Why is protein so important for us as women? The reasons go well beyond our body composition goals. Today I'm talking all things protein, including why we need it, how much we need, and how those needs change over time. Plus, I'm covering protein powder and some different ways you can use it - from timing around your workouts to cooking with it. And I'm sharing my best tips for choosing a quality product that covers all your bases - from my experience as a consumer and women's fitness coach, and from my experience creating my own product line.

And, coming up in our next episode I'll go over the difference between protein powder, collagen, free-form aminos and creatine - so stay tuned, and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, I'm exploring….

⭐️ Why women need protein, and the amino acids it breaks down into ⭐️ The "essential aminos" and where to get them ⭐️ How the amount of protein you need changes over time ⭐️ Why you don't have to take a protein supplement (and when you might want to) ⭐️ What I look for when choosing a plant based protein powder vs. a dairy-based protein powder

Links featured in this episode and references:

• How eating the right amount of protein impacts a woman's body
• Guide for women in perimenopause
• Guide for women post-menopause
• Betty Rocker brand (Whole Betty) protein powders
• Guide to choosing protein powders and different types
• Betty Rocker meal plans

Is there a "perfect diet?" I don't think so. One of the challenges many of us face on our health journey is wading through the conflicting and confusing messages about "eating healthy." It's hard to navigate and it's hard to know if what you're doing is supporting your goals or hindering them. I think different things work for different people at different times, and learning some basics about the nutrients and how our bodies work is a great place to start, so we can better understand why certain things work better for us than others.

In this episode, I'm exploring….

⭐️ Why your sister's diet might work better for you and not her, and vice versa ⭐️ Why your husband's diet might appear to work better for him than for you ⭐️ Why the diet you did 10 years ago might not work the same for you now ⭐️ How seeing the "team" at work inside our bodies can be helpful for shaping the choices we make about food ⭐️ Where "3 meal magic" can be helpful ⭐️ The way protein, carbohydrates and fat support your body ⭐️ Examples of eating around your workouts

Links featured in this episode and references:

• Hidden causes of weight gain (podcast with Dr. Jill Carnahan)
• How to heal emotional eating (podcast with Tricia Nelson)
• Protein 101
• How eating the right amount of protein affects a woman's body
• Carbs 101
• Gut Health and Estrogen Balance
• Healthy Fats 101
• Healthy Eating Shortcuts
• The Body Fuel System (6 week balanced eating and recipes plan)

If you've ever gotten injured or been recovering from an illness wondering when you could start training again, today's conversation is for you! After recently getting COVID and suffering a lengthy recovery period, I had time to ponder - and put into practice - the very advice I so often give. Not only will you learn how to get better more quickly, you'll also get my best tips for preserving muscle and avoiding weight gain while you're taking some time off from your training.

In this episode, I'm exploring….

⭐️ How an illness can disrupt multiple body systems, from our immune system to our endocrine system ⭐️ How COVID impacts our hormones, and what to be aware of if you're in peri or post menopause ⭐️ Why seeing faster results from a workout program is about more than diet and exercise ⭐️ How to be aware of the stressors to our system that we can't see or easily pinpoint ⭐️ 5 keys to a strong recovery ⭐️ How to avoid losing muscle when you're taking some time off from training ⭐️ A reframe to avoid undue anxiety about taking a step back

Links to follow up from this episode:

Links featured in this episode:

• PerimenoFit: 8 week strength training program for women in perimenopause
• All Betty Rocker training programs contain options for women in peri and post menopause. See them all here!
• All Betty Rocker eating plans
• Health benefits of walking for women
• How Walking supports long-term fat loss
• Gut health and estrogen balance
• Lab testing company with affordable labs (labs must be ordered by your doctor)
• Home testing kits that you can order without a doctor

No matter what your current age or stage of life, I'm sure you'd like the actions you're taking to be impactful - both for your current state of health, but also for setting yourself up down the road. Because we want to be able to look back in 10 years and thank the person we are today for setting us up so well with a strong body, healthy joints, good habits and great energy. We want to be able to enjoy life to the fullest in a strong, fit body we love - and what we do right now is setting us up for that future.

