By Michael Ulloa and Kate Lyman
What's the history behind MLMs? How is technology changing our fitness? How have beauty standards evolved over the past few decades?
Veterans of the fitness industry, Michael Ulloa and
5
2222 ratings
The podcast currently has 41 episodes available.
In this episode of the How To Fitness podcast, Michael Ulloa and Kate Lyman take a deep dive into the largely under-regulated supplement industry. We draw attention to the history, legislation, and current state of dietary supplements in the U.S. and explore the critical role of influencer marketing, and the various risks and health implications associated with mislabeled and contaminated supplements.
This episode shares some surprising background about the controversial history of some well-known supplements and helps you navigate a market saturated with potentially unsafe products.
01:59 The passing of the DSHEA in 1994 allowed manufacturers of supplements to make general health claims about their products without going through the FDA to prove safety or efficacy. This “free market” approach has led to a boom in supplements both manufactured and consumed. 05:11 Have you heard of Chris Ashenden? Probably not. But have you heard of AG1/Athletic Greens? Probably! We do a mini deep dive into his shady past as a grifter.
9:50 Dietary supplements are considered food, not drugs or medicine. This opens up supplements to more possibilities and fewer regulations than medications. Supplement companies cannot make medical claims, and that’s where broad disclaimers come in. Resource Michael referenced: Aragon AA. I was just approached (again) by an Herbalife distributor – is it safe? from AARR May 2016
12:22 An example of the underregulated nature of the supplement industry and power of disclaimers shared with a Shilajit supplement, something trending heavily on Tik Tok right now.
16:26 Supplements are linked with rising accounts of kidney and liver issues, especially due to herbal supplementation. We discuss a recent contamination of an herbal supplement and how it’s been handled by the FDA.
20:48 Proprietary blends are used to protect trade secrets, but can lead to some confusing and misleading information about the dosage and efficacy of ingredients in a supplement.
26:20 To get the safest supplements possible, seeking out supplements that are third party tested helps ensure that the ingredients listed are actually what the supplement contains. Resource on contamination in supplements: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1060028019900504#:~:text=Microbial Contamination,-Many dietary supplements&text=According to the US Pharmacopeia,Staphylococcus aureus%2C or Clostridium species
32:50 As consumers, we carry the risk from consuming supplements without the information and research we need. Often, studies of supplements are funded by the company producing the product.
33:42 Influencer marketing plays a huge role in the supplement industry and makes it hard for the FTC to regulate this type of marketing. We talk through affiliate payouts and how easy it is to gain monetary kickback from sharing supplements. Dr. Gunter’s fake supplement: https://vajenda.substack.com/p/the-money-in-menopause-supplements
45:50 When someone is selling both the problem and a miraculous supplement that holds the solution, it’s time to put our critical thinking caps on and approach the product with skepticism. All supplements are not bad! But the industry is under-regulated and it allows for a lot of opportunity for misleading claims, contaminated
Don't miss future episodes! Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
Follow along with Michael at @michaelulloapt on IG, Threads, Twitter, and Tik Tok
https://www.michaelulloa.com/
Follow along with Kate at @klnutrition on IG and threads
https://www.katelymannutrition.com/
We are often asked questions about navigating fitness, health, and overall wellness as a new parent who is sleep deprived and short on time. Today we’re talking through five tips we rely on as new(ish) parents. These tips are applicable for anyone short on time!
3:00 Kate and Michael talk through the difference in their workouts before and after children and how much has changed around time, capacity, and the guilt that can accompany taking time for oneself.
8:15 Tip #1: Cut the waste from your workouts. When we are time poor, we can structure our workouts differently to maximize our limited time by streamlining the important things.
11:20 Tip #2: Make movement part of your routine rather than a luxury. Adjusting our expectations around movement can help us feel more confident in the new approach we’re taking giving limited capacity. Something is always better than nothing.
13:18 Tip #3: Opt for circuit-style workouts. 15 minutes a day of moderate intensity workout is enough to positively impact our health, so every little bit counts.
15:30 Tip #4: Don’t rely on motivation alone. Motivation is probably low when we’re exhausted and overwhelmed. Instead, creating a habit of movement helps us build momentum to keep that habit going even on the most challenging days.
