Podcast appearances and mentions of karina inkster

While it's important to move your body, it's more important to have realistic long term fitness goals so you don't end up burning out! The problem is that many people don't know how to set these sustainable goals. Our guest today is an expert at keeping things real for ultimate success! Karina Inkster is your go-to, no-B.S. vegan fitness coach, author, and podcast host. Vegan since 2003 and vegetarian since 1998, she provides a friendly kick in the butt that inspires and motivates you to live your best, healthiest, most plant-strong life. Karina's award-winning online programs offer vegan fitness and nutrition coaching to clients around the world. She's the author of four books with a fifth in the works, a writer for several magazines, and host of the No-B.S. Vegan podcast. She holds a Master's degree in Gerontology, specializing in health and aging. When she's not working with her clients, writing, or weight lifting, you'll find Karina playing accordion, piano, and Australian didgeridoo; hanging out with her two cats; or sneaking spinach into her husband's smoothies. Grab her free guide, Vegan food logging 101: Your guide to calculating calories and macros. What Fitness Goals Mean Everyone is human and has an innate need to feel great, look great and feel comfortable with themselves. While not everyone is there yet, ultimately this is what we want to achieve. So there is no one size fits all approach to fitness however there are fitness goals that are more or less beneficial to us long term. For overall health, both mental health and physical health, we need to make sure we are making appropriate goals. Anything really can be a fitness goal. You may want to run your first marathon, loose fat, do a pull up, etc. There is not only one type of fitness goal. What is a Good Fitness Goal? We are all different, have different bodies and different lifestyles so fitness goals will depend on each individual person. Karina likes to focus on input versus output goals. Usually we have output goals like lose 10 pounds, deadlift twice my body weight, shrink our waist. We don't have direct control over these types of things. So instead we want to increase our input goals. For example, if we want to lose 10 pounds what are the input goals? It can be things like drink enough water, do your steps, strength training, increase cardiovascular activity, eat the right foods, etc. These are things we can track and have direct control over. An approach like this, is healthier psychologically than stepping on the scale and tracking the weight. Reasons Why a Fitness Goal Fails Most of the time when we fail at a goal, it's because our expectations are not appropriate. So the first thing we need to do is check those expectations. We don't know how long a goal is going to take. So to set a time frame with a goal can be counterproductive. So instead we can focus on habits. When we bring habits into our life instead of attaching a time frame to a goal, you are making things more realistic and fitting them into your actual life versus trying to race the clock to meet a certain time frame. How to Set a Fitness Habit When people see a trainer or any fitness support, they already have an idea of what they want to achieve. There is no one size fits all approach, the focus is a collaborative process between a trainer and client. Fitness habits need to be client centered because if it doesn't work with your lifestyle then it will be very hard to achieve. Having outside support is also great for accountability, which is important at the beginning until you are able to take it on yourself. You can also set fitness habits on your own if you are someone that is great at your own accountability. You can even find friends to be workout buddies with, which helps keep you motivated. Either way, it is important to start with a baseline of what you do already.

K.I. team members Karina Inkster, Izzy Pope-Moore, and Zoe Peled unite for a tri-force podcast episode to discuss some “trends” of the fitness/athleticism industries and problematic tendencies of “weight loss first fitness”. Throughout the discussion, the team debunks a few myths about veganism and BMI, shares their diverse- and impressive- training goals, and much (much) more.

