Female Athlete Nutrition

Host Lindsey Elizabeth Cortes interviews Brittany Miller, a certified sports nutritionist with SwimStrong Dryland who supports swimmers worldwide through a largely virtual program offering strength training, nutrition, wellness, mentorship, and mental skills for athletes from age group to Olympians. Miller shares her personal history of underfueling in softball, later developing restrictive and binge patterns before improving through Precision Nutrition and ASPDA connections, emphasizing scope and referrals to sports dietitians when needed. They discuss swimmer-specific challenges including hidden sweat/hydration, indoor training and low vitamin D, non-weight-bearing bone density risk, early morning two-a-days and underfueling, short recovery windows, nervous stomach at meets, and using interactive, competitive education activities to make nutrition engaging for youth athletes. Brittany Miller is a certified sports nutritionist through Precision Nutrition and the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and is an allied health professional through the American Sports and Performance Dietitians Association. She's been working with swim athletes for over 7 years, from age groupers to Olympians. She and her team at SwimStrong Dryland inspire and change the lives of competitive swimmers through strength training, nutrition & wellness, mentorship and care. As a lifelong athlete, she loves to equip young swimmers with practical knowledge and tools that lead to better performance, more fun, and lifelong habits. Brittany lives on the northside of Indianapolis with her amazing husband, two kids and maltese poodle. Episode Highlights: 01:22 Period Pain Sponsor 03:00 Meet Brittany Miller 04:39 Swim Strong Overview 08:15 Brittany Fueling Journey 15:28 Learning and Support 16:58 ASPD Association 24:34 Reds Resource Break 27:06 Swimmer Nutrition Needs 32:29 Hydration In The Pool 32:47 Tracking Sweat Loss 33:43 Open Water Hydration Challenges 35:36 Swim Culture Two A Days 36:33 Early Morning Fueling Fixes 38:54 Make Nutrition Fun 41:38 Interactive Nutrition Games 44:13 Gamify At Home 52:58 Female Cycle And Fueling 56:43 How To Work With Brittany 58:42 Final Wrap And Resources Resources and Links: SwimStrong Dryland Instagram - @swimstrongdryland SwimStrong Dryland Website - www.swimstrongdryland.com For more information about the show, head to work with Lindsey on improving your nutrition, head to: http://www.lindseycortes.com/ Join REDS Recovery Membership: http://www.lindseycortes.com/reds WaveBye Supplements – Menstrual cycle support code LindseyCortes for 15% off: http://wavebye.co Previnex Supplements – Joint Health Plus, Muscle Health Plus, plant-based protein, probiotics, and more; code CORTES15 for 15% off: previnex.com Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast Archive & Search Tool – Search by sport, condition, or topic: lindseycortes.com/podcast Female Athlete Nutrition Community – YouTube, Instagram @‌femaleathletenutrition, and private Facebook group Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host Lindsey Elizabeth Cortes introduces the Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast, aiming to help female athletes overcome confusing and harmful nutrition messages, and includes sponsorships for Wave Bye menstrual cycle products and Lindsey’s REDs resources and membership. Lindsey interviews binge eating expert Amber Abila, who shares her progression from calorie restriction and vegan dieting as a teen to bingeing, purging, and over-exercising, with therapy helping bulimia but not binge eating. Amber explains binge eating often stems from restriction and nutrient deficiency, and discusses how hyper-palatable foods and added “natural flavors” can intensify cravings, referencing concepts from The Dorito Effect and artificial sweeteners. She emphasizes shifting from weight-loss focus to feeling normal around food, treating bingeing as a changeable habit, using mindset tools like visualization (featured in her free audio “Stop a Binge Before It Starts”), and building regular meals before refining hunger/fullness cues. Amber outlines her three-month coaching and notes overeating and binge eating use similar strategies. Amber Abila helps women stop binge eating & overeating by rewiring their brains so they can feel normal and in control around food for good. After years of trying everything from therapy to intermittent fasting, nothing worked until she learned about the psychology of habits which led to her losing 30 lbs, eliminating food noise, and gaining her life back. She now walks others step by step through her process in her signature Confident Eater Program as well as in her podcast, in the top 2% worldwide, called “Become a Confident Eater.” Free gift! Get instant access to Amber’s guided audio to “Stop a Binge Before it Starts” ⁠HERE⁠! https://www.theconfidenteater.org/urge-guest Episode Highlights: 03:00 Meet Amber Obealah 05:24 From Dieting to Binging 06:54 Cookies Then Purging 08:19 Why Therapy Fell Short 10:43 Binge Eating As Habit 12:17 Confidence Over Control 16:20 Restriction To Binge Stats 18:55 Rock Bottom Breakthrough 20:31 Letting Go Of Weight Loss 21:50 Why Binge Eating Starts 27:51 Flavorings And Cravings 29:05 Flavor Drives Cravings 29:48 Orange Prediction Error 30:40 Restriction And Nutrient Gaps 31:29 Dorito Effect Explained 32:55 Back To Real Food 33:46 Pregnancy Cravings Decoded 36:43 Diet Foods And Sweeteners 39:21 Relearning Fullness 42:45 Trust Timeline For Change 44:24 Mindset Mantras Visualization 47:35 Coaching Process Overview 49:34 Overeating Versus Bingeing 51:36 Final Wrap And Resources Resources and Links: The Confident Eater Podcast with Amber Abila Follow The Confident Eater on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconfidenteater_/ Follow Amber Abila on Youtube Follow Amber Abila on Facebook Amber Abila's Free Support Group For more information about the show, head to work with Lindsey on improving your nutrition, head to: http://www.lindseycortes.com/ Join REDS Recovery Membership: http://www.lindseycortes.com/reds WaveBye Supplements – Menstrual cycle support code LindseyCortes for 15% off: http://wavebye.co Previnex Supplements – Joint Health Plus, Muscle Health Plus, plant-based protein, probiotics, and more; code CORTES15 for 15% off: previnex.com Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast Archive & Search Tool – Search by sport, condition, or topic: lindseycortes.com/podcast Female Athlete Nutrition Community – YouTube, Instagram @‌femaleathletenutrition, and private Facebook group Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host Lindsey Elizabeth Cortes explains her six-week podcast break was due to moving across the country, an unexpected third pregnancy, illness, and parenting two sons, including one with glycogen storage disease managed by individualized nutrition; she shares that amniocentesis at 21 weeks confirmed her unborn baby boy does not have the disease, and she is embracing being a full-time stay-at-home mom, so future episodes will be less consistent but ongoing. She highlights resources for female athletes, including RED-S education and a $15/month RED-S recovery membership, and then reviews basic pregnancy nutrition: prenatal folate early, managing first-trimester nausea with small frequent meals, hydration, and adding protein/fat; increased energy needs in second (~350 kcal/day) and third trimester (~450 kcal/day); screening for gestational diabetes; food-safety cautions (listeria, salmonella, mercury); and key nutrients including iron (27 mg/day) and choline from eggs. Episode Highlights: 01:22 Period Pain Sponsor 03:00 Why Episodes Paused 03:50 Pregnancy And Move 04:27 Genetic Risk Fears 09:34 Amniocentesis Results 12:20 Boy Mom Update 13:52 Work And Childcare 17:21 Embracing Stay At Home 22:03 Motherhood And Identity 25:01 Support Beyond Motherhood 27:47 Reds Help Resources 29:55 Recovery Membership Pitch 30:31 Pregnancy Nutrition Basics 32:25 First Trimester Nausea Tips 37:25 Second Trimester Calories 39:40 Third Trimester Growth 42:18 Glucose Test and Exercise 48:37 Food Safety While Pregnant 51:07 Key Micronutrients Folate Iron 54:03 Wrap Up and Subscribe 56:55 Podcast Outro Resources Resources and Links: FANP 140: My Newborn’s Medical Condition + Life Updates FANP 143: Individualized Nutrition For All + Glycogen Storage Disease FANP 132: Treating Chronic Heartburn & GERD Through Pregnancy For more information about the show, head to work with Lindsey on improving your nutrition, head to: http://www.lindseycortes.com/ Join REDS Recovery Membership: http://www.lindseycortes.com/reds WaveBye Supplements – Menstrual cycle support code LindseyCortes for 15% off: http://wavebye.co Previnex Supplements – Joint Health Plus, Muscle Health Plus, plant-based protein, probiotics, and more; code CORTES15 for 15% off: previnex.com Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast Archive & Search Tool – Search by sport, condition, or topic: lindseycortes.com/podcast Female Athlete Nutrition Community – YouTube, Instagram @‌femaleathletenutrition, and private Facebook group Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lindsey Elizabeth Cortes interviews returning guest Marina Paul, founder and CEO of Superhera, a data-driven sports apparel company addressing female athletes’ ill-fitting, male-centric gear and its links to body image and performance. Marina describes research conducted with 858 respondents (with researchers from Brooklyn College and Notre Dame) showing contradictions: 65% said sportswear is “fine,” yet 55% considered restricting food to fit better and 