Mikkipedia

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In this episode, Mikki speaks with Hannah Cabre from Pennington Biomedical Research Center about energy expenditure, body composition, ageing, and what really happens to metabolism through midlife and b...

In this Mini Mikkipedia episode, Mikki unpacks the real-world pros, cons and practicalities of food tracking. While macro counting is often sold as the “gold standard,” Mikki explains why tracking is less about complexity and more about the time, accuracy and skill required to do it well. She covers why beginners often underestimate the learning curve, how app databases can mislead, and why weighing food, logging extras and understanding raw versus cooked weights matter. The episode also explores the evidence around self-monitoring, adherence drop-off, photo-based tracking, and why consistency often matters more than perfection. Ultimately, tracking is framed as a to...

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This week on the podcast Mikki speaks to returning guest Michelle Matangi about mindset around food, weight loss, weight loss maintenance and more. This is a special episode, and was originally part of the Mondays Matter curriculum, a Zoom call held with members earlier this year. As part of that, Michelle shares her own updated journey with her health and wellbeing, something she is very transparent about, of which is so helpful...

In this Mini-Mikkipedia episode, Mikki explores the emerging intersection between GLP-1 medications and ADHD, particularly around appetite, impulsivity, reward-seeking behaviour, and food noise. While there is currently no direct evidence that GLP-1s improve attention or focus, there is growing interest in how these medications act on brain reward circuits involved in compulsive eating, cue reactivity, alcohol intake, and other hedonic behaviours. Mikki breaks down why ADHD is more than an attention issue, explaining its links with dopamine regulation, obesity risk, binge eating, and emotional eating patterns. She also discusses why GLP-1s may be helpful for some adults...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Dr Matt Bernstein, a physician working in the emerging field of metabolic psychiatry, which explores the connection between brain health, m...

In this Mini Mikkipedia episode, Mikki explores whether fruit and vegetables really “boost” immunity in the way we often hear during winter. While produce absolutely supports health, the clinical evidence suggests its immune benefits are more specific than the marketing implies, especially for those starting from a low intake. Mikki unpacks research on fruit and vegetable intake, vaccine response, vitamin C loss in stored produce, and why frozen vegetables deserve more respect. She then broadens the conversation into what actually moves the needle for immune resilience: adequate energy intake, sufficient protein, correcting true vitamin D and zinc deficiencies, and supp...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Brad Currier, Science Lead at Timeline Nutrition and lead author of the recent American College of Sports Medicine position stand on resistance training.

In this episode, the conversation begins with Urolithin A and Mitopure, exploring what it is, what it does in the body, and why it has become an area of interest for mitochondrial health and muscle function. Brad explains the...

In this Mini Mikkiepdia episode, Mikki takes a fresh look at omega-3 fatty acids beyond the usual “good for your heart and brain” message. She explores emerging and lesser-known research on omega-3s and their potential role in protecting muscle during immobilisation, supporting fertility and oocyte quality, reducing period pain, improving submaximal exercise efficiency, and possibly influencing dementia and colorectal polyp risk. Mikki also discusses the difference between marine omega-3s like EPA and DHA, and plant-based ALA, including surprising findings in motor neurone disease research. With practical dosing context, cautions around study limitations, and a reminder to consider omeg...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Melissa Koehl, a physical therapist and movement specialist living with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, who brings both clinical expertise and lived e...

This week’s Mini Mikkipedia takes a closer look at multivitamins, nutrient status, and whether a daily broad-spectrum supplement may support cognitive ageing. Mikki discusses the COSMOS trial, a large randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that examined multivitamin use in older adults, with a particular focus on the cognitive findings from its ancillary studies. While the parent trial did not show significant benefits for cancer or cardiovascular disease, the cognitive studies found consistent benefits for episodic memory, with effects estimated to be equivalent to slowing cognitive ageing by around two to three years. Mikki also unpacks the limitations, including modest ef...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Dr Matt Nagra, a naturopathic doctor and researcher known for his evidence-based perspective on nutrition, with a particular focus on plant-based diets and chronic disease.

In this episode, the conversation tackles one of the most debated topics in nutrition right now: protein. Matt helps unpack why protein has become such a focal point, how to interpret the current evidence...

In this Mini Mikkipedia episode, Mikki explores the concept of metabolic memory—a powerful and often overlooked driver of long-term health. Drawing on landmark studies like DCCT and UKPDS, she explains how periods of poor metabolic health can leave a lasting imprint, continuing to influence disease risk even after markers like blood glucose are brought back under control. But it’s not all bad news. Mikki also unpacks the flip side: how positive adaptations from training, nutrition, and metabolic challenges can create a beneficial “memory” that helps the body rebound faster and perform better over time. From epigenetics to mitochon...

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This week on the podcast Mikki speaks to returning guest Professor Emeritus Don Layman, a leading nutrition scientist whose work has been central to how we understand protein, m...

