In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition, I speak with Canadian Olympic sprinter and new author Micha Powell. The daughter of two Olympians, Rosey Edeh and long jump World Record holder Mike Powell, athletics is part of Micha’s DNA. She talks about what it was like growing up with two Olympian parents and the impact that had on her own journey is sports. After playing multiple sports growing up, Micha, like her parents, found success on the track and quickly progressed to making the 2016 Canadian Olympic team in the 4x400m relay. Unfortunately, she didn’t get to run in the Olympics, and Micha shares how she struggled with that disappointment alongside pressure and self-doubt. Micha continued to face multiple setbacks and mental challenges including imposter syndrome and injuries. These struggles motivated her to write a memoir “ Sprinting Through Setbacks: An Olympian’s Guide to Overcoming Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome” and accompanying workbook all while training to make the Olympics! We dive deep into her book, sharing how everyone can benefit from mindset tools and lessons she’s learned along the way. I recommend you check out her book “Sprinting Through Setbacks” and workbook here; I think you’ll find them very helpful! We touch on Micha’s intuitive eating approach and remind listeners that the “perfect” diet is not the healthiest diet.

TOPIC TIMESTAMPS:

7:10 Micha’s journey into sports as the daughter of two Olympians

16:15 Handling pressure and disappointments in athletics

20:25 Overcoming self-doubt, expectations and setbacks for success 

28:45 Appreciating your wins and accomplishments; the importance of taking up space

34:45 Micha’s motivations for writing her book “Sprinting Through Setbacks” while training for the Olympics

43:00 Injury mindset tips; sharing the lows vulnerably 

51:15 Intuitive eating as an Olympian and avoiding the “perfect” diet

54:50 End of the podcast questions

Check out Micha Powell’s book “Sprinting Through Setbacks: An Olympian’s Guide to Overcoming Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome” and workbook here, alongside Strong Girl Publishing.

Micha co-authored her book with previous Female Athlete Podcast guest Molly Hurford, and you can tune into that episode here: 170. Keeping Girls + Women Strong & In Sports (+ Mountain Dew & More!) with Molly Hurford.

Follow Micha on Instagram @michajadapowell and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition 

Natural Cycles: Check out Natural Cycles here and 20% off subscription plus free thermometer!

Our NEW Website is NOW LIVE! Check it out here:

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Support the podcast with a financial contribution: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition  

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

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InsideTracker: www.insidetracker.com use code LINDSEYCPRO25 for 25% off the entire store 

THIS PODCAST IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY:

Orgain, head to www.orgain.com and use the code RISEUP30 for 30% off your first order. Repeat customers can use the code OA2203 for 25% off future orders.

Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp 

Jen & Keri: https://jenandkeri.com/ use code RISEUP10 for $10 off your order

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition, I speak to the 2020 Olympic Champion in the pole vault, Katie Moon (née Nageotte). Katie will be looking to defend her Olympic title in a few days at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games! She touches on her bumpy build up to the Olympics, overcoming food poisoning and underperformance before winning gold. Katie details her steady progression in the pole vault from high school beginnings to NCAA D2 success and into her professional career. College was a big transition, and Katie opens up about the fear and anxiety that she’s dealt with for years. She explains how going back to the basics and focusing on the process allowed her to reach higher heights.

We dive deep into Katie’s relationship with food and body image, something she’s had to work on throughout her career. From unflattering pictures, social media comparisons, observing other athletes, and competing in a bikini, Katie talks about handling these triggers by focusing on her body’s strengths, feeling good in training and competition, and learning that lighter is not better: to reach higher heights, Katie has had to gain strength, and yes, that meant gaining weight! We can all learn from how Katie has improved her body image, by caring more on performance and what the body can do rather than on what it looks like. Katie now embraces weight fluctuations and body changes throughout the year, and enjoys eating without restrictions. We discuss the impact of coaches and culture on nutrition and mindset, advocating for a healthy environment and support team that cultivates good habits around food, weight and training.

TOPIC TIMESTAMPS:

3:30 Winning an Olympic gold medal in the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics

9:00 Falling in love with pole vaulting 

11:20 NCAA Division I vs II athletics experiences

12:30 Dealing with mental blocks and fear

19:30 Overcoming failures, underperformances, and unexpected challenges

23:00 Katie’s relationship with food and body weight

26:50 How body weight impacts pole vaulting 

31:50 Body image insecurities and comparisons among elite athletes

41:55 Coaches’ and culture’s influence on nutrition and mindset 

45:40 Improving body image; Embracing weight and body changes

53:20 End of the podcast questions

Follow Katie on Instagram @ktnago13 and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition 

Natural Cycles: Check out Natural Cycles here and 20% off subscription plus free thermometer!

Our NEW Website is NOW LIVE! Check it out here:

https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/ 

Support the podcast with a financial contribution: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition  

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp 

Previnex: https://www.previnex.com/ use code RISEUP for 15% off at checkout

InsideTracker: www.insidetracker.com use code LINDSEYCPRO25 for 25% off the entire store 

THIS PODCAST IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY:

Orgain, head to www.orgain.com and use the code RISEUP30 for 30% off your first order. Repeat customers can use the code OA2203 for 25% off future orders.

Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp 

Jen & Keri: https://jenandkeri.com/ use code RISEUP10 for $10 off your order

This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is the second in a 2-part episode series about me! After almost 4 years of weekly podcasts, we have a lot of listeners who probably don’t know my story, so here it is! If you haven’t already, go back and listen to Part 1 here!

Transitioning on from my own struggles with disordered eating, over-exercising, and my body, I discuss 3 key recovery tips. I bring listeners up to speed with the last decade of my life, where I have maintained a healthy relationship with food and my body, using sports nutrition to my advantage as I’ve trained for marathons as a recreational runner working full-time as a dietitian. I share my journey with birth control, understanding the menstrual cycle and hormones, and how I’ve recently been using Natural Cycles to track my own cycle.

Pregnancy and parenting has been a big part of the last 5 years, and I talk about coping with body changes during this part of life, as well as nutrition through pregnancy and as a mom. I share advice for fueling a busy schedule, including meal planning, snacking, and convenience food. With my second son Levi having severe dietary restrictions, family meals look a bit different, and I speak to those challenges too.

I finish off with my food fundamentals, and while I’m strongly against food rules, I share a few of my own! Yes, call me a hypocrite, but they’re not your typical nutrition “do’s and don’ts”! 

TOPIC TIMESTAMPS:

1:20 Introducing Part 2 brief overview of Part 1; go listen to Part 1 here if you haven’t already 

4:30 3 tips for healing from disordered eating 

10:50 Fueling as a recreational athlete, training for a marathon, while working as a dietitian

15:25 Pregnancy fueling and health challenges: I mention Episode 33 and Episode 132

19:30 My birth control experiences; understanding your menstrual cycle and hormones 

28:40 Menstrual cycle nutrition 

30:20 Nutrition as a busy mom: food freedom, snacking, convenience food, meal planning 

39:10 Meal planning tips 

41:15 Body changes around pregnancy and as a mom

42:10 Parenting a son with severe dietary restrictions and eating challenges: I mention Episode 140 and Episode 143

49:05 Food fundamentals and *not* food and hydration rules

Follow me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition 

Natural Cycles: Check out Natural Cycles here and 20% off subscription plus free thermometer!

Our NEW Website is NOW LIVE! Check it out here:

https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/ 

Support the podcast with a financial contribution: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition  

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp 

Previnex: https://www.previnex.com/ use code RISEUP for 15% off at checkout

InsideTracker: www.insidetracker.com use code LINDSEYCPRO25 for 25% off the entire store 

THIS PODCAST IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY:

Orgain, head to www.orgain.com and use the code RISEUP30 for 30% off your first order. Repeat customers can use the code OA2203 for 25% off future orders.

Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp 
Jen & Keri: https://jenandkeri.com/ use code RISEUP10 for $10 off your order

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with anti-diet weight inclusive registered dietitian Heather Caplan. We start off by defining the terms: weight inclusive care, being an anti-diet and non-diet dietitian, and Health At Every Size (HAES). We discuss the importance of a weight neutral approach to nutrition because science proves that weight does not determine health. Heather and I explain the many limitations of BMI and defining health based on body size and shape. Heather talks about the Health At Every Size movement and its mission of inclusion to bring healthcare to all. 

Heather talks about her introduction to dietetics and her own struggles with disordered eating that caused her to question the current weight-centered approach to nutrition and diet culture. She shares her career path from practicing in a weight-centered setting post college to discovering intuitive eating and weight neutral approaches to dietetics. We discuss studying nutrition in college and the many flaws with the curriculum. 

We discuss the intersection between running and nutrition, and how sports dietitians can have a Health At Every Size approach and debunk the myths surrounding weight and performance. Dieting and weight loss may improve performance in the short term, but we explain how the sustainable path to long term success that allows athletes to reach even higher levels of performance must prioritize health first, regardless of weight. 

Heather talks about founding WIND, Weight Inclusive Nutrition and Dietetics, to educate other dietitians, practitioners and more about inclusivity and diversity in nutrition. 

Heather was the host of the RD Real Talk podcast for 5 years and she explains how shifting priorities have led to its end. We discuss the importance of change during different seasons of life, including new motherhood, in order to keep pursuing our ultimate passions and goals. We talk about the myth of doing it all and how what we see on Instagram and social media is not reality: the struggles are rarely shared. 

Follow Heather on Instagram @heatherdcRD 

Find Heather online at https://heathercaplan.com/ and WIND at https://weightinclusivenutrition.com/ 

Heather’s Official Bio:

Heather Caplan, pronouns she/her, is a weight-inclusive registered dietitian. She's the founder of Weight Inclusive Nutrition and Dietetics (WIND), which hosts continuing education and connection events for dietitians. Heather hosted the RD Real Talk podcast for over 5 years, having hundreds of conversations about non-diet nutrition. She also co-founded the Lane 9 Project, a community for athletes struggling with disordered eating and eating disorders. Her work in the non-diet spaces—including working with clients, organizations, and healthcare providers—has been featured on The TODAY Show, and in magazines like The Washington Post, Runner's World, Outside Magazine, and EatingWell. She's a parent to three littles, likes to run long distances, and wishes it was always Summer Ale season.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with Team USA fencer Iman Blow. We start by hearing from Iman about her journey into fencing through a local sports foundation. Iman discusses the importance of both exposure to opportunities and the support of mentors, family and coaches.

Iman explains her fierce mindset that has allowed her to thrive in spite of failures and setbacks like just missing out on making the postponed 2020 Olympic team, and instead being named as an alternate. Iman talks about always playing to win: if your goal isn’t to win, it means you’re accepting losing. We discuss goal setting and evaluating performances with both outcome- and process-oriented goals. We talk about handling challenges and setbacks at the highest level of sport, using examples like Simone Biles and Serena Williams to show that no one is immune to stress. Iman and I discuss internal and external stressors, things that are in your control and things that aren’t, and how your mindset determines your level of success and ability to handle obstacles. 

We discuss representation in sports and the importance of diverse and relatable role models. Iman shares how other black female athletes have inspired her and the work she is doing to inspire others herself, and Iman explains her “aspire to inspire” motto.

This episode covers the importance of hydration: understanding hydration and staying on top of her fluid needs led to a breakthrough in Iman’s performance. Iman explains her approach to nutrition during competitions where she is expected to perform at her best multiple times throughout a given day. We discuss strategies for sustained energy, and how the basics of sleep, nutrition and hydration have the biggest impact on performance, more than any expensive supplement.

Not all elite athletes are sport obsessed and Iman is an example of someone who finds joy outside of her sport. We hear her passion for community and spending quality time with others 

Follow Iman on Instagram @Inspiredwithiman 

Find Iman online at https://www.imanblow.com/ 

Iman’s Official Bio:

Iman Blow is a pre-medical Columbia University graduate and world-class athlete who is passionately involved in performance education and development. Over the past 10 years, Blow has functioned as a coach and athlete-educator while simultaneously managing an award-winning academic and athletic career. After ending the 2020 Olympic season as an alternate for Team USA, Blow continues with the goals of competing in the 2024 Olympic games in France and matriculating into medical school.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this solo episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I share more about the business side of Rise Up Nutrition and some recent changes I have made. I talk about being an entrepreneur and my motivators behind starting Rise Up Nutrition: freedom, impact, and money. Initially, freedom and money were my biggest drivers, but right now it is the impact I can have on the lives of female athletes that motivates me more than ever! 

I discuss how new motherhood intertwines with business and being self-employed, as well as my struggle to maintain a work-life balance and childcare challenges. Making an impact and helping my clients remains a top priority, and is at the core of changes I have made to Rise Up Nutrition recently. I explain the increasing role fellow Rise Up Nutrition dietitian Jenna Stranzl is taking on, allowing me to focus on 1:1 client work and not missing out on being a mom.

Following on, I give some program updates, letting listeners know that I have closed the Group Coaching program and launched a new Alumni Group program. This program will allow me to continue to support clients beyond the 12-week Female Athlete System of Transformation (the FAST Track Program). I explain how the program works, touching on some of the monthly challenges and recent topics explored, like hydration and post-workout nutrition. I share great testimonials from athletes already enrolled in the Alumni Group and encourage you to join in too! Additionally, Rise Up Nutrition’s signature FAST Track Program is open for new clients too!

Two years into this podcast, our community has grown far beyond what I could imagine and it allows me to impact so many more lives than I possibly can with my 1:1 and group coaching. To keep this podcast alive and continue growing and having an impact, the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast will be taking on sponsors. I will only be taking on sponsors with products and services that I actually use myself and would recommend to a friend. I look forward to sharing some of my favorite products and partners on the podcast soon! 

I open this up to you! Do you have a company, or know one, that would love to partner with the show? Reach out, I would love to talk!

This episode finishes off with a call to action: if you are looking for helping with your nutrition, curious about our Alumni Group, or interested in partnering with the podcast, reach out and email us at info.riseupnutrition@gmail.com 

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I speak with Olympian and Team USA skier Hailey Swirbul. We talk about Hailey’s early introduction to adventure sports, her collegiate skiing career, turning professional mid-way through college to join the US ski team, and then making her first Olympic team this year. As well as being a dream come true, competing in the Olympics had its challenges, reminding Hailey that she is more than a skier and how moments outside of skiing can be just as fulfilling and memorable, such as a visit to KFC during the Olympics!

Hailey opens up about how a desire to optimize her body composition and go “all in” on skiing in high school fuelled an eating disorder. What started as an “experiment” and a desire to perform better ultimately left Hailey feeling deeply unhappy and totally out of control around food. Hailey shares how this “experiment” back-fired: food was controlling Hailey and her performances suffered too. We discuss how common this downward spiral to disordered eating is, and that Hailey was not alone: a lot of the people we work with at Rise Up Nutrition share similar stories and can resonate with Hailey.

We talk about Hailey’s recovery and the importance of admitting to yourself that you are struggling. We discuss the gray area between disordered eating and eating disorders: just because you don’t resonate with having a clinical eating disorder doesn’t mean that you can’t also struggle with nutrition and improve your relationship with food. Hailey speaks to some of the barriers to recovery, getting help with disordered eating and working with a therapist. We emphasize that recovery is a continuous journey without an end date; over time, by consistently practicing healthy habits mindsets can change and food can become less controlling. 

Hailey leaves listeners with the advice to be more patient and self-accepting: bad body image days, guilt and other negative thoughts around food will arise, but it’s important to trust in our bodies and respect our intuition. Hailey highlights how there is space for all foods in our diets, a philosophy we promote with our “all foods fit” motto at Rise Up Nutrition, regardless of whether we are exercising or not. Finally, we touch on Hailey’s goals for the future and explore how she is now embracing a more flexible outlook on what’s to come.

Find Hailey online at https://haileyswirbul.com/ 

Hailey’s Official Bio:

Hailey Swirbul is from Colorado but currently lives in Anchorage, Alaska. She loves spending time moving outdoors whether it be backpacking, biking, backcountry skiing, cross country skiing, or packrafting! Hailey has loved endurance sports since she was a kid, and made it a goal to reach the highest level she could within cross country skiing. She has raced on the World Cup stage for 3 winter seasons and attended her first Olympics at Beijing 2022. Hailey has a degree in civil engineering from the University of Alaska Anchorage and works part time doing design and construction for Alaska State Parks.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with physical therapist and Ironman triathlete Dr Caitlin Alexander. Having grown up as a dancer since the age of 3 and getting a taste of triathlon as a teenager, we hear how Caitlin was drawn back into endurance sports post college and fell in love with Ironman triathlons. She shares her quick progression in the sport as an amateur age group athlete, from total beginner to now preparing the upcoming Ironman Age Group World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, in just a few years. She reminds listeners that early specialization is not always best: it’s never too late to try something new and reach a high level.

Caitlin talks about the training it takes to complete an Ironman: multiple sessions a day, swimming, biking and running. We explore the nutrition required to handle high training volumes, as well as on race day, based around carbohydrates and electrolytes. Practicing fueling and hydration in training is key to race day performance, and this often requires a lot of trial and error with different products because everyone’s needs and preferences are unique. Caitlin highlights how some nutrition mistakes prompted her to really dial in her approach to fueling and hydration. We talk more about hydration, understanding your sweat, and preventing GI distress.

Caitlin shares how personal experiences with injury led to a major career change, going back to school to become a physical therapist after initially working in the music and performing arts industry. We discuss how varied her role as a physical therapist is and touch on some of her specialities: bike fitting, running gait analysis, and dry needling, We discuss how our own athletic experiences allow us to better relate to clients; Caitlin explains how her background in triathlon makes her more successful as a PT. We dive into running gait analysis for injury prevention and performance, centering around optimizing cadence and stride length.

Caitlin and I discuss dry needling and electrical stimulation, what it is, and how it can play a role in injury recovery. Caitlin emphasizes that manual therapies like dry needling are not permanent injury fixes because they don't address the root cause, load the tissue, or re-educate the body on proper movement patterns: effective recovery requires a multidimensional approach that addresses both the mental and physical sides. 

Follow Caitlin and all she does on Instagram and Twitter @caitalexander 

Caitlin’s Official Bio:

Caitlin Alexander, PT, DPT, CAFS is a physical therapist, multisport coach, Ironman triathlete based out of Boulder, Colorado. She holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and Certification in Applied Functional Science from the Gray Institute. She currently works as a physical therapist, bike fitter and run gait analyst at BUILD Sports Performance Lab in Louisville, CO. She enjoys being able to help athletes reach their goals on multiple levels, whether it's curating a rehab plan to recover from an injury, or analyzing an athlete's running mechanics to make performance gains. Caitlin is also an elite amateur triathlete and will be competing at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii this fall.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with physical therapist and passionate endurance athlete Dr Sarah Ceschin. We speak about Sarah’s introduction to physical therapy through a love of movement and connecting the mind with the body. This conversation explores the mind-body connection as it relates to both body image and injury recovery. Sarah emphasizes the importance of addressing the psychological and physical sides of recovery simultaneously in order to build body trust and overcome the fear of re-injury. Sarah suggests graduated exposure to feared movements alongside the support of a professional.

We talk about common injuries in runners and endurance athletes: overuse conditions such as tendinitis and bone injuries, and the role nutrition has in their development and recovery; while poor nutrition and underfueling can predispose athletes to injuries, eating enough and optimal fuelling can speed up the healing process and prevent future injuries.

Sarah opens up about her personal experiences with an eating disorder, overtraining and REDS, as well as her current recovery from hypothalamic amenorrhea. We discuss how our personal experiences give us empathy with our clients, and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to recovery from both injuries and REDS. 

Sarah shares her philosophy of treating the patient not the diagnosis: injuries rarely ever exist in isolation or have a single cause, so addressing the whole body and mind together is essential to long term success. Coupled with that, Sarah explains why imaging does not tell the full story and often is more hurtful than helpful, highlighting abnormalities that don’t match up with a client’s symptoms. We debunk the “weak glutes” myth and that glute activation and PT exercises are not miracle cures: understanding and utilizing correct movement patterns for life are!

We finish off by highlighting the importance of doing what you love: there is a space to combine professional with passionate and fun, and it may even make you better at your job!

Follow Sarah and all she does on Instagram @boulder_sports_physio

You can reach her via email bouldersportsphysio@gmail.com and at www.bouldersportsphysio.com 

Sarah’s Official Bio:

Dr. Sarah Ceschin is a sports-medicine orthopedic physical therapist who loves working with runners, climbers, and recreational athletes of all types. Through biomechanics and understanding human movement, Dr. Sarah uses hands on treatment and corrective exercises to help people move better, feel better, and get back to the activities they love to do. When she's not being a PT, Dr. Sarah loves trail running, biking, climbing, cooking, and being the last person on the dance floor.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

Hillary opens up about a near-death experience while participating in her sport. One of the World's best trail runners, Hillary was competing in a Skyrunning race in Norway when she fell 150 feet off a cliff, breaking 14 bones and was told she would never run again. We discuss how Hillary handled this overnight shift from being a professional athlete racing at the highest level of elite sport to not being able to move, and the recovery journey she has been on these past 5 years that has challenged her identity and sense of worth. We talk about not ignoring your feelings, strategies for processing tough emotions including writing and mantras, and finding your sense of self outside of athletics. Faced with plenty of evidence to the contrary, Hillary shares how she manifested an unwavering belief that her best athletic days were still ahead of her: Hillary had to believe this and bet on herself long before she could see any results. We discuss finding motivation during injuries and setbacks, including making recovery your sport, developing rehab goals and to-do lists.

Despite barely being able to move, let alone train, Hillary explained how she shifted her mindset around nutrition, recognizing her body's needs for even more nutrients than normal to repair her injuries and build her back stronger. Hillary shares how she noticed her body and appetite change, but still avoided restricting calories knowing that doing so would only prolong her recovery and healing journey, and instead focusing on consuming anti-inflammatory foods and bone broth. 

Hillary and I chat about nutrition for bone health, muscle building and recovery, as well as the importance of nutrition timing. We touch upon avoiding within-day energy deficits and under-fuelling to improve bone health, prevent injuries, reduce cortisol, and optimize training: nutrition is a superpower for faster recovery and performance! 

Hillary speaks about the challenging 5 years since her accident full of more setbacks, injuries and even more broken bones, and how she has stayed motivated and hopeful that she would one day run again. She opens up about how she feared racing and loosing her “elite athlete” status, ultimately overcoming these doubts by focusing on running for herself and her own enjoyment. We discuss letting go of previous senses of self and comparison, handling recovery setbacks even when you think you are doing everything “right”, and sharing the whole journey, not just the highlights. Hillary shares her key pillars through the highs and the lows, running and recovery: nutrition, sleep and mindset.

We finish off discussing Hillary’s future running goals, taking on crazy long and steep ultra trail races, and now racing gravel bikes professionally too!

Follow Hillary and all she does on Instagram @hillygoat_climbs 

And at hillaryallen.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter 

Hillary’s Official Bio:

My career as an endurance athlete has not been straightforward. Through injury, setbacks and being told I would never run again, I’ve had to re-think what I consider impossible, as I continued to push myself, believing in my best athletic days ahead.

In 2017 I had a life threatening accident, where I fell 150 feet off of a ridge-line during a Skyrace in Tromsø, Norway. I broke a total of 14 bones and I was told I would never run again – let alone compete at the elite level. The cliff note version is this: after several years of rehab and recovery, I made a full recovery and returned to elite level racing, running some of my longest and most challenging races post-accident. It's what led me to believe that ‘your best athletic days are ahead of you,’ if you’re willing to work hard for what you love and never give up on yourself.

I am also a scientist, with a masters degree in neuroscience and physiology and structural biology; I’m a running coach, and a gravel cyclist too.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Podcast, I talk with founder of Runners Love Yoga and Relay Run Co, and US Olympic Marathon Team Trials qualifier, Ann Mazur. We dive straight into a discussion about identity, both in sports and life, touching on the challenges presented when athletes finish playing their sports after high school or college. Just because your most competitive days may be over, you can still be an athlete! Without the fixed structure and routine of college athletics, we talk about how this opens up more opportunities to try new activities, training and racing approaches, be involved with communities, and move purely for the love of it. Ann explains her identity struggle when she was no longer "Ann the D1 college runner for Notre Dame" but still felt her best running days were ahead. Post collegiate athletics

We touch on parallel transition struggles after Ann received her Ph.D. in English and wasn't content with the typical career trajectory of becoming an English professor. Ann shares how she redefined what being a teacher meant to her, transferring her skills from the classroom to teaching yoga. Ann explains she was introduced to stretching and yoga as an inflexible high school runner, then sharing this with her college teammates; after incorporating yoga into her routine, Ann noticed her own running improve, as well as her teammates', alongside a reduction in injuries. I also share how I found yoga during a stressful period in college, first noticing the mental and stress relieving benefits before reaping the physical. 

Ann discusses the many hats she wears: founding Runners Love Yoga while getting her Ph.D. in English, running at the NCAA Division 1 level and later progressing post collegiately to run in the 2020 US Olympic Team marathon trials, starting Runners Love Yoga apparel company recently rebranded as Relay Run Co, filming and sharing hundreds of yoga and fitness videos through Runners Love Yoga TV, and more! Ann explains how Runners Love Yoga TV really expanded during the pandemic as she sought a way to teach virtually, helping her community stay mentally and physically well during a stressful time. We talk about how she seemingly "does it all" and the importance of pursuing your passions, regardless of what others say, and building the career path you want for yourself.

Ann and I explore the intersection between yoga and nutrition: building that mind-body connection through yoga can foster mental freedom, body awareness and mindfulness that helps us all be more intuitive and self-accepting, including with our food choices and body image. Ann shares her experience with toxic team culture in college and the food freedom she has found now that gives her the energy to do everything she does and run faster at all distances. Newly rebranded at Relay Run Co, Ann talks about developing an activewear company, her love of fashion and helping everyone feel comfortable and confident in their clothing. A mom to 3 adopted cats and always wanting to give back, Relay Run Co donates 1% of profits to animal charities and can be found at relayrunco.com and via the handles below.

Follow Ann and all she does on Instagram:

@runnersloveyoga for Ann’s personal page

@relay_run_co for Relay Run Co.

@doyogarunfaster for Runners Love Yoga TV

And online at:

runnersloveyoga.com

runnersloveyoga.tv

relayrunco.com 

Ann’s Official Bio:

Ann is founder and CEO of Runners Love Yoga, the mission of which is to help runners through yoga designed specifically for them. Through Runners Love Yoga TV, she is a one-woman yoga filming and editing crew which brings accessible yoga to runners worldwide: at runnersloveyoga.tv and with the Runners Love Yoga TV iOS and android apps, you can do 200+ yoga classes with her anytime! Recently, the RLY (Runners Love Yoga) brand of activewear has branched off to become Relay Run Co. Relay Run Co. activewear is built upon the 4 legs of fashion, art, performance and comfort. Ann has been in the clothing industry for a decade and is excited for the direction that Relay Run Co. is headed, especially as they are donating 1% of all purchases to animal rescue. Ann is a 2020 Olympic Trials marathoner who loves racing all distances from the mile to 26.2, and whose own training unorthodoxly combines running, swimming, and yoga. While at Notre Dame, she was an English and math double major, and she founded Runners Love Yoga while earning her Ph.D. in English at UVa. 

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Podcast, I talk with professional runner for Altra and scientist Keely Henninger. Keely shares our mission of empowering female athletes through her own Trail Society podcast, worth a listen for everyone, not just trail runners. We explore Keely’s introduction to trail running, attracted to the sport because of the incredibly supportive community. Now a professional runner for Altra, we discuss Keely’s recent race, the Western States 100 miler, and the difficult decision to drop out she was forced to make at mile 40. 

Keely shares how she used previous mistakes and challenging races as learning experiences in the lead up to Western States. This included having a fuelling and hydration plan dialed in and controlling for what she could. Preparation is key to success, but even with the best plans, unexpected obstacles still come along. Keely’s rolled ankle during Western States is one such example, and we talk about dealing with running heartbreak and not finishing races. But even in the midst of disappointment, Keely and I emphasize the importance of recognizing wins along the way: successfully executing race day cooling strategies and nutrition plans were big wins for Keely. 

We talk about fueling training and racing, and how the default recommendations and tendency to “get by” on the least amount of food and fluid during workouts is performance limiting. Keely and I discuss the difference between pushing through challenges and unnecessary suffering, factors that apply to both training and nutrition: sport is hard enough as it is, and fueling and recovering appropriately can help you avoid unnecessary suffering and reach your potential. We debunk the fear of overfueling and laugh about the fun with food that trail runners embrace! This includes incorporating real and “junk” food as well as typical gels and sports nutrition products.

Transitioning to Keely’s career in science and research, she shares her interest in medicine and female athlete physiology. She talks about some of the studies she's been involved in around neuroscience, exercise and biomechanics, as well as her previous work at Nike researching and designing women-specific footwear and apparel. 

As an independent researcher, Keely is currently looking into the nutrition and training practices of male and female athletes of all ages. She is exploring the link between underfueling, exercise dependence and performance, and we briefly touch on this. Keely and I talk about the need for more research into female athletes, especially studies correlating fueling adequately and maintaining a menstrual cycle with optimum performance and reduced injuries.

Follow Keely on Instagram and Twitter @runwidkeel 

Tune into the Trail Society podcast 

Keely’s Official Bio:

Keely Henninger is a professional runner and scientist fighting for athletes to treat their bodies with respect in order to train and race their best.  She has competed in the trail-running circuit for over 8 years and has represented team USA, been the National 50 mile champion, and has won and competed at many prestigious national and international races.  Currently she is co-leading research with Dr. Kelly Pritchett in the ultra/trail running space around fueling habits, exercise dependence, and health while training for national and international races. She resides in Portland, OR (most of the time) with her partner, JT and pup Jade, where they live as close to trails as possible. 

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Podcast, I speak with Certified Mental Performance Coach Carrie Jackson. This conversation is full of advice on navigating injuries and rehab that is transferable to REDS and disordered eating recovery. Carrie discusses her career journey, the gaps she saw in how injured athletes were managed, and how she is filling them through the work she does today. Carrie speaks about a snowboarding injury that was the catalyst to the work she does today; by shifting her mindset and making recovery her sport, Carrie came back to have her best season ever. 

We discuss the need for community and support during times of injuries, and we suggest ways to stay involved with your teams even when you can’t participate yourself. This starts with making recovery your sport, creating a training plan and setting goals specific to recovery: even when injured, you are still an athlete! 

Carrie introduces the idea of recovery check-ins instead of firm timelines: as athletes we hold on to the standard time frames doctors and PTs give but it’s important to hold these numbers loosely. Recovery is unpredictable and rarely goes as planned: the time frames are all generic averages but we are unique individuals and should expect a nonlinear path to avoid emotional spiraling. Similarly to athletes looking to improve their nutrition and restore energy balance in the case of REDS, there is no one size fits all plan to injuries, and setbacks are common and expected!

Carrie shares the incredible work she does creating communities for injured athletes on her podcast and Facebook group: The Injured Athlete Podcast. We emphasize the need for support, avoiding isolation and normalizing injury as part of training: like with REDS and disordered eating, you are not alone in injury and help is out there.

We speak to the mental side of injuries with advice on overcoming adversity and resilience. Carrie emphasizes how skills learned during injuries and recovery can help you to rebound a mentally and physically stronger athlete when you return to your sport.

Carrie discusses her work with athletes with diabetes, helping them balance exercise while managing their blood sugar, and putting on training camps to support diabetics with this. She helps everyone embrace an athletic identity and reduce the mental burden of their diagnosis; learn to fuel as an athlete first then treat the diabetes second; and normalize activity within the diabetes community. We differentiate between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, raising awareness of the countless challenges and pervasive stigma diabetics face daily that deters them from exercising. Athletes can have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and diabetics can exercise safely, be athletes, and even perform at the same level as non-diabetics. 

Find Carrie and all she does at www.carriejackson.com and on Instagram and Twitter @feedtheathlete and Faecebook @MentalSkillsTrainingforAthletes

Check out Carrie’s book Rebound https://injuredathletesclub.com/about-the-book/ 

Join The Injured Athletes Club on Facebook, tune into The Injured Athletes Club podcast and check out www.injuredathletesclub.com 

Carrie’s Official Bio:

Carrie Jackson is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant in Northern California and has been a professional in the field of sport and peak performance psychology since 2002. She is co-author of the book Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries, as well as co-host of the podcast The Injured Athletes Club. She has been interviewed as an expert resource for articles that have appeared in publications such as New York Times, Huffington Post, US News and World Report, Outside Magazine, Shape Magazine, Men’s Fitness, Women’s Health, Runner’s World, and Women’s Running Magazine. 

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

Trigger warning: this episode talks explicitly about disordered eating behaviors, calories, and other numbers that other people might find triggering. Feel free to give this episode a pass, or ask a trusted person to check this episode out before you. 

This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is the first in a 2-part episode series about me! After almost 4 years of weekly podcasts, we have a lot of listeners who probably don’t know my story, so here it is!

Today, I dive into my beginnings with nutrition as a young gymnast and track athlete, who became obsessed with food as a means to be healthier for my sport and control my body. As we’ve heard before, this was a slippery slope into RED-S and an eating disorder that led to multiple injuries and illnesses, delayed puberty and amenorrhea. Obsessed with food, counting calories and macros, I studied nutrition in college, and this fuelled my eating disorder.

Growing up I was known as “little Lindsey” and I fixated on this identity, attempting to control my body through exercise, purging, and restriction. I share about my struggles accepting weight changes, especially during times of injury and illness. Ultimately, years of underfueling and over-exercising prevented me from reaching my athletic potential as an NCAA Division 1 athlete, and led me to mental and physical burnout. This exhaustion was the catalyst for my recovery, and I started exploring nutrition in a healthy way, fueling my body properly and finding intuitive eating.

Stay tuned for Part 2 next week in episode 182!

TOPIC TIMESTAMPS:

1:15 Introducing this 2-part episode series on my story 

4:50 My early nutrition and body story: youth gymnastics, calorie counting, diet culture 

13:00 Studying nutrition in college

18:45 Puberty and primary amenorrhea, and an ovarian tumor

21:30 An ovarian tumor and health struggles; impacts on athletics, weight, and eating

26:45 Amenorrhea in athletes; birth control and periods  

29:00 Disordered eating and weight concerns as a college athlete

34:35 Injuries and illness from underfueling 

36:00 Weight gain reactions: over-exercising and purging 

38:35 Recovering from disordered eating and over-exercising

41:10 Finding distance running and sports nutrition in a healthy way

43:00 Further challenges with body composition, fueling, and injuries

45:00 Making peace with food and body changes; re-entry into competitive sports

50:00 Starting my business Rise Up Nutrition; learning from my struggles 

Follow me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition 

Support the podcast with a financial contribution: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition  

New Website Coming SOON! Join our email list to be notified!: https://riseupnutrition.activehosted.com/f/6 

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp 

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InsideTracker: www.insidetracker.com use code LINDSEYCPRO25 for 25% off the entire store 

THIS PODCAST IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY:

Orgain, head to www.orgain.com and use the code RISEUP30 for 30% off your first order. Repeat customers can use the code OA2203 for 25% off future orders.

Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp 
Jen & Keri: https://jenandkeri.com/ use code RISEUP10 for $10 off your order

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast I talk with professional runner for Adidas Emily Durgin. We jump right in to discussing her incredible run at the Houston Half Marathon, a performance that places her as the sixth fastest American female of all-time! Emily announces her plans to run her first marathon in the fall of 2022, and talks about how she’ll need to approach fueling differently to maximize her performance over 26.2 miles. Emily shares her current pre-race nutrition strategy racing distances from the 5km to half marathon: fueling well the days before and a good race day breakfast, topped off with an energy gel before the start. We highlight how fuelling looks different for elite and amateur runners depending on race duration and intensity.

Emily and I bond over the difficulties of college chemistry classes required to become a dietitian as we talk about choosing a major in college. As a top high school athlete, Emily shares her recruiting journey and how she ultimately ended up at UCONN, running for 5 years on an NCAA Division 1 team. We discuss the challenges of transitioning to college combined with navigating puberty and body changes. Emily opens up about her struggles and setbacks towards the end of high school and beginning of college, gaining necessary weight as she developed into a woman. Despite early successes in high school, Emily talks about the plateau she hit and how, with the support of coaches, she stayed patient and committed as her body changed, riding the wave that ultimately led her to find lots of success at the conference level.

We discuss the culture of eating patterns and mindset on running teams at the high school, college, and professional level. We talk strategies for navigating toxic team cultures, including being around athletes struggling with disordered eating. Emily shares how her relationship with food has changed for the better, noting the positive influence of Olympians like Cory McGee, Ellie Purrier St Pierre and Abbey D’Agastino role modeling an “all foods fit” mindset, like we advocate for at Rise Up Nutrition. Emily explains how she’s noticed that the higher the standard of performance the healthier the culture and the less restrictive and obsessive the eating habits: no coincidence, because in order to be the best you have to be well fuelled and happy! 

Now one of America’s best athletes, it’s easy to assume that Emily dominated the NCAA and graduated with many sponsorship offers to choose between; however, this could not be further from the truth. Never finishing as an All-American or even making NCAA's on the track, Emily shares how she bet on herself and balanced working as a nanny while running post-collegiately. Results did not come overnight, but her patience and trust in the process saw her steady progress to becoming one of the World’s best, earning a professional contract along the way. We hear about the experiences Emily had training with Olympians on some of the best pro teams, and discuss the importance of role models and support systems, alongside self-belief and perseverance. These same approaches Emily took to her running we can all apply to our training and nutrition; whether it’s getting your period, recovering from injury, or setting a PR, no matter where you are right now, by focusing on the process and the small steps you can take today, you can achieve your goals and we can all be fit, fierce and fuelled female athletes!

Follow Emily on Instagram  @em_durgin 

Emily’s Official Bio:

Emily Durgin is an American long-distance runner from Standish, Maine.  She attended the University of Connecticut and was a 9-time American Athletic Conference Champion.   After graduating from UConn in May 2017, Emily continued running professionally and became one of the top American road racers. She moved to Flagstaff, Arizona in 2019 and is sponsored by Adidas. This January she ran 67:54 in the Houston Half Marathon becoming the 6th fastest American ever.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with chiropractor, entrepreneur, competitive athlete and mother of 2, Dr. Karlie Causey. We take a deep dive into all things postpartum and new motherhood, the intersection of activity and athletics, and the importance of gaining strength and confidence in our changing bodies. Karlie discusses her slogan that ‘’every mom is an athlete’ and we highlight the incredible athleticism involved throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum. As new moms, Karlie and I touch on some of the unexpected postpartum aches and pains not widely discussed, such as wrist and finger and foot pain, why they occur and what you can do about them.

Karlie shares her own journey as a lifelong athlete, from playing collegiate volleyball to competing in cross fit, and now continuing to embrace her athletic identity even as a mother of 2. We talk about exercising throughout pregnancy and returning to activity postpartum: women can do much more than they are led to believe!

We discuss the difference between chiropractors and physical therapists, and the role of manual adjustments and breathing practices for new moms. Dr Karlie recommends most mothers return to some activity long before the typical 6-8 week mark; even prior to medical clearance, Karlie suggests some exercises women could be doing almost immediately postpartum, in the case of an uncomplicated birth. This begins with targeting the pelvic floor, core stability and breathing exercises, before progressing exercise intensity back towards more recognisable workouts.  Dr Karlie has developed her own online Postpartum Restoration Plan for exactly this purpose, helping new moms regain strength and confidence in their changing bodies, empowering them to reclaim their pre-pregnancy athletic identity. Listening to your body and respecting the healing process is most important, and, as Karlie’s experience highlights, every birth and recovery journey is unique.

Karlie shares the difficulty she had finding the right sports bra as a new and nursing mom with a changing body. With her business partner, this led Karlie to establishing her own Jen & Keri activewear line specifically for postpartum women, creating sports bras that don’t compromise function or support, allowing moms to feel comfortable working out and tending to their child at the same time.

Check out Dr Karlie’s website https://www.karliecausey.com/ and her activewear brand Jen & Keri https://jenandkeri.com/ 

Follow Dr Karlie on Instagram  @drkarlie @jenandkeri

Dr Karlie’s Official Bio:

Dr. Karlie is a sports chiropractor, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach, and a level 2 Crossfit coach. 

More importantly, she is a mom to two, who is ridiculously passionate about helping postpartum athletes and moms-to-be restore their bodies and move with confidence. This obsession led her to establish Jen & Keri, a postpartum activewear brand for athletes, and create her wildly successful Postpartum Restoration Plan. 

Beyond being a mom and a competitive fitness lover, she has spent the last 17 years of her life studying the human body and learning how it moves. Earning her doctorate of chiropractic and a master's in human biology were just a start; she doesn't plan to stop learning any time soon! She is certified in the Webster technique and BirthFit, and has served as the team Chiropractor for the Seattle Seawolves and as the local medical director for AVP Seattle.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is a special Rise Up Nutrition Round Table discussion between my team and I. Our conversation is full of fun food stories and tangents from myself, my partner in crime and fellow R.U.N. dietitian, Jenna Stranzl, and my assistant and podcast producer, Ruby Wyles. Ruby shares her passion for nutrition, speaking to how her own experiences with eating disorders drive her to help others, as well as being a Division 1 student-athlete looking to optimize her performance and recovery.

We start by discussing some fun food stories, reminiscing about nostalgic childhood comforts and family favorites. Beginning with Jenna sharing about her mom’s macaroni salad, we compare olives and pickles, before going off on some wild tangents about sea cucumbers.

Family food memories often center around holiday celebrations, meals out and dishes made by others. For a lot of our clients and individuals struggling with their relationship with food, these times can be incredibly anxiety provoking as they feel less in control of their nutrition. We emphasize the importance of framing these occasions beyond the food: social connections and avoiding isolation. Sharing some more fun food stories, including a discussion on organizing a refrigerator, we speak about how encountering lots of food options, such as at buffets, schools/ college and group meals, can be paralyzing but also empowering. We advise listeners just to do their best navigating these situations, have self-compassion and to seek support from a dietitian.

Even as professionals in this field, we’re not immune to societal messaging about appearance and activity. We speak to cultural pressures for professionals like dietitians and athletes to look a certain way and train, for new moms to “bounce back” and lose weight, and for all women to conform to norms. We openly talk about where we’re at with our bodies, stereotypical beliefs we’ve overcome, and arriving at a place of acceptance, free from trying to change our bodies through diet and exercise. We remind listeners that our appearance does not define our identity, value, fitness or health: “fit” has no look and health can be found at every size. We can all be fit, fierce and fueled athletes, but that is not something you can judge based on appearance!

This episode touches on some sensitive and potentially triggering topics, and despite being professionals, we acknowledge that we might get things wrong! If anything we say affects or offends you, this was not our intention! Please reach out so we can apologize, learn and correct ourselves.

Follow Ruby on Instagram and TikTok @rwyles_xctf and Jenna on Instagram @_jennalee

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with elite distance runner and REDS advocate Pippa Woolven. Pippa recently established Project RED-S, an initiative centered around connecting athletes and their support systems with all the right resources to help them overcome REDS. Pippa explains the need for Project REDS and how she is working to grow a directory of specialists in this field: doctors, dietitians, psychologists, coaches and more, so that athletes can be better signposted to the professional help they need. Pippa discusses the community she is creating where athletes can connect with others, share stories and experiences, and not feel alone in their struggles.

We talk about what REDS, or relative energy deficiency in sport, actually is, and warning signs and symptoms such as injuries, amenorrhea, menstrual irregularities and mood swings. Pippa opens up on her own struggle with REDS while she was a collegiate athlete. She mistook her restrictive mindset and preoccupation with food, body weight and exercise as "normal" and what it took to be a great runner. Training through tiredness and fatigue, concerned with fitting the model image of what an athlete is "supposed" to look like, left Pippa unintentionally underfueling and in a state of REDS. Pippa explains how chronic anemia and mood swings were dismissed by those around her as isolated issues, rather than joining the dots between symptoms that are characteristic of REDS.

We discuss common REDS signs that are often overlooked, even by medical professionals, such as GI issues and anemia. When energy balance is restored and consistently maintained, these signs often resolve without further medical or pharmacological intervention. 

Pippa's underfueling led to unintentional weight-loss, a change she noticed correlated with her running faster and performing better. However, as Pippa emphasizes, this improvement was short-lived and unsustainable, and Pippa opens up about the overwhelming state of fatigue that quickly followed and prevented her from training at all. We highlight the prevalence of disordered eating in women, as well as how restrictive and disordered habits are normalized within athletic populations, aside from full-blown eating disorders.

Pippa shares her long journey to get diagnosed with REDS and how it differed from the Female Athlete Triad. The challenges Pippa had finding a diagnosis, getting the specialist help she needed, and then her difficult road to REDS recovery prompted Pippa to start Project REDS. Her recovery was not linear and speaks to the mental struggles she faced, worried about whether recovery would mean ending her running career and losing part of her identity. Her message to listeners is that recovery is 100% worth it! Now competing at a higher level than ever before, while maintaining a healthy body, menstrual cycle, balanced mindset, fueling and training appropriately, Pippa is a role model to us all!

