Emily Lever Coaching Podcast

In this episode, Emily and AJ break down how to navigate restaurant menus without abandoning your nutrition goals. Rather than an all-or-nothing approach, they teach a practical framework, identify your protein source first, add vegetables, choose a carb, and account for hidden fats, so you can enjoy dining out as part of a consistent lifestyle. They also cover menu buzzwords, easy swaps, the truth about "healthy" salads, how alcohol affects hunger and fat burning, and why skipping meals or labeling foods as "good" or "bad" backfires.

5 Key Takeaways

• Build your plate from the menu in order: protein → vegetables → carbs → fats. Start by finding your protein source (chicken, steak, seafood, etc.), then look for a vegetable, then a grain or starch carb, and finally account for hidden fats from cooking methods and sauces.
• "Healthy" salads can be a trap. Dressing, cheese, nuts, and avocado can turn a salad into 2,000+ calories of fats. A California Cobb salad with bacon, buttermilk ranch, avocado, and seeds can easily exceed 1,000 calories — you might be better off eating a burger.
• Learn the menu buzzwords. Grilled, baked, roasted, or steamed generally means fewer hidden fats. Battered, breaded, fried, buttery, or creamy signals significantly more. Sweet chili, sweet & sour, and orange chicken indicate sugary, carb-heavy sauces.
• Don't skip meals to "save calories" before dining out. You'll arrive too hungry to make intentional choices and end up overordering appetizers, drinks, and dessert. Go in moderately hungry instead.
• Alcohol does more than add calories. It suppresses leptin (your fullness hormone), disrupts sleep quality, and suppresses fat oxidation — and the effects carry over into the next day, making it harder to stay on track.

"Foods do not have morals. There are no bad foods and there are no good foods. It is all how you use them and the portions that you consume them in." - AJ

Connect with Emily and AJ:

Website: https://www.emilylevercoaching.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bedellever/

References

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s44410-025-00011-9

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31377851/

Enjoyed the Episode?

If this conversation resonated with you, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who's stuck in the start-over cycle. Your support helps more people find the podcast and build healthier habits that last.

Until next time—keep showing up, stay consistent, and remember: small steps add up to big change.

Sarcopenia, the gradual loss of muscle mass and function, affects everyone as they get older, typically beginning in our late 30s to early 40s. In this episode, we break down why it happens, what's actually proven to combat it, and how to build a realistic plan that doesn't require living in the gym. From the role of resistance training, protein, and vitamin D, to why the scale is the wrong measuring stick for progress, this conversation covers everything you need to stay strong and functional for life.

5 Key Takeaways:

• Resistance training is the only proven intervention. There's no drug or medical treatment for sarcopenia, resistance training is the single thing studies consistently show works. Just 2–3 sessions per week is enough to see significant benefits, even if you're starting from scratch.
• It's not just about muscle, it's about function. Sarcopenia affects strength, balance, neuromuscular efficiency, and even cognitive function. The goal isn't just looking good; it's being able to get out of bed, climb stairs, and avoid falls as you age.
• Protein and vitamin D are non-negotiable. Aim for roughly 1 gram of protein per pound of target body weight, spread across meals. Vitamin D is essential for muscle protein synthesis, type II fast-twitch fiber function, and even reducing myostatin, the protein that actively blocks muscle growth.
• Stop obsessing over the scale. If you're resistance training, the scale is a poor progress marker since muscle weighs more than fat. Track your strength gains, physical function, and progress photos instead.
• Recovery must match the work. As you age, recovery takes longer, sleep quality often declines, and anabolic resistance increases. Training 6–7 days a week isn't the answer, progressive overload, adequate sleep, and intentional rest are what drive results.

"Your body isn't going to build something or do something unless it has to adapt. So you need to give it something to adapt to." - AJ

Connect with Emily and AJ:

Website: https://www.emilylevercoaching.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bedellever/

References

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s44410-025-00011-9

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31377851/

Enjoyed the Episode?

If this conversation resonated with you, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who's stuck in the start-over cycle. Your support helps more people find the podcast and build healthier habits that last.

Until next time—keep showing up, stay consistent, and remember: small steps add up to big change.

This week, we dive into why runners, and endurance athletes of all kinds, should be incorporating resistance training into their routines. We break down how lifting complements running by improving running economy, reducing injury risk, strengthening connective tissue, and building the muscular support your joints need to handle thousands of impacts per run. We also cover specific movements to prioritize, how to program lifting around your running schedule, and why strength training shouldn't compete with your endurance goals, it should support them.

