If there are no plates available, eat slowly until you are 80% full. 2. Keep moving! Walk after dinner, get a 15 minute high intensity interval workout in from home before your next party. All movement counts. If you have to choose between diet and exercise, choose exercise! Exercise is a keystone habit, which has positive ripple effects in other areas of our lives. Chances are, if you exercise, you might be likely to make smarter food choices. And if you don’t, at least getting back to your exercise routine in January will feel less challenging. 1. Last, but certainly not least, please ditch the ALL OR NOTHING attitude - it made lead to a severe case of the “Fuck-its”. For example, if you ate waffles with whip cream and nutella for breakfast, then binged on caramel popcorn and sugar cookies in the afternoon, and you are tempted by the Doritos chip appetizers at your Aunt’s Christmas Eve party, you might think “Fuck it, I already ate like shit today, I might as well keep going. Go big or go home,” you think to yourself. Instead of saying “fuck it”, let go of food choices that make you feel guilty and move forward with smarter food choices. It all counts - aim for balance and moderation, and lose the all or nothing attitude. - Nikki
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The female body is amazing. Women's bodies undergo so many changes during pregnancy, and there is lots to learn about what to do, what to avoid and what to seek help for when it comes to exercise during pregnancy and easing back into fitness after the birth of a child.
While we know there are a number of absolute and relative contraindications to exercise during pregnancy, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada have stated in the guidelines for "Exercise in Pregnancy and the Post-Partum Period" that there is a risk inherent in not exercising during pregnancy. The guidelines read: "Women and their care providers should consider the risks of not participating in exercise activities during pregnancy, including loss of muscular and cardiovascular fitness, excessive maternal weight gain, higher risk of gestational diabetes or preg-nancy-induced hypertension, development of varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis, a higher incidence of physical complaints such as dyspnea or low back pain, and poor psychological adjustment to the physical changes of pregnancy." There are therefore a number of reasons why women should continue to exercise during pregnancy (as long as they exercise within these guidelines), have approval from their Health Care Provider and are not experiencing any absolute contraindications to exercise. ** After completing a Pre and Post-Natal Fitness Specialist Certification, I thought it might be useful to put together a list of a few readings and health resources for new Mums and Mums-to-be in North Vancouver. Recommended Readings during pregnancy: The Birth Partner, by Penny Simkin The Thinking Women's Guide to Better Birth, by Henci Goer Pregnancy, Child Birth and the Newborn, by Penny Simkin The Province of BC also publishes this free online book to prepare for pregnancy and child birth: Baby's Best Chance: Parent's Handbook of Pregnancy and Baby Care Health Care Providers specializing in pre and post-natal health care: Naturopath & Doula: Dr. Emily Habert Registered Massage Therapy: Ocean Wellness Shiatsu Massage: Soothing Hands Shiatsu Physio therapists: Jane Williams, 19th st Physiotherapy Clinic Cheryl Leia, pelvic health therapist Accupuncture: Natalie Yu Chiropractor: Bo Gregson, Lonsdale Wellness Clinic Pre & Post-Natal prep and support: Birth Preparation classes: Preparing for Parenting Prenatal Education Post Partum Support: Newborn Hotline 604-737-3737 Pacific Post Partum Society: 604-255-7999 (support for post-partum depression and anxiety) Pre and Post-Natal Fitness classes: Fit 4 Two North Shore Schedule Discounts for Moms on local businesses: Healthy Moms Vancouver Family Services Family Support Services referral line: 604-987-1411 (Confidential for North Shore families experiencing difficulties with marital breakdown, family conflict or otherstresses) Parent-Child Mother Goose Program Family Services of the North Shore BC Healthy Kids Program Social Networks on Facebook: North Shore Moms North Vancouver Hiking Moms Baby & Me Hiking North Vancouver Moms Shop & Swap Educational Strong Start for pre-school aged children North Vancouver City Library programs and events Play groups NVRC Early Years If you are interested in learning more about pre and post-natal fitness and personal training, please feel free to call, text or email me using the contact information in the footer below. If you are a new Mum with a pre-mobile baby, you can also come try my following Fit 4 Two classes: Mum and Baby Fitness West Van Rec Centre Monday from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm Mum and Baby Spin and Strength Delbrook Community Centre, North Vancouver Tuesdays from 1:15 pm - 2:15pm - Nikki Think circuits, High Intensity Intervals, and relays for this class - always switching it up every class to keep the body guessing. When we are outdoors, we will use elements in the park for our workouts. Modifications will be offered for different fitness levels. Most importantly, it will be fun, laid back and a great way to get back into a fitness routine this fall. Date & Time: Thursdays at 6:30 pm Outdoor Location (Spring-Fall): Cloverly Park, 440 Hendry Ave, North Vancouver. (We will meet behind the Tennis Courts, near the picnic table.) Indoor Location (Fall-Spring): The Haven, 648 Queensbury Ave, North Vancouver Price: Your first trial class is by donation, a 10 class pass is $150 and drop-ins are $20. It will be a great way for you to get in an extra workout during your week with a great group of people! Sometimes, or most of the time, life gets busy. It's hard to fit in your sports, workouts, yoga or movement into the day. So when you've only got 15-20 minutes, try this quick 15-20 minute High Intensity Interval Training at home. Lots of compound movements that work all the muscles in the body and leave you SUPER sweaty! 5 exercises - 50 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat 3-4 times. Download the Interval Timer app to time yourself. 1. Forward and Reverse Lunge with 6 Mountain Climbers. 2. Spider Push-Ups 3. Burpee with Back Fly 4. Exploding Jacks 5. Soldier plank with Butt-Ups After your workout, fuel your muscles with a post-workout drink or smoothie. Give this a try:
- Almond milk - half a banana - 1/2 to 1 scoop of protein powder (try Vega Sport Performance in Mocha flavour) - ice Blend and enjoy! Pat yourself on the back for your hard work. You'll be burning calories all day long after this doozy! Getaway to Whistler and Pemberton for a weekend of outdoor adventure from August 19 - 21, 2016! The weekend will include Stand Up Paddling and Stand Up Paddle Yoga in Pemberton with our co-host Laura at The Paddle Barn. We will also be doing some awesome alpine hiking followed by outdoor yoga!
Stay in the heart of Creekside, with close access to all amenities including coffee shops, Creekside market, restaurants, and lakes for swimming! The itinerary will be as follows: Friday: Arrive, dinner in Creekside and walk after dinner Saturday: SUP & SUP Yoga workshop in Pemberton with The Paddle Barn, with option to rent mountain bikes in the afternoon. Sunday: Alpine hiking and yoga $350 covers your accomodation and all activities. Not included in the price: transportation to and from whistler, and food. Deadline to reserve your spot is July 20 with a deposit of $100. So excited to spend this weekend with you! What better time to feel your best & get your glow on than before your wedding day?! Join me, your personal trainer, and my fellow GirlTribe coaches - a naturopath, a yoga teacher & a wedding planner - on this 30 day journey to feeling your BEST before your BIG day!! No better time to feel like your most vibrant & radiant self than on the day you say "I DO!" Enlist your bridesmaids to do it with you! This 30 day instructional program will have you all laughing, sharing & sweating together! Not to mention, your photos will be 10/10 ;) The program is hosted globally online - so you can do it from anywhere! I am really excited to be co-hosting this amazing program! Learn more about the complete Bridal Babe program package & register by clicking below!
(If you have never done a mindful-eating experiment, sit down one-on-one with a raisin, and eat it super slowly, by yourself, close your eyes, and notice the difference when you engage all your senses to eat.) The bottom line; healthy eating habits are about balance, and eating mindfully doesn’t always mean avoiding the foods you love, but rather it means making love to those foods when you do eat them; eat them slowly, love them, enjoy them, and you might notice you can enjoy them in smaller quantities because you feel more satisfied. In life, we ought to cultivate healthy habits, but our habits also need balance, and mindful eating plays an important role in striking that balance. Finally, have fun! Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas, put on Christmas music, light the fire, decorate the tree, sing out loud, have a holiday drink. Nourish your body and mind. Make memories. Halloween is over and a chill has set in. A light blanket of snow fell on the North Shore mountains this week and Whistler recently got 35 cms of snow. Winter is coming, which means it is more or less time to retire leafy salads for dinner. Tonight my husband went to walk the dog while I made dinner, and before he left he said, "Can we have something yummy for dinner? Please don't make me eat kale." I laughed a little because it is true. No one craves salads at this time of year. So here is a quick, easy, comforting and healthy dinner recipe that will keep you warm on a chilly night and that follows the 'Complete in 3' rule; healthy fats, protein and fibre on your plate to balance your blood-sugar levels. Simple, Comforting and Healthy Roasted Chicken and Veggie Dinner Ingredients:
Headlines in recent weeks have been dominated by the Syrian refugee crisis, and the tragic photo of 2 year-old, Aylan Kurdi, whose image on the cover of newspapers around the world, flooded our hearts with sadness and moved many people to action. Now, it is your turn. Small actions can lead to big change. Inspired by our yogi friend, Carly Hayden at Catalyst Yoga in Everett, WA,, we too wanted to make a contribution to help. The federal government recently started an emergency relief fund and will match every eligible dollar donated by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities in response to the impact of the conflict in Syria, up to $100 million, effective immediately and until December 31, 2015. Let's open our hearts - please join Nikki on Sunday, September 27, at 4:30 pm for a karma yoga class at Soul Fitness in North Vancouver, with all proceeds going towards Oxfam Canada in their effort to reach more people in Syria. Details below: September 27, 2015 from 4:30 pm-5:30 pm Soul Fitness, 275 Fell Ave #114 Donation: $15, pre-paid via our Tilt Page Many thanks to Soul Fitness for generously donating their studio for this cause. To learn more about about the situation in Syria and to sign a petition, visit the Oxfam site: http://www.oxfam.ca/blogs/ask-world-leaders-to-act-now-withsyria
Our good friends over at Paiwen Paddleboards recently released this short video, which includes some awesome footage of Nikki practicing SUP Yoga on her 2016 Paiwen board! Don't blink - this video is short and sweet at just 16 seconds long! Take a look:
Paiwen In 16 Seconds from Scribblevision on Vimeo. |
AuthorNikki Johnston Beaudoin is an outdoorsy Mountain Mermaid, and the Founder of Sea to Sky Fitness. Categories
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