FitFizz Podcast

Are you ready for a lil chat about season depression? A li'l seasonal depresh?    Highlights in this episode:  • What is seasonal depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.)? • About Dr. Norman Rosenthal, the scientist to give this a name • Contributing factors  • Why only certain people get seasonal depression and which factors make it worse • How to cope with mindset and feelings • How to cope with supplements • How to be supportive of friends who experience seasonal depression • The benefits of natural light and artificial "happy lights"   Part 2 is all about the role of vitamin D. There are some surprising factors and fixing seasonal depression is NOT as simple as "just take some vitamin D". That's why it's getting its own episode.    Resources in this episode:  https://www.normanrosenthal.com  https://www.psychiatria-danubina.com/UserDocsImages/pdf/dnb_vol28_no1/dnb_vol28_no1_25.pdf  https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/seasonal-affective-disorder  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4673349/  https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.4.656?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3Dpubmed&    Happy lights recommended by Dr. Rosenthal: https://verilux.com/   https://carex.com/     Red light therapy panels: https://joovv.com/ https://redtherapy.co http://www.clearlightventures.com/ https://bioslighting.com/ https://www.biolight.shop/ https://mitoredlight.com  https://omniluxled.com    FitFizz website:  https://fitfizzstudio.com 

Creatine is a supplement that every single person out there can benefit from. No matter your age, size, health status, or activity level.  Let's address every common concern and question that most people have about creatine. I'm going to give you all of the information to ease your mind and hopefully, you'll become a lifelong fan of this beneficial supplement. I'm not even selling it. So don't worry there's no sales pitch at the end. I truly just want you to do whatever you can to optimize your health for overall strength and longevity.  In this episode:  • Creatine monohydrate vs. creatine HCL • Does creatine cause bloating or weight gain? • Does creatine cause hair loss? • Does creatine cause muscle cramps? • Creatine and bipolar disorder • Creatine and non-athletic lifestyle benefits  • Creatine and athletic benefits • Dosing recommendations  • Is creatine loading necessary? PubMed Links: Creatine supplementation and cognitive performance in elderly individuals  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17828627/ Creatine supplementation for older adults: Focus on sarcopenia, osteoporosis, frailty, and Cachexia: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35688360/ Creatine in T Cell Antitumor Immunity and Cancer Immunotherapy: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34067957/    Creatine electrolyte supplement improves anaerobic power and strength: a randomized double-blind control study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1186/s12970-019-0291-x Creatine Supplementation in Women's Health: A Lifespan Perspective: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/3/877  To sum it all up, creatine is safe, effective, and everyone should strongly consider using it throughout any stage of life. It aids in brain health, athletic performance, muscle health, bone health, sleep quality, and mood. And these are facts that have been proven over and over by legitimate scientific studies.  Don't get hung up on the brand. Just look for a label that says creatine monohydrate. I highly recommend this product not just for performance but also for longevity, optimizing aging, and protecting health through the lifecycle.  If you enjoyed this, share it on social media, tag FitFizz and let me know your favorite part. Send it your loved ones and get them on some creatine!  Thank you so much for listening! I'm Kelly Wilson, your health concierge, and until next time, breathe, stay strong, and always celebrate victory! Website: fitfizzstudio.com Social: @fitfizz

Are you ready for some cold, hard facts on fitness and weight loss gimmicks? I don't want you to waste your money on things that don't work. Buckle up for my harsh truths on why things like 30-day squat challenges don't work, red flags on supplement labels, foods and supplements that are not doing what influencers say they do, and how to outsmart all of it by knowing what these things are really all about.  From waist trainers, to juicing, to fat burners, to metabolism resets, to detoxes and cleanses, and one particular MLM that is selling lies — find out why these are all not worth your time or money.  I'm hyper-critical about supplements. One brand I trust and use daily is DotFit. You can get 20% off your entire order by using my link: bit.ly/fitfizzsupplements 

Do you ever find that you keep doing certain things and you just can't seem to stop? Have you ever taken a harsh look at ways that you might be self-sabotaging?    If you're not familiar with the term buffering, I'm teaching you all about it today.    • Learn to identify ways that you buffer so you can change them • Learn the most common forms of buffering  • Learn to identify ways that you avoid emotions in order avoid pain which prevents personal growth • The difference between self-sabotage and buffering • The difference between buffering and self-care   Shop: https://etsy.com/shop/fitfizz Coaching: https://fitfizzstudio.com   

Have you ever been told that your standards are too high? Do you have a hard time meeting your own high standards? Do you ever feel frustrated or anxious that you can't ever seem to get certain things done? If you said yes to any of those things, keep listening because that's today it's all about perfectionism and procrastination and believe me, I GET IT!  We're going to look under the hood and make some sense of why do these things.   Learn:  • How perfectionism and procrastination are fear-based  • How these behaviors can stem from childhood or trauma (so it's not your fault) • How I broke up with perfectionism • What is revenge procrastination?  • How to actively change these behaviors if you want to     In case you're a new listener, welcome. I am Kelly Wilson. I'm the owner of https://fitfizzstudio.com and I'm a personal trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I've worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I am here to help you ditch the gimmicks, finding strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health, and remind you to celebrate victory all along the way!    The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe. 

  Did you know that people pleasing behaviors are fear-based? And most fear-based behaviors have roots in trauma. People pleasing can definitely stem from trauma.   Nobody chooses to be a people-pleaser. Listen to find out what it's all about, where it comes from, what to do about it and what to if you're not ready to accept if you might be a people-pleaser.   I’m Kelly Wilson and I’m the owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a personal trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I am here to help you ditch the gimmicks, finding strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health, and to remind you to celebrate victory all along the way!   The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe.   Website: https://fitfizzstudio.com

How can you improve eating habits if you're never at home? I know that many people are still at home more than ever (thanks, COVID-19) but there are people like truck drivers, hospital workers, hair stylists, nail techs, construction workers, teachers, the people who sanitize buildings, and many other professions who are serving the public all day who can't always depend on conveniences like kitchens or break rooms to make eating healthy meals easier. This episode is for you! Even if you don't have access to a way to heat up any food and you have to eat in the car. This advice applies to all of these on-the-go people and therefore it can certainly apply to anyone who is at home or working in an office with traditional lunch breaks.    The key thing here is being prepared! I'm going to give you several ways to do that so that you can successfully change your eating habits rather than just grabbing the nearest fast food all the time. Find out the three main categories for how to prepare to make healthy food choices when you're not at home plus a bonus!    Episode webpage for more info: https://fitfizzstudio.com/podcast    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kellywilson   Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fitfizzenergyoasis 

Happy new year! It's that time of year where fitness gimmicks are rampant. Listen to my 10 harsh truths while we talk about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.    For more information from this episode, visit https://fitfizzstudio.com/podcast   

Complaining is never really complaining. Think about that. Today's episode is short and sweet, but you might be able to learn a lot about having empathy.   It's pretty easy to recall a time when you or someone else said "stop complaining". As the title of the show states, complaining is never really about just the complaint itself. Yet we often classify a complaint as simply that.    There is a desire inside of every complaint. There is an unmet need.    I don’t see complaints. Ever, really. I really, really don't.   What I do see: • people who are misunderstood • people expressing their sincere thoughts • people who have no other outlet to vocalize how they feel about something • people who have no one to hold space for them • people who are hurt • people who are depressed • people who are in pain • people who’ve been betrayed • people who feel alone • people who are exhausted • people who are at a breaking point • people who are adjusting to change or struggling with changes in life • people who have no one to turn to for talking about things • people who are in active trauma or unhealed trauma   I don't see complainers. I see people who want to be seen, heard, and people who need empathy.   I challenge you to look deeper the next time you're about to label something as a complainer. There's a need not being met. If you don't have the emotional space to go deeper or to fill that emotional need, at least be decent enough to acknowledge they have some kind of frustration, pain, or unmet need rather than dismiss it as "complaining".   I'm Kelly Wilson and I'm the owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a personal trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I am here to help you ditch the gimmicks, finding strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health, and to remind you to celebrate victory all along the way! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only.    Nothing should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe.   

My guest today is Dr. Kevin Jackson who is sharing information on his research that he's done on concussions and traumatic brain injuries.    Kevin has a doctorate in animal science with a specialization in reproductive physiology. He is a former research scientist at the University of Illinois and he is currently a Clinical Program Manager.     Some highlights in today's show:  • Kevin's experiences with playing football at U of I and concussions • How his career led him into doing research on traumatic brain injuries • The cooling helmet that he developed to assist in recovery from concussions and TBIs • What you should and should not do if you're with someone who has severely hit their head • Short-term and long-term consequences and recovery from concussions and TBIs • Long-term mental health for former athletes • lots more!   Here is a video from the University of Illinois where Kevin has worked with the football team. This video explains some of his research and you can see the different versions of cooling helmets that he spoke about on the show.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM7wjBc9xSc    For more information visit https://fitfizzstudio.com/podcast     I'm your host, Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a personal trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I am here to help hold yourself to new standards of healing, personal growth, behavior change, and transformation...to give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health, and to remind you to celebrate victory all along the way! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe. 

