Sustainability - A Good and Never-ending Effort

Since our mission, in part, is to work to protect our special outdoor places, we believe it’s important, critical actually, to do our part to lessen our own footprint. In the outdoor event world, especially where those events are often located in the mountains, away from major population centers, that’s not always easy. But we try. We’re also always trying to improve, so if any of you reading this have ideas that can help us do better, drop us a note and let us know how we can improve. We’d appreciate that. Here’s a few things we do:

1) Power generation. These days we try to power all of our event needs with rechargeable solar generators. Thanks to our partner ECOFLOW, we’re darn near there. They’ve donated a massive 2kH generator, a pair of solar panels, a backup battery, and a heating/cooling unit so that we can provide what our athletes need. Thanks to them we can power lights, heat, comms, timing systems, Starlink, and more, even in winter, for our overnight event. A vast improvement - in so many ways - over the loud, stinky and finicky gas generator we used to have to rent.

2) Cup-free. We decided early on to not provide disposable cups for any of our events, instead encouraging our runners to provide their own cups/bottles for their on-course hydration. Thankfully, our runners, great group that they are, were more than up to that request. And now, thanks to our new partner, Hydrapak, we are able to offer every single one of our runners an easy to carry reusable cup. It’s just brilliant. Even at our race HQ our runners use reusable stainless steel cups and simple and sturdy wheatstraw plates for their in-race and post-race snacks. These are simply washed and reused - no waste at all.

3) Bulk food. Rather than buy single serving packets/bags or food (like pretzels, chips, etc.) we use only bulk packs to limit our event waste. Of course, we buy locally to eliminate the carbon costs of shipping. Ultimately, we have only one small bag of trash for a 50K trail race. Likewise, we utilize only reusable 5 gallon water jugs for our hydration needs. Once emptied these can simple be returned and refilled. We collect and compost all our food waste, along with other compostable items.

4) Carpool and offsets. We encourage our runners to carpool to our events and create and share with them a shareable carpool document. We know we have work to do on this front: it’s hard to get people in such a car-centric world to abandon the freedom to come and go at will. Understandable. In order to make that option more doable, we incentivize carpooling by offering all who carpool free entry into the park where our events are held, usually a $10 cost. Money talks. We also include the option of offsetting personal travel to and from each of our events - the offset cost, just a few bucks, is based on the average carbon released for the typical roundtrip to and from the event.

5) Event Swag. We also offer our participants the option of not taking the official race swag (usually a hat in our case) and receiving a discounted race fee. We hear too often about the unwanted/unused Ts or medals or hats, and we incentivize the idea of not taking what you don’t want or need.

6) No medals. While we know and appreciate that many runners do want the official race medal, we’ve heard too many times how unnecessary these are. And when you look at the cost, in terms of time, money and energy consumption, it really doesn’t make much sense. Not for us anyway.

7) Course marking. We utilize only reuseable event marking materials so that our arrows, flags, signs, etc. can be used over and over, only rarely, and at the end of a long “marking” life, ending up in a landfill.

8) Pre-race educational events. Because each of our events is focused on a particular/specific sustainability issue (clean air, public lands and water) we host pre-race events at outdoor shops and running stores to educate us and our runners about the issue and, most importantly, what each of us can do to be part of a solution.

9) Separate containers for trash, recycle and compost. We provide clearly marked containers for our runners to dispose of their “trash”, and have a volunteer there to ensure things go in the right container.

10) Pre-Race loads and Marking. To minimize the number of trips we end up making to our event locations, we rent/borrow a van that can carry virtually all of our events needs in a single trip. We burn less gas, drive less, and get the goods where they need to be. It’s money well spent, in our opinion.

As noted, it’s a work in progress, and constantly evolving. But it’s important.

Let's talk partners

Let’s talk partners. 