In this episode, I'm exploring….

⭐️ How our actions set us up for our future bodies ⭐️ How my mindset has changed in perimenopause ⭐️ How walking impacts fat loss, supports muscle and bone density ⭐️ How to use training volume to your advantage ⭐️ The importance of self care as we lose collagen and elastin ⭐️ The value of cooking more and drinking less ⭐️ Putting rest and sleep in their place ⭐️ The All or Something approach

Links featured in this episode:

• PerimenoFit: 8 week strength training program for women in perimenopause
• Health benefits of walking for women
• Links for the walking pad and weighted vest I mentioned
• All Betty Rocker training programs contain options for women in peri and post menopause. See them all here!
• All Betty Rocker eating plans

How does walking support your fat loss goals, support muscle and bone density and give you so many other health benefits at the same time? And where does that fit in with our cardio, cortisol levels and changing hormones when we get into our 40's and beyond? Today I'm taking a deeper dive into how our resting metabolic rate is influenced by our body composition, how we burn energy and lose body fat, the strategies around muscle preservation, and why this all matters as we age.

In this episode I'm exploring...

⭐️ How your body composition impacts your resting metabolic rate ⭐️ How our muscle tissue impacts our ability to lose body fat ⭐️ Reviewing the key training strategies that support body composition results ⭐️ Why many women start gaining more body fat in their 40's (and how to address it) ⭐️ How your body burns energy: TDEE, TEF, EAT and NEAT explained ⭐️ How walking more supports fat loss and preserves muscle and bone density ⭐️ Why we need to vary our approach slightly at different times in our lives

Links to follow up from this episode:

• Get on the list to be the first to know when PeriMenoFit is released!
• Links for the walking pads I use and like
• Shifting the muscle to fat ratio: women-specific body composition considerations
• Perimenopause Training and Eating Guide
• Postmenopause Training and Eating Guide
• Betty Rocker balanced healthy eating programs
• Betty Rocker challenges (with custom options for women in peri and postmenopause)

A healthy and diverse gut microbiome helps support the balance of our hormones, a robust immune system and impacts how efficiently we absorb the nutrients in the food we eat. Tune in today for a tour on the ecosystem that makes up your digestive system, how you support better estrogen balance, get better results from your training and be a good steward to this diverse inner landscape that impacts us on so many levels.

In this episode I'm exploring...

⭐️ How our digestive system works ⭐️ How the gut microbiome impacts our hormone balance ⭐️ How our gut is connected to our immune system and the inflammatory response ⭐️ The specialized part of the microbiome that processes our estrogen ⭐️ How estrogen dominance contributes to more uncomfortable symptoms in perimenopause ⭐️ Tips for supporting better gut health

Links to follow up from this episode:

• Get on the list to be the first to know when PeriMenoFit is released!
• 12 Things you can do to support stress resilience
• Refresher on my best strategies for training with your cycle
• Refresher on my best strategies for training in perimenopause
• Refresher on my best strategies for training postmenopause
• The Body Fuel System meal plan
• My Dinner Plan eating system
• Probiotics I use
• Help finding a functional medicine doctor near you (Institute of Functional Medicine directory)
• Full Body Collagen (and all Betty Rocker supplements)

I made walking more a huge priority over the past couple of years and it's helped me in so many ways! I wanted to share some of the inspiring data that shows the tremendous health benefits women get from walking more, which become especially significant in our perimenopause and postmenopausal years. Plus, I'm sharing details on how I've been able to get more steps in at home, and how walking supports our hormone balance!

In this episode, I'm exploring….

