Melissa Kazan Registered Dietitian

18/09/2020

Give me a ❤️ if you agree that sport performance is multifactorial and not only dependant on your body weight! ⁠

Yes, there are sports where a change in body composition can help with better performance but focusing all your efforts only on getting leaner, really won’t make you a better athlete. In fact, a constant focus on weight and lean physique can do quite the opposite by increasing the risk of under-fuelling, disordered eating and eating disorders.⁠
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Habits that will make you a better athlete without a doubt are: strengthening your mental performance and looking after your mental health, having a sound sleep schedule, attending practice/ training, eating enough to fuel your body and feel at your best, and getting sport therapy/ doing your physio exercises to prevent or manage your injuries. ⁠
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What other habits can you think of, that can have a positive impact on your performance? Let me know in the comments ⬇️

28/05/2020

I am super excited to be co-hosting the “Coping With Stress In The New Norm” webinar, on Wednesday June 3rd at 7pm, with Allen Eshmoili (Physiotherapist) from Premier Spine and Sport Rehabilitation & Wellness and Fani Peker (Cert. CAN Coach) from Mindfullyfani

We know that life has been more challenging since the pandemic, with the change in lifestyle and schedule. This webinar is free of charge and our goal is to provide tools and knowledge to practice mindful eating, end body discomfort and pain while staying active from home, and use mindfulness tools to bring your attention to the present moment.

If you’re feeling stressed, struggling with your eating or with your training routine, this workshop is for you! Here’s what you can expect to learn:
- Skill to reduce stress
- Easily applicable mindful breathing and mindful awareness tools to add to your mental hygiene kit.
- The 3 common mistakes made when trying to get rid of the pain.
- The single most important exercise you must do every morning (your stiff joints will love it!)
- Practical tips to manage cravings as well as basic mindful eating practices that you can add to your eating routine to increase awareness of how, when, and why you eat.

Register online at: http://webinar.ourwellnessweb.com/

Share with anyone you think would benefit from this!

01/05/2020

In need of inspiration?

Here’s a yummy chicken curry recipe for the weekend that I think you’ll love! Super fast and easy.

Find the recipe on my blog: https://www.melissakazan.com/blog/easy-chicken-curry

28/04/2020

It’s easy to get into your training routine and forget what nutrients your body needs to maximize recovery from your training sessions. ⁣Yes, showing up, pushing yourself and training hard will make you a stronger, faster and better athlete BUT having the right food at the right time also plays a major role in maximizing how your body adapts to your training. ⁣
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When you finish your training session EAT right away or as soon as possible a combination of carb & protein foods as well as fluids. Eating soon after is important because it prevents you from having cravings later on and overeating at your next meal. It also helps speed up the recovery process in your muscles preventing injury. ⁣
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Obviously each athlete has different needs, and recovery targets will vary based on the type of training session; however, I’ve put up some general recovery food ideas and combinations. ⁣
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Reach out if you have questions or for more personalized nutrition support.

@ Richmond Hill, Ontario

21/04/2020

What have you been having for breakfast lately? ⁣
I love this egg & spinach wrap for athletes as it’s packed with all the nutrient you need to start your training day. Great source of protein, fibre and iron 👊🏼💥⁣
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What you’ll need: 📝⁣
▫️1 whole grain wrap or pita ⁣
▫️2 eggs ⁣
▫️1/4 avocado ⁣
▫️Small handful chopped lettuce ⁣
▫️Small handful chopped spinach ⁣
▫️About 1 tbsp finely chopped onions (I used shallots) ⁣
▫️S&P to taste⁣
▫️Olive oil ⁣
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How to: 🍳⁣
Whisk eggs with salt and pepper in a bowl. ⁣
Sauté the onions/ shallots with olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Then add the spinach and cook for another minute. Add the egg mix and move the spatula from side to side of the skillet to form soft large curds. Cook the eggs until liquid is dry but egg mix is still moist. ⁣
Layer the lettuce first on the wrap, followed by the avocado and then the eggs, wrap and enjoy! ⁣
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Tips 💡⁣
▫️This wrap packs about 15-18g protein, for those who need higher needs per meal, you can add a glass of milk or small bowl of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese topped with berries.⁣
▫️You can switch up this wrap to your liking, e.g swap spinach for kale, add sautéed garlic with the onions or you can sprinkle Chili flakes for extra spice.

21/04/2020

I always get asked what foods you should eat before exercise so here’s an infographic with pre-training meals and snack ideas.
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The foods you choose to eat before exercise will generally depend on how much time you have to digest before you start training, so:⁣
⏰ If you have 3-4 hours before training then you can have a balanced meal. Choose foods that are rich in carbohydrate and protein, and moderate in fat, for e.g. a chicken wrap or rice & lean steak stir-fry or quinoa/pasta salads. ⁣
⏰ If you have ~2h before training, choose smaller/ lighter meals like a smoothie or a peanut butter sandwich or snacks like fruit and nuts or cereal and milk.⁣
⏰ If you have ~1h before training choose foods that are mostly rich in carbohydrates as these foods are easier to digest and will give you fast energy. This can be fruits, fruit leather, sport drink or energy bars. ⁣
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❗️Pre-training meals and snacks are usually personal and you should always try different foods to see what works best for you. You want to avoid foods that cause stomach upset or leave you feeling too full to exercise. For e.g. you may be an athlete who can only handle fruits or an energy bar within the hour of training or you can be an athlete who can have a chicken wrap within 30min of a workout without any stomach upset. There’s no right or wrong as long you know what works for you!

@ Richmond Hill, Ontario

17/04/2020

What’s your favourite smoothie colour & flavour?? 🍹🍓🍇🥥⁣
As a Sport Dietitian here’s why I think smoothies are great for athletes: ⁣
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🍓🍌They pack all the nutrients to support your exercising body ➡️ Carbohydrates (e.g. fruits, honey/ maple syrup, oats...) for energy, protein (e.g. yogurt, milk, certified protein powder...) for muscle repair and antioxidants (e.g. veggies, fruits, nut butters, seeds, avocado...) to reduce inflammation from training⁣
💧💧They help replenish fluid losses which makes them great for hydration ⁣
🤸🏻‍♀️⛹🏼‍♀️🚴‍♂️They can be used both before training as they are easy to digest or after training for a complete recovery⁣
🤢😐 They can be used in situations where you don’t have an appetite but still need to fuel e.g. before an early morning workout, after an evening session or in between events. ⁣
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I’ve combined a few favourite flavour combinations of smoothies. Swipe to see them all! @ Richmond Hill, Ontario

08/04/2020

Here is the article I wrote in the Premier Spine and Sport Rehabilitation & Wellness April newsletter about how you can support your immune system through nutrition. ⁣
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Keep in mind that in times of a pandemic such as the one we are currently facing your safest bet is distancing yourself from others, plus good hygiene as recommended by WHO and Health Canada. BUT, there's nothing wrong with taking some steps to support your immune system health.

https://www.melissakazan.com/blog/nutrition-tips-to-support-your-immune-system

07/04/2020

Get the recipe of these delicious Banana, Dates & Orange Muffins on my blog.
They’re nutrient dense packed with lots of fibre from the oats and whole grain flour.

This Oat Banana & Dates muffin is a nutrient dense snack that will definitely keep you satisfied in between your meals. The whole grain flour and oats makes these muffins a great source of fibre. You can combine this muffin with a glass of milk, bowl of yogurt or nut butter for a balanced carboh

04/04/2020

Let’s face it, this whole COVID-19 situation is stressful. Although you may have more time to cook and meal prep nowadays, cooking fancy meals may not be the first thing on your mind and that’s totally okay!⁣
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Here’s a simple infographic with quick meal ideas and flavour combinations to inspire you to make easy & balanced meals. Find the rest of my article along with long lasting pantry, fruit and vegetable staples on my blog: https://www.melissakazan.com/blog/quarantine-meal-ideas

19/03/2020

If you have canned beans, tomatoes and rice in your pantry, dinner can be ready in 30 minutes! Easy bean Chili recipe on my blog now 😋

Find the recipe here: https://www.melissakazan.com/blog/easy-bean-chili

16/03/2020

Hi everyone! Although all the COVID-19 news is disturbing, hopefully this will be behind us in a few weeks 🙏🏼⁣
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Gyms might be closed and training might be cancelled, but even if you’re staying at home these days, it’s still important to pay attention to HOW you eat, not let panic take over and pour your goals down the drain. ⁣
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In the theme of nutrition month, I’ve been talking lots about paying attention to how you’re eating not just what you’re eating. So, I put up an infographic summarizing tips on how to improve the WAY you eat 🔝⁣
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▫️Sit at one table and eat with your loved ones. Eat with your family or partner/roommate at least for one meal per day. Now that most of us should be staying at home there’s no excuse for lack of time 😉⁣
▫️Keep a food journal: while this may sound straight forward, keeping a log of what you eat and drink in a day is a great reflective practice to keep you aware of the foods you’re eating and timing of your meals. ⁣
▫️Practice mindful eating: think about how hungry or full you are while eating, intentionally slow down eating during a meal and notice how the food tastes or feels in your mouth. ⁣
▫️Meal prep your meals and involve your family: this allows you to save cooking time and still ensure you have a balanced meal on your plate on busier days of the week. On a week like this one, it may also get you busy and take your mind off of all the coronavirus news. ⁣
▫️Last but not least, food is social, it has history and culture so appreciate the foods you’re eating and this opportunity you have to nourish your body. ⁣
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Do you practice any of these habits? Any other tricks that work for you to help you improve how you eat? Let me know, comment below! 😊⁣