I. The research has been skewed and gender biased for too long

Many women I talk to are still subscribing to outdated myths about training and are stuck in an “exercise more, eat less” mentality that is robbing them of the strong, healthy body they deserve from the effort and time they put into their training.

I want to clarify from the start of this article that I’m aware of and respect that people have different goals for their physique and different lifestyle practices they are comfortable with, and that what I am focused on in this post is helping you better understand how your body works so you can become physically stronger, more capable and confident, and enjoy a high quality life in a functional body at every age.

It’s time to bust some myths and give you the information you need to support your body’s process of getting stronger and healthier so you can stop undermining all the effort you put in with diet culture myths or strategies that come from research done on men, not women.

The changes we go through in life in our incredible female bodies – from puberty to menopause and everything in between – deserves attention and understanding. We are often on our own figuring everything out with so much scientific research in the past being done on men only, and the perception of a woman’s cycle as “too complex” (1).

This gender biased research means many (fortunately not all) doctors and other professionals fail to address women’s hormone concerns adequately, dismiss their concerns entirely by suggesting “it’s just part of the aging process” or “it’s in your head” or suggest strategies that fail to address the root cause of the issues. 

When researching this post for example, I found the lack of female representation in research studies appalling. It is only in recent years that women have been included more frequently, and yet even in many of the studies that included women there was rarely any differentiation in phases of the menstrual cycle, or attention to women at different stages of life. And even less that examined women of different cultures and ethnicities to explain how women from different backgrounds might experience things like peri menopause, strength gains and fueling needs.

As a result, generalizations are made because of the design of the research studies. No wonder it has been challenging for us to get good, relevant information that works for us! I will present to you what I have learned from what is currently available, but I too am still looking for more. See recommendations for follow up at the end of this article.

II. Common issues I hear women struggling with – do any of these apply to you?

III. Understanding that body composition is NOT “your weight on the scale”

Due to over-focus on “weight loss” many women are more focused on seeing a scale number go down rather than on how they can lose body fat and increase lean mass (2)(3).

If we take a closer look at body composition, we can shift this mentality and start to understand why even when we sometimes lose “weight” doing fad diets it comes right back, and that we’re sacrificing our valuable muscle tissue in an effort to lose this “weight”(4).

Weight on the scale measures overall body weight, which includes muscle, bone, water at the time of weighing, body fat and all the body tissues combined. Because many of these factors are variable (have you eaten, how much water are you retaining, what time of the month is it, have you had a bowel movement today), it’s more ideal to measure the composition of fat and muscle tissue on the body rather than body weight alone, which does not take the ratio of these important tissues into consideration.

Two women, one with more muscle and less fat and one with more fat and less muscle might weigh the exact same number on the scale. But the woman with more muscle will look leaner and more compact, and the woman with more body fat will look thicker.

While a pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weigh one pound, the pound of fat takes up more space than the pound of muscle, due to its structural composition.

This is why taking a closer look at the ratio of muscle to fat on your body matters far more than the “amount you weigh.”

To get a real body composition measurement, ideally you would use a professional method like the DXA scan (dual x ray absorptiometry), air displacement plethysmography (i.e “Bod pod“), bioelectrical impedance measurement (i.e. InBody scan or similar), 3-D body scanner, or other professional body composition measuring test.

However as these are not always readily available, other methods may be useful for self testing, including skin caliper measurements, measurements with a tape measure around the hips, thighs, arms, stomach and chest, and full length photos from the front, side and back wearing the same or similar garments.

While it’s absolutely fine to weigh yourself in addition to these methods when looking for changes, only weighing yourself will give you very little data that speaks to your body composition. Combined with an over focus on “weight loss” along with the cultural expectations of women and their bodies, many women have disordered eating (5), disordered self perception, and are following fad diets, skipping meals, under-eating and overtraining.

They end up constantly down on themselves for their perceived lack of progress, under nourished, stressed-out and set themselves up for unintended health consequences including an increased risk for bone stress injury and cardiovascular disease (6).

This heightened stress state from overtraining and under fueling (not to mention stressing about our weight and every other pressure we feel from societal expectations) elevates our cortisol and increases the inflammatory response, which not only breaks down muscle but also creates fat storage and has a detrimental impact on our mood, energy levels, and long-term metabolic rate and overall health (7).

While some “weight loss” may be observed, this often comes back quickly, and the manner in which the weight is lost has unintended consequences that do little to contribute to a highly functional, strong body. All this focus on our weight and the vicious cycle we get in when we constantly seek shortcuts to lose it can undermine our long-term health and a good quality of life, increase negative self talk, and contribute to the perception that our appearance is the main driver of our value and worth.

While fat loss is a goal that a lot of women have and equate to “weight loss,” not enough women have the goal of gaining or preserving muscle, and as a result they are losing out – especially during the important transition from regular menstruating years to peri and post menopause – a time when the body’s fluctuating estrogen and progesterone signals become irregular and eventually stop, impacting our ability to lose fat and build muscle the same way.

The reason I say we as women are losing out is because muscle is metabolic currency (8). When we focus on strengthening, growing and preserving our muscle tissue, we start training, eating and resting in smarter ways, ways that go beyond aesthetics and support our long-term health – and as an added bonus, frequently have an aesthetic result as a natural byproduct.

I discussed this in depth, along with the ramifications this has on women in a recent podcast with Dr. Stacy Sims, and Rock Your Life member Amanda had this to say about how it impacted her:

Understanding body composition and setting goals with that as a primary focus rather than on weight loss is truly a mindset game changer.

As Amanda points out, this unhealthy focus on having someone else’s idea of a “perfect body” is one of the root causes of the problem that creates so much stress and pressure on women. I want to thank the Rock Your Life members for all the discussions we have had (and continue to have) about these topics, as they have been a tremendous inspiration for me in writing this article and clarifying points that I wanted to make.

IV. Creating an optimal state in the body to drive the results you want

In order to see a body composition change, we need to create an optimal state in the body for our hormones to do their work to support muscle growth and support fat loss. It is not “calories in/calories out” or how many workouts you do vs. how little you eat.

If you are over focused on your workouts as the sole driver of seeing results or losing weight like a lot of women are, it’s easy to get into a “no days off” training mindset. But consider that your workouts are like seeds you are planting, and like any seed you want to see grow and flourish they need to be planted in fertile soil, and have sunlight and rain to grow and thrive.

Your nutrition focus is the fertile soil, and your sleep and stress management are your sunshine and rain. Your workouts will not “take root” and grow a strong body without these other essential components repeated consistently. Too much rain can wash a seed out of the soil, like too much stress can sabotage your results.

I’ll talk more about calories shortly, but suffice to say that you cannot see your body flourish and grow strong if you are constantly restricting your nutrient intake and not paying attention to the quality of the nutrients you eat. Poor quality soil impacts the growth of a plant, just like lack of quality nutrients will impact the efficacy of your workout. A plant grows in the presence of all of these nurturing variables in balance, and it takes a little time.

Your results will never happen without the combination of these actions (Sleep, Nutrition, Stress Management, Exercise) repeated, and you being patient and allowing the results to unfold.

Plants grow faster when they’re given all these resources, and your body will respond when you give it what it needs to thrive as well. That’s why we have what I refer to as the “4 Pillars of Health,” these 4 aspects of your life that only you can control and that work together to create that optimal state in your body.

With more of a focus on eating, sleeping, stress reduction and training to support your energy and valuable muscle tissue, you’ll have an easier time regulating your body composition at every stage of life, and you’ll feel stronger and healthier in the process. You will be less susceptible to advertising for “weight loss products” that prey on culturally created fears of women being undesirable (what a load of garbage).

Having a focus on growing and preserving our muscle, especially as we age is a great idea. Not only does muscle surround and protect our joints and organs, it secretes protective cytokines which boost your immune response during contraction (9) (10).

On the aesthetic front (how we look), muscle is dense and compact so as you add it to your frame you will become physically smaller and have a more toned appearance as discussed above. We burn more fat more easily when we’re more muscular (11), and that valuable muscle tissue has other protective benefits to our bodies as well. You’ll be physically stronger, enjoy a more robust immune response (9), and boost your sense of capability and confidence.

Focusing on muscle, and training strategies to grow it will not necessarily “bulk you up.” Here is a great example from Meg, a Rock Your Life member. We can clearly read about and see how she has shifted her body composition to be more muscular, and broken up with her scale at last. Her weight increase and size decrease shows that she has put on some solid muscular strength which made her smaller, not larger or bulkier.

You can add muscle to your body and focus on fueling for it without concern that you will become a bodybuilder. Professional female body builders work very hard to build up their muscle tissue to the level you see in competitions, and gaining muscle at that level is challenging due to the differences in amount of testosterone in men and women.

If getting huge biceps is not an aesthetic goal for you, have no fear that you’re going to suddenly achieve it. But it is attainable for you if you choose to pursue it – I recommend a personal trainer who specializes in body building if this is of interest, and a willingness to spend years in pursuit of that goal.

V. Building muscle at different stages of your menstrual cycle

How do we build muscle? In a previous article, I described the process by which we gain muscle. In a nutshell, muscles working against a progressively challenging load leads to increases in muscle mass – a process referred to as hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is a thickening of the muscle fibers, creating stronger muscles.

These adaptation to an increased load happens when we also fuel and rest properly. As the body gets used to the challenges you present it with, you need to vary the type of load in order to continue to drive adaptations.  And for women, there are considerations due to the presence (or absence) of estrogen.

When you’re still having a regular cycle, remember that in the first half of your cycle (from when you get your period until you ovulate) estrogen is higher. This estrogen is estradiol, or E2 and it’s the most anabolic (muscle building) of the estrogen hormone trio (E1, E2, E3). During this phase, you also have a greater ability to use carbohydrates than you do post ovulation (be mindful of your consumption of sugary foods after you ovulate, and prioritize protein)(12 )(13)(14 ).

So if you’re still cycling regularly, take advantage of this first stage of your cycle (follicular phase) by pushing harder in your workouts (14) to create those muscular adaptations that lead to lean mass development.

Balanced training is essential in the follicular phase as overtraining will contribute to more inflammation, elevated cortisol, and muscle protein breakdown. Not fueling and managing stress appropriately around your tough workouts will also have this effect and undermine your ability to build muscle.

After you ovulate (luteal phase), progesterone is going to be elevated, which will create a higher state of inflammation in your body as it prepares the uterine lining. Your basal body temperature is elevated, which may mean you get less deep sleep. Don’t push yourself as hard in this phase of your cycle – notice your energy needs and feel free to take the intensity down a notch or two.

You can really back off on the intensity of your training in the days or week leading up to your period, as you may notice less energy due to hormone levels shifting. I tend to do lower impact workouts during the days before my period as I just feel more tired. I’ll swap in yoga, mobility or just slower, less intense resistance training. Or simply take an extra rest day or 3 as needed.

How I adjust a program to match up with my cycle is if I’m following a 4-week training program for instance, I simply extend it a bit longer so I can add some days of lower intensity work in the week where I have less drive. I do some low impact workouts, yoga, mobility and even take just extra or unscheduled rest days the week before my period. Then I pick my training program back up where I left off when my estrogen levels come back up in the follicular phase.

See my detailed guide to training with your cycle for more on this subject and adjust your own workout plans with confidence. Looking for training guidance while pregnant, or after having a baby? Check out my pre natal and post partum fitness guides.

Some of the best training strategies for women at every life stage are resistance training (16) and HIIT (high intensity interval training that includes explosive cardio, or plyometric exercises)(15)(48) (49).

When it comes to resistance training, you want to begin by building a strong, functional base with good form and continue to progress and challenge yourself as your body adapts and you build strength (50).

Lifts like deadlifts, squats, pulls and pushes (among others) will all help increase your overall strength and when they’re incorporated into a balanced training plan that you are consistent with you will reap the rewards.

When it comes to HIIT/plyo/explosive cardio moves you want to be able to push hard in your work intervals (53). These intense intervals of explosive movement burn a lot of energy while you’re doing them, and trigger protein synthesis. They also increase growth hormone and adrenaline hormones which contribute to fat burning. HIIT workouts can also make you use more energy after your workouts as well.

Both resistance training and plyometric/explosive cardio moves are metabolically stressful, so your body burns more calories in the post workout recovery period (51). You’ll also trigger the release of hormones that have a fat-burning, appetite dampening response (54). You can find this combination of training strategies in every workout program I have created.

Along with all of these training benefits we get from these strategies, understanding that “more is not more” when it comes to your training is an important aspect of your development as an athletic woman who is able to build muscle efficiently and burn fat.

As we discussed earlier, muscle grows when we rest it after we train (concurrent with proper fuel).  You want to be able to go hard in your training sessions whether you’re resistance training or doing HIIT, and in order to push that limit you need to be rested and recovered.

Progressing with good form is of paramount importance, which is why I recommend following a program with a trainer who is well-versed in anatomy and functional movement (I’ll nominate myself here of course).

You can take advantage of my free foundations of functional fitness workshop alongside any of my training program or on its own to improve key movement patterns and understand more about how your body works and how to keep it balanced and aligned.

VI. Building muscle and losing fat for women in peri and post menopause

Post menopause you lose the E2 estrogen and the female sex hormones eventually flatline, so in order to build or maintain muscle we have to rely on other pathways to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.

In peri menopause we experience years leading up to menopause when our hormones and period become irregular. There is evidence that women of different cultural backgrounds experience differences in the length of this time period (52).

While estrogen is beneficial for body composition when we have a normal cycle (42), estrogen dominance creates issues for our ability to lose body fat and build muscle.

Check out the article about adaptogens which can help stabilize hormone levels (I have had an excellent experience using them myself), but other strategies may be recommended by your doctor (as long as they’re not dismissing your concerns, telling you to “go lose weight” or just putting you on the pill because they can’t be bothered to find alternative means to support you).

Watch out for chemical estrogens in plastics or industrial compounds. Poor estrogen metabolism can also contribute to estrogen dominance. We may not metabolize our estrogens when we have a poor diet, aren’t exercising regularly or lack muscle tissue. A balanced, whole food diet rich in fiber, healthy fats and essential amino acids from protein combined with regular exercise will contribute to better estrogen metabolism.

Here are the top tips for women in this life stage to shift body composition to less fat and more muscle:

1: Increase the challenge to your muscles from resistance training

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1: Increase the challenge to your muscles from resistance

One of the strategies for bypassing the hormone pathways is to increase the level of intensity of the workouts you do by increasing the resistance or weight you’re using. It’s time to start increasing the challenge to your muscles.

If you’re a beginner, work on challenging yourself by building up a foundational practice with bodyweight workouts (mine are some of the best!).  Check out the 90 Day Challenge for a wonderful program that will progressively build up your strength with bodyweight workouts that can be done from home.

If you’ve been doing bodyweight workouts for a while and feel like you’ve got good form, it’s time to start adding in resistance in the form of bands, dumbbells or other weighted objects and challenge yourself further. Check out Home Workout Domination for the perfect program that uses home workout equipment for resistance training and explosive cardio moves.

If you’ve been training with light dumbbells and know you could go heavier, start ramping up the resistance to your body by challenging yourself to increase the amount of weight of your dumbbells.

I built up my collection of home workout equipment over time so don’t feel like you need to go purchase a ton of things. And if you’re working out in the gym, you can test out what works best by using the different options available.

Work with me in the circuits and workouts I teach, challenging yourself in the rep ranges I share, and increase the amount of resistance/weight you’re using gradually. If you get to the point where the weighted objects you’re holding are too heavy to comfortably grip and hold onto but you feel you could lift something heavier, consider using barbells as they make it easier to distribute the weight across the bar without you having to hold dumbbells.

Lioness, my women’s heavier weight training program is perfect for helping you progress through all of this if you’re interested in trying heavier weight training out.

For amazing value and variety, you can join Rock Your Life, my online home workout studio and women’s fitness community where ALL of these options for strength training and explosive cardio are built into dozens and dozens of challenge programs.

Everything from foundational bodyweight training to home workout equipment to heavier weight training is available in Rock Your Life – plus support in our private women’t fitness community so you can progress with guidance and a holistic focus on your health.

Include plyometrics/HIIT in your training

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2: Include plyometrics/HIIT in your training

The second strategy for bypassing the hormone pathways at this life stage is to make sure you’re including plyometrics (high intensity or explosive training moves like sprints, box jumps, broad jumps, skater lunges, tuck jumps, split squat jumps, burpees, jump squats, etc) in your workouts.

Not only is this great for your bone density, but when you fuel appropriately around your workouts the intensity of these moves uptakes glucose more quickly helping to keep insulin levels stable (which can be a challenge for women in peri or post menopause).

You’ll find explosive cardio included in all of my training plans allowing you to take advantage of this. You can begin with the lower impact versions that I’ll show you so you can get comfortable building yourself up.

Polarize your training and rest days

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3: Polarize your training and rest days

It’s also essential to start to look at the sequencing of your training. It’s no longer appropriate (nor was it ever really) to take a “no days off” approach to your training. You want to think about what Dr. Stacy Sims calls “polarizing” your training. Think about how you can set yourself up to make your training sessions maximally effective by coming to them rested, recovered and fueled.

Adjust workout programs that have 5 days of work in a row to be 2 days of work, followed by a rest day, 2 more days of work followed by a rest day, a day of yoga and then 2 days on again. Or do a workout every other day Monday through Friday, with a yoga day on the weekend and one additional recovery day.

Don’t get yourself into the “grey zone” where you’re training a little daily, thinking that’s going to be the way to lose the body fat – it’s not. Keeping your body in a constant state of inflammation is not what drives adaptations and muscle growth – it’s what breaks it down constantly and keeps your body from burning fat. Get your body moving doing low impact activities like walking regularly, and avoid long periods of sitting or inactivity. A rest day doesn’t mean you lie on the couch, but it also doesn’t mean you sneak in an extra workout.

VII. For women of all ages: why we need to eat balanced meals with whole foods

The nutrients in your foods: protein, carbohydrates and fat, as well as the micronutrients like vitamins and minerals should all be part of the makeup of your meals. Getting familiar with these nutrients and what you’re putting in your meals is a great practice.

If you’ve ever used one of my meal plans you learn exactly which nutrients are featured in each meal, and get used to building a plate that supports your energy needs.

Doing food preparation is an excellent way to ensure you have the nutrients your body needs, and avoid added sugars that are in so many processed foods. This is why my message has not changed in a decade: cooking for yourself may not be “easy” and it may take some time, but it’s the quality of the soil you’re planting the seeds of your workout in.

I constantly see people putting all their focus and time into workouts and ignoring this essential piece of what drives their results. They jump from diet to diet looking for shortcuts when there are none.

You cannot force a plant to grow faster. It has to go through internal processes. So does your body. Expecting to see your results on the outside immediately is a losing game that food deprivation diet plans will have you believe.

So many online calculators for calories will put you at a dangerously low food intake threshold that actually has the opposite response in your body than you thought it would. It can have the unintended consequence of making you more prone to store fat, and you won’t build muscle on too little fuel.

The “salad” as a healthy meal without any protein or carbs is a great example of something we have come to perceive as a “health food” due to an over focus on calories, when it’s doing little to support our nutritional needs. Where is the protein? Where are the energy-providing, fiber-rich, gut supportive carbs? Where is the healthy fat?

Each of us has a resting metabolic rate (RMR) which is the amount of fuel we need for just our basic functions. As in what it takes to digest your food, lay in bed and not do much more than be a body. For instance a woman’s RMR might be approximately 1400 calories (I’m 5’1″ and active and this is close to what mine is for instance). If she were to start eating 1200 calories a day (and training) she would quickly be in trouble, have low energy, be unable to lose body fat and likely lose muscle as well.

Due to the lack of essential nutrients – below even her baseline threshold, her metabolic rate slow down, making her body hold onto body fat, and this is what happens to so many women who eat too little because an online calculator or diet program told them “1200 calories.”

Focusing on eating foods for the calorie content rather than the nutrient content can rob you of vital energy and fuel for your activities, cognitive function, immune health and more.

This “low calorie” or “less food” type of approach plays into our damaging culturally taught association as women with “eat less to be smaller.” Why should women need to disappear or be smaller? These outdated messages about women’s bodies do not empower women, do not make us stronger or healthier – they make us more stressed, more prone to illness and injury, and physically weaker.

Why protein is so important

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Why protein is so important

Protein is the most satisfying of the nutrients, so it can help with portion control and meal satisfaction when you have it in adequate amounts in each of your main meals (38).

Protein will help stabilize your blood sugar, and it breaks down into the amino acids that your body needs for everything from muscle protein synthesis (39) to brain function, hormone and enzyme function and immune health.

You cannot build or maintain muscle without adequate protein intake, and it has the added benefit of keeping you feeling full and satisfied when you include it in your meals.

I see too many women eating barely enough protein and then they wonder why they have sugar cravings, why they’re hungry all day, or why they can’t get “toned,” which means why can’t they see more muscularity and less body fat.

