In a recent podcast episode, we answered questions from our listeners on nutrition and fitness topics that feel overwhelming to them. You can listen to the full episode here:

HOW DO I OPTIMIZE MY HORMONES, ESPECIALLY WITH AGE?

The large majority of individuals probably don’t need to worry about their hormonal health. If you are struggling with your hormonal health, that is absolutely an indicator to see an endocrinologist - not a trainer, nutritionist, or wellness influencer! What supports our hormonal health most are the basics that support our overall health: exercising sensibly, giving ourselves time to recover, managing stress levels, eating a balanced and high-quality diet, and not chronically dieting. Hormonal health is incredibly important, so this is not about minimizing that importants; rather, it’s a reminder that the “boring stuff” is often what we overlook when it should be our first priority.

For women, as we age our hormonal health becomes increasingly more important (and frustrating!) and, in conjunction, eating adequately and incorporating strength training also becomes more important.

HOW DO WE KNOW IF A SUPPLEMENT IS SAFE IF THEY AREN’T FDA-CERTIFIED?

Supplements in the US are an underregulated product and the best way to check if a supplement is safe and legitimate is to ensure it is third-party tested. Third-party testing will tell you if the supplement has any prohibited ingredients and will help ensure that the ingredients listed are actually what appear in the supplement. NSF Certified for Sport is a great place to look up supplements.

IS SET POINT WEIGHT THEORY REAL?

Set point weight theory is just that - a theory! This theory refers to the idea that our bodies have a weight they always want to be at, and if we gain or lose weight, our body will work hard to get back to that “set point” weight.

Sometimes it seems that set point weight theory is a reason used to explain difficulty gaining or losing weight; that’s not the case. However, our bodies often do have a “homeostatic” weight - a place where they feel really comfortable and optimal, be it a certain body weight or percent body fat. However, we know that changes in energy balance (less intake, more expenditure) can be used to deviate from that homeostasis. The idea of a set point probably applies more to a range than a set number or set body composition, and it’s valid that our bodies have a place where they’re more comfortable, but it’s not a law saying that our weight or body composition can’t change. We dive into more nuance on this topic in the full episode.

We answered a few more questions in this episode around energy balance, managing appetite when in a calorie deficit, and constant hunger. Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

We work hard on each HTF episode so any insight, feedback, or questions you have are very valuable to us!

The HTF podcast is just one of many avenues in which I share health and nutrition education. You can find more episodes here on Apple Podcasts or here on Spotify, or check out other free resources such as free guides, guest podcast interviews, and more blog posts on our Resources page.