There are all kinds of supplement options on the market - vitamins, powders, pills, gummies, drinks, shakes, and more. It’s hard to know what you need, what you don’t, what’s recommended, what’s a waste of money, and what’s even safe to use! Laura had questions about one supplement in particular: “What are your thoughts on adding a creatine supplement? I’ve read that it can help improve strength and reduce some sports-related injuries.” In this quick episode, we’ll discuss the ins and outs of CR...
Aug 30, 2024•7 min•Season 6Ep. 135
The world of nutrition can be so confusing. And too often online “health experts” make things worse, scaring you about certain foods or ingredients, or convincing you that you need to perfect some dietary gymnastics to see results. Even something as seemingly simple as navigating a nutrition facts label can be bewildering. Yes, checking nutrition labels can be helpful, but what if you’re actually checking the WRONG things? In this episode, let’s dive into that confusing nutrition label. I’ll wal...
Aug 27, 2024•22 min•Season 6Ep. 134
Learning about the different body types - and discovering yours specifically - can be a total game changer! Suddenly so many things about how your body moves and responds start to make sense. But is your body type, or somatotype, fixed or can it change over time? Cheryl had this very question: “Can your body type change? When I was a teen, I would have identified as an ectomorph, very skinny. Now, many years later, I come out as an mesomorph. Is this possible?“ In this shortie episode, I’ll give...
Aug 23, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 133
Wrestling with anxious thoughts and feelings is not uncommon. But did you know that in midlife those feelings can be stronger than ever? Your 40s, 50s, and 60s are full of changes and transitions. And in the midst of all those shifting internal and external dynamics, you might start to feel restless, anxious, irritable, and discontent - it can feel like you’re having a “midlife crisis”. Joining us on the podcast today is Mazi Robinson. Mazi is licensed professional counselor who specializes in h...
Aug 20, 2024•35 min•Season 6Ep. 132
Everywhere you look these days people are touting the benefits of Ozempic or semaglutide for diabetes treatment or weight loss. But is it really the “magic bullet” everyone seems to think it is? Listener Katie has a lot of question: “Hi, Megan, I would love to hear your thoughts on the new drug Ozempic. Do you feel there are some areas when it's okay for someone to take it? And I wonder how many people will take this drug who are not obese but just want to look thinner. I would love to hear your...
Aug 16, 2024•7 min•Season 6Ep. 131
Do you have persistent, nagging back pain? Not totally debilitating, but it’s just there. Maybe you’ve tried everything - getting a new mattress, changing your sleeping position, doing more yoga or seeing a chiropractor - but nothing helps and you’re beginning to feel frustrated and discouraged. How could you be doing everything right and still be in pain? If back pain has got you down, then this is the episode for you! Tune in as we dive into: the short-term and long-term effects of persistent ...
Aug 13, 2024•24 min•Season 6Ep. 130
Sometimes the most frustrating part of making healthy changes is figuring out how to measure them. There are seemingly a million different tests and measurements out there, but which ones really matter? Listener Bobbi Jo had the same question: “What is the best indicator of health? BMI? The scale? Or is it something else completely???” If you’ve ever been confused or discouraged by all the different ways to measure “health”, then this quick episode is for you! Take a listen as I give you a handf...
Aug 09, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 129
Maybe this summer hasn’t looked exactly the way you had hoped. Vacations, kids home from school, looser schedules, and just LIFE often get in the way of our healthy routines and best intentions. But with the end of summer on the horizon, the idea of a new season can feel like a fresh start. But while restarting a routine is a great goal, HOW you restart a routine really matters. On today’s podcast episode, I’m revealing THREE of the most common mistakes people make as they restart their healthy ...
Aug 06, 2024•31 min•Season 6Ep. 128
Of all the questions I get asked online, the most common is usually related to joint health and those pesky sounds joints make. It’s typically something like this from listener Shay: “Hey Megan, sometimes my shoulder or hip pops when doing exercises. It’s not painful, but it sounds terrible! Is there a point at which I should be concerned?” All that snap, crackle and pop can really sound like a problem - but is it? In this quick episode I’ll walk you through an explanation of the anatomy of your...
Aug 02, 2024•6 min•Season 6Ep. 127
Whether it’s your morning coffee - light and sweet, please - a handful of candy mid-afternoon, or that late-night bowl of ice cream, sugar has a way of sneaking into our daily diet. In fact, according to the American Heart Association, Americans consume an average of 17 teaspoons of added sugar every day. But is having a sweet tooth really that bad? In this episode we’re going to take a deep dive into the sweet side and talk about all things SUGAR: The health dangers of over-consuming sugar - pa...
