SNI: Rachel, you have a varied background that includes being a nutrition coach and celebrity spokesperson. When it comes to working with clients on nutrition, what is the single biggest misconception your clients have about healthy eating?
Rachel: Shoot, the single biggest? It’s tough to narrow down, but what immediately comes to mind is the misconception people have about the difference between eating for ‘weight loss’ vs. ‘fat loss’ and the Law of Thermodynamics (LOT) which basically says: “eat less + move more=weight loss”. Most people try to cut calories so drastically, but aren’t eating enough to lose fat. The LOT true as a matter of weight on the scale to a point. If you simply eat less and move more, you will probably make the number go down, but you’re most likely losing hard earned muscle in the process too, and being an active tissue, muscle is what keeps you leaner longer with less effort in your ‘rest’ hours anyway. If you want to take an obese pear-shape down to a weak, flabby and soft smaller pear-shape, by all means, abide by the LOT only, and keep killing it, ‘Cardio Queen’! I sure don’t want to waste muscle just to become ‘skinny fat’ and set myself up for future fat gain just to appease the bathroom digits. My real point is, what the LOT and the media doesn’t explain in enough detail, is the principle of ‘catabolism’ or ‘starvation mode’ under-eating and fat storage for survival. In a nutshell, the LOT only goes so far until you’re starving yourself and working out so hard without proper fuel, that your body says “I’ve had it!” and starts storing body fat for survival (it’s the most efficient, slow burning energy source that will keep you alive the longest if need be) instead of burning it for fuel (it will use ATP, then glucose/carbs, and muscle tissue first). We need to get word out about optimal nutrients at optimal times and get enough food in to fuel your body’s individual basal metabolic and activity level caloric needs. I know that’s a lot, but I really am passionate about explaining why my clients’ biggest problem with weight loss in general is them not eating enough!
SNI: What say you to women who lament that they ‘don’t want to get big muscles’ and that’s why they won’t lift weights?
Rachel: I explain first of all that I lift super heavy, and I’m not that huge (wink). But seriously, women don’t naturally have the testosterone necessary to build bulky muscle, and even if you are genetically prone to stacking on more lean mass than ‘Twiggy’ (which, granted, isn’t hard to do), what you’re eating and how much you’re eating plays a much bigger role in what your 
physique will look like than your weight selection in the gym. If you’re eating in excess of 500-1000 calories more than your maintenance level of calories every day and throwing super heavy iron around during your training sessions, you can almost guarantee you’ll put on some ‘bulk’ somewhere, but even when doing that, as a woman, you’ll put on muscle weight so slowly that if you ‘re ‘building’ and you wake up one morning and decide it’s getting to be a little much, all you have to do it STOP training and eating like you were. It’s not like you put on muscle overnight. You can accumulate a little fat overnight though. Think about it: muscle takes a lot of time to add and disappears quickly, whereas fat takes no time to accumulate and disappears with much difficulty. Your body would rather be lazy and hold fat to ‘survive’, so fat will stick around until you put some serious effort into losing it. Only challenge will create that change. When you have it, muscle will need more calories (energy) to maintain it, so it will burn body fat just being there. So, personally, I’d rather build more muscle and stay leaner for life. After all, I’m not ever going to be ‘that huge’ without a little help from the ‘juice’ and I don’t. Lastly, it isn’t about the number on the weight, it’s about the rep-range in which your muscles fatigue, the rest between sets, the kind of cardio you’re doing or not doing, that determines your goals. I could keep going, but I’ll leave you with that for now. 
SNI: Give your audience your top 10 list of super foods that all of us should eat and why.
Rachel: Great question! I’m not going to list in order because there is still research being done every day that changes order so my 10, in no particular order:
Kale (Great source of beta carotene, Vitamins K and C, and anti-cancer, free-radical fighting anti-oxidants)
Blueberries (They have anti-oxidant and inflammation reducing properties…and so delicious in oatmeal)
Beets (Great source of Folate and are also cancer fighters)
Squash (Yes, squash. Cancer fighting, low glycemic, low carb. Add fresh tomato sauce and a lean protein like 99% fat free ground turkey to sub your pasta for a low-carb, super food dinner idea!)
Yams (Three words: Beta, Carotene, and Delicious. Not just for Thanksgiving, folks. I eat these every day!)
Spinach (Pop-eye had it right all along. Super food that are this nutrient dense are a sure-fire path to strength, energy and vitality. And it’s so versatile! I eat mine as cold salad and steamed as a side with spices!)
Green Tea (Anti-oxidant powerhouse. Great to get your body more alkaline and fighting free radical damage to your cells post workout quickly. I try to have a cup after every meal and post workout with my SoTru Organic greens and Pink anti-oxidant supplements. Just can’t get enough!)
Lemons/limes (They’re so refreshing, make fish taste better, and they help create an alkaline environment in your body when you consume them. Did you know that lemon juice mixed with warm water can help relieve heartburn, nausea, and bloating? Lemon water also helps your system get rid of ‘waste’ more quickly, so it also relieves constipation! I add the juice to my tap water daily.)
