A Nutrition Coaching Experience

With the recent addition of Nutrition Coaching on the roster of services within The Athlete's Edge at The Sports Medicine Centre, we wanted to see what it was about and exactly what it involved. With perfect timing on our side, as March is #NationalNutritionMonth, we were excited to see what the process entailed.

Katelyn, The Athlete’s Edge Coordinator, was up for the experiment and lived to tell the tale! In this Q&A below, find out what she thought about the experience and if she would recommend it to others.

Q: Why Did You Decide To Try Our Nutrition Coaching Program?

A: I wanted to try the nutrition program out of curiosity and intrigue. Dianna Moulden, the Nutrition Coach, had explained to me that the simplest of body symptoms, anything from body aches to dental health, can be linked to nutrition in many cases. Knowing that I never ate the healthiest of diets I thought I would test that theory on myself.

Q: Was There Anything In Particular That You Struggled With And Hoped Nutrition Would Fix?

A: Yes there were many things! My biggest bodily complaint was my constant fatigue, despite my high caffeine intake- no matter how much coffee I drank or how many hours I slept, I still woke up every morning exhausted, carrying it with me throughout the day. Next to that, things like hair health, regularity, and gum health were also of interest to me.

Q: Can You Give Us A Brief Outline Of What Dianna Had You Do?

A: The first step was to take the assessment. It was very easy, there was no food tracking or calorie counting, I simply rated a series of symptoms as they pertained to my body. Then after about a week, I met with Dianna to receive my results. She gave me a printout graph of what my rate scale indicated that I was lacking. Serious areas of improvement (Or where I experienced multiple, or severe symptoms) were colored red, less serious in yellow, and non-concerning areas in green or no colour. She suggested that I start a cleanse to hit the “re-start button” on my system. It was a 3-5 day cleanse that eliminated dairy, grains, sugar, processed food, and caffeine from my diet. I was allowed fruit only in the morning, and was to sip lemon water throughout the day. After the cleanse I began re-introducing foods into my system and noting how I felt. I met with Dianna to go over the process and due to my reaction to certain food types, she suggested adding small things into my diet to aid those feelings. For me, I felt extremely tired when I reintroduced grains. Because of that, Dianna suggested I make a special drink to have before my first meal of the day, to help kick-start my metabolism which helps my body process the grains more effectively, making me less tired. Not only was this extremely effective, but the drink was simple to make, cost effective, and tasted pretty good too.

Q: Did You Struggle With Anything On The Program?

A: The only struggle for me was the cleanse. During that time I felt tired, unfocused and had a severe headache. However, I would chalk this up to caffeine withdrawal. Before the cleanse I would drink a medium coffee and a medium tea daily. Cutting it out cold-turkey was probably why I felt the way I did. What was surprising to me though was by the end, I didn't need the caffeine anymore, and I was never hungry during the cleanse.

Q: Did You Feel Better?Anything You're Still Following On The Plan?

A: Yes I feel much better! I still have my drink before my first meal of the day as it really does help keep me awake! I add flax oil wherever I can to increase my fatty acids. Since implementing these changes, I've noticed I’m more awake, less irritable, and have much fewer cravings.

Q: Would you recommend this to others?

A: Yes! I've been telling all my friends about how easy the whole process was. Dianna worked with me to find solutions that not only fit my body, but also my lifestyle. I would say whether you’re experiencing some body issues that don’t seem to have a cause, looking to enhance your sport performance, have dietary restrictions, or are like me and just looking for nutritional guidance, then this program is perfect for you!

You heard it here first folks! If you're struggling with anything from fatigue to skin issues, Nutrition Coaching could be for you. For more information, check them out online!