Of increasing popularity is the adoption of a vegetarian or “plant-based” diet due to health concerns as well as those wishing to take a higher level of responsibility for the environment as well as the treatment of animals.   In this episode, I want to discuss several things with you that are worth considering when making this kind of lifestyle change as well as some (hopefully) helpful educational, nutritional and supplemental strategies to help aid you in your journey, including:   - What's the difference between vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based? Is one better than the other? - What merit does the “Game Changers” movie have with respect to the benefits of being vegan and what did they get terribly wrong? Who benefits from a movie like this? - Do vegetarians live longer than omnivores? - Vegetarian diets and muscle building, strength, and athletic performance.   - Are animal proteins and plant proteins created equal? - Establishing protein goals for vegetarians.   - What nutrients/micronutrients are missing in a vegan diet?   - How to supplement a vegan diet   - What (in my opinion) is a valid reason to make the switch and what is not and how we can stop arguing over nonsensical ideologies.   Let's start with the basics: Terminology (Most to least restrictive)   Veganism: The strictest vegetarian diet. Excludes ALL animal products from the diet, including food products derived from animals (for example: milk, eggs, and in some cases honey). Some vegans even avoid using animal products made from leather or wool and avoid plants that are not organically grown.   Lacto Vegetarianism: “Lacto” means “dairy,” and this variation thus includes milk products, but no eggs or meats of any kind (fish, poultry or red meat).   Lacto-Ovo Vegetarianism: “Ovo” means “egg,” which is why egg products, but no meat, is included in this vegetarian variation.   Pesco-Vegetarianism: Are similar to lacto-ovo vegetarians, but also eat fish and crustaceans.   Semi-Vegetarianism or “flexitarianism”: Occasionally consume meat, but try to choose vegetarian options when possible. Some flexitarians exclude red meat completely, but still eat chicken and fish.   Plant-Based: Plant-based or plant-forward eating patterns focus on foods primarily from plants. This includes not only fruits and vegetables, but also nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans. It doesn't mean that you are vegetarian or vegan and never eat meat or dairy. Rather, you are proportionately choosing more of your foods from plant sources.   Vegetarian Diets and Health: Do Vegetarians Live Longer than Meat-Eaters?   Vegans and vegetarians are probably some of the most health-conscious people on the planet - they tend to have a higher education, exercise more, sleep more, smoke less, and drink less alcohol. This also means that when you compare these people to the general U.S. population of non-vegetarians (less educated, less active smokers), avoiding meat is but one of a myriad of differences between them.   Observing differences in health outcomes is relatively easy but determining the cause of those differences is virtually impossible because of the confounding variables (education, exercise, smoke less, drink less alcohol, etc…).   But when adjusted for lifestyle, it turns out that the vegetarian diet doesn't make us live longer. A 2017 meta-analysis looking at observational data from 130,000 vegetarians and 15,000 vegans, comparing them to a control group of non-vegetarians, reached this conclusion. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26853923)   Another major problem with this type of comparison is generalizing about what a “meat-based” diet constitutes  - which in reality is comparing vegetarian diets to the Standard American Diet (SAD) Diet.   Let's take a look at the top 10 sources of calories in the US and you tell me if you think it's the meat that's the problem:   Grain-based desserts (cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, crisps, cobblers, and granola bars) Yeast breads Chicken and chicken-mixed dishes Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks Pizza Alcoholic beverages Pasta and pasta dishes Mexican mixed dishes Beef and beef-mixed dishes Dairy desserts   Now despite the fact that everything on this list tastes fantastic, it's easy to see how there's far more, from a dietary perspective, to the sickening of the American population that just a meat-based diet.   I'd argue that doing literally anything but the SAD diet would positively impact health and longevity, with going more “plant-based” certainly being one of those things… but also low carb, keto, Mediterranean, the banana diet, the potato diet, the Atkins diet, etc… because all of these diets would effectively eliminate one or multiple of the calorically dense and potentially nutritionally void food of the foods or beverages that I just mentioned.   The problem is that when you have so many variables that can and do change—often simultaneously—when leaving the SAD, it is very difficult to determine what the actual health effects are coming from, probably because it's coming from some combination of all of the dietary and lifestyle changes, i.e. in the case of transitioning from a SAD diet to a plant-based diet, one would start to eat more vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. They eat less refined carbohydrates, sugar, and saturated fat. They exercise more and may put more of an emphasis on stress management as well as social support. During the transition, they may quit smoking, quit or reduce the consumption of alcohol, and focus more on getting adequate sleep. While we could debate the evidence for and against each one of these interventions, the point is that there are many changes taking place, in addition to cutting out animal products, that are consistent with what many people believe to be healthy living.   So tell me why we need to be looking at this in black or white?   Because of these two points that I have the biggest problem with the way the Game Changers movie represents itself. Certainly it's not with the diet itself but because the movie references subpar and often inaccurate science to mislead the viewer in a dogmatic and ideological way when there's clearly nuance and a healthy balance to be considered.   I think it's great that it's helping motivate people to want to lead healthier lifestyles but I'm vehemently opposed to using biased viewpoints and politically and financially charged dietary drama (probably to help feed Netflix views) to push an agenda on us when it's so difficult to know what's right or wrong for us with the scope of the nutritional landscape as it is.   If you're interested in a reference that debunk many of the Game Changers Health Claims, check out the references below because I'm just not going to waste my time on the idiotic claims made.   Vegetarian Diets and Environmental Impact:   I'm actually not going to dive into this. It's terribly complex, extremely emotionally fueled  - understandably so - and definitely not my area of expertise nor something I'm really interested in examining.   Here's my opinion and what I can say:   I think that commercially raised, farmed, and slaughtered, meat is a problem. Particularly, I'm referring to Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) - industrial-sized livestock operation. They grossly mistreat their animals, feed them a diet that's not conducive to health which affects the quality and health of the meat, use tons of antibiotics and hormones, and are massive contributors to global pollution, through both our water and air.   If it was that or being vegan, I think we'd be better off going vegan.   But, fortunately, there's a lot that we can do choose a healthier way of eating for ourselves, the animals, and the environment.   