Mikkipedia

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This week on the podcast, Mikki and Brandon DaCruz — coach, educator, and one of the sharpest minds in physique and performance nutrition - answer questions derived from their social media audiences on some of their favourite topics. Part one of this conversation is hosted on Brandon’s podcast, and part two is here on Mikkipedia! These include: habits of successful dieters, the most effective ways to improve insulin sensitivity, accounting for training calories in a maintenance phase, top supplements from a health perspective, and transition tin to weight maintenance without gaining excess fat (and more!) You’ll get half of this here, and half of it over on Brandon’s channel, the Chasing Clarity podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chasing-clarity-health-fitness-podcast/id1619611966  Enjoy!

Brandon DaCruz at his website https://www.brandondacruzfit.com/, and on Instagram @brandondacruz_

Chasing Clarity https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chasing-clarity-health-fitness-podcast/id1619611966 

Brandon DaCruz is an online nutrition and physique coach and sports nutritionist. He’s also a National Level NPC physique competitor and an internationally published fitness model who’s written articles and filmed educational content for publications like Men’s Fitness Magazine and Bodybuilding.com. 

Brandon has spent over 13 years  working within the sports nutrition and fitness industries and has coached every type of client including Olympia Level professional men’s physique competitors, college athletes, MMA fighters, CrossFit competitors, and lifestyle clients. 

He believes in blending what’s been proven in the research with his own anecdotal and first hand "in the trenches'' experience to improve body composition, optimise performance and enhance health in order to help his clients achieve their goals whether that be building muscle, losing body fat, increasing performance and/or optimising health and longevity. This is what he refers to as his health-centric coaching model as he believes that improving one's health is the cornerstone to optimising their physical goals. 

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This week on Mini Mikkipedia, Mikki breaks down one of the most misunderstood topics in fat loss: the difference between visceral fat and stubborn subcutaneous fat. While often lumped together, these two fat types behave very differently—and require completely different strategies.

Mikki explains why visceral fat, despite being more harmful metabolically, is actually easier to lose and highly responsive to aerobic exercise—even without weight loss. She also unpacks why stubborn fat (think lower belly, hips, thighs) is slower to shift, driven by different receptor biology and requiring sustained consistency over time.

This episode is especially relevant for women navigating perimenopause, where hormonal changes can shift fat distribution without changes on the scale. If you’ve been frustrated by lack of progress, this conversation will help you understand what’s really going on—and what to do next. 

Highlights:

•  Why visceral fat is dangerous—but easier to lose 
•  The hormonal drivers of fat redistribution in perimenopause 
•  Why aerobic exercise outperforms resistance training for visceral fat 
•  The physiology behind “stubborn” fat and why it resists change 
•  Practical strategies to target both fat types effectively

Contact Mikki:
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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Dr Jocelyn Wittstein, orthopaedic surgeon and researcher, about the often overlooked intersection between nutrition, metabolism, and musculoskeletal health in women.

With a background that uniquely bridges nutrition and medicine, Dr Wittstein brings a broader lens to joint, bone, and tendon health—moving beyond purely mechanical explanations to explore how lifestyle, dietary patterns, and metabolic health shape outcomes across the lifespan. In this conversation, they dive into why conditions like frozen shoulder disproportionately affect women in midlife, the role of oestrogen in tissue resilience, and how shifts during menopause influence muscle, bone density, and injury risk.

They also unpack the impact of protein intake on musculoskeletal integrity, alongside the emerging links between insulin resistance, inflammation, and joint health. This is a practical and thought-provoking discussion that reframes menopause as not just a reproductive transition, but a critical window for protecting long-term strength, mobility, and resilience.

Dr. Wittstein is a practicing orthopaedic surgeon, researcher, and associate professor at Duke University specialising in sports medicine and the female athlete across the lifespan. She's also a former collegiate gymnast and mother of five. Her research focuses on frozen shoulder, ACL injuries in female athletes, and the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. As president of the Forum for Women in Sports Medicine, Dr. Wittstein is changing how we understand the intersection of hormones, movement, and independence in women's bodies.