5 Key Takeaways:

• Strength training improves running economy. Just like a fuel-efficient car uses less gas at the same speed, a stronger, more efficient runner expends less energy at the same pace, reducing stress on the body with every mile.
• Your muscles are your joints' shock absorbers. Stronger quads, hamstrings, and calves absorb impact that would otherwise go straight to your knees, ankles, and bones, think of muscle as a "sink for force" that protects your joints.
• Running is inherently unilateral. Since you're only on one foot at a time, single-leg resistance work (Bulgarian split squats, step-ups, single-leg RDLs, lunges) directly supports the movement pattern of running.
• Balance your training budget. You can't spend all your energy on lifting and expect to progress as a runner. A good ratio is 3–4 run sessions to 2 strength sessions, with thoughtful scheduling, don't crush a heavy leg day right before a long run.
• Target your resistance training to your sport. Runners should focus on squats, hinges (deadlifts, hip thrusts, kettlebell swings), calf work, and core, including rotational work, rather than following a generic bodybuilding split.

"What if becoming stronger actually helps you run more efficiently, produce more force, you tolerate your training better, especially if you're doing something like really endurance, like an Ironman or a marathon. Your training is intense and takes a toll, so whatever you can do to help you tolerate and manage that better, and potentially reduce your risk of injuries." - AJ

Connect with Emily and AJ

Website: https://www.emilylevercoaching.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bedellever/

References

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s44410-025-00011-9

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31377851/

Enjoyed the Episode?

If this conversation resonated with you, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who's stuck in the start-over cycle. Your support helps more people find the podcast and build healthier habits that last.

Until next time—keep showing up, stay consistent, and remember: small steps add up to big change.

In this episode, the Emily and AJ dig into the gut-brain connection, busting the myth that gut-produced serotonin directly controls your mood, and explaining how exercise redirects blood flow away from the GI tract, causing the nausea, cramping, and bathroom emergencies endurance athletes know all too well. They close out with practical guidance on tuning nutrition, hydration, and training around your body's individual GI responses rather than chasing a one-size-fits-all "perfect plan."

5 Key Takeaways:

1. Your gut produces ~90% of your body's serotonin, but that serotonin can't cross the blood-brain barrier — so gut health doesn't directly "fix" your mood or depression the way people assume.
2. Feeling better after improving gut health is likely an associative effect (better digestion, sleep, and energy), not a causative boost in brain serotonin.
3. During intense or prolonged exercise, blood flow is diverted from the gut to the muscles, heart, and lungs — a process that can trigger nausea, cramping, bloating, and diarrhea in endurance athletes.
4. GI distress during endurance sports is a "perfect storm" of heat, dehydration, physical bouncing, and hard-to-digest high-glycemic fuel (like gel packets) hitting a gut with minimal blood flow.
5. There's no universal "perfect" nutrition plan — timing, food quality, and individual GI tolerance all matter, and the only way to dial it in is by testing how your own body responds.

"Remember that your body is a very intricate system, and you can't always isolate nutrition from stress. They truly go hand-in-hand, and you also can't isolate digestion from your nervous system. So if you're looking at it that way, you basically can't isolate performance from recovery either." - Emily

Connect with Emily and AJ

Website: https://www.emilylevercoaching.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bedellever/

References

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s44410-025-00011-9

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31377851/

Enjoyed the Episode?

If this conversation resonated with you, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who's stuck in the start-over cycle. Your support helps more people find the podcast and build healthier habits that last.

Until next time—keep showing up, stay consistent, and remember: small steps add up to big change.

Ever felt butterflies before a big presentation, or a stomach-drop when you're stressed? That's not "all in your head", it's the gut-brain axis at work. In this episode, we break down the science of how your brain and gut constantly talk to each other through the enteric nervous system, the vagus nerve, and the HPA axis. We cover why blood flow matters for digestion, how stress and cortisol shape your gut health, and why everyone's stress response looks different, plus practical takeaways on eating around workouts and managing chronic stress for better digestion.

5 Key Takeaways

1. The gut-brain connection is real and two-way. Your gut and brain constantly communicate through the enteric nervous system, vagus nerve, and hormone signalin, it's not "in your head," it's physiology.
2. Everyone's stress response is unique. Some people get stomach butterflies, others get chest pain or nausea, your gut-brain connection shows up differently than someone else's, and that's normal.
3. Blood flow timing affects digestion. During exercise, blood is diverted to your muscles; you need to wait for hunger cues (signaling blood flow has returned to your gut) before eating a full post-workout meal.
4. Cortisol isn't the enemy, dysregulation is. Cortisol should rise and fall throughout the day and spike appropriately with stress; the real problem is when it stays chronically elevated (or chronically too low).
5. Chronic stress blocks "rest and digest." Staying in sympathetic (fight-or-flight) mode prevents your parasympathetic system from supporting proper motility, secretion, and nutrient absorption.

