When She Fuels

Period has just launched their new product..... Period Un**es but these are actually really pretty and colourful - I love the look of them!
I am actually currently 31 weeks pregnant hence why I've been so quiet on here recently but I've been eyeing up the high-waisted lace black or orange (I just can't decide which colour!?!) ones, which will be perfect for my postpartum recovery

'WHENSHEFUELS' to get 10% off any purchases through their website (linked below)

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Summer Competition Week is just around the corner! (one of my favourite weeks during high school)

Also, a week that can be so tempting to start trying new things out... especially foods, supplements, and fuelling strategies.

My BIGGEST advice to all the young athletes, coaches, parent helpers, teachers supporting teams is to NOT TRY ANYTHING NEW.

-> Stick to foods you usually eat.
-> Portion sizes you usually eat.
-> Keep it simple.
-> Jet planes and bananas and water are just as good as sports drinks at this level.

Most of all have fun and enjoy your summer sports week !!!
Soph

What a FANTASTIC message this article gets across!

"I’d like this to be more out in the open, so females take care of their performance details, but they do it in a safe way to soar to great heights. The moral of the story is you can have a performance outcome and still do it with your wellbeing intact" - Sarah Cowley Ross

Thank you Jackie Kiddle for sharing how by trusting your body you can do what you do as well!

When I was too skinny for my own good Olympic athlete Sarah Cowley Ross talks about her personal encounter with RED-S, and learning how to fuel her body differently.

So I've been pretty inconsistent posting on since I started this venture in March.

This is me being 100% transparent with you all and knowing exactly what you get when you work with me as your nutritionist and health coach.

A lot of it comes down to feeling underqualified compared to the people I look up to like Dr. Stacy Sims, Mikki Williden, Katie Schofield, Wellness by Jessica, Gina Urlich, Holdaway Nutrition, Katy Schofield and, the like here in NZ. But then my wonderful partner Nathan always is there to remind me I know more than I give myself credit for and I have first-hand experience of under-fuelling as well as fuelling optimally and seeing the major effects this had particularly on my mindset and moods and I do have nutrition and lifestyle knowledge that can help many, many people.

What I am not:
I am not a dietitian nor do I have a degree qualification in Nutrition.
I am not registered as a registered nutritionist with Nutrition Society of NZ (RN or ARN) https://www.nutritionsociety.ac.nz/

What I am:
I have a Diploma in Nutritional Science through the Naturopathy College of NZ, including a certificate in Anatomy and Physiology. This was the only way I could study nutrition while I was rowing, being the only NZ offered extramural/distance course.
I am registered as a Holistic Nutrition with Clinical nutrition Association (CNA) https://nutritionists.org.nz/

I also believe that my 10years of experience as a high-performance athlete adds another layer to my nutrition work.

Now to broach the subject of referrals, I am obligated and I HAVE and will refer on anyone that I deem is out of my scoop of practice.

At the end of the day, you deserve the best for your health and wellbeing and, if that's me, great but if it's not let's find you someone who will be including the many people I listed above.

What is a Holistic Nutritionist:
I am a qualified and registered (CNA) Holistic Nutritionist who compasses not just thinking about your diet aka what goes in your mouth. I look at you as a whole being with lots of working parts. I always explain holistic nutrition as a spider web of interconnecting stings... for example: eating lots of deep fried food may lead to inflammation, inflammation may lead to injuries, a sluggish feeling which leads to being unmotivated both physically (not wanting to move your body/exercise) and mentally (aka brain fog).

Wow, I'm glad I've said all this now and given both you and I clarity on who I work with, what my qualifications are and, how I work as a holistic nutritionist (in that brief explanation, will post more soon )

If you're still here after reading this and would like to work with me to tweak and revamp your nutrition and lifestyle get in touch because I ABSOLUTELY thrive off seeing someone make a small sustainable change that has a huge impact on their life.

Thank you
Soph x

Crazy but I only have 10 spots left for nutrition clients this month

See the images to get a feel for how I work with my clients.

On that note, I should mention that I see many different clients achieve their goals and love working with young high-school students, females & males, especially anyone wanting to 'tweak' up of their nutrition and mostly to hold you accountable.

