Fall Fitness, Spice & Everything Nice with The Nutritious Kitchen!

Fall has a special place in my heart. Well, Fall has a special place in every basic girls heart if we’re being real, right? There’s something about the changing of the seasons for me that gets me really motivated for a fresh start. However, I know that sometimes when the colder weather rolls in it can sometimes get a bit harder to stay motivated, especially once the holidays start up! 

I thought it would be amazing to sit down with my friend Selena, who is a born and raised Californian, now living in Boston to see what her tips are for the changing of the seasons. Selena is the sweetest, and has a real, down to earth approach to nutrition and fitness that is very relatable. Get ready for some serious Fall inspo 🙂

Falling into Fitness with The Nutritious Kitchen

Q: Hi Selena! First of all, I’m so happy we connected through HelloWellness and I’m super excited to get to know you even more! I know that you have your B.S. in Nutrition Science and now are in the process of becoming a Sports Dietician. Can you tell everyone a bit more about your background and what made you want to pursue this career path?

A: Alysia hi!! It was so wonderful getting to meet you as well, your positive energy is so contagious and I am so flattered to be featured on your blog. As far as my background goes, I grew up in a very athletic environment watching my dad train for iron mans and marathons which eventually inspired me to get into endurance training myself. Fitness truly saved me from some difficult times and became a healthy outlet for me.

Growing up I suffered from many digestive issues and disordered eating as a teen which eventually led me to find my passion in nutrition! I became fascinated by the positive impact real foods and quality sourced ingredients had on my overall health from a mental and physical standpoint.

Throughout college and my career, I started working with college athletes and fell in love with helping others improve their performance through a more holistic approach. I am currently living in Boston completing my dietetic internship so I can officially become a Registered Dietitian/Certified Sports Dietitian! While running The Nutritious Kitchen and training for marathons of course!

The Nutritious Kitchen & Down to Earth Living 

Q: That all is amazing and so impressive! I love that you had a positive influence from your family from day one, which is always helpful! You talk a lot about honest foods and down to earth living – which I LOVE! Can you explain a bit more what this really means to you and how you practice this in everyday life?

A: So happy you resonate with that concept! Aside from fitness, I really found my place in the kitchen pouring my creativity and emotions into homemade healthy recipes. After traveling through Europe I became enamored with the ways quality sourced REAL nutrients had on our bodies in order to thrive.

It really comes down to doing things that impact my overall well-being in a positive way. There are tons of amazing resources and information available to us nowadays which is great but also overwhelming! I truly believe in a simple, down to earth approach that allows me to FEEL my best. For me it can be as simple as getting creative in the kitchen, true human connection, sunrise runs, hiking, shopping the farmers market and moving my body each day.

Adapting Your Fitness Routine for the Season

Q: Totally! Once you focus on real food, your body sees such a difference. Speaking of sunrise runs and hiking, and since we’re now into the beginning of Fall, can you chat a bit more about how you will be adapting your fitness routine as the weather changes?

A: Staying motivated can definitely get harder as the weather gets colder! I try to remember my purpose vs. what motivates me. Motivation will always eb and flow but focusing on your purpose for staying active and living well for yourself is going to help you stick to those core values! On top of that, I like to plan out my week, scheduling movement into each day as it relates to my current training cycle. Signing up for classes with friends or training for a fitness event are other great ways to keep yourself accountable. Plus, it’s interactive within the community and can be something you look forward to in the morning or after a long day of work!

I’m actually planning to do a half marathon in New Hampshire this November to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather here before winter hits! Training for this also reminds me to take time for myself outside of my chaotic schedule. Think of it as investing time in yourself to FEEL good and energized.

Fueling Your Body Seasonally

Q: That is such good advice to focus on your purpose vs. motivation!! I love that. Outside of fitness, there’s a lot of hype on seasonal eating, and it can be overwhelming for some when all of the produce in the store starts to change from what they’re used to seeing and eating. What is your approach to this with your diet? What foods will you be focusing on this season?

A: Honestly, I can be a creature of habit with foods (whether they’re in season or not!). Don’t get me wrong, there really is nothing like a New England apple in the Fall and summertime cherries. Produce truly does taste best and fresh when they’re in season which is why I typically tend to gravitate towards seasonal produce. My body naturally ends up craving them! I say go with what you truly love to eat. If you’re not feeling the spaghetti squash then don’t feel like you HAVE to buy them right now! Buy veggies that sound good to you because at the end of the day, you want to enjoy your meal time.

Personally, I LOVE Fall foods on a real level. Healthy comfort food and baking is my absolute favorite so it will be all about butternut squash bakes, gluten free apple pie oatmeal and maple flavored pumpkin pancakes (heathy of course!). Seasonal produce can be super fun so I think it’s all how you approach it and how creative you want to get!

Q: So very true! You truly need to listen to what your body is telling you. I’m right there with you on craving certain foods once we hit that specific season. Speaking about seasonal eating – I know you recently did a post all about superfoods. What are some superfoods that you would suggest focusing on for the Fall season?

A: SuperFOODS! Yes! I think we forget that superfoods aren’t just special powders or fancy smoothie bowl toppings. It actually comes down to REAL food full of nutrient dense feel good ingredients. I love making healthier versions of comfort food in the Fall like turkey chili with quinoa, roasted honey lime sweet potato salads and dairy free mac n cheese made with bean noodles and soups loaded with butternut nut squash and turmeric spices!

In the Kitchen with The Nutritious Kitchen

Q: Yes!! And sometimes all of those things may not be accesible to everyone, so I’m really into this approach that you have. Not only are you super knowledgeable on nutrition, but you also make some bomb recipes! What is one of your very own go-to recipes as the weather starts cooling off?

A: Well aside from all the comfort food I keep talking about I LOVE Fall baking. My maple crunch granola is the absolute best to warm up your kitchen and make the house smell like fresh legit cookies. That recipe is on my site and I highly recommend it to anyone! Also my paleo banana bread is a great go-to and gluten free chocolate chunk cashew cookies; both on TNK as well!

It’s baking season so we should definitely allow ourselves to enjoy that you know? (with some health benefits included!).

Fueling Your Body for Fitness 

Q: OK – ALL of these are calling my name RN, I wish you could deliver to me!! That granola is INSANE, that I did get the pleasure of tasting right from your kitchen!! Also, I feel that since you’re specialty is sports nutrition we definitely need to touch a bit more on fueling your body! What is your approach to fueling pre and post workout?

A: It gets tricky because I don’t think there’s a one size fits all. I love early morning workouts and depending on my schedule will work out first thing. But my body still needs fuel! I thrive on fast acting carbohydrates that will be easy to digest like a banana with some paleo granola or peanut butter. I’m typically not super hungry that early so a light snack that won’t make me feel queasy is ideal.

This takes some playing around with but generally speaking it depends on the type of workout you’re doing and level of intensity. Endurance based would want to focus more on fast acting carbs and sustainable fats like nut butter with toast or oatmeal and fruit. Strength workouts would want to focus more on a combo of carbs and protein like Greek yogurt with fruit and nut butter. Post workout is extremely important too as our muscles are depleted of glucose. We need a good combination of carbohydrates to feed those muscles and quality protein to aid in recovery!

I think it’s so important we stop cutting out or fearing certain macronutrients. Our bodies truly do need all of them to recover, think clearly, absorb micronutrients and stay energized. The sources and amounts really depends on YOUR body. I try not to overthink it too much and encourage others to do the same. I love to fuel post workout with what sounds good which is usually some version of a big smoothie bowl, gluten free oatmeal pancakes or sprouted toasts with yogurt, fruit and nut butter toppings. Again, it comes down to QUALITY sources overall that will impact you positively.

Q: Totally! You have to do what is right for YOU! There is no one size fits all. Finally, where can everyone find you and follow you?!

A: Currently running TNK over at www.thenutritiouskitchen.co where you can find all sorts of sports nutrition and fitness inspiration, healthy recipes and down to earth wellness inspiration! I’m also on Instagram @thenutritiouskitchen, pinterest and facebook! I love connecting with the community so anyone always feel free to reach out

With that, I think I’m off to make some of Selena’s Paleo Banana Bread (literally sounds SO GOOD!)

Happy Fall, Ya’ll!

xoxo

Alysia (Purely) Pope