Jul 30, 2024•35 min•Season 6Ep. 126
“Make sure you clean your plate.” “You don’t want to waste food, do you?” “There are starving children in the world who wish they had that food.” Any of these sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. “Hi, Megan, this is Sue. I'm wondering about those of us who have been part of the “Clean Plate Club” or the “Never Waste Food” group. There are starving children somewhere in the world, right? I'm wondering if you could speak to that and help some of us reframe that narrative in our heads.” In this...
Jul 26, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 125
Sometimes the biggest obstacle to making healthy changes is just getting started. Standing at the starting line and seeing the long road ahead can feel so daunting - it feels like it’s going to require so much energy, effort and motivation. And right now you have NONE. So where do you start?? Today’s episode is probably the encouragement you need right now. This is a conversation I had with my good friend Kate House, the host of the Live By Design podcast . We tackle some really great mindset sh...
Jul 23, 2024•33 min•Season 6Ep. 124
Hormone Replacement Therapy, or what’s now being referred to more often as MHT, is rising in popularity. But who should take it? Which hormones is it replacing? Who is eligible? How does it help? So many good questions! Listener Amy had another good question: “Hi, Megan, I had a hysterectomy about five years ago. I'm being told that some women take progesterone, and I'm wondering if that's a good idea. And why do they take progesterone and not estrogen? Thank you so much.” While I’m no doctor, I...
Jul 19, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 123
At some point, all of us wrestle with knee pain. Whether we’re squatting down to pick up a kid, taking long walks or simply climbing the stairs, knee pain can seem to come out of nowhere and can completely disrupt your life. In fact, approximately 25% of adults struggle with frequent knee pain - the kind that can limit function, reduce mobility and dramatically impair your quality of life. But it doesn’t have to be this way! While knee pain is common, it is also avoidable - and I’m going to tell...
Jul 16, 2024•31 min•Season 6Ep. 122
At some point, aches and pains feel like a fact of life - and some can be more disruptive than others. Take foot pain, for example. What do you do when every step you take hurts? Listener Lize has this very struggle: “I have noticed that I am getting aches and pains in and around my heels. Is it plantar fasciitis? Tendonitis? What should I do about this?” In this shortie episode, we dive into all things heel pain: what planter fasciitis IS and what it ISN’T, how to treat it when it flairs up, an...
Jul 12, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 121
Elevated blood sugar, diabetes, high cholesterol - growing health concerns that are probably on your radar. Yet figuring out how and what to eat to help address these issues can feel so stressful and overwhelming. To help us break it down, I’ve invited Mia Rigden to join me on the podcast. Mia is an LA-based nutritionist, trained chef and the author of multiple cookbooks and nutrition guides that are absolutely gorgeous. She’s helping people demystify wellness trends and learn to love nutrient-d...
Jul 09, 2024•32 min•Season 6Ep. 120
In so many ways, our bodies are like a symphony. A delicate balance of “instruments” that, when they work together, keep us functioning at our best. But what happens when part of the symphony gets out of balance? Let’s take the hormone cortisol for example. Listener Dessa asks: “I just listened to your episode on inflammation (Episode 348), and I’m curious - does inflammation affect cortisol? How do we decrease cortisol? What are triggers for cortisol?” In this quick episode, we’ll dive into the...
Jul 05, 2024•7 min•Season 6Ep. 119
Did you know that your shoulder is the most complicated joint in your body? And probably one of those you don’t think about until something goes wrong. Frozen shoulder, impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tears - all debilitating shoulder issues, and also totally preventable. But most women are going about it all wrong. In this episode, you’ll learn what you should be doing NOW to create really healthy shoulders. I’ll breakdown four common shoulder mistakes you’re probably making without even rea...
Jul 02, 2024•24 min•Season 6Ep. 118
You don’t have to spend much time online to see lots of different nutritional strategies for fat loss. But which ones work and which ones are a waste of time? Are any of them worth the effort? Listener Courtney wondered the same thing: “I’ve been seeing a lot of programs out there that really hype up carb cycling, dialed-in macro counting and intermittent fasting, and I’m getting confused. Can you debunk these if they’re not good or would these methods actually help with fat loss?” In this short...
Jun 28, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 117
Are you in need of some simple tips to instantly ease your back or hip pain? Well, you’ve come to the right place - today’s episode is going to deliver EXACTLY that! Recently, I joined Susie Pettit on the Love Your Life podcast to discuss the problem of back and hip pain. The questions that Susie asked were so good, the topics were so relevant, and the tips were so actionable, that we decided to air this conversation on the Self Care Simplified podcast, too! In this episode we discuss: What is h...