Include protein with each main meal (40), because your body doesn’t have a “storage reserve” to draw from for the aminos it needs for so many body functions (including cognitive function, immune function, hormone and enzyme function and muscle protein synthesis). When you go too long without eating, your body will break down your muscle tissue to get at the amino acids that are there, which isn’t what you want.

It’s great to learn about the macronutrients, and if you want to “count” any of them I would say start tracking how many grams of protein are in each of your meals so you get a general idea of how much you’re eating per meal. Aim for 20-30 grams per meal, and if you’re over 40, aim for 30-40 grams per meal as discussed above in the peri and post menopause section.

You can easily boost your overall daily intake with quality protein powders to help meet the body’s needs for amino acids (13). I personally like adding them to my smoothies, to my oatmeal, baking them into muffins, pancakes and waffles, and even mixing them into yogurt to eat with my breakfast cereal (click here for protein rich recipes on the blog). In the picture of me above with the food prep, there are protein muffins in the glass bowl for instance, and I’ve washed my greens and bagged them as a quick addition to smoothies.

If you don’t tolerate dairy well and don’t use whey protein powder, plant based protein powders like my organic whole food proteins are an excellent choice as they contain all of the essential aminos, and I made them to be tasty and smooth enough to be mixed in just water alone if you’re busy, on the go, or want something very light.

Collagen is also an excellent supplement to support the integrity of bone, skin and joint health as it contains some specific amino acids. It is not a complete protein source however, so it is best used in conjunction with a complete protein source powder. I personally always add it (here’s the one I make) to my Rock and Restore since it dissolves in anything and has no flavor or taste.

To read about how to use different supplements like collagen, protein powder and aminos, read this post.

Don't avoid whole food carbs

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Don’t avoid whole food carbs

The biggest issue when it comes to carb consumption is eating too many processed foods and not getting enough vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. You may have dietary preferences for specific whole food carbohydrates and that’s fine – but eat the ones that you prefer from whole food sources full of fiber, and not the processed ones.

When you eat carbohydrates, your insulin rises to uptake the glucose in your bloodstream from the carbohydrates. Whole food carbs cause a gradual elevation of blood sugar levels, making it easier for your body to manage the glucose (which is ideal). But many processed foods release a lot of sugar into the bloodstream very quickly.

When you have too much glucose in your blood, your body stores it as fat. When you eat too much sugar too often your cells become resistant to the insulin that’s trying to unlock them to let glucose in, which is a precursor to diabetes and obesity.

This is not to say you should never enjoy processed foods, treats, dessert or sweets. But making them your staples rather than your “specials” is an approach that leads to health concerns. Your gut health will be greatly improved with a focus on more fiber rich whole food carbohydrates and your blood sugar will be more stable, delivering steady energy rather than energy spikes.

If you’re going to opt for a lower carbohydrate meal, do it away from your workouts. Remember that the post workout window (the time after a workout) is the time when your body is most sensitive to insulin and can send the sugar in your bloodstream straight to replenishing your muscle glycogen stores.

The more muscle you have, the better your metabolic health is and the easier it is to lose body fat (41). Eating carbohydrates and protein together around your workouts supports your energy balance and your ability to build and maintain your muscle tissue (38).

Due to our higher levels of estrogen than men, we also have an improved ability to burn carbohydrates especially in the first half of our cycle when estrogen is higher (42)(43). You can go higher in your carb intake in this phase after your workouts, especially on tough training days.

If you’re in the second half of your cycle (from ovulation to your period), you have more progesterone in your system. Progesterone increases muscle breakdown (31), so you really want to make sure you’re optimizing your protein and carbohydrate intake in the luteal phase, and having your recovery time as well (32). For a refresher on the phases of your cycle, read my cycle training guide).

These nutrition strategies are essential for women in peri and post menopause as well, as discussed earlier. As we lose our naturally fluctuating estrogen, it’s imperative to prioritize whole food carbohydrate sources and increase our protein intake. We don’t absorb as much of the amino acids from our protein as we age, meaning increasing it serves multiple purposes at this time that help you improve body composition, lose body fat, and preserve or gain muscle.

Enjoy quality dietary fat

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Enjoy quality dietary fat

From a satisfaction and fullness standpoint I also don’t recommend being afraid of dietary fat. When women limit fat, they tend to eat more carbs which increases insulin and decreases our ability to burn fat. We can also disrupt our hormones as the body uses the cholesterol in dietary fat to produce them.

Key nutrients in fish, eggs, nuts and other sources of dietary fat are readily absorbable and utilized by the body. Our hunger may be elevated without the satiating effect of dietary fat, causing us to overeat more frequently, and studies have investigated the higher incidence of injuries in athletic women who ate a lower fat diet (44).

So don’t be afraid to include whole food sources of fat in your meals in balance with your other nutrients. Avoid processed fats like vegetable oil and hydrogenated or trans fats. If you’re struggling to create balanced meals, get a meal plan like the Body Fuel System with balanced whole food meals.

VIII. The importance of fueling (not fasting) around your workouts and how to do it

Many women are still doing fasted training, thinking that’s giving them the edge. However studies (17) show that women do better when training in a fed state, while men do well in a fasted state (18).

The reason you’re hearing so many diets and doctors advertising fasting as the way to go is because the previous research suggested many benefits. And there are benefits, to the subjects who were studied: men.

The female physiology is more sensitive to hunger and fullness signals due to us having more kisspeptin receptors in our brain than men do(19). Staying in an under fueled state contributes to a slowed metabolism, meaning your body can’t burn calories as readily and is conducive to a low energy state.

One of the purported benefits of fasting that it forces the body to switch from glucose burning to fat burning. However there are sex differences that provide this mechanism in women already. Women burn more glucose during regular daily activities, but burn more fat during exercise naturally than men do (20)(13).

Exercise helps women call on our body’s ability to burn fat for fuel, making us more metabolically flexible when we incorporate regular training, supported with the fuel we need. Not to mention, exercise induces autophagy (21), one of the other oft-touted benefits of fasting in which the body clears out damaged cells. In a nutshell, exercise gives women similar benefits as men get from fasting.

There are of course many ways to fast and many reasons. I appreciate and respect that some of my readers may have religious reasons for observing periods of fasting. The scope of this section of our article is focused on fasting as it pertains to women in sport.

We all naturally “fast” in a lower energy output state when we stop eating after dinner and don’t eat again until breakfast. But skipping breakfast or going long periods without fuel can be unhelpful for active women by elevating our cortisol (which contributes to muscle breakdown and fat storage) and creating an energy deficit that means you won’t be able to work as hard in your training session.

Not to mention, coming into your workout after a long fast means your body is in a muscle breakdown state. When your body doesn’t receive the essential amino acids it needs for everything from brain function, hormone and enzyme function, immune function AND muscle protein synthesis, it breaks down your muscle tissue to get the amino acids in this valuable body tissue (22).

During your workout, muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein breakdown occur, but the exercise creates a greater breakdown state potentially leaving you in a deficit unless you are fueled, and/or fuel to replenish the work. The breakdown of your muscle tissue during a workout has the potential to create hypertrophy and muscle growth after your training session as your body repairs when you fuel and rest properly (23).

So if you went into your workout fasted (in a muscle breakdown state plus elevated cortisol which means fat storage state), then did your workout and then didn’t eat for an hour or so post workout (muscle breakdown state plus fat storage from the stress of the workout and lack of nourishment) you just broke down your muscle tissue the entire time without build back because your brain and body were looking for amino acids to use for essential body function and stored glycogen for energy. It got both of those from your valuable muscle tissue (34).

So all of this “skipping meals” means you aren’t building muscle, you’re breaking it down. Remember that cortisol (the stress hormone) is catabolic (breaks down) muscle, and anabolic (builds up) to fat. This stressful state does not contribute to fat loss, it can actually lead to fat gain. And the lack of nutrients contributes to loss of your precious muscle tissue.

All those claims about fasted training making you “lose weight” might have made you lose a few pounds but where did the pounds come from? Sure you may have lost some body fat, but you also lost your vital muscle tissue and elevated your cortisol. A man will have a different response and be able to lose fat and preserve muscle tissue. Extensive fasting as a woman, especially around your workouts all but guarantees you’re going to gain body fat over time, lose muscle, and also affect your body’s metabolic rate (35). Understanding body composition and how your muscle actually gets stronger is so important.

I don’t recommend fasted training for women.  Having fuel around your workouts (in the form of protein and carbohydrates) is essential so you not only have the energy to push hard and get those adaptations in the muscle tissue, it fuels the cells with glycogen (the byproduct of glucose from carbohydrates) and the amino acids (the byproducts from dietary protein or protein powder) support muscle protein synthesis.

Fueling post-workout 

In the post workout window after you exercise, your insulin levels peak which creates the opportunity for glycogen storage (glycogen comes from the glucose in carbohydrates) and muscle repair. That means the carbs you eat post workout can get straight to the muscle stores, and the amino acids from the protein you eat can get to the muscle tissue to repair the breakdown created by your training. Once we are outside of this window, our insulin sensitivity goes down, making it harder for the muscles to absorb the glucose from your bloodstream and the amount of glycogen stored in your muscles is lower.

Post workout, women have a relatively short window for optimal refueling compared to men who may be able to go longer (24). Ideally, get protein and carbohydrates in within an hour of training (13) in your next meal. Aim for 25-30 grams of protein in the recovery period (33).

The carbs will increase your glycogen storage, and combining protein and carbs can help reduce inflammation and support a strong immune system. Muscle uptakes glucose from the bloodstream as well, so the more muscle you carry the better you handle the insulin response.

This is one of many reasons I suggest pre-cooking some of your meals for the week ahead, so you have easy to grab and go meals when you need them. See my meal plans for easy to follow guides.

The body will store the energy from the carbs we eat in the liver and the muscle tissue, and use what it needs for energy first from the liver, but it will break down your muscle tissue if you’re not eating enough for your energy output needs (26). If we eat more carbohydrates than the body has the capacity to store in the liver and muscle tissue it gets stored as fat. So you’ve got too little and too much – both with consequences.

If you eat well balanced meals with protein (very satisfying), whole food, fiber-rich complex carbohydrates (digest slowly, keeping blood sugar stable) and healthy dietary fat (slows gastric emptying to keep blood sugar stable and also is very satisfying) you are in very little danger of under eating or overeating, and can stop worrying about “carbohydrates making you fat.”

Using an eating program like the Body Fuel System can set you up with an easy to follow guideline and delicious well-balanced meals.

Carbs are the body and brain’s preferred energy source. Yes, the low carb/high fat diets out there will make you think the body needs to run on ketone bodies, and it can – however that is an adaptation the body has for starvation and low food availability states. Diets like these generally do not serve women very well, and the “benefits” of the keto diet in particular is all based on research on male test subjects (27).

They may work better for men, having been studied extensively on them, be useful for a short period of time for certain individuals, especially those who are obese or have other medical conditions. But going extremely low carbohydrate for active women long-term can have unwanted consequences to your cortisol levels (they rise) and your metabolism (it can down regulate).

Want to hear scientist and researcher Dr. Stacy Sims explain why intermittent fasting, keto, and low carb diets aren’t ideal for women, but work well for men? Listen to the podcast we did together about this topic right here.

You’ll want to prioritize protein and carbs around your workouts (28) – so if you can workout a couple hours after your last meal, and eat your next meal within an hour of your training session, you’re doing great. Just make sure your meals contain protein and carbohydrates (29).

Strategies for fueling pre and post workout with a busy schedule:

Ideally we’d all have the ultimate flexibility of eating whole food meals and training at the perfect times for ourselves, but with the demands of modern life, protein supplements can come in handy and help fill in some gaps. Let me run you through a few scenarios and ways you can use protein powders and smoothies (in addition to whole food meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner) to support you so that this isn’t confusing and it’s easy to implement.

• You work out first thing in the morning: have a half of a banana (or any other fruit) and a scoop of protein powder in water or almond milk. Something super light that digests quickly will ensure you have the building blocks you need circulating in your system for optimal output in your workout. Eat breakfast as soon as you can after your workout.
• You work out an hour or two after breakfast: if it’s not time for lunch yet, have a protein shake with fruit right after your workout. If it’s time for lunch, have lunch. If you have the shake and fruit, have lunch when it’s time for lunch, as the smoothie/shake isn’t a meal replacement.
• You work out on your lunch break, and haven’t eaten since breakfast (you plan to eat your lunch after your workout): an hour or so before you workout, have a blended smoothie with protein and the other things you put in a full smoothie (something you’d find in one of my recipe guides for instance that you can bring it from home or make at the office, not just protein powder in water). If you lack the means to make the smoothie, have the protein in water or milk and a piece of fruit sometime in the hour before you train to give yourself a base. Have your lunch as soon as you can after you train.
• You work out after work, and haven’t eaten since lunch (you plan to eat dinner after you train): an hour or so before you workout, have a smoothie with protein and the other things you put in a full smoothie that you blend (something you’d find in one of my recipe guides for instance that you can bring it from home or make at the office – not just protein in water). If you lack the means to make the smoothie, have the protein in water or milk and a piece of fruit sometime in the hour before you train to give yourself a base. Have your dinner as soon as you can after you train.
• You work out after dinner: Make sure you work out at least 3 hours away from bedtime, as training too close to bedtime can interfere with your sleep as it raises your core body temperature. I presume you ate dinner at least an hour before your workout, giving you time to digest. After your workout, make yourself a full smoothie (like something that you’d find in my recipe guides) with protein, milk, fruit and other ingredients, or a shake with just protein powder and water and a piece of fruit.

The protein/water and fruit is just a shortcut, a convenient way to support nutrient timing when you aren’t able to eat a regular meal or regular food on one side of your workout. You can use a protein shake as a support for nutrient timing – but I don’t suggest using them as a full meal replacement. Your body needs whole foods too(30).

I just want to mention that supplements are not required, they are a supplement to a healthy, whole food diet. I use them because they are a convenient way to get extra nutrients in quickly and conveniently. If they seem expensive compare the cost of complete protein in foods you would prepare. Quite often, they are very comparable. However, not finding the quality I wanted consistently in the marketplace is why I started my own supplement line.

While I use a regular protein powder in my smoothies and focus on whole food sources of protein in my meals, during my workouts, I use Rock and Restore, my essential amino acid formula. It’s in a “free form” which means it doesn’t have to be digested like dietary protein and can go straight to where it’s needed. An essential amino acid contains the BCAA’s (branch chain amino acids) but my formula has an optimal dose of leucine, the most anabolic of the BCAA’s, making it a great workout formula.

If you are unable to purchase my organic protein powders and supplements, here is my guide to choosing protein powders that can help you make good decisions about what ingredients are in the products you are shopping.

Of course protein powder and supplements are totally optional and I use them for convenience and because as we age, we absorb less of the amino acids from our food as I mentioned previously, and I want to create a nice circulating pool of them during my training which helps with post workout soreness and drives muscle protein synthesis.

IX. Why reduced stress levels and quality sleep are also essential for body composition shifts

I must also mention that stress is a huge factor in our ability to regulate our body composition. You’ve probably heard me say that exercise is a healthy stress when we are healthy. There are many forms of stress to the body, but chronic stress from emotional or life triggers are essential to address (read my complete article about stress here).

We can also create a state of stress in the body when we overtrain, or don’t take the needed recovery when we’re sick or injured and the body is trying to do too many tasks at once.

Whether from life stress or overtraining, stress elevates the cortisol in our body and we’ve discussed already that it stimulates fat storage (45) and breaks down muscle tissue. Developing methods to proactively address the stressors you face can be incredibly beneficial and supportive to your energy and fitness goals.

Doing “extreme” workouts, or not getting adequate recovery both during a workout or after may increase muscle breakdown, persistent inflammation, and lowered immune response (46).

Speaking of a lowered immune response, lack of sleep also makes us more susceptible to getting sick. Good sleep is an essential component to training and seeing results. When you’re exercising, you need MORE deep sleep for muscle recovery and protein synthesis. During sleep, your body produces HGH (human growth hormone) which boosts protein synthesis and promotes fat utilization.

Quality sleep is also crucial for maintaining the balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin). When you don’t get enough sleep, your level of ghrelin goes up and your level of leptin goes down, resulting in an increase of appetite and cravings – and our impulse control goes down, making it very hard to avoid reaching for the sugar and pre made foods.

Our metabolism slows down and our body holds onto its resources (body fat) and doesn’t burn as many calories (47). Along with all this, lack of sleep causes our cortisol levels to rise and remain elevated. This high cortisol impacts fat loss efforts, and promotes breakdown of your muscle tissue.

Which is why when you are really tired, I recommend that you take an active recovery or rest day, even if it’s unscheduled. Training in this sleep deprived state will only contribute to greater muscle breakdown and won’t give you the benefits, plus you’ll be more likely to reach for comfort foods and have less inhibition in overeating.

You can listen to Dr. Michael Breus (The Sleep Doctor) go over the 5 things that happen to your metabolism and hormones when you’re sleep deprived on the podcast here.

X. To wrap it all up….

As a woman, you have training advantages and a unique, powerful body that is capable of going through numerous transitions in the course of its lifespan. I encourage you to see this process of figuring things out as a discovery, not a burden. There is no pressure on you to implement everything you learn immediately. Try these things out for yourself, and remember that like a plant, the body must also go through an internal process before you “see a result.”

Having additional resources can be very helpful. Personally, I have sought the support of numerous practitioners over the years including therapy for my mental health, functional medicine for my physical body and looking for the root cause of things that are hard to understand, physical therapy for support with stability and foundational movement patterns, and Chinese medicine for my energy body (acupuncture and herbal medicines) to name a few. I work with a functional medicine doctor (root cause medicine) rather than a traditional MD. You can use the directory here to search for functional medicine practitioners in your area if this is of interest.

While we may not all seek out the same types of practitioners or care, there are still plenty of things within our personal domain that only we can control like our 4 Pillars of Health: Sleep, Nutrition, Stress Management and Exercise. I hope that with this article you have seen a new level of how you can apply these 4 pillars in your own life to drive the results you want with all the effort you put in.

I invite you to be a part of ROCK YOUR LIFE, my online home workout studio and empowering women’s fitness community. You’ll find workout programs, workout classes of all types, healthy recipes and a holistic approach to your health in your private member’s login area, and in our private group enjoy lively discussions about all topics relating to your health and well being, a connection with other like-minded women, interaction with myself and the Team Betty Rocker Coaches.

When we focus more on designing a high quality of life for ourselves from a holistic perspective, the body responds naturally and becomes the fit, strong body we wanted all along. It’s so satisfying and empowering when we take action from an educated standpoint, and control the framework we see ourselves through as strong, powerful women with highly functional, healthy bodies that do not exist solely to be looked at. I look forward to your comments and questions.

For additional learning:

• Women specific nutrition and training with Dr. Stacy Sims
• Eating and training with your cycle (part 1) with Dr. Stacy Sims
• Eating and training with your cycle (part 2) with Dr. Stacy Sims
• A quickstart guide to women’s hormones (part 1)
• A quickstart guide to women’s hormones (part 2)
• What you need to know about birth control, the menstrual cycle and your hormones with Dr. Jolene Brighten
• How to heal emotional Eating with Tricia Nelson
• How to have a happy, healthy gut with Dr. Vincent Pedre

The post Shifting the Muscle to Fat Ratio: Women-Specific Body Composition Considerations appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Welcome to The Betty Rocker Show, the place to be to nourish your mind, love your body, and rock your life.

It’s so great to have you here as I welcome back the one and only Dr. Stacy Sims, who is a scientist, educator and leader in the field of women specific research in health, nutrition and exercise. Over the years many women have been basing their training and nutrition strategies around research done on men, because women’s hormones were seen as “too complicated” – as we were literally being left out of the research.

It’s no wonder so many of women have struggled with understanding what’s happening with their bodies, why they’re not responding to the commonly prescribed diet and exercise strategies, and why we so often feel dismissed by doctors for our very valid health concerns. Dr. Sims is on a mission to help us with women-specific scientific information that you can apply immediately!

Dr Sims served as an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist at Stanford University from 2007 through 2012. Her revolutionary book, Roar, sparked a movement in the way we as women approach our training across our lifespan, and her new book, Next Level is designed specifically for the peri and post menopausal female athlete.

I recommend both of these books, and also having a listen to the 2-part podcast we did earlier in Season 2 to brush up on the menstrual cycle and its changes across our lifespan, as well as specific strategies you can implement to get the most out of your amazing female body at every age and life stage.

These strategies are all applicable to your Betty Rocker programs and challenges, and will help you understand why they work so well and empower you to get even more comfortable adjusting and customizing things to where you’re at in your life.

Today, we are continuing our conversation with some more in depth discussion of dietary strategies as they relate to WOMEN specifically, including low carb diets, intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet; nutrient timing, why it’s essential to focus on muscle over fat loss, and we’ll be discussing optimal training strategies for women at all ages, including peri and post menopause, as well as hormone replacement therapy and adaptogenic herbs.

This is a save and bookmark for reference episode. Thanks for being here!

From her site:

“My vision is a world of healthy women who understand their bodies, know how to work with their unique physiology, know their periods are ergogenic aids and create positivity around being a woman in sport.

