The Optimal Body

#womenarenotsmallmen Wondering how to optimize your nutrition & training in and around menopause? Dr. Stacy Sims dives into what menopause is and how vital it is to consider the changes that occur through menopause. She speaks about hormonal replacement therapy and menopause therapy, as well as key behaviours to consider: nutrition and training. She discusses the cultural stigmatization around menopause and whether or not high-intensity exercise is putting excess stress on the body. Fear lifting heavy? Dr. Stacy Sims dives into why heavy strength training is vital and how to navigate fear around joint stress. She describes how the guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate intensity a week is inappropriate for women going through menopause, and how to approach increases in belly fat. Finally, she discusses how to set up your day nutritionally, whether intermittent fasting is necessary, how to optimize muscle development and bone remodelling, as well as how creatine supplementation can be advantageous to brain, gut, and immune health. Grab a notebook and let's dive into how you can mitigate the effects of depleted estrogen, considering blood sugar and insulin, muscle atrophy, bone mass density, belly fat, creatine supplementation, and intensity of exercise. Get 20% Off Dr Stacy's Microlearning courses that launches July 7th with code OPTIMAL! Link to get free Hydration cheat sheet and get on the Microlearning Waitlist Use code OPTIMAL and purchase any of the Microlearning Vivobarefoot Discount: Our foundations are everything. Our feet are everything. Our feet are our base of support and affect everything up the chain! A study revealed a 60% increase in foot strength from 6 months of wearing VivoBarefoot shoes. Strengthen your feet to build more resilience and move more with Vivo Barefoot! Use code “TOB” to get 15% off! **Vivo offers a 100-Day trial period. If you are not completely satisfied, you can send the shoes back and get a refund. What you will learn in this interview with Dr. Stacy Sims 5:41 –What is menopause? 5:49 – Should we be doing hormonal therapy? 8:59 – Behaviors consider in and around menopause 9:22 – Cultural stigmatization around menopause 12:05 – Will exercise put more stress on the body around peri-menopause? 13:49 – Fear of joint stress of heavy lifts? Here’s what to do. 17:29 – Cardio training in and around menopause 21:07 – What to do about belly fat? 22:54 – How to set up the day nutritionally? 25:58 –  Intermittent fasting around menopause? 31:14 – Can we mitigate natural muscle atrophy? 33:14 – Encouraging bone remodeling around menopause 35:28 – Supplements to support the body around menopause 39:45 - The Next Level Book & Learning ore with Dr. Stacy Sims Items mentioned: Dr. Stacy's Website Dr. Stacy's Courses Dr. Stacy's Book Dr. Stacy's Blog To learn more about Dr. Stacy Sims and view full show notes, please visit the full website here: https://jen.health/podcast/221 Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Diagnosed with a Hip Labrum tear? DocJen & Dr. Dom breakdown what the hip labrum is and how a tear may have occurred. Explaining common characteristics of the diagnosis, they mention who is at most risk, symptoms of hip labrum tears, and explain the mobility and strength components of rehabilitation for a hip labrum tear. Let's dive in. Grab Jen Health Annual Membership at almost 50% off! Prevent muscle tears with the Jen Health platform. With 11 different plans to choose from and 3 phases for each plan, DocJen educates through movement with daily videos that help you optimize foundational core, understanding movement, muscle activations, functional workouts, and mobility within short snippets of time daily. Get nearly 50% off the year – that’s a $120 discount! Sign up now! What You Will Learn In This PT Pearl: 02:46 - What is the hip labrum? 04:30 - How do hip labrum tears occur? 05:25 - Who is at most risk? 08:12 - Symptoms of hip labrum tears 10:08  - Rehabilitation - Mobility 16:13 - Rehabilitation - Strength Watch Episode 220 on Youtube For research and full show notes, visit the full website at: https://jen.health/podcast/220 Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andrea Nakayama, functional nutritionist, explains her methods of strategically approaching symptoms from a root-cause based mindset. She discusses the 3 tiers of nutrition mastery and her best recommendation to identifying the source of your symptoms. With tracking in mind, she explains the importance of stool and elimination, and how the stool spectrum provides informative data about your health. Furthermore, she dives into gut bacteria, providing 3 key takeaways to allow the gut bacteria to flourish. As she explains 4 steps to creating an optimal meal, she approaches nutrition tests, blood glucose levels, and autoimmunity from a functional perspective. Listen in to learn more about functional nutrition! Coba Board Discount:  Feeling your back or knees instead of your Glutes? Try the Coba Board Plus. With the architecture of the board and the different levels of resistance, you’ll be able to fire up those Glutes without injuring yourself! Use code OPTIMAL at checkout! Grab Jen Health Annual Membership at almost 50% off! Prevent muscle tears with the Jen Health platform. With 11 different plans to choose from and 3 phases for each plan, DocJen educates through movement with daily videos that help you optimize foundational core, understanding movement, muscle activations, functional workouts, and mobility within short snippets of time daily. Get nearly 50% off the year – that’s a $120 discount! Sign up now! What you will learn in this interviewL 2:02 - What is functional medicine? 