Myth: Weight gain is inevitable as we ageTruth: We lose muscle mass when we age so if we eat the same amount of food with less muscle mass, we will gain weight. Weight gain is NOT inevitable. It is true that building muscle is easier when we are young. Muscle mass requires more calories to support a healthy weight so people with a higher percentage of lean muscle can eat more calories without gaining weight. It is also easier to maintain muscle mass than to build muscle as we age. The issue is that when we age, we lose muscle mass. Starting at around age 30, if we aren’t putting in the work to maintain it, we start lose lean muscle. This means that if we continue to eat as we always have but no longer have the muscle mass to support those calories, we have caloric surplus. It’s not...Read more

Why is sleep necessary for better nutrition?  A quality night of sleep can help us feeling refreshed and energetic the next day.  Sleep also affects our hormone balance.  Too much or too little sleep can cause a hormone imbalance that can affect how much we eat and what we eat.   Poor quality sleep or not enough sleep results in a hormonal shift that causes you to be hungrier and have more cravings towards energy dense high calorie foods. It also causes you to burn more carbs and less bodyfat for fuel…potentially leading to more muscle loss and less fat loss.  When you’re wiped out, your hormones go a little nuts by boosting levels of the hormone that tells you when you’re hungry (ghrelin) and decreasing levels of the hormone that tells you you’re full (leptin).  Basically, you just discovered how to stimulate your appetite with no end game.  Your...Read more

Alcohol can derail your fitness and nutrition Research indicates that, when it comes to losing fat or gaining muscle, your nutrition plan makes up approximately 75 percent of the equation. This includes beverages, from water for hydration to alcohol for recreation. Alcohol, specifically, can play a key role in derailing your goals, especially when it comes to fat loss and muscle gains.  Sleep Fact: You might think you are sleeping better after a night on the town; however, studies show your quality of sleep throughout the night is actually diminished.  According to the findings, alcohol does allow healthy people to fall asleep quicker and sleep more deeply for a while, but it reduces rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. And the more you drink before bed, the more pronounced these effects. Fat Fact: When it comes to calories, alcohol has 7 calories per 1 gram. This is very dense especially compared...Read more

Healthy Thanksgiving Sides There is so much delicious food served this time of year.  A little advanced planning can provide a decadent and delicious meal without all the unwanted calories.  We took some of the headaches out of the planning process.  All of the recipes (shared below) have the calories, fat, carbohydrate, and protein content listed for you.  Why?  Because if you splurge on Thanksgiving Day, do it on a tasty dessert or a holiday-inspired cocktail.  Additionally, we made sure all of these recipes are easy to prepare AND don’t require a list of ingredients you’ll only use once (who does that?). This year, try some of these mouth-watering side dishes along with your Thanksgiving turkey and vegetables.       Roasted Brussels Spouts   Ingredients (makes 6 servings): 1 ½ pounds brussels sprouts 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil ¾ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper  ...Read more

True North Performance is located at 1465 Cornell Rd in the Howard Industrial Park.  The team at True North Performance is committed to improving the total well-being of its members.  “We have seen the success of our members.  We have helped them incorporate physical activity in a manner that supports their lifestyle,” shared Kelly Demers, owner.  “Our commitment to helping people is more than just lip service.  We can show measurable results. We can substantiate that our members are improving their cardiovascular output, increasing their strength, and improving their flexibility and mobility.  Everyone has different wants, needs, and measures of success and the coaches train in a way that supports each one of our members.” At True North Performance, coaches focus on a potent combination of quality movement and solid nutrition habits. Their methods stem from a preventative perspective, one that will reduce the risk factors associated with chronic conditions. ...Read more