I would also recommend having a 30-40minute follow-up consult 3-4weeks after our initial consult to cement habits, address any issues or challenges you may have come across and make some more tweaks to best fit your goals & lifestyle!

Private message to book.

Soph :)

Website coming soon....

Plant-based Proteins 🌱

There are so many plant-based proteins to boost your daily protein intake AND they are packed with good amounts of fiber to your bolster your daily total as well 👍👍

*please note these are rough estimates brands will vary greatly so read the info panal.

- soy milk = 8g of protein per cup
- firm tofu = 10 g of protein per ½ cup
- edamame beans (immature soybeans) = 8.5 g of protein per ½ cup
- tempeh =15 g of protein per ½ cup
- cooked lentils = 8.84 g of protein per ½ cup
- peanut butter = 20.5 g of protein per ½ cup
- almonds = 16.5 g of protein per ½ cup
- spirulina = 8 g of protein per 2 tablespoons
- cooked quinoa = 8 g of protein per cup
- h**p seeds = 5 g of protein per tablespoon

So what's your fav combo to boost your protein intake?

Coaches play a BIG part in any athletes life but especially during those younger years when you're learning so much about yourself, the sport, how to train, how to eat and so much more.

It's so easy to offer advice and say a passing comment to an athlete that may seem small and insignificant to you but to them, it can change their world. We all probably remember something someone has said to us that we can remember now years later...?

So as a coach get onto it first and get qualified people to chat to your athletes or to refer them to. Have a list ready of available people for your sports team when they come asking; nutrition, mental health, physio's.

Some of my favourite people in these fields are:
Cushla Holdaway - Registered & Practising Dietitian

Do you eat before exercising in the morning?
Here's an easy way to ask yourself in the morning if you should.... usually the answer is of course yes. Because here at When She fuels we like to FUEL for every session and life in general.

Hit me with your favourite fast breakfast options for an early morning session?
Mine is a large banana with PB or toast with jam and tahini.

Hey Athlete, do you have gut issues?
These are my go-to questions to address first and foremost... but there are MANY different things that can cause gut issues i.e. food intolerance/s, bacteria imbalances, immune issues, celiac disease, and soo many more.

From a nutritional fuelling perspective, I always want to make sure these 'gut issues' weren't created because you are or have been under-fuelling your body's systems. Digestion actually takes up 5-15% of your energy intake to just digest food you eat = the more you eat the more energy it takes!

If you're unsure if you are or aren't fuelling/eating enough for your life (training, school, growing, stress levels, etc.) then having a consult with a nutritionist is a great place to start. That way you can address any under-fuelling issues and as a by-product, this will sort your digestion issues out too!

I am beyond excited to announce that When She Fuels has partnered with to bring more information and recognition about female athlete periods in sport. Because it's important to know how your period can impact your performance in a positive way, when you understand how to train & FUEL yourself with your cycle, not against it⚡️

15% OFF with the discount code 'WHENSHEFUELS' to get yourself a period cup and some reusable liners.

Pro Tip - take the size quiz to work out what cup will suit you best [ https://thehellocup.com/pages/menstrual-cup-size-guide ]

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Sometimes you need to remind yourself and ask simple questions like above. Then be smart and plan ahead with food options in your sports bag or car for after/in-between sessions.
Here are some EASY options;
▪️ muesli bars
▪️ protein bar
▪️ big fan of
▪️ banana 🍌
▪️ protein shake - just add water (whey or plant-based)
▪️ Up & Go
▪️ one-square-meal
▪️ trial mix (nuts, seeds, chocolate and dried fruit)
▪️ cheese and crackers

PREPARED ahead of time snack options:
▪️ overnight oats
▪️ fruit smoothie
▪️ homemade slice or balls
▪️ hard boiled eggs
▪️ PB&J sandwich
▪️ homemade muffins
▪️ yogurt and fruit or muesli
▪️ trail mix (nuts, seeds, chocolate and dried fruit)

What are your fav snacks to throw in your sports bag or car?