Let's talk about concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). I think this is important stuff to have a baseline knowledge of this because you truly never know if someone in your life will have an accident and you might not have immediate access to doctors.     The first thing people think of when they hear the word concussion is probably football or car accidents. From all of my years of being on dance teams at various football games, it's always a serious matter when you see someone take a hit and everyone on the sidelines starts whispering the word concussion but I remember many times being on the sidelines and wondering how all of these people knew right away to say "Oh it's probably a concussion". My mind always thinks "but how do we know if it's a concussion?"     In case you have not heard the term traumatic brain injury (TBI) before, a concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury and concussions usually fall into the category of mild TBIs. It's not as serious of a TBI as one where there is a brain hemorrhage, but the soft tissue of the brain has bounced against the hard surface of the skull fairly hard. It can have a long list of consequences if left untreated.     For people who might have experienced a concussion many years ago, there are still restorative things you can do if you still experience symptoms many years later which I'll also talk about.     Some highlights in this episode:     · common causes     · acute and long-term symptoms     · primary and secondary injuries       · supplements and nutrition       For all of the details discussed in this episode, please visit https://fitfizzstudio.com/podcast     Join the FitFizz Pod Squad: https://patreon.com/kellywilson      I'm Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a personal trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I am here to help hold yourself to new standards of healing, personal growth, behavior change, and transformation...to give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health, and to remind you to celebrate victory all along the way!     The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe. 

Jason Colley is sharing tons of great info on the show today! We covered a lot so be sure to listen to the whole episode. All of these golden nuggets of information apply to all fitness and ability levels.       Jason is a personal trainer and strength coach. He has a BS in Exercise Science and Strength and Rehabilitation, he's a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, he's an expert when it comes to performance and recovery systems, he's the owner of  http://prsystemstraining.com/     Here are some things he shares on this episode:     • Bracing with the body and rooting the feet to optimize your performance     • Different types of breathing while you're doing training and running and why they matter     • Proper lifting shoes     • Tips for runners     • Tips for lifters     • Plantar fasciitis     • and tons more!     Follow Jason on Instagram and check out his informative videos:  @JasonColleyPRs     Jason's website:  http://prsystemstraining.com/ 

Last week I explained what medical gaslighting is. Today I'm giving you 11 ways to empower yourself if you find yourself being medically gaslit.    You can see the full list on the episode page at fitfizzstudio.com/podcast so you can refer back to it, save it and share it.    In this episode, you'll learn how to shift your preparation, language, and mindset so that you'll never leave the doctor feeling defeated or hopeless again.    Patreon https://patreon.com/kellywilson      Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitFizzRawEnergyOasis/     Leave me a voice message or ask a question:  https://www.speakpipe.com/fitfizz    Order lab tests on your own: https://fitfizzstudio.com/lab-testing   Set up personalized coaching session: https://fitfizzstudio.com/coaching    My name is Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a certified trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I am here to help you ditch the gimmicks, finding strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health, and to remind you to celebrate victory all along the way!    The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe.     

Have you or a loved one have ever been undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or had doctors dismiss your very, very real symptoms? That's medical gaslighting. It's harmful and all too common.     No matter how much you like a certain doctor, how much you trust them, how highly recommended they are, or even if they're said to have the top credentials in the world, I think that society as a whole could use a dose of trusting doctors slightly less. I know that might be a hard pill to swallow for some people but keep listening to today's topic to see why. And it's not for the sake of thinking they're not smart, but to remember they are human too and try not to put them on a pedestal the way our society as a whole tends to do. This also relates back to everything I talked about last week in terms of why I think the phrase "be your own best health advocate" can be misleading.     Have you or a loved one ever had repeated trips to the doctor with no diagnosis? Or no real diagnosis? Or a situation where you tell the doctor what hurts or how something feels and it seems like they barely pay attention or act like you're not experiencing what to you tell them you're experiencing? I've had all of these things happen. I've mentioned bits and pieces of my own story on several other episodes and today we're pulling a lot of that together.   It's something called medical gaslighting that far too many people experience and I'm talking about it because for me, learning this term was a key turning point in having the language I needed in order to fire doctors who were failing me (time and time again) and to take back my power in regards to my health.   Medical gaslighting is when a doctor or other healthcare professional downplays, overlooks, or dismisses symptoms that a person is having.     Some examples of what medical gaslighting sounds like are:   "No, I don't think you need that test."   "It's not really that serious."   "Let's just wait and see how you are in 6 months"   "Just try to do more yoga and eat more salads...I really think you're fine"   "I think there's nothing really wrong other than you might be a little depressed so let's prescribe you something for that."     Also in today's episode:   • 3 main reasons why doctors' hands are somewhat tied when they end up medically gaslighting patients   • Taking more of a stand for what your rights are with doctors   • Some of the ways that I was severely medically gaslit over the years by doctors and how I put an end to it.   Find me on social media @fitfizz   Leave me a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/fitfizz   Schedule a 1-on-1 coaching session: https://fitfizzstudio.com/coaching   My name is Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a certified trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I'm here to help you ditch the gimmicks, finding strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health, and to remind you to celebrate victory all along the way!   The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe.

Suzy Goodwin of the Run Lift Mom podcast is joining us today!   Suzy is a marathon runner who also enjoys lifting, she's the mom of 4 young kids (3 of which are triplets), and she's very passionate about uplifting women and guiding other moms through their fitness journey. For the dads listening, she's got some good advice for you too and also for any non-parents listening.   Highlights in this episode: • The official world record that Suzy once held • How she started running, kept running and made time as a busy mom and military spouse • Injury prevention for runners • Her best advice for prioritizing time as a parent • Life hacks for getting out of bed before the kids demand your attention • Re-exploring her "why" for staying active since COVID   Here are all of Suzy's links where you can find out more about her and her podcast, plus links to other resources she mentioned in the show today!   Run Lift Mom Website: https://runliftmompod.com/   Run Lift Mom Podcast: https://runliftmompod.com/podcast/   Zyia Activewear: https://www.myzyia.com/RUNLIFTZYIA/shop/catalog.aspx   Suzy's Instagram: @runliftmompod   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runliftmompod   TikTok: @runliftmom   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx-zdnnN85gltYei1AtXRMg   Simon Sinek's book, Start With Why https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591846447/?ref=exp_fitfizz_dp_vv_d   Charge Running App: https://www.chargerunning.com/   

What does it truly mean to "be your own best health advocate"? I thought I knew, but it wasn't until my health was at rock bottom that I was forced to realize what it really meant. If you're thinking to yourself that it seems pretty obvious how you should be your own best health advocate, I hope you'll listen with an open mind because it goes deeper than you might initially think.     Looking back at my own health timeline I can see that I was never really my own best health advocate until around 2017. I say I was forced to start doing so because I was jobless, didn't have health insurance, and couldn't even afford food so paying a doctor out of pocket certainly wasn't an option. This happened while I was in the most pain of my life and my health was the worst it had ever been. I was forced to start figuring things out on my own.     Prior to that, I behaved like so many other people who are taught to blindly trust doctors. Before my epiphany, I thought that being my own best health advocate simply meant that if my doctor told me to do something that sounded ridiculous, I wouldn't do it. Or I thought that if I was diagnosed with cancer, I'd get a second opinion if my insurance covered it. That's what it meant to be my own best health advocate, right? Wrong. Oh so wrong.     I'm not saying anyone should place blame on themselves if they haven't been their own best health advocate but the whole reason for this episode is to hopefully help you see things in a new way. I don't want you to have to suffer for years unnecessarily as I did.     I always strongly recommend that everyone works with a functional medicine doctor or integrative doctor for anything relating to autoimmune conditions, migraines, chronic pain, chronic illness, or anything that you've been struggling with for years and feel like you simply can't get true help or answers from a general practitioner or even a specialist of any kind. If they keep prescribing drug after drug and nothing really gets fix you're long overdue to take your power back, see a functional medicine doctor and learn to be your own best health advocate for real.     Also in this episode: • Examples of ways that are not being your own best health advocate  • Examples of ways that actually are • Personal downfalls of mine when I was not being my own best health advocate and how I learned to change that   Set up a 1-on-1 coaching session with me: fitfizzstudio.com/coaching    Facebook group with resources to find a functional medicine doctor near you: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitFizzRawEnergyOasis/

Today's topic is carrageenan. It's a plant-based ingredient that's in many foods and a lot of people can also have a sensitivity to it. For those who are affected, they're often in the dark as to what the culprit of their discomfort is. That's why I'm bringing this to your attention today.       Carrageenan is something that's added to foods and pharmaceuticals to emulsify them, to thicken liquids, or to give them a gel-like consistency. Carrageenan itself comes from red edible seaweed, or sometimes it's called Irish Moss. So it is a natural plant product, therefore it IS in many foods that are labeled as vegan but it's also highly inflammatory for many people.       Also in this episode:   • What kind of symptoms you might experience with a carrageenan sensitivity   • What kind of foods contain carrageenan   • Other names for carrageenan that you'll find on food labels   • How carrageenan creates inflammation   • Be careful of false information about carrageenan   • How to find out which brand/foods contain carrageenan   • What does GRAS mean and why to be cautious when you see this label     Find me on social media @fitfizz and let me know what you thought of this episode and if you learned anything. Or you can leave a review on Apple Podcast, OR, you can leave me a voice message or ask a question that I might read on the show by going to  https://www.speakpipe.com/fitfizz       Patreon       I’m Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a certified trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I'm here to help you ditch the gimmicks, find strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health, and to remind you to celebrate victory all along the way!       The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe.    

