Mikkipedia

Sign up to my fatloss in the festive season webinar here. https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/fatloss-in-the-festive-season-2026Save 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKIPEDIA at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.comCurranz Supplement: Use code MIKKIPEDIA to get 20% off your first order - go to www.curranz.co.nz  or www.curranz.co.uk to order yours NZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nzEpisode SummaryBrandon DaCruz is an online nutrition and physique coach and the host of the Chasing Clarity Health and Fitness podcast, and he is a familiar voice to Mikkipedia listeners. In the latest Mikkipedia and Chasing Clarity collaboration, he and Mikki put together a protein masterclass, working through the questions they are asked most: how much protein you need, how that changes with your goal and life stage, and which details deserve your attention.They cover why protein is still so confusing despite being added to everything from yoghurt to chocolate bars, why resistance training and protein work together, the difference between the RDA and an intake that supports muscle, and why needs rise in a calorie deficit. They also discuss lean mass loss in people with a lot of excess body fat and those on GLP-1 medications, protein and appetite, protein quality and plant versus animal sources, how much protein one meal can use, and the anabolic window. Brandon finishes with practical starting points for muscle gain, recomposition, fat loss and very lean athletes, and Mikki does the same for endurance athletes, older adults and vegans.Key TopicsWhy protein advice is still confusing: "proteinification" of food, lingering myths about kidney harm, and experts with similar authority saying very different thingsWhy training creates the signal for muscle growth and protein supports the response, and why adding protein without resistance training does little for muscleHow much people actually eat: Mikki sees most clients under-eating protein even when they think every meal is covered, and Brandon sees protein skewed towards dinner and dropping at weekends, in men as well as womenThe RDA of 0.8 g/kg is an adequacy figure, not a target for muscle; around 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg covers most of the benefit for people training at maintenance or in a surplus, while Mikki aims for at least 1.8 g/kg for endurance athletes and around 2 g/kg for those eating lower carbFat loss: a deficit suppresses muscle protein synthesis, so Brandon scales protein with the risk of muscle loss, from around 1.9 g/kg up to 2.5 to 3.2 g/kg for very lean and physique athletesLean mass and GLP-1s: why Brandon worries less about some lean mass loss in people with a lot of excess body fat, and how DEXA "lean mass" includes more than muscleDon Layman's informal 100 g a day floor, and why both hosts increase protein in steps rather than all at onceProtein and satiety: protein is the most filling macronutrient, but fibre, water, energy density, food volume and regular meal timing matter too, and protein-fortified snacks are still processed foodProtein quality and plant-based diets: leucine and the full essential amino acid profile, what vegan and mycoprotein trials show, leucine in plant protein powders, and why Mikki adds an essential amino acid powder for plant-based athletesPer-meal protein and timing: the body can use more than 20 to 30 g at once, three to five protein meals a day works well, and the post-workout window is wider than 30 minutes, though protein soon after fasted training still mattersChapters00:00 Introducing Brandon and the protein masterclass03:13 Why protein still confuses people08:06 Protein, resistance training and muscle15:54 How much protein people actually eat22:28 The RDA versus an optimal intake27:50 Protein needs for endurance athletes30:15 Protein needs during fat loss39:50 Lean mass, excess body fat and GLP-1s47:45 A 100 gram floor and building up gradually52:35 Satiety and metabolic health1:02:14 Protein quality and plant versus animal sources1:17:21 Per-meal protein, distribution and timing1:26:10 Practical targets by goal and populationGuest / ResourcesBrandon DaCruzInstagram: @brandondacruz_Website: brandondacruzfit.comChasing Clarity: Health & Fitness Podcast, on all major podcast platformsChasing Clarity EP. 93, Dr Scott Stevenson on whether there is an upper limit to protein-stimulated muscle anabolism (the Trommelen study): listen hereEarlier Mikkipedia episodes mentionedMikkipedia 482, Brandon DaCruz on body recomposition: podcast.mikkiwilliden.com/482Mikkipedia 492, Rapid fat loss with Brandon DaCruz: podcast.mikkiwilliden.com/492Mikkipedia 466, Prof. Don Layman on protein, policy and dietary guidelines: podcast.mikkiwilliden.com/466Mikkipedia 238, Putting perspective on protein with Prof. Don Layman: podcast.mikkiwilliden.com/238Mikkipedia 460, José Areta on energy deficit and muscle adaptation: podcast.mikkiwilliden.com/460Why protein matters and how much people eatBrenner BM, Meyer TW, Hostetter TH. Dietary protein intake and the progressive nature of kidney disease. N Engl J Med, 1982 (the "Brenner hypothesis"): doi.org/10.1056/NEJM198209093071104Mertz KH et al. The effect of daily protein supplementation, with or without resistance training for 1 year, on muscle size, strength, and function in healthy older adults. Am J Clin Nutr, 2021: doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa372Layman DK et al. Dietary protein and exercise have additive effects on body composition during weight loss in adult women. J Nutr, 2005: doi.org/10.1093/jn/135.8.1903Bray GA et al. Effect of dietary protein content on weight gain, energy expenditure, and body composition during overeating. JAMA, 2012: doi.org/10.1001/jama.2011.1918University of Otago and Ministry of Health. A Focus on Nutrition: Key Findings of the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey, 2011 (protein chapter): health.govt.nzHow much protein for muscleMorton RW et a...