4:06 - 3 tiers of nutrition mastery 7:38 - Key to recognizing how food is affecting your digestion 10:46 - How to approach tracking 16:24 - Bristol stool chart - what the spectrum tells us 21:51 - Changing the bacteria in your gut 26:19 - 4 steps to an optimal meal 34:02 - Autoimmunity in women 37:20 - Testing for nutrition 40:34 - Getting from pathological range vs functional range 43:11 - Continuous glucose monitor 45:17 - Influencing autoimmunity Items mentioned: Andrea Nakayama's Instagram Andrea Nakayama's Website Andrea Nakayama's Podcast To learn more about Andrea and view full show notes, please visit the full website here: https://jen.health/podcast/219 Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Discover the key differences between muscle strains and sprains with fascinating anecdotes from gymnastics and football. Dive into the mechanics of muscle strains and their graded injuries, understanding symptoms and risk factors. Learn about the healing process, emphasizing mobility and gradual movement reintroduction. The importance of lifelong mobility maintenance is highlighted, alongside valuable resources for optimizing body strength and preventing future injuries. Tune in for essential tips on keeping your muscles healthy and resilient!

Movement and exercise is vital during pregnancy, but how informed do you feel? We’re bringing you this interview with Gina Conley to discuss lifting during pregnancy, as well as birthing positions. Gina explains her passion for pregnancy- specific exercise education as she felt uninformed during her pregnancy experiences. Then, she dives into the shifts that may occur between exercising in trimesters 1, 2, and 3, what to look out for, and how to optimize your training in each trimesters. Furthermore, she explains the importance of pelvic stability exercises and how a HIIT-lover may begin to approach their training while being pregnant. Finally, Gina provides insight into birthing positions, it’s relationship with epidurals, what contributed to stalling labours, and how supporting figures can support a pregnant women’s experience optimally! Let’s dive in! Coba Board Discount: Feeling your back or knees instead of your Glutes? Try the Coba Board Plus. With the architecture of the board and the different levels of resistance, you’ll be able to fire up those Glutes without injuring yourself! Use code OPTIMAL at checkout!  What You Will Learn in this Interview with Gina Conley: 3:20 - What inspired Gina’s interests in fitness for pregnancy 7:27 - What was missing from Gina’s experience with pregnancy? 14:35 - Lifting & exercise during the 1st and 2nd trimester 17:44 - Lifting during the 3rd trimester 22:17 - Pelvic stability exercises for connective tissue slings 26:06 - HIIT Training during pregnancy 31:11 - Do you need to birth on your back? 32:25 - What contributes to a prolonged labor? 34:40 - Gina’s programs 35;30 - How birthing positions change with an epidural? 39:17 - Supporting through pregnancy 45:26 - Gina’s words of wisdom on birthing Items mentioned: Gina's Instagram Gina's Website Gina's Facebook Gina's Youtube To learn more about Gina and view full show notes, please visit the full website here: https://jen.health/podcast/217 Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s time to change it up. DocJen & Dr. Dom preach changing up your position for at least 30 seconds every 30 minutes or 1 minute every hour. With the best posture being your next position, they describe 10 different sitting positions and how they are optimal! Brentwood Home Bundle: Is sitting on the floor uncomfortable? We highlight elevating the seat to make these sitting positions more accessible. Grab your Brentwood Homes Yoga Bundle for a non-toxic, versatile, and durable cushion! Click here!  What You Will Learn In This PT Pearl: 02:01 - What’s the best posture? 07:13 - 90/90 Shin Box position 09:35 - Pancake Seat 10:39 - Low Squat 11:56  - Short Kneel Position 13:16 - Big toe stretch 13:21 - Quad stretch 15:33 - Ankle Stretch 17:13 - Long sit 18:28 - Laying on your tummy! Watch Episode 216 on Youtube For research and full show notes, visit the full website at: https://jen.health/podcast/216 Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lily Nichols, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator, shares her expertise on prenatal nutrition. She debunks outdated dietary guidelines for pregnancy, emphasizing the significance of blood sugar control and pancreas health. Nichols highlights nutrient-rich foods like eggs and organ meats, urging expectant mothers to prioritize whole foods over supplements. She also discusses the unique nutritional challenges faced by vegetarians and vegans, providing insights on making informed dietary choices during pregnancy.

Could you be overtraining? Estimates conclude that up to 60% of competitive athletes overtrain at some point in their career, however, overtraining can affect anyone. DocJen and Dr.Dom dive into progressive overload and how it relates to overtraining and functional overreaching. They explain the symptoms related to overtraining and how it can affect anyone. Futhermore, they discuss how acute chronic workload ratio and tracking can be used to understand if you are experiencing overtraining syndrome, and the key to optimizing performance: recovery. Let’s tune in! Coba Board Discount:  Feeling your back or knees instead of your Glutes? Try the Coba Board Plus. With the architecture of the board and the different levels of resistance, you’ll be able to fire up those Glutes without injuring yourself! Use code OPTIMAL at checkout!  What You Will Learn In This PT Pearl: 01:51 - What is progressive overload & how it relates to overtraining 02:36 - What is functional overreaching? 05:29 - Consequences of overtraining symptoms & who it affects 08:57 - Acute chronic workload ratio 10:04  - How tracking can be important? 15:38 - Recover to elevate your performance Watch Episode 214 on Youtube For research and full show notes, visit the full website at: https://jen.health/podcast/214 Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Could your feet be related to your low back pain? Ben, functional exercise specialist, briefly describes his journey through transitioning towards going barefoot. Explaining the biology simply and briefly, Ben explains how a barefoot shoe can help your back pain, who barefoot shoes are for, and the role of barefoot shoes in sport. He explains how long it may take for significant changes in foot function to be seen and why research uses big toe flexor strength as a measure of foot strength. Ben dives into orthotics, arch support, and how you can progress to running in barefoot shoes. Providing research, he provides insight on recent perspective regarding footwear, especially regarding immediate improvements in balance. Let’s dive in! VivoBarefoot Discount: Have you trained your feet? DocJen is introducing her brand new 14-day barefoot mini-course that comprises 10-minute videos that assess the foot and ankle complex, how it works together and why you might be falling into specific pain patterns. Each week will end with a solid flow of exercises to help understand your bare feet and get them working and moving again. Our feet are our foundation, affecting the Achilles, knee, hips, and lower back. Join us and strengthen those feet! Use code “TOB” at checkout for a special discount! **Vivo offers a 100-Day trial period. If you are not completely satisfied, you can send the shoes back and get a refund. What You Will Learn in this Interview with Ben Le Vesconte: 2:34 - What led Ben into going Barefoot 8:38 - How might a barefoot shoe help you back pain 11:27 - Is there a transition period into barefoot shoes 14:54 - High Arches? Can you play a sport with barefoot shoes 17:11 - How long until you can see significant changes when wearing barefoot 18:47 - Why use big toe flexor strength to measure foot strength? 19:37 - Can you wear orthotics with your barefoot shoes? Should you wear orthotics at all? 23:47 -Do you need arch support? 28:04 -From walking to running barefoot - how to progress? 30:55 - From heel STRIKE to Heel STROKE 31:23 - Developing research on footwear 33:09 - Progressive overloading for shin splints 37:39 - Should kids wear VivoBarefoot shoes 39:30 - How VivoBarefoot shoes helps with balance immediately 41:46 - Check out VivoHealth Items mentioned: VivoBarefoot's Instagram VivoBarefoot - Use code 'TOB' at checkout To learn more about Ben and view full show notes, please visit the full website here: https://jen.health/podcast/213 Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Feeling tingling or numbness around the neck area? Been diagnosed with a herniation? DocJen & Dr. Dom dive into the different types of herniations, where it’s most prevalent around the neck, what symptoms correlate with the diagnosis, and contributing factors to the nerve-related symptoms. They explain nuances surrounding the herniation diagnosis, debunk myths about neck herniations and nerve-related symptoms, and provide their best tips to navigating your symptoms at home. Tune in! Barefoot Mini Course: Have you trained your feet? DocJen is introducing her brand new 14-day barefoot mini course that comprises 10 minute videos that assess the foot and ankle complex, how it works together and why you might be falling into specific pain patterns. Each week will end with a solid flow of exercises to help understand your bare feet and get them working and moving again. Our feet are our foundation, affecting the achilles, knee, hips, and lower back. Join us and strengthen those feet! You can even grab a speicial discount using code OPTIMAL10 at checkout! What You Will Learn In This PT Pearl: 02:31 - Where do people experience disc herniations most? 06:10 - Is stretching with herniations the best? 08:47 -  Anatomy of the spinal vertebrae 11:56 - Nerve related symptoms & seeing a physical therapist 14:30  - Contributing factors to cervical disc herniation 16:50 - How to set up your neck for success 20:02 - How to promote stability 22:08 -How targeting below the neck can help the neck 26:07 - Breathing against resistance 27:13 - Shoulder blade awareness 27:47 - What did Dr. Dom’s dad do for his cervical herniation Watch Episode 212 on Youtube For research and full show notes, visit the full website at: https://jen.health/podcast/212 Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.