Debora Sloan Healthy Solutions

12/23/2022

Today I’m 40
This feels like a big birthday. People are asking, do I feel older? The truth is, Ya a bit actually.

Things are changing. I’m not the same as I was at 30 or even 35. Mentally or physically. I share this sentiment with many of my clients entering this phase of life.

But with these changes comes acceptance.
I’m working on that.

I’ve rid my closet of low waisted pants and bathing suits, embracing the high waisted trends. I don’t go on the scale. I’ve decided to pick less at my saggy post partum belly button skin and forehead wrinklies.

Im actively reminding myself to stop comparing my lifts and my body to my 20 yr old self. It’s just not productive.

My mindset is shifting, with intent, to what feels good. What my body needs. Listening to internal cues and trying to shut off the external ones. Less of the “ I should” or “I shouldn’t”, less comparing myself to others and instead try to execute on what I want, being present, and reflecting on the things that are really important to me. This isn’t really easy a lot of the time.

I’ve often felt that acceptance means giving in or giving up. But, for me I think it actually means growth.

In my 40th year My promises to myself:
I will continue to lift heavy cuz it keeps me strong and empowered. I will honour my hunger and enjoy my food. I will respect rest when my body and mind are tired. I will ask for help when I need support. I will let the positive voice speak louder so I can be grateful, happy and healthy inside and out for another 40 yrs.. or more.

Thanks to all my supporters and inspiring people in my life. I feel lucky. And I hit a bench press PR this week so I may be getting old but s**t ain’t going that bad 😜

10/14/2022

CCA National Conference

Free and available virtually. If you’re newly diagnosed celiac or a celiac veteran there’s a lot of great topics and speakers on board. I’ll be tuning in for sure.

The CCA Fall Conference 2021 is the national conference where Canadians with celiac disease and gluten related disorders.

10/06/2022

Adaptation to a low carbohydrate high fat diet is rapid but impairs endurance exercise metabolism and performance despite enhanced glycogen availability - PubMed

Carbs have had a bad rap for some time and I’m happy to see them becoming more “on trend”
Here’s an article looking at carbs for athletes and it’s performance benefits. If you’re active you should rethink a super low carb diet. Perhaps focus more on carb timing and carb quality. Louise burke is a fab resource for this sort of research if you’re interested in learning more.

Athletes can quickly adapt to a low carbohydrate, high fat diet, but why bother? LCHF impairs endurance exercise metabolism and performance, even if glycogen stores are adequate. Thanks,

We investigated substrate utilisation during exercise after brief (5-6 days) adaptation to a ketogenic low-carbohydrate (CHO), high-fat (LCHF) diet and similar washout period. Thirteen world-class male race walkers completed economy testing, 25 km training and a 10,000 m race (Baseline), with high C...

10/04/2022

Apple picking is still as fun as it was when I was little. Now.. what to do with 24 lbs of very expensive apples 🍎 😁. Do you have a fav gluten free apple recipe? Send it my way!

10/02/2022

I don’t just cook and exercise 😊. Taking advantage of renovation mode in new ways by Getting creative with old house paints and making messes.

09/18/2022

High protein 3 ingredient blender waffles.

This is a keeper!

Doesn’t get easier, tastier or more nutrient dense! Thanks to one of my fav fitness influencers for this legit recipe.

Recipe:

1 cup oats ( if necessary)
1 cup egg whites (carton is best)
1 cup cottage cheese
Optional add ins and toppings: chocolate chips, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, blueberries, maple syrup, yogurt, nut butter)

Add ingredients to blender then pour into a lightly greased waffle iron. Let rise and cook for a good few minutes until a crust forms and they easily peel out of your iron.

When I say easy I mean it! I made these today in my make-shift basement kitchen 🤪. Easy enough to do even in Reno-mode! Perfect base recipe for a high protein, indulgent breakfast. Batch cookable, minimal mess, no prep, and ready for the week. You can add any flavours or extras to the batter, and of course your choice of delicious toppings! I added a bit of vanilla and cinnamon to mine 😁.

