Bowl'd Conversation With JL Holdsworth
Welcome to the next installment of our interview series, Bowl’d Conversations. We’ll be sharing a FUSIAN Inspired Bowl with a few inspiring friends and they’ll be sharing how food, nutrition and wellness make a positive impact on their lives. Check our latest convo with business owner, strength coach, and competitive power lifter, JL Holdsworth
For this installment of bowl’d conversations we sat down with JL Holdsworth, founder and head strength coach of The Spot Athletics. JL’s training philosophy features highly specialized training programs to fit the individual goals of each of his clients. We met up at our FUSIAN Grandview test kitchen to try the Kaleo Bowl. This paleo option includes our citrus dressed kale, raw tuna, shelled edamame, pineapple, avocado, green onions, chopped almonds, and our house made citrus-yuzu dressing. We chatted about JL’s commitment to a paleo lifestyle, his belief in habit-based lifestyle changes, and the inspiration he feels when he can help others change their lives.
Q: What Does A Daily Menu Look Like For You?
A: I’m not a big carb person, my energy levels typically drop when I eat a lot of carbs. For me it’s a lot of fat and a lot of protein! I’m not typically a big kale fan, so I was skeptical, but it is awesome in this dish!
Q: How Does Food Play A Part In Your Lifestyle?
A: At the training facility, we are always talking about food. These bowls are a great option for my clients who are looking for healthy dining options. I’ve found specific diets don’t typically work, we suggest making small modifications for the things you do daily. We see more success with “habit” based changes.
Q: What Is The Biggest Lesson You’ve Learned?
A: Diets don’t work. People will say “I want lose ten pounds” and I if they are completely inactive I say, just start by taking a walk every day. Even if you don’t change the way you eat, but you walk every day, you’ll be in a better place. The perception is that you have to stick to specific meal plans, but realistically, if you make small habit based changes, every week, over the course of a year you’ll make a huge impact.
I can compare it to building a house. You can look at a house and see the finished product, but you don’t see every individual brick getting laid. People need to worry more about laying one brick every day instead of trying to build the house all at once.
Q: What Is Your All-Time Favorite Meal?
A: It’s ironic, even though I don’t really like tomatoes and I don’t like carbs all that much, Lasagna is my favorite food. And then steak.
Q: What Is An Ingredient You Always Have Handy?
A: I eat eggs everyday. Also, I use extra virgin olive oil to cook with and I’ll add it to protein shakes too. It’s a really healthy fat. I even keep a jug at work.
Q: What Is The Most Memorable Meal You’ve Ever Eaten?
A: For me, any meal at my grandparents house. We would go for Christmas and I always sat at the little kids table. I also had an amazing meal in Telluride last year, that was awesome!
Q: Could You See A FUSIAN Inspired Bowl Fitting Into Your Lifestyle?
A: I try to be prepared and bring my meals with me, but of course life happens and stuff comes up. We train about half a mile form here, this is so easy. I can hop over here and grab a bowl with all of the things I need in it!
Q: What Inspires You?
A: I got into this profession to make a positive impact in people’s lives. I’ve seen kids I’ve worked with make the team, and I’ve seen adults start to lose weight and feel better, it all comes down to changing people’s lives. I’d rather do this 100 hours a week, than work 10 hours a week at a job where I wasn’t making a difference.
Q: How Do You Choose Where To Eat?
A: Menu is the number one dictator. You want high quality ingredients, and a place that you trust. You are what you eat.
It’s really cool to see FUSIAN expanding into the bowls. It is great to get high quality protein without all of the rice. This is a great way to eat the foods I want to eat!