Have you ever heard of the hope molecule? It's pretty cool.     You already know that when it comes to movement, something is better than nothing. You've also probably heard of endorphins, and we know that serotonin is our happiness hormone, so it's good to do things that give you an extra hit of serotonin such as getting exercise, meditating, or spending time in nature. But there's more to it.     Why does it feel so great most of the time to sweat, and push limits, and move heavy things, and run long distances, and dance like nobody's watching — or if you're like me to dance like everybody is watching?      There is something nicknamed the Hope Molecule which is responsible for this. So even though it can be fun to think of the body as "magic", there obviously is something scientific happening in the chemical soup known as the human body.     Also in this episode: • How to activate "the hope molecule" • How the hope molecule activates our feelings of hope and courage • The role of myokines in the body       Leave me a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/fitfizz       https://fitfizzstudio.com/coaching       In case you're new to FitFizz, I’m Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a certified trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist (as in — I'm certified in knowing how to help people change their unhealthy behaviors), autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry since soon after Suzanne Summers started selling the Thigh Master back in the 90s. I'm here to help you ditch the gimmicks, find strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health and to remind you to celebrate victory all along the way!      The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe. 

In episode 9 I talked about adrenal fatigue and I'm long overdue for a continuation of that. Today I'm explaining why many doctors say that adrenal fatigue simply doesn't exist.       If you don't have adrenal fatigue or don't think it applies to you, here's why I want you to keep listening: many topics that I cover are precursors to autoimmune conditions that can be avoided or reversed without medical interventions.       Roughly 1 in 4 people are living with 1 or more autoimmune conditions right now. That's a lot. And it's prevalency is only going to increase because a lot of these things stem from chronic stress, lack of quality sleep, unaddressed trauma, and poor nutrition. So if you care about more than 3 people on this planet, it's important to have awareness of these things because it can empower you to be able to see red flags of disease in those that you care about.       Let me confirm from my experience — when I was in it, I couldn't see it for myself because I was too deep in the symptoms to see clearly. If you have these types of issues happening in your life, you certainly aren't going to have the luxury of caring about superficial things like how much you can deadlift, having a smaller waist, or having triceps that don't jiggle...and that's why I want to educate on red flags of disease here on the FitFizz podcast!       Some of the things you'll learn in today's episode:  • Why functional medicine doctors acknowledge adrenal fatigue but other doctors don't   • Basics of adrenal fatigue   • What adrenaline allows us to do   • Breaking down the term adrenal fatigue and why semantics makes people dismiss its existence   • Medical gaslighting   • Other terms that are similar — but not equal to — adrenal fatigue       Using natural supplements to lessen your perceived stress load: https://www.amazon.com/shop/fitfizz?listId=3JSFIH1I0HBGU       Set up a personalized virtual coaching session with me so I can guide you towards feeling relief in your stressed-out life: https://fitfizzstudio.com/coaching       Share this with someone in your VIP section...and until next time, breathe, stay strong, and always celebrate victory!    I’m Kelly Wilson, and I'm the owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a personal trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry since barely anyone knew what email was. I’m here to help you ditch the gimmicks, find strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health, and to remind you to celebrate victory along the way.     This show is for educational and informational purposes only. None of the contents should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe.

Stress. Never heard of it?   I'm totally joking because we all know about regular-schmegular stress, but what about Eustress? Or pre-traumatic stress? I used to be THE worst person I knew when it came to dealing with stress, but I have changed that quite a lot. Having an autoimmune disease forced me to wake up and see how truly destructive stress was for my health.   I'm sharing the story of my personal rock bottom with stress in my life and how I started to turn things around. If you tend to react to stress in extreme ways, it very well could be a trauma response. Science has also proven that if you can re-learn the way you think about stress, that in itself can even minimize the destructive side effects it has on your health over the course of years and decades.   Listen to this episode before you hit your version of rock bottom with stress and before autoimmune health issues happen.   Other things you'll learn in this episode: • How stress responses are often a side-effect of unhealed trauma • How COVID lockdown has been easier than dealing with the stress, instability, and isolation of having an autoimmune disease that was triggered by allowing stress to run my life • How to begin to improve your recovery time from a stress response • How society gives us an illusion that stress is not dangerous and how to change that • How to learn to observe yourself and your thoughts as an outsider the next time stress starts to take over • The harm of extended cardio if you're chronically stressed out • The harm of choosing exercise over sleep if you're chronically stressed out • The benefits of adrenal support supplements   Leave me a voice message with your feedback, what you learned or a victory you want to celebrate.  (Submissions might be used on the show)   1-on-1 coaching sessions   Until next time, breathe, stay strong, and always celebrate victory!

Alison Hager is joining the show today! Alison is a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and nutrition educator. We met on social media about ten years ago and she has a lot of knowledge to share.   She's also sharing her personal journey with weight loss. Near the end of high school, Alison realized she didn't want to be overweight anymore and so she began a journey change her life, and then she began to change others as well by becoming a personal trainer.   Some highlights that you'll hear in this episode: • How Alison began her journey of losing 90 lbs. • How she was featured in Oxygen Magazine • The life events that led to her being a full-time personal trainer • Advice on making changes even if you're scared • The value of logging your meals and taking progress photos no matter who you are • and lots more!   Please go vote for Alison here (it's free but does require a Facebook log-in): https://mshealthandfitness.com/2020/alison-hager   Follow Alison on social media and read her blog:   IG: @Fit_Not_Skinny Twitter: @Fit_Not_Skinny Blog: successinvariousforms.blogspot.com

Do you struggle with staying committed to a training program or meal plan?       I'm going talk about different personality types and how sometimes if you're hating the type of training or dieting you're doing it might be a good sign that it's time to take a step back and re-evaluate. There's probably something about the format that simply isn't a match for your personality type to stay interested and committed. What happens if you're not interested and committed? Your chances of sticking with it and reaching your goals aren't that likely.       • How powerlifting made me change my mindset about lifting alone • Why your boundaries and preferences should be a priority in deciding what type of training will help you to stay committed • Applying personality types when choosing a nutrition plan  • Using fear and rewards for motivators      Happier with Gretchen Rubin and The Four Tendencies: Four Tendencies Quiz Four Tendencies Book   Set up a 1-on-1 virtual coaching session with me to help you get unstuck: https://fitfizzstudio.com/coaching     Patreon: https://patreon.com/kellywilson     I’m Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a personal trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I’m here to help you ditch the gimmicks, find strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health and to remind you to celebrate victory along the way.      The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. None of the contents should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe.