"My point is recovery exists in all aspects of stress. Stress is actually a very positive thing. It's how we change. It's how we grow. It's just what we do afterwards to help recover from that in other forms."- Emily

Connect with Emily and AJ

Website: https://www.emilylevercoaching.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bedellever/

References

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s44410-025-00011-9

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31377851/

Enjoyed the Episode?

If this conversation resonated with you, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who's stuck in the start-over cycle. Your support helps more people find the podcast and build healthier habits that last.

Until next time—keep showing up, stay consistent, and remember: small steps add up to big change.

Fad diets keep resurfacing because they promise fast, dramatic results but this episode breaks down why the "next big thing" almost never works long-term. From juice cleanses and detoxes to carnivore, no-carb, and intermittent fasting, we unpack the red flags to watch for and why sustainable, less-extreme habits beat short-term extremes every time.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. Watch for red-flag language: words like "rapid," "detox," "hack," and "melt fat" signal marketing hype, not evidence-based nutrition.
2. Cutting out entire food groups is rarely necessary: unless you have a diagnosed intolerance or allergy, foods like dairy, gluten, and carbs usually aren't the real problem; overall diet quality is.
3. The scale isn't the whole story: rapid weight loss from juice cleanses or fasting is often just water, GI contents, and fat-soluble nutrients you're failing to absorb, not actual fat loss.
4. Personal testimonials aren't proof: anecdotes from individuals (even licensed professionals) are not a substitute for clinical studies and meta-analyses.
5. Sustainable beats extreme: small, consistent changes (adequate protein, mindful sugar intake, whole foods, strength training, realistic deficits) build habits that last, unlike short, miserable diet sprints.

"The problem with these fad diets is they teach you how to diet instead of how to live."

Connect with Emily and AJ

Website: https://www.emilylevercoaching.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bedellever/

References

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s44410-025-00011-9

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31377851/

Enjoyed the Episode?

If this conversation resonated with you, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who's stuck in the start-over cycle. Your support helps more people find the podcast and build healthier habits that last.

Until next time—keep showing up, stay consistent, and remember: small steps add up to big change.

In this episode, two nutrition coaches, Emily and AJ, dig into fiber, why it matters, how to actually get more of it into everyday meals, and where they disagree on supplements. They cover easy ways to add fruits and veggies to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, then debate common fiber mistakes, including when (if ever) it's okay to lean on a fiber supplement instead of whole foods.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. Aim to include a fruit or vegetable at every single meal,it's one of the simplest, highest-impact habits for health and fullness.
2. Small swaps make fiber easy: add berries to yogurt, toss frozen peas or spinach into a bowl, or blend greens into sauces and smoothies.
3. Increase fiber gradually (about 5 grams a day) rather than all at once to avoid digestive discomfort.
4. Whole-food fiber sources are preferred, but fiber supplements have a place, especially for people with chronic constipation or those struggling to hit their goals through diet alone.
5. Variety matters: eating the same "healthy" meals every day can leave gaps in fiber types and micronutrients, so mix up your sources.

"You could have a really great meal plan where you're very consistent and you're only eating healthy foods, but if you eat the same exact thing for every breakfast and every lunch and every dinner, you're not gonna get a variety, and you're probably missing out on a lot of different types of fibers and/or different types of micronutrients if you are very regimented." - AJ

Connect with Emily and AJ

Website: https://www.emilylevercoaching.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bedellever/

References

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s44410-025-00011-9

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31377851/

Enjoyed the Episode?

If this conversation resonated with you, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who's stuck in the start-over cycle. Your support helps more people find the podcast and build healthier habits that last.

Until next time—keep showing up, stay consistent, and remember: small steps add up to big change.

In this episode, Emily and AJ dive into fiber, one of the most overlooked pillars of a healthy, sustainable diet. They break down the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber, explain how each supports digestion, gut bacteria, blood sugar regulation, and cholesterol, and share practical strategies for increasing fiber intake without discomfort. The conversation ties nutrition science back to real-world coaching examples, showing how prioritizing whole, fiber-rich foods can transform satiety, energy, and even fat-loss results.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Fiber comes in two types — soluble (dissolves in water, forms a gel, slows digestion) and insoluble (adds bulk to stool) — and a varied plant-based diet naturally covers both.