Sign up to my fatloss in the festive season webinar here. https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/fatloss-in-the-festive-season-2026Episode SummaryIn this solo Monday episode, Mikki tackles a question she gets constantly from clients and on social media: why the scales can jump two kilos after a big weekend when that much fat gain seems impossible. She traces the familiar rule that a kilo of fat is worth about 7,700 calories (3,500 per pound) back to Wishnofsky's 1958 paper. She explains why it is a reasonable estimate of the energy stored in mostly-fat body weight, but a poor prediction of how much fat a given surplus will add.Using overfeeding studies, including the Levine NEAT study and the Bouchard identical twin study, Mikki works through three problems with the rule: extra food isn't all stored, not all weight gain is fat, and energy balance shifts as your body changes. She then reruns the maths on a genuinely big weekend and shows why a Monday-morning jump is mostly glycogen, water, salt and food in transit. That understanding should change what you do next.Key TopicsWhere the 7,700 calorie (3,500 kcal per pound) rule came from, and why it is defensible as an estimate of the energy in a kilo of mostly-fat body weightThe difference between a kilo of pure lipid, a kilo of adipose tissue and a kilo on the scales, which can represent anything from about 1,000 to more than 9,000 caloriesWhy digesting and storing food costs energy, and why a carbohydrate surplus is stored a little less efficiently than a fat surplus without meaning carbs cause more fat gainWhat extra protein changes during overfeeding: in a metabolic ward study fat gain was similar across protein intakes, but higher-protein diets added lean tissue and raised resting energy expenditureHow NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) explained much of the tenfold difference in fat storage between people eating the same surplusThe identical twin overfeeding study: about 11 kg predicted by the rule, 8.1 kg gained on average, with a range of 4.3 to 13.3 kg and responses that clustered within twin pairs. Mikki notes that these were young men, and the results can't be mapped directly onto women in perimenopauseHow glycogen and water, sodium, alcohol and food in the gut drive short-term jumps on the scales, and why the water-to-glycogen ratio isn't as fixed as often statedWhy energy balance isn't static, and why the energy content of each kilo lost is lower early in a diet and in leaner peopleRerunning the maths: roughly 9,000–11,000 surplus calories to add a kilo of fat tissue, and around 400–500 g of fat at most from a 4,500 calorie weekend surplusWhy the 7,700 rule creates false precision in both directions, from panic after a big weekend to disappointment after week one of a new planChapters00:00 Introduction: the Monday morning weigh-in02:52 Where the 7,700 calorie rule comes from05:17 Why extra food isn't all stored07:30 NEAT and the twin overfeeding study10:29 Glycogen, water and short-term weight gain13:00 Why energy balance isn't static16:15 What a kilo on the scales really means18:09 Big weekends, new diets and what to do nextGuest / ResourcesWishnofsky (1958), Caloric Equivalents of Gained or Lost Weight, American Journal of Clinical NutritionHorton et al. (1995), Fat and carbohydrate overfeeding in humans: different effects on energy storage, American Journal of Clinical NutritionAntonio et al. (2014), The effects of consuming a high protein diet (4.4 g/kg/d) on body composition in resistance-trained individuals, Journal of the International Society of Sports NutritionBray et al. (2012), Effect of dietary protein content on weight gain, energy expenditure, and body composition during overeating, JAMALevine, Eberhardt and Jensen (1999), Role of nonexercise activity thermogenesis in resistance to fat gain in humans, ScienceBouchard et al. (1990), The response to long-term overfeeding in identical twins, New England Journal of MedicineOlsson and Saltin (1970), Variation in total body water with muscle glycogen changes in man, Acta Physiologica ScandinavicaHall and Chow (2013), Why is the 3500 kcal per pound weight loss rule wrong?, International Journal of ObesityLeibel, Rosenbaum and Hirsch (1995), Changes in energy expenditure resulting from altered body weight, New England Journal of MedicineHeymsfield et al. (2012), Energy content of weight loss: kinetic features during voluntary caloric restriction, Metabolism Contact Mikki:https://mikkiwilliden.com/https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutritionhttps://www.instagram.com/mikkiwilliden/https://linktr.ee/mikkiwillidenNZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nzSave 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKI at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.comCurranz supplement: MIKKI saves you 25% at www.curranz.co.nz or www.curranz.co.uk off your first order