▪️ trail mix (nuts, seeds, chocolate, and dried fruit)

One of my key messages I really try to get across is that food is fuel to provide you with energy that enables you to train, study and survive… BUT with adequate fuelling, opportune timing, and choosing nourishing foods you can train harder to get faster and stronger! With more fuel, you have more brainpower to focus, concentrate, and remember easier and finally, you want to THRIVE not just survive.

I love a simple checklist so here's your nutrition recovery tick list... swipe for the nuts and bolts.
Here's your checklist:
☑️replenish with carbs🥞
☑️repair with protein💪
☑️regenerate with colour (micronutrients)🥦🍓
☑️rehydrate with fluids 🥛

Many people naturally find it easier to eat certain foods for recovery i.e. love drinking their milky protein shake but struggle with eating solid food like toast or easily hit their carb quota but battle to get enough protein in.

Play around, in training, of course with food combinations to FIND something that does work for you and ticks all the boxes. examples:
- add carbs like a banana, honey and oats to a smoothie.
- add protein powder to greek yogurt or porridge to boost your protein intake.
- make peanut butter, banana rolled up wraps
- make your own protein bars/balls with dates, oats, protein powder, nuts and seeds + flavours (cacao, blueberries, nut butter, different dried fruits etc.

What are your golden hacks for ticking the 4 'R' boxes for recovery after training/comps?

Fuelling yourself BEFORE morning training sessions is so important❗️and here's why...
Carbs are our body's main energy source. They are used for giving energy to your muscles to move, your brain to think, learn and play, and to carry out the everyday processes happening in your body. 💪Carbs are stored in your muscles and in your liver - approximately 100grams will be stored there but mostly in your muscles! So the more muscles you have the more carbohydrate it takes to fill them = the more you need to eat them!

If you're going out to do a long session or a high-intensity session in the morning I highly recommend getting some carbs on board first thing to be put to work in your muscles so you can get MORE out of your session and get 'the fades' near the end because there's little energy left in the tank.

If your someone that struggles with eating first thing try with something small like a banana, 1x piece of toast with honey or jam, a small smoothie, a protein shake or even a simple gingernut - anything to start to build the habit and your increase your tolerance.

What are your most tried and true breakfasts to eat first thing in the morning?
OR what hasn't worked for you to eat in the morning?

🥣My favourite has always been a humble bowl of porridge with various topping's.
😂compared to high-school days when I had a packet of gingernuts stashed in my car glove box to nibble on before training because I felt sick trying to eat - would not recommend this knowing what I know now but at least it was something just not nearly enough!

When She Fuels updated their phone number.

Starting the Period chat with your friends, parents and coaches can be (but doesn't have to be) daunting in your early years.

I want to encourage young females to be more open about their periods, ask questions about their periods, start to understand and learn all about their period.

But mostly I want them to realise that having your menstrual cycle is a wonderful gift that results in a strong female athlete that can achieve her wildest dreams = when she works WITH, not against her period.

Swipe across for a few learnings to add to your period toolkit. Remember to start asking questions and chatting to your peers, parents, Doctors, nutritionists, and the females around you. Let's learn all the positives your period can offer you!

The other day on my stories we chatted about struggling to fuel on rest days and I was actually quite surprised with the results.. over 80% of your struggle to fuel on a rest day. So lets help...

Let's first acknowledge that everyone's reasons for this will be different.
And will go about their rest days differently; for some it is a huge effort to eat enough and can't be bother eating; for some its fear of putting on weight when your not training; for some your simply not hungry and your hunger has been suppressed due to thigh training volumes, stress or other things; but then for others you might be ravenously hungry on a rest day and can address why too.
Lets help you swipe through ➡️and see if something resonates with you...

When She Fuels is all about fuelling for your best self and performance not only in the sports arena but in your work/academic life, remind yourself constantly that

p.s. this goes for all you males too

What should I eat after training? 🤔

You want to get in easy to digest carbs and a good amount of protein.

🍞🍌Carbs because these go straight back into your muscles and liver where carbs (in the form of glucose) is stored to be used up upon movement and exercise.

