Middleish

This episode is for everyone. Don't think it applies to you because you're young, or not female? We disagree, as menopause is a phase that impacts all of us. It is estimated that about half of the world's population is biologically female and will be directly impacted by the transition that is menopause. And even if you're not female, if you love, live with, care about or work with a female...well, you're likely to be impacted at some point.

Our society tends to shy away from discussing "the change." Often people just aren't sure how to talk about the nebulous symptoms that are really quite intimidating: spontaneous hot flashes, mood swings, brain fog, energy fluctuations and generally feeling the loss of control over one's body. Menopause can be unpredictable and quite frankly very debilitating for women and couples alike.

While we're not experts on the topic, we see you. And we want to bring this discussion to the table. In this episode, we offer some insight into what menopause is and some evidence-based nutrition and exercise approaches that have been shown to help manage symptoms. We want you to thrive no matter the season of life in which you find yourself.

Some helpful resources that informed our discussion today:

https://livefeisty.com/category/podcasts/hit-play-not-pause/

https://www.ted.com/podcasts/body-stuff-with-dr-jen-gunter

https://tinamuir.com/stacy-sims/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-50-dr-stacy-sims-menopause-nutrition-and/id1294337640?i=1000436485087

https://drlovely.com/podcast

VA Info Sheet on Adaptogens

Erin Green is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, recovering professional triathlete and owner of Erin Green Racing and Nutrition in Boise, Idaho. After years of regimented training, she is rediscovering the joy of spontaneous movement, social runs and exploring unpaved bike routes. Check out her blog and videos at www.eringreenracing.com.

Michael Gray is a personal trainer, nutritional coach, father of two and a sucker for a bag of gummy bears. See what he's up to at www.michaelgrayfitness.com.

Let us know you like what you hear! Small donations from our listeners help to support Michael's gummy bear habit or go toward a new houseplant that will inevitably die under Erin's care. We appreciate all of our Middleish listeners! Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/middleish/support

Productivity, that's the name of the game these days. You can rest when you're dead. If you don't do it, who will? We're betting several of our high-achieving, go-getter listeners can relate to this one!  

It's common to think that if we relax or set boundaries around our time we won't get as much accomplished. Perhaps we're afraid we'll let someone down or won't live up to expectations. There's a constant urgency to tackle the next thing on the to-do list, even if your body and brain are telling you to just stop already!  

If any of this resonates, this episode is for you. It is for all of us (your hosts included) who get wrapped up in do, do, do and lose sight of the value in rest, self-care and simply being in the moment.  

Erin Green is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, recovering professional triathlete and owner of Erin Green Racing and Nutrition in Boise, Idaho. After years of regimented training, she is rediscovering the joy of spontaneous movement, social runs and exploring unpaved bike routes. Check out her blog and videos at www.eringreenracing.com.            

Michael Gray is a personal trainer, nutritional coach, father of two and a sucker for a bag of gummy bears. See what he's up to at www.michaelgrayfitness.com.            

Let us know you like what you hear! Small donations from our listeners help to support Michael's gummy bear habit or go toward a new houseplant that will inevitably die under Erin's care. We appreciate all of our Middleish listeners! Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/middleish/support

Anyone who has frequented a gym or seen a cardio machine lately has probably seen reference to a "fat burning zone" with regard to heart rate. This is an interesting marketing scheme and leads to a foundational misunderstanding of how the body uses fuel at different intensities.  

All that to say, you're probably in a fat burning zone as you read this! And as you sleep, as you sit watching TV, even as you walk to the bathroom. It is misleading to say that one must keep their exercise intensity at a lower limit in order to "burn fat," which many equate to weight loss.   

We're here to help explain the virtues of different exercise intensities (not just for weight loss) and how to maximize caloric burn, muscle stimulation and generally just feeling good while moving your body...without feeling like you have to stick to a specific "fat burning zone."  

Erin Green is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, recovering professional triathlete and owner of Erin Green Racing and Nutrition in Boise, Idaho. After years of regimented training, she is rediscovering the joy of spontaneous movement, social runs and exploring unpaved bike routes. Check out her blog and videos at www.eringreenracing.com.          

Michael Gray is a personal trainer, nutritional coach, father of two and a sucker for a bag of gummy bears. See what he's up to at www.michaelgrayfitness.com.          

