Tips from a certified nutrition coach: with a masters degree in exercise science

This is my good friend Certified Nutrition Coach Jolene Fisher. She really knows her stuff and is for sure the expert here. Jolene and I crossed paths a few months ago. After falling in love with her story and goals to help people; I realized how my platform could be an awesome opportunity to connect with women and not only just on a “body image” level but deeper than just looking and feeling good. We wanted to make sure we guided women on their spiritual journeys aswell. We decided to put our heads and hearts together to launch The Fat Loss For Busy Women program + app! It’s a 9 week program that has its own Facebook support page, the app that tracks + shares different workouts/meals/ and you’re able to ask her questions in the chat room. There is also a recurring subscription you’re able to do for just the app! But the program really digs deep spiritually to motivate what you’re truly after. The way Jolene genuinely is so passionate about health and fitness inspires not only myself but so many men and woman she has helped. It’s encouraging to know there are people that truly want to help make changes in your life.

***download the app HERE***

We did a live Q + A yesterday and I asked her some of the most asked important questions that my audience had…

If they could take away anything from todays post what is the one thing you recommend people should be doing/eating as far as their health?

According to Jolene: Protein. I think people really need to be thinking about how much protein they are getting in their diets each day. If we are not generating enough protein or fats than we are not properly making good healthy cells. Every cell of the human body is surrounded by a fatty lipid layer and every cell is built off amino acids or proteins broken down in the body. So a really easy way to determine how much protein you need is to take your body weight and divide it in half. So whatever half your body weight is the amount of grams of protein you really should be getting at a minimum every single day.

What are some good high protein snacks? When thinking about snacking we want to eat high protein/high good whole fats. Some of those could be making your own recipe protein power balls. 4 simple ingredients; they do have higher amounts of carbs so you do want to be sure you eat them before or after a workout, carb timing to me is important to me so if you’re going to have carbs do it before/after doing something active.

POWER PROTEIN BALLS

2 cups oatmeal

1/3 cup of honey

2 cups peanut butter

8 scoops protein powder

MIX IT UP, BALL THEM, PUT IN A PAN, THROW IT IN THE FRIDGE TO COOL FOR A FEW HOURS.

eggs with avocado. adding the good whole fats in there help build healthy hormones because fats build hormones so we always need to be sure you can incorporate it with the protein. chicken or deli meats (preservative free) on hand are quick and easy. I love whey protein just mixed with water. infant did you know whey protein is the most absorbed protein by the body. Thats my number one go to protein in my morning coffee with a little coconut milk and stevia or do it before bed to rebuild & repair. because when we are sleeping thats when we do all our recovery.

There are so many vitamins out there; if you could tell people to only take one for the rest of their life what would it be? Omega- 3 Fatty Acids. and I’ll throw in vitamin d too. because omega-3’s are a super vitamin that benefit so many different things. number 1 they help with inflammation in the body and thats a proven fact. brain, gut and heart health. anti-aging, prevention of all timers/dementia. so you can get omegas from a lot of different sources; mainly the best kind of source is DHA OR DEA FISH OR KRILL. there are also vegan alternatives ALA source from flax seeds and other plant based omegas. you should be getting about 2,000 a day. it turns on the fat burning gene so if you want to loose fat; take omegas. it also helps with gut lining repair. probiotics (are something you don’t have to take your whole life) also really help repair. nearly every disease stars in the gut. if your gut is unhealthy, your brains, depression, anxiety can all be linked to your gut. omega-3, vitamin d and probiotics are powerhouse supplements.

What are some tips on balancing healthy fats? the best healthy fats you can eat are fats really high in polyphenols. they are not broken down in the natural digestion process from the mouth to the stomach to the small intestine; those polyphenols actually go all the way down to the large intestine where they’re broken down there and they’re broken down by good gut buddies or probiotics like we mentioned. nuts, seeds,olives/olive oil high fatty foods. those polyphenols are actually going in down to the large intestine to be broken down by the good gut buddies which turn them into antioxidants. not only do fats build healthy cells but they also give us antioxidant support. so if we have a healthy gut we can break them down. 80% of our immune system is formed in our gut.

What are your thoughts on the keto diet?

I think its great for people that can really follow through with it. thats true for any diet you do though. I don’t necessarily tell my clients to do the keto diet, I recommend a macro eating style diet 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fats and I see the best results with that. the keto diet does work initially to help you loose lots of water weight but all roads lead back to the same conclusion and even though keto causes you to loose weight; if you follow any diet that helps you loose weight// you have to stay consistent and persistence. I think the macro diet is more pleasurable and easy to balance. I know the keto diet is so popular because you lose weight fast.

What are tips to stay on track with fitness goals?