🥛🍳Protein because it works in your body to repair and aid in the adaptation of making your muscles stronger but also repairs any damage that comes from exercising/training.

This infographic shows you a wide variety that of food combinations with easy to digest carbs and proteins that work well as a post training Snacks.

Aim to eat this within 30minutes, especially for females (we have a shorter adaptation/recovery window than males), of finishing training/competing to get best recivery practice but up to 60mins is also better than nothing!
You will 100% feel better later for incorporating a post-training snack, even if your not hungry and especially if its your second training if the day!

However, if your training/competition finishes before a main meal (lunch or dinner) then you can simply just have a decent dinner with an abundance of protein and carbs within 60minutes.

Hey athletes you still need to fuel on rest days maybe not as much as training days because your energy output is down but your daily living requirements are still there. Your still moving your body just not as strenuously and your brain is still working using up your energy.

this is a good time to notice if you're actually hungrier on rest days?? why...

because this could indicate you weren’t fuelling enough during the training days. In that case you’ve learnt a good lesson and need to improve your timing of fuel around sessions. e.g. before and immediately after getting both carbs and protein on board your body.

I also want to point out that for many young athletes in high-school its the week after the summer sports week and many trainings/competitions have finished.

BUT you still need to eat regular meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner and a couple of good quality snacks in there = you’re still growing young bodies with very speedy metabolisms and high energy demands even if you not training as much as you were the months previous.

Honour your hunger cues - if you hunger eat and have a glass of water. It’s pretty simple.

Take this time to enjoy a little more rest before heading in the winter sports season. Plus it’s Easter and chocolate is life, hot cross bun aren’t to shabby either 😉 🍫🐣

BONE HEALTH. Having low energy availability (LEA) can lead to REDs which impacts bone health significantly. It basically steals nutrients away from your bones to use in your body because you aren’t getting enough through your foods and drink = making your bones weaker, brittle and more susceptible to boney injuries; fractures (breaks) and stress fractures.

The impacts of having LEA or REDs is not immediate either, it takes time for bone density to decrease from prolonged time spent in a Low Energy Availability state = which means the opposite is also true, it takes time to recover the bone density when your recovering from REDs and increasing your nutrient intake overall to be adequate. Sometimes the damage done is also irreversible.

From experience I was in a LEA state for about 4 years during that time I had 1 boney injury right at the beginning then I managed anything sore or niggley immediately with constant physio and training changes. However, it really hit home how much my bones suffered during this time when I returned to sport 18months later and was injured for 12months straight with multiple bone related injuries in my ribs ad shoulder (common in rowers).

I have evidence that my bone density was low from a DEXA scan in 2018 (this machine measures your bone density the most accurately) turns out my bone density lowest of all the female rowers at the time. And that was after 18months off training post Rio.

Vitamins & Minerals REQUIRED to make and maintain strong nutrient dense bones:
2. calcium + Vitamin D - these work together and are best absorbed into the body when eaten/consumed together i.e. eat or drink a calcium rich meal or snack out in the sunshine!
3. magnesium - works in a balanced ratio with calcium for strong bones
4. vitamin K + potassium + iron + phosphorus + vitamin A + boron and many more...
The great thing about these nutrient is that they are jammed packed in all whole foods: vegetables, fruits, wholegrain, meats, fish, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes.

Aim to eat a balanced diet with an abundance of nutrient-dense foods and ensure you are fuelling optimally you will be able to grow and maintain strong bones for life.

I have been doing Individual Nutrition Consults for a while now and wanted to share some heartwarming feedback I received last November from the mother of a young female athlete after our first session together.

We have just had our second follow up and she has incredible progress over this time, increasing her food intake, getting her period back (a huge win in my books) and having heaps more energy were just a few of the things she reported back having.

If you, your daughter, your athlete as a coach were interested in working with me one-on-one, I do both online or in-person consultations.

Individual Consult Process:
1. contact me and I send you a registration form and food diary to fill out and return to me before the first consult.
2. book a time, date and locations i.e. online or in-person
3. We meet for 60-90minutes and holistically discuss everything going on with your fuelling, nutrition, energy, stress, periods/hormones etc.
4. I send you a comprehensive document with everything we discussed, a plan of action, recipes if requested and resources.
5. we book a follow-up appointment 3-4weeks time to go over everything and see what was easy to implement and more difficult and makes changes accordingly.

Every person is different and will need a different amount of follow up appointments based on their presenting issues, nutrition and goals.

*Please note, if I believe the things discussed is out of my scope of practice I have pathways/protocols in place to refer onto Doctors and Psychologists. This will always be with the clients best interest at heart.

CONTACT: If you have any questions or would like to book a consult please contact me at [email protected] or via a private message.

WHEN: I do a few late nights a week to cater to after school/work and also Tuesday and Thursday morning 8am-10am times available.

This may come across as a bit of an unpopular opinion but its been playing on my mind for a while now so bear with me and please read through.

I read articles and posts from past and current athletes talking about losing their period and wearing it as a badge of honour or perceived to be a badge of honour in some sports, particularly something you hear a lot in runners.

BUT that was not my experience and I know from talking to others it isn’t theirs either.

I never wore not having a period as a badge of honour. There are a few reasons why. Firstly, I thought something was seriously wrong with me when I stopped getting my monthly bleed and secondly, I was actually really terrified of saying something for a long time due to thinking I would be judged or told to stop competing or thought of as weak. And thirdly, I thought it meant that it was going to be extremely hard for me to have kids one day because my reproductive system had shut down.

For a bit more context, back then it was known as the “Female Athlete Triad’ (image #2) which had 3 traits:
1. low bone density
2. disordered eating or/and eating disorder
3. low body fat / BMI

In 2014 the IOC (Olympic committee) renamed Female Athlete Triad to RED-s = Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport to include males and a much wider range of complex issues that arise as you can see, image #3 and for the performance implications see image #4.

What I’m wanting to highlight in this post is that when you're the person experiencing RED-s it’s hard, your emotions are already mixed up or feel down and you being told you're not healthy, you have to eat more and move less/smarter, BUT THAT'S HARD. It’s emotionally draining and you're likely beating yourself up that you're not performing the best you can.

So as much as I love seeing how much this topic is being talked about nowadays on social media, in the research/studies and in top sports teams, I also feel a bit worried. Worried that always highlighting how negative RED-s is, all these implications on the different body systems and how sh*tty peoples experience has been with it, myself included, that we are stressing athlete more who are currently going through it.

I want you to know that RED-s isn’t the end of your sporting career like I thought. It’s not a definite diagnosis because you can recover given time, assistance from qualified professionals: psychologist, nutritionists, doctors and if applicable physiologist. You are not alone. And the earlier you catch yourself dipping into RED-s the faster and easier it will be to bounce back. Because you will bounce back. There are many ways to help you recover while you train, although training may be slightly modified for a period of time. You can do it!

Be brave to ask for help, because When You Fuel You Thrive!

Here’s a bit of my RED-s sporting history to help understand where this post is coming from... the first year up at Rowing NZ in 2012 I lost my menstrual cycle, I got a rib stress injury at the end of the season which was a bit of red flag as it had been about 4-6months at that time. I also worked really hard following that world champs to heal it and in the process I re-gained my monthly bled. 2 months later I lost it again not to return for 4 years when I forced myself to step away from rowing to get what I would only refer to as ‘my health’ back. I didn’t have any questions asked or support given for this and I accepted that I knew it was my call BUT hindsight is a great thing.

I wish I hadn’t fully given up rowing and sport during this time it was such a big part of my life and dreams but I honestly didn’t know what else to do at the time other than stop all training and focusing on eating more rather than restricting myself to being ‘lightweight’.

Also back in 2012-2016, this topic was rarely talked about, and to me at the time seemed pretty taboo. I actually wrote many blog posts back then which took so much courage to put out there talking openly about my struggles with re-gaining my periods, weight and health. It was hard and I went to a pretty dark place mentally over a few months. I believe my mental health took a turn was because I took myself away from sport, from moving my body in ways I enjoyed daily and boosting my endorphins in the way I knew how to best. I wasn’t equipped myself to have the tools in my toolkit to improve my mental health alone while I was on this journey of recovering from RED-s.

