Sugar & Strength Podcast

Have you ever been told you're "too sensitive" or that you feel things more deeply than everyone else around you? It's not a character flaw. It can be an advantage, and you'll learn why in this episode. Kayla sits down with Jesie Steffes, a licensed professional counselor, grief therapist, and certified intuitive eating counselor, to unpack what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). Jesi...

Are artificial sweeteners really bad for you, or do they just get a bad rap? In this episode, Registered Dietitian and CGM Coach, Kayla Girgen, breaks down the world of sweeteners through the lens of blood sugar balance, including artificial or synthetic sweeteners, “natural” sugars, sugar alcohols, and everything in between.  Whether you're managing blood sugar, navigating surprising CGM data, or...

In this conversation, Kayla connects with one of her dearest colleagues and friends, Elizabeth McLaughlin, a registered dietitian and creator behind The High-Functioning Hot Mess. In this episode, you'll hear about: Why so many dietitians get into the field (spoiler: to manipulate their own bodies) Functional nutrition vs. conventional nutrition Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA)—what this test r...

In this episode, Kayla sits down with relationship coach Cailee Rae for an honest conversation about intimacy, communication, emotional eating, and the relationships we have with ourselves and our partners, including how they impact our health, hormones, habits, and overall well-being. They talk about why so many couples feel disconnected even when life looks good on paper, how resentment builds w...

In this powerful and personal episode, Kayla sits down with Travis Chapman to talk about how a simple walk with weight—aka rucking—turned into something bigger. After discovering rucking less than a year ago, Travis found a sustainable way to stay active and a newfound way to drive change. After watching his wife navigate life with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis—two chronic conditions tha...

In this episode, I’m sharing 3 powerful mindset shifts to help you get un stuck in your health and fitness journey. While these insights surfaced during a recent women’s small business retreat, they easily apply to your health, habits, and daily life. You’ll learn: How to start thinking and acting like the person you want to become Why your daily routines (or lack of them) might be keeping you stu...

In this episode, Kayla sits down with functional nutritionist Karen Kennedy, author of Hack Your Blood Sugar , to discuss how continuous glucose monitor/ing (CGM) provides powerful insights into metabolism, insulin resistance, and overall health. If you’ve ever wondered whether CGMs are useful beyond diabetes—or how to interpret the data without feeling overwhelmed—this episode is packed with prac...

In Part 2 of this series on insulin, Kayla breaks down six common causes of insulin resistance and the practical lifestyle changes that can help improve it.  While diet certainly plays a role, factors like muscle mass, sleep, stress, hormones, and visceral fat can have a major impact on blood sugar and insulin levels. You’ll also learn how insulin resistance develops years before blood sugar or A1...

Many people think insulin is the bad guy behind weight gain and metabolic problems, but the truth is a little more nuanced. In this episode of the Sugar & Strength Podcast, Kayla breaks down the role of insulin in the body and explains why this misunderstood hormone is actually essential for survival. This is Part 1 of a 2-part series on insulin where we focus on the why—why insulin matters, h...

In this Ask Me Anything episode, Ruck Fit author Kayla Girgen, RD, CPT, answers questions about gear, pace, and performance. This episode is your tactical, practical guide to rucking and breaks down: Rucksack vs. weighted vest What’s considered a “good” ruck pace How to use intervals, strength training, and music to increase speed Footwear questions Grab Kayla’s book RuckFit: Build Strength and En...

In this episode, Kayla Girgen, RD, CPT, offers a balanced, honest breakdown of the nutritional risks, metabolic trade-offs, and real-world benefits of GLP-1 receptor agonist medications. These drugs are powerful tools, but they also come with side effects, financial commitment, and lesser-discussed concerns—like changes in motivation, mood, and enjoyment of food. You’ll learn: How GLP-1 receptor a...

In this first AMA (Ask Me Anything) episode of the Sugar & Strength Podcast, host Kayla Girgen, RD, LD, CPT, pulls back the curtain to share the heart behind the podcast and a character profile ChatGPT created about her, offering listeners a deeper look into her journey and values. From there, she dives into Sugar & Strength Academy members’ questions. In this episode, you’ll discover: - H...

In this episode, Kayla breaks down why muscle is about so much more than aesthetics, and why strength and movement are foundational to metabolism, blood sugar balance, and long-term health. In this episode, you’ll learn: - What makes muscle the most “metabolically active” tissue in the body - Fat loss vs. weight loss—and why the scale can be misleading - Why being a “slow loser” can actually be a...

In this foundational episode of the Sugar & Strength Podcast, Kayla Girgen, RD, LD, CPT breaks down why blood sugar balance matters far beyond diabetes, including how it connects to weight loss, energy, metabolic health, and long-term disease prevention. Kayla walks through the short-term and long-term benefits of stabilizing blood sugar and introduces continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) as a...

In this first episode of the Sugar & Strength Podcast , Kayla Girgen, RD, LD, CPT, shares the vision behind the podcast and what listeners can expect. From blood sugar balance and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to functional fitness and rucking, this podcast cuts through health and nutrition noise with layered, nuanced conversations. Grounded in Kayla’s experience as a Registered Dietitia...