Eat less meat - Meatless Monday - and implement more intermittent fasting Choose meats from local farms that are sustainably farmed and fed on pasture. Hunt your own meat (see my friend Curtis Jackson's hunting academy: ) Use higher protein non-meat foods, like beans, lentils, and chia seeds as nutrient-dense sources of protein   If you're passionate about this topic and want to learn more, I'd suggest following Diana Rogers - @sustainabledish (https://www.instagram.com/sustainabledish/) on IG as a resource to better understand the role of animal farming and sustainable livestock on climate change.   Vegetarian diets and muscle building, strength, and athletic performance.   There's really no long term-studies to suggest any difference between vegetarians and non-vegetarians in athletic performance, so it makes sense to look into the effects of muscle building and strength…   The reality is that plant-proteins are simply not as dense of a protein source as animal proteins. That's neither a good thing nor a bad thing, just the biochemical reality - so let's discuss what that means briefly and how to objectively look at plant-protein vs. animal protein intake.   The two most important dietary factors for building muscle are: getting enough calories and getting enough protein in your diet   As you know, proteins are made of 20 amino acids, 9 of which aren't made in our bodies, meaning that we need them in our diet (a.k.a. the EAAs). Three of the EAAs are known as branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and have a particularly important role in protein metabolism. About a third of the protein in your muscles is made of BCAAs   We build muscle through something called muscle protein synthesis (MPS), particularly when MPS is greater than muscle protein breakdown. When it comes to stimulating MPS, EAAs as a group do it best, but mostly due to the BCAAs, and particularly the amino acid leucine. In order o maximize MPS after a meal, it is estimated that you need around 2-3 g of leucine - which is known as the “leucine threshold” - and THIS is the biggest difference between animal and plant-based protein sources.   Plant-based proteins contain around 6–8% leucine, while animal-based proteins contain about 8–11% leucine - What we see is that in smaller amounts, animal proteins seems to better stimulate MPS because of the amount of Leucine, however at higher doses, there doesn't seem to be much of a difference when total amount of protein is equated, i.e. 48g of plant-protein vs. 48g of animal protein. The tough part becomes HOW to get in the necessary dose when eating plant-based…   Vegans need to eat larger amounts of plant proteins to give the same muscle-building signal (MPS) as animal protein. At the same time, it is more difficult to get as high – let alone higher – protein levels from a plant-based diet compared to your average non-vegetarian diet. The reason for this is because protein from plants is less efficiently absorbed as compared to animal-based protein, meaning that less of the plant-based protein you eat actually ends up in your blood. Furthermore, many other essential amino acids are more commonly missing in a plant-based diet. These include lysine (most commonly missing), methionine, isoleucine, threonine, and tryptophan.   These recommendations are referenced from a strongerbyscience.com article (below)   “Because of the above, we recommend non-athletic vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy eat 1 g/kg/day protein per day (compared to 0.8 g/kg/day for the general population). For non-athletic vegans, we recommend 1.4 g/kg/day. Athletic vegans can aim for 2.0 g/kg/day while bulking and 2.7 g/kg/day while cutting. Protein supplements are therefore a good idea if you want to optimize building muscle on a plant-based diet. There are many vegan-friendly options out there, including pea protein and rice protein supplements.”   Based on 200-lb individual (converted into grams/lb bodyweight)   Non-athletic vegetarians (eggs and dairy) - 90g protein/day For non-athletic vegans - 126g protein/day Athletic Vegans (bulking) - 180g protein/day Athletic Vegans (cutting) - 243g protein/day   Generally speaking, you'd need to consume approximately 20% more high-quality plant protein (i.e., pea & soy) to be on par with animal protein in terms of amino acid profile quality. - For most that are physically active and physique conscious, that's about 1g of protein per lb of body weight.   To help make this easier, it can be a good idea to supplement with plant-based protein powder (some combo of rice/pea/soy) to more easily hit those daily protein goals.   Also, you'll want to consider increasing your protein intake as you age because age-related sarcopenia and the MORE you strength train, then less protein you can get away with consuming because the training itself stimulates MPS - make sure you check out 2 previous episodes:   Lean, Strong, Healthy and Plant-Based with Karina Inkster (episode 43) - h Optimal Protein Intake and Muscle-Centric Medicine with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (episode 63) - h   What nutrients/micronutrients are missing in a vegan diet?   Vegan diets are lower in vitamin B12, calcium, and iodine. Calcium, iron, and zinc might also be an issue due to poorer absorption from plant sources. Vegans diets do, however, have the benefit of higher fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals (plant-chemicals which, when eaten from plants, have several health benefits).   Most vegans will need to supplement with vitamin B12 because you won't be able to get enough from your diet. 1,000 mcg (1mg) per day. - about 50% vegans deficient. Most vegans are at a high risk of vitamin D (unless you get daily sun exposure without sunscreen) and iodine deficiency (unless you eat a lot of sea vegetables). So consider taking 2,000 I.U.s of vitamin D and 90 micrograms of iodine per day, respectively. Supplemental iron for some men and certainly for menstruating women Some vegans will fall short on their calcium needs. Consider 1,000 mg daily.   Fat Intake:   Vegan diets tend to be lower in fat. Low fat intake levels are linked with low testosterone levels, which can impact health and performance. Aim for at least 15-25% of your daily calories from fats - nuts, seeds, oils, avocado     Should you go Vegan?   Why do you want to?   Where on the nutritional spectrum do you currently stand between SAD diet and Vegan? Can you make improvements without having to make such a big lifestyle change?   If you're going to do it, please do it the right way, consuming more vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. They eat less refined carbohydrates, sugar, and saturated fat. IMO, going vegan does not mean switching from regular whoppers to the impossible burger, vegan mac n' cheese and sloppy joes, which I just don't think is making a positive shift, rather more of a lateral move from one shit food to another.   Contact me if you need help, use the Complete Essentials and if you're looking for high faulty supplements to support you in your health journey at a fantastically discounted rate then I'd suggest signing up for a free Wellevate account - link below. You get a 20% off all practitioner grade products and I get a small kickback to help support the massive amounts of time and energy I put into trying to provide the best possible information, tools, and practical nutrition guidelines for you.   References:   Debunking many of the “Game Changers” Health Claims: https://rippedbody.com/game-changers/   https://www.strongerbyscience.com/vegetarian-and-vegan-athlete/   https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-a-plant-based-diet-and-why-should-you-try-it-2018092614760   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26853923   https://peterattiamd.com/191027/   https://peterattiamd.com/is-red-meat-killing-us/   https://www.sierraclub.org/michigan/why-are-cafos-bad   As always, if you love what you hear on this show, then do me a favor and subscribe, leave a positive rating and review and share this episode with a friend or loved one whom you think could benefit. AND, if you want to talk about working with me personally, I'd love to chat, just schedule your free nutrition strategy call over at www.bslnutrition.com/levelup