Sign up to my fatloss in the festive season webinar here. https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/fatloss-in-the-festive-season-2026Save 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKIPEDIA at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.comCurranz Supplement: Use code MIKKIPEDIA to get 20% off your first order - go to www.curranz.co.nz  or www.curranz.co.uk to order yours NZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nzEpisode SummaryDr Matthew Cook is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Worcester in the UK. He completed the first PhD examining the effects of New Zealand blackcurrant on physiological responses at rest and during exercise in trained cyclists, under Prof Mark Willems at the University of Chichester, and he is still researching blackcurrant and performance, recovery and health. Mikki has used CurraNZ for years, including during the Grand to Grand Ultra, and wanted to hear from one of the researchers behind the evidence. Matt explains what is in New Zealand blackcurrant, why his group thinks the metabolites formed after we eat anthocyanins matter more than the anthocyanins themselves, and how an extract compares with eating the whole fruit.The centre of the conversation is Matt's recent meta-analysis of 15 studies and 226 participants, which found a consistent increase in fat oxidation during exercise. Matt is careful about the size of it: about 0.042 grams of fat a minute, or roughly 2.5 to 3 grams over an hour of moderate exercise, "physiologically detectable" and possibly meaningful, but modest. He also notes that more fat use does not automatically mean glycogen sparing. They talk about why some people respond more than others, including a study where women with more body fat responded more (an observation in 11 women that needs repeating), and how little is known about perimenopausal, menopausal or insulin-resistant women. Matt finishes with the most-studied dosing protocol, timing before events and the evidence on recovery.Key TopicsMatt's path from an undergraduate degree at Southampton Solent University to a master's and PhD at the University of Chichester, and his ongoing collaboration with Prof Mark WillemsWhat makes New Zealand blackcurrant distinctive: high UV exposure, an anthocyanin profile dominated by delphinidin and cyanidin, and the idea that metabolites made in the liver and by gut bacteria drive the effectsWhole fruit versus extract: two capsules (600 mg) give about 210 mg of anthocyanins, roughly 70 to 80 g of fresh fruit by Matt's rough calculation, with seasonality, consistent dosing and fibre load favouring an extractThe consistent finding that blackcurrant shifts fuel use towards fat at the same exercise intensity, and why that does not automatically equal glycogen sparingMatt's meta-analysis of 15 studies and 226 participants: a pooled increase in fat oxidation of 0.042 g per minute, about 20 kcal over an hour, and why percentage changes can look larger than they areA study of 11 men and 11 women: both increased fat use, but only in women did the size of the response track body fat percentage, an observation Matt says needs repeatingResearch gaps in women across the lifespan, including perimenopause, menopause, insulin resistance and higher body fat, since most participants so far have been men or lean, active womenResponders and non-responders: people burning more carbohydrate at baseline (a higher RER) had more room to respond, and why a smartwatch cannot measure RERA Liverpool John Moores University muscle biopsy study showing greater use of fat stored inside type 1 muscle fibres, and what that might mean beyond athletesPractical dosing: 600 mg a day split morning and evening, starting seven days before an event, two capsules about two hours before the start, practising in training first, and some evidence for taking it for a few days after damaging exercise to help recoveryChapters00:00 Introduction03:53 Matt's background and blackcurrant research09:53 Anthocyanins, metabolites and the gut18:20 Whole fruit versus extract24:28 Fat oxidation during exercise27:39 Putting the meta-analysis effect in context31:59 Men, women and body fat36:48 Responders and non-responders40:22 Baseline fuel use and RER43:18 Muscle fat use and metabolic health50:43 Dosing, timing and recovery54:29 Upcoming research and contact detailsGuest / ResourcesDr Matthew Cook, University of Worcester: worcester.ac.uk/discover/matthew-cook.html. Matt says his email address and papers are listed on this page, and he would like to hear from people and coaches who have used blackcurrantCook MD, Bateman JJ, Willems MET. Blackcurrant Anthocyanin Supplementation Alters Exercise-Induced Substrate Utilization - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2026: doi.org/10.1080/19390211.2026.2624114Cook MD, Shan Y, Willems MET. Effects of New Zealand Black Currant Extract on Exercising Substrate Utilization and Postexercise Blood Pressure in Men and Women. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2025: doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2024-0108Willems MET, Cook MD. Alterations of Exercise-Induced Carbohydrate and Fat Oxidation by Anthocyanin-Rich New Zealand Blackcurrant Are Associated with the Pre-Intervention Metabolic Function: A Secondary Analysis of Randomized Crossover Trials. Nutrients, 2025: doi.org/10.3390/nu17060997The Liverpool John Moores University muscle biopsy study: Jones LA, Leung L, Barrett JS, Fortis HO, Strauss JA, Shepherd SO. New Zealand blackcurrant extract augments muscle glycogen storage at rest and enhances intramuscular triglyceride degradation during prolonged exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2026: doi.org/10.1007/s00421-025-05995-9Prof Mark Willems, University of Chichester, Matt's PhD supervisor and long-time collaboratorCurraNZ, the New Zealand blackcurrant extract used in this research, is a sponsor of the show. Use the code MIKKIPEDIA for a discount: curranz.co.nzMikki's earlier episodes with Fleur Cushman of CurraNZ, including Fleur Cushman - the science behind blackcurrants Contact Mikki:https://mikkiwilliden.com/https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutritionhttps://www.instagram.com/mikkiwilliden/https://linktr.ee/mikkiwilliden

Sign up to my fatloss in the festive season webinar here. https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/fatloss-in-the-festive-season-2026Episode SummaryIn this episode, Mikki looks at three tests clients keep bringing to her that sound scientific but don't deliver what they promise: live and dry blood analysis, skin carotenoid scanners and IgG food intolerance panels. For each one she explains what the test actually measures, what it is sold as measuring, and why the gap between the two matters when people end up on a raft of supplements or a long list of foods to avoid.She also walks through a 2025 randomised, sham-controlled trial of an IgG-guided elimination diet in IBS. The effect was real but modest, and the sham group did well too. Mikki explains why that trial doesn't justify the commercial panels sold online. She finishes with the tests and approaches that are worth your money if you have gut symptoms, fatigue or suspected food reactions.Key TopicsWhy live and dry blood analysis is appealing when your standard bloods are "in range" but you still feel unwell, and why what practitioners point to on the slide is clotting and drying artefactBlood pH is tightly regulated at around 7.4, so a test claiming to show your blood is "acidic" isn't measuring anything realRobert O. Young, author of The pH Miracle and a prominent promoter of live blood analysis, was convicted in the US of practising medicine without a licenceSkin carotenoid scanners use a genuine technique and measure a real biomarker, but the score mostly reflects fruit and vegetable intake and says nothing about iron, B12, vitamin D, zinc, thyroid or overall antioxidant statusThe conflict of interest when the scanner's manufacturer also sells the supplements that raise your scoreIgE versus IgG: why IgG to foods largely tracks what you eat, and why rising IgG4 signals tolerance rather than intoleranceWhy ASCIA, the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology advise against IgG food testingWhat the 2025 IgG-guided elimination diet trial in IBS did and didn't show: 59.6% vs 42.1% responders, roughly one extra responder for every six people, using an 18-food research assay rather than a commercial panelThe costs of unnecessary restriction: avoiding 15–30 everyday foods, food fear in midlife, and months of delay before a proper diagnosisBetter routes: specialist assessment and specific IgE for allergy, coeliac serology before removing gluten, breath testing for lactose, and a supervised low FODMAP trial with reintroduction for IBSChapters00:00 Introduction00:45 Live and dry blood analysis05:28 Skin carotenoid scanners07:54 IgG food intolerance panels11:02 The IgG-guided elimination diet trial14:28 The harms of unnecessary restriction16:13 Better ways to investigate symptomsGuest / ResourcesRobert O. Young, author of The pH MiracleDr Jim Faed, haematologist, University of Otago Medical School, quoted in the NZ Herald (April 2025) on clinics offering live blood analysisPharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner (S3), a Nu Skin skin carotenoid scannerVeggie Meter, a research-grade skin carotenoid deviceEuropean Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) task force report on IgG4 testing to foodsAmerican Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI)ASCIA, the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and AllergySingh et al. (2025), A Novel, IBS-Specific IgG ELISA-Based Elimination Diet in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial, GastroenterologyLow FODMAP diet (supervised, with reintroduction) Contact Mikki:https://mikkiwilliden.com/https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutritionhttps://www.instagram.com/mikkiwilliden/https://linktr.ee/mikkiwillidenNZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nzSave 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKI at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.comCurranz supplement: MIKKI saves you 25% at www.curranz.co.nz or www.curranz.co.uk off your first order

