full fat is always best

Why Full-Fat is Always Best

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The concept of the importance of eating fat in the diet is difficult for a lot of people to wrap their heads around. I find this is one of the most common and re-occuring conversations I have with clients in my practice, and call it “fat-phobia”. For years, especially in the 70s and 80s, we were trained to think that removing fat from the diet was the best way to go for our health and for weight loss. Low-fat, non-fat and fat-free products lining the grocery store aisles and selling like hot cak […]

pre-race nutrition plan

Your Pre-Race Nutrition Plan

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So, you’ve prepped, you’ve trained and you’re ready to go for the big race! Now, only one question remains: to carb load or not to carb load? Unfortunately, although it may sound appealing to eat an extra large plate of pasta or a pizza, it is not going to make you run any faster or any further. However, proper nutrition and hydration will have a big impact on your run, and your pre-race meals are a chance to top-up your tank. The goal of pre-race nutrition is to top up your gl […]

crossfit bytown

Red’s Recommendations: CrossFit Bytown

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CrossFit. One simple word, and the fitness camp divides. I’ve always been a really active person. Growing up I played a variety of competitive sports at Regional and Provincial levels, and in CEGEP and University, despite my 5’4 stature, I played basketball. During this time, there was all sorts of training involved. Most of it sports-specific drills, lots of running, and a bit of weight training here and there. It wasn’t until I graduated form University that I realized I needed to find a […]

fueling your runs

Fueling Your Runs

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Running, especially any distance greater than 5KM, requires a significant amount of time and dedication to training. With this amount of exercise comes an increased demand on your body for constant tissue repair (muscles, ligament and bone) and refuelling your energy stores.  Therefore it is important to think of yourself as an athlete not just an exerciser!What you eat before and after your training runs and your races can have a huge impact on your performanc […]

Red's Recommendations: Wheelhouse Cycle

Red’s Recommendations: Wheelhouse Cycle

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Great tunes, a disco ball and a sweaty workout with some of the funniest (and nicest) people you’ve ever met – what’s not to love? These are just a few of the reasons that Wheelhouse Cycle makes the #redsrecommendations list as my favourite spin studio in the city!The truth of the matter is that I never really liked spinning. In fact, I took a spinning class about 8 years ago, hated every minute of it and was pretty much scarred for life. Or at least that’s what I thought. The first time I met W […]

the red apron

Red’s Recommendations: The Red Apron

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Many times on my blog and in my social media I have shared how I love, and I how important I find it, to shop local and support local suppliers. Whether I am moving to a new city, or travelling to a new country, there is nothing I love more than discovering the shops, restaurants and ‘it’ food places. When we moved to Ottawa I was a little concerned that a smaller city like this one wouldn’t have the best food scene. Luckily for me, I was happily surprised, and can confidently say that […]

Basics of Macronutrients

The Basics of Macronutrients

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Food is fuel. Much like a car runs on gasoline and is held together with various nuts and bolts, our bodies run on food held together by a variety of nutrients derived from your food. Learning the basics of macronutrients is a wonderful step in the right direction to helping get your nutrition on track.  In grade school, we are taught the basics of the four food groups; fruits & vegetables, grain products, milk & alternatives, and meat & alternative. In my opinion […]

The 80/20 Rule: Getting Started

The 80/20 Rule: Getting Started

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Hi, my name is Stephanie, I’m a nutritionist and I don’t eat perfectly all of the time.(GASP!)Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about nutrition and eating a balanced diet; I eat real food, I shop local, I eat organic and I do my very best to make the best possible food choices whenever I can. However, there are moments when I throw a little caution to the wind. Why? Because I know I eat well, I like wine, and I want to live my life.When I really began to consider my food choices and put my dietary dec […]

Label Reading 101

Label Reading 101

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Food has become complicated, there is no two ways about it.  I’m not one for counting calories, and although I am a big advocate for real-food-first,  I realize that is not always the first step for everyone on their nutrition journey. I know it was not mine. When I began the become more health conscious and aware of the types of foods I was putting in my body, the first change I made was reading the labels on my food. At first I found them confusing, but once I understo […]

How To Improve Your Digestion

How to Improve Your Digestion

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Gas, bloating, and heartburn – oh my!The concept of ‘we are what we eat’ has never been more evident than with our digestive system.  However, when our digestive system is not working in harmony we become victim to a whole list of unpleasant digestive ‘uglies’.  Gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, cramps, IBS, acid reflux, heartburn and so many more digestive issues have become so common we have begun to consider them “normal”. In fact, some have become so normal th […]

Prep your Pantry

Prep Your Pantry for Success

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I don’t know about you, but life can get a little hectic sometimes, and as much as we don’t want it to food can go on the back burner sometimes (no pun intended). We all live busy lives; we have jobs, families, friends, pets, bills to pay, houses to clean, lawns to mow, and activities to do.  It’s understandable that we don’t always have the time to whip up a gourmet scratch made meal every night.  However, setting your kitchen up for success is a great first step […]

not so sweet

Not So Sweet

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Mary Poppins taught us that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Now, I’m a big fan of Mary, so when I learned that sugar is unhealthy it was rather unfortunate news. That being said, the fact that sugar is unhealthy is not new information. For years, we have been hearing it in the news, the paper, online and pretty much any other outlet you can think of. But if we have all heard this information, why are so many people still consuming it like its literally going out of […]

food philosophy

My Food Philosophy

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‘What do you eat?’ I get asked this question all of the time. It seems when people hear the word Nutritionist, they want to know what diet I am on and why. In my opinion the word diet is so confusing, and has actually received such a negative connotation. Restriction. Deprivation. Punishment. In reality, all the word diet refers to is what a person is actually eating. ‘Food and drink regularly consumed by a person’ or ‘habitual nourishment’. People are […]