You’ve probably seen it on social media - influencers and fitness buffs touting the benefits of weighted vests. But are they worth the hype? Listener Sandra asks: “I have a question about weighted vests, and in particular, walking with a weighted vest. I'm seeing more of it on social media from different trainers about using a weighted vest. So I would like to know if you think there are a lot of benefits to it, especially if it's someone already carrying extra weight. How would you go about sta...
May 17, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 105
Bone Density. Osteopenia. Osteoporosis. While these may sound like your grandmother’s conditions, the truth is bone loss BEGINS in midlife. In fact, you can lose up to 20% of your bone density during midlife, leaving you vulnerable to fractures and serious injury even earlier than you might think. The good news is taking steps NOW can help prevent bone loss and reduce your risk of injury - and we’ve got just the expert to help! Joining me this week it Dr. Kristi DeSapri, a board certified intern...
May 14, 2024•31 min•Season 6Ep. 104
Have you ever tried to tackle pain or tightness with stretching, only to feel like it just made things worse? Listener Donna has had a similar experience. She asks: “I've been suffering with hip pain for about three months now, and it's stopping me doing any kind of exercise because it just seems to flare it up. I'm wondering if your hip and back pain course would be good for me. I'm just worried that when I've been trying to do stretches and things that it just seemed to make it worse. My chiro...
May 10, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 103
If you’ve ever experienced sciatica - that firey pain that radiates down your leg, often coupled with tingling, numbness, and a deep throbbing pain in the hip socket - then you know first hand how debilitating it can be. In fact, you’re not alone - it’s estimated that 40% of adults will experience sciatic pain at some point in their lives. This week we’re going to talk all things sciatica: what is it and why does it happen? what to do when you’re in pain and need relief FAST! consequences of not...
May 07, 2024•28 min•Season 6Ep. 102
As women, through so many stages of our lives we have to wrestle with a hormonal roller coasters. From puberty to pregnancy - both pre-natal and post-natal - to the intense fluctuations of perimenopause and menopause, it can be a wild ride. And this new, unknown season of life can feel pretty overwhelming - and often lonely. Listener Dessa asks: “Hey, Megan, I appreciate that you think of women of all ages in all of your podcasts. One question. Do you have any recommendations on how husbands cou...
May 03, 2024•7 min•Season 6Ep. 101
Aging gets such a bad rap!! For too long, there has been such a stigma for women around getting older, getting gray hairs, going through menopause… almost like as women, our value and our self worth begins to diminish and dwindle with each passing year. Katie Fogarty is joining us on the podcast this week. She’s the host of A Certain Age Podcast and has the unique perspective of interviewing hundreds of women in midlife. She’s sharing her own menopause story plus some really awesome pieces of wi...
Apr 30, 2024•30 min•Season 6Ep. 100
Everybody’s looking for the wonder pill - a simple supplement that will dramatically improve your health in pill form. Colostrum is fairly new in the supplement space, and it’s rapidly gaining popularity for its claims on improving immunity, gut health and even bone and muscle health. Is colostrum worth the try or is it just another “snake oil”? In this shortie Ask Megan episode, I share insights into what exactly colostrum is, what benefits it claims to have, and if it’s in fact valuable to tak...
Apr 26, 2024•6 min•Season 6Ep. 99
So often, when faced with joint pain, chronic inflammation or even a Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis, women are given very few treatment options. It’s usually prescription medication and hope for the best. But what if there was more you could do? Liz Revilla joins me again on the show this week, and she has personally dealt with all of this. However, as a registered dietitian, instead of listening to the doctor’s that said there was nothing she could do for her inflammatory disease other than tak...
Apr 23, 2024•26 min•Season 6Ep. 98
When you start changing your nutrition habits and shifting the way you eat, one of the biggest challenges can be figuring out when and how to splurge responsibly. You don’t want to get off track, but you also want some fun mixed in with all the nutritious food you’re eating. Listener Corie has this same question: “Hey Megan, my question is in response to one of your recent Friday episodes about splurges. In that episode you recommended following a 90/10 rule when it comes to your meals. So if I ...
Apr 19, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 97
We are well into spring - the days are longer, the temps are warmer, and summer is just around the corner! But with summer on the horizon, it’s natural to start thinking about our fitness - am I ready to tackle all the fun things summer has in store, and feel good doing it? Last week we kicked off a 2-part Summer Shape Up series with a solid, sustainable nutrition plan to get you on your way to feeling your best. This week we’re back talking about FITNESS . And just like my nutrition strategy, t...