39% had done so; many also altered gear to make it work. Most athletes prioritized fit over look, and while 80% said they look like an athlete, descriptions of the “ideal” athlete emphasized being leaner and more toned. Marina explains Superhera’s evolution into a sizing technology company using athlete measurements and photos to recommend uniform sizes and create custom gear for teams, now including men’s teams. Marina Paul is the Founder and CEO of Superhera, a data-driven sports apparel company dedicated to closing the "gear gap" for female athletes. A former Division I soccer captain at Georgetown University, Marina transitioned from elite athletics to a career in consulting before launching Superhera to solve a systemic multi-billion dollar sizing error in the sportswear market. Her mission is deeply personal: after a successful career on the field was marred by a battle with body dysmorphia—driven by ill-fitting, male-centric uniforms—Marina set out to revolutionize the industry. Episode Highlights: 01:22 Period Pain Sponsor 03:00 Meet Marina Paul 04:57 Why Fit Matters 08:23 Data Driven Sportswear 12:29 Sizing Psychology 16:52 Survey Setup 24:59 Key Study Findings 29:52 REDS Check In 30:40 REDS Recovery Options 32:24 Athlete Body Awareness 34:33 Do I Look Athletic 37:19 Toned Lean Ideal Trap 38:33 Healthy Body Goals 42:18 Superhera Tech Evolution 48:05 Fit Over Fashion Trends 51:39 Work With Superhera 55:14 Closing Resources Resources and Links: Follow Marina Paul on Instagram Superhera Website For more information about the show, head to work with Lindsey on improving your nutrition, head to: http://www.lindseycortes.com/ Join REDS Recovery Membership: http://www.lindseycortes.com/reds WaveBye Supplements – Menstrual cycle support code LindseyCortes for 15% off: http://wavebye.co Previnex Supplements – Joint Health Plus, Muscle Health Plus, plant-based protein, probiotics, and more; code CORTES15 for 15% off: previnex.com Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast Archive & Search Tool – Search by sport, condition, or topic: lindseycortes.com/podcast Female Athlete Nutrition Community – YouTube, Instagram @‌femaleathletenutrition, and private Facebook group Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lindsey Elizabeth Cortes shares her take on the 2025–2030 USDA Dietary Guidelines released in 2026, explaining how the USDA updates them every five years and how they affect downstream food policy. She says the new inverted food pyramid and “eat real food” messaging feel more like marketing than a true 180, though she appreciates that the guidelines are shortened to 10 pages. From a sports dietetics lens, she critiques the low grain/carbohydrate guidance as inadequate for athletes, recommends past episodes on carbs, sugar, and during-training fuel, and notes athletes may need some refined carbs to avoid excessive fiber and GI issues. She likes the increased protein target (1.2–1.6 g/kg), the more permissive tone on whole fats despite a still-low saturated fat cap, and the stronger “limit alcohol” message, and discusses potential implications for SNAP, school lunches, and ultra-processed foods. Episode Highlights: 01:22 WaveBye Sponsor Break 03:00 USDA Guidelines Overview 04:21 What USDA Does 06:08 Food Pyramid to MyPlate 08:30 Inverted Pyramid Marketing 12:57 Eat Real Food Message 15:23 10 Page Guidelines Shift 16:24 Carb Limits for Athletes 19:31 Whole Grains vs Refined Fuel 19:57 Fiber and GI Reality Check 22:29 RED-S Check In and Resources 23:18 RED-S Recovery Options 24:18 Why Community Support Matters 25:02 Protein Targets Updated 27:15 Whole Fats And Saturated Fat 31:41 Alcohol Guidance Shift 35:58 Policy Ripple Effects 37:52 SNAP And Food Quality 40:50 Biggest Takeaways 42:02 Blame On Individuals 44:27 Final Thanks And Resources Resources and Links: Dietary Guidelines For Americans FANP Episode 103: Stop Cutting The Carbs! FANP Episode 248: The Science of Sugar for Athlete Performance & Health: Clarifying Natural vs Artificial vs Added FANP Episode 195: Fast Fueling Facts: During Training Sports Nutrition For more information about the show, head to work with Lindsey on improving your nutrition, head to: http://www.lindseycortes.com/ Join REDS Recovery Membership: http://www.lindseycortes.com/reds WaveBye Supplements – Menstrual cycle support code LindseyCortes for 15% off: http://wavebye.co Previnex Supplements – Joint Health Plus, Muscle Health Plus, plant-based protein, probiotics, and more; code CORTES15 for 15% off: previnex.com Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast Archive & Search Tool – Search by sport, condition, or topic: lindseycortes.com/podcast Female Athlete Nutrition Community – YouTube, Instagram @‌femaleathletenutrition, and private Facebook group Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.