Check out Project RED-S www.RED-S.com and on Instagram @project_red_s 

Follow Pippa on Instagram @_pipstagram__ 

Pippa’s Official Bio:

Pippa is a middle-distance runner from England who has run for Great Britain in cross-country and steeplechase for over a decade. She started University life in Birmingham, England before taking up a scholarship at Florida State in the US where her experience with RED-S began. After struggling with the condition for the years that followed, Pippa finally found the medical, nutritional and psychological support she needed to overcome it. After returning to her sport with a healthy mindset and menstrual cycle, Pippa started mentoring others to hope them avoid the same pitfalls. Since doing so, she has been shocked at the sheer magnitude of the issue across all sports, genders and age groups and took her mentoring to the next level by studying a Masters in Positive Psychology and Behaviour Change Coaching. Shortly after the Covid 19 lockdown, she was given an opportunity to establish Project RED-S - a collaborative initiative aimed at raising awareness of the condition and signposting athletes, coaches and parents to the right support resources. 

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with Girl Athlete Mindset Mentor Paige Tonz. Paige shares her introduction to sport through softball, leading her to play competitively at the Division 1 level. After struggling to perform in college, Paige explains how a major mindset shift freeing herself from expectations led to a breakthrough senior year. This change in mindset involved focusing on having fun rather than fearing failure. Peak performance can still be achieved with an attitude of fun, and we discuss how you can be successful while still enjoying yourself when you prioritize fun!

Paige and I discuss mental strategies for sustainable success, alongside common traps we fall into that can hurt performance and mental health: perfectionism, expectation, fear of failure, focusing exclusively on winning and the end-result, negative self-talk, comparison and a lack of confidence. We talk about how to redefine failure as a learning experience rather than one to be feared, as well as ways of developing confidence and self-esteem as female athletes.

This episode also touches on the impact of social media on self-confidence and comparison. We recommend taking social media breaks, the importance of giving yourself grace, and leaning in on a close circle of friends and family in-person.

Paige uses her own personal athletic experience -navigating pressures and expectations, perfectionism, anxiety and fear of failure, low self-esteem and more- to guide young girls in group and individual settings. Paige explains how the group coaching she does allows girls to realize that they’re not alone in their thoughts and feelings, and how it teaches them tools for changing their mindsets and managing negative self-talk. This group work parallels our Female Athlete System of Transformation (FAST track program), tackling sports psychology as opposed to nutrition.

Like a muscle, changing mindsets take consistent work and effort, but no matter your age or experience, you can make the change! Paige emphasizes how confidence can be created and developed through practice and specific tools, rather than being a fixed trait some people do or don’t have. We discuss the important part parents play in helping young athletes develop positive mindsets, although it may take an outside professional like Paige to get through to them! Parents, don’t take offense: this is totally normal!

Find Paige and check out her website https://www.paigetonz.com/ 

Follow Paige on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube @paigetonz 

Paige’s Official Bio:

Paige Tonz grew up in Peoria, AZ and began playing softball at 8 years old. She has competed at many levels; starting with rec ball, moving to club ball, and competing as a D1 athlete at Northwestern University. Her mission and goal is to help transform girls into strong women beyond the playing field or court. Paige has worked with 1000+ athletes in her programs and workshops. She believe girls have so much opportunity to dream bigger than they ever imagined. Because sports was and still is such a big part of Paige's life, she has had a first row ticket to see how the experiences from sports can be a vessel to success in life on and off the field. 

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this solo episode of the Female Athlete Podcast, I give our amazing podcast producer Ruby Wyles a big shoutout and recommend you go follow her on Instagram @rwyles_xctf!

Today, I dive deep into the topic of scales. I differentiate between food scales and body weight scales and their usefulness, or lack thereof. Both have places for some people and not others: scales are not essential, should not be used daily, and I often recommend clients get rid of theirs.

I discuss how my own relationship with the scale has evolved, from an unhealthy obsession with the numbers and daily weigh-ins in my early 20s, to getting rid of the scale and finding intuitive eating when injured years later. I give advice on developing a healthy relationship with the scale, which for most people involves not stepping on it! You don’t need the scale! Tune in to your body and all its amazing functions: numbers cannot tell you anything about that!

Personally, I do occasionally weigh myself and am at a place where I view the number objectively without emotion..., mostly! Despite being a sports dietitian, during my recent pregnancy I did find myself getting a bit caught up with the number on the scale. At this point when I was no longer seeing the number as objective data, I got rid of the scale because it wasn’t serving me! I recommend that you do the same! Smash that scale and remember that the numbers you see can’t tell you anything about how amazing your body is or what it is made up of: organs, muscle, fat, blood, water, etc.

Finally, I propose listeners question that even if the scale is not hurting you, how is it helping you? Conversely, think about all the ways the scale may be hurting you: emotionally, physically, mentally, socially? What is your relationship with the scale really costing you? 

Follow my podcast producer Ruby Wyles on Instagram @rwyles_xctf

Rate and review the podcast on all platforms. Share the episodes you like with friends and family. 

Tag us on Instagram and we’ll reshare! Reach out with any questions, get in touch, we’re here to help!

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with Tokyo 2020 Olympian Elise Cranny. Elise speaks about the importance of playing different sports and not specializing in one sport too early, before she later discovered her love of running in high school. Elise shares how competing out of state freshman year of high school opened her up to what might be possible in athletics. Her world of possibility further opened up this past year as Elise made her first Olympic team and set an American Record.

Elise shares the importance of role models and how she mentors athletes on the Voice In Sport platform. Drawing on her setbacks and  lessons learned, she helps others in similar positions avoid the pitfalls. Elise and I help normalize struggling with fueling, emphasizing the importance of seeking help as early as possible: you are not alone and there is help available!

Elise opens up about her journey with REDS, starting with a severe stress fracture, amenorrhea and discovering her low bone density. Despite not getting a regular period beginning in high school, Elise explains how athletic success and great performances masked the underlying issue with underfueling. Eventually REDS caught up with Elise, as it will for everyone in the long-term, through injury and forced time off from running. Working with the team at Stanford, Elise discusses the changes she made to her diet, such as adding in more fats like avocado, cheese and full fat dairy to support her hormones. Elise also prioritized avoiding within day energy deficits by not going too long without eating, fueling little and often throughout the day. These changes: decreasing training, focusing on fats, and nutrient timing, helped Elise regain her period.

Elise opens up about how she handled her body changing by focusing on the newfound energy and strength she felt in running and in life. Working to improve her bone density and hormones to prevent future injuries and improve performance long-term also motivated Elise to recover from REDS. Elise leaves our listeners with the message that recovering and gaining weight made her a faster runner, allowing her to now have the success she is having. 

We discuss how the menstrual cycle can be a superpower: Elise uses her period as a marker of health and a helpful tool as she increases training. Elise shares her love of baking coconut cake and let’s us in to her career ambitions off the run, starting Cranny’s Confections with her sisters. Food is more than fuel for sport and we chat about the role of food to connect with others, build relationships and make memories. Recovering from REDS and breaking free from food rules has allowed Elise to be fully present with these shared food experiences and find true happiness.

Finally, we get an inside look at what fuels an Olympian as Elise shares staples in her diet after learning what works best and leaves her feeling strong and energized. Elise starts her day with bone broth and Picky Bars Beet Oatmeal with full fat milk; fuels with chocolate milk or a protein smoothie post run; and prepares for big workouts with ice cream the night before!

Follow Elise on Instagram @ elise.cranny 

Elise’s Official Bio:

Elise Cranny is an Olympian and professional runner for Nike and the Bowerman Track Club. Originally from Boulder, Colorado, Elise and her sister were introduced to sport growing up with their parents regularly competing in Ironman triathlons. Elise graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Human Biology, where she was a 12x All-American in track and field and cross country. Elise loves all things nutrition, psychology, exercise physiology,and human development. In 2019, Elise signed with Nike and joined the Bowerman Track Club to run professionally. She currently competes over the 1500m, 5,000m and 10,000m distances on the track. Already this year, Elise broke the American Record for the indoor 5,000m and came up just 3 seconds short of the outdoor 10,000m American Record weeks later. Elise competed for Team USA at the postponed 2020 Olympics, making the 5,000m final in Tokyo this past Summer. Elise is also a mentor to younger girls in sport through Voice In Sport platform and is passionate about helping the next generation of athletes. 

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Podcast, I talk to eating disorder and athlete psychotherapist Dr Stephanie Roth-Goldberg. We start by discussing Stephanie’s entry into psychotherapy and working with athletes with eating disorders, as well as her personal history with nutrition and mental health. As is all too common, Stephanie’s drive to “eat clean” to improve her performance led her down a path of restriction and underfuelling, and ultimately into a chronic cycle of injuries.

Nutrition struggles are rarely discrete problems that have a distinct recovery timeline: individuals often experience many iterations of disordered eating throughout different phases of life. We discuss how one problem with food often evolves into more rigid food rules and obsessions. Stephanie and I share some of the food rules we have overcome ourselves and how we still work to challenge diet culture and disorders eating thoughts that arise despite identifying as “fully recovered”.

We unpack some common triggers for disordered eating: diet culture, family, body image, athletics and more. Getting to the root cause of each individual’s food fears and dismantling diet culture beliefs is crucial to true recovery. Stephanie advocates for an anti-diet and intuitive eating approach, and we discuss what this means practically for athletes. We give listeners actionable advice on body acceptance and rejecting diet culture as we discuss the ways we think and feel about our bodies. 

Disordered eating and diet mentalities often first develop when we’re young and observing the attitudes of our parents and those around us. We highlight the importance of creating anti-diet environments for children and fostering healthy relationships with our bodies and nutrition at home. We finish off discussing how Stephanie practices what she preaches as an Ironman triathlete and marathoner, fueling her athletic goals and endurance achievements as a mom and everyday amateur athlete. 

Follow Stephanie on Instagram @embodiedpsychotherapist.     

Website: https://www.intuitivepsychotherapynyc.com/

Stephanie Roth-Goldberg’s Official Bio

Stephanie Roth-Goldberg, LCSW, CEDS-S is a psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders and athletes.  She is the founder of Intuitive Psychotherapy NYC, a small group psychotherapy practice focusing on treating eating disorders through an anti-diet lens.

Stephanie works with athletes and the intersection of eating disorders and sports.  Stephanie, a runner and triathlete herself is passionate about incorporating movement into eating disorder treatment to help folks feel empowered and connected to their bodies. 

She regularly presents on the subject of eating disorders and exercise. 

When Stephanie isn’t working, she can be found running around with her two children, writing, or triathlon training.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Podcast, I chat to professional ultra trail runner Lucy Bartholomew. Lucy shares her introduction to trail running inspired by her father, running her first ultra trail race at only 15! From her first trail race to her most recent, Lucy has received public scrutiny and backlash, overcoming criticism and doubt before she even stepped foot on the trail. We discuss resiliency and how she chooses to focus on herself and trust her internal why.

We talk about pursuing your passions and believing in yourself, turning hobbies into your career. Lucy has turned her love of running into her job now running professionally for Salomon.

Running fast is not always synonymous with health. Despite finishing an impressive 3rd at the legendary Western States Endurance Run, and outwardly meeting the standard of what an athlete is supposed to look like, Lucy opens up about the unhealthy patterns she fell into: overtraining, obsessive tendencies, underfuelling and amenorrhea. Believing lighter was faster left Lucy mentally and physically burned out, and Lucy explains why taking a break from the sport during the pandemic, gaining weight, and restoring her period was necessary in order for her to have continued success and longevity in sport and to rediscover her love for running.

Lucy’s advice to listeners is that cutting corners for short term success is not worth the long term suffering and setbacks that follows. 

Without the visible symptoms of a physical injury, Lucy neglected taking her mindset seriously until she hit rock bottom. We discuss the importance of taking mental health seriously and treating mental injuries: you have to be mentally and physically healthy to perform at your best, in all aspects of life. As an elite runner with lots of social media followers, Lucy faced horrible insults and body shaming as her body changed. Dealing with challenging thoughts and internal criticism during recovery is hard enough without external unwanted attention Lucy receives, and she bravely shares how leaning on her close friends and family, the support of sponsors and medical professionals, alongside taking a step back from social media allowed her to heal.

We explore plant-based eating for everyone, not just athletes, and debunking “perfection” when it comes to diets. Lucy explains her plant-based approach to eating, one that is based on her passion for the environment rather than restriction or diet culture. We emphasize the power of food to bring people together, create family mealtime memories and for cultural celebrations. Rather than promoting an “all-or-nothing” mindset, Lucy and I actually feel similarly about all foods fitting and advocating for personal choice rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition. 

Follow Follow Lucy on Instagram @lucy_bartholomew

Website: https://www.lucybartholomew.com 

Lucy Bartholomew’s Official Bio

Lucy Bartholomew is a Salomon-sponsored professional ultra trail runner who has been competing in ultras for a decade. She ran her first 100km race, aged 15, alongside her father, and since then has competed around the world winning many prestigious elite races. In 2017 she raced in fifteen ultras and was the first place female in eight of them. The following year she ran her first 100 mile race, the Western States Endurance Run, and finished third in the women’s race. All of those medals came at a cost, however, and for a time she lost her love of running, causing her to take a step back and reevaluate her relationship with the sport.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with former professional soccer player and youth female athlete performance coach Erica Suter. We discuss strength training for young athletes and the benefits of learning these skills and movement patterns early. Erica recommends starting strength and conditioning training in middle school before children hit puberty, emphasizing fun, healthy competition and using comparison positively to level up!

Erica shares her personal journey in sports, participating in many different activities before specializing in soccer later in high school. Despite having the opportunity to play NCAA Division 1 collegiate soccer, Erica played for Johns Hopkins, a small Division 3 school. We discuss collegiate athletics and recruiting, explaining why athletes should look beyond D1 colleges and consider D2 and D3. 

We speak to the rise of injuries in young athletes, and how focusing on improving strength benefits performance and injury prevention. Erica gives listeners her top 3 tips: free play, year-round resistance training and proper nutrition. 

This episode covers navigating body changes through puberty and the reasons for weight training during this time for female athletes. We debunk the “getting bulky” myth, an unwarranted fear among active young athletes.  Adolescence is the key time for strength and conditioning when our bodies are primed to build muscles and bone density. Without proper nutrition and fueling pre/during/post training, workouts are wasted as muscle break down outweighs recovery and rebuilding.  

As an elite player, Erica supported her performance with turkey sandwiches, bagels, apple and peanut butter, and trusty chocolate milk! We discuss other fueling strategies and habits to maximize competition performance, speed, strength and adaptation to training.