Together we can shift the destructive narrative and elevate women in research, science, and sport.”

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Welcoming back Dr. Stacy Sims (1:28)

• Dr Sims’ books: Roar and Next Level
• Listen to part 1 of the Dr. Stacy Sims interview: nutrition and training through the menstrual cycle
• Listen to part 2 of the Dr. Stacy Sims interview: nutrition and training for women in peri and post menopause, fad diets and more
• Dr. Stacy Sims course: Women are Not Small Men
• Dr. Stacy Sims course: Menopause for Athletes

What drives Dr. Sims to pursue this work (4:23)

• Empowering women of all ages
• Breaking down the negative stereotypes of women’s life stage transitions
• The cultural filter we don’t always realize we’re working through
• Women’s performance potential and the bias in the research
• How diet culture has failed women

Do low carb diets serve women’s physiology? (7:59)  

• Dr Sims blog post: Female Athletes Need Carbohydrates
• Metabolic differences between men and women
• Estrogen’s impact on appetite
• Brain differences between men and women

Why the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting may work well for men but not women (9:31)

• Research on these diets was done on male test subjects
• Body composition concerns with the ketogenic diet for women
• Lack of diversity in the keto diet for the gut microbiome
• Why you burn muscle on the ketogenic diet

Why measuring body composition is better than weighing yourself on the scale (13:34)

• How “weight loss” is still a misunderstood goal that is not helping women see real progress
• The things that influence your scale weight
• The difference in composition between muscle and fat
• Why you look leaner when you gain muscle

Fueling around your workouts and the danger of low energy availability (LEA) (15:57)

• Why are we still demonizing carbohydrates?
• How the body naturally fluctuates between fuel sources
• The nourishment the body needs just to exist vs what it needs when we do daily activities
• How the stress of training creates adaptations (when we are fueled)
• How the stress of training impacts our thyroid and metabolism when we are under-fueled and training

The fallacy of “eat less, exercise more” (20:04)

• The way the “eat less” mindset plays into women feeling they should be smaller and take up less space
• The wrong kind of stress that the “exercise more” mindset creates
• The issues with gut health, cardiovascular health and mental health from eating less

Women do not need to shrink for society (21:08)

• The cultural push to “be a certain size”
• The incredible pressure on women to be smaller
• Women should take up as much space as they like!
• What Stacy’s daughter learned from her friends mom about “what she needed to do to see her abs”

Eating to be STRONG, not eating less (23:50)

• The misperception about why we should focus more on muscle
• How hard it is to build muscle, let alone “get bulky”
• Reasons why muscle is so beneficial
• Shifting our focus away from fat loss and toward muscular strength as the primary goal

Becoming self sufficient at any age and the reasons why we train (27:32)

• Strengthening the body now determines quality of life later in life
• Defining your long term vision
• Building and preserving lean muscle
• Thinking about how you can set up the future version of yourself with the actions you take today

How peri and post menopausal women can set themselves up for success (30:10)

• Signs of menopause and changes women go through
• The way estrogen and progesterone changes impact blood sugar stability
• The way women in this life stage can bypass the hormone fluctuation to stimulate muscle growth
• Why heavier lifting (than you were before) is essential to women in this life stage
• Why protein intake and nutrient timing is essential to women in this life stage
• Reviewing the way estrogen and progesterone impact our body composition goals when we’re still cycling regularly
• The first and second half of the menstrual cycle and how our body responds
• How our hormones change through the stages of women’s life cycle
• Why it’s essential to not take a “no days off” approach in peri and post menopause

Today’s podcast is brought to you by ROCK AND RESTORE, my free-form essential amino acid formula. This great tasting fruit punch formula contains 30 servings of all 9 of the essential amino acids (including the BCAA’s) in their free form for rapid absorption and metabolic use so you can rock your workouts, build lean muscle, recover faster, boost your immune system and improve cognitive function.

Learn more about Rock and Restore right here!

The uses and benefits of adaptogenic herbs (43:01)

• Blog post: 6 Adaptogens that support hormone balance 
• Dr. Sims’ premium membership (includes many learning modules, including one about adaptogenic herbs)
• Peri-menopause symptoms and how they’re often addressed by doctors
• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a tool in the toolbox
• What adaptogens are and how they work with the body
• The benefits of ashwaghanda
• How the body adjusts to the presence of the adaptogens
• The benefits of schisandra

How to connect with Dr. Stacy Sims and her work (52:36)

• Dr Sims’ books: Roar and Next Level
• Dr. Sims website
• Dr. Sims Instagram

If you are thinking about how you can implement the training strategies she talked about into your own life and are feeling overwhelmed by the strength training or heavy lifting component, I really encourage you to approach that with the mentality of lifting heav-IER than you are right now. If you’re brand new and just starting to exercise frequently, build a solid base with my foundational bodyweight programs.

If you’ve built a strong foundation or base with bodyweight workouts, consider adding in dumbbells for extra resistance. If you’ve been in a rut with light dumbbells, consider going up in weight with what you’re currently using so you can’t do as many reps.

Once you get to the point where you can’t comfortably hold the dumbbells but feel like you could challenge yourself further, that’s when it’s time to try out barbells and adding weight with weight plates. There is a progressive aspect to this, so don’t feel like you need to go from zero to barbells or that that is the only way to progress.

Dr. Sims and I discussed this in the first 2 episodes we did together, that going heavier is relative to each of us. You want to do this safely, so building a foundation first is essential.

I teach you all of this in my challenge programs in Rock Your Life. We have everything from foundational bodyweight challenge programs, to challenges that include dumbbells and simple home workout equipment, all the way up to weight training challenges that you do with heavier weight, and I teach you all the progressions.

Today’s podcast is brought to you by ROCK YOUR LIFE, my online home workout studio and uplifting women’s fitness community where you can enjoy programs and challenges to build strength for consistent, sustainable progress. Enjoy new classes each week, healthy recipes, a private women’s only support community and MORE!

New members can get a 30-Day Trial RIGHT HERE!

So if you’re in peri or post menopause, really start to think about how you can train to increase the challenge to your muscles with resistance training, and build on where you currently are. Do those explosive plyometric moves that I write into your programs, as they are far more supportive to your goals than long endurance cardio, especially in peri and post menopause.

If you’re in that peri or post menopause life stage, you want to pay attention to the “polarity” of your training intensity. If a workout program is written with 5 days in a row, adapt it for your life stage and do 2 days on, 1 day off, or work out every other day as an example. This allows you to recover better, and hit your workouts harder when you do them and get better results in the absence of the circulating estrogen progesterone – assuming you’re also fueling appropriately and eating enough protein and whole food carbs.

And if you’re still having a regular cycle, you can benefit from continuing to challenge your body with regular exercise and balanced nutrition as well. Your cycling estrogen and progesterone give you an edge to make all of your workouts even more effective, but it’s essential that you’re fueling appropriately around your workouts, and not overtraining.

See my Cycle Training Guide right here!

I have been having ongoing conversations about ALL of these topics and so many more inside Rock Your Life, my online home workout studio and women’s fitness community. In my regular office hours I’m able to connect with the members and answer their questions and share more information that relates to them specifically.

If you’re not a member yet, I highly encourage you to join us, you can get a 30 day trial and come see what you’ve been missing.

I’ve got a huge class library with over 1000 classes of all types, including foundational bodyweight strength training, workouts where you can add in some simple home workout equipment like dumbbells and stretchy bands, all the way up to heavier weight training classes. There are barre classes, yoga classes, mobility classes, plyometrics and circuit. Plus I’ve got dozens of guided workout challenges to give you the perfect sequence to progress through. I see incredible stories every day from my Rock Your life home gym members, and being able to support them in our private women’s fitness community alongside the Team Betty Rocker coaches is a wonderful experience.

Dr Sims and I both share a mission of empowering women with tools and knowledge and the best thing I offer is Rock Your Life. Doing 1-off workouts is good, doing a program is great, but having ongoing challenges and programs over time so you can stay consistent and build a healthy lifestyle with guidance from the coaches is the absolute BEST for seeing lasting results and feeling supported on your journey.

I encourage you to grab that 30 day trial so you can see what it’s all about and take your time enjoying everything I have to offer without any pressure or obligation.

Thank you so much for listening to today’s show, and for caring about your health. Thank you for sharing these podcast episodes with your friends and family and helping to empower other women.

I look forward to our next conversation.

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ABOUT THE BETTY ROCKER SHOW:

Join me for open and thought provoking discussions about health, fitness, and how to stop undermining ourselves – and start taking meaningful action that makes us role models to others…

….and, listen in on my intimate conversations with amazing thought leaders, health care professionals, athletes and celebrities to learn their secrets and insights for overcoming life’s challenges, living longer, healthier, stronger and more #flawsome lives.

New shows are released every other week during Season 2 of The Betty Rocker Show.

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The post S2 – 14: Women Specific Nutrition and Training with Dr. Stacy Sims appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

We created this workshop to help you make the transition back into training safely and effectively.

We’re here to help with diastasis recti testing and correction, breathing, pelvic floor and core work to reconnect and integrate you systemically so you can transition back into exercise in the most supportive way for you.

Before you get started with any of our recommendations, always consult with your healthcare provider, as they should provide you with personalized information, restrictions or guidelines based on your medical history.

As you progress through this workshop, keep in mind everyone’s journey looks different. This guide is designed to help you navigate the path ahead no matter what point you are starting at, and help you tailor it to your own specific needs. If you are a Rock Your Life member, this workshop can be found in the specialty area in your challenges and workshops library, and is laid out in a live calendar format which you may find more enjoyable to follow.

1: Welcome!

Meet Coach Nikki, who will be your guide through this workshop! Coach Nikki Cotton is a certified Yoga Instructor ERYT200; AFAA Certified Personal Trainer; Mat Pilates instructor; Team Betty Rocker Coach and has completed additional training in pre natal and post partum fitness.

We invite you to keep this blog post page open and work through these videos over the course of weeks, utilizing them as many times as you like. Your journey will be unique, and you can reference this as often as needed.

As you move forward you will be learning more about the following key points:

• Diastasis Recti – how to identify and correct the condition
• Prolapse and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
• Ineffective breathing patterns and why the breath matters
• Muscle and joint imbalances stemming from ligament and tendon laxity
• Low back pain due to pregnancy and postpartum posture
• Sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction
• How to workout safely and gradually through a series of progressive movements

2: Diastasis Recti

In your next workshop, Coach Nikki is going to cover diastasis recti: what it is, and how to test for it so that you know which workshop to move on to next.

How to check for diastasis recti

Diastasis recti can occur in 3 areas: high above the navel (just below the sternum), just above the navel (approximately 1 to 2 inches), and below the navel (between navel and pubic bone).

Make sure to check all three areas. The finger check is the most common and readily available way to check for diastasis recti but it’s important to note the gold standard is an ultrasound.

For self check follow these simple steps:

1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent.
2. Place your fingers on your navel pointing towards your pelvis, and press down.
3. Lift your head up about an inch while keeping your shoulders on the ground.
4. If you have diastasis recti, you will feel a gap between the muscles that is an inch wide (~ 2 fingers) or greater AND/OR the space between the gap is soft allowing your fingers to sink deeply into the abdomen.

Once you have completed your test you will have determined if you are able to contract your transverse abdominis.

1. If you have a gap but CAN recruit your transverse abdominis move on to VIDEO 4 to learn how to integrate the pelvic floor into this system.
2. If you are not activating the transverse abdominis or unsure what you feel move on to VIDEO 3.

The post Post Partum Workout Guide appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Welcome to The Betty Rocker Show, the place to be to nourish your mind, love your body, and rock your life.

I’m so glad you’re here to listen to today’s conversation with Amisha Klawonn, Embodiment and Sleep Coach, Yoga Therapist, and Integrative Physical Therapist.

We’re talking about many of the areas new moms struggle with in trying to do it all, and valuable tools all women can use for becoming more centered and feeling more embodied and peaceful in the midst of a busy life.

Amisha applies many aspects of women’s health in her coaching practice, including polyvagal theory and hormone health, and draws from her integrative physical therapy expertise in the areas of visceral mobilization and holistic care for the whole person.

She empowers people to create their visions for their lives, igniting transformation from the inside out – and in today’s conversation, we are getting into many practical tips you can use in your life to bring more balance, rest and self love into your day.

From her site:

“I work with exhausted women who drink too much coffee during the day, have wine to wind down at night, and struggle to sleep well and wake up feeling refreshed each morning.

The women I work with are interested in living life in the present, taking time to take care of themselves so that they can provide love and care to their families, managing stress and overwhelm by changing the way they to react, noticing what brings them joy and following that path, and are ready to make a shift.”

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Amisha’s journey (2:09)

• Amisha’s journey as a new mom
• Post partum depression
• Physical complications

The importance of the connective tissue (8:13)

• Understanding fascial connective tissue
• Trigger point referrals
• Amisha’s experience with visceral manipulation

When things don’t go according to plan (12:20)

• Birthing plans
• The aftermath of a birth plan gone awry
• When everyone else has an opinion

Today’s Podcast is brought to you by The Body Fuel System, my 6 week easy eating system! This customizable eating plan is designed to sculpt your body from the inside out with done for you daily menus, grocery lists, simple meal prep tips and so much more!

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Body Fuel System!

Prioritizing rest (19:17)

• Sleeping your way to success
• Productivity culture and its ramifications
• Performance and productivity
• How rest supports and enhances everything else we do

Strategies for cultivating rest (22:33)

• Making the commitment
• Rituals and routines
• The damaging impact of being disconnected to our body

The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system (26:40)

• The impact of stress on our system
• Not accepting aging as an excuse
• The impact of cortisol

Today’s podcast is brought to you by ROCK YOUR LIFE, my online home workout studio and uplifting women’s fitness community where you can take as many 30-day challenges as you like for consistent, sustainable progress. For added variety, we offer 5 new classes each week, healthy recipes, a private women’s only support community and MORE!

New members can get a 30-Day Trial RIGHT HERE!

Steps to take for moving mindfully through the day (33:33)

• Using wake time or before bed to check in
• 5 minute journal app
• Daytime rituals for tuning in

Cultivating worthiness (37:47)

• Inner child work
• Beliefs we carry through life
• EMDR therapy
• EMDR Readiness Course (online course created by the therapist I worked with personally)

Dealing with burnout (43:16)

• “Shoulding” all over ourselves
• Fatigue from being overloaded
• The sleep vacation reset: Amisha’s free sleep program
• The oura ring
• Garmin Vivosmart 4
• All or something

This Week’s Challenge [50:51]

Take a sleep vacation! For 5 days, prioritize rest.

• Get to bed on time each night.
• In the morning, get sunlight in your eyes. These actions will help to reset the circadian rhythm.
• Do some mindful morning movement (here are 2 ideas from my instagram – one and two).
• Check in with your body throughout the day, using timers to remind yourself to check in. Journal about emotions that come up during these check ins.

Connect with Amisha Klawonn

• Amisha’s website
• Amisha’s Instagram
• 40 Days to Better Sleep

Coming up next: Coming up next, I’m excited for you to hear from my good friend Aaron Alexander, a pioneering manual therapist, author and movement coach who is the founder and creator of the Align Method which is a guide to using posture and body alignment to build strength, achieve peak performance, reduce pain, and find a new sense of confidence in yourself.

He’s sharing some really accessible, practical and amazing tips with us in this next conversation – so stay tuned!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too!

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player to be alerted when new shows drop!

ABOUT THE BETTY ROCKER SHOW:

Join me for open and thought provoking discussions about health, fitness, and how to stop undermining ourselves – and start taking meaningful action that makes us role models to others…

….and, listen in on my intimate conversations with amazing thought leaders, health care professionals, athletes and celebrities to learn their secrets and insights for overcoming life’s challenges, living longer, healthier, stronger and more #flawsome lives.

New shows are released every other week during Season 2 of The Betty Rocker Show.

Subscribe on your favorite player today!

The post S2 – 12: Becoming a Centered Mama with Amisha Klawonn appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve had some major hormone fluctuations. This was partly due to the mold exposure that disrupted my hormones (among other things!), and the coinciding timeline with the onset of perimenopause.

As I was healing from the mold exposure, my doctor had suggested some custom bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (HRT). We were testing my hormone levels every 1-2 months to adjust the dosages and see the response.

I believe this was helpful for me for a period of time, but as I began to heal from the mold and realized I was in peri menopause, I became very interested in the science around herbs and adaptogens, and with the combined support and encouragement from my doctor, my own research, as well as the research and work of Dr. Stacy Sims (who has a complete course about adaptogens in her premium membership), I felt confident in my transition.

In this brief overview, I will cover some things I have tried myself in the hope that it inspires you to further research and conversations with your own doctor. This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the available compounds out there, and I highly recommend you do your own further research and have data about your hormone status as each of us has a unique health history and genetic blueprint, and is in her own life stage.

Adaptogens

Adaptogens are medicinal plants (1) that can enhance the body’s natural resistance to stress and increase the rates of oxygen, protein, fat and sugar utilization. They function by affecting the HPA axis (hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal) – which is how your brain talks to your hormones – and the immune-neuro-endocrine system (2).

Their usefulness may be improved with concurrent dietary and lifestyle strategies like an anti-inflammatory diet, whole foods, stress management techniques like meditation, good sleep hygiene, and regular exercise.

That’s your 4 pillars of health in a nutshell – because doing everything we can ourselves to create an optimal state within the body can only bolster the impact of helpful compounds we’re using that are trying to work within us.

We want to imagine “how can I create the best possible conditions for these guys to do their job?”

Adaptogens have many well-studied benefits for hormone balancing.

Uses may include and benefit those looking for relief from a host of symptoms from: depression, anxiety and mood related issues, sleep difficulties, brain fog, focus and cognitive decline, hormone balancing and the hot flashes and night sweats associated with estrogen dominance in peri and post menopause, the reduction of the stress response and the associated body composition impact cortisol has on increasing body fat and reducing lean mass, to cellular energy production and more.

The key in adaptogens is the way they help us adapt to stressors.

I like the way the adaptogens actually help the body to adapt to stressors they’re presented with rather than giving “commands” like a drug does (and to be clear, I have been grateful for the option to use different drugs when I needed them). They have a synergistic effect, harmonizing with your body the way a good DJ harmonizes two different pieces of music together.

To me, adaptogens are exciting because they seem to open up more options for women going through life stage transitions, and it’s a type of intervention we can learn about ourselves and then determine the right course forward with help from a great practitioner (here’s the Institute for Functional Medicine’s practitioner directory finder).

I do think it’s essential to have hard data about the status of your hormone health, and we need tests to know what’s going on inside as we’re making decisions about what to use.

Plant compounds are powerful, and we want to choose them intentionally. So having that data on where your hormone levels are at is imperative, and it’s what has informed my use personally. Here’s the short list of some I’ve researched and used myself and I hope it is useful.

Ashwaghanda

An important herb in Ayurvedic medicine, Ashwaghanda is readily available in powder or pill form. I’ve used it both ways, but tend to prefer it in capsule form just because it’s an easy part of my routine.

Brain benefit: Ashwaghanda can improve the memory, and decrease brain fog. It helps modulate neurotransmitters (the body’s chemical messengers), specifically affects seratonin and dopamine.

Immune benefit: Ashwaghanda improves the body’s defense against disease by improving cell-mediated immunity. It has strong anti-oxidant properties that help protect against cellular damage caused by free radicals.

It also acts like an anti-inflammatory by inhibiting the COX-2 prostaglandins (working like aspirin to reduce the inflammatory response) which can reduce our clotting factors – so if you’re on blood thinners you should not use it.

Hormone benefit: Ashwaghanda enhances the body’s resilience to stress by decreasing the baseline cortisol response – reducing anxiety and fatigue (4, 5). With its ability to lower the sympathetic response, it can help reduce that tired and wired feeling, which can promote better sleep.

It also supports thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and increases T3 and T4 (so it may be contraindicated if you’re on thyroid medication or have any thyroid issues). It reduces cortisol and moderates estradiol (E2) – as in it helps bring it into balance. Keep in mind that E2 is the estrogen that we have during our menstruating years, and it’s the estrogen responsible for our ability to build muscle in the follicular phase (first half) of our cycle. So keeping it balanced is essential for body composition benefits.

It can also improve the vasomotor symptoms associated with peri menopause (hot flashes and night sweats).

There is also some really cool research regarding the impact it has on delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and strength gains through its action as an anti inflammatory. With the reduction in the stress response (and resulting lowered cortisol) you aren’t subject to signaling for increased visceral fat storage. Combined with its ability to help with blood glucose control there is a significant impact on body composition, namely reduced body fat and ability to build lean mass (3).

• Look for: greater than 3% withanolides
• Take it: morning or night
• Consult with your doctor before using if you: are pregnant, or using thryoid medication or blood thinners

Maca

Maca is such a cool adaptogen with many well-documented benefits for hormone balancing, and can mitigate some of the early post-menopause symptoms, as well as be supportive to hormone balancing at other stages of the life cycle.

