Local Partnerships: Caveman Grocer
Kicking off our partnership with Caveman Grocer, their team sat down with our fearless leader Katrina to talk food, how the business came about and all things macros.. Check out their website below and stay tuned for more news about what we're cooking up with this awesome company.
Can you tell us about your health background?
I graduated from the University of Victoria where I studied biopsychology before going on to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I spent the majority of my career in the field of cardiac health, most recently obtaining an advanced specialty certificate, which moved me into a position in cardiac surgery intensive care.
During my five years in cardiac health I became increasingly passionate about the power of preventative medicine and optimizing quality of life. These interests coincided with an interest in my own preventative health measures as I began to explore the world of CrossFit and develop a love of Olympic weightlifting.
After awhile it became evident that my ability to help people live a higher quality life was severely restricted in an intensive care setting and I realized I could make a much bigger impact working alongside individuals who actively prioritized their health, but perhaps needed a little additional guidance and support.With this desire to positively assist those looking to make healthier life choices, I decided to obtain my CrossFit level 1 certification and advanced my sports nutrition education by becoming a Precision Nutrition Level 1 coach.
Why paleo foods? And why macros, and why together?
Nutrition has always interested me and I have experimented with a myriad of different approaches to my personal food consumption over the years. Coming from a science based background and after having worked with individuals with eating disorders it became harder and harder for me to ‘digest’ the bad science (or clever marketing) behind so many of these purported healthy diets. A paleo lifestyle rings true to me on both an intuitive and scientific level and left me feeling healthy and satiated. For years I followed a paleo lifestyle and because of this felt I could “eat whatever I wanted.” At one point I hit over 160lbs while competing in CrossFit and just felt my body physically didn’t match my level of fitness. That’s where macros came in.
How long have you being doing macros for?
I started really honing in on my nutrition and applying macro profiling to myself in November 2015. The change since then is nearly unbelievable.
Tell us about the kind of services you offer.
Married to My Macros offers nutrition consulting services that are based on a concept of performance-fuelled activity. We believe that a well-fuelled body is one that will function at its highest capacity, and as a bi-product of that capacity - become appropriately re-compositioned. In plain English this means that we consult with our clients about their individual goals then build tailored programs for them to ensure they perform at an optimum level while simultaneously attaining a lean and healthy physique.
We use science to calculate our client’s individual profiles and requirements, then translate the results into a simple set of instructions for them to follow. Support remains constant throughout with regular check-ins to discuss challenges, celebrate successes, and find ways to troubleshoot any issues that arise, motivating them to keep on track. Our client’s programs are regularly updated, recalculated and adjusted based on their results so they continue to evolve as our people do.
MTMM is service based and customer focused. We aim to be not only our client’s nutritional advisors, but also their number one cheerleaders, sounding boards, and support network. We do their macro profiling, meal templating, menu planning, weight cut coaching and any other type of end-to-end nutritional services they require.
Tell us a little bit about the different clients you have.
Married to My Macros supports a wide range of clientele, each with their own specific idea of performance. The majority of our clients are athletes – from weekend warriors to nationally ranked Olympic Weightlifters. We have regionals bound crossfitters as well as those brand new to fitness or just returning after a long hiatus. We work with youth athletes, women in the post-partum period, and any individual looking to make a positive life change and improve their health and performance.
What is the biggest thing people get wrong or have difficulty with when doing macros.
People chronically underestimate their caloric need! Many of our clients are significantly under eating for the activities they are engaged in or do not consider the re-adjustments they may need as they transition through different life phases. A big one we typically see is people decreasing their intake when injured – a time when your caloric need might actually increase by up to 25%.
What is an average time frame you work with people and the kind of results they can come to expect when following your macros plan?
We generally like to have our clients commit to a minimum three months when starting out, as often the first few weeks are spent honing in on individual macro requirements and accurately determining metabolic baselines. Typically we are find our clients are so happy with their progress in that time frame that they actually extend their programs beyond that.
The kind of results people can expect is entirely goal dependant. As a general rule of thumb we say that ‘within two weeks you’ll feel the difference, within four you’ll see it, and within eight you’ll hear about it’ – meaning your friends, family and acquaintances will be hounding you for your secret – “what have you done!?”
Why did you start Married To My Macros?
I started Married To My Macros because I had a real passion to share my knowledge and expertise with like-minded, motivated individuals and found I was no longer getting that kind of satisfaction in my job as a critical care nurse. My quality of life improved so much once I dialled in my own nutrition that I wanted to help other people achieve the same thing and be part of their journey. MTMM is founded on the principle that we rise by lifting others up and that we can create a much stronger community by creating stronger individuals. This concept is what guides our practice daily.
Favourite Caveman Grocer meal?
Only one favourite Caveman meal?? That’s such a tough one. There’s a few I feel I couldn’t live without, but for day to day I’d have to say the zing past-ya pasta is a top choice. For something that’s a bit more of a treat I’ll go for the Blueberry Ribs anytime!