2. Fiber feeds beneficial gut bacteria through fermentation, producing short-chain fatty acids that support digestive, immune, and even mental health via the gut-brain connection.

3. High-fiber, high-volume foods (like cauliflower rice or berries) help you feel fuller on fewer calories, making fiber a powerful — though indirect — tool for fat loss.

4. Soluble fiber slows carbohydrate absorption, improving blood sugar control and reducing LDL ("bad") cholesterol, directly supporting metabolic and heart health.

5. Fiber intake should increase gradually (aiming for roughly 14g per 1,000 calories, or 20–40g/day) — ramping up too fast can cause bloating and digestive discomfort.

"When you focus on, like, your health goals, then you're thinking about the longevity of it. And when you're thinking about longevity, things are gonna become more sustainable." - Emily

Connect with Emily and AJ

Website: https://www.emilylevercoaching.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bedellever/

References

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s44410-025-00011-9

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31377851/

Enjoyed the Episode?

If this conversation resonated with you, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who's stuck in the start-over cycle. Your support helps more people find the podcast and build healthier habits that last.

Until next time—keep showing up, stay consistent, and remember: small steps add up to big change.

This week's episode dives into raising active kids and getting children genuinely excited about movement. Emily and AJ shared how modeling healthy habits, rather than just talking about them, became a cornerstone of their own parenting, especially through the challenges of a pandemic postpartum period with no gym access or childcare. They unpack practical, low-pressure ways to involve kids in fitness, from letting them "help" during workouts to reframing family activities like hiking, biking, and even walking the dog as meaningful movement, all while avoiding language that ties exercise to guilt, punishment, or earning food.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. Kids learn more from watching you prioritize movement than from being told to exercise, modeling beats lecturing.

2. You don't need a perfect routine or uninterrupted gym time; showing up consistently, even imperfectly, is what counts.

3. Let kids be curious and involved on their own terms (counting reps, playing with bands) rather than forcing structured participation.

4. Avoid linking exercise or food to guilt or punishment, skip phrases like "earning" treats or working out to "burn off" a meal.

5. Everyday activities, hiking, biking, walking the dog, backyard games, count as real physical activity and are easy ways to include kids.

"Your kids don't need a perfect fitness routine. They just need to see that moving your body and being active is part of your day-to-day life, and it's something that can be enjoyable and fun." — Emily

Connect with Emily and AJ

Website: https://www.emilylevercoaching.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bedellever/

References

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s44410-025-00011-9

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31377851/

Enjoyed the Episode?

If this conversation resonated with you, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who's stuck in the start-over cycle. Your support helps more people find the podcast and build healthier habits that last.

Until next time—keep showing up, stay consistent, and remember: small steps add up to big change.

In this episode, we dive deep into the science of sleep, what's actually happening in your body, why so many of us are getting it wrong, and the simple (free) changes that can transform your rest. From melatonin and adenosine to caffeine timing, alcohol, evening routines, and when supplements are actually worth reaching for, this is your comprehensive guide to optimizing one of the most underrated pillars of health.

5 Key Takeaways

• Morning light is everything. Getting sunlight in your eyes early in the morning helps regulate melatonin production and sets your circadian rhythm for the whole day — it's one of the highest-leverage habits you can build.
• Wait 30–60 minutes before your morning coffee. Drinking caffeine immediately after waking traps leftover adenosine molecules, which leads to an energy crash later. Let your body clear them first.
• Blue light tricks your brain into thinking it's daytime. Screens emit blue light that mimics UV light, suppressing melatonin production. Reducing screen exposure after 6 PM — or using Night Shift mode and blue light glasses — can meaningfully improve sleep onset.
• Alcohol disrupts your REM sleep more than you think. Even a small amount suppresses deep sleep, causes more nighttime waking, and throws off hunger hormones and cortisol — making it harder to make good choices the next day.
• Sleep hygiene comes before supplements, every time. A consistent bedtime, a wind-down routine, exercise, limited alcohol, and reduced screen time are your first line of defense. Supplements like magnesium or melatonin are tools for specific situations — not nightly crutches.

"Sleep is like the lowest hanging fruit with the biggest bang for your buck." - AJ

Connect with Emily and AJ

Website: https://www.emilylevercoaching.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bedellever/

References

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s44410-025-00011-9

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31377851/

Enjoyed the Episode?

If this conversation resonated with you, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who's stuck in the start-over cycle. Your support helps more people find the podcast and build healthier habits that last.

Until next time—keep showing up, stay consistent, and remember: small steps add up to big change.