I’ve been using it in the capsule form (just because it’s easy with my routine) but it’s also effective and readily available in the powder form – you could put it in a smoothie.

Hormone benefit: One of its key benefits is its ability to moderate estrogen metabolism. This becomes important for many women as they enter peri menopause and experience estrogen dominance.

At any point in your life cycle you could experience estrogen dominance or estrogen fluctuation, and maca has a good track record for helping to balance estrogen levels. Due to its impact on estrogen, it has the ability to modulate lean mass to fat gain, as estrogen dominance can leave us more prone to fat storage and unable to build muscle – and it’s been shown to improve bone density markers.

It helps reduce symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, improves mood, concentration, and focus, and reduces anxiety, nervousness, interrupted sleep patterns, fatigue, stress, headaches, depression symptoms, and improves libido in early post-menopausal women. That’s kind of amazing!

It’s also been shown to increase iron, and reduce T3 (thyroid hormone) so it may be contraindicated if you’re on thyroid medication. Always best to be aware and talk to your doctor.

During clinical studies, it was determined that there is a progression in the reduction of the menopausal symptoms women experienced between the 1-2 month mark of taking it regularly and continuously (6). The impact wasn’t immediately apparent. So this is one of the cool features about many adaptogens – they slowly build up their efficacy in your body, almost “talking” to your cells and chemical messengers and helping to modulate certain responses.

• Look for: Red Peruvian maca root variety (glucosinolate content)
• Take it: Stimulatory, so best taken early in the day.
• Consult with your doctor before using: if you’re on thyroid medication

Reishi mushroom

The Reishi mushroom (ganoderma lucidum) has long been used to promote health and longevity in many Asian countries (7). It can be found in powder or capsule form, and also in teas or tinctures. I’m currently taking another compound (prescribed by my doctor) that has Reishi in it along with other herbs so that’s my current form of ingestion.

Immune benefit: A lot of the research around this compound is in the field of oncology, as it shows immune supportive benefits. It boosts the immune response by increasing how the natural killer cells work against invading pathogenic bacteria and virus, and guards cells against antioxidant damage (8,9,10).

Brain benefit: It also has an impact on the central nervous system and exhibits anti-fatigue properties. It can increase concentration and focus, and with its effect on the neurotransmitters (dopamine and seratonin) it can help reduce anxiety (11).

Hormone benefit: Due to its ability to act as an estrogen modulator, it may give you a better effect from your body’s natural estrogen. So it has the potential to enhance your body’s natural estrogen effect, as well as the response your body has to it (12,13,14).

For peri and post menopausal women with low or fluctuating estrogen, this may be beneficial in helping to reduce some of the associated symptoms that come along with this time of hormone fluctuation, like the hot flashes and body temperature regulation.

• Look for: Dried powder with 20% beta glucan inclusion
• Take it: accounts differ for long term use, but Dr. Sims suggests a 12 week cycle with a 4 week break in between the next cycle.
• Consult with your doctor before using: Use can increase the risk of bleeding, so if you’re on anticoagulants it is contraindicated; contraindicated for those on blood pressure medication

Of additional interest in the mushroom category is cordyceps, which is a fungus that grows on the caterpillar of a moth. Its active components are adenosine and cordycepin, and it’s well known in the endurance training space for its ability to increase aerobic capacity. It impacts vasodilation and increases blood flow to the muscles while also increasing ATP levels.

It benefits the immune system and it can improve mood, focus, and decrease anxiety, and works as an antidepressant due to its adenosine concentration. It behaves in a similar way to a steroid hormone due to its similar molecular structure, and increases estrogen, progesterone and testosterone production.

My concern with this adaptogen and why I don’t personally use it anymore is the highly unsustainable manner in which it is being harvested. I bring this up as a point for consideration when sourcing your herbs and botanical compounds. If you are interested in sustainability in the herb market, check out the resources on the Sustainable Herbs Program from the American Botanical Council.

Rhodiola rosea

Rhodiola rosea is an herb that grows in cold regions of Europe and Asia, the roots of which are adaptogenic. You can find it as a capsule, powder or tincture. I’ve been taking it as a capsule.

Immune benefit: With its high polyphenol content (polyphenols combat oxidative stress and free radical damage) and its some 140 bioactive compounds (including salidroside and rosavins), Rhodiola has anti-inflammatory, immune boosting and neuroprotective benefits. It has shown to protect the mitochondria from damage and increases ATP synthesis (16).

Hormone benefit: Many studies have shown that it plays a role in improving the stress response, mitigating chronic stress, and supporting better sleep (15).

Due to its ability to affect the neurotransmitters (seratonin, dopamine and norepinephrine) helping to keep them from being degraded, it helps to decrease symptoms like anxiety and depression while enhancing relaxation which allows the brain to focus and work better (18).

When it comes to balancing the sex hormones, rhodiola acts as a selective estrogen reuptake modulator (SERM) (17). As estradiol (an important form of estrogen) declines as we approach menopause, rhodiola can modulate the receptor site which means that if you have too much estrogen it can exert a moderating effect, and if you have too little, it can act as a booster.

In turn, it reduces the impact of estrogen fluctuation and also supports heightened inflammation and vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats) that come along with peri menopause and early post menopause. Since mood swings, anxiety and depression are also hallmarks of this transitional life stage, rhodiola’s beneficial impact on the brain and neurotransmitters can improve these symptoms (19, 20).

• Look for: Standardized rhodiola root extract (0.8-1% salidroside, 3% rosavins)
• Take it: in the morning and/or afternoon (due to its stimulating affect), but not at night

Schisandra

Schisandra chinensis (which means 5-flavor fruit) is a plant with berries described to have 5 flavors. In traditional Chinese medicine, Schisandra is considered beneficial to the life force energy, or qi.

The dried berries are usually consumed in an extracted powder, capsule or tincture form. I’ve been taking a capsule. Due to their stimulating affect, taking them in the morning or early part of the day is advised.

Brain benefit: It stimulates the central nervous system, boosts your brain energy, and promotes better focus.

Energy benefit: It also induces oxidation in the mitochrondria, increasing aerobic capacity which teaches the mitochondria within the muscle cells to increase fatty acid use.

Hormone benefit: Schisandra acts as a mild phytoestrogen (plant-derived estrogen), which can help modulate (synergize) the impact of fluctuating estrogen (21). This can be beneficial for both young women just starting their period, as well as women in perimenopause and menopause.

For women with estrogen dominance (common during peri menopause) it can decrease the breakdown of estrogen and the sensitivity of the receptor sites, mitigating the impact of heightened estrogen.

With its affect on estrogen, it can increase the blood vessels’ ability to constrict or dilate, helping them to be more responsive. It can support vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels), which helps with hypertension or high blood pressure, and also helps modulate symptoms like hot flashes, heart palpitations and sweating (22).

• Take it: in the AM (due to stimulatory impact)
• Note: takes around 2 weeks to kick in
• Consult with your doctor before using: do not take in high doses as it may result in gastric symptoms like heartburn. May not be appropriate for those with ulcers, GERD or high stomach acid. May reduce appetite. May not be appropriate for pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Siberian Ginseng

Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) commonly found as “eleuthero root” has been commonly used in traditional Korean medicine to strengthen muscle and bone.

Immune benefit: It reduces inflammation and boosting the immune system, and enhances physical performance (23).

Hormone benefit: Another stress-protective adaptogen that counters cortisol, siberian ginseng helps to reduce the fight or flight response. It modulates the awakening cortisol, decreasing the sensitivity of our cortisol receptors.

Decreasing the stimulation of chronic stress helps reduce brain fog, and improves focus. It decreases anxiety and can help with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Siberian ginseng can increase or boost the effects of our own natural estrogen, which is beneficial for peri and post menopausal women. With the decline in estrogen post menopause, women are more susceptible to bone loss and fractures. A Korean study on post menopausal women showed that Eleutherococcus helped to prevent bone loss (25).

Another study found that supplementation enhanced endurance capacity, elevated cardiovascular function, and altered the metabolism for sparing glycogen (24). Other studies have shown blood glucose improvement.

• Note: its effectiveness builds up in the system over the course of a few weeks
• Look for: 0.5% of the eleutheroside E and a 3% eleutheroside B
• Take it: for 8 weeks, then 2-3 weeks off then build up again

Resources and References:

For more about training with your cycle, and peri and post menopause:

• Guide to Training with Your Cycle: covers the entire life cycle, touches on the pill, and peri and post menopause
• Part 1 Podcast interview with Dr. Stacy Sims – covers the hormones of the menstrual cycle and training strategies for women throughout their life
• Part 2 Podcast interview with Dr. Stacy Sims – covers the hormone shift in peri and post menopause (helpful to hear the hormones covered in part 1 first), training strategies, nutrition strategies for all life cycles, and information about intermittent fasting and the keto diet for women
• Roar by Dr. Stacy Sims
• Dr. Stacy Sims Women are Not Small Men course
• Dr. Stacy Sims Menopause for Athletes course
• For more information about perimenopause and menopause, please see the wonderful resources available from the North American Menopause Society.

The post 6 Adaptogens that Support Hormone Balance appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Welcome to The Betty Rocker Show, the place to be to nourish your mind, love your body, and rock your life.

In part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Stacy Sims, we’re diving into training and nutrition strategies for women leading up to and post-menopause, plus guidance for phasing your training if you’re still having a regular cycle – and discussing 2 popular diet strategies – Intermittent fasting and Keto – and if they are effective for active women.

Dr. Sims is an applied researcher, innovator, and entrepreneur in human performance, specifically sex differences in training, nutrition, and environmental conditions.

She served as an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist at Stanford University from 2007 to 2012, where she specialized in sex differences with environmental and nutritional considerations for recovery and performance, specializing in women’s health and performance.

A regularly featured speaker at professional and academic conferences, including those hosted by US Olympic Committee, High-Performance Sport NZ, and USA Cycling, she is a Senior Research Associate at AUT University and resides at the beach in Mt. Maunganui, New Zealand with her husband and young daughter.

This is a 2-part series, so get ready to learn a lot and start applying it right away! Listen to Part 1, Eating and Training with Your Cycle here.

From her site:

“My vision is a world of healthy women who understand their bodies, know how to work with their unique physiology, know their periods are ergogenic aids and create positivity around being a woman in sport. 

Together we can shift the destructive narrative and elevate women in research, science, and sport.“

In This Episode You’ll Discover:

Reintroduction to Dr. Stacy Sims [0:57] 

• Checking in with you – did you take last week’s challenge
• What we’re talking about today

Nutrition and training considerations for those in peri or post menopause [2:37]

• Body changes we notice once we hit our 40’s
• What’s happening to our estrogen and progesterone ratios
• How this impacts insulin
• How we can use nutrition and training to level the playing field
• Protein 101
• Reducing steady state training and why
• Resistance Training Guide
• ‘Polarizing’ our training and how that supports us in reaching our goals
• How high intensity work supports our body composition
• Cardio and HIIT Training Guide
• Why it’s important to increase protein intake
• How heavy lifting and high intensity work plus a protein dose drive muscle protein synthesis
• How Muscle Works
• Shifting our nutrition to support gut health with fruit and veggie form of carbs
• Carbs 101
• Why women think they need to train more and eat less and why that’s not helping

“Lifting heavy” is relative to where you’re starting out [7:22] 

• Start with a foundation and build on it
• Adding resistance is important but you don’t go from bodyweight workouts to Olympic lifting overnight
• The importance of building a functional foundation for building muscle
• Foundations of Functional Fitness free training workshop

Lioness Strength Training Program [9:18]

This podcast is brought to you by Lioness, my 8- week strength training program. Feel empowered, strengthen your body and sculpt your strongest, fittest physique at any age.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Lioness Strength Training Program!

Phasing your training when you’re still cycling [11:13] 

• Low hormone phase/follicular phase training recommendations
• Ovulation training recommendations
• High hormone phase/luteal phase training recommendations
• 5-7 days prior to your period and training tips
• Advantages to training as a woman
• The mentality of “exercise more and eat less”

Training post-menopause (and peri-menopause) and polarizing your training  [14:50] 

• Why we don’t want to get into the grey zone
• Use a heart rate monitor for rest/easy days to ensure you’re having enough recovery
• How polarized training drives adaptations, strength gains and body composition changes

Keep your rest days in mind prior to menopause as well [17:34]

• My example of how I track my cycle and optimize my training
• How much I loved the Women Are Not Small Men course
• The importance of tracking and listening to your body

What Low Energy Availability (LEA) is and how it impacts us [18:58]

• Over 50% of recreational athletes are in LEA
• Our baseline needs for calories just to exist may be higher than you realize
• Why online calorie trackers and apps are driving this issue
• Why your body needs a certain baseline of nutrients
• When we’re not eating enough and adding training on top this creates LEA
• How this impacts the thyroid, metabolic rate, low blood sugar
• How LEA increases fat storage and breaks down muscle tissue
• The importance of nutrient timing and fueling when around your activities
• Why LEA is such a health concern and how stress compounds it
• Where calories come from and the quality of your food sources of them impact your outcomes far more than the “amount of calories”
• The importance of a balanced diet and ensuring you have adequate protein consumption
• The importance of upping your protein intake in your 40’s to drive the adaptation needed for body composition changes

The Body Fuel System [25:19]

Today’s podcast is brought to you by the Body Fuel System! My signature 6-week eating system has a customizable eating plan designed to sculpt your body from the inside out with done for you daily menus, grocery lists, simple meal prep tips and so much more!
Click here to learn more!

Intermittent fasting for women [26:53]

• Fasting without exercise in the general health population and its outcomes in that context
• Fasting results for lean or slightly overweight individual who are exercising and fasting
• Sex differences with exercise and fasting
• The brain physiology differences in women and men
• Caloric restriction and exercise and how this impacts women’s neurons, drives body fat storage, endocrine and menstrual cycle dysfunction
• Low energy availability differences between men and women
• Fasted training impacts on women
•  Outcomes of fasted training compounded with heightened cortisol
• The long-term issues with IF
• The way long term IF use with women impacts their brain, body composition and health markers
• How to garner the benefits of IF as a woman
• How exercise gives you many of the same benefits as a woman that IF claims to

Does fasting work for women post-menopause better than it does for women who are still cycling? [34:30]

• How fasted training puts more stress on the system post-menopause
• Stacy’s tips for approaching IF as a woman at any stage of life

Does the keto diet work well for women? [35:56]

• The original research about the keto diet on a clinical population of obese men
• The difference between a clinical population and a regular, exercising population
• What keto is beneficial for: traumatic brain injury (TBI), epilepsy, brain energetic issues
• How keto translates as a weight loss strategy in men vs women
• Why women need more carbohydrate for natural functioning of the endocrine system
• Research on the keto diet is coming from subjects who are male or from a clinical population
• The research doesn’t support long-term benefits for healthy, active women
• The impact heavy marketing can have on our choice to diet
• There is no short cut or fast fix to a healthy body
• The value of Dr. Stacy Sims’ work for women’s health

This Week’s Challenge(s) [42:39]

One of the biggest drivers of poor sleep is eating too close to bedtime. Rest and digest is parasympathetic, so if you’re digesting, you can’t rest. If we back up our food, we get better sleep.

Try out not eating 2 hours before bed, and see how that helps with your sleep.

Read: Save Your Sleep from Dr. Stacy Sims

Check out my Comprehensive guide to training with your cycle which includes:

• Your cycle as an advantage
• Continuing education opportunities and resources to learn more about cycle training
• The phases of a natural menstrual cycle
• Training considerations and tips for each phase of the menstrual cycle
• Nutrition considerations and resources
• Considerations for those using an oral contraceptive pill
• Peri and post-menopause considerations and training tips

Coming up next: I’m talking to Dr. Shawn Tassone – women’s hormone health expert and functional gynocologist who I worked with to remove a device called Essure. Join us for our conversation about common hormone imbalances in women, my journey with this medical device, and so much more!

How to connect with Dr. Stacy Sims

• Dr. Stacy Sims online courses
• Dr. Stacy Sims Instagram
• Dr. Stacy Sims Facebook page

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too! Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast player to be alerted when new shows drop!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too!

Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast
player to be alerted when new shows drop!

ABOUT THE BETTY ROCKER SHOW:

Join me for open and thought provoking discussions about health, fitness, and how to stop undermining ourselves – and start taking meaningful action that makes us role models to others…

….and, listen in on my intimate conversations with amazing thought leaders, health care professionals, athletes and celebrities to learn their secrets and insights for overcoming life’s challenges, living longer, healthier, stronger and more #flawsome lives.

New shows are released every other week during Season 2 of The Betty Rocker Show.

Subscribe on your favorite player today!

The post S2 – 4: Eating and Training with Your Cycle (Part 2) – Menopause, IF and Keto with Dr. Stacy Sims appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Your cycle as an advantage

While you’re in the phase of life where you’re having regular periods, you may feel intuitively that you just don’t have as much drive during the days leading up to your period. And you may notice that certain times of the month you are able to absolutely crush your workouts.

If you’ve reached the life stage where your period has slowed down or stopped, you’re likely also noticing changes in your energy, drive and body composition. All of these changes, including the cyclical nature of our energy when we’re still having regular periods, are related to the interplay of key hormones – notably estrogen and progesterone, and their impact on every cell in our body.

I was very curious about this topic, as I noticed shifts in my energy when it came to working out over the course of the month. As I have so many women readers who are in their peri and post-menopause years (not to mention I’m heading that way myself) I was also very interested in what adaptations we can make at that life stage as well.

To learn about the science of our cycle and the training advantages it provides for women, I took a continuing education course for coaches and trainers (appropriate for anyone interested in learning this material) with Dr. Stacy Sims, a renowned scientist and researcher who studies sex differences in fitness and nutrition.

The course is called “Women are Not Small Men” and I would recommend it to anyone who would like to go deeper with this knowledge. When comparing ourselves to our male counterparts, we often take for granted that we ought to be able to perform “the same” all month long, or “the same” after menopause.

This can lead to feelings of inadequacy or shame when we feel tired, are bleeding, or are in other ways impacted by the natural rhythms we experience – rather than identifying our physiology as unique, and ourselves as badass women who have a complex system that requires space for the ebb and flow of our energy.

When I learned how all this works, it was a joy to begin to practice and I felt the impacts quickly.

Not only did I enjoy pushing hard when I naturally had the drive to do so, I gave myself permission to go slower and restore myself. I felt better physically and mentally as a pressure I didn’t even realize I was putting on myself was lifted.

I found it was easy to make minor adjustments to any training program and suit where I was at in my cycle – and I expect you’ll be able to do the same (examples included below!).

Since we’re all going to have variations in our cycle length and phase length, and may be in different stages of our life cycle (i.e. menstrual, peri-menopause or post-menopause), it is best to learn about the different stages so you can apply it to yourself individually.

Don’t worry if a program isn’t written “for your cycle” – with this information you can use any program and make it right for you wherever you’re at. You can use the Wild.ai app to track your cycle and get training and nutrition tips for where you’re at – developed by Dr Sims and her team!

For more in depth on these topics, check out Dr. Sims’ website and courses, and the 2-part podcast interview I did with her where she summarizes training and nutrition considerations during our menstrual years, during post menopause, and discusses training considerations for those on the pill and using an IUD, and much more.

• Part 1: Eating and Training with your cycle with Dr. Stacy Sims
• Part 2: Eating and Training with your cycle with Dr. Stacy Sims

Let’s start by understanding how our natural cycle looks, and considering the length of each of YOUR phases.

In the diagram below a “textbook” menstrual cycle of 28 days is represented. While it is helpful to see the phases broken out, keep in mind that the length of women’s menstrual cycles and the phases it contains actually varies. For instance, you may have a 3 day period, or a 5 day period (bleed). You may ovulate on day 12 or on day 15, which changes the length of your follicular phase.

Some women have a longer cycle of 35-40 days total, while others have a cycle as short as 21 days. Both ends of the spectrum and everything in between are considered normal.

Normal Menstrual Cycle

Tracking your cycle

Knowing when you ovulate and knowing when you menstruate will help you determine the type of training that will benefit you the most during each phase of your cycle, and determine the length of each phase. This is why you shouldn’t blanket apply a “4-week” or “28 day” training cycle to yourself if your menstrual cycle isn’t 28 days long.

• Track the length of your entire cycle – from when your period starts to when your next period begins (helpful to do monthly)
• Track the length of your period, and how long your low hormone phase (follicular phase) is – which goes from when you begin your period until you ovulate.
• Track ovulation, either by getting body temperature readings from a device like this, or using a urine analysis tracker like Clearblue, Pregmate, or other. As of this post release, the Oura ring 3rd generation which is currently in release contains an upgraded operating system and more sensitive metrics which help predict ovulation and track our cycle – I’ll be reporting back on my findings once I get my new ring to let you know how accurate this is.
• Track the length of your high hormone phase (luteal phase), which is just after ovulation until your period begins again.

Tracking your cycle is a great way to start to know which phase of it you’re in so you can start using this information to optimize your nutrition and training.

The Follicular phase, also known as the “low hormone phase” is from the start of your period until ovulation.