⭐️ The benefit of walking on our blood sugar and fat storage ⭐️ How walking impacts our digestive system and supports good gut health ⭐️ How walking helps beat sugar cravings ⭐️ Fun tools you can use to get more steps in around the house ⭐️ How walking supports our immune system ⭐️ How bone density is improved for menopausal women with walking ⭐️ How your step count and speed can affect health benefits

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Links to follow up from this episode:

• Get on the list to be the first to know when PeriMenoFit is released!
• Links for walking pad and weighted vest ideas
• The Body Fuel System meal plan
• My Dinner Plan eating system
• Rock Your Life home workout studio and women's fitness program for women in their cycling years, in perimenopause and post-menopause

In our postmenopausal years, we have achieved an important milestone as women! Let's explore the way the inner landscape of our hormones has changed so we're better equipped to navigate these new waters. I'm sharing my Postmenopause Training Trifecta so after you finish this episode, you'll be armed with the specific training and nutrition strategies you need to feel like yourself and build strength, power and vitality to enjoy life to the fullest!

In this episode I'm exploring...

⭐️What changes with our hormones in the postmenopausal years and how they impact our body composition ⭐️Hormone-supporting options and suggestions ⭐️How to mitigate the impact of stress on our body ⭐️Custom training guidance for women postmenopause ⭐️Custom eating guidance for women postmenopause ⭐️Reviewing Betty Rocker's Postmenopause Training Trifecta

Links to follow up from this episode:

• Peri and Postmenopause Testing and Treatment Options with Dr. Jill Carnahan

• Top Nutrition Strategies for Perimenopause and Postmenopause

• 12 Ways to Improve Your Stress Resilience

• 6 Adaptogens that Support Hormone Balance

• Written guide to Postmenopause for visuals and further reference

• Rock Your Life home workout studio and women's fitness program for women in their cycling years, in perimenopause and post-menopause

• Women's Health articles

• In perimenopause, the 5-10 year period before our cycle stops entirely (menopause) it might feel like all the things that used to work for you don't work anymore, and your body just isn't responding like it used to. As our estrogen and progesterone levels begin to get off balance and decline, it has a big impact on our recovery, our body temperature, sleep, body fat, muscle and so much more. Today I'm exploring the strategies you can use to mitigate some of these symptoms, build more strength and lose body fat, support a healthy gut microbiome and so much more!

  In this episode I'm exploring...

  ⭐️ What happens to our hormones in perimenopause ⭐️ Exploring hormone balancing strategies like supplements and creams ⭐️ The impact of the stress response, and why it hits us harder in perimenopause ⭐️ The interplay between insulin and estrogen, and why sugar has a bigger impact than ever ⭐️ The importance of supporting a healthy gut microbiome and the estrobolome ⭐️ The most important things to include in your diet in perimenopause ⭐️ Specific workout adjustments to make in perimenopause

  Links to follow up from this episode:

  • Get on the list to be the first to know when PeriMenoFit is released!
  • 6 Adaptogens that support hormone balance
  • The Body Fuel System meal plan
  • My Dinner Plan eating system
  • Full Body Collagen (and all Betty Rocker supplements)
  • Betty Rocker Training Programs (90 Day Challenge, Home Workout Domination 1 and 2, Lioness)
  • Free Foundations of Functional Fitness Workshop
  • Rock Your Life home workout studio and women's fitness program for women in their cycling years, in perimenopause and post-menopause
  • Women's Health articles

Training with your cycle - explained! While you're in the phase of life where you're having regular periods, you may feel intuitively that you just don't have as much drive during the days leading up to your period. And you may notice that certain times of the month you are able to absolutely crush your workouts. Following the rhythm of your cycle when it comes to your training and nutrition is a great way to feel your absolute best - and see the best results - and today I'll explain exactly how!

In this episode I'm exploring...

⭐️The phases of your cycle, and what your hormones are doing in each phase ⭐️How you can optimize your training at each phase of your cycle ⭐️Nutrition tips to support you at every stage of your cycle ⭐️How to mitigate some of your PMS symptoms, and why we get them ⭐️Considerations for training if you're on the pill ⭐️Conditions that cause hormone imbalances overview

Links to follow up from this episode:

• Rock Your Life - challenges and coaching accessible 24/7
• Betty Rocker training programs, balanced and optimized for women in different life stages
• How to train through the stages of your cycle (article format, with diagrams)
• Women's Health articles