Let us know you like what you hear! Small donations from our listeners help to support Michael's gummy bear habit or go toward a new houseplant that will inevitably die under Erin's care. We appreciate all of our Middleish listeners! Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/middleish/support

Today, we are challenging you to practice infusing your language with "yes, and..." rather than "but..." in everyday talk. It may seem like petty semantics. And you may not think this is a relevant application of your brain energy. We think giving "yes, and..." a chance could result in a different perspective in many situations.

Often when we're talking about behavior change, there's a "but" involved that negates any progress being made. 

"I made it to the gym last week, BUT only once."

"We cooked dinner at home BUT it was just mac and cheese."

"I started journaling BUT I haven't been consistent."

We invite you to join us for this conversation on shifting your language and your mindset with a simple word. Let us know how this feels and if it's useful.

Erin Green is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, recovering professional triathlete and owner of Erin Green Racing and Nutrition in Boise, Idaho. After years of regimented training, she is rediscovering the joy of spontaneous movement, social runs and exploring unpaved bike routes. Check out her blog and videos at www.eringreenracing.com.        

Michael Gray is a personal trainer, nutritional coach, father of two and a sucker for a bag of gummy bears. See what he's up to at www.michaelgrayfitness.com.        

Let us know you like what you hear! Small donations from our listeners help to support Michael's gummy bear habit or go toward a new houseplant that will inevitably die under Erin's care. We appreciate all of our Middleish listeners! Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/middleish/support

We've all seen those beautiful, perfectly styled photos of "meal prep" on social media, blogs and in magazines (if anyone actually reads those anymore?) There are even entire accounts and sites and cookbooks devoted to exquisitely curated recipes so that you, too, can experience what it is to have stacks of alluring to-go meals in your fridge.  

Now, a dose of reality: the majority of people don't have the time or energy or skills to create such culinary artwork. Unfortunately this can lead to indifference toward any planning or food prep because people feel like they can't do it "right."   

We're here to show you there is no one "right" way to implement a menu plan. Listen in for some simple tips on how to make your food world a bit more organized and easier to manage...without the expertise of a chef or food blogger!  

Erin Green is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, recovering professional triathlete and owner of Erin Green Racing and Nutrition in Boise, Idaho. After years of regimented training, she is rediscovering the joy of spontaneous movement, social runs and exploring unpaved bike routes. Check out her blog and videos at www.eringreenracing.com.            

Michael Gray is a personal trainer, nutritional coach, father of two and a sucker for a bag of gummy bears. See what he's up to at www.michaelgrayfitness.com.            

Let us know you like what you hear! Small donations from our listeners help to support Michael's gummy bear habit or go toward a new houseplant that will inevitably die under Erin's care. We appreciate all of our Middleish listeners! Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/middleish/support

"Oh, we can't eat there because ___________ needs something healthier." 

"I'm surprised you ordered that, I thought you were trying to be healthy." 

"Do you really HAVE to get up early to workout?" 

"You probably don't want any, it's not very healthy."  

It's interesting how commenting about one's behaviors seems socially unacceptable in a certain context (e.g. you need to be healthier) vs. if someone is actively trying to make healthy changes (e.g. stop being a buzzkill and live a little!)   

Many of our clients have experienced this awkward and even demeaning social response to their efforts to be healthier. We as health professionals even encounter these comments ourselves. While it is true that diet and exercise behaviors are largely the choice of the individual, there are almost always social implications to consider.  If you've been caught between pleasing your social circle and putting effort into a healthier you, have a listen to this episode. You're not alone!  

Erin Green is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, recovering professional triathlete and owner of Erin Green Racing and Nutrition in Boise, Idaho. After years of regimented training, she is rediscovering the joy of spontaneous movement, social runs and exploring unpaved bike routes. Check out her blog and videos at www.eringreenracing.com.          

Michael Gray is a personal trainer, nutritional coach, father of two and a sucker for a bag of gummy bears. See what he's up to at www.michaelgrayfitness.com.          

Let us know you like what you hear! Small donations from our listeners help to support Michael's gummy bear habit or go toward a new houseplant that will inevitably die under Erin's care. We appreciate all of our Middleish listeners! Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/middleish/support

Everyone has experienced failure at some point in their lives. While failure looks differently for everyone, many people tend to get stuck in the despondency of falling short. Focusing on all the things that went wrong instead of lessons learned is a common pitfall when our best laid plans get tripped up.  