In the fifth and final part of this trauma series, we're discussing trauma therapy and healing. Here are some highlights and links to find more information about each type of therapy and/or to find practitioners near you:  • What does it mean to be trauma-informed • Being trauma-informed in the workplace • Two types of trauma desensitization (one is healthy and one is not) • My best advice to begin healing on your own in ways that are free and simple • Mental illness vs. mental injury • What to look for in a therapist EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)  https://www.thetappingsolution.com/  Constellation Therapy https://drmarierodriguez.com   TRE (Trauma Releasing Exercise) https://traumaprevention.com/tre-provider-list/  Feldenkrais https://feldenkrais.com/  https://feldenkrais.com/practitioner-search/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGz4xChNTuY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeW7mZHOpXI  Voo Technique https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DeB_CGtOJM EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) https://www.emdr.com/  http://www.emdr.com/SEARCH/index.php  TIR (Traumatic Incident Reduction) http://www.appliedmetapsychology.org/about-applied-metapsychology/what-is-tir/ Somatic Experiencing and Titration  https://traumahealing.org/about-us/   https://directory.traumahealing.org/ https://www.psychalive.org/video-dr-peter-levine-somatic-experiencing-approach-titration/  Peter Levine book, "Waking the Tiger"  If you feel like you want to explore finding a practitioner for any of these types of therapy, I'll have links on the website and I'm going to add them all to a document my Facebook group. I'd love to see you join us there, just search for FitFizz Raw Energy Oasis on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitFizzRawEnergyOasis  Other resources https://www.ratemytherapist.net/  https://irenelyon.com/in-crisis  In case you're brand new to FitFizz, I’m Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a certified trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I'm here to help you ditch the gimmicks, finding strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health and to remind you to celebrate victory along the way.  
 The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. None of the contents should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

Trauma responses and trauma bonds are two things that tend to become addictive to someone who's experienced trauma for two big reasons. First, it's familiar. Remember, safety is not familiar to a traumatized person. Pain is. Second, the body keeps re-attempting to finally find safety. Learn about all of this and much more in today's episode. Also in this episode: • why safety is required for trauma healing • examples of fight, flight and freeze types of trauma responses • the true meaning of being "triggered" by something • what trauma bonds look like • why trauma bonds happen You can still get the FitFizz shirt that says "do the work" for 25% off with the code TRAUMAWORK through the end of July. There is a tank top and a t-shirt. Thank you for doing the work on trauma with me by taking the time to learn. Please share this with someone you care about and until next time, breathe and be kind to yourself.  I’m Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a certified trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I'm here to help you ditch the gimmicks, finding strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health and to remind you to celebrate victory along the way.  
 The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. None of the contents should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe. Patreon: https://patreon.com/kellywilson Website: https://fitfizzstudio.com 

Generational trauma. What is it? How does it affect health even if you haven't experienced much trauma in your own life? I think it's super important to bring wider awareness to this and because it can and does impact health.   What you'll learn about in this episode:   • Epigenetics: a powerful tool   • The role of environmental toxins   • How trauma of past generations is stored in your body   • The role of systemic oppression and trauma   • The fight, flight or freeze response and health    Here is a link to the book I mentioned, The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.   DO THE WORK shirt in the FitFizz shop  25% off with code TRAUMAWORK (now through 7/31/2020)   I'm Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I'm a personal trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I've worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years.   I'm here to help you ditch the gimmicks, finding strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health and to remind you to celebrate victory all along the way. We are in the middle of a miniseries on all aspects of trauma. If you haven't heard the first two, I highly recommend those and there will be two more episodes after this week.   The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.  

(This show has not been edited at all so please excuse the extra noise and stumbles.) I'm Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I'm a personal trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I've worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I'm here to help you ditch the gimmicks, finding strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health, and today I'm bringing you more education on what trauma is and how it affects our lives or those who we love and what we need to be aware of in healing it so that it's not passed on to others. What you'll learn in this episode: • some of my experiences with race and being half Mexican • why I chose to speak about this • the links between systemic racism and higher rates of disease • the links between trauma and higher rates of disease • the ways that structural racism impact Black and Latino communities  • how I started to learn about these things • the impacts of Mexican people trapped at the border in traumatic conditions • my commitment to being more actively anti-racist • the health impacts of many Latinos being second-responders to traumatic events You can help support the show by visiting Patreon.com/kellywilson and pledge your support at $1, $2, or $5 month, or if you prefer to donate directly via Venmo (@kellykells9) or Cash App ($fitfizz)   Remember you can set up 1-on-1 health coaching sessions with me where we can talk face to face to go over your personal concerns and can be your health concierge to give you my best recommendations and resources to help you feel your best. I can also share a lot of knowledge that you'll never hear from a regular doctor. If you have some digestive issues, want to discuss natural supplements, or want help finding a functional medicine near you, or how to get lab tests ordered on your own, how to eat healthier, etc. Book your own appointment by going to fitfizzstudio.com/coaching Patreon Website Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube   The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe.

Today is the beginning of a short series on trauma. Before you click away or skip ahead, please, please hear me out on why this applies to every single one of you and why awareness of trauma is so important. If trauma doesn't affect you directly — if you somehow managed to have such a mega-privileged life that trauma hasn't affected you — then you need to keep listening so that you can grow your awareness for the sake of your family and friends. I decided to do this now because we need more conversations about trauma, being trauma-informed, trauma-responses, generational trauma, the difference between mental illness and mental injury due to trauma, and how all of these things related to health. They relate to autoimmune issues. Trauma is stored in the body. I felt that this topic is urgent right now is because of all the trauma surrounding racism, oppression, civil rights, discrimination, and I think it's safe to say that right now a significant percentage of the US and maybe even the world has experienced trauma bubbling to the surface and spilling over as a lot of people are passionately taking action to stand up for what's right and be part of the change to begin to heal part of trauma that has been carried on for generations.   What else you'll learn in this episode: • Trauma and racist murders like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbury and many others • Acknowledging the trauma that's happening along with the rightful uprising of the Black Lives Matter movement • COVID, trauma and race • Why I need you to hear all of this no matter what your race is • Trauma is trauma is trauma. Why we need to do better at not dismissing it • What dismissive language about trauma sounds like • Examples of trauma to identify in your own life • Types of trauma (Big T trauma, Little T trauma, racial trauma, birth trauma, and ancestral/generational trauma) • PTSD and trauma Please subscribe and leave a review for the show! Share this with anyone you care about. This is part of doing the work to be anti-racist and healing ourselves to have healthier generations in the future. In case you're new to the show, I'm Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a certified trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I am here to help you ditch the gimmicks, finding strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health and to remind you to celebrate victory along the way. The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. None of the contents should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.   Venmo: @kellykells9 CashApp: $fitfizz Patreon Website Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube

Emotional eating. Stress eating. It affects everyone at some point in life. Some more than others. I'm here to tell you it's also natural. Today we're talking about when how emotional eating can become a concern and that is when the mental aspect is an issue. Emotional eating on its own is not "bad", but what can be not-so-healthy is the mindset. I'll explain all that and more in this episode.   What you'll learn about in this episode: • The privilege of having access to snacks, groceries and food delivery • Why it's not okay to comment on anyone's change in body size and the one time when it is okay • Why emotional eating itself is natural and not a bad thing • When emotional eating becomes problematic and what to do about it • How habits like emotional eating are developed over time • Associating emotions with food • How the primitive brain plays a role in emotional eating • The difference between harmless emotional eating and a self-destructive mindset • How emotional eating is all about fear, pain, control, and comfort • How to plan for change if emotional eating bothers you   Special announcement! I have revamped my Patreon! Simpler and better. Brand new tiers and there are only 3 of them! You can get rewards for $1/month, $2/month, and $5/month!! If you love the show I'd be forever grateful for your support esp as I've been surviving on next to nothing since losing my personal training job due to COVID so check it all at out at https://patreon.com/kellywilson Please send this to 1 friend who crossed your mind while listening and leave a review for the show anywhere you can to help give FitFizz some street cred in the vast ocean of fitness podcasts! I love you for listening. I am Kelly Wilson, your health concierge. Sign up on my website for a 1-on-1 coaching appointment if you want some direction with your health and fitness struggles... Until next time, breathe, stay strong, and always celebrate victory! I’m Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a certified trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I am here to help you ditch the gimmicks, finding strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health and to remind you to celebrate victory all along the way! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe. FitFizz Raw Energy Oasis Facebook Community Patreon Website Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube

Today is about chronotypes. Are you a Lion, Dolphin, Bear, or Wolf? Listen and find out why you are the way that you are with your sleep habits. When you understand this and what your own body needs to operate optimally, that empowers you to use your energy more efficiently. Your chronotype is embedded in your DNA and so knowing your chronotype and learning to stop fighting against it can improve your life because if you stop fighting it, you'll feel more rested.   Here's what else you'll learn in this episode: • what the characteristics are for the lion, dolphin, bear and wolf chronotypes • what it means if you think you're not any of them • why you should respect your chronotype in order to take charge of your overall health • what your natural waking/sleep times mean • which gene determines your chronotype • what it looks like to plan your life around your chronotype • dealing with the chronotypes of kids and spouses • how school and work are not set up to deal with different chronotypes • all chronotypes are created equal — nobody's sleep schedule is superior to another.   Think about what you can do to reclaim lost energy and reclaim power over your sleep by keeping it consistent and setting boundaries as needed. And until next time, breathe, stay strong, and always celebrate victory! In case you're new to the podcast, I’m Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a certified trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry since *sing...199...4! I am here to help you optimize your energy, ditch the gimmicks, find strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health and to remind you to celebrate victory along the way. Web page for this episode Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube FitFizz Raw Energy Oasis Facebook Community

