Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina

This episode is part of our special summer series, The Secrets of Fat Loss from Elite Athletes, where we explore what some of the world's highest-performing athletes can teach us about fat loss, muscle preservation, and body recomposition. Check out the Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library at ketogenicgirl.com and use code VANESSA for 20% off. How do elite MMA fighters get down to just 6–8% bo...

In this fascinating episode of the Optimal Protein Podcast, Vanessa Spina is joined by Dr. Anthony Ricci, lead author of the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand on nutrition and weight cutting in combat sports. The PSMF Library is officially live 🎉 👉 Check it out here + get 20% off with code VANESSA Vanessa and Dr. Ricci unpack how elite fighters can drop 5, 10, or even 19 p...

🇺🇸 4th of July Sale Starts Now! Celebrate Independence Day with our biggest sale of the summer! 🎉 Save 40% on: 📘 The PSMF Library ❤️ Tone LUX Red Light Therapy 💨 The Tone Breath Ketone Analyzer Use code: INDEPENDENCEDAY40 ⏰ Limited-time offer. 👉 Shop now at  ketogenicgirl.com Welcome back to the Optimal Protein Podcast Summer PSMF Series, where we're exploring the science, history, and practi...

In this episode, Vanessa sits down with bestselling author, nurse practitioner, and Everyday Wellness host Cynthia Thurlow to discuss why women who enter perimenopause with more muscle and better metabolic health often experience a smoother transition. The PSMF Library is officially live 🎉 👉 Check it out here + get 20% off with code VANESSA They explore protein intake, intermittent fasting, test...

Protein-sparing modified fasting (PSMF) has been used for decades as one of the most effective evidence-based approaches for rapid fat loss while preserving lean muscle. But how does it actually work, and who is it best suited for? Check out the Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library at ketogenicgirl.com and use code VANESSA for 20% off. In this episode, Vanessa sits down with returning guest Dr...

In this episode, Vanessa Spina interviews Dr. Hans H. Stein, Professor of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, about protein quality, amino acid digestibility, and why "grams of protein" on a label do not always reflect what the body can actually use. The PSMF Library is officially live 🎉 👉 Check it out here + get 20% off with code VANESSA . Stein explains why we do no...

In this episode of the Optimal Protein Podcast, Vanessa is joined by Dr. Brian Mowll for a deep dive into protein-sparing modified fasting, or PSMF, as part of the Friday Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Series. Check out the Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library at ketogenicgirl.com and use code VANESSA for 20% off. Dr. Mowll explains the origins of PSMF, how it was first developed in clinical...

In this episode of the Optimal Protein Podcast, Vanessa Spina is joined by Dr. Christina Prevett, physiotherapist, researcher, and expert in women's health, strength training, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and healthy aging. The PSMF Library is officially live 🎉 👉 Check it out here + get 20% off with code VANESSA Dr. Prevett shares why women are not fragile — and why strength training can be o...

Welcome to the first episode of the Summer Protein Sparing Modified Fasting Series on the Optimal Protein Podcast. In this episode, Vanessa introduces the science, history, and practical application of protein sparing modified fasting, or PSMF, as a powerful tool for fat loss and body recomposition. Check out the  Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library at ketogenicgirl.com and use code VANESSA f...

In this fascinating episode of the Optimal Protein Podcast, Vanessa Spina is joined by Dr. Fernando Naclerio, Professor in Strength Training and Sports Nutrition at the University of Greenwich and Centre Lead for the Centre for Exercise Activity and Rehabilitation. Vanessa and Dr. Naclerio dive into a brand new meta-analysis comparing higher-carb and lower-carb diets when calories and protein are...

In this solo episode, Vanessa breaks down the biggest takeaways from her conversation with Daniel R. Moore , Professor of Muscle Physiology at the University of Toronto. This episode is a deep dive into muscle protein synthesis, protein intake, fat loss, aging, and why preserving lean mass is one of the most important factors for long-term metabolic health and body composition. Check out the Prote...

In this episode, Vanessa sits down with Daniel R. Moore , Professor of Muscle Physiology at the University of Toronto, for a deep dive into protein, muscle protein synthesis, fat loss, and aging. The PSMF Library is officially live 🎉 👉 Check it out here + get 20% off with code VANESSA Dr. Moore explains what muscle protein synthesis actually is, how it's measured in research using metabolic trac...

Why does fat loss suddenly become harder after 40 — even when women are dieting and exercising? In this Friday solocast recap, Vanessa breaks down the biggest takeaways from her conversation with Maria Emmerich on menopause, hormones, insulin resistance, body composition, HRT, peptides, and metabolic health. Check out the Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library at ketogenicgirl.com and use code V...