SNI: You are in a commercial for Quiznos. When a client asks you ‘how can I eat healthy’ at Quiznos, what is your advice?
Rachel: First of all, I would never recommend anyone’s first choice for fuel be something they didn’t make themselves, but if you must, go with as close to ‘clean’ as you can. I’d shoot for a mixed greens salad with mixed veggies (avoid corn, croutons, cheese..) and add a lean protein like grilled chicken. If there is fresh sliced avocado, you can add an ounce or three of that too. Avoid the dressing and ask for lemons instead to squeeze over the salad. If there is olive oil and vinegar (separate) then go ahead and fill a ‘side’ cup with some of each and dip, don’t drown, your bites in it. If you need more calories and carbs, go for a grilled chicken or turkey sandwich option (small) on 100% whole grain or oat bread without oil or cheese or creamy sauces and mayo. Stick to vinegar and spices, and some yellow banana peppers to flavor and don’t forget tons of greens and a giant water with lemon in it!
SNI: What advice would you give to a young college student who wants to work in the fitness/nutrition industry?
Rachel: The first thing I’d say is: love yourself before asking the world to. Confidence in yourself and what you have to offer as an individual is most important. Anybody-related industry is a tough industry to subject yourself too and it requires a tough skin and a killer work-ethic to get anywhere further than your local gym or studio. You need to love helping others; you need to look the part (and get there by practicing healthy eating and training, not pills, starvation and ‘liquid’ diets…). You will hear a lot of “no’ and not a lot of ‘yes’ because trainers are a dime-a-dozen. You need to find a niche and do a bit of self-promotion. You are a business. You are an entrepreneur, and despite all of the ‘self’ involved in this industry, you are not about ‘you’ at all! You’re about your clients and their success. They will trust you and respect you if you practice what you preach and constantly strive to keep up with the latest research and keeping your credentials current. My advice? In whatever it is you want to do, ask yourself how bad you want to be successful? If it’s not top priority, get used to settling for less than the best. If you want to make a difference in this industry, work your tail off and network. Do it with genuine compassion and be willing to work hard for little at first. Keep your integrity paramount and put others first. Success, then, is not far off.
SNI: If you could ‘do it all over again,’ is there something you would change in terms of educational or work decisions you made in the past?
Rachel: I don’t know if I’d change a thing! I always wish I knew more than I do, but if I had had a different major, I may not have fallen in love with fitness for the abrupt change it caused in my life when I was suddenly introduced to weight training and fueled clean nutrition. I’d rather answer by saying, I am who I am because of where I have been, but because of what I wish I knew then, I can only learn even more now. Meaning: I’d rather ‘add-on’ than ‘re-do’.
SNI: If you could be a Super Hero, who would it be and why?
Rachel: I’m an undercover X-Men freak. I don’t know the details of the comics but I have an undying love and desire to be an X-‘woman’. If I could be any of them I think it would have to be Raven Darkholme (aka “Mystique”). She’s a shape-changer who doesn’t age! She can be ANYONE she wants while still being ‘herself’. She can use that to be in any room, in any situation, without being found out. Totally legit ‘fly-on-the-wall’ status as she pleases. Do you realize how much I could learn if I could look like the President or even just one of his advisors?! I could find out what guys do on ‘guys night out’! Oh the possibilities! Yes, she has a criminal record, but yes, I would still be Mystique. Plus, her fire-y, strong willed and ‘independent woman’ personality is SO me. Great question.
BIO
I am a master trainer, nutrition/physique coach, athlete, model/actor/host, philanthropist, and motivational speaker. I am also the CEO/Founder of Rachel Elizabeth’s Cause Fitness. I grew up playing sports but got little education in fitness and nutrition for health purposes. Besides a ‘women’s weight training’ gym with my mom in 7th grade, it wasn’t until college that I was introduced to weight training and clean eating. However, when I understood, I immediately adopted the knowledge as my own in passion and lifestyle. After college I moved to Seattle and became a CPT. I started training with a large corporate gym, but a little over a year later I took my clients to a studio to focus on quality over quantity, put the “personal” back into “personal training”, and avoid the pressure to meet certain quotas every month for someone else’s pocket. My training style is tough, but I train with ‘tough-love empathy’. My clients know I care but they also know I’m going to push them out of their comfort zone. This is a lifestyle, not a quick fix and you have to create challenge to create change. You are the cause of your fitness effect.
Cause Fitness: a movement and a foundational approach to serving a health and fitness goal much bigger than ourselves, while improving ourselves from the inside out with holistic fitness and nutrition. At the same time I started training, I started fitness modeling as an extra part-time job. I soon realized that I could build a name brand for myself that would work hand in hand with my training business as a means to the end I envisioned, my foundation, Cause Fitness: Fitness for Effect. I love people and see everyone’s potential. My goal is to bring opportunities and health education to the world.
Check out these links for more info!
www.causefitness.com
www.youtube.com/rachelizabethm
www.twitter.com/rachelizabethm
www.facebook.com/rachelizabethm