Are you one of those people on lockdown and worrying about "losing your gains"? A lot of people are concerned about this, but in case you don't even know what I mean by that, it basically just means losing muscle mass or strength, that you probably worked really hard for. You might be struggling to feel like you can do adequate resistance training or strength training at home in order to prevent that from happening. I'm here to help you! Before I go any further, I feel a need to address the potential people out there who respond to things like this by saying "I can't believe you'd care about something so shallow when people are out here dying". I get it. You're entitled to that outlook. I get both sides. But today is not for the people who say to "relax" and not worry about it. If you want to relax, that's cool, but today is for the people who are concerned about losing the progress they've made. The biggest and most significant thing I can say is that a lot of people will have to make a big mental shift in order to get out of their own way in order to minimize strength loss or muscle mass. I'm going talk about some things you can do if you're concerned about losing gains, but if your ego is in the way and telling you things like "Yeah, but that's not heavy enough" or "These bodyweight exercises are not going to do anything for me" — First of all, you're wrong. Second of all, if you hang on to those excuses, then you honestly should accept your fate and start saying the truth, which is that your ego is in the way you're just going pout about it until the gym opens again. If you honestly have concerns about losing strength or muscle mass but you find that you just don't know what to do, then I'm about to help you with that. Here is the oath that I'd like you to take to commit to bodyweight workouts: I (state your name ), hereby declare by the powerlessness that I feel from having to stay at home without access to heavy weights or the gym promise to put my ego aside To trust in bodyweight training To make the most of this situation So that I will feel empowered To maintain strength and minimize muscle loss So that when the gyms open again, I will feel ahead of the game And ahead of the people who chose to allow their ego to steal their gains during quarantine time. Keep in mind this oath that you just took because your ego is still going to tap you on the shoulder and try to strongarm you into not putting in effort. What else you'll learn in this episode: • Will cardio cause you to lose more muscle and should you do cardio during lockdown? • Putting your ego in check if you think bodyweight exercises aren't tough enough • Ideas for stairs to challenge your lower body • Why bodyweight exercises work for 99% of the population • How to add variations to make things more interesting • How to use range of motion, tempo and high reps to your advantage • How to make a 5 lb. dumbbell feel like 50 lbs. I dare you to try these ideas. See how it goes. If I'm wrong after the gyms open, then I'm wrong. But I've been doing this for a long time so I think I know what I'm talking about. Post yourself doing these ideas on social media with the hashtag #ProveFitFizzWrong I DARE YOU! And I'm going to need that social media proof of you doing these ideas at home for it to count if you plan to prove me wrong when gyms open again. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend....and have them prove me wrong too (wink, wink) Subscribe and pretty please leave a review for the show...I would love that OH so much!! Keep doing the best you can, and until next time, breathe, stay strong, and always celebrate victory! I’m Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a certified trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I am here to help you ditch the gimmicks, finding strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health and to remind you to celebrate victory along the way. Website Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube

Hello FitFizz friends! Please note that this episode was recorded roughly two months before COVID-19 had America sheltering in place. So if anything we say doesn't quite sound aligned with how the world has changed as of April 2020, that is why. It was such a pleasure to interview Tim Rucinski! Tim is mostly retired, but he is also a health coach, certified personal trainer and also a freelance writer. He's made significant health and physique changes recently and now he's helping others do the same. I wanted to ask Tim to be on the show to be a voice for the retired demographic and maybe change some mindsets about what's possible no matter what your age is. Tim and I know each other from Twitter for many years and he's taken the time to give me encouraging words in the past when I going through some rough emotional times. He has always had an uplifting vibe about him, but even more so now than ever before! At age 63, Tim is a great example of how age is so much more irrelevant than most people make it out to be. For those of you listening, if you haven't listened to episodes 34 and 35 please listen to those and you'll hear how much I strongly feel that age is all about perception. I think that most people would probably agree with me that "retirement" age is not what it used to be. Listen to hear all about Tim's positive outlook on age and what he does to stay lean, healthy and energized! Here are some of the highlights from this interview: • Tim's recent weight loss journey and what led him to change his lifestyle in his 60s • What he did to avoid going on cholesterol medication • Dealing with a torn rotator cuff, surgery, gaining weight, then meeting a health coach who helped him with a fresh start • The value that Tim found in looking at food in a new way • The value that Tim found in working with a personal trainer • Cooking for fun while prioritizing sensible nutrition • Learning to smarter habits that align with healthy goals • The importance of taking before/after photos and body measurements, especially if it makes you uncomfortable • Mindset and belief in yourself • and lots more! Here is where you can follow Tim on social media: https://www.facebook.com/tim.rucinski https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mstrtim; https://twitter.com/mstrtim https://www.instagram.com/mstrtim/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrtimrucinski/ Until next time, breathe, stay strong and always celebrate victory! Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe. Website Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube Patreon

Hello, my FitFizz friends! How are you doing lately considering the drastic shift in the state of the world? It feels pretty surreal, huh? Today I'm not directly talking about COVID-19 but I'm talking about the impact that I've seen it have on regular lives and hopefully a bit of a new perspective if you've found yourself frustrated in any way with this shift. I see a lot of pointless judgments going on in regards to fitness goals, and gyms not being open, etc. These judgments are one-sided in their opinions on the effectiveness of home workouts and I realized the voices that were not part of this picture are the people who are really trying to achieve something in their fitness journey and how they're struggling. So I decided to do this episode and I think you'll find it worthwhile. Highlights in this episode: • Two sides of a big argument that I'm seeing and how I see validation on both sides • Deciding what's best for you and your goals during this time • The overlooked side of immune-boosting supplements • Deciding if the inflammation from junk food is a good choice or not if you're concerned with boosting your immune system • Cytokine storms • Sleep and adrenaline • Your outlook on home workouts • Why nobody is "too strong" for a home workout to be effective • Choosing your home workout with your goals in mind • Calming mental chaos • A time for contraction vs. expansion If you need home workouts, new recipes or a sense of community that is away from the noise of your regular Facebook feed, I invite you to join the FitFizz Raw Energy Oasis and I hope to see you there. Just type it into the search box on Facebook or follow this link https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitFizzRawEnergyOasis/ That is all for today, my friends. Until next time...breathe deeply, stay strong and always celebrate victory! Website Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube Patreon Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Do you feel more energized or more depleted after being around other people? There are a lot of common misconceptions about introverts that extroverts REALLY need to hear. Being an introvert has nothing to do with being "quiet" or "shy" although many people often think that's what it means. The more I've thought about it, the more it astonishes me that this kind of thing — which really comes down to emotional intelligence — is not taught in school or ever talked about in workplace wellness programs. The reason it's so critical for extroverts to understand what I'm talking about today is that it's going to help you understand the introverts in your life so that you can understand what they need in order to be the best version of themselves. Highlights in this episode: • Intrinsic energy. What is it? • Can you identify an introvert or an extrovert? • What introverts experience energy-wise • Expectations in social settings • Why having adequate time to recharge is crucial for the health of introverts • How the world is built for extroverts and why it's a problem to expect introverts to live up to an unreasonable standard of energy • How businesses need to take the needs of introverts into account so they can do their best work • How energy is like money Start taking asking the people in your life if they're an introvert or an extrovert. Having those conversations will surprise you and help you understand those in your life a lot better. I'm Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a personal trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I am here to help you ditch the gimmicks, finding strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health and to remind you to celebrate victory along the way. The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. None of the contents should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe. Website Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube Patreon

Joining me today to discuss some very personal things in his life journey is Kristian Johnson. Kristian is quite an experienced strongman competitor! From competing at The Arnold Sports Festival to winning a Pro Card, Kristian has been through a unique journey. If you speak to most serious lifters in the sport of strongman, you'll usually hear that people are very accepting of anyone who wants to train hard to be as strong as possible, regardless of gender or preferences, but Kristian had an extra layer to work through that most people never have to think about. Please listen to hear the full story on what his journey has been like and how he's demonstrated strength in various ways, even outside of competing.   Highlights in this episode: • What it was like to have Arnold Schwarzenegger interrupt a very important competition in 2016 • What it was like to compete at "Strongest Woman in the World", while secretly coming to terms with a future life change of being a transgender man • The mental journey of holding off on transitioning in order to compete in the fairest way possible at the Pro level at the Arnold Sports Festival one last time • The article for EliteFTS where Kristian first came out as trans: https://www.elitefts.com/education/when-strong-is-all-you-can-be/ • Obstacles in making the transition official • The mental shifts that accompanied his journey • What it's like to now compete in strongman as a man • Freedom Through Fortitude LLC • And lots more!   You can follow Kristian on Instagram and Twitter: @thekristianj Website Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube Patreon Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend!

