Paleo Magazine Radio

In this solo episode, Ashleigh talks about her experience with bodybuilding: how she got into the sport and what she learned; common mistakes and her recommendations; competition day drama and unexpected challenges; and she answers listener questions about what competing is really like, including sharing how she eats when prepping; whether or not you can be a competitive bodybuilder and eat keto or paleo; if there are special concerns for women; ways to put on muscle while losing fat, and much more. Man or woman, if you’ve ever thought about prepping and competing in an amateur bodybuilding competition but aren’t sure if you’re ready or if it’s right for you: listen to this episode first, as Ashleigh shares behind the scenes insider knowledge with some humor, transparency, and helpful tips thrown in. My nose-to-tail cookbook, It Takes Guts, is available now for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Chapters! Thanks to our show sponsor BUBS Naturals - stock up on the best quality grassfed collagen and MCT

In this Q&A episode with coach and low-carb/keto diet expert, nutritionist, and host of the Metflex and Chill podcast Rachel Gregory, Ashleigh and Rachel dive into listener questions around flexible dieting, macro counting, emotional eating, food shame, and so much more. Please share this episode with someone you think could benefit! My nose-to-tail cookbook, It Takes Guts, is available now for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Chapters! Want the health benefits of organ meats but not ready to eat them? I use Ancestral Supplements grass-fed desiccated organ supplements. I love the company and the quality of their offerings - check them out at here, use the code MAVEN10 for a discount and let me know if you have any questions about their products before you buy! Primally Pure is my favorite skincare company - they use a few natural ingredients like beef tallow, shea butter, and essential oils, and their products are beautiful and luxurious like high-end skincare without the pricetag or the sketc

This week Ashleigh speaks with Ede Fox, an educator about the carnivore diet who has created an inclusive space for black people and people of color to learn about the carnivore diet, health and nutrition. Ashleigh and Ede talk about Ede’s health journey, how she eats now and what she’s learned, and why it’s important to her to create space for people of color to connect with each other in the health world. They also speak more broadly about what the carnivore diet means to them, the potential issues around macro counting, why women need to get over their fear of dietary fat, and more. My nose-to-tail cookbook, It Takes Guts, is available now for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Chapters! You can now purchase Dr. Gabrielle Lyon and Ashleigh’s muscle-centric-medicine course that took place in Summer 2020! Learn on your own time by accessing more than 8 hours of video lectures with the two and other fitness and nutrition experts, as well as more than 50 pages of course material and a Gabrielle-and-A

Ashleigh sits down with her doctor, and one of the world leaders in functional medicine, the creator of the Muscle-Centric-Medicine approach to health and longevity, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon. In this episode, they take listener questions about the efficacy of a ketogenic diet for women; optimal protein intake; optimal carb intake and what a “carb threshold” is; understanding and managing “hedonic” eating, even during times of extreme stress; and much more. If you’d like to learn more about muscle-centric medicine and how to optimize your protein and muscle for health and longevity, you can download the full course materials from Dr. Lyon and Ashleigh’s muscle-centric-medicine course that took place in Summer 2020. Learn on your own time by accessing more than 8 hours of video lectures with the two and other fitness and nutrition experts, as well as more than 50 pages of course material and a Gabrielle-and-Ashleigh-approved high protein recipe e-book! The material is only available for a short time, but you can acce

Ashleigh sits down with Cristi Bartlett, an assistant strength coach for the Tennessee Titans to talk about coaching, confidence, powerlifting, and football - not necessarily in that order! We learn about Cristi’s background in sports, how she decided her career path and the steps she took to get there; what it’s like being one of the few women in her position in the NFL; and how competence, confidence, and passion will always matter more than luck or gender. Of course, having a great squat never hurts! My nose-to-tail cookbook, It Takes Guts, is available now for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Chapters! Want the health benefits of organ meats but not ready to eat them? I use Ancestral Supplements grass-fed desiccated organ supplements. I love the company and the quality of their offerings - check them out at here, use the code MAVEN10 for a discount and let me know if you have any questions about their products before you buy! Want to connect, ask questions for the podcast, or offer feedback? Dro