18:44 Tip #5: In the grand scheme of things, your training not that important. This doesn’t mean movement isn’t important; it is something very influential on our overall health. But structured training or the “ideal” workout may not be feasible or important in this season of life. We have permission to reprioritize our goals when needed.
Don't miss future episodes! Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
Follow along with Michael at @michaelulloapt on IG, Threads, Twitter, and Tik Tok
https://www.michaelulloa.com/
Follow along with Kate at @klnutrition on IG and threads
https://www.katelymannutrition.com/
In this episode of the 'How to Fitness Podcast,' hosts Kate Lyman and Michael Ulloa discuss the importance of hydration and its impact on overall health and exercise performance. They share personal weekend experiences, then dive into in-depth guidelines for daily water intake, the benefits of proper hydration, the risks of dehydration, and how to effectively hydrate before, during, and after exercise. The episode also explores the role of electrolytes, tips for maintaining hydration habits, and the potential dangers of overhydration. Both hosts emphasize the importance of staying hydrated not only for peak physical performance but also for long-term health.
9:08 Standard water recommendations can be confusing and vague. We talk through more specific recommendations, as well as the fact that food and other fluid intake (coffee, tea, seltzer) contributes to our overall water target.
14:26 We can gauge our hydration level by our urine color and thirst level (thirst is a sign you’re already dehydrated!). A formula we can use to calculate water needs: 0.033 x bodyweight in KG = liters of water.
19:30 The importance of staying hydrated increases as we age. With age, the amount of fluid in our bodies decreases, as does our thirst response.
24:17 Hydration needs change with activity levels, and a pre- and post-workout weigh in can be the most accurate way for us to understand our hydration needs with exercise.
30:38 Considering our electrolyte needs is an important part of attention to our hydration as a whole. Exercise longer than an hour should be paired with an electrolyte supplement.
Don't miss future episodes! Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
Follow along with Michael at @michaelulloapt on IG, Threads, Twitter, and Tik Tok
https://www.michaelulloa.com/
Follow along with Kate at @klnutrition on IG and threads
https://www.katelymannutrition.com/
In this episode of the How To Fitness podcast, hosts Michael Ulloa and Kate Lyman delve into the controversial topic of cortisol. They discuss the internet's obsession with cortisol and its impact on health, rooted in sensationalized online content. They tackle questions about what cortisol is, its functions, and whether certain conditions like adrenal fatigue are legitimate. They also examine myths about cortisol-related weight gain and the impact of caffeine and diet on cortisol levels. Kate and Michael emphasize the importance of managing stress through basic health practices and address the need for medical intervention in serious hormonal imbalances.
1:51 Cortisol is on the rise as a search term on Google and hashtag on Tik Tok. The rise in concern around Cortisol levels can cause individuals to overstimate how much time they need to spend thinking about coritsol. It can also be dismissive of legitimate medical disorders related to abnormal cortisol levels.
4:40 Question 1: What even is cortisol?
8:55 Question 2: Is elevated cortisol a bad thing?
10:31 Question 3: What is adrenal fatigue? What do I need to know about it?
15:01 Question 4: Are cortisol face and cortisol belly real? What do I do about them?
19:10 Question 5: Does the timing of my coffee and food really impact my cortisol levels?
22:30 Cortisol plays roles beyond just navigating stress in our bodies, and we can think about stress management and how we treat our bodies in general more than worrying about specific aspects of our hormonal health.
Don't miss future episodes! Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
Follow along with Michael at @michaelulloapt on IG, Threads, Twitter, and Tik Tok
https://www.michaelulloa.com/
Follow along with Kate at @klnutrition on IG and threads
https://www.katelymannutrition.com/
It’s 2024 so of course milk is a controversial topic! In this deep dive we discuss the recent trends in social media concerning milk's nutritional value and potential health risks, such as inflammation and cancer. The episode also explores the environmental impact of dairy versus plant-based milks, and addresses the rise in questionable practices like drinking raw milk.
5:04 In this episode, we’re solely discussing the nutritional implications of dairy rather than environmental impact and animal welfare due to limited time and wanting to stay in our scope.
6:22 Explaining lactose intolerance, what causes it, and how it differs from a dairy sensitivity
10:33 How the Got Milk campaign of the 90s-2000s made us all drink milk: ‣https://www.fastcompany.com/40556502/got-milk-how-the-iconic-campaign-came-to-be-25-years-ago
13:30 Milk is a fantastic post-workout/recovery drink due to hydration, cost, and macro and micronutrient breakdown.
