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Pregnancy and postpartum fitness advice can really crazy really fast

One minute women are being told to lift heavy, build muscle, and get stronger-and then the second they become pregnant, suddenly it’s, “Be careful. Don’t lift too much. Don’t get your heart rate too high. Don’t do core.” Then postpartum hits, and somehow the messaging flips again: now you’re supposed to lose the baby weight, “get your body back,” and return to normal as quickly as possible.

This week, we’re talking about what strength training during pregnancy and postpartum should actually look like. We’re joined by pre- and postnatal trainer and female physiology researcher Tasha Leung to break down some of the biggest myths around lifting while pregnant, core training, diastasis recti, Kegels, pelvic floor function, the six-week postpartum clearance, C-section recovery, and the pressure women feel to bounce back after having a baby.

Connect with Tasha Below:

Instagram is here

Website is here

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Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @girlsgonewellnesspodcast for updates and more wellness tips. You can also subscribe to our Youtube Channel @Girlsgonewellnesspodcast to watch our episodes! Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review—we truly appreciate your support. Let's embark on this journey to wellness together!

DISCLAIMER: Nothing mentioned in this episode is medical advice and should not be taken as so. If you have any health concerns, please discuss these with your doctor or a licensed healthcare professional.

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What should you be doing in your 20s, 30s and 40s if you want a healthy brain at 80?

This week, we’re joined by registered dietitian and cognitive health expert Barbie Boules to talk about what we actually know about protecting our brains as we age and why brain health deserves our attention long before we start worrying about dementia.

Barbie has been a registered dietitian for over 25 years, and her work has become increasingly focused on women’s health, healthy aging and cognitive health. After her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the conversation around dementia prevention and protecting cognitive function also became deeply personal for her.

We talk about the connection between cardiovascular health and brain health, including cholesterol, ApoB, Lp(a), blood pressure, insulin resistance and body composition, and why many of the things we do to protect our hearts may also matter for our brains.

We also get into brain fog and normal forgetfulness, social media and our shrinking attention spans, multitasking, AI and whether outsourcing our thinking could have consequences for cognitive health.

Then, of course, we talk nutrition: the MIND diet, berries, leafy greens, whole grains, fatty fish, coffee, alcohol, creatine and supplements. Plus, Barbie breaks down what we actually know about menopause and cognition, including the viral claim that your brain starts to “eat itself” when estrogen declines.

In this episode, we cover:

• How early brain health and cognitive decline should be on our radar
• Normal forgetfulness vs. changes worth paying attention to
• Modifiable risk factors for dementia and cognitive decline
• The connection between cholesterol, metabolic health and brain health
• Whether social media, multitasking and AI are changing how we use our brains
• The MIND diet and what to eat for long-term brain health
• Coffee, alcohol, creatine and supplements for cognitive health
• Menopause, estrogen and the female brain
• Cognitive reserve and why protecting your brain involves more than doing Sudoku
• The realistic habits you can start now to support a healthier brain later

If you’ve ever wondered how to keep your brain healthy as you age, whether brain fog is something to worry about, or what actually matters for reducing your risk of cognitive decline, this episode is for you.

More about Barbie?

Her website

Her Substack

Her Instagram

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Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @girlsgonewellnesspodcast for updates and more wellness tips. You can also subscribe to our Youtube Channel @Girlsgonewellnesspodcast to watch our episodes! Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review—we truly appreciate your support. Let's embark on this journey to wellness together!

DISCLAIMER: Nothing mentioned in this episode is medical advice and should not be taken as so. If you have any health concerns, please discuss these with your doctor or a licensed healthcare professional.

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What does it really take to leave the security of a 9-5 and bet on your own idea? We sit down with Jess Fried, founder of the Toronto based jewelry company Dainty Diamond, to unpack how a side hustle that began through Instagram DMs grew into a six-figure jewelry business within her first year.

Jess gets honest about the less glamorous side of entrepreneurship-from navigating imposter syndrome to reinvesting most of what the business made, missing social events and learning to trust her own decisions. We also talk about some of the most controversial aspects of the diamond and jewelry business where Jess breaks down the difference between the different types of gold jewelry and what to look out for, whether luxury pieces are actually worth their price tags; lab-grown versus natural diamonds; engagement-ring budgets; and what really determines a diamond’s quality.