With a hit of and and low in fat, 1 of these makes a great snack or part of a complete recovery meal with a bit of yogurt or a smoothie. These can be made totally GF and also .

TRY THESE!!!

09/02/2022

And sometimes I look like Deb becoming the hulk. It’s partially the lighting and the glistening sweat but Yes You can still build muscle in your 40s. 😁. Thanks .fit_co for the snapshot.

08/30/2022

Like most of you, I’m busy. I like to be organized, prepared, and efficient in all areas of my life. I love food and enjoy cooking but even I don’t wanna be spending hours of time in the kitchen.

Food is important to me. I have a variety of nutrition needs as an , a and a . And like many of you, I have active family members with their own food preferences.

I DO NOT spend much time formally meal planning or spending 3 hours on sundays batch cooking 14 Tupperware meals that I’ll inevitably not wanna eat by day 3.

I DO do component prepping, based on what I’VE identified as our “go to” family favs/staples. And with school lunches on the horizon I consider what’ needs to be easy to be for busy mornings.

What you see happened today between 3:30 and 4:15 after a loose inventory and tidy of my fridge, a grocery shop, a mental note of the meals I might wanna make this week, and the routine list of favs for my family. While the chicken and rice were cooking I washed and chopped the veg. I made lots of extra rice - dinner tonight and enough for lunch and dinner tomorrow. The chicken will be set aside as protein for lunches and snacking for me, hubby and kiddos.

Here’s the thing..If you have it you’ll eat it..and even if you don’t have a well laid out “meal plan” for the week, you WILL have a fridge stocked with ready to go items that you can use to compose a balanced plate on the fly. See my stories for 5 of my . What do you prep at home? Share your tips and questions here 😁

08/22/2022

Is your smallest you your best you?

I read this once and it clicked.

Have you asked yourself this question? Scroll through the slides to unravel more of these questions. Answer them honestly and reflect.

There’s a lot of pressure to be smaller. And many have spent a good portion of their life dieting, trying to lose weight or change their body. My goal with clients is primarily to help them and which may encompass many lifestyle changes.

I’m not here to tell you you can’t and shouldn’t want to lose weight, to try to change your mind about how you look, and feel. I’m also not saying just eat what you want and do what you want. Frankly, it’s cool if you want to fit into your favourite jeans and I’m not here to tell you to abandon all goals of changing your body comp or to veer you away from making any and all lifestyle changes towards these goals.. In fact I do this with clients everyday.

What I am asking is for you to take a step back. Evaluate the why and your self worth. Is being a bit smaller worth all the sacrifices you’re making? Are you healthy? Are your goals realistic, and is your approach working? Consider all the things YOU value in yourself, in your life, and who you want to be as you age. Does being smaller and the actions it is requiring aligning with your broader vision of your best you, your long term health and goals across all areas of your life?

This is a personal journey. A journey for many of my clients and many of my athletes. I hope it resonates. Check in. Is there a better balance for you? Is your smallest you your best you? Why not also value

08/16/2022

Lose weight build muscle. I mean who doesn’t want that!! Lol. This is the MOST popular request I get. While technically not Impossible it’s HARD especially if you don’t have a lot of fat to lose and are already somewhat trained. Patience, consistency, small deficits and chipping away are the key, I know those words aren’t glamorous. You also need to stay on point with protein, calories, and strength training. Here’s an open access article if you’re interested in reading more. 😁

Can an athlete lose weight and build muscle at the same time? Doubtful if the energy deficit is more than 500 kcal/day. Chipping away at fat loss has benefits over starvation diets! Open access.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34623696/

08/11/2022

7 min lunch

Sometimes I get inspired to share things when they are just that easy and make so much sense. I’ve been personally trying to fuel better during the daytime.