Follow Follow Erica on Instagram @fitsoccerqueen 

For more on Erica and the coaching and resources she offers, check out her website: https://ericasuter.com   

Her podcast: The Soccer Queens Podcast 

And her book ‘The Strong Female Athlete: A Female Athlete Guide to Improve Performance, Reduce Injury, and Increase Confidence’ 

Erica Suter’s Official Bio

Erica is a passionate Youth Speed, Agility, Strength and Conditioning Coach in Tampa, Florida and online, who has been working with athletes for over ten years in performance enhancement and injury prevention. She is also author of The Strong Female Athlete book, which is a science-based and experience-based text with a fresh, novel approach for youth female athletes to improve speed, reduce injury, and increase strength.

Her mission is to help them become strong, resilient, and creative through exercise, while inspiring them to love movement and sports – to not see these as obligations, but rather, enjoyable escapes from the stressors of life.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is with Carrie Verdon. Carrie is an elite runner, coach, and full-time school teacher, who recently competed in the US Olympic Marathon Trials. In this episode, Carrie opens up about her eating disorder in high school and college, and how a desire to eat healthier and run faster led her down a dangerous path of underfueling and injuries. She talks about stepping away from running after college, burned out and unwell, instead focusing on her identity outside of sport and recovering from her eating disorder. Ultimately, she returned to running and has gone on to compete at an even higher level than before as a result of proper fueling and weight gain. She shares the keys to her recovery, as well as tips of fueling training while balancing a busy schedule. We highlight the importance of nutrition to recover, adapt, and maximize the benefits of training, before Carrie answers our end of the podcast questions.

TOPIC TIMESTAMPS:

6:20 Nutrition messages and ED beginnings in HS 

11:10 Carrie’s running journey

13:00 Eating disorder struggles as an athlete; signs of underfueling: restriction and food rules, fixation on weight, injuries

18:25 Taking a break from sports; the importance of different identities outside of sports

25:10 Carrie’s recovery journey: stepping away from sports; support systems; identity shifts

30:45 Returning to sports healthier and fueled 

33:20 Nutrition tips as a pro athlete: listen to hunger cues; balanced meals; post-workout recovery 

36:40 The importance of recovery for performance improvements

39:50 Fueling training demands; how to meet your nutrition needs

45:40 End of the podcast questions

Follow Carrie on Instagram @carrieverdon and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition 

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In this episode of the Female Athlete Podcast, I talk with physiotherapist and host of the More Than Miles podcast, Dr Kate Mihevc Edwards. We start by discussing her work as a physiotherapist treating athletes. Kate explains how she sees the body holistically, looking beyond the injury site to find the route cause and prevent future issues from arising. We touch on what to look for in a physiotherapist, and how to find a trustworthy and knowledgeable professional.

Kate shares her own story as an endurance athlete, an identity she held closely until a near-death experience brought that to an end. Despite being an accomplished runner and triathlete, Kate explains how training for a half-Ironman postpartum nearly ended in disaster. Throughout her training cycle, Kate describes how she battled increasing negative self-talk and overwhelming fatigue, things she attributed to being out of shape and new motherhood. After several episodes of hitting extremely high heart rates and chest tightness -episodes of cardiac arrhythmias that could’ve been fatal- Kate embarked on a year long diagnosis journey which saw her become more and more restricted in her activity habits. Kate was eventually diagnosed with a rare genetic cardiac condition, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), and underwent heart surgery.

We discuss the warning signs Kate overlooked, despite being a medical professional herself: blacking out, confusion, dizziness and a racing heart rate. Kate explains how doctors continued to disregard her symptoms even though she knew something was wrong, underscoring the importance of trusting your gut, self-advocacy and finding a professional who specializes with athletes, such as sports cardiologist Dr Kim who we had on Episode 72 of the Female Athlete Podcast.

This episode covers loss of athletic identity and finding joy outside of sport. Kate shares the work she is doing to treat athletes holistically, expanding their identities beyond sport. 

Kate has written two books, ‘Racing Heart’ and ‘Stop and Pee’, which combine personal anecdotes with actionable advice and resources for us all. We touch on returning to exercise postpartum and exploring new activities during different times in life.

Use code RISEUPNUTRITION for 25% off any InsideTracker plan + free results review over phone/ email with a registered dietitian, me!

Follow Dr Kate on Instagram @katemihevcedwards Twitter @KateEdw96114704 and Facebook @KateMihevcEdwards 

Find more on her websites https://www.katemihevcedwards.com/ https://www.precisionpt.org/ 

Check out her podcast Mind Over Miles https://www.katemihevcedwards.com/morethanmilespodcastshow-notes 

Dr Kate Mihevc Edwards’ Official Bio

Dr Kate Mihevc Edwards is a physical therapist, author, speaker and educator helping to widen the lens on treating and caring for endurance athletes. Through 12+ years of successfully treating thousands of frustrated athletes while navigating her own injuries and health struggles, Dr Kate knows and believes that an athlete's success is so much more than their body or their sport. Dr Kate employs a holistic approach focusing on the whole athlete, as well as their identity outside of athletics. Dr Kate founded Precision Performance and Physical Therapy in 2015 and co-hosts the Mind Over Miles podcast. She is the author of two books: Go Ahead, Stop and Pee: Running During Pregnancy and Postpartum and Racing Heart: A Runner's Journey of Love, Loss and Perseverance, leveraging her position as an educator and a clinic owner to educate healthcare providers and athletes about cardiac disease in athletes. 

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support:www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Podcast, I speak to sports cardiologist Dr Jonathan Kim. We start off exploring the new field of sports cardiology, and how it’s evolved recently with rising awareness of heart conditions in athletes. Exercise results in adaptations to the heart that are normally beneficial, such as lower resting heart rates and increased cardiac muscle strength, otherwise known as “athlete’s heart”, however, as Dr Kim explains, some changes in the heart can pose risks and indicate underlying problems. We discuss cardiac fatigue following strenuous events like a marathon, underlying the importance of taking enough rest to fully recover.

It’s not just older individuals at risk of heart problems, in fact, even the youngest and fittest athletes can be at risk. Dr Kim outlines causes of heart conditions independent of age and fitness related to genetic and inherited pathways: knowing your family history is the best prevention tool. Cardiac issues can also be acquired and athletes aren’t immune! While exercise certainly is medicine, it is not a cure-all or vaccine against disease!

This episode covers some of the warning signs of cardiac illness, many of which overlap with the symptoms of REDS: exercise intolerance, increased RPE, decreased performance and motivation, and increased fatigue. Chest pain is not always present! Working with a team of professionals -cardiologists, dietitians and psychologists- is important in understanding the cause of symptoms: REDS, a heart condition, and/or something else. Other more specific signs requiring medical attention include unexplained breathlessness, chest tightness when warming up (even if it goes away during exercise), and lightheadedness/ fainting.

We touch on returning to exercise post Covid-19 for both asymptomatic and symptomatic cases, and Dr Kim provides reassurance and comfort debunking the extremely conservative advice that was initially circulating. By resting until asymptomatic for 3 days, before gradually progressing training load, the majority of people can return to their usual activity levels in just a few weeks (disclaimer: every case is different of course).

Use code RISEUPNUTRITION for 25% off any InsideTracker plan + free results review over phone/ email with a registered dietitian, me!

Follow Dr Jonathan Kim on Twitter @jonathankimmd

Dr Kim’s Official Bio:

Dr. Kim is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Chief of Sports Cardiology in the Division of Cardiology and Orthopedics at Emory University and additionally holds an adjunct Professorship in the School of Applied Physiology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received his Bachelor of Science at Emory and was a Fulbright Scholar before attending Vanderbilt Medical School. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital and cardiology fellowship at Emory (Dr. Kim was chief fellow at Emory 2013-14). In addition to his clinical role, Dr. Kim conducts NIH-funded sports cardiology research at Emory. He is the Team Cardiologist for the Falcons, Braves, Hawks, Dream, Sports Medicine at Emory and Georgia Tech, and is a member of the NBA Cardiac Advisory Committee, NFL Cardiovascular Task Force, and the American College of Cardiology’s Sports and Exercise Council. He is also a consultant for Major League Baseball. He is the Co-Medical Director for the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, GA.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast, I talk with lightweight rower Tory Mather. We hear how Tory found her passion for rowing in high school, before going on to row in college and beyond post-collegiately. Tory enlightens us about lightweight rowing, explaining the rules around weighing in and balancing athletes in a boat.

We discuss how lightweight rowing was established to include shorter athletes in rowing, a sport where height is a significant advantage. From well-meaning beginnings, Tory shares the flaws in the system where taller athletes cut weight to compete, leading to a thriving culture of chronic underrating, dangerous dieting, weight obsession and eating disorders within the sport. Tory explains how athletes’ starting seats on the boat are not guaranteed, and instead of being motivated to train harder and improve technique, many athletes compete for their position by trying to lose the most weight.

Tory’s experience of negative role models and unhealthy competition was outweighed by the friends she made until her under-fueling caught up to her. Constantly tired, emotional and underperforming, Tory’s obsession with food and weight ruined her enjoyment of the sport and she ultimately retired. We talk strategies to help other athletes avoid her destructive experiences: asking for help, working with professionals, finding positive role models and coaches.

Tory shares the progress she’s made appreciating what her body can do, exploring new sports and skills free from any pressure and expectation. Sport has remained a social outlet for Tory, and she found herself re-entering rowing, this time in the masters open-weight category, to enjoy time with friends. Tory explains how she is choosing happiness, health and fun with food over rowing lightweight: as a fuelled female athlete Tory is feeling great and performing great in the open-weight class. We discuss intuitive eating for athletes, all foods fitting, and fueling workouts: there is always time to snack, even on a boat!

Follow Tory on Instagram @torbear @mytrailsaremany. 

Find her new website about awesome PA and OH hiking trails www.mytrailsaremany.com

Use code RISEUPNUTRITION for 25% off any InsideTracker plan + free results review over phone/ email with a registered dietitian, me!

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

Tory’s Official Bio

Tory Mather began rowing in high school after a friend convinced her to try a Learn to Row session. She rowed Division 1 at Marist College. After college, she moved to Philadelphia to focus on lightweight rowing from 2012 - 2014. During this time, she medaled at Head of the Charles and Club Nationals in the lightweight four. After struggling to make weight and dealing with related health issues, she quit. In 2015, her friends convinced her to return to the sport at a masters level. Since then she has been a 14 time US rowing masters national champion and has dabbled in other endurance sports such as running, triathlon, and hiking. She coached masters women at Newport Aquatic Center in California for three years and is currently rowing out of Three Rivers Rowing Association in Pittsburgh. 

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast I speak with former client and collegiate volleyball player Abby. Abby shares how identifying strongly as an athlete unintentionally led her down a path of underfueling as she looked to improve her athletic performance in high school. On into college, years of disordered eating manifested negatively in Abby’s performance and she experienced a constant lack of energy, prolonged muscle soreness, and repeated injuries that ultimately forced her into surgery and away from collegiate athletics.

We discuss diet culture, the lure of fad diets, clean eating, and the comparison trap over what a female athlete “should” look like: challenges that so many women and girls can relate to. Abby explains how restrictive eating constantly occupied her thoughts, isolating her from friends and family. After multiple injuries and surgery, unable to train at the high level she was used to, Abby came to Rise Up Nutrition looking for an alternative to her disordered mindset and, as part of our client community, found that she was not alone in her struggles.

Despite overwhelming fear and uncertainty about making nutrition changes and breaking food rules, once Abby committed to the Female Athlete System of Transformation (our FAST Track Program) she noticed huge positive energy changes almost immediately! Other transformations included improved GI symptoms, better focus, mental clarity, and recovery.

Abby describes the nutrition changes that have taken her to a new level in the gym, seeing incredible strength and power gains and greatly improved recovery. Beyond fueling for performance, we discuss fueling for life: even without our sports our bodies need enough energy! Mindset is a muscle and Abby has shifted her thoughts to fueling to win rather than to lose; Abby is no longer preoccupied with losing weight and eating, instead focuses on eating for improved health, happiness and performance - all gains that result from being well-fueled!

We touch on body acceptance and untying your worth from the way you look: our bodies are meant to change throughout life and health looks different to everyone.

Abby’s Official Bio:

Abby is a senior at a university in Montana. She played volleyball for four years as a 6-rotation outside hitter on the team, and was named captain her junior year. Throughout her volleyball career, Abby battled a shoulder injury, ultimately requiring surgery after years of frustration. Abby is currently studying health science and psychology with a goal of pursuing physical therapy school after her undergraduate education. Although her volleyball career has come to an end, she now trains daily to increase her strength and speed. Abby will be sharing her passion for the game coaching young athletes this summer using the volleyball knowledge and experience she’s been able to have as a college athlete.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds

Use code RISEUPNUTRITION for 25% off any InsideTracker plan + free results review over phone/ email with a registered dietitian, me!

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I have a great conversation with a fellow registered dietitian, Stevie Lyn Smith. We start out discussing the education and early career pathways for dietitians, and Stevie shares how she found herself working with athletes after starting in clinical nutrition.

Stevie shares about her background playing lacrosse in high school and college before finding endurance sports more recently. Completing her first Ironman prompted her to first consider sports nutrition, and we discuss how our personal experiences in athletics help us better relate to clients. Stevie explains her 3 foundations to fueling endurance events: fluids, carbohydrates, and sodium, understanding that within these categories, everyone has different preferences and strategies that work for them. We underscore the importance of an individualized nutrition approach: there is no one size fits all, especially when it comes to optimizing sports performance.

Stevie discusses her recent work with Shalane Flanagan during Shalane’s Project Eclipse, running 6 marathons in 6 weeks during the fall of 2021. Stevie helped Shalane fuel for performance and optimal recovery between all the marathons. Post-race blood testing with InsideTracker highlighted high levels of inflammation and cortisol, prompting Shalane to dial in her nutrition around workouts and races. Stevie emphasizes the importance of nutrient timing and intentionally fueling appropriately before, during and after workouts to maximize performance, recovery, and adaptation to training.

We talk about blood testing and monitoring internal biomarkers to optimize health and performance. Regular blood testing is not just for elite athletes like Shalane Flanagan, both Stevie and I use InsideTracker ourselves. Checking in with what’s happening on the inside can help all of us better dial in our nutrition to improve health, longevity and energy levels, in addition to optimizing performance and achieving athletic goals.

Use code RISEUPNUTRITION for 25% off any InsideTracker plan + free results review over phone/ email with a registered dietitian, me!

Follow Stevie on Instagram @ stevielynlyn and check out her business stevielynrd.com

Learn more about Stevie on the For The Long Run podcast:

Ep 194. Stevie Smith: Identity and growth as an athlete and business owner

Stevie’s Official Bio:

Stevie Lyn is a Registered Sports Dietitian and avid endurance athlete. Her mission is to help educate and coach athletes on how to fuel their goals and mindset while not sacrificing their health or happiness. As a board-certified specialist in sports nutrition, Stevie Lyn has helped hundreds of athletes and active individuals fuel to improve their performance, energy levels, and recovery without feelings of guilt or restriction. When she’s not swimming, biking, or running, you’ll find her in the kitchen working on a new recipe or out on the trails with her dog.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/reds

In this episode, I chat with soul alignment coach Meiyan Mullin. This conversation is a little different from normal and centers around alcohol. We discuss gray-line drinking and the middle ground between destructive alcoholism and having a healthy relationship with drinking. Meiyan explains how everyone has their own line and must accept for themselves if their drinking has become problematic. Gray-line drinking is highly prevalent in our society and it has become normalized to drink daily. Even if you don’t identify with the label “alcoholic”, Meiyan explains how many people would struggle to stay away from alcohol for a month. Why not give it a try for yourself?

