Muscle Science for Women Ashleigh VanHouten & Rachel Gregory

In this episode the ladies answer questions from listeners including one about how to lower LDL cholesterol on a high protein diet: what might be causing the high LDL reading; what other factors other than diet may be contributing; and their advice for some lifestyle factors and further research to address the potential issue.
They also discuss how much is too much protein powder: what percentage of your daily protein amount ideally should come from whole foods, and how much is ok to get from supplements like protein powder? How can you best meal prep or plan when you have a job that keeps you on the road and yet doesn't allow much downtime for eating?
Finally, Ashleigh dives into yet another social media trend that grinds her gears: the polarizing discussion online about "healthy versions of classic desserts." One side says we should avoid dessert unless we make it ourselves, while the other side says that these healthy versions are just an expression of orthorexia. What do you think?
Let us know your thoughts, or pose more questions or topic ideas to Rachel and Ashleigh at musclescience4women@gmail.com
Sign up for our new Strong & Sculpted Shoulders workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders
Get fit with us in 2024 - sign up for the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes 
Or our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com 
If you've always wanted to test some things out and try a CGM, Muscle Science for Women is partnering with NutriSense to help you!  Nutrisense combines cutting-edge technology and human expertise so you can see how your body responds to different food, exercise, stress, and sleep in real time. By pairing a CGM with their app and expert nutritionist guidance, you can help understand which foods impact your glucose levels and how you respond to foods, stress, exercise, and sleep changes. You simply pair a continuous glucose monitor with their Nutrisense app, where you can keep all your data around food, exercise and so on, and their subscription plan also includes a month of free nutritionist support. 
Go to Nutrisenseio.com/MSW or use the code MSW at checkout to receive a $30 discount off your first month which includes 2 CGM sensors, free shipping, and a month of professional Nutritionist support.  
 

In this episode, Rachel and Ashleigh answer listener questions about the efficacy of BCAA's for muscle building and recovery, the concept of "macro thresholds" ie, how much wiggle room do you have with your macros if you're trying to lose fat, and whether or not you should really be doing a coffee detox. 
If you want more information on BCAA's and EAA's, check out episode 59 of the podcast.
If you have any questions or topic ideas for the ladies, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com
Get on the waiting list for their NEW Strong & Sculpted Shoulders Workshop waitlist: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 
Check out our specialized program, the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes
More info on our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com
Thank you to our sponsor Purity Coffee! Quality coffee can be health promoting and help fight inflammation. Purity Coffee is certified organic and lab tested for pesticides, mold, and heavy metals. They use a proprietary roasting protocol that results (when tested) in up to 65% more antioxidants on average vs other organic coffees. It truly is the best of the best - and it tastes great, with a number of options for you to choose from - even a decaf and a 1/3 caffeinated option! Use our link or the discount code MSW25 to get a full 25% off your first order of the best coffee out there: https://puritycoffee.com/discount/MSW25
 

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel talk about how to enjoy vacation without guilt, vegan protein powders, and Ashleigh's nutritional deficiency test results. They discuss how to balance "vacation mentality" with enough discipline that provides a sense of control while still allowing you to enjoy time off, new experiences, and a break from your regular life. They also talk about protein powders and their thoughts on vegan protein. Ashleigh discusses the results of her Genova Metabolomix+ nutritional deficiency test, including whether her meat-forward diet is giving her enough variety, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. You'll have to listen to hear what she learns!
Send us your thoughts about today's episode or any questions you have to musclescience4women@gmail.com.
Sign up for our NEW workshop, Strong & Sculpted Shoulders: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 
Check out our specialized program, the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes
More info on our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com
Have you been thinking about getting some health testing done, without the hassle of getting a doctor's appointment? Genova Diagnostics is a direct-to-consumer testing company that allows you to order specific testing online that you can do easily at home and receive personalized recommendations based on the results.
Testing options include a GI Effects gut health test that provides insight into digestive function and intestinal inflammation; Metabolomix+ nutritional testing that can identify individual needs for certain vitamins, minerals, and amino acids; a hormonal health test that measures sex and adrenal hormones for men and women, and more.
Genova provides educational resources to help you understand results, and you can also work with your own healthcare provider to help further interpret and make use of your findings. Genova makes the testing process easier, so you can do your own research, advocate for yourself, and empower yourself to find the answers you’re looking for to improve your health. Learn more about the options at https://connect.gdx.net/ and use our code, MSW10 for 10% off any of the tests.
And shoutout to our show sponsor Active Stacks! They make high-quality collagen peptide powder and beef protein powder in two delicious flavors, chocolate and vanilla. They're made with cocoa and vanilla paste, not that unexplained "natural flavoring" you see listed everywhere, so it tastes better and mixes well into your protein shakes or baking. The chocolate flavor literally tastes like chocolate milk - it's a great way to get a collagen boost in your daily diet.
Learn more at https://activestacks.com/discount/MSW10 and use the code MSW10 to save 10% on your purchase!
 

This is a fun one! In today's episode, Rachel and Ashleigh discuss the concept of body types: (you've probably heard of these, ectomorph, endomorph, and mesomorph). They talk about:
how these body types are characterized if there's real "truth" to these categorizations whether you can change your body composition dramatically outside of your body type how to train to optimize your body type and how all this may impact your feelings about your body and your capabilities.  They also talk about specific strength training for sports, gestational diabetes management, and they tease their brand new program launching in April: Strong & Sculpted Shoulders! Sign up to learn more here: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders
If you've always wanted to test some things out and try a CGM, Muscle Science for Women is partnering with NutriSense to help you!  Nutrisense combines cutting-edge technology and human expertise so you can see how your body responds to different food, exercise, stress, and sleep in real time. By pairing a CGM with their app and expert nutritionist guidance, you can help understand which foods impact your glucose levels and how you respond to foods, stress, exercise, and sleep changes. You simply pair a continuous glucose monitor with their Nutrisense app, where you can keep all your data around food, exercise and so on, and their subscription plan also includes a month of free nutritionist support. 
Go to Nutrisenseio.com/MSW or use the code MSW at checkout to receive a $30 discount off your first month which includes 2 CGM sensors, free shipping, and a month of professional Nutritionist support.  
If you have questions or topic ideas, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com.
Leearn more about the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes 
Or our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com 
 

Ashleigh and Rachel are VERY excited to answer questions from some younger listeners! They answer questions from a high school listener about weight gain and birth control, training plans for weight loss, training around injury, and optimal nutrition for younger people. 
They also dive into pesticides in your coffee (and how to avoid them); why they don't give out free workouts to help sell their programs, and more.
Any more teens have fitness questions? Looking for advice? Do you have questions about how to talk to your teens about fitness or encourage them? Send us your thoughts about today's episode or any questions you have to musclescience4women@gmail.com.
Get on the waiting list for their NEW Strong & Sculpted Shoulders Workshop waitlist: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 
Check out our specialized program, the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes
More info on our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com
Thank you to our sponsor Purity Coffee! Quality coffee can be health promoting and help fight inflammation. Purity Coffee is certified organic and lab tested for pesticides, mold, and heavy metals. They use a proprietary roasting protocol that results (when tested) in up to 65% more antioxidants on average vs other organic coffees. It truly is the best of the best - and it tastes great, with a number of options for you to choose from - even a decaf and a 1/3 caffeinated option! Use our link or the discount code MSW25 to get a full 25% off your first order of the best coffee out there: https://puritycoffee.com/discount/MSW25
 

In this episode Ashleigh asks the CEO and co-founder of Kion, Angelo Keely, to do a deep dive on essential amino acids. As a life-long meat eater, Ashleigh is skeptical about EAA supplements, so they talk about:
What essential amino acids are and why they're important The differences between BCAA's and EAA's How much you're actually getting from your food How to make sure you're getting enough to optimize your health How to best incorporate EAA's to optimize intake, muscle growth, and overall health Can you overdo it and ingest too many EAA's? Are supplemental EAA's necessary, and if you want to use them, how best to incorporate into a well-rounded diet All that and more - if you enjoyed this specific deep dive with a subject matter expert let us know and we can do more like this. Email musclescience4women@gmail.com with your questions, feedback, and topic ideas.
If you want to try Kion's Essential Amino Acids products (which Ashleigh is currently using, as well as their creatine) you can get up to 20% off here: getkion.com/musclescience
Check out our specialized program, the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes
More info on our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com