I notice that when I’m busy, even I sometimes forget how quick and easy it CAN be to throw together a lunch that’s tasty, protein rich and includes some colourful veg. So while I eat, I find it’s never as complete as it should be for my activity level. And since I do most of my training midday, it doesn’t make much sense that I would be eating the least during these hours. This was leading to late night hunger and cravings. 😩

One of the great things about working from home is that I didn’t have to prep this in advance and it legit came together in under 7 min. No joke. It was And . It Met my needs for and a post run . This could also be a quick breakfast, brunch, or dinner.

Why this works?

1 egg + 1/2 cup egg whites + shredded cheese. In a pan and scrambled. No extra bowl used. Lean Protein + micronutrient dense and a bit of fat ✅

1.5 cups greens - pre washed variety from a container + cherry tomatoes + garden fresh herbs cuz I had them.
Fibre + filling + Micronutrients✅

1/2 cup chickpeas (any bean or lentil works) rinsed and drained and enough for leftovers for another meal or 2. Fibre + iron rich protein and long lasting carb ✅

Half orange. Sliced. Micronutrients. Hydration. Carbs. Fibre. Yum. ✅ Dressed lightly with high quality olive oil, balsamic, oregano.

This was virtually no mess or prep and filled my tummy. On my plate in less than 7 min. Can you do this at home?

08/02/2022

This is a topic I’m becoming very passionate about and one I see impacting my clients. And.. it’s not just about weight loss. It’s about how you’re setting yourself up for success through these years in so many ways. Here’s an excerpt from a new blog post I wrote for looking at some of the science and physiology behind the menopausal and perimenopausal transitions. You can read it here https://www.bodzii.com/blog. “Menopause is one physical marker that coincides with getting older, which can in-and-of itself conjure up a mixture of feelings for women. From experience, while all women have a unique experience with the transition, many are blind-sided by what's going on with their
body, and are left feeling desperate, unsupported and land up doing a bunch of misguided things that add insult to injury. Changing that course is where we come in. Having a better understanding of what's happening will contextualize what to do and why."

07/21/2022

How to pick yogurt?

Greek yogurt and fruits is one of my fav workout snacks and a go to for a quick breakfast, or dessert. It’s got a great nutrient profile of carbs, proteins & calcium, while added fruits provide fibre and micro nutrients too. Yogurt is a “wet food” with built in electrolytes so it’s both satiating and hydrating.
Greek yogurt itself is pretty multi-functional if you’re not dairy free. It can be used as a protein-rich base for savoury dips, dressings, marinades, in baked recipes, smoothies, and desserts.

But there are so many varieties of yogurt, surfing the yogurt aisle can be an overwhelming venture. One of the top questions I get is “Which yogurt should I buy”?!

I don’t call foods good or bad, but understanding differences helps make informed choices.

From left to right, all Greek, same brand, same portion on the label 3 different varieties.
35% less sugar 3.5% milk fat coconut fl.
2% milk fat Plain
2% milk fat vanilla

What differences do you see? Calories? Protein? Fat? Carbs? Sugar? Compare. Observe the BIGGEST difference is the total carbs and sugar content.

So what are you looking for, how will you be using the item, what are your goals?

I opt for a high protein plain Greek yogurt to control the amount of sweetness. Sometimes the fruits are just enough, sometimes I add a bit of honey to taste, and sometimes I mix In a blob of a flavoured yogurt to achieve a fun flavour profile.

I’m not staunchly opposed to flavoured yogurts however, if you take a look at the added sugar you can decide for yourself, would you be satisfied with your own customized option? If plain is too sour, try a half half combo of plain with your favourite sweetened variety.

This is one example of using labels to make a mindful choice. If you’re trying to reduce added sugars give this a go!

Have questions about label reading? How to make informed choices? Post your questions here or set up a sess.

07/14/2022

If you’re training you need to eat; enough carbs and enough total calories. Your health, and performance depend on it! A good piece of literature here.

Athletes who consume adequate energy can enjoy the benefits that come with being able to train harder. Skimping on food to be lighter can lead to overtraining syndrome.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34181189/
Thx

07/10/2022

Caves and fossils and river exploration. Also spotted a sleeping porcupine, some turtles and a water snake. FUN!!!