Your uterine lining starts to thicken, waiting for a fertilized egg to implant. Estrogen rises, and is higher than progesterone meaning your body is well set up to increase muscle mass. Your core temperature is in a normal range, helping you get deep, restorative sleep.

This segment of your cycle is called the “low hormone phase” because in contrast to the luteal phase where both estrogen and progesterone are elevated, only estrogen is elevated in this segment and it tapers up.

Progesterone increases protein breakdown where estrogen is anabolic – meaning it helps increase lean mass. This is why in the first half of your cycle when estrogen predominates over progesterone, you have a greater opportunity for gains in your training and can more efficiently build muscle.

• Training in the low hormone phase is all about strength and power. You may hit PR’s (personal records), have great energy to push harder and farther, and can work on upping your weight in your resistance training.
• This is assuming you are eating enough to support your training, prioritizing your sleep, and not allowing stress to overwhelm you.
• If you’re taking a Betty Rocker challenge or program, this is the phase of your cycle to give it your all. Try moves you haven’t been able to do before.
• Up your resistance. Go hard, and go longer if you have time by adding an additional round to the workout, or even repeating the entire workout if it’s shorter and you still have energy.
• During this phase of your cycle, you can really go for it with endurance, strength and power-type workouts. That could be high intensity interval training (HIIT), resistance training, or any type of more challenging, high-volume activity.

Ovulation

FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone) peak, causing the release of an egg from the ovary. Just prior to ovulation estrogen peaks then drops off. Progesterone begins to rise.

• Training: During the short ovulation window, you can generally continue to go hard in your training (unless your energy feels low for any reason).
• Similar to the low hormone/follicular phase, you can continue to do endurance or strength and power type workouts. That could be high intensity interval training, resistance training, or any type of more challenging activity.
• If you experience an energy drop however, listen to your body and back off on intensity.

The Luteal Phase, also known as the “high hormone phase” occurs after ovulation.

The egg travels down the fallopian tube towards the uterus, where it will attach to the uterine lining and may be fertilized.

Progesterone is increasingly heightened, and is now the dominant player in relation to estrogen, however estrogen still has a presence.

Progesterone increases our respiration rate. It alters the sweat threshold and has a thermogenic effect. As it rises in the luteal phase, it elevates our core temperature as much as 0.5 C. This can impact sleep – as in it becomes harder in the second half of your cycle to get that good, deep sleep.

• Training: After ovulation, it’s ideal to begin to monitor your energy and stamina as the rise in progesterone will impact your recovery and ability to push hard in your workouts. Personally, I experience this gradually over the first week post-ovulation.
• You can taper your training down in intensity in whatever way feels natural to you, and even focus on more steady state cardiovascular training.
• Simply having the mindset that the body is shifting has been tremendously helpful to me – knowing that I don’t have to have the same expectation of my output in the luteal phase helps me shift easily into training adaptations that feel good to my body.
• For instance, if I’m weight training I might start the workout with a heavier load, and decrease the weight amount as I go through subsequent rounds (reverse pyramid training).
• I might also simply use less resistance altogether, and do higher reps, do bodyweight training, or do the low-impact version of more high intensity moves and focus more on form.
• I might also opt for a steady state cardiovascular workout on some of the days I was doing more high impact training in the follicular phase.
• In the latter part of the luteal phase (days 5-7 or so before your period depending on your cycle length), you may feel a little more fatigued, due to estrogen and progesterone crossing to the brain and effecting the central nervous system. It’s a great time to really lower the resistance (weight), focus on technique drills, and swap in more mobility and functional movement skills classes.
• This is a good time for maintenance and recovery type sessions, slow, recuperative movement, and less cardio-focused workouts. That might be yoga, functional movement drills, bodyweight low impact training, or anything that feels restorative to you.

When it comes to a 4 week program like the example, remember that how you feel throughout the challenge has to do with where you’re at in your cycle, and that if you start the challenge during the follicular phase of your cycle (menstruation through ovulation) you may experience a drop of energy after you ovulate and move into the luteal phase – which could be closer to the end of the challenge.

• Listen to your body and adapt if your energy is dropping during any point in the challenge program.
• You can supplement with workouts from the Class Library (available in the member’s area in Rock Your Life, over 1000 classes to choose from) and swap in a few days of mobility or yoga if you’re not feeling up for a strength and power workout (which is recommended in the days leading up to your period as you’re in the tail end of the luteal phase).
• You can also do the prescribed workout and give yourself permission to move more slowly, use less intensity or resistance, and even do less rounds.
• Just because you’re at the end of a program doesn’t mean you’re always supposed to be “going harder” than you did at the start. If the end of a challenge lines up with when you’re in your luteal phase, give yourself space to back off.

Menstruation

While this is technically at the start of your cycle and included in the follicular phase, I’ve listed it last as it makes a bit more sense once you understand all the other stages of your cycle.

This is represented above in the diagram at the beginning of the chart and estrogen and progesterone are lowered after the end of the previous cycle, signaling blood and tissues lining the uterus to break down and shed from the body.

You may have less energy during your bleeding time than after it stops, but many women begin to feel more energized as progesterone drops down, reducing their core temperature and estrogen once again takes a front seat.

• Training: This is really up to you. If you feel tired, do more gentle movement and things that feel restorative throughout menstruation – similar to what you were doing leading up to it.
• If you begin to feel energized and strong, you can begin training at a volume that suits you, like we talked about with the follicular phase.
• This can be a transitionary phase, and you may shift through feeling low energy to higher energy over the course of your bleed as your body starts to feel the effects of the low hormone phase. Listen to your body and stay nourished, hydrated, and rested.
• Check out this great “Period Power” article from Dr. Sims about training with your period.

Nutrition considerations and resources

One of the most essential things to consider when you’re training regularly is that you are adequately fueled for your training.  Going into your workouts fueled is going to allow for adaptations and energy output, and help you preserve the lean mass you have so you can build more.

You also want to be fueling post-workout with protein and carbohydrates as soon as possible to stop the catabolism of our muscle tissue. Dr. Sims recommends fueling up between 30-45 minutes post-workout. Your body won’t start repairing until you’ve had some food.

Your body needs enough amino acids for muscle protein synthesis, not to mention enzyme and hormone function, brain health and your immune system.

The essential amino acid leucine is integral to muscle protein synthesis, and ensuring that you have enough of this amino acid (along with all the essential aminos that your body cannot make on its own) will certainly support your training goals.

As a result, prioritize your protein intake through your entire cycle – aiming for at least 20-30 grams of protein per meal if you’re under 40, and between 30-40 grams per meal if you’re over 40.

I use a protein powder like I Vanilla Protein to boost the protein content of my breakfast foods, as a shake post workout, or even if I’m going to do a morning workout and need a little fuel going into it to help me access my best output.

Because I tend to perform best an hour or so after a meal, I like to work out an hour or so after breakfast, and have a protein shake with fruit afterwards. Just like the protein from whole foods, a protein powder has to break down after you ingest it for your body to access the amino acids.

During my workouts, I drink a free-form amino acid supplement Rock and Restore, which contains all of the essential and branch chain amino acids (including an optimal dose of leucine) to keep my muscle tissue fueled.

In their free form, aminos do not have to be broken down, making them a great supplement to support you during your workout, and also help improve recovery.

This prioritization of protein is especially important in the high hormone phase (after you ovulate) as your body is in a continuous breakdown state with elevated cortisol and progesterone, breaking down more tissue. Be sure you’re adding protein to each meal, and consider using a quality protein shake to conveniently boost your daily intake.

Prioritizing quality, complex carbohydrates around your training (and quick carbs during your training for longer training sessions) is essential for both recovery and energy to push through your workouts.

Dr. Sims and I discuss our needs for protein, carbohydrates and fat in this podcast and I highly recommend this resource.

Low energy availability (LEA) is a far more common occurrence in women than men, as many of us are not eating enough for our needs – whether because of the demands on our time and lack of prioritization, or because we’re intentionally cutting calories or skipping meals. Being in an underfed state causes cortisol to rise, which increases fat storage.

I recommend checking out:

• Are you undernourished?
• Yes, you are an athlete – no, you shouldn’t practice intermittent fasting
• As well as our conversation about fasting and the keto diet as they relate to women in part 2 of our interview on The Betty Rocker Show podcast.

Considerations for training if you’re on the pill

An oral contraceptive pill (OCP) will modify your body’s natural estrogen and progesterone cycling by delivering a low dose of hormones on a daily basis. The week that you are on the sugar pill is the week your body bleeds, but it is not the same as regular menstruation.

• Training: Because of the variation from what your body would do naturally you can still “periodize” your training by doing more high-volume training in the first 3 weeks, and backing off during the sugar pill week that you bleed.

For more on how the pill impacts your training capacity, read this article from Dr. Stacy Sims, and listen to the interviews I did with her on The Betty Rocker Show, parts 1 and 2. To learn even more about the pill and how it impacts your body, check out the podcast interview with Dr. Jolene Brighten.

Perimenopause and post-menopause considerations and training tips

When we get into peri-menopause (the period of time leading up to menopause), our cycle length may become a bit erratic as we stop ovulating on the same schedule and our hormone levels fluctuate in response. We don’t get the same length of low and high hormone phases, and your period may come at unexpected times.

In menopause, we no longer ovulate and our estrogen and progesterone flatline. In both of these stages of life, specific training adaptations are recommended to help you navigate these fluctuations and stay strong, or even build strength.

Menstrual Cycle in the years before and after menopause

• Training: One of the essential pieces of your training during this stage of life is to avoid what Dr. Sims calls the “grey zone.” This is what we get into when we don’t take adequate rest and instead are pushing ourselves to exercise day after day.
• Without proper rest, we can never hit truly high intensities in the workouts that we do, because we’re never fully recovered.
• And this is the stage of life when we want to be hitting those high intensities, both with high intensity interval training (HIIT) style workouts, and ramping up the resistance training to add more load to the body.
• Both of these types of higher volume training force adaptations that will enable us to maintain and build lean mass. But we must be properly rested to take advantage of these adaptations.
• Because we no longer have the fluctuations of estrogen and progesterone to drive lean mass development, we need to increase the training stimulus in other ways.
•  Sleep and hot flashes: I would also recommend prioritizing sleep (see this article for some great tips) and using a Chilipad mattress topper during peri-menopause to regulate body temperature and improve deep, restorative rest. In her Women are Not Small Men course, Dr. Sims discussed improving your heat tolerance by using a sauna, something you can try out to help your body acclimate to hot flashes more easily.
• Nutrition: It’s even more essential than ever to focus on protein intake, prioritizing leucine (one of the essential amino acids responsible for muscle protein synthesis) as we stop absorbing aminos as readily in our 40’s and beyond. So increasing protein to 30-40 grams per meal, prioritizing being adequately fueled before and after training, and focusing on fruit and vegetable sources of carbohydrates and minimizing sugar intake will all support a leaner body composition and improve training results.

While this article is far from comprehensive, I hope it has given you a good foundation to build upon. I’m practicing this myself by tracking my cycle each month, and using where I’m at to be more adaptable with my training.

If you’re interested in learning more from Dr. Stacy Sims, follow her on Instagram – she posts so many great and informative posts, and releases excellent content on her website as well. Check out her course offerings, too – she has a menopause course as well, and a membership where she regularly puts out new modules and content from her research and from new research available.

Thanks for taking the time to read through this today, and I wish you nothing but success as you navigate life in your amazing female physique!

The post How to Train Through the Stages of Your Cycle appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Welcome to The Betty Rocker Show, the place to be to nourish your mind, love your body, and rock your life.

When it comes to exercise and nutrition, women need different strategies than men in order to take advantage of the unique physiology of the menstrual cycle and the stages of their life cycle due to shifting hormones and how they impact the body.

Previous research on fitness and nutrition has largely been focused on male test subjects, leaving women out of the equation.

Dr. Stacy Sims is here to dive into how our amazing female physiology works in relation to our hormone cycles – through our menstrual years and post menopause, and break down some of the strategies you can harness to take advantage of the cyclical nature of your hormones in relation to your eating and training.

Dr. Sims is an applied researcher, innovator, and entrepreneur in human performance, specifically sex differences in training, nutrition, and environmental conditions.

She served as an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist at Stanford University from 2007 to 2012, where she specialized in sex differences with environmental and nutritional considerations for recovery and performance, specializing in women’s health and performance.

A regularly featured speaker at professional and academic conferences, including those hosted by US Olympic Committee, High-Performance Sport NZ, and USA Cycling, she is a Senior Research Associate at AUT University and resides at the beach in Mt. Maunganui, New Zealand with her husband and young daughter.

This is a 2-part series, so get ready to learn a lot and start applying it right away! Coming up in part 2 of this conversation we’ll be talking more about peri and post menopause, more training and nutrition considerations for all of us, as well as discussing intermittent fasting and the keto diet and if the research really supports them for women. You won’t want to miss it.

From her site: “My vision is a world of healthy women who understand their bodies, know how to work with their unique physiology, know their periods are ergogenic aids and create positivity around being a woman in sport. 

Together we can shift the destructive narrative and elevate women in research, science, and sport.“

In This Episode You’ll Discover:

Meet Dr. Stacy Sims [1:03]

• Dr. Stacy Sims website
• TED Talk: Women are Not Small Men
• ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life

The female cycle through the life cycle [4:37]

• Puberty
• Pre-menopause – our reproductive years
  • Low hormone phase – the follicular phase phase (see diagram below)
  • High hormone phase – the luteal phase (see diagram below)
  • The length of the menstrual cycle

• Our 40’s and peri-menopause
  • The changing cycles of estrogen and progesterone
• Menopause and post menopause

The jobs of estrogen and progesterone during our reproductive years [10:00]

• Low hormone phase: the start of your cycle
• Why studying women only in the low hormone phase doesn’t give us the full picture
• Ovulation and how it affects the hormone levels
• Estrogen’s impact on the system
• High hormone phase and the rise of progesterone
• Progesterone’s impact on the system
• When the period starts
• Impacts of the high hormone phase on energy
• Impact of the high hormone phase on exercise
• Impacts of high hormone phase on sleep
• Oura Ring – sleep tracker
• Recap of the phases of the menstrual cycle

Considerations for those on an oral contraceptive pill (OCP) [15:08]

• How the OCP affects the menstrual cycle
• The “half life” of the pill
• Side effects of the pill
• Types of OCP and their impact on our body
• Women are Not Small Men course that I’m referring to as “the class” I took with Dr. Sims

Considerations for using an IUD [18:16]

• Hormone considerations and effect from using an IUD
• How the IUD impacts the body
• Reasons women are put on the pill and the issues it does and doesn’t address

The importance of working with our body [20:35]

• The mental baggage that has come with becoming a woman and going through puberty
• Our responsibility to learn how our bodies work
• Supporting our teenage girls
• How the menstrual cycle has been put in the “taboo box”
• Male coaches and the opportunity for them to learn a new approach that includes conversations about the menstrual cycle and its impact

Coaching with Betty Rocker [23:06]

Today’s podcast is brought to you by ROCK YOUR LIFE! My online home workout studio, where you can take as many 30-day challenges as you like for consistent, sustainable progress! For added variety, we offer 5 new classes each week, healthy recipes, a private women’s only support community and MORE!

New members can get a 30-Day Trial RIGHT HERE!

The high school home-ec class I dreamed up [24:58]

• How this project already exists: the case study [25:41]
• Social pressures around the menstrual cycle, tracking and PMS
• The outcome of this study on the boys who participated
• The long-term ramifications this kind of class could have

Training and nutrition considerations with the natural menstrual cycle [28:20]

• Low hormone phase impact on carbohydrate and protein use
• Women’s need for protein
• Protein 101
• Women’s need for protein in the low and high hormone phases
• Peri and Post-menopause increased needs for protein
• Anabolic resistance post-menopause

Berry Green Protein [31:21]

This podcast is brought to you by Berry Green Protein, my 100% organic, high protein, nutrient-dense whole food powder. Get your greens and protein all in one delicious smooth, strawberry vanilla flavored shake!

CLICK HERE to learn more about Berry Green Protein!

Carbohydrate considerations in the low and high hormone phases [33:58]

• Why women need more carbohydrates than men
• The low hormone phase and carbohydrate use
• Carbohydrates 101
• Why it’s so important to eat post-exercise during the low hormone phase
• Why we must be cognizant of fueling before, during and after workouts from ovulation and into the high hormone phase
• Longer workouts may require fuel during a workout
• How Muscle Works
• Why we need available carbohydrate when we’re exercising
• Body composition considerations – muscle vs. fat
• Fueling for our workouts rather than focusing on calories in vs. calories out
• The damaging impact of diet culture
• The quality of our carbohydrates matter
• Carbohydrates in and around training
• Dark Chocolate Protein Energy Balls Recipe
• Carbohydrate foods that support your body the most
• Sugar’s impact on gut health and overgrowth of gut bacteria
• High hormone phase goals and carbohydrate consumption considerations
• Women’s negative self-talk about cravings and sweets during the high hormone phase, when it needs more carbohydrates
• Not eating enough in general and the vicious cycle that creates
• The catabolic state we get into when we’re stressed or underfed, and how that impacts exercise results

Dietary Fat and where it fits into your eating and training [44:08]

• How healthy fat benefits your body
• Healthy Fat 101
• How much of your daily intake should be fat, carbohydrate and protein

Coming up next week, we’ll be talking more about peri and post menopause, training and nutrition considerations when you’re in that stage of life, more training and nutrition considerations for all of us at every stage of life, as well as discussing intermittent fasting and the keto diet and if the research really supports them for women. You won’t want to miss it.

This Week’s Challenge(s) [45:20]

1: Dr Sims offered up a great challenge for those of you who are having regular periods, which is to track your cycle. 

• Track the length of your entire cycle – from when your period starts to when your next period begins (helpful to do monthly)
• Track the length of your period, and how long your low hormone phase (follicular phase) is – which goes from when you begin your period until you ovulate.
• Track ovulation, either by getting body temperature readings from a device like this, or using a urine analysis tracker like Clearblue, Pregmate, or other. As of this post release, the Oura ring 3rd generation which is currently in release contains an upgraded operating system and more sensitive metrics which help predict ovulation and track our cycle – I’ll be reporting back on my findings once I get my new ring to let you know how accurate this is.
• Track the length of your high hormone phase (luteal phase), which is just after ovulation until your period begins again.

Tracking your cycle is a great way to start to know which phase of it you’re in so you can start using this information to optimize your nutrition and training.

2: As a second piece to this challenge, she suggested that we notice and track how we’re feeling energetically when we wake up, and throughout the day as it relates to how we’re fueling ourselves.

• When do we have the best energy?
• Is our energy steady throughout the day or does it drop off and then surge again?
• What do you notice?

This part of the challenge is appropriate for you at any stage of your menstrual cycle – including when you’re having a regular menstrual cycle to peri and post-menopause.

How to connect with Dr. Sims

• Dr. Stacy Sims online courses
• Dr. Stacy Sims Instagram
• Dr. Stacy Sims Facebook page

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too! Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast player to be alerted when new shows drop!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too!

Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast
player to be alerted when new shows drop!

ABOUT THE BETTY ROCKER SHOW:

Join me for open and thought provoking discussions about health, fitness, and how to stop undermining ourselves – and start taking meaningful action that makes us role models to others…

….and, listen in on my intimate conversations with amazing thought leaders, health care professionals, athletes and celebrities to learn their secrets and insights for overcoming life’s challenges, living longer, healthier, stronger and more #flawsome lives.

New shows are released every other week during Season 2 of The Betty Rocker Show.

Subscribe on your favorite player today!

The post S2 – 3: Eating and Training with Your Cycle (Part 1) with Dr. Stacy Sims appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Welcome to The Betty Rocker Show, the place to be to nourish your mind, love your body, and rock your life.

In this episode I’m joined by the one and only Dr Cleopatra, a scientist and university professor who pioneered the field of fertility-biohacking and created the term “superbabies.”

She has scientifically studied tens of thousands of women and families and has helped women in 21 countries on 6 continents have their superbabies, and her work has been cited in over 1,000 scientific studies in the past 5 years alone.

As the Executive Director The Fertility and Pregnancy Institute, and known as “The Fertility Strategist,” she is an amazing contributor to our ongoing conversation surrounding women’s health.

The Fertility & Pregnancy Institute supports women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s to reverse reproductive aging, get pregnant quickly and easily, reduce miscarriage risk and finally have the superbaby they have been dreaming of for as long as they can remember.

In this episode we explore the science of epigenetics, and the powerful window of time before pregnancy (which she refers to as the primester) when you have the ability to change the quality and expression of the genes that you pass down to your babies and future grandbabies.

We also look at fertility and how it impacts your overall health as well as the importance of taking care of your unique and amazing body. No matter what stage of life you are in, this conversation will benefit you!

From her site: “Dr. Cleopatra’s mission is to see what others can’t using the best of love, science, and commitment to help ensure that your fertility keeps up with your high-achieving life so that you get to have as many superbabies as your heart desires.”

In this episode you’ll discover:

Why fertility is important for your overall health (2:25)

• Why fertility is important for mental and physical health
• Being a good role model for the people in our lives

Dr. Cleopatra’s journey (3:37)

• Why she’s “obsessed” with creating healthy families and babies
• How her mother’s death at birth impacted her
• Why she believes reproduction is the most important thing in life
• Her passion to help others with reproduction
• The lives she has changed with her mission

The concept of the Primester (6:16)

• What the primester is
• The power of this window of time
• How the primester is used to ignite and extend fertility
• The Fertility and Pregnancy Institute
• Her mission to create “super babies”

The importance of Epigenetics (7:38)

• What is epigenetics
• How we can influence our genes
• Epigenetics and its role during the primester
• Creating superbabies and super grandbabies with epigenetic inheritance
• Healing yourself and future generations with The Primester Protocol

The concept of “Superbabies” (13:55)

• What a superbaby is
• How anyone can create a superbaby
• The importance of community for your children
• The importance of community for parents

Revolutionary Fertility (19:34)

• What revolutionary fertility is
• Why you deserve the family and life that you want

The core values of The Fertility and Pregnancy Institute (20:49)

• How Dr. Cleopatra makes her program inclusive for everyone
• Why she believes primestering is one of the highest forms of activism
• Why primestering is one of the most important things you can do for the future
• The importance of clarity around your values

Why longevity and fertility are connected (24:38)

• The process of ageing
• How the same processes that lead to ageing contribute to fertility
• Why we want to primester for longevity
• How the primester can help with fertility challenges
• How the primester can help you find hope again amidst fertility challenges
• The importance of being proactive in your health

What you need to know to have babies later in life (29:38)

• The most important thing you can do for yourself
• The importance of planning for your fertility
• The role the primester plays in fertility
• Dr. Cleopatra’s challenge to herself and her fertility
• The importance of collecting data on your body and cycle
• The importance of preparing your body physically and psychologically for pregnancy

The Primester Protocol (35:00)

• The role of the 4 Pillars of Health
• The role of egg quality in fertility
• The importance of listening to your body
• How you can change your rate of ageing
• How a longer life increases your reproductive span

The importance of the 4 Pillars of Health for fertility (39:03)

• The foundations of the 4 pillars of health
• The power you have to change your genes

The fertility pyramid (40:40)

• The complex network of your biological clock and fertility
• The five levels of the fertility pyramid
• You hold the power over your fertility pyramid
• The role of stress and trauma

What you want in life is meant for you (44:14)

• There is hope for you no matter what situation you are in
• Why self love is important

How to connect with Dr. Cleopatra

• Her website
• Free Fertility Checklist
• The Primester Protocol
• Her Instagram: @doctor_cleopatra
• The Fertility and Pregnancy Institute instagram: @fertilitypregnancy

Next week is our final episode of season one of The Betty Rocker Show. We will be taking a short break and coming back to you in a few months with season two. I can’t thank you enough for being a listener of season one, our first season!

And for our final show, I’m bringing you the one and only Emily Fletcher, my dear friend, and the founder of Ziva Meditation. We’ll be talking about ways to cultivate more mindfulness and presence, the value of meditation, and provide you with tools you can use to feel more ease, grace and joy in your life, which is really my wish for you always.

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too! Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast player to be alerted when new shows drop!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too!

Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast
player to be alerted when new shows drop!

ABOUT THE BETTY ROCKER SHOW:

Join me for open and thought provoking discussions about health, fitness, and how to stop undermining ourselves – and start taking meaningful action that makes us role models to others…

….and, listen in on my intimate conversations with amazing thought leaders, health care professionals, athletes and celebrities to learn their secrets and insights for overcoming life’s challenges, living longer, healthier, stronger and more #flawsome lives.

New shows are released on a weekly basis during each season of The Betty Rocker Show. Shows alternate between solo episodes with me, and interviews with guests.

Subscribe on your favorite player today!

The post Episode 21: The Power of Epigenetics in Fertility and Women’s Health with Dr Cleopatra appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Welcome to The Betty Rocker Show, the place to be to nourish your mind, love your body, and rock your life.

In this episode I’m joined by the one and only Dr Mariza Snyder. Dr Mariza is a functional practitioner and women’s health expert who focuses on balancing women’s hormones.

For the past ten years, she has lectured at wellness centers, conferences, and corporations on hormone health, essential oils, nutrition, and detoxification. She has been featured on Dr. Oz, Fox News Health, Oprah Magazine, MindBodyGreen and many more publications.

As the author of seven books (and counting) including the #1 national bestseller, The Essential Oils Hormone Solution, she is an amazing contributor to our ongoing conversation about women’s hormone health.

In this conversation we talk about a broad spectrum of women’s health and hormone topics from fertility to menopause, how stress impacts our bodies and the way perceptions of gender, race, and socioeconomic status have created unfair limitations and access to good care in medicine.

We also cover a topic that has been very present in all of our hormone health series shows which is the way women in general have felt dismissed for their concerns about their hormone health.

We get a little heated getting into this, because it’s infuriating when you realize that this great gift of amazing, beautiful machinery that is the female body has not historically been the study of intense scholarly research, has been seen as “too complicated” and that it hasn’t been until very recently that science has started actually trying to catch up in its understanding of how we are wired.

I want to affirm that any concerns you have about your health and hormones are valid. You do not deserve to be dismissed. And this goes for everything, from the doctor’s office to getting a job. You are here to shine, not shrink!

From her site: “My goal is to help you to become a healer in your own home through self-directed plant-based nutrition and medicine. My recommendations do not come in a prescription bottle. My solutions range from recipes to detoxes, from essential oils and supplements to lifestyle habits that you can engage in very easily without disrupting your busy life. I am passionate about helping you to become more empowered with simple healthy habits that YOU can do TODAY!”

In this episode you’ll discover:

Mariza’s pregnancy journey (4:00)

• Her diagnosis with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
• How she prepared her body for pregnancy
• The importance of the 4 Pillars of Health
• The biggest lesson she has learned

The negative impacts of stress (6:30)

• The concept Rushing Woman’s Syndrome
• How stress impacts your hormones
• How Dr. Mariza was impacted by stress
• How trauma and perceived stress drive hormonal imbalances
• How stress impacts your immune system
• How stress leads to burnout

Trauma and its impact on your health (11:58)

• How big T’s and small T’s (trauma) impacts you
• How trauma impacts your beliefs
• The addiction to stress
• The belief that your production is tied to your worth

The mistreatment of women of color in the medical system (16:40)

• How generational and racial trauma impact health
• How racial trauma impacts hormones
• How woman of color are mistreated and lack the same amount of access to healthcare

The dismissal of women and their hormones (20:10)

• Common conditions that get dismissed
• Why your concerns are valid
• The history of menopause

Dr. Mariza’s story (23:20)

• Her mom’s struggle with her hormones
• Her own struggle with her hormones
• The defining moment that led her to fight for women and their health
• The connection between hormones, trauma and emotional health

The most common hormone imbalances (27:45)

• How stress impacts cortisol
• How stress can lead to insulin resistance
• Why PCOS is an insulin issue
• Stress and its impact on your thyroid
• Hypothyroidism and how it can affect you
• How these hormones are all connected
• Irregular cycles and PMS symptoms

The impact of environmental toxins (32:40)

• Common sources of environmental toxins
• Free ways to reduce toxic exposure
• Simple ways to reduce toxic exposure through the products you use
• How to reduce inflammation, obesogens and xenoestrogens
• Aqua Tru water purifier
• The importance of air purifiers
• Betty Rocker’s mold poisoning
• The importance of resilience

Free ways to reduce your stress levels (38:30)

• Notice your triggers and physiological signs of stress
• Focus on your senses
• Send your brain safety signals through self care
• Reach out to a friend, family member or pet
• The importance of morning and evening rituals
• Training your mind and body to be strong and capable

The importance of your gut health (44:30)

• The importance of paying attention to your bowels
• Nutrient deficiencies
• The importance of being present to your meals

The impacts of TV and social media on stress (45:00)

• The importance of protecting your energy
• Being proactive in your stress management

The importance of listening to your body (46:34)

• The importance of being aware of what your body is telling you
• The importance of being mindful of how you take care of yourself
• You are worthy

How to connect with Dr. Mariza (48:00)

• Her podcast: Essentially You
• Her website
• Free supplement guide to support your hormones
• Her book: Essential Oils Hormone Solution
• Her Instagram: @drmariza
• Her Facebook: drmarizasnyder

In next week’s episode I’m joined by the Executive Director of The Fertility & Pregnancy Institute, Dr Cleopatra, who teaches women about the “prime-mester”—the magical and powerful window of opportunity before pregnancy when we have the power to change the quality and expression of the genes that we pass down to our babies and grandbabies—to create superbabies.

Even if you’re not pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant, the insights and science behind taking amazing care of your body that we discuss in this episode can be applied at any stage of life you’re in and help you thrive!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too! Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast player to be alerted when new shows drop!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too!

Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast
player to be alerted when new shows drop!

ABOUT THE BETTY ROCKER SHOW:

Join me for open and thought provoking discussions about health, fitness, and how to stop undermining ourselves – and start taking meaningful action that makes us role models to others…

….and, listen in on my intimate conversations with amazing thought leaders, health care professionals, athletes and celebrities to learn their secrets and insights for overcoming life’s challenges, living longer, healthier, stronger and more #flawsome lives.

New shows are released on a weekly basis during each season of The Betty Rocker Show. Shows alternate between solo episodes with me, and interviews with guests.

Subscribe on your favorite player today!

The post Episode 20: Stress, Your Hormones and the Dark Side of Women’s Medicine with Dr. Mariza Snyder appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Welcome to The Betty Rocker Show, the place to be to nourish your mind, love your body, and rock your life.

Welcome back, Rockstars! Thank you so much for tuning in today for this very important conversation about breast health.

I’m joined by Dr. Veronique Desaulniers, the founder of Breast Cancer Conqueror and the 7 Essentials System, a signature process that has empowered thousands of women in over 43 countries around the world to perform more effective self-breast exams for earlier detection.

As a 2-time breast cancer conqueror herself, and the co-creator of My Breast Friend (a device to help you detect lumps much earlier than average), Dr. V has a deeply empathetic perspective in understanding what women face on their healing journey, and offers excellent guidance for breast cancer prevention, and early detection.

Her signature book Heal Breast Cancer Naturally is a #1 Amazon Best Seller in 10 categories, and I’m thrilled to bring you her wisdom and information today!

Join us for this episode where we discuss the importance of early detection for breast cancer, guidance for prevention, and empower you to be your best self by healing your mind, body and soul.

From her site: “First and foremost, I am a woman that was looking for answers, just like you. I have faced 2 breast cancer journeys. My initial journey in 2004 – 2006, taught me so much about myself and breast cancer in general. Then 10 years later, I faced another lump and another journey….

Healing was a driving force that kept me going. I wanted to prove to myself and others that vibrant health was attainable, even if you are faced with a disease like cancer. My approach to healing is a very unique one because I have lived it both professionally and personally.

In this episode you’ll discover:

Dr.V’s story (2:50)

• How her father’s death led her teach cancer prevention
• Her journey with breast cancer
• How she developed the 7 Essential System to prevent cancer and disease
• When she developed The Breast Cancer Conqueror
• Her second breast cancer diagnosis

The importance of self breast exams (8:05)

• The research behind self breast exams
• Why she developed My Breast Friend
• The importance of size when it comes to breast lumps

How My Breast Friend was created (9:50)

• How My Breast Friend works
• How My Breast Friend trains doctors to find lumps in women’s breasts
• How My Breast Friend teaches you what to look and feel for
• What age to start self breast exams
• The difference between a swollen lymph node and a cancerous lump

The role hormones play in breast cancer (13:05)

• The importance of hormone health
• The role excess estrogens play
• Why it’s important to have balanced hormones
• The best way to test your hormones

What to avoid to prevent cancer (15:15)

• Excess toxins and chemicals
• EMF’s and radiation
• Why it’s important to keep your cell phone away from your breasts
• The 4 Pillars of Health

The 7 Essentials System(16:21)

• The importance of the food you eat
• Why there is no perfect diet
• The importance of reducing your toxic load
• The importance of balancing your energy
• The importance of nurturing yourself and self care
• The importance of breast exams
• The importance of Biological Dentistry
• The science behind the role your mouth and teeth play
• How to repair your body with therapeutic plants and herbs
• The importance of Vitamin D
• The importance of early detection for cancer

The importance of screening for breast cancer (24:50)

• The different options for breast cancer detection
• The difference between Thermography and Mammography
• The importance of listening to your doctor

Why cancer free doesn’t mean you are in the clear (27:26)

• The importance of getting to the root cause
• Why you may have recurrence even if your tumor was removed
• How to reduce your chances for breast cancer recurrence

How to connect with Dr. V (30:47)

• Her Website: Breast Cancer Conqueror
• The 7 Essentials System
• Her book: Heal Breast Cancer Naturally
• My Breast Friend
• Instagram : @mybreastfriendtraining
• Instagram: @breast_cancer_conquror
• Free book: Never Fear Breast Cancer Again

Coming up next week, I’m joined by my dear friend, Dr Mariza Snyder – functional medicine practitioner, women’s hormone expert, and author of 7 books including the Essential Oils Hormone Solution.

We’re going to dive more deeply into stress, its impact on our hormones, and the dark side of women’s medicine – which has come up multiple times in our conversations with female-centric practitioners.

I think it’s important to have awareness of all of these topics, so you are better equipped and empowered to advocate for yourself, get the care you need, and seek out answers from a variety of sources if you don’t feel your needs are being met.

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too! Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast player to be alerted when new shows drop!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too!

Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast
player to be alerted when new shows drop!

ABOUT THE BETTY ROCKER SHOW:

Join me for open and thought provoking discussions about health, fitness, and how to stop undermining ourselves – and start taking meaningful action that makes us role models to others…

….and, listen in on my intimate conversations with amazing thought leaders, health care professionals, athletes and celebrities to learn their secrets and insights for overcoming life’s challenges, living longer, healthier, stronger and more #flawsome lives.

New shows are released on a weekly basis during each season of The Betty Rocker Show. Shows alternate between solo episodes with me, and interviews with guests.

Subscribe on your favorite player today!

The post Episode 19: Early Detection for Breast Cancer with My Breast Friend Creator Dr Veronique Desaulniers appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Welcome to The Betty Rocker Show, the place to be to nourish your mind, love your body, and rock your life.

Our guest today is Dr. Gowri Rocco who is also known as “The Wellness Warrior.” She is a double board certified medical doctor and expert in hormone health who has been practicing for over 20 years.

After her sister’s death, she felt called to learn how to help people heal in more than just conventional ways. Once she completed her residency, she was accepted into a rare and distinguished women’s health fellowship where she studied regenerative medicine, anti-aging medicine, functional medicine, preventative medicine and emotional and spiritual wellness.

As the author of Growing Younger – Restore your hormones, energy and sex drive, her mission is to help everyone feel their best as they age.

Join us for this episode where we do a deep dive into bioidentical hormone replacement, the aging process and how to restore your hormones naturally.

From her site: “ Gowri Reddy Rocco, M.D., is double board-certified in Family Medicine and in Regenerative, Anti-Aging and Functional Medicine. Known by her patients as The Wellness Warrior, she’s been practicing medicine for more than 20 years and is the Founder and President of Optimum Wellness & Longevity in Corona, California.

Dr. Gowri Rocco has a successful practice alongside her husband, Dr. Robert Rocco, and is the proud mother of three amazing children.”  

In this episode you’ll discover:

Dr. Rocco’s story (01:28)

• Dr. Rocco’s book
• What her life was like growing up
• How her sister’s death shaped her career

How our hormones work and how to optimize them (07:33)

• How hormone imbalances can occur throughout our life
• Why we age
• What to prioritize to balance your hormones
• Signs and symptoms that your hormones may be off
• How estrogen impacts the aging process

Natural solutions to improve your hormones (14:34)

• Find a functional medicine doctor
• What to eat to improve your hormones
• The importance of exercise
• The importance of gut health
• Supplements that can positively impact your hormones
• The importance of eating healthy fats
• The importance of eating enough greens and vegetables

How telomeres impact aging (28:36)

• What are telomeres?
• How your actions impact your telomeres
• Supplements that can positively impact your telomeres
• The importance of eating nutrient dense whole foods
• The importance of orgasms

Bioidentical hormone replacement (36:21)

• What bioidentical hormones are
• The difference between natural and synthetic bioidentical hormones
• The importance of recurring testing for hormones
• Why bioidentical hormones need to be customized to the individual
• The importance of the 4 Pillars of Health when it comes to your hormones
• The dangers of taking synthetic progesterone
• Why natural hormones are safer to take
• How to prevent heart disease

Estrogen Dominance (49:55)

• The importance of estrogen
• How estrogen dominance occurs in your body
• Natural ways to balance your estrogen
• The importance of testosterone
• Why there is no one simple solution

How alcohol impacts you (52:14)

• It’s effect on your hormones
• How alcohol suppresses your mood

Why being a woman is something to be celebrated (54:36)

• Why supporting each other is so important
• The importance of self love
• The importance of the all or something mindset

How to connect with Dr. Rocco

• Dr. Rocco’s website
• Dr. Rooco’s book: Growing Younger: Restore Your Hormones, Energy and Sex Drive
• Her Instagram: @drgowrirocco

Coming up next week, we’re going to talk to the amazing Dr. Veronique Desauliners, better known as Dr. V. She is the founder of Breast Cancer Conqueror® and the 7 Essentials System®, and co-founder of My Breast Friend. Dr. V has personally conquered breast cancer twice, which gives her an empathetic perspective to understand other women facing a healing journey. Her signature process has empowered thousands of women in over 43 countries around the world.

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too! Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast player to be alerted when new shows drop!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too!

Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast
player to be alerted when new shows drop!

ABOUT THE BETTY ROCKER SHOW:

Join me for open and thought provoking discussions about health, fitness, and how to stop undermining ourselves – and start taking meaningful action that makes us role models to others…

….and, listen in on my intimate conversations with amazing thought leaders, health care professionals, athletes and celebrities to learn their secrets and insights for overcoming life’s challenges, living longer, healthier, stronger and more #flawsome lives.

New shows are released on a weekly basis during each season of The Betty Rocker Show. Shows alternate between solo episodes with me, and interviews with guests.

Subscribe on your favorite player today!

The post Episode 18: Growing Younger with Dr. Gowri Rocco appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Welcome to The Betty Rocker Show, the place to be to nourish your mind, love your body, and rock your life.

Welcome back Rockstars! I’m so excited about today’s conversation with the amazing and very popular, very requested Alisa Vitti, women’s hormone and functional nutrition expert and pioneer in female biohacking.

She created the Cycle Syncing Method, a female-centric diet and lifestyle approach that leverages hormonal patterns for optimal health, fitness and productivity and has really brought to light the way we can feel our best, look our best and do our best by leveraging our monthly cycle.

Alisa is the best-selling author of WomanCode, and her new book, In the FLO is making big waves in women’s health and helping to really shift the frame through which we see our bodies and optimize our lives. If you’re not already using her amazing MyFlo app to track your cycle you will want to by the end of this show!

As the founder of FLOLiving.com, she has built the world’s first menstrual healthcare platform that helps women around the world put their period issues like PCOS, Fibroids, Endometriosis, and PMS into remission naturally using her highly effective FLO Protocol and the FLO Balance Supplements.

In today’s episode we do a deep dive into the phases of your cycle, why the 24 hour clock isn’t serving you and how to eat, train, and use your natural hormone fluctuations to best serve your body and your life!

From her site: “I’ve spent the past 15 years studying, researching, personally applying, and globally teaching how to stop hormonal chaos and get into hormonal flow.

I built FLO Living as a virtual online health center to help women solve their hormonal symptoms from anywhere in the world. I never want another woman to have to suffer needlessly with hormonal imbalances, simply because she cannot find the information about how to treat the root causes naturally.”

In this episode you’ll discover:

What inspired Alisa to write In the Flo (2:00)

• Her book In the Flo
• Her history of working with women and their hormones
• The phenomenon in the media that sparked her curiosity
• Why looking for the root cause of women’s hormones led her to write the book
• The infradian rhythm: what it is and how it impacts you
• The passage from her book that deeply impacted Betty Rocker

How Alisa’s journey with menstruation shaped her career (8:24)

• The first time she heard about menstruation
• How the language around women’s bodies causes shame
• The myths that surround women’s bodies and their cycle
• How the institutional gender bias that exists in health care impacts women
• How questioning the messaging Alisa received led her to advocate for women’s bodies

The Infradian Rhythm (13:35)

• The importance of the infradian rhythm and your hormones
• How the circadian rhythm is geared towards men
• The importance of understanding the biological rhythms of men and women

How to use the biological rhythms in your relationships (20:48)

• How to choose the best times for optimal sexual experiences
• How to use these rhythms for all aspects of your relationship
• How to take advantage of the “peak flow state”

The importance of distinguishing between your monthly cycle and your bleeding week (23:00)

• Why you don’t need to feel ashamed of your cycle
• The importance of paying attention to your body’s biofeedback
• The importance of being curious about your cycle
• Why it’s important to listen to what your body is telling you

The 4 phases of your menstrual cycle and how they impact your metabolism (26:24)

• Why you might be struggling with your weight or not seeing the results you want
• What to do during the first phase of your cycle (follicular phase) when it comes to your workouts and nutrition
• How to optimize your training during the second phase of your cycle (luteal phase)
• The importance of short HIIT workouts
• The difference in your energy levels based on the phases of your cycle

How to eat during the different phases of your cycle (35:50)

• Why it’s important to listen to your body
• Why you might be hungrier at different stages of your cycle
• The importance of fueling your body with nutrient dense foods

How to workout during the final phase of your cycle (40:00)

• Why this is a great time to focus on restorative workouts
• How to achieve your goals with more ease
• Why more isn’t better
• The importance of asking “when” for your workouts

Today’s podcast is brought to you by ROCK YOUR LIFE! My online home workout studio, where you can take as many 30-day challenges as you like for consistent, sustainable progress! For added variety, we offer 5 new classes each week, healthy recipes, a private women’s only support community and MORE!
New members can get a 30-day Trial RIGHT HERE!

The importance of honoring your Infradian Rhythm (43:40)

• The importance of using the four phases of your cycle to be more productive
• How stress impacts your infradian rhythm
• How the different phases of your cycle can impact your work
• The importance of honoring your Infradian Rhythm for long term health

How to sync your cycle to benefit your life (49:40)

• What to focus on during ovulation for productivity
• Why the luteal phase is the best time to be productive
• What can happen over time if you don’t honor your cycle
• What to focus on during the bleeding phase
• How to use the follicular phase to your advantage
• MyFLO Period App to track your cycle
• How an orgasm is beneficial for your hormones

How to connect with Alisa (58:29)

• Free month The of Cycle Syncing method (use code BettyRocker )
• Alisa’s Website
• The MyFLO period app
• In the Flo Book
• FloLiving Instagram @floliving
• Alisa’s Instagram @alisa.vitti

Coming up next week, we’re going to talk about hormone imbalances and what you can do to get things back to normal with hormone optimization expert, Dr. Gowri Rocco. If this is a topic you’re excited to hear more about, check out her book before the show. It’s called Growing Younger: Restore Your Hormones, Energy and Sex Drive.

I can’t wait to welcome you back for that conversation, so until next time, take great care of yourself, remember that you are a role model to the people in your life who look up to you!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too! Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast player to be alerted when new shows drop!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too!

Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast
player to be alerted when new shows drop!

ABOUT THE BETTY ROCKER SHOW:

Join me for open and thought provoking discussions about health, fitness, and how to stop undermining ourselves – and start taking meaningful action that makes us role models to others…

….and, listen in on my intimate conversations with amazing thought leaders, health care professionals, athletes and celebrities to learn their secrets and insights for overcoming life’s challenges, living longer, healthier, stronger and more #flawsome lives.

New shows are released on a weekly basis during each season of The Betty Rocker Show. Shows alternate between solo episodes with me, and interviews with guests.

Subscribe on your favorite player today!

The post Episode 17: Cycle Syncing to Get “In the Flo” and Make the Most of Your Amazing Body with Alisa Vitti appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Whether this is your first or fifth pregnancy there can be so many questions.

A big question many women have is if it is safe to workout during pregnancy?

The short answer is YES! And in this post, you’ll find some video guides to modify poses you may be used to getting into and tips on how to successfully navigate your pregnancy while staying active.

But before you get busy with your squats and curls always consult with your healthcare provider before beginning any exercise program as they will be able to offer you personalized exercise guidelines based on your medical history.

Exercise Benefits

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There are many physical and psychological health benefits (1) to performing moderate physical activity during pregnancy that include:

• Reduced risk of excessive pregnancy weight gain
• Reduced back pain
• May decrease your risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm birth, varicose veins, and deep vein thrombosis.
• May make losing postpartum weight easier
• Eases constipation

Some of the psychological benefits to physical activity during pregnancy include:

• Reduced fatigue
• Reduced stress, anxiety, and depression
• Improved sense of well-being

In general if you were physically active before your pregnancy, you can exercise at your former level as long as you are comfortable and you have received approval from your healthcare provider (2).

Likewise if you have never exercised regularly before you can still safely begin an exercise program during pregnancy, just make sure you have received the okay from your personal health care professional first.

Pregnancy is not the time to try a new, strenuous activity.

Walking and swimming are considered safe to initiate when pregnant. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (3) recommends 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise per day on most (if not all) days of the week, unless you have a medical or obstetric complication.

What exercises are safe during pregnancy?

Most exercises are safe during pregnancy, as long as you exercise with caution, don’t over do it, and listen to your body (4). For total fitness, an exercise program should strengthen and condition your muscles.

The following are all considered safe and carry little risk of injury, benefit your entire body, and can be continued until birth (and after):

• Walking
• Prenatal yoga and Pilates
• Water aerobics and swimming
• Bodyweight and moderate resistance training
• Moderate low/no impact cardio

If you are an experienced runner, jogger, or racquet-sports player, you may be able to keep doing these activities during pregnancy. Always disclose and discuss these activities with your health care professional.

A few things to keep in mind: Exercising during your pregnancy is great but know your limits and don’t start a new program without discussing it with your provider. Make sure to discuss what types of exercises are recommended for you and if there are any to avoid.

Breathing, Core, and Your Pelvic Floor

Did you know your breath does more than just provide your cells and organs with oxygen? By taking a deep breath you can reduce your stress response by activating your parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), your rest and digest system (6).

Taking a deep breath also facilitates the relaxation of your pelvic floor muscles on inhalation and the contraction on exhalation. In addition to activating the pelvic floor muscles on exhalation of a proper full breath you can tone your transverse abdominal (TA) muscles which act like a natural girdle, help support the core, and push out the baby during the birthing process.

Heavy loads which cause you to hold your breath or create intra-abdominal pressure may increase abdominal separation (diastasis recti).

I’ve invited Coach Nikki from Team Betty Rocker to take us through these tutorials.

Coach Nikki is a Certified Yoga Instructor (CYT) with 20 years of experience and holds the designations of Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (ERYT) and Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP). Throughout her career she has worked as a personal fitness trainer and group fitness instructor teaching barre, pilates, body sculpting, chair yoga, kickboxing, and much more.

As a part of Nikki’s training she works with pre-natal students by offering variations, modifications, and addressing concerns of safety. She has also had first hand experience in exercise and pregnancy as a mother of two.

INTRO: Deep Breathing and Core Toning

Postural changes during pregnancy

As the load to the front of the body increases you may find more noticeable discomfort in the neck, shoulders, and lower back. Check in with your posture throughout the day and during your exercises.

Paying close attention to drawing the shoulders back and down while lifting the chest to a comfortable level. This may also aid in giving you more space to take a deep breath. Try gentle cat stretches from seated or hands and knees position to stretch the lower back.

The 4 Pillars of Health

Now that you are pregnant it is more important than ever to build a good foundation for your health and the health of the baby. By practicing the 4 Pillars of Health – sleep, nutrition, stress management, and exercise – you will be setting yourself up for success both during and after your pregnancy!

Prenatal Exercise Variations, Modifications, and Tips for All Trimesters

Video 1: How to Modify Forward-Facing Exercises 

In this video Nikki will show you many examples of ways you can modify your favorite prone exercises while still getting the benefit of the move.

Prone, front lying or face down, exercises may include exercises such as push-ups, plank or plank variations, superwoman lifts, cobra or updog, and swimmers.

If you can no longer keep your core engaged without doming or feel a significant amount of pressure (bearing down) through your mid-section in any of these moves, consider the following modifications: prop your hands on a chair, table, or counter top to modify push-ups, burpees, planks, etc.

In an exercise that requires weight to be placed on the stomach opt for a standing variation or try working from tabletop position (hands and knees).

Video 2: How to Modify Exercises Lying on Your Back

• Supine or back lying position (face up) exercises may include any exercises that require you to lie on your back to include chest flye, chest press, skull crushers, bridge lift, and the abdominal crunch.
• While it is generally considered safe to perform exercises while lying on the back from the first to third month of pregnancy it is not recommended for more than 3 minutes at a time after the third month. This is due to the increasing pressure and possible compression of the vena cava vein, the main vein that carries blood back to the heart from the lower body. Doing so may leave you feeling light-headed or dizzy.
• For this reason it is advisable to modify exercises that require lying on the back to an elevated surface such as an ottoman, pillows, or stability ball, to lift and support the neck and shoulders. In this video Nikki will show you ways to use common household items to keep the head and shoulders elevated and you safe.

Video 3: How to Modify Standing Exercises for Safety, Comfort, and Balance

In this video Nikki will show you how to make simple changes to find balance and accessibility in forward bends and standing exercises as you continue to grow with your baby.

• Standing exercises and inversions (head below the heart) may require some modification as the pregnancy progresses or to reduce mild discomforting pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, or joint discomfort.
• These moves may include exercises such as standing forward bends, down dog, deadlift, squats, and lunges. For example to reduce low back discomfort try modifying your split stance or lunge variations by shortening your stance from front to back foot and create more balance and stability by widening your stance left to right. To avoid discomfort in the knees and feel more secure try reducing your range of motion when squatting by placing a box or chair beneath you.
• If you were using weights before your pregnancy continue with your training using the same weight if it feels good and go down in weight as needed. Keep in mind that as your pregnancy progresses you will be carrying more weight so it will be unlikely you will need to add more weight to moves like lunges or squats.
• Also consider going down in weight in moves that will put more load in your lower back with the added load of a growing baby bump in the front of the body. Exercises such as deadlifts and overhead press are two such moves.

Video 4: How to Modify Abdominal Core Exercises and Twists

• Core activation and rotation (twisting) of the spine can be a bit trickier during pregnancy but are still very important movements. Deep activation of the transverse abdominis (girdle like muscles that act as a corset around your torso) and the pelvic floor muscles can help alleviate or lessen low back pain, lessen diastasis recti (8), and even aid in the birthing process.
• Likewise eliminating rotation from the middle waist and finding rotation in the upper spine (mid thoracic spine) may help to alleviate or lessen pain in the upper back, neck, and shoulders. In this video I will show how elevating the neck and shoulders or working from standing you will be able to perform abdominal core training safely throughout your pregnancy as well as safe twisting techniques.

Video 5: How to Modify Explosive and High Intensity Exercises

In this video Coach Nikki will give you some great modifications for explosive and high-impact moves such as Tuck or Box Jumps, Squat Thrust, Jumping Jack variations, and Surfer Pop-ups to name a few. Just stay in tune with your body and reduce your effort when needed.

• Explosive and high intensity exercises are by nature designed to elevate the heart rate and your core temperature. This can be a great fitness tool for many reasons but not during pregnancy, as these movements can create stress and impact on the joints.
• It is always recommended to keep your internal core temperature to 102° F (38.9° C) or below. There are plenty of options to help get the heart rate up and keep your conditioning in check while keeping the impact, heart rate, and rise in core temperature to a minimum.
• In general using the heart rate as a guideline for intensity is not the best source of feedback (9) considering that every woman’s working heart rate will be affected by their level of fitness prior to pregnancy. Instead using the RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) Scale and rating your effort level on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being little to no exertion and 10 being extreme) may be more effective. It is usually suggested to stick to an RPE of 8 or below for short interval/circuit work and 6 or below for long continuous efforts.

BONUS VIDEO: Prenatal Yoga with Coach Rena Wren

Rena Wren is a certified E-RYT 500, RPYT, YACEP and Yin Yoga Teacher/Trainer. She is the creator of an online workshop for yoga teachers and students that covers everything you need to know about yoga for fertility, prenatal trimesters, postnatal yoga, pose options and modifications, and common discomforts in pregnancy. She is also a mother and has had first hand experience in exercise and pregnancy.

Now that you know many great ways to stay safe and modify exercises to meet your needs as your body changes with your pregnancy let’s look at ways to reduce your stress, make your body more comfortable, and ease your mind during this roller coaster we call pregnancy with a gentle prenatal yoga flow practice.

Benefits of prenatal yoga (10):

• Improve sleep
• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Increase the strength, flexibility, and endurance of muscles needed for childbirth
• Decrease lower back pain, nausea, headaches, and shortness of breath

With a little awareness, self monitoring, and approval from your health care provider you will be rocking your baby bump and workouts safely throughout your pregnancy.

Remember no matter what your pregnancy and pregnancy body looks like, it is YOURS and it is beautiful!

The post Prenatal Workout Guide appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Welcome to The Betty Rocker Show, the place to be to nourish your mind, love your body, and rock your life.

In today’s episode I’m joined by Dr. Jolene Brighten, a prominent leader in women’s medicine and the emerging science of post-birth control syndrome. We take a deep dive into the menstrual cycle, women’s health, the effects of birth control – and how to best support your system as you go through time.

Since every system in your body is impacted by your hormones, it’s so important to understand how they work – as well as what you might be feeling when they aren’t working optimally – so you can take action to care for yourself, and not be lost in the darkness of misunderstanding and fear about the inner workings of your own body.

My goal in this episode is to empower you as a woman with the knowledge you need to make the best choices for yourself, and know how to advocate for your health to the care providers you work with.

Dr. Jolene Brighten is an international speaker, clinical educator, medical advisor within the tech community, and considered a leading authority on women’s health. Dr. Brighten is also part of the MindBodyGreen Collective and a faculty member for the American Academy of Anti Aging Medicine.

Her work has been featured in the New York Post, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, Bustle, The Guardian, and ABC News. She is a fierce patient advocate and completely dedicated to uncovering the root cause of hormonal imbalances, empowering women worldwide to take control of their health and their hormones.

In this episode you’ll discover:

Dr. Jolene’s Story

• The importance of having a purpose
• Dr. Brighten’s son’s health diagnosis
• How Dr. Brighten found her purpose
• The importance of being empowered in your choices
• Dr. Brighten’s struggle with Covid-19
• The hormone test Dr. Brighten recommends: Dutch test
• Why chronic conditions are not your fault
• The importance of being resilient
• The 4 Pillars of Health

How your menstrual cycle works (11:09)

• The importance of understanding your hormones
• Beyond the Pill by Dr. Jolene Brighten
• The connection between your brain and your hormones
• What happens during the different stages of the menstrual cycle
• How understanding these basics can be helpful in every stage of life

How birth control can impact your body (16:50)

• Dr. Brighten’s experience with coming off of birth control
• The common dismissal of women and their period symptoms
• Betty Rocker’s experience with coming off of birth control

How birth control works (22:38)

• The history of the pill
• How the pill works in your body
• The importance of understanding how birth control can affect your entire body
• How research can sometimes undermine your experience with your doctor
• The correlation between birth control and your mood
• The importance of listening to women and their concerns
• The importance of being informed and empowered in your choices

How your thyroid is impacted by your hormones (28:54)

• How the thyroid works
• Symptoms you may experience when your thyroid hormones are imbalanced
• Why hypothyroidism is so common in women
• How inflammation impacts the thyroid

The importance of honoring your body (33:41)

• The body positive movement
• Why your weight is an important metric for your health
• How to advocate for yourself at the doctor when it comes to your weight
• The damaging commentary about your weight
• The damaging impact of the scale
• Sarcopenia Obesity
• How advocating for yourself can change the scope of medicine

Post Birth Control Syndrome (39:02)

• What a “syndrome” is
• The symptoms you may experience with Post Birth Control Syndrome
• What happens to your cycle when you come off birth control
• What to do about post birth control acne
• What happens in your body when you come off birth control
• Understanding sexual adaptation

How to support your hormones with your diet (43:21)

• The importance of your diet
• The dietary protocol Dr. Brighten recommends
• How to eat at different stages in your cycle
• Nutrient dense sources of carbs
• Nutrient dense sources of protein
• Why Dr. Brighten doesn’t recommend portion sizes
• The importance of vegetables and greens
• The surprising benefits of broccoli sprouts
• Dr. Brighten’s free One Day Post Birth Control Diet Guide
• The supplements Dr. Brighten recommends

The importance of Seed Cycling during your cycle (49:00)

• What is seed cycling?
• What seeds to include during the different phases of your cycle
• How seeds can impact your hormones
• How seed cycling can support your gut health
• How to do seed cycling
• The phases of the moon and your cycle

The importance of honoring the women that came before us (55:30)

• How the women before us paved the way for your health care freedom
• The importance of demystifying the menstrual cycle

How to exercise throughout your cycle (58:35)

• The importance of listening to your body
• Why you may want to do low impact workouts leading up to your period
• The research around exercise and your cycle
• How the US Women’s Soccer Team used their cycles to their advantage
• How to use your cycle for a competitive advantage
• Why it’s important to always advocate for your body

How to connect with Dr. Jolene Brighten (60:06)

• Dr. Brighten’s Website
• Instagram: drjolenebrighten
• Facebook: drbrighten
• Dr. Brighten’s Book: Beyond the Pill

Coming up next week we’ll be taking a look at hormone health from a slightly different angle by focusing on our muscle, the organ of longevity. We’ll be talking to Dr Gabrielle Lyon, a brilliant doctor and functional medicine practitioner who’s actually my primary doctor about her concept, muscle-centric medicine. I’m so excited to share her wisdom and knowledge with you!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too! Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast player to be alerted when new shows drop!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too!

Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast
player to be alerted when new shows drop!

ABOUT THE BETTY ROCKER SHOW:

Join me for open and thought provoking discussions about health, fitness, and how to stop undermining ourselves – and start taking meaningful action that makes us role models to others…

….and, listen in on my intimate conversations with amazing thought leaders, health care professionals, athletes and celebrities to learn their secrets and insights for overcoming life’s challenges, living longer, healthier, stronger and more #flawsome lives.

New shows are released on a weekly basis during each season of The Betty Rocker Show. Shows alternate between solo episodes with me, and interviews with guests.

Subscribe on your favorite player today!

The post Episode 12: What You Need to Know About Birth Control, the Menstrual Cycle and Your Hormones with Dr. Jolene Brighten appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Welcome to The Betty Rocker Show, the place to be to nourish your mind, love your body, and rock your life.

When our hormones are in balance we look, feel and perform at our best. However as we go through life, our hormones can shift and change causing a range of symptoms including fatigue, weight gain and mood swings to name just a few.

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr. Sara Gottfried, a doctor who specializes in women’s hormone health and is a three-times New York Times bestselling author of books I love, including “The Hormone Cure.”

We take a deep dive into how our hormones work and address 7 imbalances that are very common for women so you can better understand and address signs your body can be sending you.

My biggest goal in today’s episode is to provide you with this valuable information so you are empowered to advocate for your health care needs and can better navigate the sometimes dismissive messaging you may hear from unenlightened doctors.

Dr. Sara Gottfried is a wife, a mother to two incredible young women, a scientist, researcher, speaker, connector, scholar, seeker, and Harvard-educated MD with 25+ years of experience and a board-certified gynecologist. She reclaimed her own health and life using her methods that she recommends to the women she works with.

From her site: “My life’s mission is to help people feel fully alive and balanced from their cells to their souls. That means lengthening your healthspan, the period of time you feel in your prime and free of chronic disease. That means dialing in your weight (and lean body mass) right where you want it, getting your energy and sex drive optimized, and doing it all naturally and safely. Ultimately, you will get your hormones and genes working for you, not against you. Hop on my bus and shift from feeling “OK” to living your life fully and authentically from the heart.”

In this episode you’ll discover:

Dr. Gottfried’s Story (3:40)

• Why she started working in hormone health
• Her own struggle with her hormones
• The experience with her doctor that led her to seek other resources
• How to turn your mess into your message
• Becoming her own experiment
• The truth about perimenopause and menopause
• What happens to your hormones and cycle as you age

Hormone imbalance #1: Cortisol (9:00)

• How cortisol impacts belly fat
• The truth about visceral belly fat
• The impact of high and low cortisol levels
• The symptoms of high cortisol
• Eustress vs. toxic stress
• The role of cortisol in your body
• The negative impact of chronic, long term stress
• How your ACES score (adverse childhood experiences) affects you
• The dangerous impact of suppressing trauma

How estrogen and progesterone shift throughout your cycle (17:03)

• The importance of balanced levels of estrogen and progesterone
• How these hormones change throughout your cycle
• The importance of LH (luteinizing hormone)
• The importance of nutrition and your cycle
• What happens to your hormones when you stop ovulating

Hormone imbalance #2: PCOS – polycystic ovary syndrome (19:20)

• The rates of PCOS
• Why PCOS occurs
• How insulin resistance works
• The negative impacts of PCOS
• How a low calorie intake can lead to PCOS

Hormone imbalance #3: Perimenopause and how it affects estrogen and progesterone (22:41)

• The importance of a healthy lifestyle
• How the 4 Pillars of Health impact your hormones
• The symptoms that occur in the first stage of perimenopause
• The symptoms that occur in the second stage of perimenopause

How perimenopause affects testosterone (26:46)

• The importance of testosterone
• Why women are so sensitive to testosterone changes
• The symptoms of low testosterone

The importance of sleep (29:04)

• Why sleep is the foundation of your life
• How sleep impacts your hormones
• How your sleep cycle works
• How sleep impacts human growth hormone

Hormone imbalance #4: Human Growth Hormone (32:30)

• How HGH impacts your ability to build and maintain muscle
• How to increase your levels of human growth hormone
• Human growth hormone supplementation

Hormone imbalance #5: Testosterone (35:29)

• The importance of muscle
• How testosterone impacts your risk for cardiovascular disease
• The importance of balanced testosterone

The importance of advocating for your hormones (36:28)

• How women are getting dismissed in the medical field
• Why you need to be your own health advocate
• How your hormones can change throughout your life

Hormone imbalance #6: the androgen family of hormones (40:21)

• The negative impacts of declining levels of DHEA
• What causes your DHEA levels to decline
• The impact of toxic stress

The truth about alcohol (41:35)

• How alcohol impacts your cortisol levels
• How alcohol impacts your estrogen levels
• How alcohol increases your risk for breast cancer
• How alcohol impacts testosterone
• How alcohol impacts your sleep and insulin levels
• What Betty Rocker drinks: Dry Farm Wines

The importance of listening to your intuition (46:04)

• You are your own best doctor
• The importance of tuning into your body’s signals
• The concept of interoception
• You are powerful

Today’s podcast is brought to you by ROCK YOUR LIFE! My online home workout studio, where you can take as many 30-day challenges as you like for consistent, sustainable progress! For added variety, we offer 5 new classes each week, healthy recipes, a private women’s only support community and MORE!
New members can get a 30-day Trial RIGHT HERE!