Today we're focusing on the "ditch the gimmicks" part of what I always say in the show intro. We've all seen the news articles with headlines like "Coconut oil will lower your cholesterol", then a month later a headline reads "Coconut oil may be a leading cause of heart disease". It doesn't get much more conflicting than that, right? There are endless examples of this which all lead to mass confusion and mountains of misinformation surrounding nutrition and the people who like to share and repost articles like these, are really JUST sharing a headline — they're not sharing news, really because most people don't actually read the articles. Just the headlines. Even if they did read them, the info is misleading at best or secretly sponsored by a company that is trying to profit from a certain food or product. This is one big reason that we as consumers have got to be smarter than headlines. But why does it have to be so confusing in the first place? What can you trust? Listen to the full episode to hear several more reasons why it can be so confusing.   Other highlights in this episode: • Why it's a good thing if you notice conflicting information • Why we are in the infancy stage of nutrition information • How to fine-tune your skepticism if there's a headline that seems questionable • Using Pub Med as a resource for valid information https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ • Why more studies are done on animals than humans • How to scrutinize the source of information in the media • Reminders about the accuracy of caloric measurements • Why important information gets left out • Why you should be cautious of articles or blog posts with no date Who am I and why should you listen to me? I’m Kelly Wilson, owner of fitfizzstudio.com and I’m a personal trainer, nutrition coach, behavior change specialist, autoimmune disease educator and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. I am here to help you ditch the gimmicks, finding strength through your struggles, give you the knowledge for making the smartest choices for your own health and to remind you to celebrate victory all along the way!   Episode page Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube Order lab tests   Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

This month's guest interview is with runner, Brian Dennison. He has accomplished quite a lot of things in both running and with his health. He is telling his journey of how he started running with the Couch to 5K app and wanting to improve his health, and now enjoys Ultramarathons. His health was one big reason that he stayed motivated and he surprised his doctors with his significant weight loss and lab results along the way!   Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend!   Episode page Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

Is losing weight, losing fat, or losing inches really as simple as "calories in vs. calories out"? If you burn more calories than you eat, you will always lose fat or inches? It depends on who you talk to. The reason for that is because it SHOULD be that simple, but the reality is, we live in a world with more and more no-totally-healthy people, so there are often many other factors that need to be considered. The fact that these other factors do exist, I personally, say it's too broad of a statement to be accurate, therefore, I don't think it's correct to say "well, if you have fewer calories in, or if you burn more calories than you eat, you should never gain weight." In theory, it should be that simple. And it could be if you had a room full of people who had matching DNA. They were all relatively young. No one had encountered any disease. They had no food sensitivities. They ate perfectly nutrient-dense whole foods for every meal. They were all moderately physically active. They had no stress and their appetites never waver. And if they didn't have any genetic predispositions to things like MTHFR, PCOS, candida, different types of insulin sensitivities or metabolic syndromes. But the chances of that are pretty non-existent. Highlights in this episode: • What does "calories in vs. calories out" mean? • What if you're predisposed to genetic, insulin, or metabolic factors? • Thyroid hormones and metabolism • How different types of hormones affect energy balance • How nutrient absorption affects overall energy balance • Are you affected my sub-optimal nutrient absorption? • How medications can play a role • Not making excuses even if you carry extra weight due to metabolic or hypothyroidism • Cautions of caloric readouts on fitness equipment, apps, and on nutrition facts labels • How problems with energy balance are figuroutable   Episode page Private Facebook Community Shop Facebook  Instagram YouTube Patreon Order lab tests Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

Today I'm focusing on one big, 4-way intersection that has to do with different eating styles. I'd love to know if you've heard of mindful eating and/or intuitive eating before or not. These two are quite popular but I don't think they've quite made it to where they're so popular that everyone has heard of them. If you *have* heard of mindful eating or intuitive eating, you're not alone if they still seem pretty vague. That is exactly what I'm hoping to clear up today! I want to give some clarity around mindful eating, intuitive eating, as well as how they differ from counting macros and how that differs from counting calories — plus how to know if any of them might be right for you or not. If we were to take these four eating styles and list them from least rigid to most rigid, it would go like this: · mindful eating · intuitive eating · calorie counting · macro counting It's good to know a bit about how each one works in order to decide if one of them might be more helpful for you to either manage your relationship with food or get closer to your goals if you're trying to change your body composition. Listen in to the whole episode to learn more and to hear all about my brand new MACRO COACHING! Who is macro coaching for? It's for anyone who wants to make a change in their body composition. What you'd get from me is completely personalized for you and your goals and preferences. I have a couple of options, which you can find at fitfizzstudio.com/coaching. To give a brief rundown, you can choose JUST your personalized macro portion calculations. This is a personalized 18-page report (PDF) that includes: · your personalized macros that I calculate after you give me some information · how to ease into it · how all of your fats, carbs, and protein are broken up · it shows you another way to simplify macro counting by measuring portion sizes with your hand · meal suggestions · tips on how to eat and how to choose foods to meet your goals · a whole page of protein sources · a whole page on carb sources · a whole page on fat sources · a whole page on vegetable options · what you can expect to lose/gain in terms of weight · what the next steps are after you make some progress (The numbers need to be adjusted in accordance with how your body changes. You don't just stay with the same macros forever.) · there is a section that answers questions answers like "what if this happens?", "what if that happens?" and "when do I make adjustments?" · plus you'll have access to me inside of the main FitFizz Facebook group for basic questions This option does not include any email coaching or adjustments though. For that, you can get the Macro Portion Calculations PLUS the 8-week coaching option which includes: · 1-2 macro split adjustments if they're needed · weekly check-ins via email to see how it's going and I can hear about your concerns and make suggestions if needed · a different private Facebook group for proactive community support and to ask questions · monthly live Q&A video chat for real-time answers Macro coaching Support the show on Patreon  Episode page Shop Facebook  Instagram YouTube Order lab tests Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

As I've been seeing lots of new people in the gym where I train, I've been taking notice of a lot of common dos and don'ts of the gym. I hope this will come in helpful for some of you, because I know that a lot of people don't reach their goals because they are not consistent, and a big part of consistency has to do with confidence. I didn't always have confidence in my body, or at the gym. Everyone starts somewhere. I used to not only be picked last for teams as a kid, but I was often not even picked at all. Today I'm sharing my experiences, my embarrassing start to getting acclimated to the lifting weights, and some tips if you're afraid to venture into the weight room.   Some highlights in this episode to help you feel more confident in the gym: • People aren't watching you as closely as you think they are • Why everyone is bound to have their clumsy moments, even professionals • Why hiring a trainer is best if you want to stay injury-free • Basics about warming up and stretching • Have a plan • Wipe up your sweat; clean the equipment • Dumbbell etiquette • Put equipment away • Use a locker; Don't put your bags, purses, coats in the training area • Properly asking for help • A challenge for you to get out of your comfort zone! Note: At 08:40 I said "Stairmaster" but I meant to say "treadmill".   If you accept this challenge, I'd love to hear about it! Tag @fitfizz on social media and show me what you're trying that's new each week that you're proud of — even if you're listening to this a year from now, I will be your cheerleader to help you celebrate those victories of trying new things at the gym!   Please share this with anyone who popped into your head while listening, subscribe, leave a review for the show, and if you'd like extra content, visit Patreon.com/kellywilson and check out the different levels of rewards you can get for helping to support the growth of FitFizz. A very special thank you to my current Patreon supporters: Elise V, Tracy D, Zach R., Wendy C, and Pamela P., Jeris H, and Carmina S! I love you for listening and for caring about your health. Until next time, breathe, stay strong and always celebrate victory! Go check out the rewards you can get at various levels! Patreon.com/kellywilson Episode page Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube Order lab tests Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

The long-awaited first podcast interview is here! Today I am interviewing LaRoy Warner, owner of Iron Camp and personal trainer.    He trains all kinds of people to get strong and achieve their goals. He's been working in the world of strength and fitness for about 20 years. He has a lot of knowledge, and I know we see eye to eye on quite a lot of things. One reason why I wanted to have him on is for you all to hear a new perspective on the benefits of strength training at any age.      To learn more about Iron Camp: theironcamp.com   To get the ebook, Bad ASS 2.0: https://www.theironcamp.com/store/badass2   You can follow LaRoy here: Instagram/Twitter: @laroywaner     FitFizz Links: Episode page Patreon Shop Website Facebook Instagram YouTube   Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