This show features interviews of Dr. Neal Barnard on the reasons why he is a plant-based advocate and Karina Inkster on weightlifting and fitness as a vegan personal trainer. We also introduce three new co-hosts, Meaghan Beattie, Grace Wampold, and Leah Thompson with their stories on how they started on veganism and why they choose to continue to live a vegan lifestyle. Read more →

You’ve decided to start an exercise program. A fantastic first step. Exercising regularly is great for your health. Not only does it reduce your chances of getting disease and early death, it also improves your mental wellbeing. And even one session will make you feel better. But where do you start? Starting a program may be easy, but keeping it going and building it into a lifelong habit takes some planning. For this podcast I’m joined by fitness coach extraordinaire Karina Inkster. She holds a Masters degree in gerontology specializing in healthy aging and is the author of two fitness-related books. Her No-B.S. Vegan podcast, busts myths and provides evidence-based advice to help her listeners kick butt with their health and fitness on a vegan diet. Her award-winning online programs, which offer fitness and nutrition coaching, have helped hundreds of clients around the world (www.karininkster.com). During the podcast Karina will share with you simple tips to planning out your program, starting small and focusing on the process. She’ll also dispel common myths about exercise and how motivation is important but can only take you so far in your program. Whether you’re just starting out or have been exercising for years, you’re sure to learn something new. Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and check out my blog, Feel Healthy with Dr. Scott Lear, to learn about the latest science to keep you healthy.