We – and that means you, too – couldn’t do what we all do without our generous partners.  Their support is key to us being able to create the kind of events we expect to deliver for all of you.  Our partners provide generous financial support, share their amazing products with our community, offer vital promotional support, and, most of all, share our values when it comes to community, the environment, the outdoors, and the role we can all play in building a better now and creating a brighter future.  We collaborate with our partners because we believe in one another and share important goals and values.  We consider ourselves darn lucky. 

Let’s introduce you to our current partners:

Real Athlete Diets (RAD: radboulder.com)

Kelly – the ingenious and talented chef behind RAD – is much, much more than a partner; Kelly is a dear friend who we’ve known for years and is one of those people who simply makes the world a better place.  And that’s not just because she is a brilliant chef, which she is, but also because she is a warm-hearted, thoughtful, inspiring, and caring human.  Kelly and her husband, Morgan, an equally special human, are what makes RAD so special.  Over the years, RAD has shared their unparalleled vegan meatballs, glamorous cupcakes, unforgettable cookies, and delicious salads with us and our community.  RAD provides performance focused meals and snacks for athletes, groups, camps, and more.  Truthfully, a good percentage of our runners join us for the food.  We’re all better off for that.

 BPRunco (bprunco.com)

 Our favorite local running shop, now in its sparkling new location at Gold’s Marketplace, on the corner of 26th Ave and Kipling St in Wheat Ridge, CO, BPRunco is your local, full-service running shop, but they are so much more than that. They are welcoming and inclusive trail and environmental advocates, local event supporters, and, more significantly, community builders.  There is nothing like joining them for their various weekly group runs and events – you’ll see old friends, make new ones, and have a blast doing both. 

Hoka (hoka.com)

Hoka has been with us since the beginnings, really for both of us.  We know the guys who launched Hoka all those years ago with their pillow-soft, brightly colored shake-up of the traditional trail shoe.  And we’ve been wearing them ever since.  Of course, there is now such an array of Hoka options – for both road and trail – and they continue to innovate and advance, both technology and the sport.  And, like us, they know we all have to be better and protect our precious planet – and they work constantly and diligently (as they should) to lessen their footprint.  We’re thankful for Hoka’s continued support and generosity. 

ECOFLOW (ecoflow.com)

We, too, are constantly working to reduce our own footprint for our events and programs, and ECOFLOW is making that so much simpler for us.  Thanks to their generous contributions, we no longer need to haul a loud, smelly and emission-heavy generator to provide power for our events (think heat, lights, timing, hot beverages, PA, and recharging options for phones, etc.).  Instead, their powerful, efficient, silent, solar/rechargeable Delta 2 Max, and its sidekick, the Wave 2 for optimum heating/cooling, generator gives us everything we need to keep our runners and volunteers happy and comfortable – even overnight, in the winter, and at altitude.  We’ve even got a few of their solar panels so we can keep things up and running from Start to Finish.  That’s just brilliant.

La Sportiva (lasportivausa.com)

La Sportiva has been a key member of the team for several years now, sharing their focused mountain running shoes and apparel with our hard-running community.  They’ve been part of both our running and educational events, showing up with demos and support.   Their Boulder, CO home is certified climate neutral, powered by wind energy, and their people donate countless hours for a variety of causes, all of which enhance their local community - and ours.  People, product, planet – you can’t beat that. 

Phun Bar (phunbar.com)

Jason, Phun Bar’s founder, a long-time outdoor athlete, realized he wanted/needed a better bar for his outdoor activities, better meaning: better tasting, easier to eat on the trail, no BS packaging, all natural ingredients.  Not finding what he wanted he decided to make his own – and they rock.  Phun Bars are made right here in CO, in small batches, come in tasty edible flavors, and utilize fully compostable packaging.  What’s not to like about that.  Our favorites are the Cherry bomb and the Lemon blueberry.  But that’s just us. 

