Posts in Nutrition
How can I loose weight fast, but in a healthy way?
How can I loose weight fast, but in a healthy way?

I had a friend ask me this question the other day and it led me to understand that most of us really want weight loss to happen as fast as possible. But in order to lose weight quickly, it’s often not going to happen in what I would consider a “healthy” way.

There are so many “diets” out there that have you restrict so many calories that you no longer have the energy to exercise; high fat, no carb, meal replacements, you name it, it’s out there. And about 95% of the time my clients tell me they have tried some, if not all of these kinds of diets. They come to me worn out from it all.

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Nutrition, MindsetAshley BeaverMaggie, diet, weight loss, fat loss, flexible dieting, food trackingComment
Consistency is Boring
Consistency is Boring

At some point, the daily tasks and habits necessary to reach your goals are probably gonna feel pretty boring. Consistency is boring, but it’s where progress is made.

Constant changes - with your macros / nutrition, training program, daily routines - are just whirlwind. If a coach (of any kind) is promising instant gratification and keeps things “interesting” or keeps you “motivated” by switching things up very regularly with no explicit purpose, proceed with caution.

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Mindset, NutritionAshley Beaverhabits, healthy, consistency, diet, nutrition, macros, flexible dieting, Amanda MayComment
7 tips for training in the heat
7 tips for training in the heat

Training in the heat can be challenging, especially if you aren’t used to it. When Black Iron Nutrition coach Amanda May moved south she realized pretty quickly that she was going to need a game plan for managing the heat; from hydration to meal timing, training volume to straight up managing her performance expectations. Similar to acclimatizing for high elevation, our bodies need to do the same thing for heat.

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Nutrition, FitnessAshley Beaverelectrolytes, hydration, training, heat, workout, exercise, Amanda MayComment
If your diet can't be maintained throughout the weekend, it's not sustainable
If your diet can't be maintained throughout the weekend, it's not sustainable

You’ve been eating “good” all week long and now the weekend hits. You are so sick of eating your boring, un-satiating food, and your appetite is UNREAL. You are ready to go ham on some ice cream and pizza because you think “I stuck to my plan all week and now it’s time to treat myself.”

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NutritionAshley Beaversustainability, diet, calorie counting, Tracking Macros, flexible dieting, Lauren SteppeComment
What I Learned from a 365 Day Habit
What I Learned from a 365 Day Habit

In 2021, I committed to walking one mile per day. When I told people I was doing a mile a day they always looked at me funny because they knew that I had a moderate level of fitness and could run much longer distances. But I knew I couldn't commit to running or even walking those longer distances consistently every single day for an entire year.

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Mindset, Fitness, NutritionAshley Beaverhabit, healthy habits, fitness, Nutrition, workout, exercise, macros, DianaComment
5 Ways to Increase Protein Without Sacrificing Flavor
5 Ways to Increase Protein Without Sacrificing Flavor

One of the first obstacles that many nutrition clients face is figuring out how to add a little more protein to their diet. Your first inclination may be to order up a big batch of protein powders and bars—I mean, the word “protein” is in the name…it’s a no brainer. However, there are also plenty of ways to incorporate more protein into your diet utilizing real, unprocessed, whole foods without sacrificing flavor and while still being able to enjoy the meals you know and love. Here are five go-to ways to add more protein to meals.

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NutritionAshley Beaverprotein, DianaComment
What does Performance Nutrition actually mean?
What does Performance Nutrition actually mean?

How many times have you looked at pictures of CrossFit athletes, weightlifters, etc. and thought “I would kill to look like that” ?

But if we knew what it actually took to get there, we might reconsider.

This also brings up one of the biggest misconceptions in fitness - the idea that looking shredded is equivalent to better performance in the gym or in sport.

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Nutrition, FitnessAshley Beaverperformance goals, sports performance, athletic performance, nutrition coach, workout, exercise, athlete, performanceComment
Hiking Nutrition: What + How Much to Eat on a Day Hike
Hiking Nutrition: What + How Much to Eat on a Day Hike

Nutrition for hiking is something we see a lot of people make mistakes with – they’re either overcomplicating it and bringing too much food, or underestimating how much they should eat OR choosing types of food that simply aren’t as optimal for a day hike.

When you’re planning out a hike and trying to determine how much food to bring, we don’t need to be concerned about mileage or vert. We are most concerned with how long the hike is going to take you and how hard that hike will be for you.

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Nutrition, FitnessAshley Beaverhiking, backpacking, nutrition, carbs, trail, outside, hydration, protein, Krissy, Whitney Comments
Which Supplements Are Worth The Money?
Which Supplements Are Worth The Money?

This is a question I get weekly and its a good question! It’s hard to sift through all the adds on social media and see what’s truly important.

I want to start this off by saying if your nutrition, sleep and hydration are not on point, supplements aren’t going to be doing ya much good. Supplements are just that, to supplement the things you are missing from your diet and lifestyle.

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Nutrition, FitnessAshley Beaverprotein, caffeine, greens powder, bcaa, whey, plant based, supplements, sports performance, exercise, workout, pre workout, strength, edurance, Ryann, Creatine, amino acids, BCAA Comments
Pre & Post Surgery Nutrition
Pre & Post Surgery Nutrition

When you have surgery of any sort, your body has a heightened level of stress and inflammation. You want to minimize that to support your body’s recovery process. Oftentimes skin or tissue is torn and in need of repair. On top of that, when you have surgery, it's likely that you are not getting as much movement as you're used to. Considering all of these factors, here is what I recommend adding to your routine to help you recover better and faster.

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Nutrition, MindsetGuest Usersurgery, nutrition, health, hydration, curcumin, collagen, cbd, Thrive Comment
Protein Cheat Sheet
Protein Cheat Sheet

Protein is involved in nearly EVERY process in the body! It’s essential for muscle, cell, and tissue growth, as well as repair. It’s involved in cell structure, enzyme function, and transport in the body. It improves recovery and increases strength. It even strengthens our immune function!

Most people know that protein is essential for body composition, performance, and muscle gain, but they’re unaware of how important it is for optimal health. With so many functions, adequate protein consumption is incredibly important.

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NutritionAshley Beaverprotein, macros, flexible dieting, meat, DianaComment
Why you should drink water first thing in the morning
Why you should drink water first thing in the morning

It's tempting to wake up and rush to make your morning cup of coffee. You need the jolt. It's part of your ritual. Water doesn't even cross your mind. Breakfast and two cups of joe later, and suddenly it's 10:30 am...and you realize you've had NO water yet today. It happens to the best of us. And that's what inspired our October Habit of the Month - Drink 20 ounces of water FIRST thing every morning!

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NutritionAshley Beaverwater, hydration, habit of the month, LifestyleComment
Staying on Track at Work
Staying on Track at Work

Here’s a secret for you: When I first started flexible dieting, eating around other people was really hard for me. And where do I eat around other people the most? At work! When I ate alone, I felt in control. When I ate at home, I felt safe and had the support of a loving partner who was willing to accommodate all sorts of weird requests as I sorted through what did or did not fuel my body effectively.

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NutritionAshley Beavertracking, macros, meal plan, meal prep, Diana Comment
Ordering Food & Tracking Macros at Restaurants
Ordering Food & Tracking Macros at Restaurants

One of the most frequent questions I find myself answering when coaching my nutrition clients is “How do I make this work when I travel?” or “In this situation I find myself running around and need to grab something quickly, where should I go?. Although I always recommend cooking your own fresh food as much as possible, I am human, and I understand life gets busy and these situations are all too common. One of the biggest pros of following a Flexible Nutrition program is that when life gets in the way and food prep isn’t an option, we know what to do!

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NutritionAshley Beavermacros, macro friendly, restaurants, eating out, traveling, healthy fast food, nicole roggow, vacation, flexible dieting, Nicole RoggowComment
4 Habits of Successful Nutrition Clients
4 Habits of Successful Nutrition Clients

As nutrition coaches, we see a lot of different habits that work for different people. As coaches, it’s our job to design a program that helps add to a client’s life and to make sure it enhances their lifestyle, as that is a pretty good indicator of sustainability and success. After coaching hundreds of clients, I have found a few characteristics that successful clients have in common.

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NutritionAshley Beavermeal prep, nutrition, nutrtion coach, food tracking, macros, flexible dieting, habits, jess amaral, LifestyleComment
SODIUM: How Much Do We Really Need?
SODIUM: How Much Do We Really Need?

Many of us have been told that too much salt is not good for us, kind of like how we’ve been told saturated fat isn’t good for us (but that’s a topic for another day). Well, I’m here to let you know that much of what you’ve heard about sodium isn’t quite true for a lot of us. If you’ve ever talked to anyone in the health world, you know that as with most things the answer to, “How much sodium do I need?” is, “It depends” on the situation and the individual.

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NutritionAshley BeaverSodium, salt, electrolytes, potassium, blood pressure, hydration, low carb, bloating, water retention, insulin, heart disease, hyponatremia, hypernatremia, robb wolf, benefits of salt, salt recommendations, sodium requirements, myths about salt, low sodium diet, Black Iron Nutrition, Health, Fitness, Sweat, Black IronComment