Sign up to my fatloss in the festive season webinar here. https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/fatloss-in-the-festive-season-2026Save 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKIPEDIA at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.comCurranz Supplement: Use code MIKKIPEDIA to get 20% off your first order - go to www.curranz.co.nz  or www.curranz.co.uk to order yours NZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nzEpisode SummaryDr Lara Courtenay is a New Zealand-trained GP and bariatric physician with the Weightless Specialist Team at the MacMurray Centre in Auckland, and she has worked in obesity medicine since 2020. Mikki has talked about GLP-1 medications with plenty of international researchers and doctors, so after hearing Lara speak for the Goodfellow Unit she wanted a New Zealand view from someone working with patients every day. Lara explains why GP knowledge of these medications here is variable, and why, in her clinic, the dietitians and psychologists around the medication matter as much as the prescription itself.They talk about perimenopausal women who are doing everything right and still cannot shift fat, and Lara's analogy of the medication letting go of the handbrake. They also cover prescribing criteria and the limits of BMI, dose escalation and cost, appetite and food noise, and why some plateaus come from eating too little, where Lara's clinic often lowers the dose and has people eat more. Lara is candid about what she does not know. She says the evidence suggests most people need to stay on something long term, that she cannot predict who will manage without it, and that her view on high-intensity exercise is clinic advice she "could be wrong" about. The conversation finishes with regular eating and breakfast, exercise intensity and HRT.Key TopicsWhy knowledge of GLP-1 medications among New Zealand GPs is "variable": some GPs will not discuss them and refer on, while others are highly skilled prescribersHow Lara came into obesity medicine through gastric balloons in 2020, and a clinic model where patients could not get the medication without seeing a dietitianOlder options such as Saxenda and Contrave, which could work well, and how much of the shift to the weekly drugs is effectiveness versus marketing and online hypePerimenopausal women who exercise, eat well and still cannot lose fat, and Lara's explanation that the medication lets go of the handbrakePrescribing from a person's heaviest documented weight, taking ethnicity into account, and why both Lara and Mikki see BMI and the word "obesity" as flawedDose escalation in practice: a set schedule to start, then stopping wherever each person needs to stop, with nutritional needs always met, and cost as one of the biggest barriersWhether people can come off these medications: Lara has seen some "unicorns" do it, but she says the evidence points to most people needing something long term and she cannot tell in advance who will manageAppetite and food noise: most people get some appetite restriction, being hungry on the medication is not a failure, and Lara is now seeing patients who escalated without support and under-ateWhy people plateau, including strict eaters falling short on fats and nutrients, and why Lara's clinic often lowers the dose and tells people to eat moreThe clinic dietitians' advice on regular eating and eating before 10am, why high-intensity exercise is not always the best fit during weight loss, and Lara's strong support for HRTChapters00:00 Introduction02:58 GLP-1 knowledge among New Zealand GPs05:31 From gastric balloons to obesity medicine08:24 Older drugs, newer drugs and support11:43 Perimenopause and releasing the handbrake13:39 Prescribing criteria, BMI and the scales18:03 Dose escalation and cost20:53 Coming off the medication25:59 Appetite, under-eating and food noise32:28 Why people plateau37:08 Regular eating and breakfast41:33 Exercise intensity and cortisol45:04 HRT and contacting the clinicGuest / ResourcesDr Lara Courtenay at the MacMurray Centre: macmurray.co.nz/doctors/lara-courtenayThe MacMurray Centre, Auckland: macmurray.co.nz. Lara says patients can call the clinic and ask for the weight loss doctor, and the dietitians can see patients whose own GP is prescribingThe Goodfellow Unit, where Mikki first heard Lara speak: goodfellowunit.orgMedications discussed: semaglutide, tirzepatide, Saxenda and ContraveTJ Power, The DOSE Effect, the book Lara mentions reading Contact Mikki:https://mikkiwilliden.com/https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutritionhttps://www.instagram.com/mikkiwilliden/https://linktr.ee/mikkiwilliden