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Kerry Mitchell jogs with her golden retriever, Dutch.

Most mornings, Kerry Mitchell, vice-president of Rogers Consumer Publishing, hooks a leash on her three-year-old golden retriever and heads out for a run, covering off two tasks in one. Our expert reveals how the 48-year-old publisher of Flare and Today's Parent, who also has a one-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter, can combine food groups to make her nutrition also work double-time.

My goal

"Good health and energy to rise to the demands of my two kids so that's when I run. I get up before 5 and run for half an hour before the kids get up, five days a week.

"I have a short routine of body and free weights that I fit in when I get home: push-ups, dips, curls and squats and planks and mat Pilates, core strength is important. I do three sets of everything and 12 to 15 reps, slowly and controlled. Then, I run out of time, which is I why I can't stretch."

My lifestyle

"I get though the morning madness and when I get in [to work]by 8:30. Days are back-to-back meetings in the office where I run up and down the stairs. I'm famous for the half-hour meeting, so I'm not sitting still for too long.

"I don't worry about my diet. I'm a grazer. I don't stop for lunch, but I have smaller snacks - I'll have a banana, an apple, a bagel, or a little yogurt - throughout the day as I'm hungry because most days I like to make dinner for my kids. We have whole grains, greens, and fish more now than I used to. I love my coffee in the morning, dairy and red meat, and happily enjoy a sweet treat."

My motivation

"I lost my grandmother last year. She was nearly 100 and beautifully vibrant until the end. She's an inspiration to me."

My anthem

"I get a boost from Stay Positive by The Hold Steady."

My challenge

"I never have sufficient time to sleep, stretch or slow down."

The critique

Sarah Maughan, registered holistic nutritionist at Totum Life Science in Toronto, offers her advice:

Stabilize blood sugar, sustain energy

"If Kerry's goal is energy, eating frequently is great, but to make that more beneficial she should pair what she grazes on with nuts and seeds, or eat a bagel with cheese or chicken, as her diet is heavy on carbs."

Ms. Maughan adds the combination of protein and fats will slow the conversion of food sugars to blood sugar, otherwise it speeds through digestion, causing minimizing energy crashes.

Increase energy, ease dinner digestion

"After her run, I suggest Kerry make a quick fruit and protein-powder smoothie, and then in the afternoon eat trail mix and yogurt or an Elevate Me bar, a good nutrient-packed bar to keep energy up and muscles strong."

Ms. Maughan says by breaking Ms. Mitchell's habit of end-loading her day with calories between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., which leaves her body sluggish in the morning from digestion, her body will feel all-day energized.

This interview has been condensed and edited.

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