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Gratitude Strength Food

Integrative Sports Nutrition. Get stronger, feel happier, live forever.

02/18/2022

2 minutes of ice bath followed by sauna during my lunch break at work yesterday. Followed by a workshop on Wim Hoff breathing. Why? Because I work at a holistic physical therapy, fitness, and nutrition practice who is constantly pushing members and employees to keep growing in their health journey.

This was my first ice bath and the ending of this video really summed it up. who expertly ran this experience, prefaced this as an experience you breathe through and relax into, not something you muscle through. By slowing down my breath to 4 counts in and 8 counts out, I really felt my body submit and relax in the cold bath.

The sauna after felt delightful and rejuvenating.

Is this sustainable on a daily basis? I don’t have a sauna in my house…but adding a burst of cold shower during my routine could add an element of shock and promote more recovery and healing. Or maybe just to prove to myself our mantra at

“We can do hard things”

07/26/2021

🙋‍♀️Talking to you and talking to myself. 🙋

Flexibility in your habits is key to ensuring you don’t become obsessed with your eating, workouts, or daily living activities.

The Grateful 80/20 Rule is a good place to be: plan for 100%, perform your habits 80%, allow the 20% without judgement. It’s a great thing to be health-focused, to work on yourself, to be conscious of your choices and set goals. It’s also easy to become obsessed without seeing the big picture: enjoying each day and being happy living even while working towards goals.

Breathe in, breathe out, life is good.

06/30/2021

This resonates with me on a deep level. When I don’t feel like working out, cooking nutritious food, studying, putting in concerted effort to improve in some way, this thought about consistency motivates me. “Just do one lift at the gym” “just read one page” “just throw together a healthy sidedish” those are my internal coaching cues and then once I get started, of course I do the full workout, read the full article, cook the full meal.

I often get asked if I’m very strict about my diet or workouts and I always answer that I follow the ‘grateful 80/20 rule’. I am consistent with my health habits for 80% of the time, until it doesn’t serve me. Then, 20% of the time I let intuition take over and release any guilt about it. THAT is sustainable, THAT is consistency. Some weeks I am super on top of my sh*t, and some weeks I order takeout every night. Over time, this ALSO fits into 80/20 pattern. Take a long term look at your habits, and only take on what you can continue indefinitely, 80% of the time. Get consistent and achieve your goals 💯👏🪄

06/15/2021

Hi! I’m Cassandra. I am a clinical nutritionist with a passion for athletics, a professor of sports nutrition, and a personal trainer and fitness instructor. I love to help other people achieve their health goals, cultivate a deeper relationship with themselves, and shift their view of health into a lens of gratitude and abundance. Don’t get me wrong- I eat scientific research articles for breakfast! But I have viewed firsthand the powerful impact that mindset and reframing can have on health and making changing that truly transform. So why not combine the best of both worlds and create the greatest outcomes!?

Thanks for following me here and I hope you’re enjoying the food pics, recipes, nutrition science topics, sports tidbits, and fitness tips too! I’m always open to suggestions or questions from you and hearing from you is tremendously helpful for me to target my content.

What is your favorite spot to vacation over the fourth of July? Mine is San Diego- this picture is from July 4th, 2019- what a fantastic summer that was for me.

05/28/2021

Don't miss out! My outdoor fitness class at Via Verde Park in San Dimas, CA is starting a week from tomorrow! Sign up through San Dimas Parks and Rec: only $40/month for expert fitness instruction, community building, and accountability to your fitness goals. Join me and your neighbors and let's MOVE!

https://secure.rec1.com/CA/san-dimas-ca/catalog

05/27/2021

It’s well-established that NSAIDs (naproxen, ibuprofen for example) can have varied 😡negative😡 affects on our body. They affect our cardiovascular system by raising blood pressure, they cause stomach and gastrointestinal bleeding, and reduce our kidney function.

New research is also showing that use of NSAIDs can reduce the positive impacts of exercise- sneaky! When I was in high school, I used to pop ibuprofen like they were 🍭candy any time I had knee pain from dancing or menstrual cramps. If you are taking NSAIDs on a regular basis such as monthly, I encourage you to stop and consider how you might be able to reduce your use of NSAIDs.

Here are some science-backed ways to reduce pain without the use of NSAIDs:

🗣Deep breathing for only 5 minutes a day
🧘🏽‍♀️Meditation
🔥Sauna
🧊Ice
🌶Use of topical capsaicin or arnica creams
🛀Epsom salt baths
🥘Curcumin (from turmeric) - shown to be anti-inflammatory, interacts with anticoagulant drugs
💛Boswelia herb (Frankincense) - 300-500mg 2-3x/day
🥑Omega 3 Fatty Acids - EPA and DHA are anti-inflammatory and should be eaten/taken as part of a pain protocol for anyone experiencing chronic pain
🌳White Willow Bark - shown to cause relief comparable to aspirin!