I think part of the reason I came back to high-performance rowing, was because I wanted or needed to prove to myself that I could train and compete and be healthy. I’m happy to report my period remained intact although sometimes more sporadic due to needing to hit ‘lightweight’ weight targets or a bad stressful patch from an injury. My downfall, however, was that I did suffer much more injuries and my bone density wasn’t great likely as a result of 4/5 years of being in RED-s.

When She Fuels She Thrives.

What do I eat before training?

During high-school and my early years of regional sports I honestly never knew that I had to eat before I exercised/trained so I definitely didn't know what to eat.

NOW I know that training with extra fuel in the body has huge performance benefits. Focus on easy to digest carbs because they are broken down easily in the digestive system and absorbed into the bloodstream ready to be used up during the session.
These are all great options if you train really early in the morning and can't stomach a full breakfast and in the afternoon/evening if it's been a while since your lunch meal. Plus these are all great options if you're in a competition, racing, tournament week and need to keep your energy levels up!
Some of my favourte options are:
Fresh Medjool dates
An apple with Peanut Butter
Honey or Jam on toast
Small fruit smoothie
Rice Cakes with PB+banana or honey or jam
Homemade Muesli Bar's
Brought Muesli Bars
Banana
Fruit toast with jam or honey

These are all great options if you train really early in the morning and can't stomach a full breakfast and in the afternoon/evening if it's been a while since your lunch meal. Plus these are all great options if you're in competition, racing, tournament week and need to keep your energy levels up!

What are your favourite pre-workout snacks?

When She Fuels She Thrives.

Maadi Cup at Lake Karapiro is just around the corner!
I have a few more spots available throughout the week open for Nutrition Workshops. I have 2 workshops you can choose from, both are between 45-60minutes:

1. Fundamentals of Nutrition – fuelling for performance. This presentation aims to break down the basics of sports nutrition in a simplified form for young athletes to understand as well as implement into their daily lives and apply to training/competing schedules to maximise their energy. Ideally, this is an evening session with parents encouraged to participate

2. The Female Athlete – the menstrual cycle, RED-s & Nutrition. This presentation aims to educate young female athlete about how their menstrual cycle really works, what changes happen during puberty and why. RED-s what it is, risks and the impacts of health and performance. Nutrition advice specific to the young female athlete e.g. iron deficiency, protein requirements/timing, and why carbs are crucial for functional female health and hormones.

Get in touch with me for pricing and times availability.

Can’t wait for you all out there racing. Go give it your all but most importantly having fun and coming together in this incredible sport and event!!

When She Fuels She Thrives.

p.s. enjoy a blast from the 2008 Maadi, my Under 16 season at Marlborough Girls College Rowing

Welcome to When She Fuels

Created to educate young females on the importance of nutrition, specifically fueling for performance and hormonal health.

I, (Soph) have been creating and delivering nutrition, menstrual cycle, REDs and stretching workshops to high-schools and sports teams over the last few years.

I am a huge advocate for having healthy menstrual cycles and empowering young woman with the knowledge and skills to, fuel properly, support her emotions and encourage her that a regular period is an amazing sign of functioning female health.

Let me introduce myself and my background more formally...

Hi, I'm Sophie MacKenzie. I'm a qualified and registered Holistic Nutritionist, as well as a qualified yoga instructor and personal trainer. I have been a member of the Rowing New Zealand Team since 2010 on and off. However, I officially retired in July 2020 after a pretty rewarding sporting career. My own experience during this time with REDs, fuelling challenges, injuries, and decreased bone density influenced my passion for this hot topic but I’ll explain in-depth at a later stage.

When She Fuels is about more than just periods, it’s about understanding what proper feeling is and the benefits it has for our mental and physical performance. A menstrual cycle shouldn’t limit a females performance, in fact, by understanding it we can fuel for our phases and get an advantage from it.

Currently, I am taking on a few new students for individual consults where young women can address and improve issues with under-fueling.

If your wanting to learn more, get in touch with me for an individual consultation or get me into your high-school or sports team to run a workshop.

When She Fuels She Thrives.