Having a surgery of any kind is a stressful, traumatic event on the body, and when the body is under stress, it requires more nutrients to function optimally and heal. The one nutrient I make sure that all of my clients know about when they are preparing for a surgery is PROTEIN! 

Your protein requirements for optimal function increase pre and post surgery (especially post surgery when the body is recovering). You don't need to go overboard, but you do need to put a focus and effort into increasing the amount you consume. 

In general, protein requirements are about .8 to 1 gram per kilogram of bodyweight for normal, non surgical/non-stressed life function. Post surgery, that requirement jumps to 1.2 to 2 grams per kilogram for a few weeks.

I bring this up, because in a couple weeks I will be having another surgery, another c-section, and I know that in preparation, I have to really up my protein game. While pregnancy already has higher requirements for protein,...

*This post is one of many Quickstart Tips inside the Trainer In Your Back Pocket's Eat Your Way to Energizing Health program, found inside the TBP Membership! *

When it comes to taking something off your plate (of life) to lighten your daily mental and physical load, meal delivery is a great option! There are so many options for meals delivered these days, from gluten free options, to vegan options, to keto options, paleo options, mediterranean options, etc. 

There are seasons of life when cooking/meal prepping/ grocery shopping are simply not a top priority. I know that when I welcome my 3rd child in just a couple of months, meal delivery is going to be something I rely on for a season. Even if it's just a couple meals a week that I don't have to think about, it's such a load off my shoulders. 

Don't consider it "cheating" if you get meals delivered. It's simply another tool you can choose to use for support along your nutrition journey. There are tons of options for meal...

When I started diving down the rabbit hole into the benefits of broccoli sprouts and why I should be making them, I learned about the powerful phytochemical, sulforaphane.  So, I took on the challenge of making them myself!  Below is a quick guide to making your own broccoli sprouts. 

The biggest reason to try growing your own sprouts? Broccoli sprouts are one of the best sources of sulforaphane. Sulforaphane has the ability to promote excretion of toxic substances from the body (aka: helps with detoxing). Research also shows amazing benefits for type 2 diabetics, as well as all inflammatory conditions in the body! So, why not give it a try? It's so simple.

Inside the Trainer In Your Back Pocket membership, we have an entire lesson on this topic, with a deep dive into the biochemistry and benefits of sulforaphane! If you are looking to go a little deeper into nutritional healing, make sure to join our membership for our monthly nutrition lessons! ...

I just wanted to share a random thought I had while I was out for a jog the other day (I get my best ideas and thoughts while I'm exercising, even if they are sometimes super random!) 

So, how is fartlek running like intuitive eating? Simply put, both techniques are all about how your body feels. With fartlek, you run faster when you FEEL like running faster, and go slower when you FEEL like going slower. With intuitive eating, you eat what feels good in your body at that time. If your body is telling you it needs to eat a salad, then eat the salad. If it's telling you that a cookie is the loving choice in that moment, then eat the cookie! 

In both instances, it's about honoring what your body is requesting, and not relying on an external program, like an interval timer for running, or a diet in eating. Interval timers that tell you "go faster for 1 minute, then slower for 2 minutes" mean that you are gauging your intensity based on the timer, not your body. (not to say...

I love when I get questions from TBP members! This question was from one of our TBPers who asked me about some possible reasons for feeling hungry about 30-60 minutes after eating her meals.  Enjoy listening to my response!

Quick recap in video: 

Reasons for still feeling hungry (of course, there could be so many other reasons, but these are some big ones to start thinking about.)

1. Not eating enough for what your body needs. (ie: did you exercise that day and need more calories? or is your body just in an "underfed" state?
2. Was enough FIBER and PROTEIN eaten at the meal? 
3. Are you having a blood sugar response called reactive hypoglycemia, where your blood sugar dips after eating? This can be found out by testing with a glucose meter. 
4. Are you under stress? Stress can cause the adrenals to work harder, and that can also be a cause of blood sugar dips (when your blood sugar dips, surprisingly your body tells you you're hungry!)
5. Do you have a food intolerance to...

Ever wonder why you can be working out so hard on a bicycle, feeling like you're giving it everything you've got, but your heart rate simply doesn't reflect that? There are a few reasons why this can be happening.

1: Gravity.  Simply put, your heart doesn't have to pump against gravity when you're biking as much as it would if you were running (standing). The bicycle is doing a good job at holding up your body weight, so your body doesn't have to do as much work.

2: The training response.  Unless your legs are trained to cycle, the leg muscles fatigue before your heart rate can get up higher.  It's a classic example of "you're only as strong as your weakest link." 

So, if you're doing an assessment for your heart/cardiovascular health using a bicycle, but you rarely train on one, just know that there will be limitations to that test. 

Here is a picture graph of the workout I describe in the video. 5 minutes elliptical vs. 5 minutes bicycle, repeated...

Why I’ve stopped including cheat meals in my diet, and why you should, too. 

Cheat meals are perpetuating the cycle of good food vs. bad food. They assign morality to what we eat. How can you shift your perspective to find freedom with food again?

First, let’s uncover what a cheat meal or cheat day is. It’s a technique that many dieters use to reward themselves for following the “food rules” of their diet all week. It’s something to look forward to, and a way to eat the foods that the diet plan doesn’t include. Before we move on, let me ask you this thought to ponder: Why doesn’t the plan include that food you “cheat” with? 

Here’s why that diet or food plan has “cheat food.”  It’s because any diet plan labels food as good or bad. That’s it. Black and white. The food is either on the plan (good) or off the plan (bad).  This way of thinking has been so deeply ingrained in our...

It's been a while since I've written a blog just saying hi and giving a little update on life. So, I'm here today to just say hi and reconnect with you to tell you why I tried to be "superwoman," do it all, and why I had to give that reality up. 

As many of you know, if you follow Trainer In Your Back Pocket on Facebook, in mid-July, I gave birth to my son, Everett via a pretty traumatic birth.  I was in the less than 1% of births that experience a uterine rupture while attempting for a natural birth after a previous c-section.  Not fun. But here I am now, 4 months later, with a super chill dude who just wants to be held all the time. (And this time around, I have no problem with that!)

Two months after giving birth, I started getting my energy back, and started getting the hang of life with 2 littles. At the same time, I began gearing up to launch 42 Days to Fit & Feeling Good. I was also beginning my 1000 hours of supervised clinical nutrition...

In this highly "interrupted by a 3 year old" video, I am going to share a bunch of tips to think of when it comes to shin splints.  What causes them, and how to reduce them! 

Potential Causes:

• flat feet
• worn out shoes
• running surface (too hard like concrete, or too soft like grass)
• "too much too soon" overuse. Beginners are more at risk.
• Not using "floppy ankles" 
• Pushing off toes and landing on heels
• Slow stride vs. "quick feet"

Potential Fixes:

• Take my 5 Weeks to 5k Running Clinic, of course! We go over all of the form and technique of proper foot placement and stride in lessons 1 and 2! (and you can take lesson 1 for free on the website!)
• Massage the shin AND calf muscles.
• Ice
• Rest. You may need to scale back your mileage or running until they go away. You did too much, too soon! Or begin practicing floppy ankles and see if they reduce.