Jun 25, 2024•45 min•Season 6Ep. 116
At some point we’ve probably all thought it: “just tell me what to do to lose weight! Is there a magic number? A special formula?” Listener Gina asked this very question: “How much of a calorie deficit do you have to be in to lose weight?” And as you can imagine, the answer is both simple and complex at the same time. In this quick episode I’m going to break down what you need to be doing to move in the direction of your fat loss goals. We’ll talk calorie deficits - not just what to SUBTRACT, bu...
Jun 21, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 115
Whether we’re sitting at our desks, hunching over our phones or slowly slumping in our chairs, bad posture has a way of catching up with us. And while it may not seem like a big deal right now, as we age poor posture can become a habit with far reaching consequences. Thankfully, it doesn’t take much for poor posture and alignment to be corrected - and I’m going to tell you how! In this episode I’m going to introduce you to the PSF Framework - Posture, Strength and Flexibility: I’ll walk you thro...
Jun 18, 2024•25 min•Season 6Ep. 114
Do you ever feel like your workouts have kinda stalled out? But what’s the most effective way to get out of a rut and start seeing progress? Gina finds herself in this same situation: “Hi, Megan. In a recent podcast episode, you had a guest talk about spending less time at the gym, but doing heavier weightlifting and fewer reps. I was wondering what that might mean for someone who is 63 and has been doing weightlifting, but not really increasing my weight.” Ooh, Gina, I love this question! In th...
Jun 14, 2024•7 min•Season 6Ep. 113
Let’s talk about diabetes. Unfortunately, diabetes is on the rise, and more and more women are wondering how to properly manage their blood sugar levels. This focus becomes even more important for women over 40. Menopausal hormone shifts can have a dramatic impact on insulin sensitivity. To help us discover more about this connection between hormones and insulin, is Melissa Slemp. Melissa is a health coach who has lived with type 1 diabetes for 42 years - so she knows more than a thing or two ab...
Jun 11, 2024•31 min•Season 6Ep. 112
Why is it the older we get, the harder it is to lose weight? And all the things we did in our 20s, 30s and even 40s don’t seem to work for us anymore? Listener Gina has the same questions: “I’m 63, and over the last maybe six or seven years I have gained about ten to twelve pounds. I've been eating protein and produce, but I'm still struggling with losing the fat. I'm fairly active - I swim three times a week, lift weights three mornings a week, and try to walk. It just doesn't seem to be coming...
Jun 07, 2024•7 min•Season 6Ep. 111
See if this sounds familiar? It’s the beginning of summer, and you’re ready for a fresh new start! It’s time to make some changes so you can feel really good in a swimsuit! So you make a plan: 30 minute workout 5 days a week; more salads and less snacks; 8 glasses of water each day; a 20 minute walk after dinner; evening wind down and earlier bedtime. No problem! And things start strong - Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are great! But Thursday starts to go off the rails - missed the workout, ran ...
Jun 04, 2024•23 min•Season 6Ep. 110
PROTEIN. All the health and fitness experts tell us we should be eating more, more, more! But trying to fit 100+ grams of protein into your day can feel daunting. Listener Jamie feels the same way: “You're always talking about ‘Eat Your PROs’ and produce is easy, but I want to be eating more protein. Can you give us some other options for protein besides string cheese, peanut butter, and chicken strips? I'm not a big fan of protein powders, so can you just tell us what you eat?” In this quick ep...
May 31, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 109
As we get older, it’s easy to look around and think the chance to change our fitness has passed us by. That in our 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond, we have missed the opportunity to get strong and now have to just “settle” for what we have. But nothing could be further from the truth! Meet Rachel Cosgrove - one of the most influential trainers and strength coaches in the industry, and author of the book Age Strong . As she was approaching 40, Rachel realized that her fitness and nutrition choices had c...
May 28, 2024•32 min•Season 6Ep. 108
In the confusing world of supplements - and influencers touting their miraculous benefits - it’s hard to know what’s worth taking and what you should skip. Listener Lynn asks: “I would like to know what supplements you recommend for a healthy 76-year-old to take other than a multivitamin and a probiotic? Thanks!” In this quick episode we’ll talk all things supplements and which ones I recommend, with your doctor’s approval, of course! 💥Taking listener questions!!! Do you have a question about y...
May 24, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 107
So often stress can feel mental and emotional - but the reality is stress can take a physical toll on your body and health, as well. When you’re stressed, your body unleashes a domino effect of internal reactions to help you manage and overcome the perceived threat. But what happens when you can’t turn the stress off? In this episode we’re going to dive into the importance of stress management - and believe me when I say, this can be a life or death matter. Tune in as we unpack: what happens phy...
May 21, 2024•32 min•Season 6Ep. 106