Whether you’re building a business, dreaming about leaving your job or trying to avoid overpaying for your next piece of jewelry, this episode is a must listen!

Connect with Jess here:

Instagram

Website

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Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @girlsgonewellnesspodcast for updates and more wellness tips. You can also subscribe to our Youtube Channel @Girlsgonewellnesspodcast to watch our episodes! Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review—we truly appreciate your support. Let's embark on this journey to wellness together!

DISCLAIMER: Nothing mentioned in this episode is medical advice and should not be taken as so. If you have any health concerns, please discuss these with your doctor or a licensed healthcare professional.

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If you have PCOS/PMOS and feel like weight loss is harder for you than it seems to be for everyone else, this episode is for you.

Dr. Nastasia Irons is back on Girls Gone Wellness for a second time, and after her first episode on body recomposition became one of our most listened-to episodes, we knew we had to bring her back.

This time, we’re talking all about PCOS/PMOS and weight management, including why weight loss really can feel more difficult, what role insulin resistance and inflammation play, and why simply telling women to “eat less and move more” misses a huge part of the picture.

We also break down some of the biggest myths and questions we see online, including:

• Is weight loss actually harder with PCOS/PMOS?
• Can eating too little make things worse?
• Do you need to go low-carb?
• Is fruit bad for insulin resistance?
• Is HIIT really harmful for your hormones?
• Why is strength training so important?
• What does an ideal exercise routine look like?
• Can the Mediterranean diet help?
• Where do GLP-1 medications and metformin fit in?
• Do supplements like inositol and berberine actually work?

We also talk about why PCOS has been renamed PMOS, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, and why this new name better reflects the fact that this condition affects far more than reproductive health alone.

If you’ve ever felt confused, discouraged, or overwhelmed by all the conflicting advice around PCOS/PMOS, weight loss, carbs, exercise, insulin resistance and supplements, this episode will help you understand what actually matters.

And if you haven’t listened to Dr. Irons’ first episode with us on body recomposition, make sure to go back and listen to that one next.

Connect with Dr. Nastasia Irons:
Instagram: @healwithstaz
Book with Dr. Irons through Ellis Park Medical

Enjoy the episode!

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Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @girlsgonewellnesspodcast for updates and more wellness tips. You can also subscribe to our Youtube Channel @Girlsgonewellnesspodcast to watch our episodes! Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review—we truly appreciate your support. Let's embark on this journey to wellness together!

DISCLAIMER: Nothing mentioned in this episode is medical advice and should not be taken as so. If you have any health concerns, please discuss these with your doctor or a licensed healthcare professional.

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If you’re in your 40s or 50s and suddenly feel like your body is playing by a completely different set of rules… this episode is for you.

This week we’re joined by naturopathic doctor Dr. Jennifer Haessler for a conversation all about perimenopause, menopause, metabolism, muscle, body composition and what women actually need during midlife.

We talk about why your weight and fat distribution can start to change even if you feel like you haven’t changed anything, what’s happening to estrogen and progesterone during perimenopause, and how those hormonal shifts can affect everything from sleep and mood to insulin sensitivity, cholesterol, bone density, cognition and muscle mass.

We also get into one of the biggest mistakes women make when their body starts changing: eating less and exercising more.

Dr. Haessler explains why aggressive calorie cutting can backfire, why strength training becomes one of the most important tools in midlife, how much you actually need to be doing, and why cardio still absolutely matters.

We also cover protein, fibre, carbs, breakfast, progressive overload, supplements, hormone replacement therapy, and when tools like GLP-1 medications may have a role.

Most importantly, this episode is a reminder that midlife does not have to mean decline.

Your body may be changing, but that doesn’t mean your best years are behind you.

You can get stronger.
You can have more energy.
You can feel better in your body.
And you do not have to spend this phase of life chasing smaller.

Find Dr. Jennifer Haessler through the links below

Instagram

Website

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Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @girlsgonewellnesspodcast for updates and more wellness tips. You can also subscribe to our Youtube Channel @Girlsgonewellnesspodcast to watch our episodes! Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review—we truly appreciate your support. Let's embark on this journey to wellness together!

DISCLAIMER: Nothing mentioned in this episode is medical advice and should not be taken as so. If you have any health concerns, please discuss these with your doctor or a licensed healthcare professional.