This was part of Meiyan’s own drinking journey and she shares how pregnancy and being a parent motivated her to become alcohol free.

Meiyan and I talk about wellness culture and the different labels: “sobriety” vs “alcohol free”. We speak about the reasons people drink and how, like the role of food in people with eating disorders, alcohol is the rarely whole problem. Eating disorders and alcoholism are closely related, with one coping strategy and form emotional regulation often transferring into another. Drinking can act as a numbing tool to mask painful emotions and memories and provide short term relief, similarly to the role of disordered eating behaviors like restriction, binging and purging in individuals with eating disorders. Only once you remove the self-harming action can you truly heal the underlying issues.

At Rise Up Nutrition, our philosophy is that all foods fit and each macronutrient is essential to human life. However, alcohol is not an essential macronutrient and it is one energy source that does not have to fit in our diets. Meiyan explains the latest research on the carcinogenic and neurotoxic effects of alcohol and how there really is no safe consumption level; alcohol is a drug and any supposed benefits can be obtained through the food we eat without the harmful effects.

Alcohol affects men and women differently and Meiyan’s work with women targets the underlying trauma and emotions behind drinking. She explains how alcohol is rarely a topic of conversation, instead she helps her clients work through difficult emotions, find forgiveness and self-acceptance, and foster self-compassion and body appreciation.

This episode is not anti-alcohol and Meiyan and I pass no judgment on people who can drink without emotions being involved. 

Follow Meiyan on Instagram @ meiyan.mullin 

Check out her website www.womenwillrise.ca

Meiyan’s Official Bio

Meiyan is your soul alignment guide and is here to help you live a more magical life. She is a yoga teacher, therapeutic touch practitioner, aromatherapy educator and healer. Meiyan's mission is to support women in stepping out from whatever has been keeping them small and oppressed in any way, to living their most satisfying life!

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS

In this episode, I talk with Olympic finalist in the steeplechase Val Constien. Val is not a professional runner despite being one of the best athletes in the world: she balances elite sport with a full time job. We discuss the financial reality of how Val funds her athletic goals without a sponsor, juggling training, nutrition and recovery around a normal work week. Val reminds us to believe in ourselves and not give up on our dreams regardless of whether others, including sponsors, see that potential. 

Val shares how despite being recruited to run steeplechase in college at the University of Colorado, Boulder, her start in the event was not promising. With persistence, trusting in her training and in her coaches, Val explains her steady progression. While on the track she kept chipping away, off the track was much rockier; throughout college Val faced a constant string of injuries and sickness, eating disorders and mental illness.

This episode is raw and unfiltered: Val bravely opens up about her battles with suicide and severe depression. Val shares how she became caught up in a vicious cycle: her eating disorder was fuelled by anxiety and a desire for control, restricting her food led to low bone density and injuries and illness, time off running led to weight gain and low mood which sent her back into a spiral of depression, poor body image and disordered eating. 

While college teams can be cutthroat and toxic, they can also be incredibly supportive and empathetic: Val’s experience at CU falls into the latter. We discuss how she coped being on a top NCAA D1 program, the influence of her coaches and teammates, and how it was the support of others alongside therapy and medication that ultimately saved her life. 

We discuss recovery and maintaining good mental health, understanding that these struggles don’t just disappear and diet culture exists all around. Starting her day with cookies and coffee, Val gives us insight into what fuels an Olympian (hint hint, it’s not all plain chicken and salad!).

Follow Val on Instagram @ valerieconstien

Val’s Official Bio:

Val graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in environmental engineering. Val’s first year out of college was 2019-2020 and it was a really hard year. Her second year out of college she got a full-time job and now works 40 hours a week and trains full time as well. Val’s dreams came true when she made the Tokyo 2020/21 Olympic team! Now nothing much has changed for Val and she still works full-time and trains hard. Val is hoping to run fast again this year and stay happy and healthy! 

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS

In this episode, I talk with a world leading expert in sports nutrition and University of Kentucky professor, Dr Travis Thomas. We start by discussing some of Dr Thomas’ academic and research highlights related to sports nutrition. While sports nutrition can be complicated, the most successful approaches are athlete-specific and individualized, which is why it’s important to work 1-on-1 with a dietitian. Dr Thomas and I emphasize the importance of your daily diet over fancy supplements, pills and powders. The foundations of performance nutrition lie in day-to-day eating and drinking, followed by intentional fueling around workouts and competitions, and only then topped off with specific supplementation strategies.

Dr Thomas and I discuss the latest research on hydration and the reliability of using urine color to assess this. Urine color is actually a valid tool we can all use to monitor hydration status daily: beware though, some foods, drinks and supplements may affect the color! We talk about different environments requiring different hydration guidelines before, during, and after exercise: however, the best approach is unique to the individual on the day.

Despite being a world leading researcher in supplementation, Dr Thomas, like we do at Rise Up Nutrition, focuses on a food first approach, followed by optimizing stress levels and sleep to help athletes perform. He speaks to the importance of ensuring supplement safety and efficacy, before highlighting the four key evidence-based dietary aids: buffers like sodium bicarbonate and beta alanine, dietary nitrates, creatine, and caffeine. We differentiate between ergogenic aids and medical supplements like vitamin D and iron for those deficient, and debunk why more is not always better and can actually be harmful! We talk about affordable and accessible health and performance supplements like beetroot juice and green leafy vegetables.

Sports nutrition is not just for Olympians, and Dr Thomas explains how we can all benefit from his research regardless of athleticism: similar approaches focused on elite sports nutrition can help all of us function optimally day-to-day, stay healthy and age gracefully! We explore this further with a deep dive into vitamin D, exercise and muscle function: vitamin D is not just for bone health! Whether you exercise indoors or out, maintaining optimal vitamin D levels deserves special attention. At Rise Up Nutrition, we use InsideTracker to help monitor our clients’ blood biomarkers like vitamin D, iron and more.

Follow Dr Thomas on Twitter@Dr_T_0926

Dr Thomas’ Official Bio

D. Travis Thomas, PhD, RDN, CSSD, LD, FAND, is an Associate Professor of Clinical & Sports Nutrition and Program Director of the graduate Clinical Nutrition program in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Thomas is a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD). He has held multiple volunteer and leadership positions with SCAN and served as lead author on the current Nutrition for Athletic Performance Position Stand endorsed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American College of Sports Medicine, and Dietitians of Canada. He was recently awarded the prestigious 2020 SCAN Achievement Award in Sports Nutrition, SCAN's first and highest award.

Dr. Thomas has fourteen years’ experience conducting human studies involving nutrition and exercise interventions across the lifespan. Over the past decade, Dr. Thomas has served as an investigator on several funded research projects that focused on a wide range of nutrition issues associated with the preservation and enhancement of skeletal muscle function and performance. These studies have focused on understanding the relationship between vitamin D and muscle metabolic function, nutrition and physical function in aging and athletic populations, nutrition interventions to improve endothelial function and to reduce symptoms in patients with advanced heart failure, and investigating nutritional strategies to preserve physical performance and lean body mass in patients with cancer. 

At the University of Kentucky, Dr. Thomas teaches advanced sports nutrition to graduate students and a novel undergraduate course titled “Nutrition for Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation.” Dr. Thomas also teaches and directs multiple clinical nutrition graduate courses and directs and undergraduate certificate called Nutrition for Human Performance. 

This episode is brought to you by the Female Athlete System of Transformation:

Click here to Book a Call & learn more

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

In this episode, I talk with professional Team USA heptathlete Chari Hawkins. We touch on Chari’s start in athletes watching her four older siblings play, before getting involved herself in high school for the social time with friends. 

Chari opens up about her struggles with anorexia and body image in high school, seeking acceptance in her “skinny” appearance. This desire to fit in and keep her body small hindered her performance on the track as she no longer had the strength to win. Athletics helped pull Chari out of her eating disorder as she began to appreciate what her body could do rather than what it looked like, and the need to fuel herself appropriately. Fuelling well enabled Chari to see breakthrough performances that led her to NCAA success and on to Team USA. 

Chari explains how her obsession with food transferred onto the track, tying her self-worth and value up in performance outcomes. We discuss how Chari has put in years of work to shift her mindsets and accept herself independent of her performances. 

Chari tells us about the crippling performance anxiety she’s dealt with and how she’s built up her toolbox to allow her to succeed today. Different strategies work for different people, and we highlight how important it is to find what tips and tricks work for you. Chari spills the beans on her brand new program launching in March: 30 Days with Chari, where she will take participants through 30 different tools to train the mind and boost mental fitness. These techniques have allowed Chari to fall back in love with her sport and aim to help others find passion in their lives and sports too.

We discuss Chari’s approach to nutrition on competition days and how she adopts a race day meal plan to keep her fuelled regardless of nerves and hunger. Chari shares a hydration horror story and we talk about effective supplements for female athletes. Maintaining optimum levels of vitamin D, omega 3, creative and iron all contribute to peak performance: always check with a doctor or dietitian first! 

Follow Chari on Instagram and TikTok @_charihawkins and learn more about 30 Days with Chari

Chari’s Official Bio

Chari Hawkins is a Team USA Heptathlete and USA Bronze medalist. She loves sharing her journey as well as tips and lessons she has learned both on and off the track. She believes that if she can do it, you can too. 

This episode is brought to you by the Female Athlete System of Transformation:

Click here to Book a Call & learn more

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

In this episode, I talk with NC State Women’s Head Coach Laurie Henes. We discuss her recent team success winning the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships for the first time ever! While running is an individual sport, Coach Henes emphasizes the importance of team support, something we believe in with our clients at Rise Up Nutrition.

Laurie shares some of her personal experiences running for NC State herself, winning an NCAA title before going on to run post-collegiately. We talk about how she uses her own running experiences alongside her female perspective to better understand and guide her student-athletes. Coach Henes gives us insight into the care she has for her runners, the culture and set up at NC State. Discussing the nutrition support available: sports dieticians, fuelling stations and athlete dining services, Coach Henes ensures that her student-athletes fuel well throughout the day and prevent periods of energy deficits. We speak on the importance of fueling around different practice and race times -early morning, afternoon and evening training-, avoiding fasted workouts, and using training to try new nutrition strategies to set athletes up to perform their best on race day.

Laurie and I talk about intuitive eating for athletes and where that can go wrong. We discuss the role of intention and education around nutrition for peak performance, while avoiding food obsession and rigidity. Laurie explains how she helps her athletes foster healthy nutrition relationships and stay away from calorie counting and weight tracking. At NC State, Laurie focuses on function over form, reminding her athletes to look beyond the mirror and recognize the incredible things their bodies can do. From experience, Coach Henes underscores the importance of professional help and specialist treatment for those struggling with eating disorders. Great athletes come in all different shapes and sizes, and we emphasize how embracing your body at the size and shape it feels strongest at will ultimately lead to your best performances over the long-term. We touch on Laurie’s time coaching her daughter, Elly Henes, to her own NCAA title and how she helped steer Elly away from the disordered eating culture so prevalent in elite sports. 

Follow the NC State Wolfpack on Instagram @Wolfpack_tf_xc and Twitter @packxc

Laurie Henes’ Official Bio:

Coach Laurie Henes is the head women’s track and field and cross country coach at NC State University. Laurie Henes enters her 4th year at the helm of the NC State women's track and field program and her 30th year as a member of the NC State Track & Field staff in the 2020-21 season. Henes began her coaching career as an Assistant Coach for the Pack, before changing roles in the fall of 2016, and then in the winter of 2019, she was promoted from Associate Head Coach to Head Coach of the women's team. 

An NC State graduate, Henes was an NCAA champion, a six-time All-American and a three-time All-ACC performer in track & field. Laurie represented the U.S. at the World Track & Field Championships in Sweden in 1995 after placing second in the 10,000m at the USATF National Championships, and she was a finalist at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 10,000m.

Since joining the Wolfpack coaching staff in 1992, Henes has guided NC State's female distance runners to more than 37 All-America certificates and 30 ACC titles on the track. This past cross country season, Coach Henes coached her team to win ACC’s for the 6th year in a row and NCAA’s for the first time in NC State program history. In that one race, the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships, NC State had 5 All Americans and Coach Henes was named both the ACC and NCAA Division 1 Coach of the Year.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS

This episode is with Olympian, professional runner, and coach Kim Conley. Kim shocked the world when she made Team USA for the 2012 Olympics after a slow start to her running career. We discuss her rise in the sport and the role nutrition had in her progression. She shares how she has maintained a healthy relationship with her body composition and weight by seeking help from professionals, fueling properly around workouts, and focusing on nailing nutrition basics. We talk about the importance of fueling fundamentals like eating enough carbohydrates, proper hydration, and consistent fueling throughout the day, over supplements and fancy diets. Kim shares a funny memory about how nailing her post-workout fueling has benefitted her relationship, as well as her mood and performance. As an elite marathoner and coach, Kim has plenty of experience with in-run nutrition, as well as carb loading pre race, this includes using candy to help an athlete meet their carbohydrate needs, fueling their breakthrough marathon performance! Kim talks about her coaching practice with her husband, before answering our end of the podcast questions.

TOPIC TIMESTAMPS:

8:00 In this episode we talk about:

7:10 Kim’s surprising qualification for the 2012 Olympics in a photo finish; Going all in on pro running

12:50 Kim’s journey with nutrition and weight as an athlete 

17:30 Fueling athletics and body composition changes

19:30 Nutrition lessons as a young pro athlete: nutrition basics are more important than the fancy diets and supplements

22:55 The importance of mastering nutrition fundamentals: eating enough carbs and protein; post-workout and consistent fueling

26:30 Candy can be great fuel!

28:10 Kim’s marathon nutrition journey: high carbs fueling, electrolytes and hydration, carb loading, consulting a dietitian  

32:10 Post-workout and consistent fueling throughout the day

35:40 Male vs female low-energy availability/ RED-S differences 

36:50 Coaching runners through “Next Best Run” - Kim and her husband’s coaching company

39:40 Running longer distances as you age

44:20 End of the podcast questions; some spaghetti love!

We referenced Episode 100: Injuries in Female Athletes, Collagen, + Muscle Science with Dr Keith Barr and Episode 176. Peak Performance Nutrition: Understanding Carb Loading, Hydration + GI Issues with Meghann Featherstun

Check out Kim’s coaching business “Next Best Run”.

Follow Kim on Instagram @kfconley Next Best Run @next_best_run and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition 

If you find value in this podcast and would like to support the show, join our patreon community! Become part of our Fiercely Fit and Fueled community today, and receive bonus episodes, merch, monthly recipes, access to an exclusive community message board, and have the chance to ask Lindsey your questions and get a podcast shoutout, and more! Head to patreon today patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Your support means a lot!

Need help with your fueling? Want to get in touch with Lindsey? Interested in the Female Athlete System of Transformation? 