👀As you can see- there are so many ways you can approach pain other than the over-the-counter pills we have been conditioned to use.
✅Check the link in my bio for herbal practitioner-grade products that you can easily purchase online to manage your pain, naturally. ✅

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4809680/ #:~:text=HARMS%20OF%20NSAIDS,%2D1%20and%20COX%2D2.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3011108/

05/10/2021

Come get fit with me outside! Saturdays at 9am starting in June, we’ll meet up at Via Verde park in San Dimas for a holistic bodyweight workout focusing on strength, mobility, and agility. Let’s support each other and create a new neighborhood tradition! 💦

Sign up to reserve your spot- spaces will be capped at 15 ONLY!! $10/class for the month- what a steal 💰

Come on San Dimas- 👏 let’s get fit together!

To register, go to:
Sandimasca.gov/parksandrecreation
Class name: Strength, agility, and mobility

See you in June! 🌞

03/22/2021

I’m presenting a corporate workshop this week as part of a series focused on how our health will be evolving alongside the lifting of Covid restrictions. Have you taken a moment to reflect on what has changed in regards to your health over the past year, and what changes may be to come in the next few months? When I take a step back to reflect, here’s what I find in my own life:

In the past year I have
🟧Stopped teaching dance and moved a lot less
🟧Increased my focus on personal professional growth and have been stationary a lot more
🟧Increased my food intake based on access to food from not being as actively busy
🟧Increased my intake of home-cooked food
🟧Focused more on trying new recipes
🟧Focused more on self love and accepting body changes related to being less active

In the next few months I envision
🔵More dancing
🔵Less time sitting
🔵More challenges related to cooking and prepping healthy food
🔵Increased social eating with friends
🔵Increased eating in the car (the joys of LA traffic!)

How do these reflections help you see the bigger picture of your health? We all have seasons of health, fitness, motivation, and rest. Where do you fall right now, and where do you hope to take your health in the next season?

01/12/2021

In class yesterday I had my students do a role-playing exercise where they practiced taking a 24 hour diet recall from their partner, playing the role of a client. Afterwards, one of my students said that they made up the foods they reported as a client, because they were ashamed that they don’t eat healthy food. They didn’t want their classmate to judge them for the food choices they made.
I need to make sure this is heard: 📢NO FOOD IS BAD FOOD📢. period.
If you’re reading this on Instagram, you may be part of food-shaming culture without even realizing it. Social media tends to be a bubble where we view home-cooked, grass-fed, plant-based, organic and professionally photographed foods as the ideal, and judge all convenience, frozen, store-bought, or fast food as lower-class.
This mindset about food may actually be the sign of disordered eating.
If food is edible, if it tastes good, if it is what you can afford, if it is what you can make happen for yourself, then it is good food. It is keeping you alive and productive and working and growing in your life.
Does that mean that there is no room for optimizing food intake to improve health, to avoid foods that cause discomfort, or to try new foods? Of course not! AND, if you really love McFlurries and it’s your treat and it’s not causing your body to shut down or be triggered- EAT YOUR MCFLURRY AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT! The stress about food choices is likely more damaging to you than actually eating the food.
Be kind to yourself and others, including how you view food choices and nourishment. That is my soap box for today- thanks for coming to my Ted Talk! 📢

01/07/2021

Release the guilt of rest 👐
If your approach to training is fully focused on scheduling workouts and cultivating grit, you are missing out on a huge opportunity for the growth that only comes with REST. Not only that, but overtraining syndrome is rampant in athletes- up to 60% may experience it multiple times throughout their career. Listen to your body when you feel fatigued, run down, extra emotional, get recurring colds, or have trouble sleeping- let your dang body CHILL!
Winter is a perfect time for additional rest and inward reflection 🧠

01/04/2021

❔Curious about a ketogenic diet for athletes? So was I! Check out my full post which describes my experience as a recreational athlete on a 12 week ketogenic diet. The outcome might shock you! ⁉️

01/01/2021

My New Years wishes for YOU ❇️
💫 No chunks🍓 in your smoothies
✨No fishy burps 🍣 after your omegas
⭐️Plenty of fire emojis 🔥in honor of your workout posts 🍑
🌟Abundant fiber rich-snacks and healthy poops 💩 all year
Call me optimistic, but these are my solemn wishes for all of my friends and clients😂😂
Thank you to EVERYONE who joined my group habit-change series’, my 3-month total health and fitness clients, my virtual training clients, and anyone who enjoyed my blog articles, recipes, and socials. I truly appreciated your support this year and honestly it was one of my best for creativity and woman-ran business bad-assery. Here’s to the next!🎊