How to mitigate the impact of cortisol (49:15)

• The importance of creating your own “a la carte menu” to reduce stress
• The importance of food choices
• How to look at your life objectively

Hormone imbalance #7: Menopause (51:45)

• The right of passage
• What happens in your body hormonally
• How menopause impacts your thyroid
• Why some women have more symptoms than others
• Are you a candidate for bioidentical hormone therapy?
• The importance of the 4 Pillars of Health during menopause
• The importance of finding a middle ground for treatment
• Why it’s important to identify your values
• How to advocate for yourself

How to connect with Dr. Gottfried (59:13)

• Her book: The Hormone Cure
• Her Instagram: Saragottfriedmd
• Dr. Gottfried’s Website
• Free hormone survival guide
• Work with Dr. Gottfried

Coming up next week…..

I’m joined by Dr. Jolene Brighten, a prominent leader in women’s medicine and the emerging science of Post-Birth Control Syndrome which studies the effects of hormonal birth control on women’s health. She will add some new angles to the conversation we’ve been having and give you even more insights about your own body and hormones!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too! Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast player to be alerted when new shows drop!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too!

Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast
player to be alerted when new shows drop!

ABOUT THE BETTY ROCKER SHOW:

Join me for open and thought provoking discussions about health, fitness, and how to stop undermining ourselves – and start taking meaningful action that makes us role models to others…

….and, listen in on my intimate conversations with amazing thought leaders, health care professionals, athletes and celebrities to learn their secrets and insights for overcoming life’s challenges, living longer, healthier, stronger and more #flawsome lives.

New shows are released on a weekly basis during each season of The Betty Rocker Show. Shows alternate between solo episodes with me, and interviews with guests.

Subscribe on your favorite player today!

The post Episode 11: How to Address 7 Common Hormone Imbalances with Dr Sara Gottfried appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Welcome to The Betty Rocker Show, the place to be to nourish your mind, love your body, and rock your life.

In our last episode, we covered some of the key hormone players in our female life cycle including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, adrenaline and cortisol. I hope you listened to that one, as it’s a great foundation for understanding the basics for some of these important components of our health.

Today we’ll continue the conversation with an overview of thyroid, insulin, ghrelin and leptin (your hunger and fullness hormones) plus human growth hormone. My goal in sharing these information basics with you is to prep us for our conversations with some excellent female hormone specialist doctors who are coming up on the show so we can live longer, stronger and fuller lives!

In this episode you’ll discover:

How your hormones impact your health (1:00)

• Your orchestra of hormones
• Symptoms of a hormone imbalance

The Thyroid (1:50)

• How the thyroid impacts your metabolism
• How the thyroid works
• How your thyroid impacts your monthly cycle
• How the 4 Pillars of Health influence your hormones
• The Doctor’s Farmacy Podcast: Male menopause, low libido and testosterone replacement
• Signs and statistics of Hypothyroidism
• Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism
• How Perimenopause affects your thyroid
• The importance of being your own health advocate

Insulin and Body Fat (9:31)

• How insulin works
• The importance of being active
• How glucose and glucagon impact your energy levels
• Why excess sugar leads to body fat storage
• What leads to insulin resistance
• How estrogen impacts your insulin levels
• How cortisol impacts your insulin levels
• The importance of eating whole, nutrient dense foods
• The importance of protein
• How to See Results Faster part 1
• How to See Results Faster part 2

Today’s podcast is brought to you by ROCK YOUR LIFE! My online home workout studio, where you can take as many 30-day challenges as you like for consistent, sustainable progress! For added variety, we offer 5 new classes each week, healthy recipes, a private women’s only support community and MORE!
New members can get a 30-day Trial RIGHT HERE!

The hunger hormones (15:00)

• Why you get cravings
• How the hormone ghrelin works
• How the hormone leptin works
• The Body Fuel System
• Why processed foods can be dangerous
• How leptin impacts your thyroid
• How lack of sleep increases your hunger

The importance of sleep (18:25)

• Why your sleep/wake cycle is crucial to your health
• The importance of reducing artificial light exposure
• True Dark: Blue Blocking Glasses
• How stress and cortisol impact sleep
• Why you have cravings at night
• My free Better Sleep Guide

Human Growth Hormone – HGH (21:40)

• The importance of HGH
• How HGH impacts your body fat levels
• How sleep impacts your HGH levels
• The Oura ring
• How exercise impacts your levels of HGH
• The importance of the 4 Pillars of Health

Coming up next week…..

I’m joined by Dr. Sara Gottfried, a woman’s hormone health specialist and three times New York Times bestselling author. We will be building on the last two episodes and discussing how our hormones “talk” to each other, how they shift and change through the course of our lives and how that might show up for you. You won’t want to miss it! To get a headstart on next week, grab her book The Hormone Cure a brilliant resource that will give you so much insight about your own body.

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too! Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast player to be alerted when new shows drop!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too!

Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast
player to be alerted when new shows drop!

ABOUT THE BETTY ROCKER SHOW:

Join me for open and thought provoking discussions about health, fitness, and how to stop undermining ourselves – and start taking meaningful action that makes us role models to others…

….and, listen in on my intimate conversations with amazing thought leaders, health care professionals, athletes and celebrities to learn their secrets and insights for overcoming life’s challenges, living longer, healthier, stronger and more #flawsome lives.

New shows are released on a weekly basis during each season of The Betty Rocker Show. Shows alternate between solo episodes with me, and interviews with guests.

Subscribe on your favorite player today!

The post Episode 10: A Quickstart Guide to Women’s Hormones (part 2) appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Welcome to The Betty Rocker Show, the place to be to nourish your mind, love your body, and rock your life.

There is no question that our 4 Pillars of Health are essential in supporting our body through time, but if you’re finding that no matter what you do you still can’t seem to see results or are experiencing signs from your body that might be chalked up to the “ageing process” you’re not alone.

As women, our hormones are constantly changing from puberty to pregnancy, and as we slowly leave our reproductive years behind. No matter what stage of life you’re at, if your hormones aren’t balanced the mechanisms that govern your fat storage, energy levels, mood, ability to think and focus, muscle production and so much more simply won’t be as effective.

In today’s episode I’m digging into some of the key hormones we should all be aware of as women like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, adrenaline and cortisol – what their key functions are, how they serve us throughout our lives, and signs and symptoms of imbalance so you can be proactive in your health care.

If your hormones are your body’s symphony orchestra, we want to make sure that all the instruments that make it up are tuned and in balance so that the “song” your cells and organs are listening to is harmonious and continues to add years to your life – and life to your years!

In this episode you’ll discover:

The importance of understanding how your hormones work (0:15)

• Your symphony of hormones
• Being empowered in your health journey
• Your 4 pillars of health
• Understanding why your body isn’t responding

My experience with birth control (2:48)

• How birth control works
• What happened when I got off the pill
• How the pill affected my mind
• How the pill affected my body

My experience with adrenal fatigue (4:58)

• How stress led to adrenal fatigue
• My symptoms
• Taking responsibility for my 4 pillars of health

The effects of perimenopause (6:59)

• What is perimenopause
• Symptoms you may experience
• Working with a Functional Doctor

How hormones work (8:54)

• Their essential processes
• Hormone receptors

Estrogen (10:23)

• Where estrogen is made
• What estrogen effects
• The importance of balanced estrogen in your body
• How estrogen impacts your monthly cycle
• How estrogen impacts menopause
• The impact of excess estrogen in your body
• How estrogen and progesterone work together

Progesterone (14:15)

• What progesterone does
• How progesterone impacts your monthly cycle
• How the pill impacts progesterone
• Lifestyle factors that impact your hormone levels
• Stress and its role on your hormones
• Sleep and its role on your hormones

Testosterone (16:35)

• The essential role of testosterone
• How testosterone impacts your ability to build lean muscle
• The effects of sugar and alcohol on testosterone
• Side effects of low levels of testosterone
• Where testosterone is made

DHEA (18:00)

• The importance of DHEA
• What DHEA does for us
• How low levels of DHEA can impact you
• How your hormones impact body fat

Adrenaline and the adrenal glands (19:28)

• The conductor of your hormones
• What the adrenal glands do
• How B vitamins support your adrenals (Serenicalm)
• How adrenaline works in your body
• The damaging effects of chronic low grade stress

Cortisol (21:17)

• The importance of cortisol
• How cortisol impacts your circadian rhythm
• How cortisol impacts your stress
• How cortisol impacts your body fat levels
• Symptoms of a cortisol imbalance in your body
• Why it’s important to be mindful of your stress pillar

How to be your own health advocate (24:00)

• The importance of dialing in your 4 pillars of health
• The importance of blood work and other tests
• Why it’s important to speak with your doctor
• How to empower yourself with affordable lab testing

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too! Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast player to be alerted when new shows drop!

Love The Betty Rocker Show? We do too!

Share it with your friends, and subscribe on your favorite podcast
player to be alerted when new shows drop!

ABOUT THE BETTY ROCKER SHOW:

Join me for open and thought provoking discussions about health, fitness, and how to stop undermining ourselves – and start taking meaningful action that makes us role models to others…

….and, listen in on my intimate conversations with amazing thought leaders, health care professionals, athletes and celebrities to learn their secrets and insights for overcoming life’s challenges, living longer, healthier, stronger and more #flawsome lives.

New shows are released on a weekly basis during each season of The Betty Rocker Show. Shows alternate between solo episodes with me, and interviews with guests.

Subscribe on your favorite player today!

The post Episode 9: A Quickstart Guide to Women’s Hormones (part 1) appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Have you ever found yourself running around with so much to do, feeling like you’re behind before you even got started, and wondering how you’re going to get it all done?

Maybe you didn’t have time to make a good meal for yourself yet today, so you had extra coffee trying to wake yourself up to focus. Your energy tank is low because you just couldn’t get to sleep the night before (too much on your mind) and now you’re feeling tired and wired all at the same time.

But wait – there’s more – you just got your period. Now you remember why your emotions are all over the place on top of everything else.

All of the stress combined with our monthly cycle adds up to one big hormone roller coaster. And while our hormones are naturally “set to cycle,” when they go through extreme highs and lows it can affect your body in unhealthy ways – like unwanted weight gain, energy drops, fatigue, anxiety, depression, poor sleep patterns, low libido, mood swings and cravings.

But there is hope for those hormones, and you CAN actually support them even when you’re on the go.

Let’s start with a big, deep breath and warm self-hug. Seriously. You are doing so much. You deserve to be appreciated and taken care of so you can do all of these important life things and feel your best.

The best person to do that is YOU – after all, only you know how you truly feel, and just how overwhelming things may be.

While there are plenty of articles out there that promise you self-care salvation in a bath with candles or that massage you never seem to have time to get to, I’m a big fan of ALSO looking at things we can do that fit into the things we’re already doing.

I got together with my good friend Dr Mariza Snyder, women’s hormone practitioner and multi-published author and we cooked up some amazing ideas to help support you all day long.

So let’s start with an easy question: what is something that you (and probably every woman you know) always has with her?

No, not your phone – it’s what you put your phone IN! Your purse, or bag!

Pop any (or all) of these essentials in your bag when you’re on the go to support your hormones all day long….

1: Rollerball Blends

Rollerball essential oil blends are carefully selected essential oils added to a 10 mL glass rollerball bottle and diluted with a carrier oil like fractionated coconut oil, sweet almond oil, or whatever your favorite carrier oil may be.

While I also use straight essential oils like lavender and rose, I absolutely love the blends. They are quick and potent plant chemistry to get immediate results! You can blend them yourself, or purchase them pre-blended.

So what do you use them for?

First, let’s talk stress.

The hormone most responsible for disrupting our natural stress response is cortisol. Keeping this hormone in check is the key to keeping all of your other bodily systems happy.

Chronic stress really wracks a body and sets off a negative domino effect that can really harm our everything. If you know that stress is a problem in your life, you’ve got to be proactive about getting it in check.

I keep this Stress Relief Blend in my purse at all times (one of Dr Mariza’s signature blends) to help keep my cortisol levels in check. Studies have shown that simply inhaling essential oils like Lavender and Rosemary can help to immediately lower cortisol levels in the body (1).

Carrying this Stress Relief blend and rolling it on your wrists and behind your ears can help calm your body and mind. Try taking a few deep breaths in and out while applying to signal to your body that YOU are in control.

STRESS RELIEF BLEND

• 12 drops Lavender essential oil
• 9 drops Frankincense essential oil
• 9 drops Wild Orange essential oil
• Carrier oil of choice

To use: Apply to pulse points on wrist and neck when you feel stressed or wired. You can also hold open the bottle under your nose and take a few deep breaths when you need to find the calm.

Another one of Dr M’s blends that I love is the Energy Blend. This one is great for safe, effective focus, energy, and motivation. Studies have supported again and again the power of Peppermint for allowing your body to refocus and energize (2),  while Rosemary can improve your cognitive function (3).

Citrus oils energize the mind and body while the Ylang Ylang will help your body to find a calm confidence that it needs to refocus and carry on by balancing your heart rate and blood pressure (4).  Kick that brain fog naturally instead of pumping your veins full of caffeine and sugar only to crash a few hours later.

MOTIVATIONAL ENERGY BLEND

• 10 drops Wild Orange essential oil
• 7 drops Peppermint essential oil
• 5 drops Eucalyptus essential oil
• 3 drops Ylang Ylang essential oil
• 3 drops Rosemary essential oil
• Carrier oil of choice

To use: Apply to pulse points or on the back of the neck when you are feeling mentally or physically sluggish and need to up your game and refocus.

Now, let’s talk hormone support.

Our female hormones – estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone – fluctuate during our menstrual cycle, so a great way to keep them balanced throughout the month is to proactively support them with essential oils.

The oils in this blend were chosen by Dr M to support emotional unrest, ease anxious feelings, and help balance mood swings – all month long. In addition, this blend can also relax uterine muscles to relieve cramping during your cycle.

HORMONE RELIEF BLEND

• 10 drops Clary Sage essential oil
• 8 drops Lavender essential oil
• 8 drops Geranium essential oil
• 4 drops Bergamot essential oil
• 4 drops Ylang Ylang essential
• Carrier oil of your choice

To use: Apply to pulse points or over your heart when you are feeling hormonal and emotional. Apply to lower abdomen and back to help ease cramping during your menstrual cycle.

I always have at least 2-3 of these oils and/or blends with me. If you love these ideas, you can get so many more of them in Dr Mariza’s new book, The Essential Oils Hormone Solution!

2: Protein

Keep yourself from getting “hangry” with protein-rich whole foods included in all your meals to fuel and sustain your body like sugar and caffeine can’t. When you’re on the go and feeling tired, instead of reaching for more coffee, try powering up with a protein-rich food or portable small meal instead.

Eating protein decreases levels of ghrelin, a hunger hormone, and stimulates the production of the hormones that make you feel full and satisfied.  Eating adequate protein improves metabolism, and increases fat burning (10).

I like to keep a small shaker cup with me and protein powder packet tucked inside – for on-the-go emergencies. This pairs perfectly with that apple or banana that also fits right in your bag.

Other easy to take with you snacks include portable baby food packets like these (they slip right in your purse), approved protein bars (that don’t contain tons of added sugars), home made protein bars, nuts, nut butters or seeds, or even jerky can help your body to carry on and keep your hormones working for you.

You can pop any of these things in your bag easily.

3: SMARTphone

I know you carry your phone with you everywhere so you can check out my latest Instagram posts I also really recommend using your phone to help remind you about important things that you can do to support your body.

I have apps and reminders on my phone that help me stay present, healthy and stop to take a moment for deep breathing, to drink my water, and to create moments of mindfulness throughout my day.

• Water Minder
• 5 Minute Journal (set a timer on your phone to use it morning and night)
• Meditation Apps (set a timer on your phone to remind you to use it)
• Workout Reminder – and have you downloaded the Free Betty Rocker App?
• App Power Down Automation (set your phone to power down apps on your phone at a certain time of day to help you avoid excess blue light from your phone that makes it harder to fall asleep)

Just breathe – set a different alarm for a sanity check and practice deep breathing techniques every 2-3 hours to recalibrate your body’s cortisol levels.

You need to slow your breathing by taking deep belly breaths to let your body know that there is no immediate danger. Try 2-3 repetitions of deep inhales and exhales while counting to 10.

Focus on gratitude while you do this and repeat affirming words to yourself to remind yourself that you are in control and are flawsome and brilliant and connected to other women like you.

Make some new friends in Rock Your Life – our amazing group of women from around the world is open 24/7 and you can get support, accountability and motivation from the coaches and other Rockstars who are there for you – along with all the powerful resources for your body like recipes, challenges and live classes to keep it fresh!

And another quick tip? Get your best friend on speed dial for accountability and sanity check-ins.

No one can calm you down like that friend who can give you a lifeline of support and understanding!

4: Water Bottle

Drink up, Rockstar. Keeping yourself hydrated keeps your mind, body and cells happy and strong. The water in soda doesn’t count, nor does the water you used to make your coffee. Avoid those flavored beverages – and try some water infusions!

You can find some epic recipes in Dr Mariza’s new book. Give your water some love with fresh citrus slices and essential oils like Lemon, Grapefruit, and Peppermint to support natural detox all day long.

It will also help to prevent you from feeling like grazing throughout the day and keep you energized and moving forward. So many times food cravings are just thirst wearing a costume. Get a glass or stainless steel water bottle and slip it into your bag!

5: Magnesium

While all of our bodies need different things, Dr Mariza says that most of us are deficient in some necessary component.

Magnesium is lacking in most adults, and the average woman should be intaking around 300 mg per day. Magnesium is an essential mineral that serves as an enzyme cofactor for over three hundred biochemical reactions in the body, including those of glycolysis, the first step in harnessing energy from carbohydrates.

While you may be able to boost your intake with healthy foods like pumpkin seeds (5), spinach (6), almonds (7), black beans (8) and dark chocolate (9)- most of us need a supplement.

Check with a trusted health care professional and see if it is right for you. You could be having symptoms of magnesium deficiency and not even know it.

Dr M notes that PMS, heavy periods, cramping, migraines, and a whole host of other problems are linked with magnesium issues!

You can also up your magnesium by using an Epsom Salt bath as a part of your evening self-care routine.

Now, don’t forget your bag!

Self-care doesn’t have to wait until you get home and have time to unwind, or only be packed in on the weekend. While I’m a proponent of doing ANYTHING that’s supportive to you, it’s so important to just find ways to give yourself that support throughout the day so you can refocus, recharge, and rebalance.

For more amazing tips on how to be the CEO of your own healthcare and keep your hormones supported throughout the month, get yourself a copy of Dr. Mariza Snyder’s new best-selling book, The Essential Oil Hormone Solution.

The book is already a best-seller on Amazon in multiple categories, and will give you tons of new ideas and support.

I just love her tips and blends, and listen to her podcast all the time now that we live in different states and can’t get together as easily in person anymore.

She’s a wealth of knowledge and a wonderful, caring person who I’d love for you to know!

If you know a woman who would like to feel more empowered, happy and fit, share this post with her!

Your support of other women is what makes all of us stronger. As we grow, we lift up others around us.

Use any of the share buttons in this post to share to your social media or just email the link to this post. 

We talk about these topics (and more) in Rock Your Life, my online home workout studio and women’s fitness community!

Come join us and let us support you on your journey of fitness and health – with home workout challenges, workout classes, healthy recipes, and our private support group!

The post Top 5 Ways to Support Your Hormones on The Go appeared first on The Betty Rocker.