I think you have likely heard the saying – “You are what you think,” but have you ever taken the time to decipher what this means? Our minds are powerful parts of our beings and much of what we think (especially what we think of ourselves) will manifest itself in our lives. There is a cyclical concept that explains one way in which this happens: our identity drives our habits and our habits shape our identity. The way we see ourselves, our values, beliefs, and goals can influence the habits we form and, in turn, the habits we form can reinforce and shape our sense of self.
For example, if we identify as someone who is health-conscious and values fitness, we are more likely to form habits such as exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, and getting enough sleep. These habits can reinforce our identity as someone who values health and fitness, leading us to prioritize these habits in our daily lives. Similarly, if we identify as someone who is creative and values artistic expression, we are more likely to form habits such as practicing our art regularly, seeking out new sources of inspiration, and experimenting with new techniques. These habits can reinforce our identity as a creative person, leading us to see ourselves as someone who is constantly evolving and improving our skills.
Knowing that our habits can shape our identity by reinforcing the values and beliefs that are important to us, and our identity can drive our habits by influencing the actions we take and the choices we make in our daily lives – is part of why Empower’s health philosophy (ThinkFUN, Get Fit, Eat Well, Sleep Well) starts with the word “THINK.” We encourage all of you to take a moment to think about how you define YOU. Do you think of yourself as a fit, healthy, energetic person? If not, why? What would it take to change your mind?
Ultimately, the relationship between identity and habits is a dynamic and reciprocal one, where both are closely intertwined and can influence each other over time. If this is an area you think you need some help in please talk to your trainer about your mindset . . . and how becoming powerful starts with believing you already are!
As both men and women reach their 40s and beyond, they’re faced with changes that may require them to adjust their nutrition and fueling to ensure they’re best supporting their health as well as any performance goals they may have. This can be difficult for many men and women because their nutrition and diet choices have been cemented over decades as an adult, and making these adjustments requires some focus and intentionality. The great news, though, is that it doesn’t have to be difficult. We’ll talk about nutrition for changes in aging and adjustments older adults need to make to account for changes as a result of aging, and we’ll explore how to easily make those adjustments.
First, as people move through adulthood and cross over into older (aka late) adulthood (65 years and older), their metabolism slows down meaning they need less calories than when they were younger. However, older adults still have similar (or even higher) nutrient needs compared to younger adults. Effectively, this means we have fewer calories to get the same (or higher) level of vitamins and minerals. As a result, older adults need to focus more heavily on quality foods like lean proteins, whole grains and other high quality starches, as well as lots of fruits and vegetables. A good rule of thumb is the to use the Plate Method to help guide how you portion your food at meals. Using the Plate Method, ¼ of your plate should come from lean proteins, ¼ of your plate should come from carbs and starches, and ½ of your plate should come from fruits and/or vegetables. The individual portion sizes will vary based on your needs, but this gives us a good picture of how we should be balancing and prioritizing different food groups.
Muscle Mass
In addition to calorie needs decreasing, metabolic changes also mean that muscle mass tends to decrease into older adulthood. This isn’t just a matter of no longer looking “lean”, “ripped”, or muscular. Excessive declines in muscle mass also affect functionality and the ability to perform tasks like cooking, cleaning, bathing, and dressing that are essential to our independence. As a result, it’s important for older adults to ensure they’re eating enough protein to help support their lean mass and minimize the loss of muscle. This is especially important for active and athletic older adults, as that will place an additional strain on muscle and make it even more important to ensure they’re eating enough protein. Your activity level, body size, and goals may require a different level of protein intake, but I typically recommend a protein intake of at least 1.2-1.5g of protein per kilogram of body weight for older adults.