Why does fat loss suddenly become harder in perimenopause and menopause — even when women are dieting and exercising? In this episode, Maria Emmerich joins Vanessa to unpack the hormonal and metabolic shifts driving changes in body composition after 40. The PSMF Library is officially live 🎉 👉 Check it out here + get 20% off with code VANESSA They discuss estrogen and insulin resistance, testoste...

In this Friday deep dive recap, Vanessa Spina breaks down the biggest takeaways from her recent interview with leading body composition researcher Dr. Bill Campbell. 🎉 The Memorial Day Sale starts early! Use code MEMORIALDAY40 for 40% off Tone devices & red light therapy, and MEMORIALDAY25 for 25% off the brand new PSMF Library including the digital download, printed book, and 2 months free commu...

In this episode, Vanessa Spina is joined again by leading body composition scientist Dr. Bill Campbell for a deep dive into menopause, weight loss resistance, rapid fat loss, protein, muscle preservation, and the newest research coming out of his lab. 🎉 The Memorial Day Sale starts early! Use code MEMORIALDAY40 for 40% off Tone devices & red light therapy, and MEMORIALDAY25 for 25% off the brand...

In this Friday solo recap, Vanessa breaks down the biggest takeaways from her recent interview with Dr. Antonella Schwarz on why the goal should not simply be to lose weight, but to build and preserve muscle. Check out the Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library at ketogenicgirl.com and use code VANESSA for 20% off. Vanessa explores the critical difference between weight loss and fat loss, why th...

Dr. Antonella Schwarz returns to the Optimal Protein Podcast to discuss her latest study restuls and why building muscle—not simply losing weight—is one of the most powerful things we can do for longevity, metabolic health, and body composition. The PSMF Library is officially live 🎉 👉 Check it out here + get 20% off with code VANESSA In this episode, Vanessa and Dr. Schwarz dive into why the sca...

Why do so many people lose weight at first on keto or carnivore… only to eventually stall or even gain weight? In this Friday recap episode, Vanessa breaks down the biggest takeaways from her interview with Craig Emmerich, co-author of The Art of Metabolic Health . She explains why ketosis alone does not guarantee body fat loss, why high dietary fat can prevent the body from tapping into stored fa...

Why do so many people lose weight on keto… only to stall—or even gain it back? In this episode, Vanessa sits down with Craig Emmerich to break down one of the biggest misconceptions in fat loss: that simply eating high fat will keep the weight coming off. Together, they unpack why high-fat keto can stall fat loss , how fuel partitioning actually works, and what your body is being driven to burn ba...

You've been told to eat more fiber… But what if that's not why you're still hungry? In this Friday recap, Vanessa breaks down the biggest insights from her conversation with Dr. Joanne Slavin — a leading fiber researcher who still says most people are focusing on the wrong thing for fat loss. This episode unpacks why some "high fiber" diets backfire, what actually controls appetite, and the simple...

In this episode, Vanessa sits down with Dr. Joanne Slavin, Professor of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota and one of the most highly cited researchers in nutrition science on fiber, satiety and protein.  👉 Extended one more day: The PSMF Library is available at ketogenicgirl.com — use code PSMFLAUNCHDISCOUNT70 to save $70! With decades of research on dietary fiber, satiety...

In today's Friday deep dive, Vanessa breaks down one of the most important new studies in fat loss and body recomposition — along with her recent interview with Dr. Eric Helms . This episode explores a cutting-edge meta-regression by Dr. Eric Helms, Dr. Eric Trexler, and Dr. Martin Refalo on protein intake during caloric restriction — and what it means for preserving muscle while losing fat.  Last...

Vanessa Spina is joined by Dr. Eric Helms to break down the latest research on  protein intake during fat loss and what it really takes to preserve muscle while dieting . 🔗 PSMF LIBRARY (PRE-ORDER)Time Limited Offer The PSMF Library is officially live for pre-order 🎉 get the LAUNCH discount  HERE They discuss Dr. Helms' new meta-regression, whether more protein always leads to better outcomes, h...

In this episode, Vanessa breaks down one of the most important conversations on the podcast to date — her interview with Dr. Carlene Starck on newly published research suggesting that protein requirements may be significantly higher than current guidelines. 🔗 PSMF LIBRARY (PRE-ORDER) The PSMF Library is officially live for pre-order 🎉 get the LAUNCH discount HERE Vanessa dives into what this new...