Episode 177: Q&A in Kat's Coaching Corner - Part 2
Listen In
Summary
Do you ever just wish you could have a little coach in your pocket, answering any nutrition or fitness questions that come up to help keep you on track??
Well... welcome to Kat's Coaching Corner!
A few weeks ago, Tanya (the influencer I work with) and I did a Q&A on her page and ya'll loved it! And so the Coaching Corner was born.
Each week I'll be posting a questions sticker on my Instagram stories to help clarify and support you on whatever journey you may be on.
Then I'll be bringing the best questions to the podcast that I think warrant a deeper conversation.
We answered a handful of questions last week here, so take a listen before you jump into part 2!
7. Can you build muscle at 69?
You can build muscle literally at any age!
The process of building muscle goes like this: when you workout you create little microtears in your muscle. Then your body uses amino acids (the broken down particles of protein) to repair or replace the damaged muscle fibers to form new muscle strands. These muscle strands are thicker and stronger than the previous ones leading to muscle building.
Think about it this way: if you built a bridge and a little gust of wind caused some wood panels to fall off, are you going to rebuild it exactly the same way? No, you're going to reinforce it with stronger materials.
Then say that area of town starts getting really intense rain and the bridge starts to fall apart again. Now you're going to choose materials that are strong in the face of that particular kind of whether.
This is exactly what happens when you put your muscles under greater and greater stress as you progress your workouts. And it happens whether you're 15, 50, or 105.
8. Do you know any natural ways to help with hot flashes?
There are a number of things you can do to support your body through menopause, making hot flashes less intense and less frequent.
At night, turn your AC cooler and keep a cold drink on your bedside table to cool down your core body temperature when you feel one coming on.
Avoid triggers like hot and spicy foods, caffeinated beverages, alcohol, and smoking.
Lose excess weight. We don't totally know why, but overweight and obese women tend to experience more intense and more regular hot flashes than leaner women.
Consider consuming foods higher in phytoestrogens (since many symptoms of menopause stem from the drastic drop in estrogen): flax seeds, dried fruit, sesame seeds, garlic, peaches, berries, and cruciferous veggies. Soy is also high in phytoestrogens but the potential harmful effects of soy outweigh the potential benefits, especially since you can get the same benefits from less controversial sources.
9. How important is HIIT training? I do strength training 3 days per week and cardio 2 days per week.
Here's the thing, if you're doing 3 days of strength and 2 days of cardio, you're doing better than most and are already getting tons of health and fitness benefits.
So if you're happy with your body composition, your energy is good, and you're grooving with that routine, I say keep that up and don't stress.
With that said, could you get even more benefits by swapping one of those steady state cardio days with a HIIT day? Sure.
- You're going to be able to burn more calories in a shorter period of time (you burn about the same number of calories in a 20 minute HIIT workout as you do in a 40 minute steady state cardio workout).
- You're getting both aerobic and anaerobic training with HIIT while you're only getting aerobic training with cardio. The benefit of this is when you're doing anaerobic activity, your muscles can't rely on your heart and lungs to provide the amount of oxygen needed to sustain the exercise, so it uses energy stored in your muscles (hence the word anaerobic which means 'without oxygen'). Also, aerobic exercise may burn a lot of calories during the workout, but anaerobic exercise causes you to burn more calories in the 24 hours following the workout, making HIIT an incredibly effective and efficient way to burn fat and boost your metabolism.
- HIIT also improves your VO2 max more than steady state cardio, which means your heart and lungs are more efficient at delivering oxygen to your muscles.
- HIIT may increase testosterone, a hormone needed to building muscle which will give you a more 'toned' aesthetic, while aerobic exercise tends to decrease testosterone.
And just to be clear about the difference between HIIT and cardio:
HIIT is where you alternate short bouts of intense effort where you're working at 80-95% of your max heart rate (think a sprint for 30 seconds), with recovery intervals at about 50% of your max heart rate (think walking for 60 seconds).
Steady state cardio is where you maintain a consistent, moderate intensity at about 50-75% of your max heart rate.
10. I know you say we're supposed to eat veggies at every meal, how do you eat veggies at breakfast?
Some of my favorite ways of getting veggies in are:
- Egg and veggie scrambles (what I use: mushrooms, sun dried tomato, spinach, bell peppers, onions, egg plant, asparagus, etc)
- Smoothies (what I use: frozen cauliflower rice, frozen spinach, beets)
- Gluten free avocado toast (what I use: avocado topped with broccoli sprouts and tomatoes)
- Roasted veggie bowl topped with eggs and/or applegate sausage (what I use: potatoes, dark leafy greens, mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado, etc)
- Savory oatmeal: cook oatmeal and stir in eggs, spinach, salt, pepper, cholula, and top with chopped avocado.
11. How are the types of magnesium different?
Magnesium is an incredibly important mineral that is "involved in over 300 metabolic reactions that are essential for human health, including energy production, blood pressure regulation, nerve signal transmission, and muscle contraction." -Healthline
Unfortunately only about 1/3 of the population is getting enough of it in their diet.
And while there are many type of magnesium to supplement with, I'm going to highlight 3 of the more common ones you'll see:
- Magnesium citrate: This is the most bioavailable version of magnesium (meaning your body can more easily absorb it), it's great for relieving constipation, and it can help with symptoms of depression and anxiety. It will tend to make you sleepy so best to take it before bed.
- Magnesium oxide: "Magnesium oxide is often used to relieve digestive complaints like heartburn and constipation. Given that the body doesn’t absorb it well, it isn’t a good choice for those who need to raise their magnesium levels." -Healthline
- Magnesium glycinate: This is formed from magnesium and the amino acid glycine. Glycine has been used to improve inflammatory conditions like heart disease and diabetes. And magnesium glycinate is commonly used for its calming properties to deal with issues like stress and insomnia.
Did you find this Q&A helpful? Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and add your own questions to next week's Coaching Corner!
------------------------------------
Let's Chat!
If you're loving these episodes, you'll love the customized advice you'll get on a free 'Kickstart Your Weight Loss' call with me! Click here to schedule yours now 😉
Hot News & Deals!
Click here to book a complimentary consultation if you want to lose weight and keep it off without restrictive dieting!
Ready to say goodbye to stubborn weight, uncontrollable cravings, emotional eating, and tummy 'fluff'? Click here to get on the waitlist for Follow Your Gut!!
Can't get enough health and fitness inspo?
Follow me on Instagram, TikTok, or join my #badasswarrior tribe in my free Facebook group!
Want to be reminded when a new episode airs? Click here to subscribe for reminders!
Your daily discount!
Click here to get 15% off your first Fre Skincare Set! It's designed for skin that sweats.
The owner of this website may receive compensation for recommendations made in reference to the products or services on this website. This compensation may be in the form of money, services, or complimentary products and could exist without any action from a website visitor. Should you purchase a product or service that was recommended by this website, it is understood that some form of compensation might be made to the website owner. For example, if you click on an affiliate link at this website and then make a purchase of the recommended product or service, the website owner may receive compensation.
The information shared in this blog and podcast are intended for informational purposes only. They are not meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any health conditions and you should always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet or exercise routine.