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What if your fitness goal isn’t impossible, it just costs more than you realized? We’re not talking about money, We’re talking about the time, effort, flexibility, social sacrifices, and mental energy that can come with trying to achieve and maintain a certain body. Social media shows us the result, but it rarely shows us what that result actually requires and costs to maintain, that most of the time, is unrealistic and not worth the mental energy and capacity needed.

We are joined by nutrition and fitness coach Jordan Lips for an honest conversation about setting realistic expectations without dismissing the results you want. Jordan explains why being healthy, strong, and functionally fit is not necessarily the same goal as being extremely lean and why those goals can demand very different levels of effort.

We talk about the trade-offs hiding behind the bodies we’re taught to want, why building muscle often takes longer than people expect, and how to create a plan that fits your actual life and mental capacity. We also get into calorie tracking, food noise, volume eating, all-or-nothing thinking, and why the best weight-loss strategy isn’t simply one you can survive -it’s one that prepares you for the life you’ll need to live to maintain the result.

Connect with Jordan Below:

Instagram is here

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Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @girlsgonewellnesspodcast for updates and more wellness tips. You can also subscribe to our Youtube Channel @Girlsgonewellnesspodcast to watch our episodes! Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review—we truly appreciate your support. Let's embark on this journey to wellness together!

DISCLAIMER: Nothing mentioned in this episode is medical advice and should not be taken as so. If you have any health concerns, please discuss these with your doctor or a licensed healthcare professional.

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What does a healthy metabolism actually look like, and why does weight loss feel so much harder for some people than others?

This week, we’re joined by returning guest Dr. Andrea Gri, ND, a naturopathic doctor and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner who focuses on women’s metabolic health, body composition, and healthy aging. Vic also has the pleasure of working alongside Andrea at Clarity Health, so this conversation brings together both clinical insight and the questions we hear from women all the time.

We’re breaking down the difference between weight loss and body recomposition, why muscle matters so much for your metabolism, how hormones, sleep, stress, insulin resistance, and genetics can influence your results, and why the number on the scale often tells you far less than you think.

We also get into food noise and appetite, GLP-1 medications, whether everyone needs to track calories, why aggressive dieting can backfire, and what sustainable weight management actually looks like when you stop chasing quick fixes and start building a strategy that works for your body.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything “right” but your body still isn’t responding the way you expected, this episode will help you zoom out, understand the bigger picture, and rethink what progress can actually look like.

Find Dr. Andrea Gri on Instagram at @andrea.gri.nd and learn more about working with her at Clarity Health in Burlington, Ontario. Join Dr. Andrea's newsletter here!

Enjoy the episode!

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Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @girlsgonewellnesspodcast for updates and more wellness tips. You can also subscribe to our Youtube Channel @Girlsgonewellnesspodcast to watch our episodes! Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review—we truly appreciate your support. Let's embark on this journey to wellness together!

DISCLAIMER: Nothing mentioned in this episode is medical advice and should not be taken as so. If you have any health concerns, please discuss these with your doctor or a licensed healthcare professional.

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Ever opened your bloodwork results and thought, “Okay thats great.. but I don’t even know what that means? We both definitely have. Naturopathic doctor Dr. Kaitlin Janes joins us to decode the routine labs that can reveal a lot about your health-without the fearmongering, going on a Dr. Google spiral, or unnecessary fancy testing.

We break down the basics, including CBCs, ferritin and iron deficiency, blood sugar and insulin resistance, cholesterol, liver enzymes, thyroid markers, kidney function, B12, and vitamin D. Dr. Janes explains why “within range” doesn’t always tell the whole story, when an abnormal result may actually be concerning, and why your symptoms, health history, and lab trends matter just as much as a single number. Plus, we get into how often you really need bloodwork, why more testing isn’t always better, and how to advocate for yourself without treating your healthcare provider like the enemy.

You can connect with Dr. Janes below:

Instagram is here

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Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @girlsgonewellnesspodcast for updates and more wellness tips. You can also subscribe to our Youtube Channel @Girlsgonewellnesspodcast to watch our episodes! Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review—we truly appreciate your support. Let's embark on this journey to wellness together!

DISCLAIMER: Nothing mentioned in this episode is medical advice and should not be taken as so. If you have any health concerns, please discuss these with your doctor or a licensed healthcare professional.