Vanessa G Fitcast

What if the biggest thing holding back your gut health isn't the supplement you're missing but the habits you repeat every single day?

In this episode, I'm breaking down the simple, foundational practices that support healthy digestion long before you ever consider probiotics, parasite cleanses, or specialized gut testing. We often get asked which supplements or lab tests someone should start with, but the truth is that most people haven't built the daily habits their digestive system needs to function well in the first place.

I'll explain why digestion actually begins before your first bite of food and how stress, distractions, and eating on the go can interfere with your body's ability to properly break down and absorb nutrients. We also dive into why slowing down, chewing your food thoroughly, and creating a calm eating environment can dramatically improve bloating, gas, reflux, and other common digestive complaints.

From there, we'll talk about why your gut thrives on consistency, how your circadian rhythm and migrating motor complex work together to keep your digestive system healthy, and why constant snacking may be working against you. I'll also share practical strategies to support your gut between meals through movement, hydration, stress management, sleep, and recovery. 

Finally, we'll discuss how nutrition should be tailored to the feedback your body is giving you, whether you're struggling with constipation, diarrhea, or other digestive symptoms. Think of these habits as the foundation of a house. Supplements and advanced testing have their place, but they're far more effective when they're built on top of healthy daily routines. 

If you've been searching for better digestion, less bloating, and a healthier gut, this episode will give you actionable steps you can start implementing today.

 

Time Stamps:

 

(1:32) Bets On Pregnancy Date

(5:07) Sharp Right Turn Into Gut Health

(8:23) A Digestive-Friendly Environment

(14:07) Slowing Down Our Eating

(19:24) Build A Rhythm Your Gut Can Predict

(20:57) Spacing Out Meals

(23:12) Supporting Your Gut Between Meals

(26:27) Feed The Outcome You Want

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Find Out More Information on Vital Spark Coaching

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Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation. 

---------------------

Download Our FREE Metabolism-Boosting Workout Program

---------------------

Join the Women’s Metabolism Secrets Facebook Community for 25+ videos teaching you how to start losing fat without hating your life!

---------------------

Click here to send me a message on Facebook and we’ll see how I can help or what best free resources I can share!

---------------------

Interested in 1-on-1 Coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts? Apply Here!

---------------------

Check out our Youtube Channel!

---------------------

Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!

What if the reason tracking macros isn't working anymore has nothing to do with your discipline?

In this episode, I break down one of the most common frustrations I hear from women: "I used to track macros, lose weight, and see results. Now I do the exact same thing and nothing happens.". 

I want to share the story of how I once believed macros were the magic solution to fat loss, only to realize they were never the answer. They were simply a tool.

We'll talk about why there is no perfect macro split, how the body constantly adapts to what we do, and why staying on the same nutrition plan for months or years can actually become part of the problem. I explain how functional nutrition often involves strategically changing calories, carbohydrates, fats, and protein to stay ahead of those adaptations rather than fighting against them. You'll learn why there may be a time for low-carb eating, a time for higher calories, a time for lower protein, and a time for a more balanced approach.

Most importantly, we'll discuss how understanding macros can still be incredibly valuable when they're used within the right context. Today, I personally track my macros, not to lose weight, but to make sure I'm eating enough and maintaining the right balance for my current season of life. 

If you've been wondering why your old nutrition strategy isn't producing the same results anymore, this episode will help you understand what changed and how to start working with your body instead of against it.

 

Time Stamps:

 

(1:47) Life Updates

(3:06) My Macro Tracking Journey

(4:47) Why Macro Tracking Gets A Bad Rap

(8:22) Recent Client Example

(12:32) Where To Start

---------------------

Find Out More Information on Vital Spark Coaching

---------------------

Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation. 

---------------------

Download Our FREE Metabolism-Boosting Workout Program

---------------------

Join the Women’s Metabolism Secrets Facebook Community for 25+ videos teaching you how to start losing fat without hating your life!

---------------------

Click here to send me a message on Facebook and we’ll see how I can help or what best free resources I can share!

---------------------

Interested in 1-on-1 Coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts? Apply Here!

---------------------

Check out our Youtube Channel!

---------------------

Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!

Everyone wants to know how "bounce back" after having a baby. The truth is, that's not the goal.

In this episode, I'm sharing my postpartum fitness plan and the approach I'll be taking during those first weeks and months after birth. Instead of jumping straight into workouts, fat loss, or trying to get my body back as quickly as possible, I'll be prioritizing recovery, sleep, healing, and listening to what my body actually needs.

I'll walk you through what my first few weeks postpartum may look like, including why I plan to spend most of the first week resting, when I might begin incorporating light walks and mobility work, and how I'll use my body's feedback, not a rigid timeline, to guide the process. We'll also talk about why pelvic floor health is at the center of my recovery plan and why I believe every woman should consider working with a pelvic floor physical therapist before problems arise, not just after.

I'll share why I won't be rushing back into intense cardio, despite the pressure many women feel to lose baby weight as quickly as possible. We'll also discuss the truth about waist trainers, why external support can actually delay core recovery, and what a healthier approach to rebuilding strength looks like.

