Vanessa G Fitcast

Your doctor could be gatekeeping something that could transform your health...   I know that's a bold statement and I wouldn't be saying it if I hadn't seen it change my life first hand and countless lives here at Vital Spark.   I'm talking about Dutch tests and GI Maps and while there are many doctors out there that embrace these tests, many do not are are stuck in their old ways of practicing.  ...

This might just be what you and your gut need in 2025...   We talk about gut health a lot on this show and for good reason. There are so many ways our gut affects our overall health including the areas of digestive wellness, our immune system and health, our gut brain axis that affects our mood and mental well-being, and so much more.   Our gut also plays a massive role in our metabolism and energ...

This might just be what you and your gut need in 2025...   We talk about gut health a lot on this show and for good reason. There are so many ways our gut affects our overall health including the areas of digestive wellness, our immune system and health, our gut brain axis that affects our mood and mental well-being, and so much more.   Our gut also plays a massive role in our metabolism and energ...

I tried a lot of things for hormone health in 2024…   Some I've shared on social media and on this podcast and some have been complete flops that I will never share. I enjoy the trial and error and being a guinea pig for these modalities.   To save you a bunch of time and effort, I want to share with you what I'm taking into 2025 when it comes to health hacks and self care practices.   I'll list t...

Have you ever had a quote or short essay completely change how you look at something?   Whether it's gaining awareness about something new or looking at an old problem through a new lens, seeing and hearing other's perspectives can change our hearts and minds for better or for worse sometimes.   In today's episode, I want to focus around a central subject about how you feel in your body and the ma...

Everyone wants to know how to eat to balance your hormones and I wish it was an easy answer...   “Just tell me what to eat” people will ask.    I’m actually really happy that we as a culture have shifted away from the low fat of the 90’s, low carb of the early 2000’s, and the overall fearing calories of recent years, and are starting to bring awareness to eating FOR hormone health!    But we’re al...

I was baby-sitting a 5-year-old girl (NOT my perfect little niece from this video) when I found myself shocked into silence… ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ My goal to get her to take a shower suddenly felt unimportant as I watched her stand in front of the mirror, put her hands on her cute little 5-year-old belly, and say ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ “I’m fat.”⁣ ⁣ ⁣⁣No idea how to respond (I was 16 at the time), I defaulted to “don’t say th...

Would you believe me if I said the majority of our clients at Vital Spark consume 2000+ calories?    Many even higher!   In order to understand this, you need to understand BMR.   You have actual BMR, potential BMR, actual TDEE, and potential TDEE. Getting to potential TDEE will create a metabolism that is more forgiving to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle.   For those who don't know, BMR stands...

We officially hit 200 episodes! We appreciate all of you that have listened to one, all (DM us if you have) or anything in between!   Last episode we talked about how optimizing insulin and blood sugar is really the hidden gem for a lot of people’s hormone healing and weight loss journeys, we chatted about how to know if you are insulin resistant or on the path toward insulin resistance, and we wa...

Optimizing insulin and blood sugar is really the hidden gem for a lot of people’s hormone healing and weight loss journeys.   After consuming food, especially carbs, blood sugar levels rise. The pancreas detects this increase and releases insulin. Insulin facilitates the update of glucose by cells, promoting conversion into energy or storage as glycogen in the liver and muscles.   In periods of lo...

The REAL reason your weight isn't moving might surprise you...   And that reason has to do with how you are measuring your weight in the first place: the scale.   Most women will randomly step on the scale one day to see where they are at, or they weigh in at the doctors office. They’re shocked to see a number higher than they expected or heavier than they've ever been before. They decide to go on...

Trying to lose fat with a slow metabolism is just a waste of time...   Let me explain.   Your metabolism can be changed. Genetics play a role, but not as much as people think.   “Weight struggles run in my family”   73.6% of American adults aged 20 and older are considered overweight or obese, with around 40.3% classified as obese.   Only about 100 years ago, only 3-5% of Americans were overweight...

It's that time of year again and we totally understand if this season is filled with both excitement and anxiety...   There's a lot to look forward to for many people and these events have their positives and negatives. If this is the year you are going to stick to your nutrition goals and you want a blueprint for how to have those potentially awkward conversations with family and friends about it...

It's spooky season and we have a great topic for this week's podcast!   One of my biggest pet peeves is fear mongering and I always hated people fear mongering around toxins specifically because truthfully, I find it all very overwhelming.    But I also recognize that knowledge is power, and my learning more about toxins, what they are, how they actually impact your body from a science perspective...

The reason your reverse diet might not be working isn't your fault...   It still amazes me how much of the human body I'm still learning about and we are at Vital Spark coaching and every single year we get better and better as coaches and practitioner's helping our clients with their health and nutrition goals.   Back when we first covered reverse dieting on this podcast, I thought it was one of...

We took a rather unexpected family trip to Orlando this weekend and we're not gonna lie, it's been a long few days...   First off, we want to thank everyone who reached out to us during the hurricane checking in on us we really appreciate it! Although the damage to our house is far from ideal, everyone is safe in our family as well as the animals so that's what is really important.   There's a lea...

Why is everyone talking about hormones these days?   If you've been an avid listener to our show, you know we've been talking about hormones for years but why all the sudden is it becoming more and more popular on social media and in other outlets?   Moreover, why does it seem as though more and more women are developing hormonal issues and imbalances?   In today's episode, we are going to explore...

An open letter to anyone feeling like life is working against them...   It’s okay to not know the answer to the question around what will make you feel better, and it’s okay to feel sad about that.   We are so glad you are taking the space to process these feelings and you have come seeking advice because sometimes we need others to reflect different thought options and viewpoints to help us break...

As we've grown and evolved as a company, I look back on some of my prior opinions and I need to come clean...   Much like any industry, new information and new science comes out on an almost daily basis and we grow as a company and help more and more women, patterns and trends shift. New information provides new insights and there's a few things I've changed my mind on.   In today's episode, we're...

There are ways to induce fat loss without tracking calories or macros...   I do still believe that tracking calories and/or macros is a great way to lose fat because it will teach you lifelong tools that help you maintain the fat loss…    It's the best way to learn proper portion sizes, make sure you’re consistently eating in a calorie deficit to lose body fat, but also making sure you’re not unde...

It's been a stressful month with a lot going on and it inspired today's episode topic around stress, inflammation, and puffiness...   While these tips are absolutely not attacking the root cause of what may be causing inflammation, these tips have helped me over the years feel and look better for night's out or special occasions. It's been a rather stressful month or so as I had COVID recently alo...

A hypothyroid diagnosis can feel like a death sentence to your weight loss goals...   We're going to get a little nerdy today and talk about some intermediate to advanced physiology and thyroid health topics but don't be intimated especially if you suspect you have a thyroid issue or can't seem to lose weight no matter how many calories you slash.   First, your thyroid gland is your master metabol...

Vulnerability moment: I don’t like talking about this because I get in my head thinking that sharing about my mental health struggles discredits me as a coach, but I know that more people struggle with anxiety or depression and feel alone and in the dark about it than not, and I hope that these tips are helpful for those of you, and also gives an example of how you can have these tendencies but th...

It's that time of year again and this year, it's time to make your health and fitness a priority...   Summer can be a more lenient time when it comes to our health and nutrition habits (I find myself ordering out more and going out to restaurants more too) but as the kids go back to school and you're settling into a new routine, if you want to make your health a priority, it starts with momentum....

We finally have our amazing assistant coach Rae on the podcast!   So many great things to say about Rae and we wanted you to hear her story from the woman herself! She has a relatable story growing up being in dance and scrutinizing every part of her body in the mirror back then.   She initially went into nursing to help people but found her true calling in dietetics and now helping women around m...