In case you missed this episode on the Playing with Science channel…. Hosts Gary O’Reilly and Chuck Nice explore the world of plant-powered athletes and plant-based diets with former German strongman competitor Patrik Baboumian, heavyweight boxer Cam F. Awesome, and vegan nutrition and fitness coach Karina Inkster. Photo Credit: Patrik Baboumian. Photo Credit: Deivitrix [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

Hosts Gary O’Reilly and Chuck Nice explore the world of plant-powered athletes and plant-based diets with former German strongman competitor Patrik Baboumian, heavyweight boxer Cam F. Awesome, and vegan nutrition and fitness coach Karina Inkster. Don’t miss an episode of Playing with Science. Please subscribe to our channels on: Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/playing-with-science/id1198280360  TuneIn: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Playing-with-Science-p952100/  GooglePlay Music: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iimke5bwpoh2nb25swchmw6kzjq  SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/startalk_playing-with-science  Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/startalk/playing-with-science  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2s86W6olMuRwgGJ2cKELkz  NOTE: StarTalk All-Access subscribers can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: https://www.startalkradio.net/all-access/plant-powered-athletes-and-plant-based-diets/ Photo Credit: Courtesy of "The Game Changers."

In this episode I chat with Karina Inkster about how veganism got her into fitness, how she deals with clients who are worried about getting bulky and how to make fitness fun, sustainable and empowering. Karina’s podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/no-bullsh-t-vegan/id1370007809 Karina’s website: https://www.karinainkster.com/ Karina’s instagram: http://instagram.com/karinainkster Karina’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karinainkster My podcast with Karina: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=1370007809#episodeGuid=6989abd3b9d04a43a6dc11634d0b8949 More information about this episode: https://www.funfoodandfitness.co.uk/post/episode-4-chatting-bullsh-t-and-getting-bulky-with-karina-inkster Free intuitive eating challenge: https://www.funfoodandfitness.co.uk/intuitiveeatingchallenge

When you think of high-level athletes like Olympic weightlifters, NBA players, or NFL players, you probably assume that they eat a large amount of meat or other animal products to fuel their workout. But more and more athletes are trading in steak for tofu and tempeh. If you're curious why or are simply interested in learning more about becoming vegan, then definitely check out my podcast with vegan fitness coach, author, and speaker Karina Inkster.   A vegan for 15+ years, Karina is your go-to, no-BS professional fitness nut who is passionate about both the moral and physical benefits of switching to a plant-based diet. She refers to herself as providing a friendly kick in the butt that inspires people to live their best, healthiest, most plant-strong life.   Karina is the founder of Healthy Living Academy, an online training program that offers vegan fitness and nutrition coaching to clients all around the world. She is also the author of two books: Vegan Vitality: Your Complete Guide to an Active, Healthy, Plant-Based Lifestyle and Foam Rolling: 50 Exercises for Massage, Injury Prevention, and Core Strength.   Additionally, Karina is the founder of  The Vancouver Women's Weight Lifting Group. She also holds a Master's degree in gerontology, specializing in health and aging.   In this week's podcast, Karina and I really dive deep into nutrition and the benefits of eating a vegan diet, not just for athletes and fitness buffs, but for the general population as a whole. We talk a lot about the importance of mindset, what it takes to be a "good" vegan, tips for people interested in becoming vegan, quick fix vegan recipes and more.   In This Podcast We Also Discuss:   - The importance of making sure your nutrition fuels your fitness [2:33]   - Steps you can take to level out your nutrition and the idea of the "junk food vegan"[4:25]   - Why you have to think of veganism in terms of abundance as opposed to deprivation [7:00]   - Simple tips for making the transition to a vegan diet [11:37]   - How to determine your protein needs and how to fuel them on a vegan diet [13:32]   - The best way to structure your meals throughout the day to reach protein goals [20:27]   - Why having a designated food prep day is extremely helpful [21:54]   - Quick fix breakfast meals you can whip up before a workout [24:38]   Follow Karina Inkster Here: Healthy Living Academy Online Coaching Program   Click here if you'd like to watch Karina's video for how to make overnight oats.   You can also click here for Karina's Tofu Scramble recipe and here for her FREE list of 350 vegan grocery items.