Apr 16, 2024•27 min•Season 6Ep. 96
It’s no surprise that spending hours sitting at your desk can wreak havoc on your body. Back pain, hip discomfort, tight hamstrings, aching shoulders, neck pain - it can really make your daily life miserable. Listener Carolyn has this very problem: Hi, Megan. I’m having some lower back issues and hip problems. What you would recommend for those of us stuck at a desk most of the day? Are there any particular types of desk chairs, booty pads that you sit on or the back support systems that you can...
Apr 12, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 95
It’s that time of year again! Winter is officially over, Easter is behind us, and we naturally start thinking about summer. The vacations! The adventures! The longer days and time outdoors! However, those warm summer days can also bring up some dread. “Where’s my body at? Am I in as great of shape as I could be going into summer? Will I be able to do everything I want to do and feel really great doing it?” If the thought of summertime brings up these questions, you’re in the right place. For the...
Apr 09, 2024•21 min•Season 6Ep. 94
When it comes to working out, doing too much or too little is often tricky line to walk. How do you know when to push yourself? When should you take things easy? That line becomes even more challenging when you’re dealing with an ongoing medical condition. Listener Wendy asks: “Hey, Megan. I have a question regarding health conditions. I have been diagnosed with isotinomia, and my mom also has a medical condition called mycenia gravis. Two totally different things. But my question is just regard...
Apr 05, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 93
See if this sounds familiar? You make pretty good food choices, and eat healthy-ish on and off, but don’t really focus on your nutrition. And then one day you wake up and realize things have changed, and suddenly your body is different. It holds weight differently, and in different places, and you’re battling new things like brain fog. Julie spent years treating her food choices as an afterthought …eating relatively healthy here and there, but also growing up in the Slim Fast era and constantly ...
Apr 02, 2024•32 min•Season 6Ep. 92
Protein. The nutritional powerhouse that helps build muscle, stabilize blood sugar and keep you feeling full between meals. But sometimes getting the recommended amount of protein into your daily diet can feel challenging. Enter protein powders - a seemingly simple quick fix to help fill the protein gap when you just can’t seem to get enough from food. But which ones should you choose? Are some better than others? Listener Marilyn wondered the same thing: “Hi, Megan. I was hoping you could give ...
Mar 29, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 91
As we get older, and especially a we enter midlife, it can feel like our metabolism is decreasing while our mid-section is increasing. But that’s just what happens when we hit middle age - it’s inevitable, right? What if I were to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. And the solution is so much simpler than you might think! Meet my friend Emily, who at 49-years-old was starting to see the number on the scale start creeping up. We discussed adjustments to her habits she could consider, b...
Mar 26, 2024•18 min•Season 6Ep. 90
Have you ever started an exercise and realized pretty quickly that things were a little wobbly? What do you do when your balance won’t let you execute a movement the way you should? Podcast listener Laura found herself in this very situation: “My question has to do with balance exercises. When your balance is not as good as it should be, is it best to try to keep muddling through? I’d love any recommendations you can give on achieving better balance. Thank you!” In this shortie episode, we dive ...
Mar 22, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 89
Menopause . Just the word can strike dread in the hearts of women of any age. It’s the beginning of the end! The time when things go haywire and your body starts to fall apart! But it doesn’t have to be that way. Meet Donna Klassen, the CEO and co-founder of Let’s Talk Menopause , a national nonprofit organization that is invested in helping women get the information they need and the healthcare they deserve. She’s also a practicing therapist and licensed clinical social worker, and has her own ...
Mar 19, 2024•29 min•Season 6Ep. 88
About 38 million Americans have diabetes - that’s about 1 in 10 - and approximately 90-95% of them have type 2 diabetes. Listener Andrea is one of them, and asks: “I was wondering if you have any podcasts on nutrition and diabetes. I have type two, and I'm really struggling. Thanks.” Let me preface this by saying that Type 2 diabetes is a medical condition that certainly requires working closely with your doctor and even a registered dietitian to prescribe a good plan of action for you. However,...
Mar 15, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 87
We’ve all been there. Whether it’s January’s “new year, new me” excitement, or in the spring as we’re staring down swimsuit season, we’ve all reached the point where we’re ready to make BIG CHANGES. We’re going to workout 30 minutes a day. We’re going to track our calories or macros and skip the splurges. And all our best intentions usually last a week, maybe 10 days, and then life happens: The kids get sick and you’re barely sleeping, much less exercising, so you drop the workouts completely. A...