Jocelyn Ross Wittstein, MD (Duke Health)

Jocelyn Wittstein, MD (Instagram)

 “The Complete Bone and Joint Health Plan: Help Prevent and Treat Osteoporosis and Arthritis,” by Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein and Sydney Nitzkorski, MS, RD

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In this Mini Mikkipedia episode, Mikki breaks down a newly published narrative review examining whether menopause truly slows metabolism. While the common narrative suggests an inevitable metabolic decline, the reality is far more nuanced. Mikki walks through the evidence on resting metabolic rate, fat oxidation, physical activity, and sleep—highlighting where menopause may play a role and where age, muscle mass, and behaviour are more influential. She also unpacks a key overlooked factor: sleep disruption, and its downstream effects on fat oxidation and energy balance. Importantly, this episode challenges the idea that menopause overrides energy balance, instead reinforcing that foundational habits—muscle maintenance, movement, protein intake, and sleep—remain the primary drivers of metabolic health. A grounded, evidence-based take for women navigating midlife changes.

Key Highlights:

•  Why resting metabolic rate changes are inconsistent—and often linked to muscle mass, not menopause 
•  The role of reduced fat oxidation and what it actually means for fat gain 
•  How sleep disruption (and progesterone) may influence metabolism 
•  Declines in physical activity: hormonal vs behavioural drivers 
•  Practical strategies to maintain metabolic health through menopause 

Article https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41860241/

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Save 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKI at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.com
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Save 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKIPEDIA at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.com
Curranz Supplement: Use code MIKKIPEDIA to get 20% off your first order - go to www.curranz.co.nz  or www.curranz.co.uk to order yours

NZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nz

This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Dr Justin Keogh, exercise scientist and behavioural researcher, about the often underappreciated role of resistance training in healthy ageing, disease prevention, and long-term independence.

In this conversation, they explore why strength may be far more than a physical attribute—touching on its role in brain health, cardiovascular function, and overall quality of life. Dr Keogh unpacks the evidence around resistance training and cognitive outcomes, challenges common assumptions about exercise in older adults, and discusses whether we’ve been too conservative in how we prescribe strength training across the lifespan.

They also dive into the practical side of programming—what actually works, what’s often done poorly, and how to strike the balance between safety and meaningful stimulus, even in later decades. Along the way, they explore the psychological and behavioural shifts that occur when people regain strength, and why this may be one of the most powerful tools we have for supporting both physical and mental resilience as we age.

This is a wide-ranging, evidence-informed discussion that reframes strength training not just as exercise, but as a cornerstone of lifelong health.

Dr Justin Keogh is an exercise scientist and behavioural researcher with a strong focus on translating evidence into practical strategies that improve health, function, and performance. His work centres on the role of exercise—particularly resistance training—in mitigating treatment-related effects in cancer survivors, addressing sarcopenia in older adults, and enhancing athletic performance across a range of populations.

His sports science research spans rugby union, powerlifting, sprinting, golf, and strongman, with more recent work extending into Australian rules football and swimming. He has also developed a growing research interest in female athletes, particularly in how strength and conditioning, alongside movement competency, can reduce the elevated risk of lower limb injury.

Dr Keogh’s research is especially relevant to ageing populations and those affected by cancer, where he investigates how combined exercise and nutritional interventions can improve body composition, physical function, quality of life, and potentially influence disease progression. Complementing this, he has spent the past decade exploring the behavioural drivers of health, examining the barriers, facilitators, and motivations that influence physical activity and other health behaviours in older adults and cancer survivors using both quantitative and qualitative approaches.

He is a Fellow of the International Society of Biomechanics in Sport and the Australian Association of Gerontology. Dr Keogh also contributes to the field through service roles on Exercise and Sport Science Australia’s Sports Science Advisory Group, the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association Conference Committee, and the Sarcopenia Diagnosis Task Force Committee for the Australian and New Zealand Society of Sarcopenia and Frailty Research.