Head to www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com to learn more & book a call!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp 

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InsideTracker: www.insidetracker.com use code LINDSEYCPRO25 for 25% off the entire store 

THIS PODCAST IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY:

Orgain, head to www.orgain.com and use the code RISEUP30 for 30% off your first order. Repeat customers can use the code OA2203 for 25% off future orders.

Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp 

Jen & Keri: https://jenandkeri.com/ use code RISEUP10 for $10 off your order

In this episode, I talk with Rise Up Nutrition teammate and fellow dietitian Mackenzie Bowman. We discuss how she got her start working with eating disorders and sports nutrition after staring off as an engineering major. Both with experience working in the collegiate setting, we talk about the importance of sports dietetics and nutritional resources for student-athletes. Mackenzie shares her passion for building personal relationships with clients, focusing on the psychology behind nutrition and coaching clients to their own unique goals.

Mackenzie and I discuss her role working with clients enrolled in our Group Coaching program, and the nutrition transformations she has witnessed during the first 3-month course. Overcoming disordered eating and REDs takes time, but having the support of our dietitians and other female clients sharing in the process can help speed up the journey.

Mackenzie’s food philosophy centers around fun, fuelling adequately for health and performance, and fitting all foods in. She is passionate about cooking and community, using food to bring people together, alongside intuitive eating and gut health. Her Instagram @followyourgutrd feed is full of recipe inspirations together with gentle nutrition tips. Mackenzie gives us all advice on using social media for good rather than triggering negative mindsets: the instant unfollow button is our friend! For a lot of our clients, the pandemic and the birth of TikTok were the catalysts for disordered eating and overtraining, but for Mackenzie this time sparked her own path to intuitive eating.

Mackenzie shares her naive history with nutrition despite growing up as a competitive high school athlete. Food was always fun and intuitive, providing her with the energy needed to fuel her activities. However, studying dietetics in college led to Mackenzie developing an unhealthy relationship with food and body image, hindering her performance as a collegiate volleyball player and affecting her social life. Coming out the other side, Mackenzie uses her personal experience to connect with and guide her clients. Working at Rise Up Nutrition, Mackenzie loves the impact she has on the lives of our clients, and seeing them meet their own goals brings her a lot of joy!

Mackenzie Bowman’s Official Bio:

Mackenzie Bowman is a Registered Dietitian and sports nutritionist and intuitive eater! In addition to Rise Up, Mackenzie currently works at Prosperity Eating Disorder and Wellness, and the last few years was the Assistant Director of Sports Nutrition at Wake Forest University for their collegiate athletes. Prior to Wake Forest she was a Clinical Dietitian which, as we know, is a great foundation of nutrition expertise before going into specialization. Mackenzie is a Certified Nutrition Support Clinician, she has her Master’s degree in Applied Nutrition and Physical Activity from Virginia Tech, she has completed Marci Evans eating disorder training and is a Body Project Facilitator helping people improve their body image. In this episode you’re just going to learn more about Mackenzie, get to know her and her passion for nutrition – and you’ll understand why she is such a great coach for some of the ladies in our programming!

Follow Mackenzie on Instagram @followyourgutrd

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS

In this episode, I talk with clean sport advocate, running coach and podcast host Chris McClung. We explore Chris’ introduction to running, how his own injuries and training mistakes motivated him to learn more about training science, peak performance and coaching. Chris explains his training philosophy emphasizing variety and periodization, the power of the team, and the importance of recovery and fueling to support high training volume. We discuss how his approach to coaching female athletes focuses on the individual -regardless of their gender- understanding the whole person, their health and their goals. Chris references Stacy Sims’ book “Roar” and how his coaching experience has shaped his philosophy. This individualized approach transfers over to nutrition and our work with clients at Rise Up Nutrition.

Chris and Lindsey explore the concept of racing weight, sorting fact from fiction. We normalize weight fluctuations within seasons and throughout life: hormones, aging, development, environmental conditions, hydration status and many more factors all influence the number on the scale. Chris states his own personal experience of running PRs at very different weights, reminding us that there is no one look to your fastest self. Rather, by focusing on nourishing your body with enough energy and respecting recovery, alongside smart training, the race outcome will take care of itself.

In this episode, we dive deep into the topic of clean sport and Chris’ work with the Clean Sport Collective. We discuss how the organization came to be, the need for allies in the fight for clean sport, and how we can all do our part through signing the Clean Sport Collective pledge. Chris reveals the pervasiveness of doping in all sports and at all levels, elite and amateur, why athletes dope, and how subtle and nuanced taking banned substances can be. Chris explains why, no matter your level of participation, we all should care about what we put into our bodies and how we can ensure that any supplements we consume are clean. Look for logos and certifications like NSF, Informed Choice, BSCG and USP to know supplements, vitamins and minerals are safe from contamination and actually contain what you think they do!

For more on clean sport and to hear the perspective of elite athletes, check out the Clean Sport Collective podcast.

Hear more training talk from Chris on his coaching podcast Rogue Running.and at  www.roguerunning.com

Sign the Clean Sport Pledge and learn more at  www.cleansport.org

Follow Chris on Instagram and Twitter @roguechris @roguerunning and the Clean Sport Collective on Instagram and Twitter @cleansportco

Chris’ Official Bio

Chris is a running coach and co-owner of Rogue Running, a company with locations in Austin and Dallas that specializes in training adult runners for all distances from 5K to marathon and beyond. He is also a host for the Running Rogue and Clean Sport Collective podcasts. He's been running himself for over 20 years and coaching adult athletes for the last 15 years. He is passionate about the power of running to change lives. 

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious t

In this episode, I talk with a client of mine, Lindsay, who was enrolled in the Rise Up Nutrition FAST Track program. Lindsay shares the impact of the pandemic on her relationship with food and exercise as a high school athlete. Feeling isolated and out of control, Lindsay found purpose and comfort in controlling her nutrition and training. Despite initial satisfaction, Lindsay explains how this obsession led her down a path of disordered eating and over-exercising, something that a friend of hers picked up on. Lindsay and I highlight the importance of expressing concern to people we may see struggling in our own lives, even if the message doesn’t appear well received at the time.

Lindsay explains how she reached a place where winning races and running wasn’t even fun anymore, and outside of that, life was miserable and family life was disrupted. This led Lindsay to seeking help, however, denial and misunderstanding meant her path to correct treatment was difficult: a very common story among our clients. 

Lindsay enrolled in our Female Athlete System of Transformation (FAST track) program after her mental and physical health continued to decline. Lindsay explains how she worked with her own psychologist alongside Jenna and I, as registered dietitians, to get at the root cause of her mental health and nutrition struggles and ultimately overcome them. 

The nutrition knowledge we teach our clients suited Lindsay’s personality type, allowing her to understand the importance of fueling appropriately and then implement changes. She shares the highs and lows of recovery: breaking her routines and food rules ultimately led to Lindsay seeing positive changes in her mental and physical health: feeling more energized and happier, able to perform better, socialize and laugh more are just some. 

Healing her relationship with food has allowed Lindsay to get more out of life and fully embrace her collegiate experience. In spite of now fueling appropriately, Lindsay shares the long-lasting consequences of underfueling, including a recent stress fracture diagnosis, how she has accepted her changing body, and ultimately finding the “real Lindsay” again.

Refer back to Episode 21: Hydro Interval Training, Endurance Coaching & Nutrition with Melis Edwards for more information on aqua jogging and cross training.

Lindsay’s Official Bio:

Lindsay is a recent client of mine who began working with us at Rise Up Nutrition at the beginning of her freshman year of college, Fall 2021, having struggled with food for close to two years. Lindsay is a NCAA D3 collegiate track and field and cross country athlete for Colby College.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS

In this episode, I talk with the University of Minnesota Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach Sarah Hopkins. Coaching through the Covid 19 pandemic has presented unique challenges, but Sarah explains how the extra year of eligibility awarded to student-athletes has benefitted her team. The extra year of training and development has seen her teams earn notable NCAA finishes. Sarah discusses the college recruitment process and her approach to coaching that is designed to have athletes performing their best during their junior and senior years. She presents the trajectory of endurance athletes as one that sees them peaking in their 30s, rather than in high school or college.

We delve into the impact of puberty on athletics and how fundamental this period of development and body change is for long term success. While weight and hormonal changes may initially correlate with decreased performance, Sarah reminds us that if we ride the train, we will come out the other side stronger and more resilient, setting us up for success far greater than what our pre-pubescent selves could ever have achieved. We touch on the nuance of athletic bodies, how individuals are built uniquely and are meant to look different to teammates, rivals, and even themselves at different stages of life: there is no one “fit” or “fast” look, and our genetics mean that we are not supposed to all be the same shape or size. Sarah mentions how necessary fueling properly is for bone development, strength and injury prevention: there are no shortcuts to success and consistency wins overall.

Sarah and I discuss addressing nutrition concerns, identifying red flags, and the importance of referring athletes out for professional help. As with training and recovery, the best approach to nutrition is individualized and there are multiple different paths to success. Sarah reminds us to remove the good/ bad food labels, emphasizing our “all foods fit” approach, and how she models healthy habits with her athletes. This modeling extends to her identity as one of very few female head coaches, and Sarah explains the gender imbalances that are still very apparent and the changes that need to be made to get more women in positions of power.

Follow Sarah Hopkins on Twitter and Instagram @mnxcCoachHop

Sarah Hopkins’ Official Bio:

Sarah is the Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach at the University of Minnesota. Sarah took over the Women’s cross country team in 2013 and the men’s team in 2021 after serving as a volunteer coach at Minnesota for 8 years. She was named both the 2020 and 2021 Midwest Region Coach of the year, as well as the 2021 Big Ten Coach of the year. Sarah coached the men’s team to their first NCAA appearance in 6 years and the women to two top 8 team finishes the last two seasons. 

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS

This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is a solo episode centered around New Year goal setting. Before diving deep into the main topic, Lindsey shares some big life updates having recently given birth to baby Gabriel. Lindsey reminds us all to have patience and compassion for ourselves and for the things that are out of our control when looking to the future.

As with every New Year, this January comes with an overwhelming amount of societal pressure and diet culture messaging to transform ourselves into someone new. Lindsey touches on the importance of how we frame our goals and offers up several things to think about: 

-Instead of focusing on changing ourselves, why not work on self-compassion?

-Shift from resolving to break old behaviors and restrict yourself, to thinking of things to add in and new positive habits to create.

-Focus on a couple of smaller, realistic goals rather than on many big and unrealistic expectations.

Lindsey acknowledges the low success rate for most New Year’s resolutions before talking us through 5 strategies for success. These strategies start with brainstorming areas you have more control over, before thinking through SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely targets for ourselves. Lindsey classifies goals into outcome, performance and process goals, explaining how the amount of control you have varies across these different types: you have the most control over the process, outcomes aren’t guaranteed.

After defining your goals, creating boundaries, and identifying the processes required to achieve them, Lindsey offers up the 3 R’s for forming habits: reminder, routine and reward. Consistently practicing these goal-directed habits and processes are the keys to successfully achieving your goal.

This episode is brought to you by the Female Athlete System of Transformation:

Click here to Book a Call & learn more

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

In this episode, I talk with a client of mine, Alana Asch, who was enrolled in the Rise Up Nutrition Group Coaching program. Alana unpacks her disordered relationship with food from a child until now in her late 20s, beginning with food anxiety and severe restriction, then a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa as a teenager. She reveals how competitive and controlling traits, when applied to eating, ultimately hurt her physically and mentally. Alana opens up about her experience in an eating disorder treatment facility that proved unsuccessful as she fought to manage her anxiety through controlling her food. A lack of support and feelings of being out of control then led Alana down a path of overexercising, alcohol and drugs. These behaviors, alongside self-harm and promiscuity, commonly accompany mental health struggles as sufferers substitute one for another.

Despite a masters degree in strength and conditioning and a solid nutrition understanding, Alana reflects on the difficulty she had applying her knowledge to herself. Through the Group Coaching program, Alana was able to unpack the belief she held about having a “sugar addiction”: restricting during the day led her to craving sweets in the evening. Alana explains how this holiday season, by fueling correctly and learning that all foods fit, she has noticed a difference in her mindset when surrounded by an abundance of the sweet treats she used to crave so much.

At Rise Up Nutrition, we aim to keep our clients active throughout their program, allowing them to experience how optimal fueling benefits performance. Alana shares how fueling with more carbohydrates throughout the day translated to increased energy and improved performance in the gym. We touch on the value of a coach, both for athletics, mindset and nutrition, and Alana’s coaching business, The Better Coach. Alana underlines the importance of seeking professional help, no matter your knowledge level, from someone you trust and can truly empathize with your struggles.

Alana Asch’s Official Bio:

Alana Asch was one of my clients and a certified strength and conditioning coach with a master’s degree in exercise science. Alana grew up a female athlete, focusing on soccer. Her soccer team ran a lot for their training, so when she stopped playing soccer she continued running and completed several marathons and half marathons. After being confused as to why she could run a marathon but not do one pull-up, she became interested in strength and conditioning. That’s when she went back to school and obtained a master's degree and, as mentioned, is now a strength and conditioning coach with her own business, The Better Coach. When she’s not coaching others, Alana enjoys training herself. Though not training for any specific event at the moment, Alana enjoys getting after some runs and weight training regularly.

Find Alana and her business, The Better Coach, on Instagram @thebettercoach

And online at alanaasch.com 

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS

In this episode, I talk with Oiselle-sponsored professional runner Rebecca Mehra. We touch on the challenging college transition period, and Rebecca shines a light on the importance of making mistakes to learn and grow from them to become a better athlete. From a disappointing freshman year that saw her plagued by injury after injury, Rebecca turned it around to have a breakout sophomore year. After making that leap, Rebecca found herself riding a frustrating plateau, and here she speaks to the importance of patience, commitment, and playing the long game. Rebecca explains her unlikely transition into professional running, feeling like she had untapped potential to realize on the track. Making the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials in both the 800m and 1500m was a momentous achievement that Rebecca credits with her consistent and patient approach.

Rebecca shares her journey with nutrition, from being blissfully ignorant in high school to first being exposed to a culture of disordered eating in college. As a reaction to seeing the negative consequences of athletes restricting, Rebecca explains how she felt compelled to do the opposite and eat whatever she wanted to. Freshman and sophomore year of college saw big shifts in Rebecca’s nutrition approach towards both extremes, before she found a happy medium that balanced an unrestricted approach with healthy habits.

Working with her college sports nutritionist, Rebecca explains how she tailored her nutrition to prioritize recovery and improve performance. Knowledge was power for Rebecca, and a better understanding of food saw her make big leaps in her training consistency, performance and health.

With all the knowledge she now has around optimal fueling for performance, Rebecca’s balanced and fun approach to nutrition, incorporating desserts in daily and alcohol in moderation, has seen her reach new levels of athletic performance. Other tips Rebecca gives include: prioritizing hydration,  post-workout fueling, and building balanced plates, alongside eating enjoyable food and listening to hunger cues and craving; no food is off limits!

Rebecca enlightens us to her love of cheese and the story behind how an off-hand comment at the Olympic Trials made for a viral tweet and pounds of cheese turning up on her doorstep. More than an athlete, Rebecca shares her work off the track working with the Mayor of Bend, her experiences abroad, being part of an all-women team and company and more.