16:15 We talk through the scaremongering surrounding inflammation from drinking milk and the hormones in milk and whether they are linked to disease (specifically cancer). The literature does not show any main markers of inflammation from dairy. This doesn’t minimize individual experiences around how individuals feel when drinking dairy.
23:00 Learning more about dairy and what the literature shows helps us make food decisions that support us individually as opposed to what the internet or current fads are telling us. 25:51 There are some significant differences in milk production between the UK and US, especially regarding the US’s use of BST growth hormone though the impact of use of BST is not conclusive. The pasteurization processes are also different between the UK and US.
31:28 The recent rise in Trad Wife content has also led to popularity of raw milk (amongst other fads such as carnivore diet, etc.). Pasteurization does not lead to loss of nutrients in milk, and there are some major risks to drinking raw milk — from food poisoning to Guillian Barre syndrome. The risk of contracting disease from raw milk is much higher than from pasteurized milk.
39:12 Plant milks are becoming far more popular, especially with younger generations. They tend to have a smaller environmental footprint but are also typically nutritionally inferior to dairy milk (though more comparable when fortified). You can find a breakdown of the environmental impact of plant milks here: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46654042
For a list of resources cited in this episode, please email [email protected]
Don't miss future episodes! Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
Follow along with Michael at @michaelulloapt on IG, Threads, Twitter, and Tik Tok
https://www.michaelulloa.com/
Follow along with Kate at @klnutrition on IG and threads
https://www.katelymannutrition.com/
In this episode of the 'How To Fitness' podcast, hosts Michael Ulloa and Kate Lyman explore the idea of cult-like tendencies within the wellness industry, covering fitness, nutrition, and overall wellness. They analyze the psychological reasons why people might become deeply involved in fitness programs and strict diets, likening them to modern-day cults. They also discuss the cultish aspects of boutique fitness establishments, influential nutrition leaders, and wellness gurus, emphasizing both the positive community benefits and potential dangers of extreme practices. The episode touches on societal factors driving people toward these groups, the role of charismatic leaders, and how commercialization within wellness capitalizes on consumer vulnerabilities.
05:16 When defining a “cult,” it typically has a negative connotation. The parameters used to describe a cult can also be applicable outside of religious or fanatical groups that we typically think of when referencing a cult. Encyclopedia Britannica defines a cult as a usually small group of people devoted to a person, idea, or philosophy that falls outside the mainstream. Cult Education Institute: https://culteducation.com/
9:35 Current internet culture is very focused on going against the “mainstream,” and we see this pattern in the fitness and nutrition worlds frequently. Extremism in social media is very prevalent, and this can lead to very cult-like aspects of certain diets or fitness protocols as well as self-improvement groups.
12:21 People buy into extremism when desiring a better life, wanting a source of identity, feeling desperation, and experiencing traumatic events. Certain gyms and diets can give people hope and identity when they’re looking for it most.
15:14 Fitness cults: Boutique fitness gyms often have several characteristics common in cult-like groups, from charismatic leaders to a lifestyle focus beyond just workouts. These groups can give their members a sense of importance and acceptance that offsets the vulnerability of working out.
18:00 With more and more individuals moving away from religion, we can see patterns of fitness replacing spiritual practice. We discuss whether we think this is a negative thing or if there are positive aspects of this culty feel to fitness?
23:36 Nutrition cults: When individuals feel vulnerable, they’re more likely to seek out quick fixes and many aspects of diet culture have aspects of cults in a very negative way by promoting their “One True Way.” As groupthink increases, critical thinking decreases. Netflix documentary: Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.
29:13 Kate Bowler teaches on the Prosperity Gospel and draws parallels between the PG and current wellness worlds. Both promise health, wealth, and happiness if you work hard enough. This messaging leaves no room for personal error and places the blame on consumers.
33:26 Wellness cults: We dive into how some wellness influencers use similar tactics as cult leaders in promising an idealized version of reality. Exclusivity within the wellness world creates the “us vs. them” mentality that pushes this cult-like aspect even further.
41:07 We can be into fitness and nutrition without being stuck in it. We can buy into group fitness or follow a specific protocol while not being consumed by it. Understanding these culty aspects of the wellness world helps us be more educated consumers.
Due to limited space in show notes, email for references: [email protected]
Don't miss future episodes! Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
Follow along with Michael at @michaelulloapt on IG, Threads, Twitter, and Tik Tok
https://www.michaelulloa.com/
Follow along with Kate at @klnutrition on IG and threads
https://www.katelymannutrition.com/
In this episode we address various questions from listeners in this Q&A episode. We discuss the validity of the 'Set Point Weight Theory', the safety of using supplements, the impact of hormones on fitness, and managing constant hunger. Lastly, we delve into debunking certain fitness myths and providing practical solutions based on individual needs, habits and lifestyle.
0:15 How do I optimize my Hormones and fitness, especially for people over 30?
5:24 Not a question, but I could really use a boost after hearing it’s always calories in vs. calories out (and that weight loss should always come with feeling hungry)
7:13 I was curious to hear about supplements and their safety given they aren’t FDA certified. How do you know when something is safe?
10:04 Is set point weight theory real?
13:25 Any tips with always wanting to eat a lot and often?
Have more questions about any other topic related to your nutrition and fitness? Send them our way!
Don't miss future episodes! Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
Follow along with Michael at @michaelulloapt on IG, Threads, Twitter, and Tik Tok
https://www.michaelulloa.com/
Follow along with Kate at @klnutrition on IG and threads
https://www.katelymannutrition.com/
In this episode of the How to: Fitness podcast, we had the privilege of speaking with Shana Minei Spence, who you may know as The Nutrition Tea on social media.
Shana is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist based in Brooklyn, New York. She currently works in public health for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, doing community nutrition lessons, and also owns her own company, The Nutrition Tea ®. She describes herself as an "all foods fit" dietitian. and creates a platform for open discussion on nutrition and wellness topics that are inclusive, non-diet, and weight-neutral, all with an intersectionality of social justice. Her debut book comes out in August 2024, titled Live Nourished: Make Peace with Food, Banish Body Shame, and Reclaim Joy.
2:05 Shana started in fashion, but shifted to working in nutrition to help address disparities in food access and work in food policy.
5:10 The narrative around food being “good” and “bad” is ingrained in kids from such a young age, and changing that narrative needs to be approached in a shame-free way.
8:51 We explore intuitive eating and some of the common misconceptions around this approach to nutrition. Because we’re so used to following rules, we can grasp onto IE as just another “diet,” when that’s not the case at all.
21:41 Shana’s entrance into the Health At Every Size came once she started questioning the approach to food and bodies she learned when becoming a Registered Dietitian. The HAES approach focused on our behaviors and our health, not our size.
27:10 Promoting intuitive eating or a health at every size philosophy provokes a lot of criticism. In the world of dietetics, there is so much money in weight loss that it feels unlikely that nutrition can ever be fully focused on health alone.
31:46 Shana’s book, Live Nourished, comes out August 13 and goes deeper into a non-diet approach to food while also educating on socioeconomic factors and social determinants of health.
Don't miss future episodes! Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
Follow along with Michael at @michaelulloapt on IG, Threads, Twitter, and Tik Tok
https://www.michaelulloa.com/
Follow along with Kate at @klnutrition on IG and threads
https://www.katelymannutrition.com/
In this episode of the How To Fitness Podcast, we delve into smartwatch reliability and usage, with a special focus on whether these popular devices can be trusted for fitness tracking.
We cover smartwatch features like step counts, sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and calorie burn estimations, dispelling myths and setting realistic expectations for users. We offer insights into the varied accuracy of different brands and stresses the importance of using smartwatches as a guide rather than an absolute measure for health and fitness.
5:25 We explore the world of smartwatches, from different brands and preferences to current market trends. You may be surprised by which country has the most smartwatch users in the world!
https://www.demandsage.com/smartwatch-statistics/
10:56 The accuracy of step counts from smartwatches varies greatly between brands and how we wear our watches. A fun fact: a smartphone in our pocket is more accurate at counting steps than a watch on your wrist!
17:11 We can’t substitute data for critical thinking. It’s best to use our watches as a barometer to measure general movement, rather than as an accurate measure of step count.
17:52 How reliable is sleep tracking on smart watches? There is extreme variability between brands and most overestimate sleep by misrepresenting periods of wakefulness. Typically, smartwatches are better at recording deep sleep.