In this Mini Mikkipedia episode, Mikki breaks down one of the most persistent nutrition debates: are high-protein diets actually harmful? Drawing on a recent perspective paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, she unpacks common claims around kidney damage, bone loss, diabetes risk, and reduced longevity. Rather than dismissing concerns outright, Mikki walks through what the research truly shows, highlighting key methodological flaws, the limits of observational data, and the importance of context. From overfeeding studies to real-world dietary patterns, this episode challenges headline-driven narratives and brings nuance back into the conversation. If you’ve ever questioned wh...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to naturopath Rachel Arthur, who specialises in micronutrients and their role in human health and performance. In this conversation, they take a step back from the noise around supplements and dig into what actually matters when it comes to nutrient status.

Rachel shares her perspective on how we assess whether people are truly well nourished, why intake doesn’t always reflect what the bo...

This week, Mikki breaks down one of the most common (and misunderstood) questions in fat loss and health: what should your body fat percentage actually be? Drawing on current research, she explains why body fat isn’t just “dead weight” but an active endocrine organ that plays a critical role in metabolism, hormones, and overall health. Mikki unpacks the difference between subcutaneous and visceral fat, why where you store fat matters, and how risk increases at higher levels. She also explores the lack of a universal “ideal” number, highlighting how factors like age, sex, and ethnicity influence healthy ranges. Finally, s...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to David Scott, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at Monash University and a leading expert in muscle health, ageing, and body composition.

This week, Mikki breaks down a major 2025 study using UK Biobank wearable data to challenge one of the most widely accepted rules in exercise science. For decades, we’ve been told that one minute of vigorous activity equals two minutes of moderate activity. But the data tells a very different story. Drawing from over 73,000 participants, this episode unpacks how vigorous movement may be four to ten times more effective depending on the health outcome. Mikki explains what actually counts as “vigorous” (it’s more accessible than you think), the physiological mechanisms driving these benefits, and how small bursts of effort t...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to returning guest Associate Professor José Areta to unpack one of the most debated topics in sports nutrition: energy availability, and what really happens when intake drops below demand.

José takes a clear, physiology-first approach to explaining what energy availability actually means, why it has become such a dominant concept in exercise science, and whether the current narrative has become overly black-and-white. They ex...

In this Mini Mikkipedia episode, Mikki unpacks one of the most common yet misunderstood issues in modern health: the interplay between cortisol, stress, poor sleep, and elevated heart rate. Using a real community question as the foundation, she explains why feeling “wired but tired” isn’t a personal failing, but a physiological response to chronic, unresolved stress.

Mikki walks through how cortisol actually works, why both exercise and life stress use the same biological pathways, and what happens when your system never fully downregulates. She also explores the role of the HPA axis, autonomic nervous system imbalance, and wh...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki and Brandon DaCruz — coach, educator, and one of the sharpest minds in physique and performance nutrition - answer questions derived from their soc...

This week on Mini Mikkipedia, Mikki breaks down one of the most misunderstood topics in fat loss: the difference between visceral fat and stubborn subcutaneous fat. While often lumped together, these two fat types behave very differently—and require completely different strategies.

Mikki explains why visceral fat, despite being more harmful metabolically, is actually easier to lose and highly responsive to aerobic exercise—even without weight loss. She also unpacks why stubborn fat (think lower belly, hips, thighs) is slower to shift, driven by different receptor biology and requiring sustained consistency over time.

This episode is e...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Dr Jocelyn Wittstein, orthopaedic surgeon and researcher, about the often overlooked intersection between nutrition, metabolism, and musculoskeletal health in women.

With a background that uniquely bridges nutrition and medicine, Dr Wittstein brings a broader lens to joint, bone, and tendon health—moving beyond purely mechanical explanations to explore how lifestyle, dietary patterns, and metabolic health shape outcomes across the li...

In this Mini Mikkipedia episode, Mikki breaks down a newly published narrative review examining whether menopause truly slows metabolism. While the common narrative suggests an inevitable metabolic decline, the reality is far more nuanced. Mikki walks through the evidence on resting metabolic rate, fat oxidation, physical activity, and sleep—highlighting where menopause may play a role and where age, muscle mass, and behaviour are more influential. She also unpacks a key overlooked factor: sleep disruption, and its downstream effects on fat oxidation and energy balance. Importantly, this episode challenges the idea that menopause overrides energy balance, instead reinforcing that fo...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Dr Justin Keogh, exercise scientist and behavioural researcher, about the often underappreciated role of resistance training in healthy ageing, disease p...

In this Mini Mikkipedia episode, Mikki breaks down why short eating windows and time-restricted eating (TRE) don’t always deliver the fat loss results people expect—especially for active women. Drawing on key research, including the TREAT trial and Sutton’s early time-restricted feeding study, she explains how compressing your eating window doesn’t reliably reduce calorie intake and may even compromise body composition.

Mikki also explores the interaction between exercise and appetite, highlighting how fasted training combined with delayed eating can amplify hunger signals and drive overeating later in the day. The takeaway? It’s not a willpowe...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Darryl Edwards, movement coach and founder of the Primal Play Method, about rethinking exercise through the lens of play, biology, and human nature.

