Your Neighborhood Nutritionist

Nutrition Counseling

Alison Hopkins

Nutritionist

Mobile: (559) 706-7441

Email: alisonhop@gmail.com

Approach

Most chronic degenerative illnesses are on the rise. Current interventions target easing the pain and suffering but have little to offer in addressing underlying causes. Meanwhile study-after-study confirms that our day-to-day nutrition and lifestyle choices are often at the root of these conditions. Alison believes that the best approach to take for helping people improve their health is through coaching and education. This allows Alison to work individually with people, and to combine her nutrition knowledge with skills that she has learned through her education and coaching experience. Alison builds her program around a foundational understanding of nutrition, the single most important ingredient of a long term, sustainable health program. She emphasizes the importance of Nutrition Education with her clients. Learning how food effects your body and health is the key to living a healthy lifestyle. Alison also undertands the importance of proper nutrition for optimal performance. Whether you want to prevent future health issues, feel better, or reach an athletic goal, Alison will design a plan that meets your individual goals and needs.

Background

Alison Hopkins holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nutrition from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she competed on the Track and Cross-Country teams. She has also earned her Personal Training Certification, CPR/First Aid certification, and Teaching Credential. Alison has competed in multiple half marathons and marathons. She has provided nutrition education for Vanguard University's collegiate Track and Cross-Country teams. She also coached high school cross country where she provided performance nutrition guidance to her athletes. Alison has worked with a variety of clients in her former role as a Health Coach for a corporate wellness company called American Specialty Health. Here she supported clients in their weight loss and wellness goals. Other clients Alison has worked with consist of children, teens, and their families. Working with clients to provide nutrition education and a specific plan for them to reach their best quality of life is where Alison's passion is deeply rooted.

Contact Alison to get started. Do it for yourself. You deserve to feel your best!

Seafood Selections

Eat fish to make sure you are getting enough of the healthy fats in your diet.
Read this article about selecting the best seafood for you and the environment. There are so many to choose from! Why not make an educated decision!

http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1521

Contact me at fruitfulwellness.coach@gmail.com to learn how eating fish can lead you to better health and/or to schedule a free nutrition assessment.

Increase Metabolism

Some people have a naturally high metabolism. Your metabolism tends to decrease with age due to loss of muscle mass and increased body fat. Here are some ways you can keep your metabolism strong:

-Eat small, frequent meals-Eat breakfast soon after waking up. If you wait too long to eat you may find yourself overeating later in the day.

-Eat protein with every meal-Foods that have protein in them take the most energy to digest. This means you are burning more calories after eating protein compare to carbohydrates or fats. Protein also helps build and maintain muscles mass which is great for burning extra calories.

-Eat enough calories per day-Eating a low calorie diet slows your metabolism down. If you are not eating enough calories during the day you may find yourself over indulging in high calorie foods later. Keep you calorie intake to at least 1,000 calories per day. You must eat more calories especially if you are physically active. This will make losing or maintaining your goal weight very difficult to achieve.

Follow these tips to help you live a fruitful and healthy life. Do you have a desire to build a healthier life but need some guidance? Contact me so I can help you reach your health goals- fruitfulwellness.coach@gmail.com

Planning a Healthy Diet

Eating from all the different food groups and limiting-not eliminating-the intake of fat, cholesterol, and sodium while increasing the number of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains you consume can lead you down the path to good health. Following a healthy diet offers the benefits shown below:
-Protects against diseases such as cancer and heart disease
-Aids in prevention and treatment of chronic disease
-Helps you reach your weight management, fitness, or weight loss goals
-Increases HDL (good) cholesterol
-Lowers blood pressure
-Helps control abnormal blood sugars
-Provides essential vitamins and minerals
-Improves healing
-Maintains bowel regularity and reduces constipation
-Aids in recovery after exercise
-Builds strong bones
-Increases energy

You have to make a time commitment to eat nutritiously. It takes time to plan, shop, and cook. Being healthy takes time. There's really no way around it, unless you hire a full-time chef to plan and prepare nutritious meals for you. Making an effort to eat well is worth your time, though, as the benefits of eating healthy are enormous. With a few good tips, eating healthfully does not have to be a chore. Email Coach Ali at fruitfulwellness.coach@gmail.com for a FREE consultation and to receive some healthy-eating tips!

Foods that help every calorie count-Chicago Tribune

We need to focus on eating foods that have high amounts of nutrients per calorie to make sure our bodies get what they need for good health and feeling well each day.
Read this article from the Chicago Tribune to learn more:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-07-14/features/ct-food-0714-nutrient-rich-20100714_1_high-nutrient-to-calorie-ratio-focus-on-whole-foods-nutrient-rich-foods

Email me- fruitfulwellness.coach@gmail.com if you have any questions about how you can improve your nutrition.

~Alison Hopkins
B.S. Nutrition

Sports Nutrition Game Plan

A good nutrition plan for an athlete consists of:

Grains and Starches-bran cereal, whole-wheat breads and bagels, pasta, rice, crackers, pretzels, oatmeal, potatoes.

Fruits-apple, banana, frozen fruit, berries, dried fruit

Vegetables-broccoli, spinach, salad, tomatoes, frozen veggies

Meats and Protein-Rich Foods-tuna, chicken, peanut butter, lentils, beans, eggs, turkey

Low-Fat Dairy Products-milk (preferably low-fat), yogurt, cheese.

Healthy Fats and Oils-nuts, seeds, olive oil, fish, avocados

Water-drink water often throughout the day

WHEN TO EAT to allow time for digestion:

1 hour prior to exercise-small snack

2 hours “ -light meal

3 hours “ regular-sized meal

4 + hours heavy meal

Use a combination of the foods listed above to fuel your body.

THREE KEYS TO HEALTHY EATING

1. Variety-You’ll perform best by eating a variety of foods to get a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and other essential nutrients.

2. Moderation-Even soda and fries can fit into a well-balanced diet. Balance out the sugary foods and fats from the fries with a better choice at your next meal. For instance, if you ate greasy sausage and biscuits at breakfast, select a low-fat turkey sandwich for lunch. Too many poor selections can turn into a junk food diet which will decrease your athletic performance.

3.Wholesomeness-Eat lightly processed foods. Aim for natural sources of the food. For example, choose whole-wheat instead of white breads, bagels, and pastas, real apples instead of apple juice, and baked potatoes rather than potato chips. Natural foods have more nutritional value and will help you become a stronger athlete.

Email me if you have any questions about how you should be eating to reach your athletic goals or anything else you would like to ask about fitness and nutrition! fruitfulwellness.coach@gmail.com

Free Consultation

Contact me at fruitfulwellness.coach@gmail.com to schedule your FREE consultation. During this consultation, we will discover your goals and decide what services are right for you. Services include:

1. Weekly phone sessions

2. Online coaching via email

3. Kitchen pantry assessments- 60 minutes

4. Grocery shopping tours-60 minutes

5. In person nutrition & fitness coaching-60 minutes

6. Outdoor fitness training-60 minutes

*You may more request more or less time per session.

Fruitful Wellness Coaching

I am offering individual wellness coaching to people of all ages and fitness levels!  The focus of this wellness program is to improve you and your family’s health by establishing a plan that will best meet your needs while focusing on the fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

We may correspond via email, over the phone or in person. It will be up to you to decide what best fits you and your family’s lifestyle. I will provide nutrition and physical activity education. Whether you have never exercised a day in your life or have completed the Iron Man Triathlon, I will give you the support that you need to be well for a life time.

As your Wellness Coach, I am committed and passionate about helping others reach their health goals without having them go on a diet or do things that they do not find enjoyable. My hopes are to guide, encourage, and motivate you through a steady process where you can enjoy every moment of seeing your lifestyle change in a positive and fruitful way over time.

Why Have a Health Coach?
Most chronic degenerative illnesses are on the rise. Current interventions target easing the pain and suffering but do not address the underlying causes. Multiple studies have confirmed that our daily nutrition and lifestyle choices are at the root of these negative health conditions.
With the support and guidance of a personal coach, you can make positive changes and bring wellness and balance into your life.

Ali's Wellness Coaching can help you with:
-Fitness (beginner to advanced, outdoor activities)
-Nutrition (e.g. Grocery shopping education trip, learn healthy cooking, plan ahead meals, kitchen organization, recognize healthy foods vs. unhealthy, over eating.)
-Weight management (Healthy weight loss-1 to 2 pounds per week)
-Positive non food responses to stress, deep breathing, prayer, exercise, etc.
-Health risk management (Prevention and intervention. e.g. Diabetes,Hypertension,etc.)
-Identifying barriers to reaching fitness goals
-Learn that there is no such thing as failure, only feedback to learn from!

Various Individualized programs for:
1.Beginner runners/walkers/exercisers
2.Experienced runner/walker/exerciser looking to improve performance
3.Mother wanting to get back into shape after having baby (or Mother's in general!)
4.Teenager looking to increase self esteem through enhancement of health and well being(nutrition/fitness)
5.Brides wanting to learn healthy cooking and meal planning, organize their kitchen and develop healthy lifestyle(increase activity level/exercise) before getting married(Grooms too!).
Choose between phone sessions, in person coaching, or health and fitness questions answered via email by your coach, or a combination of each. We can work together to design a program that suites you.
Contact me via email- fruitfulwellness.coach@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. The consultation will serve to gather information about your current lifestyle, what goals you wish to achieve, and what changes you would like to make to reach better health.

About Coach Ali

I received my Bachelor’s of Science in Nutrition from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The majority of my life has been involved in the health industry. After college I was a counselor and Nutrition Educator at a health and fitness camp for teens and adults called Camp La Jolla. Next, I went on to become a Health Coach for a company called American Specialty Health. I earned my multiple subject teaching credential in April, 2010 and went on to coach cross-country and track and teach online Health classes at Orange Lutheran High School.

I am taking my passions for  nutrition and health and offering education and guidance to those families or individuals looking for a more fruitful and healthy way of life. 

If ever you have any questions, send me an email. I, personally will respond.

Email Coach Ali-fruitfulwellness.coach@gmail.com

Eating Foods in Moderation

My favorite post run snack is a peanut butter and banana sandwich. I use all natural brand of peanut butter and whole wheat bread. Peanut butter is packed with protein that our bodies need for muscle repair after exercising and the whole wheat bread is a great source of fiber that provides lasting energy. The banana is a source of potassium to help in muscle recovery.

All of this sounds wonderful right? Well it is when you have it in moderation. We must consider the amount of calories from these good foods add up and count as calories that our body will use up or store as fat if eating more calories than we actually use/need each day. Eating one peanut butter and banana sandwich for a meal is a great idea. Eating two or three of these sandwiches in one sitting is not such a good idea if you are trying to lose weight.

Portion control is what hinders most of my clients from reaching their weight loss goals. So remember to eat throughout the day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner with small snacks in between to reach your daily calorie needs.

Estimate the amount of calories you need each day to figure out how much you can plan to eat at each meal and total for an entire day. Email me at fruitfulwellness.coach@gmail.com if you need assistance finding your personal daily calorie needs.

Heart Health

Tips to Keep Your Heart Healthy-

What you eat everyday, how active you are, how much stress you have, and how much sleep you get each night all affect the health of your heart. To help understand how to eat for a healthy heart, follow these nutrition tips:
Enjoy a variety of foods. Emphasize breads, cereals, other grain products, fruits and vegetables. Choose lower fat dairy products, leaner meats, and foods prepared with little or no fat. Limit salt, caffeine, and alcohol. High amounts of the bad LDL cholesterol will deposit cholesterol in the artery walls forming plaques. More and more plaque will narrow the artery and block blood flow which may result in a heart attack. LDL is considered bad cholesterol. Saturated fats and trans fatty acids are the most important factors that raise cholesterol. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in nuts and fish can lower LDL levels. High fiber foods, such as fruits, oats, barely, and legumes also play a role in lowering LDL levels. The good cholesterol, HDL, is responsible for removing the bad cholesterol from our bodies. High levels of HDL can prevent the risk of heart disease. Consume foods that contain omega 3 fatty acids help lower triglycerides and increase HDL levels. Eat a variety of fish at least twice a week. Oily fish contain heart-healthy Omega 3 fatty acids as well as a nuts and seeds (almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds). Cooking with extra virgin olive oil is a good way to increase HDL levels.

Avoid processed foods (anything that you buy that comes in a box). These items are made to have a long shelf life and contain many preservatives. Before purchasing any processed item, look for these key words: Hydrogenated Soybean/vegetable oil (Hydrogenated foods increase triglycerides in your arteries), High Fructose Corn Syrup. If one of the ingredients sounds unfamiliar or scientific, it is probably not the best choice to be eating. The most hearth healthy foods are the ones that have not been processed at all, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and beans. Canned and frozen versions of these foods are definitely heart-healthy and convenient. Stock up on canned beans (black, kidney, garbanzo, and lentils), canned or frozen fruits (in own juices not in heavy syrup-peaches, pears, pineapple, berries) and vegetables (no salt added-corn, peas, carrots, colored peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli). Purchase canned tuna or salmon, Frozen salmon or boneless skinless chicken breast),
Lean cuts of meat (boneless skinless chicken breast best choice) Grilled or baked with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Focusing on eating these foods and getting physical activity each day will keep your heart healthy. Eating a nutrient-rich diet is key to preventing health issues or improving the ones that you have.


~Your Coach,
Alison Hopkins
B.S. Nutrition
Personal Fitness Trainer