Bone Density
In addition to declining muscle mass, older adults are also facing a decline in bone mineral density. For most people, the peak of bone mass occurs between 25-30 years of age, and by the age of 40, we begin to slowly lose bone mass. Early on and if we’re slowly losing bone mass, this isn’t too much of a concern. However, if we lose bone mass too quickly, the risk for fractures increases. This could be stress fractures in very active individuals, but it could also be an increased risk of fractures if we trip and fall. While this is a normal part of the aging process, the goal is to slow the rate of decline as much as possible by ensuring that you’re getting enough calcium and vitamin D–both of which are very important for our bone health. Your specific needs may vary, but it’s a good idea for men in their 50s and 60s to aim for 1000 mg of calcium each day. On the other hand, peri- and post-menopausal women may want to increase their daily calcium intake to 1200mg to combat the rapid bone loss associated with hormonal changes during menopause. For both men and women in their 50s and 60s, it’s a good idea to aim for 1000 IU of Vitamin D each day. At age 70 and above, the recommendations for both men and women are to aim for 1200mg of Calcium each day and 800 IU of Vitamin D each day.
GI Function
A couple of other areas to consider relate to our gastrointestinal function. As adults age (and often by older adulthood), they begin to produce less stomach acid. Stomach acid is an important component for us to absorb Vitamin B12 from the foods we eat. As a result of these changes, older adults should consider asking their doctor to test their Vitamin B12 levels. If you find out that they’re low, you may want to consider supplementing Vitamin B12, but you may be able to get enough by ensuring you’re eating foods rich in Vitamin B12 (such as fish, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, fortified breakfast cereals, and nutritional yeast). Another important nutrient related to our GI function that’s often overlooked is fiber. Decreased fiber intake can result from lack of appetite or just from not being sure to eat enough. Fiber plays an important role in GI regularity; in other words, it helps to keep things moving through our intestines and helps to maintain regular bowel movements. The general recommendation for older adults is for men to aim for at least 30 grams of fiber per day and for women to aim for at least 21 grams of fiber per day.
Hydration
Along with adequate (or even increased) fiber intake, it’s important to ensure you’re drinking enough water. Without enough water, increasing our fiber intake can stop us up and make us constipated. However, with adequate hydration, you’ll be supporting your health and all of the important roles of water in the body, but you’ll also be helping your intestines to function properly and keep things moving. This can be difficult for older adults, because for many people as they age, their thirst sensation (and desire to drink) decreases. However, by being aware of this and being intentional about drinking enough water, you can be sure you’re best supporting your health. A good general rule of thumb for hydration is to aim to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water per day. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should aim to consume at least 80 ounces of water each day. An important note here is that some health conditions may necessitate a lower fluid intake. If your doctor or another healthcare provider has specifically told you that you need to consume a different or lower amount of fluid, you should defer to their guidance.
Menopause
One of the aging-related topics that I often get asked about is nutrition for menopause, how menopause changes your needs, or nutrition to help mitigate some of the symptoms of menopause. For women anywhere in the menopause process (pre-, intra-, or post- menopausal), the recommendations outlined throughout this blog hold true–these things are important to support your health and may help to mitigate some of the unpleasant symptoms of menopause. Some additional items that can also help with unpleasant menopause symptoms may be the inclusion of omega-3 fatty acids (such as from fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, cod, and sardines), limiting alcohol intake, limiting caffeine intake, and avoiding high-sodium and spicy foods.
Not sure how to put all of this into practice? Or have you tried to implement this and are struggling to put all of the pieces together? Schedule a free call here with our Registered Dietitian, Michael Raynor MS, RD, LDN, to learn about working with him to maximize your health and performance!
You may have heard of the macronutrients (or “macros” for short). Even if you don’t know what they are, you’ve likely seen them listed on the Nutrition Facts panel of all the packaged foods you buy–carbohydrates, protein, and fat. These macronutrients are the larger components of food and make up all the calories (also known as energy) that are found in our food. All three macros serve different and important roles in the body, which we’ll cover the basics of here and how to ensure you’re getting enough of each macro.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are long chains of sugars linked together. Once in the body, the carbohydrates are broken down to, and used as, those smaller sugar molecules. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source, especially for higher intensity exercise and activity, and they’re the brain’s preferred energy source all the time. It’s important to consume enough carbohydrates to ensure we have the energy we need throughout the day. Sources of carbohydrates include (but are not limited to) rice, pasta, breads, cereals, granola, fruit, beans, starchy vegetables (like potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and peas), and dairy foods (such as yogurt and milk), and grains like quinoa and oats. A good general rule is that carbohydrates should make up 45-65% of our calories, but your specific needs may vary.
