Unlocking the Secrets to Women's Health: A Podcast Summary

I wanted to write a blog about this amazing podcast I listened to titled "How Women Should Eat and Exercise for Health," By Mel Robbins.

This podcast was truly mind-blowing, and I hope many women get the chance to listen to it. Guest speaker Dr. Stacy Sims, a researcher at Stanford University with over 100 peer-reviewed studies, explains why traditional fitness advice often fails women. She discusses how to tailor your workouts and life to better fit female physiology. If you don't have time to listen to the hour-long podcast, I have provided you with a few aspects of the podcast here that really stood out to me.

Throughout my life, I've heard things like "cardio is key," "eat only salads," and "be in a calorie deficit to be healthy and skinny." The first thing Dr. Sims said was that to lose weight, we actually need to eat more. If you deprive yourself of food, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode and will hold onto stored fat.

Dr. Sims emphasized the importance of eating breakfast and incorporating protein into your diet. As women, we often don't consume enough protein, which is essential for health and development. She introduced the revolutionary idea of "protein coffee." Many people dislike eating in the morning and don't have time, so adding some protein powder to your coffee can provide you with 30 grams of protein without the hassle of making breakfast.

She explained that working out is essentially about becoming stress-resilient. When people say, "I'm getting fitter, and it's easier for me to lift these weights," they are actually becoming more stress-resilient. When we lift or work out, we put ourselves into a "stress situation," making the next time we lift weights easier as we build that resilience.

Not only are we building resilience in the gym, but this also helps us build resilience to stressful situations in life. So cool!

Additionally, Dr. Sims discussed the truth about fasted workouts and how they can negatively impact women's metabolism and energy levels. She also highlighted the importance of working with your menstrual cycle to optimize energy, results, and recovery.

Dr. Sims shared insights on how intermittent fasting can drain your energy and why extreme cardio can make it harder to lose weight. Instead, she recommends focusing on strength training and proper nutrition to build muscle, burn fat, and feel amazing at every stage of life. She also shared valuable insights on how to tailor workouts to different stages of life, which was incredibly helpful.

This episode is packed with valuable information that can transform how women approach fitness and nutrition. What I've shared here is just a glimpse of the wealth of knowledge I gained from it. I highly recommend giving it a listen! If you're struggling to find the time, try listening to it in the car on your way to work or during a walk!