22:02 There is a psychological impact of sleep tracking, and it could be more hurtful than helpful at times. We talk through how we can make the most of the data these various smartwatches provide.
26:58 Smartwatches are getting much better at monitoring heart rate, with new abilities to even monitor heart rate irregularities. Fitness trackers become less accurate as the intensity of our exercise increases.
35:00 Where smartwatches tend to let us down: in estimating accurate calorie burn. Smartwatches typically don’t have enough data to provide calorie burn information that reflects our true caloric needs, though we can utilize that information as a barometer.
38:38 Smartwatch usage can be a part of a healthy relationship with food and movement, as long as we navigate the data in a way that includes nuance and doesn’t leave us hyper-fixated on the numbers. Our watches can inform our movement, but shouldn’t dictate how we
Due to limited space in show notes, email for references: [email protected]
Don't miss future episodes! Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
Follow along with Michael at @michaelulloapt on IG, Threads, Twitter, and Tik Tok
https://www.michaelulloa.com/
Follow along with Kate at @klnutrition on IG and threads
https://www.katelymannutrition.com/
This episode is one of our longest and, hopefully, one that can be supportive to many. We dive into a comprehensive discussion on emotional eating, the normal physical and physiological processes that play a role, and the impact of stress on eating habits.
5:30 Different individuals have different stress responses and find their appetite impacted differently by stress. While many find they have no appetite when stress is high, others turn to food for comfort and find themselves emotionally eating more. Both are normal responses and neither are character flaws. Emotional eating is when we use food for comfort rather than to satisfy actual physical hunger.
7:30 Kummerspeck: https://germanyinusa.com/2021/10/19/word-of-the-week-kummerspeck/
8:59 The Stress in America Survey sheds light on how common stress eating is. The survey finds that these behaviors are higher in women, in teen girls, and among millennials. It is also found that the percentage of those skipping meals due to stress is higher among teen girls and millennials.
14:55 The human brain has a very complex reward system that drives all of our behaviors. Serotonin and dopamine are two really important players in this system.
19:45 A compulsive eating response to stress can be due to either conditioning or genetics. It can be a learned behavior due to how we view food and use it as a coping mechanism.
25:30 Learned behaviors also include outside social influences and cultural norms. Negative social comparison is associated with an increased risk of emotional eating.
32:03 Survey data shows that feelings of guilt and shame often accompany episodes of emotional eating. There are also health risks when emotional eating leads to overconsumption.
35:50 What do we do to reroute behaviors so emotional eating isn’t our only tool for coping with stress? The “solutions” to stopping emotional eating are not about having more self control or willpower; that notion only promotes restriction.
39:00 Practice #1: Recognizing physical vs. emotional hunger. When we have physical hunger, the solution is to eat. When we have psychological hunger, the goal is to recognize it.
44:23 Practice #2: Creating awareness around our hunger and fullness cues. We can often thank diet culture for being out of sync with our hunger cues, but reacquainting ourselves with our cues can help us not constantly feel cravings.
48:19 Practice #3: Bringing mindfulness to food choices. Individuals with compulsive eating tendencies are those who benefit most from mindful eating techniques, and there are benefits in insulin resistance, lower stress levels, and long term weight loss. Recommended reading: Eating Mindfully by Susan Albers.
52:52 Practice #4: Redirecting our stress. We can have practices that also help us bring down our stress levels, activate our PNS, and stimulate our vagus nerve. These practices create a buffer between us and food.
56:29 If we think that we can't control our food — that our worth is tied to their bodies or tied to our eating habits — we're reinforcing this idea that overeating stress eating helps manage these emotions and perpetuates the cycle.
Strategies that didn’t make it into the episode: relying on preparation over willpower & changing our environment. Due to limited space in show notes, email for references & more: [email protected]
Don't miss future episodes! Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
Follow along with Michael at @michaelulloapt on IG, Threads, Twitter, and Tik Tok
https://www.michaelulloa.com/
Follow along with Kate at @klnutrition on IG and threads
https://www.katelymannutrition.com/
The podcast currently has 41 episodes available.
11,385 Listeners
12,963 Listeners
1,178 Listeners
386 Listeners
9,602 Listeners
3,970 Listeners
2,455 Listeners
56,910 Listeners
15,768 Listeners
3,582 Listeners
489 Listeners
1,463 Listeners
13,208 Listeners
146 Listeners
552 Listeners