Athletic Brewing Co. (athleticbrewing.com)

Finally, a great-tasting (meaning it actually tastes like craft beer) nonalcoholic beer.  In this day and age, the option to enjoy a refreshing cold brew after a long day on the trails, without the effects of alcohol, is a no-brainer, and ABC makes that nonalco craft brew better than anyone else.  A certified B-Corp, ABC’s mission is to:  “positively impact [their] customers' health, fitness, and happiness while greatly impacting [their] communities and environment for the better.” We love being able to offer this to our runners after their races – and, not all that surprisingly, they like it too.

Racerite (racerite.com)

Not terribly surprisingly, runners want to know how fast they ran.  Duh. OK, we get that, so in order to provide reliable timing, we are lucky enough to work with Mark and the Racerite team.  Their timing systems and equipment – bottom line – works, no matter the weather/conditions, and provides reliable, real-time timing.  Even better, they recognize anomalies and figure out to ensure that when results are reported they are accurate.  Runners love that, so do we.

EcoVessel (ecovessel.com)

No one – no one – should be drinking out of a disposable plastic bottle these days.  There are better reusable options out there, and none better than EcoVessel.  Based out of our backyard in Boulder, CO, EcoVessel really does make a better vessel: cold liquids stay colder longer, hot ones hotter longer, and they even have a built-in tea strainer.  These are, quite honestly, the best bottles we’ve ever used and we’re thrilled to partner with EcoVessel. They offer bottles and drinkware in a variety of sizes and types, but know this: they all look and work incredibly well.

BOCO (bocogear.com)

CO-based BOCO has been making our hats and beanies and socks since we opened the doors nearly 9 years ago.  And we’ll continue to do so.  They just get the outdoor/running community.  They make it all so easy – offering a variety of killer styles, brilliant designers, reasonable minimums, amazing customer service and an excellent product.  We change it up each time, and it always comes out the way we want.  And, even better, our community digs ‘em.

Ultimate Direction (ultimatedirection.com)

 Ultimate Direction – aka UD – produces the tools long distance runners, through hikers, and outdoor athletes need to perform at their best. Think running vests and packs, hand-held hydration flasks, apparel, and more.  You can tell: when you toe the line at virtually any ultra you’ll see a ton of the athletes relying on UD to get them back to the finish.  UD works tirelessly to develop sustainable products and processes that help shape a better future and outdoor experience for everyone. UD products are 100% BPA-free and all apparel is 100% PFC-free, and more and more UD apparel utilizes recycled materials and fabrics (e.g. bluesign and OEKO-TEX certified). It just keeps getting better.

Gnarly Nutrition (gognarly.com)

Endurance athletes need quality and effective hydration and nutrition for their outdoor adventures, and Gnarly offers the best of both.  Gnarly provides the tasty hydration beverage for all of our runners, and they drink it up.  Gnarly offers great taste, with all the essentials for a long day on the trails, with no fake stuff.  And they’ve recently changed to offering their bulk mixes in steel cans – a huge step forward from the usual plastic bag - for better recycling.  Better for recycling, better for us all, better for the planet.

The Pierogies Factory (pierogiesfactory.com)

Several years ago, we decided that for our winter event we needed an easy hot and tasty snack to keep our runners on track, over 24 hours in the winter and through the night.  We connected with the Pierogies Factory restaurant here in town and it’s been an amazing ride since then.  We now cook pierogies at all of our events and our runners just love them.  We couldn’t be happier!

Salomon (salomon.com)

Salomon has been a leader in the trail running/outdoor community for a long, long time. They’re active in ensuring we trail runners understand our role in helping protect our planet so that future generations can enjoy the trails and mountains the way we do now. Their trail shoes and running apparel are thoughtfully produced to ensure we all get to make the most of our time outdoors.

PTRA: Guidelines for Trail Races

The following was authored by the Pro Trail Runners Association (PTRA) having been approved on May 25, 2023, and reflects the PTRA’s views. 

As the number of trail races and events grows worldwide, the PTRA feel that there is increasing need for a set of boundaries and guidelines to help organizers ensure that their events respect the ethics & values of our sport. 

The goal of this document is to outline a set of boundaries that we, as athletes, feel are important for ensuring that we feel comfortable participating in an event. 

This is not an exhaustive list and individual athletes may have higher standards which inform their decision-making when it comes to participating in events. Nonetheless, this document shall provide a basis of information that PTRA can use when exchanging with races, circuits, federations, etc. It will clearly state the areas that our organization feels strongly enough about, should a clear lack of compliance occur in the future, could merit objection, public communication campaigns or even a boycott. 

RED LINES: Items we feel should be respected by every event, under all circumstances. If an organizer chooses not to respect these boundaries, PTRA may take action - including, but not limited to public objection, communi-cation with media and boycotts. 

RECOMMENDATIONS: Items we highly recommend as important steps toward a better sport. Non-respect of these recommendations will not automatically trigger public-facing communication. However, PTRA may choose to speak with the media or call out events on social media if organizers do not meet these criteria. 

We define Trail Running as the activity of running outdoors and on natural surfaces. We consider trail running to be an umbrella term that includes many sub-disciplines (mountain running, ultra running, skyrunning, fell running, etc.). 

While trail running is born of many cultures, territories, backgrounds and motivations, the sport shares common values that we believe form the foundation for the sport. These values are: 

 Respect of nature 

 Respect of people and communities 

 Respect of sport 

In order to ensure that these values are shared and respected by all, we believe it is important that our sport does not violate the boundaries found below. 

Respect of the natural environment: 

Trail running is practiced in natural environments. Without them, the sport wouldn’t exist. The respect and even the preservation of ecosystems and landscapes is deeply rooted in the trail running culture. The value of these ecosystems includes their biodiversity, their natural resources, their function in ensuring ecosystem and climate resilience, and their non material (cultural and spiritual) value. Therefore we strongly believe that all trail running stakeholders - organizers, federations, teams, brands, athletes and spectators - should promote and respect the lands where we run. 

“Leave No Trace” principles 

Events will have an impact on the ecosystems where we run. That impact can be mitigated by some work before and after the competition and also by limiting the access to those ecosystems to the number of people and nuances that can be held by that particular ecosystem without exceeding their hosting capacity. 

It is nearly inevitable that trail running events will have some impact on the ecosystems that they pass through. However, that impact can be mitigated by taking measures before and after the competition, limiting access to fragile ecosystems, and limiting the number of participants. There is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach to ecosystem protection or a “magic number” of participants because different environments have different hosting capacities. 

The Red Lines outlined here represent the bare minimum expected of events in terms of respect for the environment. The Recommendations are not intended to be exhaustive, but shall provide organizers with some suggestions for improving their event’s impact. 

RED LINES 

Publicly stated environmental policy. All events must have a publicly-stated environmental policy or commitment that can be consulted online. 

Infrastructure. Events shall not build infrastructure (buildings, roads, trails, etc.) that will cause permanent damage to the ecosystems and/or will not have a purpose outside of the event. 

Prevent Permanent ecosystem damage. Events shall pay special attention to fragile ecosystems, species and protected areas that risk permanent damage by hosting an event. When possible, these areas should be avoided and in all cases local land managers must be consulted to ensure that necessary measures are taken to avoid unnecessary damage. 

Non-polluting vehicles. Races shall not use vehicles that are highly polluting/high emissions or especially loud (motorbikes, quads, helicopters) for purposes outside of security/rescue needs. Races also shouldn’t allow third party companies to use these vehicles in anv action related to the event (i.e. TV filming) 

Single use items. Races shall not supply single-use plastics and styrofoam food and beverage containers to race attendees and spectators. This includes aid stations and at the finish line, as well as in pre- and post-race meals. 

RECOMMENDATIONS* 

Contamination. Events should encourage zero-contamination behavior to help ensure that the event does not introduce invasive species to the local ecosystem. Athletes, pacers, crews and race attendees’ shoes and equipment should be cleaned of dirt, seeds and plant material before and after participating in an event. The race event should provide washing stations and gear inspections at check-in. The athletes remain responsible for cleaning their shoes and equipment. 

Transport. Races should provide participants, crew and spectators with public transport, shuttle and carpool/rideshare options to make access to the event easier and reduce the need for individual cars - thereby reducing local pollution and carbon footprint of the race. 

Goodies. Races should consider eliminating goodies for participants in favor of environmental protections. In all cases, goodies should be opt-in for all participants and the distribution of promotional material should be kept to a minimum. 

Markings. Races should ensure that course markings, and evidence of aid stations be removed after the race. 

Trash. Events should provide clearly marked recycling points near the start and finish lines, as well as at accessible crewing and spectating areas. Participants and crew should be prohibited from dropping trash outside of designated areas, and course sweepers should ensure that no micro-trash is left on the course. At aid stations and at the start/finish, single-use plastic bottles should be minimized or entirely eliminated in favor of large-capacity water containers that can be refilled. 

Education. Educational information should be provided for participants, crews and spectators to ensure that they understand their impact, including why they should respect established trails. 

Sanitation. Races should provide ample bathroom stalls at the event to minimize the use of the area around the start line as a toilet. Where possible, and especially for ultramarathons, toilets should be available at aid stations. Noise pollution. Races and events should take into account the impact of noise (especially at the start/finish lines) on the local biodiversity and community. Noise should be limited to a reasonable decibel level and period of time. 

Reporting. After an event, races should attempt to measure and report their impact. This should be communicated to the public and inform choices for improvement at the following editions. *These recommendations may be included in a stated environmental policy. 

Greenwashing 

Sponsoring is key in the development of the sport, to be able to organize events or develop the athletes careers, but it is also a powerful tool to promote the values of the partners. In certain cases, some companies might use the events or athletes that have values close to nature and its preservation to greenwash the company image. 

Sponsorship is key to the development of the sport, both in terms of event sponsorship and athlete sponsorship. Companies and brands may choose to sponsor an athlete or event for a variety of reasons, including a desire to support or promote the values embodied by chosen partner or beneficiary. However, in some cases, companies and even government entities may want to associate themselves with an athlete or event with strong connections to environmental protection or conservation in order to improve their own image. 

This practice can qualify as greenwashing. Greenwashing is a deceptive marketing practice that aims to persuade the public that a company or organization’s practices are environmentally friendly. These campaigns are at odds with the organization's actual operations and practices. The PTRA believes that athletes and events should be aware of this practice and refuse to accept sponsorship from companies who aim to use them and their environmentally-friendly image to bolster their own image without backing it up with action. 

RED LINES 

Races, circuits and/or federations shall not be sponsored by: 

 Fossil fuel companies (Gas extraction companies, gas distributors, or similar) 

 Mineral extraction companies 

 Industrial-scale livestock farming 

 Logging companies 

 Tobacco companies

 or Any companies clearly associated with environmental crimes 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

Avoid contracting event sponsors from industries that are highly polluting and/or promote a lifestyle with a big environmental footprint (e.g., car companies, etc. or other equipment or materials that are highly contaminating). 

Follow Pro Trail Runners Assoc: https://trailrunners.run/ 

Suffer Better Do Good Grants

Ever since we became a nonprofit - now some 5 years ago - we’ve wanted to be able to support members of our community who really do “give their all and give back.” Our Do Good Grant program is a way to do just that. We tailor our grants - small, $500-$1000 only - to compelling, innovative projects that unite endurance and giving back in a truly meaningful way. Over the years we’ve supported some quality projects, some of which succeeded and some of which didn’t. Of course, that’s the beauty of the endurance world, any world, really; it’s unpredictable. Just like life!

Here are a few of the projects we’ve supported, and a bit of the why.

We supported the compassionate work of this truly great man, who, for his 50th birthday gathered a core group of friends to join him in running 50 miles and raising money to support his friend and neighbor whose daughter suffered from a rare mitochondrial disease. It was a gnarly, windy day and, while no one actually ran 50 miles, everyone contributed to a special day and real dollars were raised. We provided some dough to print special Ts for those joining in and made a donation to the cause.

This is Millie.

A truly special woman and member of our community learned that her sweet young niece, Millie, had been diagnosed with medulla blastoma. To support her niece, she raised real $ by running Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim at the Grand Canyon - some 48 miles all in. We donated to the cause and supported her effort via our various social channels.

We loved this Camp from the moment we heard about it. For 2 years now, we’ve supported this unique Camp for youngsters in one of Denver’s worst neighborhoods, forging the thoughtful active outdoorists of the future via a summer program that introduces them to the power of the outdoors and their key role in protecting it for future generations.

These two extraordinary women host regular gatherings, bringing together diverse groups of women in their circles, building confidence and community. Their work is beautiful to behold, almost magical, and is shared with incredible joy. We’ve contributed both $ and product to them and their groups.

Up our alley!

@adentures.of.tracy reached out to us with her plan to hike the Long Trail in VT, to raise awareness and dough to get more young people outdoors via Big City Mountaineers. Right up our alley!

Origins - From Competitor Magazine

An article about SB that appeared in the now-defunct Competitor Magazine

THIS or THAT Nutrition

“THIS or THAT Nutrition”

Unfortunately, the bulk of “healthy eating” recommendations tend to come in the form of a “This or That” feel:

Don’t eat bananas. Eat blueberries.
Don’t eat red meat. Eat beans.
Don’t eat frozen vegetables. Eat fresh.
Don’t eat conventional. Eat organic.
Don’t fuel with energy gels. Fuel with whole food.
Don’t count calories. Eat intuitively.
Don’t drink to thirst. Drink to a plan.
Don’t eat high carb. Eat high fat.

This messaging conveys a Wrong or Right vibe: This Choice OR That Choice, with no in between.

Most of us need to unlearn this mindset of needing to live (and eat) on one end of the spectrum or the other. There are too many moving pieces when it comes to our health foundation, our healthspan, and our athletic pursuits to settle permanently on one end.

It is a disservice to ignore Our Personal Context and to be inflexible.

And don’t get me wrong - I’m NOT saying “all things in moderation” either. That obviously doesn’t work or we wouldn’t have the health issues we do in this country (and in many parts of the world).  Additionally, athletes are different. We don’t train “in moderation” when we have specific goals.

Take caution next time you encounter the This or That food rule. Chances are there is way more to the story (e.g., the framework, the context, the contributing factors, the “where do I fit in this picture?”, etc.) that needs consideration and attention.

Food for thought and thought for food and stuff in between,

Dina Griffin, MS RDN CSSD
Sports Dietitian
Chief Fueling Officer at The Nutrition Mechanic
dina@nutritionmechanic.com

Periodization Layers to Health and Performance

Periodization Layers to Health and Performance

As athletes, we are typically familiar with the concept of training periodization. Some of us may not realize we are applying periodization principles per se when we work with a coach, purchase a training program, or willy nilly design our exercise programming.

“Periodization” can be generally viewed as segmenting a plan into blocks (or focused periods) in order to achieve a certain purpose. Of course, with athletic training there are many approaches to periodization to yield stronger, fitter, and/or faster athletes (no matter the level of athleticism and ability). In my view, it’s also groovy if we can develop “healthier athletes” in that mix too.

The cool thing is that we have nutrition periodization to further support our goals.

Originally developed by Sport Dietitian and Exercise Physiologist Bob Seebohar, the concept applies to athlete nutrition. On a basic level, the nutrition approach involves altering nutrition patterns to match and support the athlete’s training demands and other physical and health goals so that we get the most out of our training.

Think of it with this question: “How is my current nutrition pattern supporting what I am doing and wanting as an athlete?” (You can replace “athlete” with “fitness enthusiast” or even “human being”.) And bonus: “how does my nutrition support my health goals… and me as an aging individual?”

What I want us to ponder (no matter whether you are an athlete), is the layering potential we have to give to our “food life periodization.” In brief:

• Minimizing sarcopenia (the age-related loss of muscle mass) as we reach our 40s and enter the latter half of our lives (it’s not just protein, Bro).

• Protecting bone density - particularly for women and the transition to perimenopause and postmenopausal years where there is a significant change in bone density.

• Prevention or management of disease states. Got diabetes in your family? Heart disease? Alzheimer’s? Cancer? What are you doing from a nutritional perspective to prevent it?

• Brain health - Lest we forget, our diet impacts our cognition and focus. And I don’t know about you, but I’d like to keep all the tools in the toolbox as I age.

• Physiology - WOMEN! Are you changing your nutrition pattern to support your physiology or are you fighting it? Or worse, thinking that you are doomed because you are a middle-aged woman destined to suffer and experience body changes that you have 0% control over?

• Optimizing your dietary pattern for you switcheruppers (e.g., those of you switching to plant-based/vegan … have you done an assessment with a Registered Dietitian / Sport Dietitian to ensure you are meeting your needs? how about optimizing?)

The bottom line is:
How you structure and adjust your nutrition has numerous effects on The Here and Now.. and Your Own Long Haul.

Let’s make it count.

-Dina Griffin, Chief Fueling Officer
Performance Dietitian
dina@nutritionmechanic.com

How do we show up “nutritionally”?

How do we show up “nutritionally”?

Hey, hey, it’s been a while since I dropped a few words here for the amazing SufferBetter crew. It’s cool to know good things like this community still keep plugging along during a pandemic, and we can continue supporting each other and still aiming to do good for our environment.

In a world with much strife and struggle, it almost seems frivolous to write about nutrition and health optimization (a primary focus of my work).

Like… who cares about food and nutrition right now? We’re trying to survive a pandemic for crying out loud.

But one perspective to keep in mind is that we can’t show up for others very well if we aren’t taking care of ourselves.

I do realize that not all of us are fortunate enough to have basic needs such as shelter and food security. But for those of us right now who do, are we honoring our nutrition needs adequately? And does this translate to showing up in life to “better be there” for others?

So, my ask of you is to do a “self-care check” from a nutrition perspective. Okay, wait. The term “self-care” is controversial. For some, it imparts shame and blame and invokes thoughts of “I should be doing [fill in the blank thing that we’re supposed to be doing]”. That’s not the intention here; I’m not trying to Should all over you. 

Rather, I’m trying to come from the angle of “How do YOU think your nutrition is serving you and enabling you to live your best life?”

To help uncover this a tad more, ponder these questions and notice where your thoughts go:

•  How often am I using food (and/or alcohol) as a coping strategy or stress reliever? How do I feel afterwards?

•  Am I skipping meals and if so, for what purpose?

•  How is my diet or dietary pattern actually working for me and how do I know? (Tip: If you are following a particular diet due to a celebrity or professional athlete recommendation (or Netflix shockumentary), we may need a fact check.)

•  How does my nutrition and health status enable me to reach my fitness goals or other athletic endeavors I wish to pursue?

•  How do I really feel each day as far as my energy, fatigue, pep, and vitality?

Answering these questions may lead you to consideration for doing a check in with a nutrition professional who can help you finesse and fine-tune. There is no harm in stepping forward to pursue this path. And it actually may enable you to live your days Suffering Better.

Thanks for reading and sending peace to you,

Dina Griffin, MS RDN CSSD

Chief Fueling Officer

www.nutritionmechanic.com

dina@nutritionmechanic.com