I actually follow the S.I.M.P.L.E approach. its an acronym that stands for spirituality, intellect, mental, physical, love & eating healthy. so if you can remember simple and applying these strategies to everyday life, spiritually it’s nice to be connected to your creator, reminds you that you have purpose and grounds you. intellectually what your goals are; reading & podcasts, etc. .intellectual is working on YOU. mental health is so important. weather thats praying, journaling or seeing a counselor. physically body do something everyday to move. seeing our doctors or holistic drs. eating something healthy everyday/drinking water. it’s so much more than woking out.

How much does she charge for training: Is there a contract?

$45/mo for the subscription but no contract. All my fees are month to month. I like to coach through the app and the FB private group. I also have a 9 week program called Fat Loss for the Busy Woman which is $297 and comes with 3 months of access to the app and FB group, a book and guided content for fat loss through a 9 week journey.

Vegan Options?

I have vegan meal plans and my 9 week Fat Loss for the Busy Woman program is Vegan friendly. With options in not only meal plans but in recipes and the overall Eating Healthy Plan.

Collagen, what’s the best source and recommended amount?

6 g of Collagen Hydrolysate (in peptide form) is the recommended amount daily to see the benefits for the skin that is reported in scientific studies. Bone and Chicken broth are great forms of collagen as well but it’s not in peptide form which means that not all of it is going to actually produce a beneficial effect. But 1 cup contains about 6 grams. In supplement form in powders or pills studies done on Collagen only show improvements in cellulite and skin elasticity. It’s fairly new science and not a lot of research is backing up the claims. Not all supplements are created equal and some powders have been show to be higher in heavy metals. So buyer beware. For all protein powder supplements check out cleanlabelproject.org and see if your favorite is listed there and what the rating is.

****Collagen is not a complete protein, so don’t rely on it for your only source of protein throughout the day, it lacks the amino acid Tryptophan. Try getting your collagen internally by boosting your protein levels and adding vitamin C to your daily regime. These combined will be more effective than taking an expensive supplement.****

Brand of Ground Meat?

I get my Buffalo from a guy who owns a ranch in Montana. The free range Buffalo eat grass and from the natural habitat on the property. They are then hunted with bow and arrow and harvested for their meat. Buffalo is the leanest and most bioavailable of the red meats on the market. It can be a little spendy to buy at the grocery store so I recommend going in on a whole Cow or Buffalo from a rancher and you can split it with friends to save on cost. If you are getting Cow also make sure they are grass fed only, not grain finished or grain fed at all. There is a big difference!

Making Meal Prep easier?

I like to come home from the grocery store and meal prep right away by chopping veggies or individually freezing my meat with the marinade already in the baggie. I’m less likely to waste produce if I make it grab and go ready from the moment I bring it home. Meal prepping with a crock pot or instant pot is nice as well since you can set it and forget about it. I also will make a big batch of chicken once a week and eat off of it all week. But cutting it up after it comes off the grill is key to making it easy to throw on salad or eat as a snack. I love convenient healthy food so bagged salads are a go to in my house as well as pre cooked chicken skewers from Costco, jerky, and protein shakes.

Is Stevia really safe?

Yes, stevia has been studied to be safe by multiple global regulatory bodies including the FDA and in fact has many health benefits associated with it. studies have shown that since it doesn’t cause insulin to be released in the body it can actually be safely used by diabetics to sweeten really anything. Stevia also contains many antioxidant like properties including Kaempferol which has been shown to reduce pancreatic cancer risk by 23%.

The best meals for Toddlers?

It’s so important you feed your child a whole foods based diet, where the child learns to appreciate tastes and textures from a wide range of foods. Eating a variety of proteins from meat sources, eggs and nuts and seeds will also come with healthy fats. Also phytonutrients from veggies and fruits is perfect. They can also enjoy your protein shake too, just make sure its pure and free of all the heavy metals. Stay away from processed cereals, fast foods and sugar. More and more kids are developing type 2 diabetes because they are being fed a diet high in calories with little nutrient value. So be thinking what is moderate calorie with high nutrition density and feed that to your kids. My kids are teenagers now and have athletic bodies. I didn’t buy foods that were easily accessible and tasty to their pallets when they were young. We have to put together a meal here at our house, of which I always get grumbling that we don’t ever have any food. But that’s because we live in a culture of wanting everything now. Teach them young to enjoy all kinds of foods. Mine love pretty much anything, except lasagna and enchiladas?? Weirdos!

What’s your Starbucks go to order?

16oz Americano with room for cream. I use one packet of stevia and cream at the bar after they make my drink. Probably only 50 calories and 2g of sugar

Thanks Jolene for sharing your tips with us! You can follow her @nobaddaysonline or follow her Facebook page for inspiration and tips https://www.facebook.com/JoleneFisherHealthCoach/