Follow Rebecca Mehra:

Instagram @rebecca_mehra 

Twitter @rebecca_mehra

Rebecca Mehra’s Official Bio:

Rebecca Mehra is a professional middle distance runner competing in the 800m and 1500m with Littlewing Athletics, an all-women's team based in Bend, Oregon, and sponsored by Oiselle. Rebecca is also a public policy professional, having served as a special assistant to the Mayor of Bend, and most recently a Campaign Manager for a local candidate running for office. Rebecca received her undergraduate and Master's degrees from Stanford University, in international relations and communications respectively.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS

In this episode, I talk with a client of mine, Anna Grace, who recently graduated from our Female Athlete System of Transformation program (aka the FAST Track). Anna Grace shares about how her drive to perform at her best in soccer led her down a path of disordered eating and over-exercising that zapped her energy and impaired her performance. Anna Grace explains how the comparison trap to professional athletes and desire to “look like an athlete” fuelled her drive to train harder and restrict her diet more. This “discipline” backfired leaving Anna Grace frustrated at her lack of athletic improvement, ultimately injured and not achieving her goal of participating in NCAA D1 sports.

Listening to podcasts like the Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast, coupled with the low of being injured, led Anna Grace to recognizing signs and symptoms of RED-S in her own life, including: low energy, mood fluctuations, menstrual irregularities and amenorrhea. We discuss how her internalized image of what an athlete looks like wasn’t a picture of health. Anna Grace’s journey to getting healthy wasn’t a quick fix, nor is it for anyone recovering from chronic under-fuelling and overtraining, but with patience and persistence she has made huge progress.

Anna Grace reflects back on the challenges of recovery, and speaks on the despair she felt from an overload of information when the severity of RED-S really hit home for her. Seeking help from specialists like Dr Nicky Keay, who I spoke with on Episode 38 of the Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast, and myself at Rise Up Nutrition, Anna Grace shares the progress she made regaining her menstrual cycle, changing her thought patterns and mindset, and building up her training in a health-supporting way.

We discuss the emotional rollercoaster of RED-S recovery: first the frustration of not achieving athletic results and the denial of anything being wrong, to acknowledging disordered habits and then working to change them, to the fears of body change and feeling  trapped and powerless to change. While Anna Grace wished for a quick fix and instant solution, the journey she went on, engaging in the Rise Up Nutrition FAST Track program, has created far more sustainable and worthwhile changes that have set her up for greater long-term health and happiness. Anna Grace leaves us with the reminder to trust the process and have patience and hope throughout.

Follow Anna Grace’s food Instagram @athletes_love_food.

Anna Grace’s Official Bio:

Born in Memphis, TN, Anna Grace now calls Albuquerque, NM, home when she is not at college. Anna Grace has played soccer since she was 4yrs old, competing at a high club level throughout her teenage years with goals to play NCAA Division 1 soccer. Anna Grace has recently gotten into running while still playing club soccer at Mississippi State University, where she is a junior majoring in computer science with a minor in Biochemistry. Anna Grace enjoys posting on her food Instagram @athletes_love_food.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS

In this episode, I talk with 4x Olympian and multiple time World and Olympic medallist Brittany Reese. We touch on her recent experience in Tokyo at the 2020 Olympic Games, and how she embraces different cuisines and foreign food cultures when frequently competing abroad.

Brittney speaks about the diverse athletic background she developed, pursuing team sports before finally specializing in track and field after playing collegiate basketball! From being encouraged by her mother to pursue collegiate track and field, to having her college coach persuade her to turn pro early, Brittney shares the importance of having people that believe in you and the power of role models.

Disappointment at the 2008 Olympics was the catalyst for Brittney exploring the role nutrition has to play in performance, seeking professional help from the on-campus sports dietitian. Brittney attributes her nutrition changes and gained muscle mass to huge leaps in performance, allowing her to maximize her potential. Brittney speaks about the normal fluctuations in her body composition and weight throughout the year, and how she prioritizes maintaining her muscle mass and micronutrient levels over a focus on “lighter equals faster”. Brittney’s success and longevity in track and field is testament to optimal and relaxed approaches to nutrition and recovery, and to her emphasis on fueling for performance and strength over leanness and looks.

Off the track, Brittney teases us with her passions for apparel design, coaching and giving back to younger generations. Looking to the future, Brittney talks transitions away from elite athletics to spending more quality time with her son.

Follow her on instagram and Twitter @daljbeast and find the Brittney Reese Fan Club: mykeychain.co/DaLJBeast

Brittney’s Official Bio:

Brittney Reese was born in Inglewood, California and raised in Gulfport Mississippi. She graduated from Gulfport High School as a state champion in both the long jump & triple jump. After high school she attended Mississippi Golf Coast Community College where she would play basketball and go on to earn Junior College All-American honors in the sport. Following her time there, Brittney took her talents to the University of Mississippi where she would truly find her calling in Track & Field and earn her degree in Entrepreneurship.

After Ole Miss Brittney goes on to become one of the winning athletes in US track & field history. She is an Olympic gold & silver medalist, and seven-time world champion, the indoor American record holder & she is 3rd all-time on the American outdoor list.

When Brittney is not competing on the track Brittney is a mother, philanthropist, sneaker head, gamer, coach, and fashion aficionado, and investor.

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS

In this very special Happy Birthday Podcast episode I reflect back on this first year of hosting a podcast. Starting in November 2020, the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast was created to spread my message of fueling optimally to maximize our potential as female athletes. My hope was to reach a wider audience, beyond the clients I work with at Rise Up Nutrition, and share my knowledge around to empower females to be fierce, fit and fueled.

In this episode, I touch on the fears that held me back from recording a podcast sooner, the feelings of imposter syndrome around sharing information other people have already said before. My motivation to push past these fears has always been to reach someone, somewhere, who hasn’t already heard this message. I share my struggle with self-criticism, and hearing myself talk regularly on a podcast has brought its own challenges, such as inviting on great guests, preparing for episodes and asking the “right” questions, alongside my full-time work at Rise Up Nutrition.

I touch on some of the amazing guests featured on the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast: Olympians like Terin Humphrey and Katie Nageotte, professional athletes and past clients of mine such as Mary Cain and Cali Schweikhart, esteemed experts Dr Emily Kraus and Nancy Clark, friends, family, colleagues at Rise Up Nutrition and more. The amazing feedback I’ve received from you FANS, supporters of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, has kept this going! Because of you, and the following we’ve gained worldwide, this podcast celebrates its first birthday, the first of many to come.

Together, I believe we can all embody my “F’s”: fierce, fit and fueled in all aspects of life. Join this movement as we embark on year 2!

Is there someone you want to hear from on the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast? Do you have a story to share?

Let us know at info.riseupnutrition@gmail.com

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Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS

This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is an elite runner for Team Boss and sports dietitian Maddie Alm. Maddie shares her story from high school soccer player to college walk-on to professional athlete, and how nutrition has fueled this progression. We discuss some of the common fueling pitfalls faced by college and high school athletes, and tips for improving performance: post-workout snacks for avoiding within-day energy deficits, electrolytes and hydration, and lots of carbs! Maddie and I debate whether or not to supplement, avoiding nutrition deficiencies, and underfueling. Maddie debunks the myth that lighter is faster, the link between weight and performance, and how your strongest and best-fueled self is actually faster, even at a higher bodyweight! Maddie’s business “Fueling Forward” helps athletes address these issues, including RED-S, fuel their performance better, and gain a healthy perspective on nutrition for sport and life. We finish off with a topic we’ve not discussed before: alcohol and athletic performance, sharing some of the negative impacts on sleep and recovery.

TOPIC TIMESTAMPS:

8:00 Maddie’s athletic story: from soccer player to elite runner

11:40 Understanding the link between nutrition, health, and performance 

14:30 Challenges for college athletes: underfuelling, lack of nutrition support

18:25 Fueling tips for better performance

23:40 Maddie’s non-traditional path to pro running for Team Boss and the Olympic Trials

33:15 Sports nutrition and training tips as a pro athlete: carbs, electrolytes, and workout fueling

42:50 Supplements and nutrient deficiencies 

51:00 Alcohol for athletes: impacts on sleep and recovery 

58:10 RED-S awareness; weight, performance, and over/under fueling 

1:07:10 Maddie’s business “Fueling Forward”

1:11:00 Retiring from elite athletics

1:13:50 End of the podcast questions

Check out Maddie’s business “Fueling Forward”

Follow Maddie on Instagram @madsalm12 Fueling Forward @fueling_forward and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition 

If you find value in this podcast and would like to support the show, join our patreon community! Become part of our Fiercely Fit and Fueled community today, and receive bonus episodes, merch, monthly recipes, access to an exclusive community message board, and have the chance to ask Lindsey your questions and get a podcast shoutout, and more! Head to patreon today patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Your support means a lot!

Need help with your fueling? Want to get in touch with Lindsey? Interested in the Female Athlete System of Transformation? 

Head to www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com to learn more & book a call!

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In this episode, I speak to registered nurse and hypnosis for permanent weight loss coach, Leslie M Thornton. Leslie shares her early entry into diet culture, disordered eating habits and fad diets as a child. These early experiences left their mark on Leslie into her adult life, something which her work with the unconscious mind has revealed.

We touch upon the comparison trap and fear of what other people think of the way we look. After dispelling this myth and embracing hypnotherapy, Leslie explains how she started to accept her body and develop a healthier relationship with food and her body image.

Leslie describes the workings of our unconscious mind, how it processes 90% of our thoughts and brain activity, whereas only 10% comes from the conscious mind. Hypnotherapy allowed Leslie to quieten her conscious mind enough to then prime her unconsciousness with empowering and affirming messages. Hypnosis can help individuals explore their own internal biases and find freedoms from fears around food, body image, weight changes, performance and more. As a hypnosis coach working virtually, Leslie’s approach is highly individualized and personalized to each client’s needs, and can be thought of more as a journey than a quick fix.

This conversation focuses more on how reworking the blueprint of our unconsciousness can have permanent and long-lasting results on our happiness, feelings and beliefs, independent of our weight and body shape, than it does on weight loss.

Leslie’s Bio

Leslie M Thornton is a registered nurse and hypnosis for permanent weight loss coach. Leslie Thornton used to always be thinking about food, body, and weight. She always wished that if she had 3 wishes from a genie that she could eat whatever she wanted and never gain any weight. Thinking this would always be her cross to bear, Leslie just about gave up, when she stumbled upon hypnosis and everything changed.

Find Leslie her own podcast ‘Hypnosis For Permanent Weight Loss podcast’, and website https://lesliemthornton.com/

This episode is brought to you by the Female Athlete System of Transformation:

Click here to Book a Call & learn more

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Lindsey acknowledges that the holiday period can be a challenging and anxious time for those struggling with disordered eating. Diet culture bombards us with mixed messaging on how to control ourselves and “be good” throughout the holidays. Society contrasts this with messages of indulgence and letting go of control. Both ends of this divide lead us to feeling guilty and bad about ourselves, caught up yo-yoing between periods of “strict control” and periods of feeling “out of control”: there is no winning here! Lindsey highlights the association between restricting and “being good”, explaining how obsessing over not indulging in holiday treats places us into the scarcity mentality where we constantly think about the food and good times we are missing out on. On the other hand, binging and splurging with a “last-supper” mentality also leaves us full of guilt and thoughts about food.

Lindsey emphasizes that the solution to these extremes lie in getting rid of the divide between what we think we “should” be doing and what we want to be doing, the divide between restriction and binging, controlling and feeling out of control. She shares how changing beliefs and creating our own vision for how we want to feel during the holidays is the way forward. Happiness over the holidays starts with reflecting on the relationships you wish to have with food and your body, independent of diet culture and the circulating messages, then focusing on living authentically in line with your unique beliefs: there is not one way to “do right” over the holidays!

Lindsey reminds us to stay present and focus on the meaning of the holiday, rather than on the messaging of diet culture. By embracing a mindset of abundance and appreciating the connections to loved ones that we have missed out on recently, we can enjoy moments free from food guilt and shame. At Rise Up Nutrition, we challenge you to create your own beliefs for the relationships that you want with food and your body over the holidays, to find balance somewhere in the middle free from either extreme of restriction or binging: there is another option!

Refer back to episode 3 of the Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast for more help on navigating food over the holiday period, avoiding the scarcity mentality, and staying present during this time of celebration.

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This episode is brought to you by the Rise Up Nutrition Group Coaching Program

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Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

In this episode I spoke to Dr Vonda Wright, orthopedic surgeon, researcher and international speaker, on her career in medicine and passion for mobility. She speaks on her philosophy, empowering her patients through movement to take control of their long-term health, and her focus on an active daily lifestyle rather than structured exercise. Mobility is only 1 of the 5 pillars of health: sleep, nutrition, mobility, social interaction and detoxification. Vonda promotes balancing mobility with rest, restoration and smart nutrition, and speaks on her passion for helping others take control of their health and performance by sharing on the role of epigenetics: how our daily practices can actually influence our own genes!

Transitioning into Vonda's work with women, “Women’s Health Conversations”, she emphasizes that women's health is far broader than just fertility, and how it all starts with policy and decision making. Vonda reminds us all that we need to prioritize our well-being and make conscious decisions to feel better through our actions and habits: we are worth the daily investments in our health. Her approach includes a focus on body composition rather than weight, embracing body diversity. Despite her vast experience working with elite athletes, she emphasizes the similarities between elite and non-athletes: the same 5 pillars of health still apply. 

We finish off by discussing how Vonda "does it all", and she gives us all tips on integrating, delegating, and working smart to make life happen. She shares about her latest writing projects, including her next book the “Playbook for Raising Healthy Athletes”, offering advice to parents on avoiding early specialization and promoting healthy habits in children. 

Learn more about Dr Vonda Wright and her books by checking out her websites:

https://www.drvondawright.com/

http://www.ajles.life/

Follow her on instagram @DrVondaWright & @ajleslife

Listen to Dr Vonda’s podcast “HOT For Your Health” here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hot-for-your-health/id1055206993

Dr. Vonda’s Official Bio

Dr Vonda Wright, MD, MS, FAOA

Dr Vonda Wright is an orthopedic surgeon, sports doctor, speaker and author, women’s health advocate, and researcher. She draws from her 20 years of research and clinical care of elite athletes and executives alike to provide the actionable steps for making the rest of life the best of life. 

A world-wide speaker for influential corporate, foundation and association audiences, Dr Wright is also an internationally recognized authority on active aging and mobility, and an innovator focused on optimizing personal and professional performance at every age from the backyard to the ball field to the boardroom via building physical and mental hardiness and resilience across the lifespan.

Author of 4 books on topics surrounding active aging and precision longevity, and founder of the non-profit, “Women's Health Conversations” which ignited a national conversation on women’s health, and host of the HOT for your Health Podcast, Dr Wright is reshaping the way we think of aging in this country.

This episode is brought to you by the Rise Up Nutrition Group Coaching Program

Click here to Learn More & Join the Waitlist

Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition:

www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com

Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS