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Tag: metabolic health

Mini Pause #110 | Longevity isn’t what you think.

Posted on by stephanie-estima

Do you ever notice the difference in how men and women talk about longevity, especially online?

The bro model of longevity says: Optimize everything to extend your years. They ask, “How long can I live?”

The female model of longevity says: Fortify that castle so every single year feels great. We ask, “How well can I live?”

The difference matters.

WHAT

I don’t have any business living to 180, but I want to arrive at 80 feeling capable, don’t you?

And when I sit with that long enough, I notice something else underneath it.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped being afraid of aging. My fear became losing capacity – the slow erosion of independence, energy, and trust in my own body.

But when you scroll any biohacking bro corner of the internet, you’ll find longevity positioned like a competitive sport. Like time is something to be dominated.

*The following is said with a deep, gruff bro-voice with Hulk hands*

Optimize your cells.
Cold plunge at 5 AM. (Pass.)
Track HRV.

Inject peptides.
Build your 27-step morning routine that disregards all other people.
Pay 1 million dollars for a chance to be coached by me!

Longevity positioned like that is a performance. Aspirational immortality.

Women are less concerned about hacking biology and more about being a steward of it.

Experience – not extension. Better years – not more years.

💪 This is exactly what I do to build better years.

 

WHY 

Women live about 7 years longer than men on average… but spend most of those extra years managing chronic conditions.

Researchers call this the male-female health-survival paradox: longer life, but often with less independence.

We watch and care for our mothers and grandmothers as they slowly lose mobility, strength, or trust in their own bodies. We love them through their long lives as they face joint pain, sarcopenia, osteopenia, metabolic disease, and cognitive changes.

So when we’re thinking about longevity, it’s not an immortality fantasy. We’re trying to prevent erosion.

 

THE REFRAME

When longevity is viewed through a female lens, priorities change.

Muscle becomes non-negotiable. 

Yes, I’m all about celebrating the physical composition changes and your year-round peach season. I want that too.

But save some applause for the way skeletal muscle protects balance, metabolism, and independence.

The way bone density protects against fracture, strong connective tissue (joints, tendons, ligaments) literally holds you together, nervous system resilience tolerates wear and tear, metabolic flexibility protects energy and cognition.

✨Here’s my Metabolic Checklist to help you see where you’re at.

We’re not stacking supplements to cheat death. We’re strategically earning the capacity we need.

 

HOW

You don’t have to wake up at 4:30 AM to start the 27-step Dude Bro morning routine before anyone else needs you.

You need to be consistent (not perfect) with:

Progressive strength training

Enough protein (and then a little more)

Adequate calories

Daily movement

Sleep

Nervous system regulation

 

For women, longevity is the result of devotion. Showing up for your body every day, even when progress is quiet.

For Dark Roast Bettys ☕ like me who need to put some numbers behind those qualitatives, here are some age-based fitness performance targets you can aim for.

 

NOW

Decide what quality of life means to you, and chase it now. For me, it means:

I want to be strong enough to travel and put my own bag in the overhead compartment.

Steady enough to get off the floor after playing with my grandkids.
Pain-free enough to open my own dang pickle jars.
Beautiful enough in skin that still feels like mine.

Resilient enough to carry my own groceries.

Capable enough to remember my loved ones’ names and stories.

Confident enough to trust my biology.

Solid enough to feel at home in my body.

I’m not looking to defy or outsmart biology. I want to respect it and create the conditions my body needs to thrive.

So I’m curious…

When you eat, train, or make decisions about your health, are you training for immortality? Or autonomy?

In my experience, the women who feel strongest in midlife are the ones building bodies they can trust.

I’m in. Are you with me?

Dr. Stephanie

 

🌟 Love these recommendations? Find more resources to support your health in midlife in my Health Toolkit!

 

 

Disclaimer: The information included in a newsletter, email, or on drstephanieestima.com is intended solely for educational purposes. It does not replace a direct relationship with your licensed medical provider and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Affiliate Disclosure: Products mentioned in a newsletter, email, or on drstephanieestima.com, may be part of an affiliate agreement in which Dr. Stephanie Estima receives a small commission on the sale of an item you purchase.

 

 

Mini Pause #63: 8 Weeks to Feeling Younger, Energized & Stronger

Posted on by stephanie-estima

TL; DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)

If you missed it the first time around, I’m starting Cohort #2 for perimenopausal women in April.  I’ve designed an 8-week program to help you dial in nutrition, put muscle on in all the right places, and finally relax into your body.

WHY

I’m currently writing my second book with a focus on perimenopause. We are not really taught about the ebbs and flows of our hormonal landscape in midlife, and we most certainly are not educated on how to stack the deck in our favor in preparation for perimenopause.

With my focus and formal education in nutrition, exercise physiology, and biomechanics, I will once again be tailoring a program for women on nutrition, hormones, and building muscle.

WHAT

I’ve long been a fan of hormone replacement therapy, but I’m going to give it to you straight–you cannot rely solely on hormones to get you through perimenopause.

  • HRT is not going to lift the weights for you.
  • HRT is not going to build meals for you.
  • HRT is not going to set boundaries for you.

Only you can do that.

So, I’m going to teach you how to major in the majors:

  • The what and how of muscle building (with modifications!)
  • The what and how of nutrition for a perimenopausal woman (to suit everyone).
  • The what and how of stress management in midlife.

It’s going to be you, me, and a group of awesome women. It’s going to be glorious!

HOW

You’ll be joining YES: Younger, Energized & Stronger. I’ll be leading you through this eight-week program with weekly live coaching calls. The program pillars include:

Younger

I am going to teach you how to eat and exercise to help your cells act like younger versions of themselves. In many cases, we will be actively getting rid of old cells in favor of new ones. This pillar is all about mitochondrial health and is designed to reduce your biological age.

Energized

I am going to teach you the strategies to increase your energy and reduce brain fog so you can meet the demands of your day with ease. This pillar is all about metabolic health and how to improve your glucose and insulin regulation. I’ve also created a nutrition plan that can be adapted to your specific needs. We’ll be going over the particulars together.

Stronger

I am going to teach you female-specific biomechanics so you can squat, lunge, and deadlift properly. I have designed a weight lifting program that we will be going over during the eight weeks that will specifically target glute growth and the upper body muscles that create an hourglass figure.

NOW

To be part of the new program, head over to yesprogram.co and register for the FREE first session on April 1,  7 p.m., ET. This is your opportunity to join me, learn what the program is about, and ask questions.

The first class is my gift to you with no obligation to continue.

If you’d like to join the first session, but can’t make that date & time, please go ahead and sign up at yesprogram.co, as we will be sending out the replay to everyone who registers!

Measure Your Metabolism, Get Better Results

Nutrition and strength are two foundations of my YES! Younger, Energized & Stronger program. That’s why I’m excited about the Lumen, a non-invasive handheld metabolic breathalyzer and app combination I’ve been using that supports these areas (and more) for my Bettys.

Lumen’s innovative technology–backed by science–identifies key factors affecting your body clock, such as dinner timing, workouts, and recovery, and provides recommendations to improve your metabolism. Lumen provides insights into how nutrition, sleep, exercise, and stress levels impact your body’s ability to burn fat. Here’s how it works:

  • First, the device analyzes your breath to determine how your metabolism is functioning and gives you immediate feedback on whether your body is using carbs or fats for fuel.
  • Then, the app shows you in real time how your day-to-day actions (the meals you eat, your daily movement, your stress levels, and more) impact your metabolism.

With Lumen’s insights into what’s happening in your body, you’ll get personalized tips to help you align your daily activities with your dietary, fitness, and lifestyle goals.

Check out the Lumen metabolic breathalyzer at LUMEN.ME and use code ESTIMA to get 20% off.

Tickets on Sale Now! Health Optimisation Summit

It’s official! I’m speaking at the Health Optimisation Summit in Austin, Texas! I'll be talking about perimenopausal strategies like muscle, meals, and stress management.

Europe’s biggest health event lands in Austin on April 12-13. You'll hear game-changing health insights from nearly 40 industry-leading experts covering topics from biohacking and nutrition to functional and preventative medicine.

Spend two full days at the Palmer Events Center surrounded by Paleo-inspired wisdom, innovative health tech, and a community that feels like family.

If you purchase your ticket now and use code DRSTEPHANIE, you'll save 10% on VIP or General Admission.

Mini Pause #56: Reading The Label of The Jar You’re In

Posted on by stephanie-estima

TL; DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)

Understanding your underlying core beliefs about people, relationships, and how things should be can be challenging (how can you read the label of the jar you’re in?), but in this issue, if you don’t have a straight-to-the-point friend willing to call you out on your BS, there is a series of questions you can ask yourself to get to the root of your frustration, and more importantly, what to do about it.

The series of questions are:

  • What am I feeling?
  • Why am I feeling it?
  • And what am I going to do about it?

Spoiler: this will create more peace and tranquility in your life. Balanced hormones, here we come!

WHY

Recently, my friend called me out on a block and persistent irritation I was having with a mutual friend of ours.

Friend: “You know what your problem is, Steph?”

Me: “What?”

Friend: “I’m telling it to you straight because I know you can handle it. You’re holding onto a childish hope that they are going to behave and show up differently. You’ve been holding onto that since you were 18 years old, hoping [our mutual friend] is going to recognize and respond to it, even though they are 47, and looking at you like you are 47.”

Me: “F*ck. I hated hearing that. But you’re totally right.”

My friend was right. I was distorting reality, hoping, ever so childishly, that someone would just read my mind and cater to my wishes. This got me thinking: What other labels am I unable to read because I am in the jar?

I will turn this question to you:

In what ways are you showing up–in your marriage, in your family dynamics, as a friend, as a mother–HOPING someone will come in, read the room (and your psyche), and do exactly what you want them to?

WHAT

Relationships can be complicated. With a capital C.

You can get along with someone in some ways so perfectly, so harmoniously, that it can be baffling that this does not extend to all the verticals of your intertwined lives.

Let’s use the example of a partner here:

Intellect and humor? Check.

Physical chemistry? Check check.

But when it comes to other dimensions of your shared life, like finances, parenting philosophy, or even something more nuanced like speaking up for yourself in front of family members, things might begin to fall apart. The strong synergy that exists in these areas of your connection no longer seems to hold up.

Now, it’s time for the reality check. There will be some ways that you click together seamlessly, and other areas where you have to accept the reality of the situation.

Accepting the reality of the situation means no longer holding out a false hope that things will be different; instead, you accept things the way they are. This doesn’t mean giving up on working toward that ideal future, but it does mean accepting life exactly as it is, right now.

In a way, this is a complete relief. It is a release of what never was, a release of what you artificially constructed in your mind. It is a conservation of energy, focus, emotions, and time. Instead of ruminating on why things are not the way they “should” be, you can just see it for what is–with no emotional charge attached. It is a neutral acceptance of what is.

If you were in a job that was overwhelming in some capacity (maybe the energy of the company, the dynamics of the coworkers, the expectations of hours that you are unable to give, or even skill sets that you don’t possess)–wouldn’t it be a relief if you were either let go or decided to leave?

You are no longer beholden to expectations that you can never meet. Instead of spending energy trying to manage your frustration and overwhelm, you are free. While the conversations involved in coming to that realization might be uncomfortable, it is better for both you and your boss to discuss it in the open.

The same applies if you are a parent, a wife, a daughter, or a friend.

The hardest part about this is realizing that there is a mismatch.

It's my hope you have someone who can help you shed light on it, the way I benefited from it. And if you don’t, here is a formula for you to figure it out yourself.

HOW

Think about the areas in your life where friction exists. In your marriage, in your relationship with your kids, your parents, or your coworkers.

  • What is it exactly that is bothering you about it? Name the feelings.

There can be several feelings. Keep going until you feel you have gotten to a core feeling. For example, anger often comes from a fear response. And fears are usually a clue to your core desires (or else why would you be fearful of them not coming true?).

Then, ask yourself why you are feeling that way.

  • Why are you experiencing these intense emotions?
  • What is the feeling behind the emotion?

And finally, and perhaps most importantly, what are you going to do about it?

  • Are you going to continue to hold out hope for a non-existent reality?
  • Or are you going to accept what is, right now?

I should say, for clarity, this does not mean you cannot work toward your ideal scenario, but the reality is that it doesn't exist right now. So being upset that it isn’t here is a colossal waste of your time, energy, and focus.

NOW

  • Identify where the friction in your life exists.
  • Identify what your feelings are around the friction or relationship.
  • Identify why you are feeling the way you do (as a clue to your most strongly held beliefs).
  • Identify what you are going to do about it.

This is the way to peace. We cannot continue to ruminate on what “could have been” “should have been” or “would have been.” It is another way we should all over ourselves.

Let that sh*t go. Release the emotional expectations and here you will begin to find your peace (not to mention balance your hormones, sleep better, have more energy for the gym, and cultivate joy in your life).

What I Recommend

Managing Your Metabolic Health

While there are devices available to track all kinds of body processes, I want to talk to you about your metabolic health.

I get a lot of questions from my Bettys about how to control or change metabolism. You already know that your nutrition, workouts, sleep, stress, and other lifestyle factors have a big effect, but you often don’t know the how or why.

That’s why I’m loving the Lumen, a non-invasive handheld device and app combination.

  • The device analyzes your breath to determine how your metabolism is functioning and gives you immediate feedback on whether your body is using carbs or fats for fuel.
  • The app shows you in real time how your day-to-day actions (the meals you eat, your daily movement, your stress levels, and more) impact your metabolism.

Take carbs for example. No, they’re NOT the enemy, they’re essential to your body. Mitochondria, your cells’ powerhouses, use carbs as a primary energy source, influencing everything from cellular function to your metabolism. Ideally, you want to get to metabolic flexibility–the ability of your mitochondria to shift between carb and fat burn easily. Carb cycling, alternating between low-carb and high-carb days, is a way to do this.

With Lumen’s insights into what’s happening in your body, you’ll get personalized tips to help you align your daily activities with your dietary, fitness, and lifestyle goals.

And if you’re intermittent fasting, Lumen can help track your body’s ability to switch between carbs and fats during fasting periods. Learn how in this article.

Check out the Lumen metabolic breathalyzer at LUMEN.ME and use code ESTIMA to get 20% off.

EVEN BETTER! Premium Membership

DON'T MISS OUT! Join other like-minded Bettys in a community where you can get exclusive access and resources.

  • Early and ad-free weekly BETTER! podcasts.
  • Post-podcast commentary.
  • Insights from the guest discussions coupled with recommendations you can use to build habits and routines that support your goals.
  • “Ask Me Anything” episodes.
  • “Dr. Stephanie SOLO” shows.
  • Bonus content.
  • Exclusive discounts on favorite brands.

Subscribe HERE to find a membership option that fits your budget.

Mini Pause #54: 10 Ways to Put Your Health First

Posted on by stephanie-estima

I'm switching things up this week to bring you my best resources to help you navigate the year ahead (and well beyond). For those of you new to the Bettyverse, welcome! I'm delighted you're here. And for my longtime followers, thank you for your continued support.

FREE RESOURCES

Mini Pause: If you're reading this, you've already signed up for my Mini Pause newsletter. There are now 54 issues (!) offering information, education, and practical takeaways on topics relevant to midlife, especially perimenopause and menopause.

  • You can browse all the newsletters and blog articles in the catalog here.

BETTER! with Dr. Stephanie: Next week, I'll air the 400th episode of my podcast! It's truly a labor of love to talk with experts and bring you fresh perspectives on meals, muscle, mindset, hormones, and much more. Take a listen!

  • Did you know I offer a Personalized Podcast Playlist? Take a short quiz (only four questions) to get a playlist targeting what's most important to your health.
  • Have you seen the podcast on YouTube? It's a different experience to watch me and the guests interact during the show. Try it!

PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP

EVEN BETTER! If you already love the podcast, this private community offers exclusive access and perks. You'll get early and ad-free weekly podcasts; candid post-podcast commentary; “She Said, She Said” episodes with Cynthia Thurlow, ND (we spill some tea in these talks!); “Ask Me Anything” episodes (recorded & live); my solo shows, where you get my unfiltered views and recommendations along with tips to help you build habits and routines that support your goals; bonus content; and exclusive discounts on my favorite brands.

  • Check out subscription options here.

YES! YOUNGER, ENERGIZED & STRONGER

New Coaching Program: I'm back to LIVE teaching this year with the debut of an 8-week program designed exclusively for women in perimenopause and menopause. With my focus and formal education in nutrition, exercise physiology, and biomechanics, I'm tailoring the program to suit women within three distinct pillars: Younger targets mitochondrial health and biological aging; Energized targets metabolic health; and Stronger targets female-specific biomechanics and weight-lifting. We'll discuss hormones, nutrition, movement, strength, and mindset. You'll also learn real-life strategies for increasing energy, reducing brain fog, and managing stress.

  • If you missed the first FREE introductory session on Jan. 14, you can watch the replay here and decide if it's for you. Doors are open until Jan. 21, when we'll dive into the course programming. Register here and use code JANUARY to drop the cost to $497.

HEALTH TOOLKIT

Body, Mind & Life: I get asked all the time about the supplements I take, the skincare I use, the tech that helps me train and recover, and overall ways to improve resilience and feel great at this stage of life. I've curated my favorites in an online toolkit for you. These are products I actually use that have helped me build supportive routines. I've partnered with amazing brands to get you discounts on every item. Take a look!

FOLLOW ALONG

  • Instagram: I'd love to see you on my social page. I share workouts, recipes, health tips, excerpts about my life, and much more. It's a bright, fun place to be.
  • Website: My website is information central. It includes all the items I've listed above plus other sections. Last year, we developed special sections for the podcast's 5th-anniversary giveaway and an online holiday gift guide. So, be sure to visit often!

What I Recommend

How Red Light Can Ease Perimenopause & Menopause Symptoms

Perimenopause and menopause can come with some unwelcome changes to how you look and feel. From sleepless nights to thinning hair, dry skin, and even changes in bone health, you could start to feel like your body is no longer your own. But what if an effortless, non-invasive treatment could help you start feeling like yourself again?

Enter red light therapy. Backed by research, this drug-free, largely hands-off practice has shown promise in improving some of the most unnerving symptoms of hormone changes, potentially improving sleep, reducing inflammation, supporting hair growth, promoting bone health, and even rejuvenating skin.

I take you through the reasons I recommend red light to my Bettys in this article.

Mini Pause #53: Fat Loss Basics-Tucking Into Calories & Hunger

Posted on by stephanie-estima

Fat Loss Basics: Tucking Into Calories & Hunger

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)

Fat loss is relatively easy to figure out, and somewhat harder to execute.

In this issue, you’ll figure out your maintenance calories and how much to reduce your calories by in order to target adipose tissue.

And if you don’t want to do it alone, I can help. (Read to the end to see how!)

WHY

The one question I get most often, especially when it pertains to strength, is “How do I do this when my primary goal is to lose fat? I’m totally game for building muscle, but is there a way to do both at the same time?”

The other version of this I get is: “Should I lose the fat I want first and then embark on a muscle-building program?”

There persists a fear around body fat, even for a short period of time, and I hope that these Mini Pause newsletters (that you’re sharing with your friends, right?) help to educate you and shine a light on the beliefs (however correct or incorrect they may be) are driving your behaviors.

I’m a BIG fan of efficiency and momentum. Meaning, that if I’m going to dedicate resources like my attention to something, I want it to work.

Not sort-of work.

Work.

For most of us, we can think about approaching fat loss and muscle building in phases. You can, technically, build muscle in a fat-loss phase but it is orders of magnitude more difficult to do than to approach each goal separately.

If I told you to learn French and Italian at the same time–could you do it? Sure. But over time, you are going to mix up the languages. One language becomes more dominant than the other, making the weaker language more difficult to access.

The same is true for body goals. You can do them at the same time, but it will be slower.

Let’s focus on fat loss. Given that it is still January, I suspect many of you are at least slightly more interested in fat loss right now.

WHAT

So first, let’s state the obvious. Whenever we are talking about weight loss, what we really want to zoom in on is fat loss.

I’m assuming you are not trying to reduce density in your bones, weight or volume of your brain, or your muscles–all, of course, have weight to them.

It is the adipose tissue you want to get under control. Especially the adipose tissue that begins to migrate to your midsection in your 40s.

The first thing to do when embarking on a fat loss journey? Get a sense of what kind of caloric intake you currently have and ask yourself if it’s having a net zero effect on your weight.

You have to determine how many maintenance calories are required to either gain or lose weight.

There are a couple of ways to do this. The first method (1) is longer and more accurate; the second method (2) is faster and less accurate.

  • Keep a food journal for one to two weeks. Literally track every lick, taste, and bite. Include the weekends and the stress eating. Everything. Because if you can see after a week or two that nothing happens to your weight, then you can accurately estimate your maintenance calories.
  • Use an online calculator to estimate how many calories you burn right now, with your current level of activity.

HOW

After you figure out your maintenance calories, you can figure out how to reduce your calories so that you’re coming in with a net calorie deficit. That’s when you start tapping into stored fat as your energy fuel.

This is what fat loss entails. Weeks of a caloric deficit under your maintenance calories.

It’s boring. Sorry, not sorry.

You can start with a certain percentage below your maintenance calories. I honestly like to be gentle here, but research indicates that as long as you’re getting enough protein, you can safely decrease your calories to 25% less than your maintenance calories. I recommend something a little less than 25%, and if needed, you can ramp up.

I’m always a fan of taking a long-term view of fat loss, muscle gain, and managing things like hunger.

And you’re going to be hungry when you’re in a fat loss phase. Expect it.

What percent of a caloric decrease you can tolerate and maintain comes down to a few key things:

Is your nutrition already dialed in?

  • Are you already lifting weights and eating sufficient protein?
  • What’s your current body composition?
  • What’s your current fitness level?
  • Have you engaged in a fat loss phase previously? How successful was it?

NOW

If you have a fat loss goal this year, start here:

  • Figure out your maintenance calories
  • Decide by how much you are going to reduce your caloric intake
  • Expect hunger with slight to moderate discomfort

If you don’t want to do this alone, I’m starting a brand new program on Jan. 14 that addresses this very issue (along with muscle-building).

You’re invited to participate in the first class for FREE.

In this 8-week program, you’ll learn you to figure out your calories, what your caloric deficit should be for you, as well as how to begin to build muscle and implement healthy habits not only for this year but also for life.

This is my first coaching cohort in over two years (!) and I’m so excited to get going again!

➡️ If you’d like to join me and a group of like-minded women, reply YES to support@drstephanieestima.com, and you’ll get all the details!

Say YES! to Feeling Younger, Energized & Stronger

YES is my new eight-week program designed to help you lose fat, gain muscle, and feel your most vibrant. We’ll focus on mitochondrial health, metabolic health, nutrition, biomechanics, and strength training specifically for women.

I'll be leading you through the program during weekly LIVE coaching calls, as well as tools and a community space for you to interact with other women.

To participate, reply to support@drstephanieestima.com with the word YES in the subject line to join the first session for FREE, and I’ll send you all the details.

YES starts with the FREE first session on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. ET

  • The first class is my gift to you with no obligation to continue.
  • If you'd like to join the first session, but can't make that date and time, let me know in your “YES” response and I'll send you the replay.

What I Recommend

Increase Resilience, Improve Cellular Health & Manage Hormonal Changes

TRY COLD PLUNGING

I've been talking to you about the benefits of cold water immersion therapy for well over a year now. It took me a while to take the plunge (pun intended!), but when I did, I went all in…albeit one extremity at a time! And I don't want you to miss out on the benefits like improved sleep, balanced energy and mood, sharper focus, and reduced stress.

  • My first podcast guest of 2025 was Marie Bodine, a cold performance and mindset who's also a level 2 certified Wim Hof Method instructor and a Spartan athlete. Take a listen to BETTER! episode #398 for a cold water “how-to” guide.
  • Read about how cold water immersion helps ease perimenopause and menopause symptoms in this article.
  • Find out what I recommend for women when it comes to cold plunging: time, temperature, warming up afterward, and more in this newsletter.

➡️ If you're ready to try cold plunging at home, visit Coldture and use code DRSTEPHANIE to save $200. Culture also offers financing, a 30-day risk-free trial, and free shipping,

EMPOWER YOUR CELLS

Wouldn't you like to feel renewed in the New Year? With Timeline’s Mitopure®—a rare postbiotic called Urolithin A—you absolutely can.

Mitopure® (in capsules or powder form) supports your health at its foundation and encourages cellular renewal. It's clinically proven to target the effects of age-related cellular decline.

This means you'll have more energy, better workouts, and faster recovery, and you'll be preserving your health, mobility, and strength as you age.

Mitopure® also empowers your cells to replenish your skin from the inside out, which makes their skincare line so effective I can't do without The Serum morning and night.

➡️ Timeline's New Year's discount is going on now for a limited time. Visit Timeline to get 33% off nutrition and skincare.

BALANCE YOUR HORMONES

Hear from more than 20 women’s health experts–including me!–to get science-backed solutions, practical tools, and daily practices to manage your menopausal journey.

➡️ Click HERE to register for the FREE Menopause Redefined Summit, happening January 21–24, 2025.

EVEN BETTER! Premium Membership

HERE'S WHAT'S NEW for members this week:

🧬 Dr. Stephanie gets (quite) candid about obesity and genetics in her SOLO episode.

💪 Dr. Stephanie and Nathalia Melo talk about women's strength training and realistic fitness goals on the podcast. You don't want to miss the after-show comments (exclusively for Premium Members!)

DON'T MISS OUT! Join other like-minded Bettys in a community where you can get exclusive access and resources.

  • Early and ad-free weekly BETTER! podcasts.
  • Post-podcast commentary!
  • Insights from the guest discussions coupled with recommendations you can use to build habits and routines that support your goals.
  • “Ask Me Anything” episodes.
  • “Dr. Stephanie SOLO” shows.
  • Action guides. Coming in 2025!
  • Bonus content.
  • Exclusive discounts on favorite brands.

Subscribe HERE to find a membership option that fits your budget.

Mini Pause #52: Say YES! to a Younger, Energized & Stronger You in 2025

Posted on by stephanie-estima

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)

I’m starting and leading a brand new program for perimenopausal women in January. I’ve designed this 8-week program to help you lose fat, gain muscle, and feel your most vibrant.

WHY

I’m currently writing my second book with a focus on perimenopause. After publishing “The Betty Body” on menstrual cycle literacy, I realized there is a journey so many women go over the arc of their lives. We are not really taught about the ebbs and flows of our hormonal landscape in our fertile years, and we most certainly are not educated on how to stack the deck in our favor in preparation for perimenopause.

My second book gets into how to set yourself up for the best perimenopausal transition. We will talk about hormones, nutrition, exercises, and getting you into a relaxed, tranquil state more often than you likely are now.

With my focus and formal education in nutrition, exercise physiology, and biomechanics, I will once again be tailoring a program within the book to suit women.

And before the book is published, I want to run several studies with women (aka – you!) to make sure it’s a solid program. I’ll be asking for your honest feedback along the way.

WHAT

I’ve long been a fan of hormone replacement therapy, but I’m going to give it to you straight–you cannot rely solely on hormones to get you through perimenopause.

  • HRT is not going to lift the weights for you.
  • HRT is not going to build meals for you.
  • HRT is not going to set boundaries for you.

Only you can do that.

So, I’m going to teach you how to major in the majors:

  • The what and how of muscle building.
  • The what and how of nutrition for a perimenopausal woman.
  • The what and how of stress management in midlife.

It’s going to be you, me, and a group of awesome women. It’s going to be glorious!

HOW

You’ll be joining YES: Younger, Energized & Stronger, an eight-week program I’ll be leading you through with weekly live coaching calls. The program pillars will include:

Younger

I am going to teach you how to eat and exercise to help your cells act like younger versions of themselves. In many cases, we will be actively getting rid of old cells in favor of new ones. This pillar is all about mitochondrial health and is designed to reduce your biological age.

Energized

I am going to teach you the strategies to increase your energy and reduce brain fog so you can meet the demands of your day with ease. This pillar is all about metabolic health and how to improve your glucose and insulin regulation. I’ve also created a nutrition plan that can be adapted to your specific needs that we will be going over together.

Stronger

I am going to teach you specific female biomechanics so you can squat, lunge and deadlift properly. I have designed a weight lifting program that we will be going over during the eight weeks that will specifically target glute growth and the upper body muscles that create an hourglass figure.

NOW

To be part of the new program, email support@drstephanieestima.com with the word YES in the subject line to join the first session for FREE, and I’ll send you all the details.

We’ll start this new 8-week program with the FREE first session on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. ET.

  • The first class is my gift to you with no obligation to continue.
  • If you'd like to join the first session, but can't make that date & time, send me your “YES” and I'll send you the replay.

What I Recommend: Give Your Cells a Boost

CELLULAR RENEWAL with Mitopure®

The New Year isn’t about a new you; it’s about a renewed you. Here’s where Timeline’s Mitopure®—the rare postbiotic called Urolithin A—comes in. It promotes cellular renewal and mitochondrial health to address common signs of aging at the root. With regular use, you’ll see and feel the difference with improved energy levels, better workouts, faster recovery, and more endurance.

Mark your calendar for Jan. 6 when Timeline begins its New Year's discount, For a limited time, visit https://timeline.com/BETTER33 to get 33% off Mitopure® in capsules or powder packets.

CELLULAR HEALTH with BodyBio

BodyBio PC is a unique phospholipid complex designed to repair and protect your cells. Integrating directly into your cell membranes replenishes damaged cells and restores their integrity.

BodyBio extended its 20% off PC special through Jan. 15! Click HERE and the discount will be auto-applied at checkout. (U.S. & Canada orders only.)

Menopause Tips, Tools, Practices & Solutions

I’m excited to tell you about the upcoming Menopause Redefined Summit on Jan. 21–24, 2025. It’s not just another event—it’s a call to action and I’m very inspired to be among the presenters.

Over four powerful days, you’ll gain access to tools, insights, and actionable strategies that will help you take control of this transformative phase and make it your most vibrant chapter yet.

It’s not just another event—it’s a call to action and I’m very inspired to be among the presenters. Over four powerful days, you’ll gain access to tools, insights, and actionable strategies that will help you take control of this transformative phase and make it your most vibrant chapter yet.

Click HERE to register for this FREE online summit that starts Jan. 21.

Brought to you by Heart Mind Institute, you'll gain access to:

  • Over 20 women’s health experts who’ll give you tips to navigate menopause as a time of empowerment and potential.
  • Science-backed solutions for hot flashes, weight gain, brain fog, and more…
  • Practical tools to improve sleep, boost energy, and balance hormones.
  • Daily practices for movement, meditation, andn empowerment to energize and support your journey.

EVEN BETTER! Premium Membership

Join other like-minded Bettys in a community where you can get exclusive access and resources.

  • Early and ad-free weekly BETTER! podcasts.
  • Post-podcast commentary.
  • Insights from the guest discussion coupled with recommendations you can use to build habits and routines that support your goals.
  • “Ask Me Anything” episodes.
  • “Dr. Stephanie SOLO” shows.
  • Action guides. Coming in 2025!
  • Bonus content.
  • Exclusive discounts on favorite brands.

Subscribe now for either monthly, annual, or lifetime options.

The Nutritional Deficiency That’s Affecting Your Metabolic, Liver & Heart Health

Posted on by stephanie-estima

A recent scientific discovery may explain why some of us are aging faster than we should, resulting in impaired metabolic, liver, and heart health. This condition is called Cellular Fragility Syndrome [*] and it’s caused by a deficiency in a nutrient called C15:0.

Cellular Fragility Syndrome is likely impacting as many as 1 in 3 people, so let’s take a closer look at this syndrome and what it means to those of us who are already feeling the real effects of aging during our perimenopausal and menopausal years.

What is C15:0, and how have we become deficient in this good fat?

C15:0 (also known as pentadecanoic acid) is an odd-chain saturated fat. While we’ve long been taught to lower our dietary intake of all saturated fats, it ends up that C15:0 is a good fat. C15:0 is the first essential fatty acid to be discovered in over 90 years, since omega-3.

“Essential” means that our bodies must have a certain level of C15:0 to maintain long-term health. Essential fatty acids create better skin, hair, and nails, repair age-related damage to cells, and activate pathways that regulate sleep and mood.

Since our bodies don’t make enough C15:0, we have to get it routinely from our diet.

A primary source of C15:0 has long been whole-fat dairy products. Unfortunately, C15:0 levels have decreased because people generally are eating less whole-fat dairy. Additionally, C15:0 levels naturally decline as you get older.

What are the symptoms of a C15:0 deficiency (aka Cellular Fragility Syndrome)?

C15:0 is a sturdy fat that keeps your cells strong. When your cells don’t have enough C15:0, they become fragile and age faster. And when your cells age, your whole body ages, too.

This is why the symptoms of Cellular Fragility Syndrome may include fatigue, poor sleep, and general feelings of “getting older.” As C15:0 deficiency advances, it can negatively affect your metabolic, liver, and heart health.

Is there a test for C15:0 deficiency?

Yes. Some doctors already routinely test for C15:0 levels as part of a fatty acid panel. There is also an at-home C15:0 test available. Currently, people who have C15:0 blood levels < 0.2% of total fatty acids are considered deficient.

Just as importantly, your doctor can test for clinically relevant signs of Cellular Fragility Syndrome, including high red blood cell distribution width (RDW), high ferritin, and elevated liver enzymes.

How do you optimize your C15:0 levels?

The good news is that C15:0 deficiencies can be fixed. A team of scientists and doctors from the U.S. Navy spent 10 years developing fatty15, a pure, vegan-friendly, and science-backed C15:0 supplement that provides just the right amount of daily good fat–without the saturated fats that are present in dairy products.

Even better news? In addition to improved long-term health, over half of fatty15’s customers report feeling better, including experiencing deeper sleep and a calmer mood, or improved joint comfort within two weeks of consistent use.

Fatty 15 helps reverse 36 clinically relevant and aging-associated changes at the cellular level, effectively protecting your cells (and you) against age-related breakdown.

Learn more about how to restore your C15:0 levels and strengthen your cells against aging at fatty15. Use code DRSTEPHANIE to get an exclusive 10% discount on the 90-day subscription starter kit.

Mini Pause #20: Caloric Deficits Are Ruining Your Gains. There. I Said It.

Posted on by stephanie-estima

TL;DR (too long, didn't read)

Constantly being in a caloric deficit will eventually eat up your muscles, your performance in the gym, and will castrate your happiness. Need I say more?

WHY

I am so tired of this persistent idea that women need to be small and skinny. So many women tell me that they’ve been on one diet or another for most of their lives.

Think about that for a second. Think about how colossally f**ked that is. For women to be on an eternal quest to be small.

I’d like to make a strong (pun intended) case for eating to build muscle as the place to start (and dare I say, stay) so that you can fuel your growth. Not only your body composition growth but your mind as well. Your brain needs good energy. Stable and consistent energy for your metabolic and hormonal production, and just to think.

Strong over skinny.
Resistance training over reduction.
Speed training over starvation.
Anabolic over catabolic.

And if that fails to land, just remember that people don’t write songs about abs. There are, however, numerous songs about big juicy glutes. So there’s that.

WHAT

When embarking on a fitness journey, I’m invariably asked: “Can you build muscle and lose fat?”

There is a long and a short answer to this. Technically you can, but the progress on both goals simultaneously is likely going to be so slow that you might be inclined to erroneously conclude that something is wrong with you, rather than the approach you are taking.

Imagine if you had an important meeting at work and you were about to close the deal of a lifetime. And you brought along your playful dog, your inquisitive child, and decided to scroll on Instagram during this meeting. Could you focus on all of them? Probably. Could you focus on all of them WELL? You know the answer here, friend. And if you are not sure, check out this study [*].

My preference is to separate these two goals, and I prefer to start with muscle building.

Starting with muscle building means typically figuring out what your current maintenance calories are, and looking further at your macronutrient composition (how much protein, fat, carbs) and your hunger patterns.

If you are someone who’s been trying to lose weight forever and restricting calories, this becomes harder the longer you are in a deficit because your total daily energetic expenditure also lowers [*]. Meaning, that you naturally move less, your digestion slows, and your metabolic rate slows, too, as your wily body begins to conserve energy and calories.

When you want to build muscle, you need to eat. Muscles need substrate (food!) to build and grow, and it becomes difficult to grow muscles in a restricted state. It also compounds for women in perimenopause and menopause because you are naturally–as a function of aging [*]–more resistant to muscle growth.

You also, around the age of 40, begin to see a degradation of your muscle fibers and total loss [*] of volume of muscle fibers.

So when you’re not consuming enough calories because you (and every other woman on the planet) have been told that you need to be as small as possible AND you’re working out, lifting heavy, you’re simply not going to have enough energy to support your physical goals. You won't have enough energy for your bones, organs, or your hormones either.

AND you’re putting yourself at risk for injury.

So while I completely get the appeal of trying to be “good” and eat under your caloric requirements, it’s simply not serving you in the long run.

HOW

Determining how many calories you are consuming relative to your energy expenditure is going to become important.

Exercise is not just the time you spend in the gym. It’s time spent walking, cleaning up the kitchen, and your general movements like hand gestures and toe-tapping. The first step is always getting a sense of how much energy you’re taking in to support not only the gym but also your life.

If building muscle is the goal, you typically want to set the protein target around 1g of protein (the methionine kind I mention in Mini Pause #19) per ideal pound of body weight.

Then, figure out what your maintenance calories are. I find women fall into two groups: 1) chronic caloric deficit (which is the focus of this issue), or 2) they think they are in a deficit but are eating way more calories than they think.

In either case, getting a sense of your caloric intake is essential.

Calculating how many calories you need at maintenance is the next step. I quite like this calculator [*] to help do this.

Now that you have a sense of your maintenance (and how shocking this number might be for you), this is the springboard from which to develop meal planning for muscle building and, if there is interest down the line, caloric restriction for an event or a transient amount of time.

It’s also an option to eat at maintenance without the need to bulk or cut. Shocker, but it's true! This is truthfully where I am most of the time. Eating a normal set of calories without looking to cut.

NOW

  • Track your calories as they are now for one week (including weekends).
  • Figure out your calories using this calculator [*] and contrast with the data set from the above action item.
  • Take stock of the difference: are you eating too many calories? Too little? How long has this been going on?

Whether you have been over- or under-consuming calories, there can be a slow calorie shift towards your maintenance calories as you are simultaneously working toward building muscle.

Question of the Week

Q: Is exercising in the morning (cardio) going to affect your cortisol and hormones?

IG follower nomad_ad asks a question many women grapple with.

The short answer here is yes, exercising–irrespective of whether it’s resistance training or cardio–will affect your cortisol levels. Exercise any time of day–not just the morning–will do this.

Cortisol along with other catecholamines are released for your performance during activity, and come back down after the activity is finished.

Cortisol is not the big bad hormone it’s made out to be online with influencers who don’t understand basic physiology. It’s those same people teaching you that glucose spikes should never happen, insulin is the root cause of all your problems (not just one but ALL of them), and the reason you cannot lose weight is you have a “broken” metabolism.

Exercising, in addition to “spiking” cortisol also will cause:

  • a transient decrease in thyroid hormones
  • a downregulation in immune system activity
  • an increase in blood pressure and heart rate
  • transiently raised blood lipids
  • a spike in blood glucose.

Does that mean you should never exercise?!

It’s easy to make something look inherently bad if you don’t fully understand it. Many people who have demonized glucose spikes, cortisol, and insulin are simply scientifically illiterate. Either that or they are peddling some magic supplement to quell said evil glucose spikes, cortisol, or whatever they are demonizing.

Here are some great things cortisol does in the body:

  • Helps provide your muscles with energy by increasing the availability of glucose.
  • Decreases your perceived exertion, which will positively improve your ability to stay with your endurance activity of choice.
  • If you are lifting weights, cortisol decreases the perceived load and allows you to lift heavier weights for longer.
  • Helps to regulate your sleep-wake cycle.
  • In short spurts cortisol is ANTI-INFLAMMATORY. I apologize for the all-caps, but this is worth noting. Sure, long-term chronic stress does the opposite, but in the short term, cortisol decreases inflammation. It is what corticosteroid creams and injections work to mimic.

The kicker of course–with respect to exercise stimulus–is your recovery. The transient stress catalyzes change, but you must allow the body time to adapt to the change before you go at it again.

So should you do HIIT training for 45 minutes 5x/week? Probably not. It’s because of the lack of recovery and runway for adaptations that’s causing the dysregulation. If you were to cut the frequency of the HIIT in half and double your recovery, there wouldn’t be an issue.

Cortisol is your friend–when you balance her with your other bestie: recovery.

Forward this to someone you love, and let’s fall back in love with what cortisol helps us with.

YOUR TURN!

I’ll be answering your questions every week right here in the Mini Pause! Let me know what’s on your mind. I’ll be checking for both questions and feedback at support@drstephanieestima.com.

Mini Pause #17: Frozen Shoulder-How to Get Your Mobility Back

Posted on by stephanie-estima

What You Can Do About Frozen Shoulder in Perimenopause

TL,DR (too long, didn't read)

Frozen shoulder affects women, especially during perimenopause, by limiting range of motion (ROM). While frozen shoulder often develops without knowing the cause, you can implement prevention strategies focusing on mobility, metobolic health, and musculature to help strengthen and regain ROM.

WHY

As we move into perimenopause, joint and bone constitutions begin to change. We begin to see an increase in bursitis, capsulitis, and tendinopathies. Yay us!

Frozen shoulder (or adhesive capsulitis) is a condition that affects women more than men, especially women in perimenopause. Interestingly, hypothyroidism and metabolic derangements like diabetes are strongly correlated with frozen shoulder. These two are also, peculiarly, issues we see pop up in perimenopause, as well.

WHAT

Frozen shoulder is a clinical diagnosis where we see a gradual but deteriorating change in both active and passive range of motion. Active ROM is where the patient initiates the movement, and passive ROM is typically initiated by the clinician doing the exam.

It has been characterized into three phases in its progression to “frozen”:

  • Freezing: This is where we see the onset of shoulder pain, with progressive decline in active and passive ROM.
  • Frozen: This is usually the worst it’s going to get, with a plateauing of loss of motion.
  • Thawing: This is where we see a gradual improvement in pain and range of motion.

Frozen shoulder is often a gradual process spanning six months to as long as two years. When I was in school, we would classify most cases of frozen shoulders in the patient’s chart as “IDK” or idiopathic origin. Or if you’re a smart ass like me, IDK unofficially stood for “I don’t know.”

There is some discussion in manual therapy circles like chiropractic [*] and physical therapy [*] that the spinal accessory nerve (a cranial nerve that winds its way from the neck through to the shoulder) [*][*] may also have an impact on the ability of the patient to lift their arm to the side (called abduction of the shoulder) because of impaired trapezius and scapular innervation.

Even though many cases of frozen shoulder are idiopathic (of unknown origin), there are some clear corollary and potentially causal conditions where we see a greater frequency of frozen shoulder, including diabetes (and prediabetes) [*], thyroid conditions [*], cardiovascular disease, and even post-vaccination [*] called SIRVA (Shoulder Injuries Related to Vaccine Administration), which include frozen shoulder and other conditions of the shoulder.

The vast majority of these are either a metabolic or a mobility problem.

Poor glucose regulation, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and body composition changes are implicated in diabetes, CVD, and hypothyroidism, and they all affect women who are over 40 at a much higher rate than women under 40.

Poor mobility implicating neuromechanical integrity of the scapulohumeral rhythm, trapezius, or shoulder girdle activation is also a 40+ female issue if you are not actively working on putting on muscle mass or at the very least maintaining it.

HOW

So at the risk of going dark roast Betty, here are my thoughts on prevention and rehabilitation for frozen shoulder.

MOBILITY

First and foremost, you need to have a plan of action for muscle growth. This will be architected primarily through lifting weights that are heavy enough for you to provide a sufficient stimulus for muscle growth. Meaning, lift as heavy as you can tolerate with good form, coming within one to two reps of failure of that muscle.

Perhaps most importantly, as your strength improves at whatever baseline you start, it needs to progress beyond that. Week over week, you can and should be able to either do a heavier weight or keep the weight the same and do more reps.

I am team full ROM for most exercises. All the way down, stretch, and then all the way up. Finish with some long-length partials and you are golden.

The other thing to consider with lean muscle is the capsular or joint range of motion.

Muscle range of motion is one thing, but we also want to think about a capsular range of motion, too. As a visual, the capsule is the bubble surrounding where the two bones meet. One way to improve capsular range is by making sure you are stretching the muscle at the lengthened portion of the repetition. I talked about long-length partials in Mini Pause #16 as a vehicle for muscle growth. Another benefit to making sure on every rep you stretch at the elongated position is to also induce a capsular stretch as well.

If you are dealing with a shoulder injury, the first thing you want to look at is restoration of the glenohumeral joint range of motion. So, working within your pain-free range of motion is where you start (however limited that may be), AND ALSO we want to think about opportunities to increase supporting and local structures of the glenohumeral joint.

We have a massive opportunity with frozen shoulder to improve the strength and resilience of the scapula, the rib cage, the neck, and even the trunk and pelvis. It’s all related. This probably requires rehab with a chiropractor or bodyworker with a strong understanding of shoulder mechanics.

METABOLIC HEALTH

Related to increasing lean muscle mass, having more muscle is going to directly improve your blood glucose levels, insulin sensitivity, markers of inflammation, and lipid profile.

We can improve our metabolic health in a vast number of ways, but perhaps the simplest way to start is by walking after a meal and forgoing food two hours before bedtime. These two simple, free habits are available to everyone and you will see marked changes in your blood glucose metabolism just by doing these.

NOW

Think about your current exercise program: Have you dedicated enough reps and sets to your shoulders and back?

A lot of the rear deltoid and some of the medial deltoid muscle is engaged and working with most back exercises.

If you are working your chest, you’ll also engage with the deltoid's front head.

When you are training your shoulders specifically, most of your focus should be on the lateral deltoid because it is precisely that movement (raising your arm out to the side) that is impacted with frozen shoulder.

  • Are you progressing week over week in terms of both reps and/or volume? Begin to keep a journal of your progress or use an app.
  • When performing each shoulder repetition, think about not only elongating the arm all the way down, but also think about stretching the joint capsule as well
  • Pick one of the following: walking after a meal or cutting food off two hours before bedtime and do it every day this week! Note your digestion, mood, and sleep patterns changing, if at all.

Question of the Week

Q: Can you talk about self-sabotage? Why it happens and how to shift mindsets around it?

Thank you to consciouswithkirth on IG who sent in this question. There are many ways to answer it, and truthfully, I feel it needs its own podcast episode!

I will say that self-sabotage stems from a past where we were told that somehow we were not allowed to make a mistake, that we had to be perfect, or that we were conditionally loved. That somehow we were not good enough or worthy enough unless we lived up to others' expectations and standards.

While as adults we certainly know that the behaviors around self-sabotage do not serve us, in a way, it’s a familiar feeling to us as we somehow experienced letting someone down when we were younger. And even though the familiarity and the behaviors associated with it are toxic, we just cannot help ourselves.

  • The first reframe in our quest for success – be it health, career, finances, or our personal relationships – we must allow ourselves to feel our feelings. If we feel sad, guilty, or down, acknowledge what we are feeling and be able to name it.

So often self-sabotage comes at us almost out of nowhere, largely because we are trying to run away from a feeling or cannot recognize we are feeling a certain way. Old coping mechanisms resurface, and we fall off our path.

  • The second piece to it is recognizing that failure is an essential part of your success. The individuals who have achieved what you are seeking have failed more times than they have succeeded. They became comfortable with failure, learned the lesson that failure was meant to teach them, and did not give up.

So let's use weight loss as an example. You are absolutely going to mess up. A LOT. But it is in the mess-ups where the lessons for expansion and growth are. Welcome the failure, welcome the self-sabotage as much as it feels uncomfortable or like you’re “letting yourself off the hook.”

Speak to yourself as if you were a wide-eyed 6-year-old looking to adult you for advice and comfort. What would you say to that 6-year-old version of you who was scared, frightened, and maybe tired and overwhelmed?

Those are the words you can begin to direct to yourself when you fall off the wagon. And you can begin to look for the lessons embedded in each situation.

YOUR TURN!

I’ll be answering your questions every week right here in the Mini Pause! Let me know what’s on your mind. I’ll be checking for both questions and feedback at support@drstephanieestima.com

What I Recommend: OneSkin

When it comes to skincare, I want products that address how my skin is changing as I age. I looked to OneSkin, a skin longevity company, for solutions. The founders, four women scientists, researched and identified more than 800 novel peptides. They discovered that OS-01 targets cellular senescence, which is a root cause of aging. These topical supplement formulas are clinically proven to strengthen the skin barrier and improve key skin health markers.

My absolute favorite is OS-01 SHIELD Protect + Repair SPF 30+. This mineral-based sunscreen comes in both tinted and clear. Visit oneskin.co and use code DRSTEPHANIE to save 15%.

As if we didn’t have enough to deal with managing low energy, mood swings, and brain fog, within the first five years after menopause, we can expect to lose 30% of our skin’s collagen — and collagen production continues to drop another 2% every year for the next two decades! In this feature article, learn “How Peptides Combat Collagen Loss.”

Mini Pause #3: Add ‘Exercise Snacks’ To Your Movement Menu

Posted on by stephanie-estima

Exercise Snacks: An Easier (Better?) Way to Stick to Your Goals


TL; DR (too long, didn't read)

Exercise Snacks (exercising in small 5- to 10-minute increments through the day) yield the same, if not slightly better, results than one big session at the gym.   

And we are not just talking about waistline — exercise snacking demonstrates improvement across fasting insulin, fasting glucose, lipids, and cardiorespiraory fitness. They also show a slightly better outcome in body weight and LDL cholesterol!  

WHY

January is a busy month for gyms. If you’ve just joined a gym, or even if you're a seasoned muscle mommy like me, you may be feeling some of your original New Year's goals already falling by the wayside. But have no fear — if you’ve set a goal and are having a hard time keeping up with an aggressive gym schedule you’ve set for yourself — I have a solution for you!

Simple exercise snacks.

Since the pandemic, more and more people work from home either permanently or have a hybrid model working from home and being in an office. What has emerged are new work norms that allow you more freedom to find opportunities in your day for movement.  

I’ve always said moving consistently through the day trumps one big workout followed by sitting for 12 hours. And there's robust scientific evidence to back this up.

WHAT

This meta-analysis looked at 19 studies with a total of 1080 participants. They were looking for studies that evaluated whether one bout (continuous) of exercise was better, worse, or equal to the same exercise broken into smaller pieces through the day (cumulative or what I am referring to as “exercise snacking”).

They controlled for intensity of the exercise, duration, and type of exercise. Said another way: they were looking for the exact same workout either 1) completed in a single session, or 2) broken up into smaller chunks over the course of the day.

Results showed that the exercise snack group and the single bout group both reduced their total body mass, but the exercise snack group fared slightly better. The exercise snack group and the continuous exercise group both improved their LDL cholesterol, with the snackers faring slightly better here as well.

Both groups improved their total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, and fasting insulin.

Bottom line: both a continuous session at the gym AND exercise snacks can yield comparable results.

There's mounting evidence that exercise snacks have incredibly positive benefits on your health:

  • like this study looking at exercise snacks on blood glucose levels after a meal
  • or this one on how exercise snacks lower blood lipids after a meal
  • This study showed that 1 minute of all-out sprints (broken down into 3 x 20-second sprints, bookended by 2-minute warmup and cool down) improved cardiometabolic and mitochondrial health AS MUCH AS individuals doing cardio for 45-50 minutes. That's five times less time and volume!

Pretty compelling, right?

Exercise snacks also alleviate the pressure to get in a big exercise session every day. If you're able to replicate a 1-hour workout in smaller pieces through the day, the results seem to be equivalent at worst, and superior in terms of body mass and cholesterol levels at best.

HOW

You've got two options on how to implement exercise snacks. You can use either option or a combination of both.

  • Option 1: Replace your Gym Session with Exercise Snacks


In order for this to work, you have to think about the intensity and duration of your regular workouts. You'll want to match your regular, continuous workout by breaking it down into smaller bits.  

So, if you are working out for 60 minutes, your exercise snacks should add up to 60 minutes over the course of the day. That could be 6 x 10-minute sessions, or 12 x 50-minute sessions. And you MUST match the intensity of your regular workout.  

Intensity is subjective, but you can think about it on a scale of one to 10: One being pretty low intensity, and 10 being all out. If your continuous workout was an eight, the exercise snacks also have to be an eight.

This is a GREAT option if you struggle with the time commitment for a bigger gym session, if you travel frequently, or if you're the family chauffeur driving kids to after-school activities.

  • Option 2: Keep Your Gym Session and Incorporate Exercise Snacks


In full transparency, this option is what I like to do. I'm one of those people who actually enjoys going to the gym. But after researching this topic for this week's newsletter, I'm going to incorporate more exercise snacks into my day — even on days I get in a workout.   

Exercise snacks are a blessing on travel days, when I’ve slept in and don't make it to the gym, or for hectic days when I'm just not getting to the gym that day. It's reassuring to know that these days aren't a regression, but a progression.

And frankly, these exercise snacks are one of the few reasons I get my sprint training in on my CAROL Bike. I can pop on it and in 5 minutes, I've done 3 x 20 second all-out sprints — and haven't broken a sweat! (If you find you're interested in a CAROL Bike, you'll get a discount using code DRSTEPHANIE.)

NOW

Here are some of my favourite exercise snacks. I encourage you to try these and be creative with your own based on how you like to exercise.

  • While I’m making dinner: 20 pushups, 20 air squats, 20 switch lunges
  • While I’m waiting for a plane: walking lunges back and forth near the boarding gate; wall sits; decline pushups at the gate chair
  • When I have 10 minutes before a meeting starts: CAROL Bike sprints (30-second sprint, 90-second recovery, then repeat 3x), or 30 box jumps on plyo boxes I have at home.
  • When I can opt for walking meetings : I’ll take a call and go for a walk around the block. Pro tip: if you have an iPhone, put the “Voice Isolation” mode on. This prioritizes your voice over background noise. I have taken calls at loud airports and at my kids' soccer games where people are screaming. The lucky caller on the other end of the line cannot hear anything but me.
  • When I'm on soccer mom duty: I alternate lunges on the side of the pitch while my boys practice, and in the summer I sprint around the track (if there is one). This helps me feel less like an Uber driver.

Submit Your Exercise Snacks!

Let us know if you already have some great exercise snacks. Or, if you're inspired to create new ones, share those, too. Reply to this email and we'll compile some of the best ideas from you in a downloadable PDF!

Question of the Week

Q: What do you eat after one of your workouts?

I'm preparing a bigger newsletter for you on peri-exercise fuel, but here are some guidelines following a workout.

RESISTANCE TRAINING & CARDIO

I always follow any lift session or cardio with a combination of protein and carbohydrates.  On mornings when I exercise early, this will be breakfast. One recent morning I had five egg whites + one whole egg omelette on a piece of sourdough toast. On the side was 1/4 avocado and some fruit. I also treat myself to a cappuccino with whole fat milk. Not a Starbucks triple grande venti purple long short with sprinkles and foam (or whatever the cool cats are drinking these days) but a regular 3/4 cup-sized cappuccino cup.

If I am about to get my period, I'll also add in one scoop of protein in water as my “drink” instead of water. I do this because I know I'm going to be hungrier in week four of my cycle, and I preempt that with more calories and specifically more protein.

(If you want to learn more about eating around your cycle, check out my book, The Betty Body.)

YOUR TURN!

I'll be answering your questions every week right here in the Mini Pause! Let me know what's on your mind. I'll be checking for both questions and feedback at support@drstephanieestima.com.

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I keep this mask beside my desk and work with it on because it molds comfortably and easily to my face. I can choose the intensity and wear it for as little as 10 minutes and still get all the benefits.

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