Note to listeners: Shortly after the 10-minute mark, as I was speaking about calcium supplements, I accidentally said "grams" rather than "milligrams". I definitely meant to say milligrams! Happy new year! There is no other time of year that you should be more cautious about gimmicks with fitness and nutrition than this time of year. Lately, I feel like every time I look at social media there is some kind of misinformation about weight loss or nutrition and one of the things that are driving me bonkers is anything that says "detox". A "detox" is NOT cutting junk food out of your daily habits. That's not a detox! That's called eating normally. I can imagine someone saying "well, Kelly, that's just what I call it". If so, then you might as well call a car a shoe too, if words are that meaningless to you. It's pretty ignorant to just decide that's what you want to call something when in fact it is completely inaccurate to call it that. Please don't be that person who is saying "I'm detoxing this week" when what you really mean is increasing nutrient-dense foods, cutting out excess sugar, refined carbs and maybe alcohol, and increasing your vegetable intake. That's not a detox. Doing some kind of 7-day smoothie challenge is not a detox either. I don't care what kind of "detoxing" ingredients the person is putting into it. It's not any kind of detox so it's inaccurate to call it that, no matter how you slice it. I've also mentioned this one before and it's more of the focus of today's episode. I've probably seen references to this at least 15 times in the last week saying "detoxes" aren't needed because we have a liver and kidneys. That is an oversimplification. I'm going to explain why. That statement that "we don't need any kind of detoxification help because we have a liver and kidneys" would be accurate IF... · you didn't eat processed foods · you never took antibiotics · you never took any sort of prescription medication · you live where there's no air pollution or water pollution · you've lived a life with no exposure to heavy metals or environmental toxins like plastics, BPAs, BPS, phthalates, xenoestrogens, etc I also want to make it clear that by saying the above, I'm NOT saying that since we're all exposed to these things that we need some kind of detox. What I am saying is that we — as humans — rather than falling for some detox bandwagon gimmick, there are things you can do to help support the regular everyday detoxification pathways of your liver and kidneys so that they are not overloaded. So that they are able to function normally and efficiently take care of detoxifying effectively on their own by taking care of your health in ways that impact their ability to do their job. This isn't so much about "how to do a detox" but it's more about how to keep your organs doing their jobs to detoxify properly in the first place. The truth of the matter is that we do live in a world where most people by the time they hit their 40s or 50s (or maybe even sooner than that) have been exposed to enough unnatural, synthetic, chemical junk over the years (that our ancestors were never exposed to) that the liver and kidneys are probably functioning sub-optimally and we don't even know it. Also discussed in this episode: · reasons why my own kidneys were under-functioning and the red flags that were overlooked because I wasn't seeing a functional medicine doctor. · basic functions of the kidneys · the difference between drinking water and hydration · why you can drink lots of water and still be dehydrated · minerals and kidney function · precautions with calcium supplementation · dangers of calcification of soft tissues in the body · how stress and hormones relate to kidney function and proper detoxification · blood sugar and how it relates to detoxification I didn't have enough time to get through all of what I had planned to say so but to hear the rest, support the show on Patreon.com/kellywilson and it will be available to the $5 and up levels. The continuation of this will include: · signs of impaired kidney filtration · detoxification and kidney stones · the different types of kidneys stones · how sodium and potassium are related to the body's ability to detox properly · the prescription drugs that make the kidneys and liver most vulnerable to under-functioning. Go check out the rewards you can get at various levels! Patreon.com/kellywilson Episode page Patreon Shop Website Facebook Instagram YouTube Order lab tests Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

If you feel extra stress from these last few weeks of the year due to shopping, crowds, social gatherings, late nights, huge meals, traveling, having house guests or having to plan parties — that stress isn't just your body and mind feeling frazzled — it goes much deeper than that. The truth is, that feeling is your hormones screaming out for help. They're aware that you're in some state of "crisis mode". So when the stress has been prolonged to several days or weeks, and it's affecting your mood... again, that's hormones. Stress goes up, cortisol goes up and the rest of your hormones are sensing something is off. A chain reaction is set off to your other hormones like insulin, melatonin, adrenaline, serotonin, and vitamin D, and all of these things can make your energy plummet if you're not proactively trying to prevent it.   Other highlights in this episode: · how hunger hormones play a role in stress · the importance of B-12, folate, and magnesium · using magnesium as a supplement · how protein can stabilize your mood · why using sugar for energy isn't the best idea · adrenal-supporting tea · setting boundaries · self-kindness and inflammation · how to choose between sleep and gym time if you can only choose one Rest, boundaries and nutrients can be your superpowers for any time that life gets extra busy.   Please note that this is the last episode of 2019! I'll be back on New Year's day with a brand new episode. I've been working on lining up a variety of interesting guests that I'll be interviewing on the show in early 2020.   If you've enjoyed the show and feeling extra gratitude you can help to support FitFizz by going to patreon.com/kellywilson and checking out the rewards you can get there. A very special thank you to my current Patreon supporters: Elise V, Tracy D, Zach R., Wendy C, and Pamela P., Jeris H, and Carmina S! I love you for listening and for caring about your health. Until next time, in 2020, I hope you finish the year strong, keep breathing and always celebrate victory! Episode page Patreon Shop Website Facebook Instagram YouTube Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend!   The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

I thought it was time for a show that's not so cerebral or scientific so today's show is on the lighter side but it will also give you some things to think about. If you've listened to me for any length of time you can probably notice a bit of a running theme that I tend to have a thing with semantics — or the meaning of words. Sometimes semantics are pointless or petty, but if we say words without giving them thought, those words might unintentionally carry meaning for someone else, and words have the power to create feelings, feelings create thoughts, thoughts create actions, and actions create our habits and relationships so semantics can matter. As Gary Vaynerchuck frequently says "marketing ruins everything". He's totally right. That phrase has really stuck with me because of being a graphic designer, which essentially falls under the umbrella of marketing, as much as I hate to admit it. And I hate admitting that because marketing is really all about deception, and consumerism. But here I am. A woman with a business, that I have to market if I want it to be successful. I CONSTANTLY find myself in a mental battle with things like SEO and marketing jargon because I loathe conforming to the way it has to be done in order to be found search engines or social media. Listen to the show for my explanation about why we should toss all of these buzzwords into the nearest dumpster: (I'm putting them in quotes because I'm THAT uncomfortable saying these words myself. Other people say them, hence the quotation marks.) 1. "In shape" 2. "Skinny" 3. "Clean" (as in clean eating) 4. "Good food" and "bad food" 5. "Natural" 6. "Superfood" 7. "Fat-free" 8. "Sugar-free" 9. "Sodium-free" 10. "Non-GMO" Episode page Patreon Shop Website Facebook Instagram YouTube Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in America and it's pretty typical to end up having many social events from now until the end of the year where food is involved and I know that can stir up a lot of stressful feelings for people. So while I don't have anything groundbreaking to share, I'm hoping this will be some encouragement and some tough love for anyone who either has anxiety about food leading up to these events or for anyone who deals with guilt and shame surrounding food after any of the events. Sometimes just having a reminder, or having things said in a new way can be all that you need to keep things in perspective. I touched on this topic a little bit on Halloween with a Facebook live video that I did and some of what I said about Halloween candy is going to totally applicable to all of the year-end holiday social gatherings. The first big important thing that I want to emphasize right away is that I'm all for you thoroughly enjoying yourself with or without as much food or dessert as you want. You have every right to indulge as much as you want to and even though I'm a nutrition coach, I'm not out to change anyone who doesn't want to change for themselves. But above that, as I always mention in the introduction, I'm a behavior change specialist and part of what that entails is behavior change around food and workout habits and so much of that about having a healthy mindset. Not a restrictive mindset. Not no-dessert-ever mindset. But knowing what's reasonable, what's healthy, and how to question yourself and your thoughts around food and exercise. There are so many things that people say or do that actually represent an UNhealthy relationship with food, but they're things that are so widely accepted. So part of what I'm talking about today is pointing those things out because sometimes they're right in front of our face and we don't even realize they're there, or that they're doing harm. They can be so normalized that you don't realize it. Some highlights in this episode: • the trouble with the term "guilty pleasure" • taking responsibility for your choices • determining your personal limit before you start to feel bad about your choices • dealing with guilt, shame or regret about food or over-indulging • why the mindset of "I'll burn it off with some cardio" is an unhealthy way of thinking • things you say about food and how it can harm others • how to deal with food pushers • tips to prevent over-eating   Patreon Episode page Shop Website Facebook Instagram YouTube

Micronutrients, which are more commonly called vitamins and minerals are all vital parts of health and nutrition. It can get pretty complicated though, and each person's individual needs are different. Most vitamins and minerals work in tandem with another one. So if one is low, the other might be high, or if you're deficient in one, another one won't be as effective. That is one very good reason why it's best for your health to vary the types of foods that you eat as greatly as possible—especially when it comes to fruits and vegetables because that is where we get phytonutrients and some potent micronutrients. Getting a whole lot of one micronutrient can disrupt the balance or absorption of another. Here are some highlights discussed in this episode: • Some common pair of nutrients that balance each other out • One (only one) good reason to use a supplement rather than food • fat-soluble vs. water-soluble vitamins • 3 important things if you take vitamin D as a supplement • minerals — what they are, how they work, why we need them • the sad state of degraded soil in the United States • facts on the harm that glyphosate has done to the quality of our soil in the USA • reasons to buy grass-fed, pasture-raised, or wild-caught foods that you might not have considered before • phytonutrients and fungi • fungi movie: fantasticfungi.com • myconutrients • zoonutrients • more reasons to order lab testing without a doctor Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend! Order lab tests  Order high-quality meat and seafood (use code: kellywilson20 for 20% off your first order) Patreon Episode page Shop Website Facebook Instagram YouTube The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

It's pretty easy to find your typical stuff about gratitude this time of year while that's lovely and everything, I like to explore the grittier side of things. I was going through my massively long list of episode ideas, I came across some jumbled thoughts that I had recklessly typed out probably in early 2018 about gratitude and spiritual bypassing (I'll explain what that is in a bit in case that's a new term for you) and it was some pretty heartfelt stuff about what I was going through and it was about gratitude, but it certainly wasn't all cupcakes and rainbows — I do love cupcakes and rainbow themselves — but when blurbs about gratitude are so overtly lovey-dovey sometimes it comes off as forced to me which is why I'm here to talk about the DARKER side of gratitude! A lot of posts on social media or blog posts about gratitude feel cliche and make me cringe a bit. Not that I'm not grateful for many things—I most certainly am—but sincerity and being genuine are big-time important to me. When I personally experience a feeling of real gratitude it's something that tugs at my heartstrings to a point where I often have to fight back tears. Not every moment of gratitude has to feel monumental. Of course, it's cool to be grateful for smaller things too, but I am definitely a believer that feeling gratitude for anything, big or small, should go along with sitting with the feeling and exploring it. Explore all around it with your thoughts and finding extra ways to confirm why you feel that way. So while I don't have any proof that anyone didn't do that when they said "Day 18: Today I am grateful for ice cream sandwiches", I gotta admit it feels like they posted it only because they didn't want to forget to make a post for Day 18. This matters not only from a sincerity standpoint, but it also matters from a science standpoint. Also in this episode: • the connection between science, hormones, the brain, and gratitude • going deeper with gratitude • spontaneous gratitude vs. gratitude practices • spiritual bypassing and how it relates to gratitude • my own experiences with spiritual bypassing and some examples Patreon Episode page Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

Herxheimer reactions are something that most people have experienced but they probably didn't know it had a name. In short, it's when the body is having sort of a cleansing crisis and certain symptoms get worse before they get better. Since each person's chemical makeup is different, there is really no limit to what form a Herxheimer reaction will take but some of the most common types of Herxheimer reactions can show up as pain, headaches, fever, chills, hives, or rashes anywhere on the body. Herxheimer reactions can be triggered by just about any food, ingredient, supplement or even certain types of medical care. These reactions happen mostly due to the fact that the body is already struggling (for some reason or another) to detoxify through its normal pathways. People who have autoimmune conditions will likely experience Herxheimer reactions frequently because their body is already some state of crisis and already struggling to excrete toxins normally. Also in this episode: • two of my goals to reach before 2019 • why regular doctors never mention Herxheimer reactions • why I want you to know that Herxheimer reactions are a thing • why having a liver and kidneys isn't always enough to sufficiently detoxify the body • type of Herxheimer reactions • Herxheimer reactions vs. allergic reactions • most common occurrences of Herxheimer reactions • how detoxification of the body is related • how it's related to junk food and headaches • why people with autoimmune conditions might experience Herxheimer reactions frequently   Patreon Episode page Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube Order lab tests Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

When was the last time you were at work, and someone said, "Hey guys, I think we should call a meeting to talk about all the destructive, unnecessary comments that I hear you make to each other around meals at work"? NEVER, right? Not even the HR department will take that initiative, although there is room to improve mental health in the workplace if they would. Today's topic is about so many things that I have encountered and thought about since my very first job after college. Every single place I worked, I always found people's behaviors and comments about when, how, or what people eat to be bizarre. It became increasingly odd to me as I worked more and more places over the years too. The accepted behaviors around meals in offices and what is considered "normal" raises red flags for me. In this episode, I'm pointing them out so that we can each try to make sure that we're not the ones making normal things like eating lunch, unnecessarily stressful for other people. I'm also breaking it into two categories — the things that employers do, and then the things that co-workers do/say to each other. Some highlights in this episode: • pitfalls of workplace wellness challenges • why flu shots don't belong in offices • pitfalls of team lunches/dinners • respecting the privacy and boundaries of others • subtle, but inappropriate behaviors when eating with co-workers • being judgemental about food in the workplace • why I will never bring doughnuts/treats to the office (it has nothing to do with nutrition)   Patreon Episode page Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube Order lab tests Please subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with a friend! The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.

If you've never heard of toxic positivity, this episode is especially for you! In order to bloom, we have to be willing to sit in the dirt sometimes. Have you ever gone through times when you were depressed, lacked any oomph for life or you were dragging through the days and not feeling upbeat about anything? I know I've had lots of those times myself. As recently as last week. Maybe you found the strength to share that — and yes, I do consider that to be a form of strength because it's showing vulnerability in this world that largely doesn't accept mental health issues — but maybe you shared those feelings but the responses you got were like: "Cheer up!" "It could be worse!" "Look on the bright side" "Don't worry, it will be okay" "Don't cry or you're going to make me cry" "It's really not that serious" or... "But you're such an amazing person! You shouldn't be sad!" UGH! Gross. Those are all forms of toxic positivity. It's insensitive. It dismisses the other person's reality and it sends a signal that can't trust that you have the emotional capacity to share personal things with you. Or maybe your gut response right now is, "Hey Kel, what's your point? Those sound like nice, positive comments to me". They're nice but they're not kind. There's a big difference. And they're certainly not compassionate. Those are examples of toxic positivity. Also in this episode: • why true positivity isn't everything • why experts have called "positive vibes only" spiritual bullying • my recent experiences with toxic positivity • examples of toxic positivity and what you should say instead • taking a stand for your own boundaries in order to protect your energy • why you shouldn't have the goal to cheer someone up • why toxic positivity is harmful and emotionally inept • truly positive ways to verbally support someone ...and more! Please subscribe, share this with a friend and leave a review for the show! Resources for this episode: Patreon Episode page Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe.

We've been talking about macronutrients, carbs, protein, and last but not least — today is all about the macro which is fat. And I say it's not least because both carbs and protein each have 4 calories for per gram, and fats contain 9 calories per gram. And that's not a bad thing. It can really work to your advantage once you learn about how macros work. So here we go with some FAT CHAT. Let's cover some basics, shall we? Some of the major ways that our bodies use fat from our diets: • For energy! And as today's title says, it's the most energy-dense macro. That doesn't mean it's got caffeine in it. What that means is that calories are units of energy, and 1 gram of fat has how many calories? Nine. So that why it's the most energy-dense. • Fat also helps to balance hormones. • Fat forms our cell membranes all throughout the body so it keeps our cells protected • Fat forms our brains and nervous system. The brain is around 60% fat. Fat intake is crucial for development at any stage of life, but it becomes especially crucial in your 50s-60s and beyond for healthy brain function to continue. • Fat is also critical for helping to effectively transport certain fat-soluble vitamins in the body, like A, D, E and K. That basically means that those vitamins are transported and put to work better if taken with a little bit of fat. • And one last major role of fat is that it gives us two fatty acids that our bodies cannot make on their own. Those are Omega 6 and Omega 3. Also discussed in this episode: • Healthy fats vs. unhealthy fats • 4 categories of healthy fats • Sources of healthy fats • Hydrogenated oils/fats • Why fats keep you satiated • Why we need to vary our food sources • The importance of Omega 3s • The role of Omega 6 • Why Omega 3s and 6s need to balance • Free portion guide for you to download Please subscribe, share this with a friend and leave a review for the show! Resources for this episode: Free meal portion guide Video about meal portions  Patreon Episode page Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe.

Today I'm going to give you some basic but important information about protein and this is by no means complete, but I'm going to try to clarify some things that are related to questions I have always been asked about protein intake. If you listened last week to the episode about carbs, another macronutrient, you are correct if you're guessing that next week will be all about fats, the remaining macronutrient. As a quick refresher, I think everyone should memorize the following: • Fat provides 9 calories per gram. • Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram. • Protein provides 4 calories per gram. What does that even mean? Quick example. Let's say you're looking at a food label and it says "10 grams of protein", you can automatically know that you'd be getting 40 calories from just the protein in that source of food, plus the calories of whatever the carb and fat content are.   Highlights in this episode: • How much protein do you need? • The difference between not being protein-deficient and having optimal protein • Talking to kids about protein • Times that you might need to increase protein intake • The importance of getting protein with your first meal of the day • Easy, on-the-go egg muffins (exact recipe will be on my website) • Protein when you're eating a plant-based diet • Smoothies and protein shakes • Do you need whey protein or a protein supplement? • Amino acids Please subscribe, share this with a friend and leave a review for the show! Resources for this episode: Free meal portion guide Video about meal portions  Patreon Episode page Shop Facebook Instagram YouTube       The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing should be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal, or prescribe.