In this conversation, they explore why so many adults lose their natural instinct to move, and how modern, structured exercise may be missing something fundamental. Darryl shares how playful, varied movement aligns more closely with our evolutionary design, and...

If you feel in control all day but lose it at night, this episode explains why—and it’s not a discipline problem. Mikki breaks down the physiology behind evening hunger, showing how under-eating earlier in the day, low protein intake, and unstable blood glucose create a cumulative energy deficit your body is wired to correct. She explores the roles of key appetite hormones like ghrelin, leptin, GLP-1, and PYY, along with the impact of stress hormones, cognitive fatigue, and circadian rhythms.

This episode reframes nighttime hunger as a predictable biological response, not a personal failure. Mikki also...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Dr Philip Prins, researcher and expert in exercise metabolism, about a new paper examining one of the most widely accepted i...

In this Mini Mikkipedia episode, Mikki breaks down the rapidly growing world of obesity pharmacotherapy, focusing on GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide and the newer dual GLP-1/GIP drugs such as tirzepatide. With more people beginning these medications, understanding how they work—and how to use them effectively—has never been more important. Mikki explains the biology behind appetite regulation, the clinical trial data showing significant weight loss, and why these drugs are best viewed as long-term treatments rather than short courses. The episode also dives into the practical realities many people face once they start therapy: managing common gast...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Dr. Eric Ravussin, one of the world’s leading researchers in human metabolism, obesity, and energy balance. Over several decades, Dr. Ravussin’s work has helped reshape how scientists think about body weight regulation, moving the conversation beyond the simplistic idea of “calories in versus calories out” to a deeper understanding of the biology that governs appetite, energy expenditure, and fat storage.

In this...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Dr Libby Weaver about one of the most overlooked — and underestimated — drivers of women’s health challenges: iron. 

Dr Libby...

Is breakfast really the key to weight loss—or is that just a decades-old narrative we’ve never properly questioned?

In this Mini Mikkipedia episode, Mikki unpacks what the highest-quality research actually says about breakfast and fat loss. While observational data suggests breakfast eaters tend to be leaner, randomized controlled trials tell a different story: simply adding breakfast doesn’t cause weight loss—and may even increase daily calorie intake.

But that’s not the end of it. When we zoom in on meal timing and breakfast composition, a more useful pattern emerges. A protein-rich, substantia...

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This week on the podcast Mikki chats to Dr Cliff Harvey about what’s trending in 2026 in the nutrition and health space amongst a host of other topics!

Cliff Harvey, PhD, is New Zealand’s expert on the effects of a ketogenic diet in a healthy population, but so much more than that. He has been  helping people to live healthier, happier lives, and to perform better since...

Artificial sweeteners—especially aspartame—have become one of the most controversial topics in nutrition. Does aspartame spike insulin? Trigger hunger? Disrupt metabolism? Increase diabetes risk?

In this Mini Mikkipedia episode, Mikki breaks down a comprehensive meta-analysis published in Advances in Nutrition reviewing over 100 human randomized controlled trials on aspartame. The findings challenge many of the common narratives circulating online.

You’ll learn what actually happens to blood glucose, insulin, appetite hormones, and calorie intake when people consume aspartame—and why the feared “insulin spike without glucose” mechanism doesn’t hold up physiologically. Mikki also unpacks concerns aroun...

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This week on the podcast Mikki speaks to Sarah Kennedy, cofounder of Calocurb. They discuss the origins of the product and how Amarasate was discovered, how it works, w...

On this episode of Mikkipedia, Mikki tackles binge eating behaviours and why the traditional “just eat less” approach often fails. She clarifies the difference between occasional overeating and true binge episodes, including the defining feature of loss of control, and outlines the DSM-5 criteria for binge eating disorder (for education, not self-diagnosis). Mikki then unpacks the physiology and psychology driving the restriction–binge cycle: dopamine and reward circuitry, cortisol and stress, shifts in ghrelin and leptin during calorie deficits, and the classic “what-the-hell effect” described in restraint theory. Most importantly, she offers practical strategies — predictable meals, adequate protein and energy, flex...

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks with Ashley Borden, an award-winning personal trainer and long-time fitness industry leader with decades of experience. This is a wide-ranging conversation about fitness and health, but also about standards, expectations, and what it really means to work in the fitness industry over the long haul. Ashley draws on her years of hands-on coaching and industry experience to reflect on how the space has evolved, what’s...

Most people don’t quit fat loss at the start, when motivation is high, or at the end, when results are obvious. They quit in the middle. In this Mini Micropedia episode, Mikki unpacks why the middle phase of fat loss feels so uncomfortable, confusing, and tempting to abandon—and why it’s actually where success is decided. Drawing on Seth Godin’s concept of The Dip, Mikki explains how slowing scale changes, rising hunger, reduced novelty, and fuzzy feedback loops can make perfectly normal progress feel like failure. She breaks down the physiological and psychological shifts that happen during s...