12/26/2020

I see so many posts recently discouraging 🙅🏿‍♀️diet culture, fitspo accounts, and the attainment of bodies that do not necessarily constitute health for most people- this is an important topic that I’m glad is being discussed more openly🙋‍♀️!! However, if you are on a journey to better health, there is no shame in using the momentum of a new year or a fresh start to get you on your way. There is a difference between getting on the hamster 🐁wheel of a crash diet every January vs working on moving more⚽️, eating healthy foods🥦, or adopting any other lifestyle goal that makes you feel good🧘🏽‍♀️. Use that big January energy if you find it invigorating, and keep working towards your own unique goals 👏👏👏👏

12/19/2020

I want to share a breathing technique that is extremely helpful in allowing the brain 🧠 to de-escalate when stress creeps up. It puts a little extra space and oxygen between your reaction and your actions, and I personally use it all the time when I need to slow down before responding (ie: snarky work emails… anyone else?). It’s called box breathing, and it’s a simple cadence that is divided in four equal parts, kind of like the sides of a perfect square or box!
😌Breathe in slowly and deeply for four counts
😌Hold at the top for four counts
😌Breathe out slowly and completely for four counts
😌Hold at the bottom for four counts
You can repeat as many times as feels good, I typically recommend four rounds, or about a minute.
Why not try four rounds right now, for practice?

12/14/2020

Endurance activities 🏃‍♀️ 🚴 are HOT right now (getting outside ✔️staying distanced✔️, and numbing the brain✔️…) so make sure you’re fueling your body right to keep going mile after mile. Check out a few of my nutrition tips for endurance athletes🔥
An example: for a 150 lb 25 year old female endurance athlete training 12-20 hrs/week:
🍎 Eat 2400-3600 calories/ day (YES REALLY THIS MUCH!)
🍏 Eat 400 - 680 grams carbohydrates each day (!!)
🍒 Eat 95 to 116 grams of protein each day
🍑Eat 15-25 grams protein PLUS 68-81 grams of carbohydrates within 30 minutes of completing training or competition.
Want more specifics on foods or strategies for endurance athletes? Let me know in the comments!

12/08/2020

Anyone other than me need a little reminder to be present and practice self love during the holiday eating season? Here are some tips to enjoy the tastes of whatever holiday you celebrate! ❄️ 🏖

10/30/2020

❤️Heart rate variability (HRV) is the variation in time between heart beats. HRV is typically used as a marker to assess metabolic diseases, but more recently is being studied for its implications in recovery during athletic training programs. If you wear a smart watch consistently you’re already halfway there to being able to harness the information provided from your HRV over time. The other major factor that must be regulated is the contribution of lifestyle factors, which are far greater influences on HRV than training. The major considerations are sleep, stress, hydration, and food quality and consistency. If you are in a good place with those lifestyle factors and your day to day is consistently the same, then you’re ready to go using HRV as a tool to modify your training programming to best allow for recovery and potentially increase your performance. See below for how to start!
❤️Baseline your HRV: take a look at the widest view you have of your average HRV over time(several months or a year is best). Check for your highest and lowest months or seasons, and compare it to your sport’s season and training cycles. If you see a trend towards a lower HRV during your intense training or competition months, you have another confirmation that your HRV is being primarily influenced by athletics. Great.
❤️Compare just the past week side by side with your training log. Notice if you have dramatic drops in HRV following certain types of training, and if the drop continues into the next day or if it rebounds by the next morning.
❤️Some people have more of a response to cardiovascular vs anaerobic or strength exercises, so note the best types of training that should go back to back on consecutive days, vs those training days that you need a rest day following in order to recover optimally.
❤️As you are digging, consider poor sleep the night before a drop, major stressors that pop up, a night out partying, etc, that could be skewing your data.
HRV is just another great tool we can use to check in on ourselves and help support our body’s needs. Anyone interested in a post about how to eat if your HRV is consistently low? Comment below!

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About

Hi! I'm Cassandra Collins, MS Nutrition & Integrative Health, and Certified Personal Trainer. I am passionate about helping other humans achieve their goals. Here are the principles of wellness that fuel me as well as Gratitude Strength Food.

How can we make each meal more impactful to provide ourselves with nutrients to fuel ourselves? How can we plan our lives so that the food we eat contains the best information to instruct our cells to do the work of living flawlessly? We shift the thought process away from “what must I cut out of my diet” to “what would best serve me and help me feel supported to achieve my goals today?”

We believe in cyclical Goals and Intentions combined with Continuous Habit Reflection to achieve long term success. We never assume that our plan, even a plan from three days ago, is still the correct plan today. We strive to fail in the smallest increments possible, to accept our small failures as a sign that our plan and our habits need alignment, and to use the Reflection to grow and try again. We know that the only way to form new habits is to decide on change, plan to change, acknowledge failure, reflect on success, and repeat frequently.

What movement makes my body feel invigorated, creative, and energized? How can I plan my day so that I move as much as I want to? How can I push myself in a way that feels good and productive, so that every day I’m building on my ability to move more in even more exciting ways? We shift the thought process away from “I force myself to go to the gym even though I hate it” to “what movement(s) do I love to do, and how can I enjoy and improve on that?”