Most importantly, I'm talking about something I think every new mom struggles with: comparison. Because no two postpartum journeys are the same, and comparing your recovery, body, or timeline to someone else's is one of the fastest ways to create unnecessary stress and frustration.

If you're pregnant, postpartum, or simply curious about a more sustainable approach to recovery after birth, this episode will give you an honest look at how I'm thinking about this next chapter and why slower may actually be the smarter path forward.

 

Time Stamps:

 

(2:11) My Postpartum Fitness Plan

(3:22) The Mental Side

(9:19) Getting Your Body “Back”

(11:20) Comparison In Postpartum

(13:32) Sharing The Postpartum Journey

---------------------

Find Out More Information on Vital Spark Coaching

---------------------

Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation. 

---------------------

Download Our FREE Metabolism-Boosting Workout Program

---------------------

Join the Women’s Metabolism Secrets Facebook Community for 25+ videos teaching you how to start losing fat without hating your life!

---------------------

Click here to send me a message on Facebook and we’ll see how I can help or what best free resources I can share!

---------------------

Interested in 1-on-1 Coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts? Apply Here!

---------------------

Check out our Youtube Channel!

---------------------

Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!

What if the amount of exercise you actually need for long-term health is far less than you've been led to believe?

In this episode, I'm breaking down some fascinating claims from longevity expert Dr. Amy Killen that completely challenge the "more is better" approach many women have been taught when it comes to fitness. One statistic in particular caught my attention: her claim that women may achieve most of the longevity benefits of resistance training with surprisingly little weekly volume.

We'll dive into what the research actually says about strength training, longevity, and mortality risk, including why multiple studies seem to show that the biggest health benefits occur at relatively modest amounts of resistance training. I'll also share why, in my own experience and in working with clients, two to three strength-training sessions per week seems to be the sweet spot for recovery, consistency, and long-term results.

We’ll talk about the trap of comparing yourself to genetic outliers, influencers, and fitness competitors whose training volumes often aren't realistic or necessary for the average woman. I'll also unpack the recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week, why walking may be one of the most powerful longevity tools available, and my thoughts on where high-intensity exercise fits into the picture.

Most importantly, I want to make the case that prioritizing health often leads to better physique outcomes over the long term than constantly chasing more workouts, more volume, and more intensity. We'll also discuss the real risks of overtraining, including hormone disruption, cycle irregularities, bone loss, and the cumulative stress excessive exercise can place on the body.

If you've ever felt like you're falling behind because you're not doing enough, this episode might be the permission slip you need. Sometimes the path to better health, better recovery, and a better body isn't doing more. It's doing the right things consistently for years.

 

Time Stamps:

 

(3:02) Being Prepared For Baby Girl

 

(4:26) Women’s Needs For Exercise

 

(8:22) Going Against The Stereotypical Advice

 

(12:37) Prioritizing Health Goals

 

(17:42) House Analogy

 

(20:07) HIIT Training

---------------------

Find Out More Information on Vital Spark Coaching

---------------------

Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation. 

---------------------

Download Our FREE Metabolism-Boosting Workout Program

---------------------

Join the Women’s Metabolism Secrets Facebook Community for 25+ videos teaching you how to start losing fat without hating your life!

---------------------

Click here to send me a message on Facebook and we’ll see how I can help or what best free resources I can share!

---------------------

Interested in 1-on-1 Coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts? Apply Here!

---------------------

Check out our Youtube Channel!

---------------------

Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!

Most women who struggle with binge eating never talk about it. I'm changing that today.

In this episode, I get personal about my own journey with binge eating, tracing it back to my early twenties and walking through the slow, nonlinear process of working through it over the past decade. This is not a quick fix episode. There is no finish line moment, no single breakthrough that made it all click. What there is, is an honest look at what actually moved the needle over time.

I break down the three things that made the biggest difference in my healing: releasing the good food and bad food rules that were quietly running the show, going through a functional reverse diet to address what was happening on a physiological level, and reframing the stories I was telling myself after a binge episode. I also dig into something that does not get talked about enough, which is how your body's overall toxic load and sensitivity to certain foods can actually reinforce disordered eating patterns without you even realizing it.

If you have ever felt completely out of control around food, finished a vacation feeling more guilt than joy, or wondered if you will ever stop the restrict and binge cycle, this episode is for you. You are not broken, and you are not alone.

 

Time Stamps:

 

(2:52) Visiting Mama Pozos At Hilton Head 

(7:27) Defining Binge Eating 

(12:22) Biggest Difference Makers With Controlling Binging 

(14:14) Letting Go Of Food Rules 

(16:50) Functional Reverse Dieting

---------------------

Find Out More Information on Vital Spark Coaching

---------------------

Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation. 

---------------------

Download Our FREE Metabolism-Boosting Workout Program

---------------------

Join the Women’s Metabolism Secrets Facebook Community for 25+ videos teaching you how to start losing fat without hating your life!

---------------------

Click here to send me a message on Facebook and we’ll see how I can help or what best free resources I can share!

---------------------

Interested in 1-on-1 Coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts? Apply Here!

---------------------

Check out our Youtube Channel!

---------------------

Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!