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A Full & Balanced Day {Canyon Ranch}

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Hi, I'm Tina!

I’m the owner of Carrots ‘N’ Cake as well as a Certified Nutrition Coach and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P). I use macros and functional nutrition to help women find balance within their diets while achieving their body composition goals.

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Once again, today was equal parts relaxation and activity. Having a nice mix of the of two definitely makes me feel healthy and balanced. I guess Canyon Ranch is doing its job!

Breakfast

I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to start the day, this morning. (I swear the beds at Canyon Ranch are magical. I’ve been sleeping so well.) My stomach started to grumble within minutes of waking up, so I got dressed in workout gear and then headed straight to breakfast in the main dining room.

The meal started with fresh fruit topped and ground flax from the breakfast bar. I also drank part of a decaf iced coffee with almond milk.

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Then, I ordered some yogurt with Canyon Ranch Granola. As you can see, the portion sizes are pretty small, which has been great for trying lots of different dishes.

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I also ordered the open-face egg sandwich with fruit on the side. It was served on gluten-free bread with cheese, onions, and turkey sausage. It was delicious and very satisfying.

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After breakfast, I headed to Café Tasse to get some work done. While there, I ordered a decaf iced almond milk latte (love these).

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Workout

A couple of hours later, I took a class called “TRX & Flex,” and, holy goodness, it was hard. The class was split between kettlebells and the TRX suspension system, so we went back and forth between the two. There were only two people in the class (myself and another gal) and we were both pretty fit, so the instructors had some fun with us. They had us doing all of these crazy-awesome, super challenging moves. At one point, we were doing one-legged squats into one-legged plyo jumps while holding a kettlebell. It was tough, and I loved it. I definitely got a great workout in this class!

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After class, I headed back to my room, took a quick shower, and then went to lunch. A few of you guys asked if I was dining alone at Canyon Ranch, so I figured I should tell you about the Captain’s Table.

The Captain’s Table is basically a big table at breakfast, lunch, and dinner where you can meet and get to know various staff members and guests over a meal. Each Captain’s Table is hosted by a different staff member, and they (informally) chat about the various services and activities at Canyon Ranch, answer questions, and help you make the most of your time here. It’s also a great opportunity to make some friends, especially if you’re traveling alone.

FYI: There are a ton of lone wolves at Canyon Ranch””a lot more than I expected””so it hasn’t been all that awkward or lonely to stay here solo. Plus, everyone is really friendly””both staff and guests. I’ve joined the Captain’s Table a couple of different times now, and I have really enjoyed meeting some new people.

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Lunch

Today’s lunch started with a trip to the salad bar.

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Then, I ordered some Anazazi Bean Soup, which didn’t have a ton of beans in it, but it still tasted pretty good.

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I also ordered the fish tacos, which were made with tilapia, lime cabbage slaw, and mango salsa and jicama slaw. I enjoyed them, but I guess I’m not a tilapia fan. I always thought I liked it, but it is just too fishy for me. I still ate most of it (for the protein + omega-3s).

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I also received a few questions from you guys about the numbers under the various foods on the salad bar. Those numbers are actually on all of the menus too, and they’re the nutrient analysis for each dish/food item. The first bolded number is the calorie count. The next number is carb grams, then protein grams, and so on. Here’s more info and some sample menus.

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I finished off lunch with homemade coffee ice cream (everyone at the Captain’s Table was raving about it, so, of course, I needed to try it) and a gluten-free chocolate cookie, which I can’t seem to get enough of. (I am totally ok with having dessert at almost every meal at Canyon Ranch.)

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Workout

After lunch, I took a class called “Chi Energy,” which was “a moving meditation based on martial arts, designed to harmonize the natural flow of life energy.” The instructor told us it was a mix of Qigong and Tai Chi.

The weather was beautiful this afternoon, so the instructor took the class outside to practice.

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During class, I really enjoyed learning about “chi” and how it relates to the body and mind. The instructor pretty much talked the entire time, so it was really neat to connect what we learned to the movements as we performed them. There’s definitely a lot that goes into this type of mind-body exercise, and today’s class only touched the surface. It was definitely a cool experience. Plus, I loved being able to practice outside and connect with the earth.

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After “Chi Energy,” I attended a lecture called “It Takes Guts to be Healthy,” which was all about the importance of optimal digestive health for your immune system and overall wellness. Obviously, it was right up my alley. Some of the interesting things I learned:

  • The GI tract is the body’s largest interface with the outside world, and its surface area is equal to two tennis courts
  • 70% of your immune system is in your intestines
  • 1 in 4 people are intolerant to dairy and a lot of people don’t realize it
  • Your skin is a mirror of your digestion – if you have skin problems, look at your diet and digestion
  • Many autoimmune diseases can be attributed to problems in the gut
  • A gluten sensitivity can manifest itself as an autoimmune disease
  • Leaky gut causes all sorts of problems in the body””from rashes to ADHD to fibromyalgia to food sensitivities. It’s all connected.
  • Predisone can cause leaky gut

Snack & Workout

After the lecture, I snacked on a banana and then hit the gym for a quick CrossFit workout that I made up. Here’s the WOD that I did:

3 rounds for time:

400 meter run (on the treadmill)
40 Thrusters (45 pounds)
50 Double Unders

I was exhausted by the end of this workout. The Thrusters killed me, especially since they were sandwiched between running and double unders. It took me about 17 minutes to finish, and I was a disgusting, sweaty mess when I finished. I love short, quick workouts like this one. You get a serious bang for your buck, and it is time well spent!

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Questions of the Day

What do you think about dining alone in public?

Have you ever tried Qigong or Tai Chi?

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