I Was Lifted (and not talking levitation or any weird crap like that)

I started this week feeling like shit, full of self-doubt, it happens. I looked on Instagram (as if that’ll help any insecurities) and found that I had been tagged by Heather in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

She posted a quote from LittleBook of Thin and explained she was home with a sick baby. She could sit on the couch and eat Cheeze-its or get up and “be the boss of her body.”  My messaging was helping someone else, that’s why I do what I do, thank you Heather.

The next day, Marc and I watched the docu “if you’re not inthe obits, eat breakfast” on HBO.

It’s about kicking ass in your 90s. One woman, who is still running at 100, told her story. She used running to get over a family tragedy (tragedies actually). It got her out of bed, it got her to climb out of her grief. Jerry Seinfeld (not 90 but his mother was in the film) talks about his life principles, one of them is “bust your ass”. Whatever you’re doing, bust your ass at it. Get up, bust your ass- a theme was building

And on Wednesday, I’m telling you it was a week weird signs and signals, I ran into a friend. We have a high profile friend in common. I say that only because it’s relevant. My friend said, “do you know how I met her?” I didn’t. She explained that this high profile person wasn’t as high profile when they first met. She found out my friend’s husband was in a position to help her take her career to the next level. She didn’t mince words and asked my friend to meet her husband. I joked with my friend “wow, she just flat out asked for what she wanted, I could do more of that.” My friend, as she walked away, said “yes, you could.”  For the record, I’m a terrible “asker”.

Finally, last night Carolyn and I went to a book party at Hu for the fitness phenom Holly Rilinger. Holly’s new book “Lifted” offers fitness advice but also life advice (and my favorite nutritionist contributed to the book). Holly joked that she’s a journal keeper. When she reviewed her journals, in writing the book proposal, she constantly said “again”?  Holly said, “10 years later and the same issues?”We all have these reoccurring emotional themes we need strategies for. So whether you’re 40-something or 90-something, your words can “lift” someone else. Or, as Heather in Kentucky or the 100-year-old runner (I need to go back and learn her name) did, lift yourself.

Anybody or anything lift you up this week? Are you someone who asks for what you need?

Are you going to order LBT or Lifted right now?

Trainers gonna train, train, train, train

A little background. Last week (has mercury unretrograded? hope so) Carolyn and I received more than a few emails from clients saying, “my trainer told me to buy”. We dutifully checked out said product and found nasty ingredients or something super processed. Thus this post. We totally get that that there is an overlap with fitness and nutrition but…I’ll get Carolyn take it away.

When in doubt we refer out to doctors, acupuncturists, yogis, and even stylists and organizationalists. We also love trainers and fitness instructors, for so many Foodtrainers’ clients they’re the other piece of the fit puzzle. But when some start dropping nutrition instructions when they should be teaching how to lift weights, I have some issues. Would you ask your therapist for workout tips? OK, ok once my old therapist “prescribed” me yoga (followed soon after by Xanax if we’re being honest) but for the most part, professionals should stick to their field, right?  

Lauren and I always preface our (very minimal) exercise recommendations with “we’re not trainers” because we think expertise is essential. We love reaching out to our favorite exercise professionals when we need fitness facts for our newsletters or posts. We went to school for a loooooong time to get to the nutrition expert level. We learned how meds can interact with nutrients, gained an understanding of blood work and lab values etc.  So when instructors make weird food or supplement or, maybe worst of all, cleanse recommendations in the middle of a Soul Cycle class, it makes us a little grouchy. The same can be said for doctors who get on average a week, maybe two of nutrition education tops.

There are the examples of trainers who do it right though the badass Holly Rilinger was writing a post on her experience with juicing but she asked for my nutrition input. YES!  And another trainer-friend of Foodtrainers gave us one of my favorite exercise quotes “you cant out train a bad diet”. Hallelujah!

But whether it’s coming from a trainer, a chiropractor, a fit friend or an insta-crush:

• If a product looks sketchy it probably is
• If your diet is on track you don’t need to be loading up on countless, expensive supplements
• Just because it worked for someone else doesn’t mean it will work or last for you
• If you have any health condition, take meds or even other vitamins all of these things have to be evaluated when you make dietary changes

Listen, in the world of insta and twitter there are lots of health enthusiasts that can easily be mistaken for experts. So look for credentials, ask for research, and then you can always ask us on twitter @onesmartbrownie @Foodtrainers

What do you think? Should trainers provide nutrition information or not? Where is the line? Perhaps encouraging hydration or breakfast eating is ok but what about specifics? And what about RDs, where should we curb our exercise advice?