Mar 12, 2024•18 min•Season 6Ep. 86
It is so easy to look at our choices and see all the things we wish we were doing better. So how do we celebrate the things we’re actually doing well? Listener Lisa had this same question: “Can you give some examples of celebrating victories, and how to stay in a positive mindset, especially with nutrition? I feel like anytime I slip up and eat something between meals, I’m failing.” Lisa, I’m so glad you asked! In this shortie episode, I’ll talk about how to see the BIG PICTURE, how to avoid sel...
Mar 08, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 85
You probably don’t think twice about your feet - until they’re in pain and preventing you from going about your daily life. The reality is foot pain - whether from bunions, planter fasciitis, neuromas, shin splints, or any one of dozens of other issues - prevents millions of women from enjoying adventures and major life events. And surprisingly, just getting a better shoe won’t solve your problem. Take it from me - I spent years dealing with foot pain, surgery, plantar fasciitis, physical therap...
Mar 05, 2024•22 min•Season 6Ep. 84
“Hi, Megan. I love your podcast. Thank you so much for the good advice that you always communicate in such a clear way. I'm wondering if you can tell me how much time you recommend spending in each of the cardio zones each week. Thanks so much for your help with this.” Cardio zones - what are they, how do you reach them, and should we even be worried about them? In this shortie episode, we’ll talk about the 5 different cardio zones, what hitting each zone entails, and the best way to maximize yo...
Mar 01, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 83
Without a doubt, the most common questions I get asked are about nutrition. The women I talk to usually have a pretty good grasp on the things they SHOULD be eating. The challenge comes with getting a handle on what they “ SHOULDN’T ” be eating - you know, the snacking and splurging that can sabotage the best laid plans! This week we’re doing something a little different. I’ve gone back into the archives and pulled three short clips from our Ask Megan episodes that address these burning question...
Feb 27, 2024•22 min•Season 6Ep. 82
Trying to fit exercise into our busy schedules can be challenging. But should we be considering the best time of day to workout? Listener Martha asks: “Hi, Megan. I'm wondering if there's a preferred time of day to workout. Should I be working out first thing in the morning? Is there a time of day I should avoid? Is there a certain time of day specifically to do cardio or lift weights? I'm trying to get stronger, maybe lose a few pounds, but really just want to be consistent.” In this shortie ep...
Feb 23, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 81
When we start thinking about weight loss, what we’re really wanting is FAT LOSS. But so often our pursuit of fat loss is filled with frustration, confusion and defeat. How do I lose fat but maintain muscle mass? Why do the things I did in my 20s not work in my 40s, 50s and beyond? Why is the number on the scale just not moving? Meet my friend Philip Pape - he’s a nutrition coach and the host of the Wits & Weights podcast, one of the top 25 nutrition podcasts. Today we’re going to dig into th...
Feb 20, 2024•41 min•Season 6Ep. 80
You’ve heard me rave about the short-term and long-term benefits of strength training. And maybe I’ve convinced you that this is the direction to go with your fitness. But what do you do if the desire to strength train runs into underlying bone health issues? Listener Lex has this very question: “I am a 50-year-old woman who has never strength trained - so I'd be starting from scratch. And I've considered using your program, but you know what stops me? I have osteopenia. And I don't know if I wo...
Feb 16, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 79
Do you feel like with each passing year your body is beginning to fall apart and become less mobile? Movements feel stiff and actions that used to be effortless are now uncomfortable? I’m often asked, “What can I do to maintain and improve my mobility as I age?” I think the underlying question is, “What can I do to not feel like I’m moving like an old person!” And the answer is: MOBILITY. And more specifically, JOINT MOBILITY - which is essentially the ability for your joints to move around the ...
Feb 13, 2024•31 min•Season 6Ep. 78
Ask any woman over 40, and they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about. You wake up in the middle of the night feeling like you just dunked yourself in a pool - literally dripping with sweat. But you’re not necessarily hot, you’re actually clammy and can’t get warm. What the heck is going on here?! Listener Dawn asks: “Night sweats. Good Lord, woman. I know there are many women that suffer from night sweats. Mine is partially because of the full hysterectomy and the chemo from cancer. But eve...
Feb 09, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 77
So often we measure our success by decrease - Is the number on the scale going down? Are my clothing sizes getting smaller? But what would it look like to shift our focus to increase ? How much weight could I lift? How strong could I get? Meet Alyssa Ages, who asked herself this very question. She wanted to know how physically strong she could become. And that question led her on a journey of building real strength, becoming a Strongman Competitor, and, at the age of 40, pulling a semi truck. Al...
Feb 06, 2024•32 min•Season 6Ep. 76