Protein
Protein is found in all the cells in our body, most notably, it’s the building block of our muscle tissue. Our body is constantly performing repair and remodeling to keep everything healthy, and we need to ensure we’re eating enough protein to make sure our body has the nutrients it needs to keep all our tissues healthy. Activity increases our body’s need for protein by increasing the breakdown of tissues (requiring more protein for proper recovery and repair). A general rule is that protein should make up 20-35% of our calories, but, again, your specific needs may vary.
Fat
Our final macronutrient of discussion is fat. Fat is a storage form of energy, insulates our body, helps to protect our organs, and fat is used by the body to make our hormones (which are our body’s signaling molecules). Interestingly, while carbohydrates and protein both contain 4 calories per gram, fat is much more energy dense at 9 calories per gram, so the total amount of it that we need to consume is quite a bit smaller than the other 2 macronutrients. A general guideline is that fat should make up 20-35% of our calories.
How can I use this information?
If numbers and logging food to determine your balance of macronutrients isn’t for you, another way you can make sure you’re getting a good balance of nutrients is through something called the Plate Method. This method of portioning foods is so useful because of its simplicity. All you have to do is portion the components of your meals as a proportion of your plate. With this, at each meal, aim to fill ¼ of your plate with lean protein, ¼ of your plate with carbs and starches, and ½ of your plate with vegetables and/or fruits. Here’s an example:
The size of your plate (and the size of each portion, as a result) should vary based on your individual needs. Additionally, depending on your goals, your proportion of each component of your meals may need to be adjusted. This is best discussed and determined in conjunction with your dietitian though!Need help putting this into practice? Reach out to our dietitian HERE.
If you follow food news or just look at new products in the grocery store, you’ve probably heard of various “superfoods” and the wide array of associated claims made about them. So, what’s the deal with these foods? Are they really “superior”? If so, what makes them super?
Superfoods get their name because they’re foods that are nutrient dense and, as a result, deemed to be “healthier”. Some examples of these sensationalized foods that you might have heard about include blueberries, açaí, chia seeds, flax, coconut oil, hemp, cacao nibs, avocado, kale, pomegranate, and salmon. Let’s look at the nutrients that these foods are rich in. Blueberries, açai, and pomegranate are high in antioxidants, and chia is high in fiber, antioxidants, omega-3’s, protein, and calcium. Flax is high in protein, fiber, omega-3’s, and rich in lignans (an antioxidant) which may reduce cancer risk. Coconut oil is a wonderful source of Medium-Chain Triglycerides (or MCTs), which the body metabolizes a little differently from other fats and it fuels the body and brain. Hemp is rich in healthy fats, and is high in protein, vitamin E, and several minerals. Cacao Nibs are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats, and they’re rich in minerals too. Avocados are rich in healthy fats and fiber. Kale is high in Vitamins A, K, and C, and rich in antioxidants. Finally, salmon is rich in omega-3s, protein, and vitamin B12. Obviously, this is quite the list of benefits and quite different foods spanning plant and animal sources.
These foods are nutritious options and are great to incorporate into a balanced diet, but the whole concept of “superfoods” and, often their touted benefits, highlights the importance of a key part of a healthy diet, which is variety. If you look at food and nutrition related news, the headlines often seem to tout a single food or just a few foods that you need to eat to achieve some health benefit. I feel that this is a flawed approach to nutrition. Slimming down the list of foods or trying to have less variety in the pursuit of health is not the answer. When we cut out foods, we’re cutting out nutrients and other compounds that are beneficial to us. All foods contain different mixtures of the macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and other compounds. It’s important to eat a variety of foods to ensure we’re getting all the nutrients that we need to support our health. There’s no one food that provides everything we need, so we need to eat a variety of different foods to make sure we’re getting all those different compounds.
So, while these superfoods are great to include in your diet, they shouldn’t be added, hoping to remove other things. Instead, I encourage you to give some of these foods a try as a way of including some variety into your normal routine and to mix things up.
Not sure how to incorporate superfoods or if you have enough variety in your diet? Sign up for a free Get-to-Know-You call with Michael here.
There are many considerations when working with developing youth athletes. All kids develop at different rates and have varying amounts of experience. Because of this, there is not a one-size-fits-all exercise program for all youth athletes. These children and adolescents require a detailed evaluation.
During our evaluation, we will measure your athletes:
Physical maturational age
Balance
Movement coordination
Strength
We will also collect vital information, such as:
Sports experience
Past medical history
Parent/athlete goals
Overall, the evaluation provides us an opportunity to get to know your athlete, set expectations, collect physical measurements, and develop goals. This helps athletes understand the “why” behind what we do and allows them to become more comfortable with our coaches and staff. Learn more about the program and sign up for the eval.
Youth Athlete Performance Development Program By Dr. Chris Bruscato in partnership with Empower Fitness
Empower is thrilled to be partnering with Dr. Chris Bruscato PT, DPT, LAT, ATC, XPS to bring this NEW and exciting program to the Empower community.
Chris is a physical therapist, athletic trainer, and performance coach with a special interest in sports medicine, performance, and the development of youth athletes. He has created this specialized program to help youth athletes (and those who would like to become more athletic):
Develop robust levels of athleticism
Reduce risk of injury
Enhance health & well-being
Based on the latest scientific research on long-term athletic development in youth athletes, this program is unique in that we perform a detailed evaluation to understand what stage of development your child is in. From there we provide the most appropriate exercises that have been proven to improve:
Strength
Coordination
Balance/stability
Fundamental movement skills (squatting, pushing, pulling)
Sports specific skills (speed, agility, jumping, landing, sprinting, cutting)
How Does It Work: The Process.
STEP ONE: Evaluation – $129 Comprehensive eval and consultation assessing maturational age, flexibility, balance, movement competency, strength. Email Chris to Schedule Eval.
STEP TWO: Assign to training group Based on the findings from evaluation, we will place your athlete into the correct training group.
STEP THREE: 8-Week Training Blocks – $209 / $389 Choose to train 1 or 2 times per week. This is an ongoing and progressive program that runs in 8-week blocks. First training block starts Jan. 23rd (limited spots)
STEP FOUR: Reevaluate Reevaluate every 16 weeks, and continue to monitor for changes in development and make advancements to exercise programming.
The Training Groups
Youth Academy (FUNdementals) The FUNdementals training group is our foundational training group. For younger athletes with a focus on improving a wide variety of fundamental movements and developing self-esteem. We work on coordination, balance, and light resistance training and create a fun environment through the utilization of games, structured play, competition, and positive encouragement.
Varsity Performance (Learn to Train) The Learn to Train group is our intermediate training group. Adolescent aged athletes we focus on improving both fundamental movements skills, sport specific movement skills, and developing self-worth and confidence. Specifically, working on balance, jumping/landing/running technique, and moderate resistance training with a focus on core strengthening.
D1 Performance (Train to Perform) The Learn to Perform group is our advanced training group, where we focus on improving both the movements and psychological skills required for success in sport. These teens will move through a systematic sport progression, encompassing mobility, stability, speed/agility, power, and strength.
The Schedule
Evaluation appointments available starting December 11th
Deadline to schedule your child’s eval is Jan. 9th
Spaces are limited in each group, scheduling your eval secures your spot
In the interest of full disclosure, I get paid to guide people through wellness and mindfulness practices such as mindfulness meditation, guided meditation, and therapeutic yoga. In these meetings, I encourage daily practice to promote the most long-term benefits of the practices. And, I as I offer this encouragement, I also know I am not 100% successful in completing my meditation and yoga practices daily. While these practices are priorities in my life, there are those days where the list of to-dos requires a juggle of my priorities. After years of struggling to avoid these pitfalls, I tried to embrace these days with some understanding and grace. As I began incorporating this mindset, I found that on the days when I could not formally practice, I could practice informally.
Informal mindfulness practices allow individuals to weave mindfulness practices and activities into the routine of their days. An example of this includes noticing the sound of vegetables being sliced as you prepare dinner. By bringing all of your awareness to the action, sensation, sound, feel of chopping vegetables for your meal, you come to the present and this results in a moment where the thoughts and stresses of the day can be released.