Justin bio https://research.bond.edu.au/en/persons/justin-keogh/

Podcast Stronger Through the Ages https://open.spotify.com/show/69bzn3LApQ9ohOmx2Q26sN 

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In this Mini Mikkipedia episode, Mikki breaks down why short eating windows and time-restricted eating (TRE) don’t always deliver the fat loss results people expect—especially for active women. Drawing on key research, including the TREAT trial and Sutton’s early time-restricted feeding study, she explains how compressing your eating window doesn’t reliably reduce calorie intake and may even compromise body composition.

Mikki also explores the interaction between exercise and appetite, highlighting how fasted training combined with delayed eating can amplify hunger signals and drive overeating later in the day. The takeaway? It’s not a willpower issue—it’s physiology.

This episode offers a practical, evidence-based look at how to align nutrition with training, appetite, and real-life behaviour for better outcomes. 

Highlights:

•  Why shorter eating windows don’t guarantee lower calorie intake 
•  The risk of increased lean mass loss with TRE 
•  How fasted training + delayed eating drives compensatory hunger 
•  The difference between metabolic benefits vs real-world behaviour 
•  Practical strategies to align eating patterns with training and appetite

Contact Mikki:
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NZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nz
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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Darryl Edwards, movement coach and founder of the Primal Play Method, about rethinking exercise through the lens of play, biology, and human nature.

In this conversation, they explore why so many adults lose their natural instinct to move, and how modern, structured exercise may be missing something fundamental. Darryl shares how playful, varied movement aligns more closely with our evolutionary design, and why this approach can support not just physical fitness, but brain function, resilience, and long-term health.

They also discuss the psychology of movement—why enjoyment is often the key to consistency, and how play can shift our relationship with effort, discomfort, and motivation. Along the way, they challenge reductionist thinking in health and fitness, highlighting the broader role movement plays beyond calories burned or steps counted.

This is a refreshing and thought-provoking conversation that invites a return to movement as something instinctive, engaging, and sustainable for life.

Darryl Edwards MSc, FCIMSPA (Chartered), FBSLM, DFSEM(UK), DipExMed, ACSM-CES, CertLM is a London-based movement coach, author, speaker, and founder of the Primal Play Method®, an approach grounded in evolutionary biology, exercise physiology, cognitive neuroscience, and play psychology. With over 15 years of experience coaching and teaching movement, his work focuses on improving long-term adherence through practical, engaging, and sustainable activity rather than rigid exercise models. 

After nearly two decades in investment banking technology, he rebuilt his own health using a back-to-basics movement approach, which now underpins his work with individuals, clinicians, educators, and organisations aiming to reduce sedentary behaviour and support both physical and mental wellbeing. 

He is a Fellow of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine, a Chartered Fellow Physical Activity and Health Practitioner with CIMSPA, a Diplomate Member of the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (UK), and an ACSM Cancer Exercise Specialist®. In 2025, he received the US Play Coalition’s Stephanie P. Garst Distinguished Service Award for his contribution to promoting physical and social health through play, and in 2026 he is a keynote speaker at Playtopia: Make Way for Play in Boston and a speaker at the ESMO Breast Cancer conference. 

His TED talk, “Why Working Out Isn’t Working Out,” explores why traditional exercise often fails people and highlights the importance of enjoyable movement for long-term consistency.

Darryl Edwards: https://www.primalplay.com/who-is-darryl-edwards

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Contact Mikki:
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If you feel in control all day but lose it at night, this episode explains why—and it’s not a discipline problem. Mikki breaks down the physiology behind evening hunger, showing how under-eating earlier in the day, low protein intake, and unstable blood glucose create a cumulative energy deficit your body is wired to correct. She explores the roles of key appetite hormones like ghrelin, leptin, GLP-1, and PYY, along with the impact of stress hormones, cognitive fatigue, and circadian rhythms.