07/06/2022

Top Strategiesfor Eating Enoughas a Postpartum Athlete

If you’re a post partum athlete and wondering about how you should be fuelling take a look at this series run by a fellow mom and RD colleague Angela Beare RD, specializing in female athletes and all things pregnancy and post partum.

Here's the link to the details and the sign-up 🙂
https://colossal-artist-698.ck.page/ec221cc38d

07/05/2022

Now that’s a salad 😋. This is an example of a Great use of leftover proteins and whatever is in the fridge really. With a focus on a plate full of seasonal veg, and leftover grilled salmon, This “Nicoise” style salad is chock full of healthy fats, protein, colour and a bit of healthy carb. Super filling, super tasty, super nutritious and looks beautiful. Have you ever tried caper berries? They’re a key secret Ingredient 😀. This salad encapsulates all the benefits of a Mediterranean style diet.

05/30/2022

Optimize Your Health and Performance - Debora Sloan

Here’s an article I was featured in about what I do and being an entrepreneur

https://gosolo.subkit.com/debora-sloan-healthy-solutions/

My customers include anyone looking to optimize their health and performance! My clients are athletes, people looking to get fit and fuel well, as well as individuals and families seeking evidence-based, practical strategies for healthy living.

03/18/2022

I get asked this alot. And honestly it’s all good and goal dependent. But I do have an opinion.

Cardio is great BUT if you have limited time Strength has far more to offer.

It’s time for a mindset shift. Throw away the scale. This is NOT a game of how low can the scale can go. How little you can eat, or even how many calories you can burn. This is a constant message I have to relay to clients discouraged by a lack of results despite endless hours calorie counting and running like a hamster on a wheel. I’d like us to forget Weight loss for a while.. it’s passé. And please no scales as you venture into this new strength phase as it’s not going to be a good measurable or your success right now. If you want to eat more for life building lean mass is literally the only sustainable way! Ok so now that I’ve gotten that out of the way read on!

If you want to make ACTUAL CHANGE to how your body looks, feels, and functions, for you LONG TERM so you’re aging well, you can continue to eat all the delicious things, and you can be STRONG and empowered..it’s time to start lifting. For those of you who love to run or cycle, strength training will drastically improve your performance and prevent the cycle of injury. Plus, if you’re strength training right your cardiovascular fitness is built in.

In 30-45 min of good quality CONSISTENT strength and resistance training a couple times a week you can:
-build lean mass
-improve body composition
-improve mobility
-prevent injury
-build functional strength
-build bone density
-improve metabolism
-decrease insulin resistance increase insulin sensitivity
-make room for carbs 😁
-regulate hunger and satiety hormones
-increase resting metabolic rate
-Feel empowered
-improve mental health
-improve sport specific power, speed

Fuel for performance, eat your protein and start lifting. 💪🏼 when this gets easy, lift more.

02/07/2022

Nothing fancy but this is a great example of a . It’s got carbs and loads of whole food protein. Did an earlier morning strength workout this am so hungry and ready for a full post workout meal. I love to add .25-.5 cup carton egg whites to 1 whole egg to boost the lean protein count to about 25 grams. The yolks have fats and proteins and loads of nutrition so no need to skip them but If you’re keeping an eye on calories and don’t wanna just eat tasteless white fluff on it’s own, this is a great solution. Cheap. Easy. Quick. Effective. Nutrient dense. I call this my “giant fried egg” but works great as a scramble or omelette with cheese and veggies! Don’t skip the toast and the fruits pleaseeeeeee. You need recovery carbs post workout!! 💪🏼😁 it’s the absolute Best time to eat them. I love butter on one and nut butter and jam on the other cuz it’s delicious. Plus a bit of added fats are legit. Questions about fuel and recovery nutrition? Post ‘‘em here or send me a dm. Thanks to for letting try out your . Had a blast.