If you are anything like me, you may need some additional support learning and practicing Informal Mediations, so I highly recommend you attend a restorative or yin yoga class at Empower (or virtually from the comfort of your home).
Every session RJ shares is thoughtfully put together. And, because she also juggles a hectic schedule of running a business and her home, she knows that when the commitments on our time are taxed, self-care is usually the first thing to fall off the list. Therefore, this time of year, she works hard to ensure her classes include themes to encourage compassion for self and others. Her sessions include a theme that is explored throughout class and often challenges you to take a step out of your busy mind and to feel into your tired body. We aren’t exactly sure how she does it, but the balance of well thought out themes, awareness of the poses and the experience of the moment paired with her beautiful 5-minute guided meditations at the end of each class will leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. (You may even leave with a little additional clarity.)
And, to further support you over the next few weeks, through Empowers social media accounts, RJ will share her tips for finding a moment to be present in your day. So even on those days when you cannot make it to a class, you will can find the joy of the moment.
Over the next few days, you will see some Mindful Moment Reminders on Empower’s social media platforms. These are little moments that you can bring into your daily activities to promote mindfulness practices, even on those days you don’t have the time for a more formal practice.
For people with health and fitness goals, the time of year (with a string of holidays in a row) can feel like a minefield of temptation and events pulling us off track. The great news is, it doesn’t have to be a stressful time of year that derails you from reaching your health and fitness goals! With these 5 simple strategies, you can enjoy the holidays AND stay on track with your goals. I always like to remind clients about the “big picture.” So, it’s important to remember that these holidays only come around once a year. If your celebrations are contained to just a couple of days or even just a couple of meals, it’s unlikely that you’ll undo progress in that short of a period, so maybe it’s best to not stress about it and enjoy the food and the time with loved ones.
Pick 2-3 of the basics to focus on. The holiday season can be stressful, with lots of events, travel, and disruptions to your normal routine. With so much going on, I find it helpful to pick just a few of the basics and be very deliberate with them. For example, focus on getting enough water every day, getting enough sleep (7-9 hours per night for most adults), and getting 10,000 steps per day (or substitute some other movement goal, like 30 minutes of deliberate movement each day).
Find non-food ways to celebrate. The holiday season doesn’t HAVE to be focused on food events. Find some non-food ways to celebrate holidays. Maybe it’s getting the whole family to sign up for a Thanksgiving morning “Turkey Trot”, or maybe it’s watching a movie or playing games to move the family time away from the table. Don’t be afraid to suggest or try new things (all family traditions started somewhere)!
Don’t skip meals or snacks. This one is so counterintuitive for so many of my clients. Most people think that on food-focused holidays they should skip meals or snacks to “save their calories” for these enormous meals where there’s a tendency to overeat. However, what I see is that when you skip meals and snacks, you get to these big meals and you’re starving, which drastically increases the chance that you’ll overeat. Instead, if you’re making sure you have a meal or snack every 3-4 hours, you’re appropriately hungry at these meal times and much less likely to overindulge and be miserably full.
Choose your battles. Is there a holiday dish or dessert you crave all year long? Indulge and have that dish. Instead, maybe reduce the number of drinks you have or go with fewer or smaller portions of the other desserts as a trade-off. If there are only a couple of dishes that you really love and would be sad about not having, embrace those, and exercise more moderation with the other foods and drinks that you’re not so attached to. This is a great opportunity to practice the skills of moderation that will carry you through the rest of the year.
Cut yourself some slack. The holidays, collectively, make up only a few days per year, so you will not derail your health and fitness progress with just a few days. If the holiday didn’t go exactly as planned, it’s okay! Enjoy the days and time with family, and get back on track the next day. The only way the holidays can derail your progress is if you let one “bad day” turn into weeks of not working toward your goals. Besides, when we get old and wise, I’d doubt that many people’s life regret is having too much to eat on Thanksgiving. I’d bet that the bigger regret is not soaking up the time with loved ones, and instead stressing about the food surrounding holidays.
I hope these tips help you navigate the holiday season!
If you’re struggling to apply these 5 strategies to your life and circumstances, click here to set up a free Get-to-Know-You call with Michael to talk about getting started on your nutrition.