This episode reframes nighttime hunger as a predictable biological response, not a personal failure. Mikki also outlines practical strategies—like front-loading protein, structuring meals, and avoiding the “save calories for later” trap—to help regulate appetite and reduce evening overeating.

Key Highlights

•  Why under-eating during the day drives nighttime hunger 
•  The role of protein, GLP-1, and satiety hormones 
•  How blood sugar dips and stress hormones amplify cravings 
•  Circadian biology and why appetite rises in the evening 
•  Practical strategies to stabilise hunger and prevent overeating

Contact Mikki:
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NZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nz
Save 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKI at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.com
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Save 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKIPEDIA at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.com
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NZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nz

This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Dr Philip Prins, researcher and expert in exercise metabolism, about a new paper examining one of the most widely accepted ideas in sports nutrition: the role of carbohydrate in endurance performance.

For decades, the dominant narrative has been that muscle glycogen depletion is the primary cause of fatigue during prolonged exercise, and that high carbohydrate intake is essential for sustaining performance. But Dr Prins and his colleagues revisit the evidence and ask a deeper question: is that explanation actually supported by the data?

In this conversation, they explore the physiology of fatigue, the often-overlooked role of blood glucose and liver glycogen, and the phenomenon of exercise-induced hypoglycaemia as a potential driver of performance limitation. They also discuss how relatively small amounts of carbohydrate can improve performance, why higher intakes don’t always translate into better outcomes, and what this means for current high-carbohydrate fueling recommendations.

Along the way, Mikki and Dr Prins unpack fat oxidation in low-carbohydrate-adapted athletes, the importance of individual metabolic differences, and whether fueling strategies for endurance athletes may need to be far more individualised than current guidelines suggest.

This is a fascinating discussion that challenges long-held assumptions about carbohydrate, fatigue, and how athletes should actually fuel for performance.

Dr. Philip Prins is an Associate Professor of Exercise Science. Dr. Prince earned a B.S. in Kinesiology as well as an M.S. in Exercise Science from Georgia Southern University, and a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Pittsburgh. His research focuses on, among other things, the practical impact of lifestyle on metabolism and how metabolism impacts health, disease and performance outcomes. Among his many areas of expertise are nutritional ketosis, metabolic responses to exercise, and sports nutrition.

Dr Prins can be found here: https://www.gcc.edu/Home/Academics/Faculty-Directory/Faculty-Detail/philip-prins 

Dr Prins Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Philip-Prins

Study https://academic.oup.com/edrv/article/47/2/191/8432248 

Previous podcasts https://podcast.mikkiwilliden.com/190 and https://podcast.mikkiwilliden.com/348 

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In this Mini Mikkipedia episode, Mikki breaks down the rapidly growing world of obesity pharmacotherapy, focusing on GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide and the newer dual GLP-1/GIP drugs such as tirzepatide. With more people beginning these medications, understanding how they work—and how to use them effectively—has never been more important. Mikki explains the biology behind appetite regulation, the clinical trial data showing significant weight loss, and why these drugs are best viewed as long-term treatments rather than short courses. The episode also dives into the practical realities many people face once they start therapy: managing common gastrointestinal side effects, protecting muscle and bone during weight loss, and setting realistic expectations about outcomes. Whether you’re considering these medications yourself or supporting someone who is, this episode provides a clear, science-based guide to navigating the experience.

Highlights:

• How GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP medications regulate appetite and metabolism
• Clinical trial results: expected weight loss with semaglutide vs tirzepatide
• Why weight regain often occurs after stopping the drugs
• Practical strategies to manage nausea, constipation, and other GI side effects
• Protecting muscle and bone with protein intake and resistance training

Contact Mikki:
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https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutrition
https://www.instagram.com/mikkiwilliden/
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NZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nz
Save 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKI at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.com
Curranz supplement: MIKKI saves you 25% at www.curranz.co.nz or www.curranz.co.uk off your first order