Nutrition, Lifestyle
JP Siou
Why Buying Local Produce is Always a Smart ...

Buying local produce in BC isn’t just about tariffs—it’s about fresher, more nutritious food, a stronger local economy, and sustainability. Learn why choosing BC-grown fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, and seafood supports your health, community, and environment. Discover where to find the best local options and how small changes can make a big impact.

Why Buying Local Produce is Always a Smart Choice (Not Just Because of Tariffs)
Sleep, Lifestyle
JP Siou
Night Owls and Early Birds: Proven Strategies ...

Discover practical tips for better sleep, whether you’re a Night Owl or an Early Bird. From creating healthy routines and optimising your environment to using tools like sleep tracking, supplements, and napping, this guide will help you wake up refreshed and energised every day.

Night Owls and Early Birds: Proven Strategies for Better Sleep
Mindset, Nutrition
JP Siou
How Feasting Traditions Connect Us: Mindful ...

Exploring the role of feasts throughout history, highlighting how they foster connection, reinforce cultural values, and celebrate abundance, this post examines our evolutionary tendency for overconsumption during feasts and offers strategies for enjoying these occasions mindfully without compromising health. By approaching communal meals with intention, we can maintain balance and celebrate without overindulging.

How Feasting Traditions Connect Us: Mindful Eating Tips for Holiday Celebrations
Events
JP Siou
2024 BTG Baby Barkley Recap

We had a great turnout for the first-ever BTG Baby Barkley this past Saturday, with eleven people participating. The weather was beautiful, and actually was quite comfortable for most of the duration, only getting really hot in the afternoon hours. Read the full post for my recap of my (just under) 6 hours’ effort on the mountain!

2024 BTG Baby Barkley Recap
Coach JP's Journey, Training, Nutrition, Mindset
JP Siou
My Journey To Ultra - The Obstacle Is The Way

Kicking off the 2024 race season and the ultra training plan…and then getting COVID! Everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the face, as “Iron” Mike Tyson used to say. Here’s what I’m doing to keep moving forward.

My Journey To Ultra - The Obstacle Is The Way

Nutrition

The Perfect Diet Part 1 - "The Keto Question"

The Perfect Diet Part 1 - "The Keto Question"

As a trainer and nutrition coach, people frequently ask me about the latest fad diets. These days, people are asking about ketogenic diets. A few years back, it was always about gluten-free or Paleo. Back when I started in the industry, the Zone diet and Atkins were the big ones. Pretty consistently throughout, people always ask about “cleanses” (which are total B.S., but I’ll get into those in another post).

Everyone wants to know what the “Perfect Diet” is for them. Will the latest fad work for them? After all, their friend Sally lost 20 pounds doing X, so it must be good, right?

My answer is almost always, “It depends.”

The most common thing I’m asked about these days is Keto, and whether folks should be avoiding carbs, so here is my answer to “The Keto Question”…

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It's official - Coach JP is now Spartan SGX Level 2 certified!

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It's official - Coach JP is now Spartan SGX Level 2 certified!

Thank you to Dr. Jeff Godin, Head of Fitness Education for Spartan Race, for another great learning experience, and for his kind words in the email sending me my certificate!

Dear Coach J.P.,

Attached you will find your Level 2 Spartan SGX Coach certificate. Your work was exemplary and demonstrates the level of knowledge Spartan expects from our Level 2 coaches.

Congratulations and thank you for your continued support of Spartan and Spartan SGX.

We are honored to have you as part of this elite team of coaches. AROO!

Dr. J

The level 2 certification focused more on endurance training and nutrition, and preparing for racing in extreme environments (altitude, hot / cold environments). I sure learned a lot, and look forward to sharing that knowledge with The BTG Spartan Team and all of The BTG crew. :)

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Starting All Over Again - My Fitness Journey

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Starting All Over Again - My Fitness Journey

Coming from a guy whose business is training others and coaching them on their nutrition and lifestyle habits, what I'm about to tell you may be a bit of a shock. I am unhealthy and out of shape, and it's exactly because I haven't been eating right or exercising enough in the last year or so. I have not been "walking the talk" as the saying goes.

Today, I bought some new pants, and in my mind, all hell broke loose.

I put on a pair of 34" waist cargo pants - barely - and thought, "WTF has happened to me?" I mean, I had to full-on suck in my gut and worry the button was going to break off squeeze those suckers on.

Eat Real Food

Eat Real Food

Easy, right? Everyone knows what “real food” is, don’t they? Sadly, not. It is not labelled “all-natural”, or “made from whole grains” or “fortified with vitamins and minerals”. It usually does not come in boxes, or have an indefinite shelf life. Just because something says “organic” on the label, don’t be fooled!

So What Is Real Food?

Real food is a nutritious, edible plant or animal product in its least-processed available form. It is usually perishable, does not have an indefinite shelf life (though there are some exceptions!), and must be kept refrigerated, frozen or at the very least in a “cool, dry place”.

Let's also get this out of the way right at the start - if it has added sugar, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, sucralose, or some other refined sweetener added in any way, shape or form, it shouldn't be going in your body.

But let's give you a bit more info on what Real Food really is