Do you ever feel like life is not only busy, but too busy? Lately I have been running at a frenetic pace, which has left me feeling exhausted and stressed. Almost to where I am longing for the Safer-At-Home Covid days . . . (almost).
However, I woke up this morning determined to take a deep breath, refocus, and make the most of each minute I have. Over the many years as a health coach and business owner, I have learned a thing or two about time management that has helped me in times of high stress, but I needed a little reminding.
Since I was reviewing these strategies for myself, I thought I would also share them with you.
First, you must realize, you can’t really “manage” time. There are only 24 hours in a day (only 16 to work with if we are getting enough sleep each night)—that will not change. We only have control over what we do with the time we have.
The key is to choose wisely–and to do this, you must be clear about your priorities.
Here are 5 ways to make sure you are both efficient and effective with your time.
Know your priorities: Ask yourself–what is most important for me and my family right now? What are my health goals, career goals, family goals, and life goals? Simply just having clarity on what matters most will help you make the most of your valuable time. You’ve likely heard the saying, “if everything is important, then nothing is.” These words ring true to me today and the first step to feeling more in control of your time is to know what matters most.
Make a list: There are probably a million in one tools to help you stay organized and to list out all your priorities–everything from bullet journals to color coded planners that help you collate your “to do” list. Whether you want to get fancy with it or you simply just use pen and paper, make sure you have a dedicated place where you list all your “to do” items. Simply just getting it from your brain to the paper can make all your tasks feel way more manageable.
Prioritize: Another famous saying is, “where there is a will, there’s a way.” There’s a lot of truth in this statement too because we make room for what is important to us and even in extremely stressful times, we handle our most important tasks. With that said, we simply cannot do it all and some tasks are better delegated to someone else or forgotten altogether. Here’s a simple process to help you prioritize–the ABCDE system. Grab your “to do” list and place the corresponding letter beside each task.
“A” stands for “very important;” something you must do. There can be serious negative consequences if you don’t do it.
“B” stands for “important;” something you should do. This is not as important as your ‘A’ tasks. There are only minor negative consequences if we do not complete it.
“C” stands for things that are “nice to do;” but which are not as important as ‘A’ or ‘B,’ tasks. There are no negative consequences for not completing it.
“D” stands for “delegate.” You can assign this task to someone else who can do the job instead of you.
“E” stands for “eliminate, whenever possible.” You should eliminate every single activity you can to free up your time.
Time block: Instead of working by the clock, try to work by task. Focus on finishing small and big tasks one at a time by finding blocks of time throughout your day and your week to focus on specific tasks. Try to stay focused on the task at hand for the specified amount of time before switching to other tasks. Block out distractions (hello Do Not Disturb on your phone), and schedule more challenging tasks for times of the day where you feel you are at your best and sharpest. Work smarter instead of harder to limit distractions, get things done faster without feeling so overwhelmed and scattered.
Consider your mindset: When you look at time, do you look at it as time spent or time invested? That may seem like semantics, but it’s not…
When you spend (time/money/resources) ON something, your mindset is more focused on lack, limitation or waste. When you invest (time/money/resources) IN something, your mindset is more focused on abundance, growth, or getting/making things better.
What steps can you take this week to gain more control of your time? It is our most precious possession.
True yoga is not about the shape of your body, but the shape of your life.
Yoga is not to be performed; yoga is to be lived.
Yoga doesn’t care about what you have been; yoga cares about the person you are becoming.
Yoga is designed for a vast and profound purpose, and for it to be truly called yoga, we must embody its essence.
~Aadil Palkhivala
For many, the thought of going to a yoga mat reminds them of what they find to be imperfect about themselves. I was one such person. Then I came across the above quote by Aadil Palkhivala and found curiosity about how to progress in the world through the movements of my being. This curiosity led me to the mat and over time inspired a change in mindset that led to a more authentic way of living in the world.
The next time you consider registering for a yoga class and hesitate, tangled in the thoughts and feelings of your life, think of this quote and ask: What is it about this quote that arouses curiosity and inspires me?
Join RJ for yoga at Empower, In-Studio or Virtually:
