Should you eat before a workout? Is exercising fasted better for fat loss? And how quickly do you really need to get protein after you finish?

In this episode, Sandy takes a closer look at workout nutrition and separates what actually matters from some of the noise surrounding pre- and post-workout fueling.

In this episode:

• What actually happens when you exercise fasted
• Fasted training vs. fasted fat loss, and why they aren't necessarily the same thing
• When eating before exercise may improve performance
• How workout length and intensity change your fueling needs
• What to eat before a workout
• Why carbohydrates aren't something to fear around exercise
• Protein, muscle protein synthesis, and muscle growth
• What to eat after a workout
• Whether the post-workout “anabolic window” is really as narrow as we've been told
• Where foods like Greek yogurt and dairy can fit, and what to do if they don't agree with you
• Why your overall daily protein and nutrition matter more than perfectly timing one meal
• A simple takeaway you can start using with your next workout

The bottom line: You don't need to micromanage every bite around your workouts. Fueling should support the type of exercise you're doing, your goals, your performance, and how you actually feel.

Wellness Explained

Evidence-based wellness, explained simply.

Hosted by Sandy Jolles, MS, CNS, LDN.

Disclaimer: Wellness Explained is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or replace individualized medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional.

Red light therapy has gone from a niche wellness treatment to something you can find in gyms, spas, recovery studios, and even at home. But what is it actually doing, and is it worth your time and money?

In this Wellness Bite, Sandy takes a quick look at the science of red and near-infrared light therapy, also known as photobiomodulation. She explains how specific wavelengths of light interact with our cells, why mitochondria are often part of the conversation, and where the research is most promising.

You'll also learn why not every red light device is created equal and why factors like wavelength, dose, distance, and consistency matter when evaluating whether a device may actually be effective.

Rather than treating red light therapy as either a miracle treatment or another wellness gimmick, this episode helps you understand where the evidence currently stands so you can make a more informed decision.

In this Wellness Bite:

• What red and near-infrared light therapy actually are
• How photobiomodulation may affect cellular function
• Potential applications for skin health and exercise recovery
• Why wavelength and dosing matter
• What to look for when considering an at-home device
• Where the evidence is promising, and where we still need more research

Wellness Explained

Evidence-based wellness, explained simply.

Hosted by Sandy Jolles, MS, CNS, LDN.

Disclaimer: Wellness Explained is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or replace individualized medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional.

Getting enough sleep doesn't always mean getting restorative sleep.

You can spend seven or eight hours in bed and still wake up exhausted...and sometimes, the reason has less to do with how long you're sleeping and more to do with what's happening during those hours.

In this episode of Wellness Explained, Sandy explores some of the less obvious reasons you may still feel tired despite getting what seems like enough sleep.

You'll learn about:

• Why sleep duration and restorative sleep aren't necessarily the same thing
• How stress, cortisol, and the HPA axis interact with sleep
• Why “adrenal fatigue” isn't the same thing as true adrenal insufficiency
• When persistent fatigue may warrant looking beyond sleep and discussing bloodwork with your healthcare provider
• The roles of iron, ferritin, vitamin B12, thyroid function, and other potential contributors to fatigue
• Why alcohol can help you fall asleep faster while still disrupting the sleep that follows
• How light exposure and red-light therapy fit into the sleep conversation
• How sleep apnea can repeatedly disrupt sleep without you remembering waking up
• Why snoring, mouth breathing, and waking with a dry mouth may be worth paying attention to
• Why simply mouth taping isn't a solution for unexplained nighttime mouth breathing
• One simple way to give your circadian rhythm a more consistent signal

The big takeaway: Being in bed long enough doesn't necessarily mean your body and brain are getting the restorative sleep they need.

Sometimes the answer isn't another cup of coffee, another supplement, or another sleep hack.

Sometimes it's getting curious about why you're tired in the first place.

Wellness Explained

Evidence-based wellness, explained simply.

Hosted by Sandy Jolles, MS, CNS, LDN.

Disclaimer: Wellness Explained is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or replace individualized medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional.

You've probably heard the rule: “Don't eat after 8 PM.”

But does your metabolism really have a bedtime?

In the very first Wellness Bite, Sandy takes on one of the most common nutrition rules and looks at what the research actually says about eating later in the day.

It turns out there's no magical hour when food suddenly becomes more likely to turn into body fat...but that doesn't mean meal timing is completely irrelevant.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why eating after 8 PM doesn't automatically cause weight gain
• How your circadian rhythm may influence appetite and metabolism
• Why the same meal may produce a different glucose response depending on when you eat it
• What controlled studies have found about eating more calories earlier vs. later
• Why late-night eating may sometimes have more to do with under-eating during the day than a lack of willpower
• Whether shifting more of your daily intake earlier may be worth considering

The bottom line?

There isn't a universal time when you need to stop eating.

Meal timing may matter, but something can matter without being the thing that matters most.

Instead of obsessing over the clock, it may be more useful to ask:

“What does my overall eating pattern look like?”

Wellness Explained

Evidence-based wellness, explained simply.

Hosted by Sandy Jolles, MS, CNS, LDN.

Disclaimer: Wellness Explained is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or replace individualized medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional.

Has being healthy somehow become a full-time job?

Between supplements, wearables, 10,000-step goals, sleep optimization, red light therapy, and the latest longevity hacks, it's easy to lose sight of what actually matters most.

In the very first episode of Wellness Explained, nutritionist Sandy Jolles explores the science behind the health habits that truly move the needle...and the ones that might just be icing on the cake.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why muscle is about much more than strength or aesthetics
• The surprising relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and longevity
• Why 10,000 steps isn't a magic biological threshold
• What happens when you walk after a meal
• Why fiber is much more interesting than its reputation
• How sleep affects metabolic health
• The surprisingly powerful connection between relationships and health
• Why more health data doesn't always create better health
• Where creatine, cold plunges, red light therapy, greens powders, and apple cider vinegar might fit

And we'll come back to a question that will be central to Wellness Explained:

Not just “Does it work?...but how much does it actually matter?

Because wellness should be fun. We're just going to make sure the science comes with us.

Wellness Explained

Evidence-based wellness, explained simply.

Hosted by Sandy Jolles, MS, CNS, LDN.

Disclaimer: Wellness Explained is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or replace individualized medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional.

What are we actually supposed to believe about our health?

One day coffee is good for us; the next, it's not. Carbs are in, then they're out. And somehow, there's always a new supplement promising to change everything.

With more health information at our fingertips than ever before, wellness has never felt more confusing.

In this trailer, nutritionist Sandy Jolles shares the story behind Wellness Explained and why she created a space to cut through the noise, look at what the evidence actually says, and, most importantly, make it practical for real life.

From nutrition, movement, and mindfulness to sleep, stress, women's health, longevity, gut health, bone health, heart health, and more, Wellness Explained is about turning credible health information into small, sustainable actions you can actually use.

Because better health isn't built through one giant transformation. It's built through the small decisions we make consistently over time.

Welcome to Wellness Explained. Let's make wellness make sense.

Wellness Explained

Evidence-based wellness, explained simply.

Hosted by Sandy Jolles, MS, CNS, LDN.

Disclaimer: Wellness Explained is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or replace individualized medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional.