Here's What I Learned from This Podcast

It’s hard to believe, but the first quarter of 2025 is already behind us! What were your top three highlights?

One of mine was spending a few days in New Orleans with Ethan and Matt for Spring Break. I even created daily highlight reels and shared them on IG and FB—such a fun way to capture the 📸memories!

I love learning, and this past weekend, my friend and client (thank you, Julee!) sent me a fascinating podcast featuring Mel Robbins and Dr. Stacy Sims. She knows I geek out over this stuff. 🧠 Dr. Sims is a renowned physiologist and nutrition scientist, and she shared how much of the research behind nutrition and fitness advice is actually based on men—not women. Meaning, a lot of what we’ve been told might not work for us.

Now in my 50s and post-menopause, I know how important it is to support my nervous system and stress response. My goal with eating and exercise is focused on longevity, mobility and quality of life. I want to optimize my hormone and energy, while protecting my heart, bones, and brain. This podcast was packed with insights -it’s over 90 minutes long! 🎧 So I’m sharing my top takeaways.  Of course, every “body” is different—this isn’t medical advice, just what resonated with me!

Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ Eat first. While men can exercise fasted, exercising on an empty stomach for women can be too stressful on the body and counterproductive to why we are exercising. (Instead, have a little fuel before working out. Dr. Sims gave two examples:

• A protein coffee—brewing espresso the night before, blending almond milk with protein powder, then combining them in the morning for an iced coffee protein boost.
• Splitting breakfast—eating half of your overnight oats (with Greek yogurt & chia seeds) before working out, then the rest after.

2️⃣ Intermittent fasting is different for women. If you’re fasting until noon, you might not be getting the same benefits as men, especially if you are exercising fasted as stated above. Research suggests an 8 AM – 6 PM fasting window works better for women.

3️⃣ We aren't eating enough! More exercise & less food is part of our cultural brainwashing about being thin. Many women exercise while restricting calories and go on fad diets when they want to lose fat, but this can actually put the body into a chronic stress response—holding onto fat instead of burning it. Most of us aren’t eating enough. The best approach? Eat nutrient-dense whole foods, prioritize full balanced meals with protein (breakfast, lunch, dinner), without snacking between meals. 🍽️

4️⃣ Strength training is the best exercise for women. Just 3x a week to help with muscle, bone health, and even brain function (improving neuroplasticity and reducing cognitive decline).

5️⃣ Women recover faster between weightlifting sets & benefit from lifting heavier. Instead of the standard 10-15 reps (which works better for men), women should aim for 6 reps at a heavier weight to maximize muscle growth. If you can do 6 reps easily- go heavier. 💪

6️⃣ Interval sprint training beats long cardio sessions. Short bursts of 30 seconds of all-out effort, followed by 1–2 minutes of recovery (for 5 rounds, 2x per week) are more effective for perimenopausal/menopausal women. This can be running, biking, jumping jacks, etc. I did mountain climbers on Monday. 🏃‍♀️

7️⃣ Creatine supplementation supports brain, bone, muscle, & mood health. Taking just ½ teaspoon (5g) per day in liquid can help—though it takes about three weeks to saturate the body.

8️⃣ Cold plunges? Not as effective for women. Freezing water can put the female body into a stress/shutdown state (especially if you have Raynaud’s like me!). Instead, warmer water (around 55°F) is better, but research suggests we get even more benefits from heat—like using a sauna twice a week. 🔥

If you want to listen to the full podcast, click here.

Would love to hear—did anything surprise you? Are you already doing some of these? DM me and let me know! 💌