What if we could change our view of failure? What might you do differently if you realized you didn't actually fail at all? Using stories from our work, our personal experiences and real-world examples, we dive into this important topic to help you overcome and persevere in the face of "failure." 

Erin Green is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, recovering professional triathlete and owner of Erin Green Racing and Nutrition in Boise, Idaho. After years of regimented training, she is rediscovering the joy of spontaneous movement, social runs and exploring unpaved bike routes. Check out her blog and videos at www.eringreenracing.com.        

Michael Gray is a personal trainer, nutritional coach, father of two and a sucker for a bag of gummy bears. See what he's up to at www.michaelgrayfitness.com.        

Let us know you like what you hear! Small donations from our listeners help to support Michael's gummy bear habit or go toward a new houseplant that will inevitably die under Erin's care. We appreciate all of our Middleish listeners! Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/middleish/support

If ever there was a buzzword in the nutrition and fitness world, it's "macros." Although it may seem like mainstream lingo, many people misunderstand macronutrients and their roles in the body.  

So of course we're here to set it all straight! Everything from the IIFYM craze to meat strudel (wait, what?!) we've got it covered. This episode discusses the science behind macro counting before it was even cool, and aims to inform listeners about the importance of balance.  

Erin Green is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, recovering professional triathlete and owner of Erin Green Racing and Nutrition in Boise, Idaho. After years of regimented training, she is rediscovering the joy of spontaneous movement, social runs and exploring unpaved bike routes. Check out her blog and videos at www.eringreenracing.com.      

Michael Gray is a personal trainer, nutritional coach, father of two and a sucker for a bag of gummy bears. See what he's up to at www.michaelgrayfitness.com.      

Let us know you like what you hear! Small donations from our listeners help to support Michael's gummy bear habit or go toward a new houseplant that will inevitably die under Erin's care. We appreciate all of our Middleish listeners! Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/middleish/support

It's no secret that we at Middleish are pretty critical of diet fads and trends...well, diet culture in general, really. And we realized that we haven't really gone into a deeper discussion on fad diets as a pop culture term, what it really means and the current weight loss crazes.  

This episode is informative and entertaining. By highlighting some of the most outlandish fad diets in human history, we illustrate why these eating patterns that are so hot one minute don't stand a chance in the long term. Your health and happiness are at stake when engaging in a fad diet, so listen to this before diving into the next "in" thing.  

Erin Green is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, recovering professional triathlete and owner of Erin Green Racing and Nutrition in Boise, Idaho. After years of regimented training, she is rediscovering the joy of spontaneous movement, social runs and exploring unpaved bike routes. Check out her blog and videos at www.eringreenracing.com.    

Michael Gray is a personal trainer, nutritional coach, father of two and a sucker for a bag of gummy bears. See what he's up to at www.michaelgrayfitness.com.    

Let us know you like what you hear! Small donations from our listeners help to support Michael's gummy bear habit or go toward a new houseplant that will inevitably die under Erin's care. We appreciate all of our Middleish listeners! Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/middleish/support

Can an everyday food be toxic? Sure. There are toxicity levels to vitamins, minerals, even water! But there's one really big catch: the dosage and the form are really what matter.

In recent years sugar has been vilified by the masses, purported to be at the root of every health ailment imaginable. The latest craze is to claim that sugar is "toxic" and that avoiding it in all forms will pave the path to dietary enlightenment. Or whatever. Let's dig into this form of food evangelism and discuss some of the evidence surrounding sugar in the human diet.

Erin Green is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, recovering professional triathlete and owner of Erin Green Racing and Nutrition in Boise, Idaho. After years of regimented training, she is rediscovering the joy of spontaneous movement, social runs and exploring unpaved bike routes. Check out her blog and videos at www.eringreenracing.com.  

Michael Gray is a personal trainer, nutritional coach, father of two and a sucker for a bag of gummy bears. See what he's up to at www.michaelgrayfitness.com.  

Let us know you like what you hear! Small donations from our listeners help to support Michael's gummy bear habit or go toward a new houseplant that will inevitably die under Erin's care. We appreciate all of our Middleish listeners! Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/middleish/support