Today Ashleigh chats with her friend and personal trainer/ fitness consultant /brand builder Sam Pogue about balancing our desires for a “magic pill” or quick fix with the reality of long-term, consistent habits. They talk about the trend and subculture of biohacking; what’s snake oil and what’s really helpful; the importance of clearly understanding your goals before you can reverse engineer the steps needed to get there; and when “biohacking” can be fun and helpful, and when you need to simply get back to basics and build the foundation first. My nose-to-tail cookbook, It Takes Guts, is available now for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Chapters! Connect with Sam on Instagram @spogue86 at and sampogue.com, and stay tuned for his Be Less Unfit 12-week lifestyle program dropping soon! Want to ask questions for the podcast, or offer feedback? Drop me a note on Instagram @themusclemaven, send me an email at ashleighvanhouten@gmail.com, and sign up for my weekly newsletter at ashleighvanhouten.com You

This week’s episode is one everyone can learn from and use immediately to become happier - no small claim! Ashleigh speaks with Rob Mack, an ivy-league-educated Positive Psychology expert, happiness coach, and Author. He is one of the world’s leading experts on the relationship between happiness and success. He helps individuals and organizations achieve an energizing balance of authentic personal happiness and effortless professional success, based on time-tested, face-valid, empirical data and timeless, transcendental wisdom.In this episode, Rob walks us through his journey to his current work, including struggling with suicidal depression as a younger person, to dedicating his life to helping people find “peaceful aliveness.”   They talk about the importance of understanding for your self what “peace” and happiness means to you; how to balance internal and external validation and pleasure; how to reframe challenge and adversity so your struggles work for you instead of against you; and the stunning concept

Today Ashleigh welcomes back her friend Dr. Elly Michelle Lieppman, a licensed naturopathic doctor who specializes in individualized women’s medicine, optimizing hormones, digestion, and energy. Dr. Elly Michelle is passionate about restoring balance in the body naturally and sustainably through lifestyle medicine, nutrition, and strategic supplementation, by uncovering the root cause of health concerns and understanding what is going on in your body at a deeper level. With specific expertise in eating disorders, Elly brings so much to table and the two women answer audience questions about vitamin deficiencies, overcoming body insecurity, what your cycle is telling you about your health, and misconceptions over what it takes to achieve that “toned” look so many women are after. All that and more in this info-packed episode!   Want to connect, ask questions for the podcast, or offer feedback? Drop me a note on Instagram @themusclemaven, send me an email at ashleighvanhouten@gmail.com, and sign up for my weekl

This week Ashleigh chats about organ meat, optimizing health, and the carnivore diet with the carnivore MD himself, Paul Saladino, author of the Carnivore Code. They break down listener questions about the healthiest animals to eat, how to eat them, how to optimize immune and gut health, how to train on a low carb or carnivore diet, using a carnivore approach as a health reset, insulin sensitivity, and a lot more. If you’re interested in the benefits of a nose-to-tail diet, optimizing your animal protein intake, and possibly upgrading your health, you’ll want to listen all the way through to this one! Want to connect, ask questions for the podcast, or offer feedback? Drop me a note on Instagram @themusclemaven, send me an email at ashleighvanhouten@gmail.com, and sign up for my weekly newsletter at ashleighvanhouten.com  Thank you to my awesome show sponsor, Santa Cruz Medicinals, offering high-quality, third-party-tested CBD products including MCT-based tinctures, CBD-infused coconut oil, skincare, and so mu

In today’s episode Ashleigh speaks with anti-aging expert Dr. Amy Killen about all the fun stuff: sexual health, skin health, and longevity, for men and women. They talk about stem cell therapy, peptides, hormone therapy, and all the ways Dr. Killen is researching and implementing bio-optimization with her clients. Often, addressing sexual health or even cosmetic anti-aging treatments can be a gateway into a deeper understanding of true health and longevity, so this is a fun intro into all the ways we can look at our health and address the myriad challenges or questions we all have. This is a great chat about anti-aging with an expert in the field, and a good reminder that we shouldn’t be trying to “stop” the natural process of aging; rather, we can address some of the negative aspects of getting older that we take for granted are inevitable, when they don’t have to be. We can have beautiful skin, great sex, and robust health as we age - listen to this episode to find out how to do it! Want to connect, ask qu

Today on Muscle Maven Radio, Ashleigh speaks with Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and a professor in the department of neurobiology at the Stanford university school of medicine. He studies brain development, brain plasticity, neural regeneration as well as things like controlling your brain state, tangible ways to manage fear, stress and anxiety, and at his lab he also works on strategies for halting and reversing vision loss ad how visual perceptions and autonomic arousal states impact behavioral responses.   In this episode we dive into practical ways to immediately control brain state and help mitigate acute stressors, rewiring your brain for positivity, we talk about neurotransmitters, breath work, and even how your vision impacts your stress response. All that and much more, you might want to take notes on this one!   Want to connect, ask questions for the podcast, or offer feedback? Drop me a note on Instagram @themusclemaven, send me an email at ashleighvanhouten@gmail.com, and sign up for my we

Today’s episode is about the many forms that strength can take, the power of perspective, and ultimately the story of a pretty remarkable human being who has been through more than most and has come out of it all a stronger, wiser person. Nikki Balkau is a powerlifter, but like all of us she’s a lot more than that. We discuss her experience being diagnosed with Leukemia has an otherwise healthy twenty-something, and how she dealt with that diagnosis physically and mentally (including continuing to train, literally, while undergoing chemo). We talk about her background with and recovery from an eating disorder, and how different sports throughout her life have shaped her attitudes towards her body and her self-worth and identity. Her openness and willingness to share the good and the bad of her deeply personal story with the world is incredibly inspiring, and may help anyone who’s listening and going through something tough - it’s a reminder that whatever you’re going through, you’re not alone, and there are l

On this episode of Muscle Maven Radio, Ashleigh speaks with Dr. Fit and Fabulous, Dr. Jaime Seeman. A functional OBGYN and surgeon, she also calls herself the vagina doctor so it only makes sense that they talk about nutrition and health for pregnancy and women who wish to become pregnant; what your monthly cycle can tell you about your health; metabolic flexibility, carbs, and keto for women; and hormonal health in general. They also discuss Dr. Seeman’s participation in the Titan Games, and is The Rock really as cool in person as he seems? This is a must-listen for any woman looking to learn more about health and hormones. Thanks to our show sponsor BUBS Naturals - stock up on the best quality grassfed collagen and MCT powder at bubsnaturals.com and use the code MUSCLEMAVEN for a discount! Want to connect, ask questions for the podcast, or offer feedback? Drop me a note on Instagram @themusclemaven, send me an email at ashleighvanhouten@gmail.com, and sign up for my weekly newsletter at ashleighvanhouten.co

Because sexual health is an important part of overall health and wellness, In today’s episode Ashleigh speaks with writer Wednesday Martin about her groundbreaking book Untrue. They dive into complex topics like women’s sexuality and how stereotypes about women’s sexuality are created and perpetuated. They talk about the historical and anthropological bases for a lot of our ideas about sexuality; why common tropes about women and sex and relationships tend to be vastly different from how women speak about these thing amongst themselves; and how female autonomy, rather than attempting to define the “best” way to be a sexual person in this world, is a more practical and helpful goal for all of us. And, because this is Muscle Maven Radio, we also talk about pull-ups. Don’t miss this provocative and eye-opening conversation! Want to connect, ask questions for the podcast, or offer feedback? Drop me a note on Instagram @themusclemaven, send me an email at ashleighvanhouten@gmail.com, and sign up for my weekly

The problem with most health tracking apps is that they tend to influence people to rely more on external data than their own thinking. Today’s guests are Paul Oneid and Jay Nera, the founders of MetriLife, a mobile app that teaches you how your daily behaviors affect your life and provide you with actionable feedback to improve your mental and physical health and performance. They join us on the show to talk about their app, but also the idea that all health goals are contingent on mindset, behaviors, and our ability to understand and be honest with ourselves. We begin by hearing how our two guests met before diving into a fascinating conversation about what mental health is all about and how to approach it. Jay and Paul talk about journaling, the need for reflection along with introspection, and the freedom of being in the present. We also discuss how to get past faddy understandings of conscious living and what we can learn about growth from a place of self-love rather than insecurity and obsession. We tou

Covering all aspects of the carnivore movement, today’s episode is flipped on its head with Muscle Maven Radio host Ashleigh Vanhouten as today’s guest! Beth Lipton, chef, recipe developer, and wellness writer is today’s host and asks Ashleigh all the questions you’ve ever wanted to ask about a carnivorous diet. We cover health, safety, and sustainability, especially for women interested in following this lifestyle, and Ashleigh shares how a carnivorous diet can work as a tool for building muscle and living a longer, healthier life. We also talk about convenience and where to source what some would consider unusual animal proteins, including organ meat, which Ashleigh endorses as a delicious and nutrient-rich source of protein, as well as some personal stories about cooking with animal protein and recipe development from both Ashleigh and Beth. For all you’ve ever wanted to know about the carnivore movement, and to find out more about Ashleigh’s upcoming book, Nose-to-Tail, tune in today! Want to connect, ask

The conventional agricultural system, with its focus on efficiency and mass scale, is harmful to animals, the environment, and humans. Belcampo is the only fully vertically integrated meat supply company in the US with a carbon positive impact and fully regenerative processes, and they are a shining example of a business that is moving the needle in healthy and sustainable directions. Anya Fernald, its CEO, joins us today, and her passion for the industry, healthy living, and conscious consumption is palpable. We begin the episode by getting to know Anya and the Belcampo founding story. After spending several years in Italy, where high-quality food is prioritized, Anya realized that the US paradigm was an entirely different one. This prompted her to take matters into her own hands. From there, look at Anya’s ‘radical’ approach to food, which includes nose-to-tail and seasonal eating. We then take a deeper dive into Belcampo’s holistically sustainable approach where Anya sheds light on the cascading benefits o

No matter how we eat, the way we participate in the food cycle in the most ethical, sustainable, and healthy way is a really important conversation to have. Joining me to talk about cooking what you hunt is Bri Van Scotter, a true renaissance woman with degrees in art, communications, and cuisine – and the force behind Wilderness to Table, through which she teaches people about making, enjoying, and also sourcing delicious and healthy food. We chat with Bri about her journey to becoming a self-sustained food maker through harvesting and hunting, hearing about how she felt unfulfilled with her initial education and career before learning about cuisine and becoming fascinated with self-sourced ingredients. She talks about how she learned to hunt and reconcile her hesitance to kill with her belief that it’s more humane than mass farmed approaches, recounting the story of her first kill and how she overcome the initial shock. We consider the contrasts between factory farms, slaughterhouses, and sustainable harves

Discovering the intricacy of the female body is a beautiful process. Our delicate hormonal balance affects all aspects of our health and wellbeing, from the condition of our skin to the quality of our sleep and sex lives. In this episode, I interview Dr. Anna Cabeca who is board certified in genealogy and obstetrics, integrative medicine, and anti-aging and regenerative medicine and who is also an authoritative voice in the realm of functional medicine, menopause, and women’s sexual health. Dr. Cabeca unpacks the three major hormones and how an increase or decrease in their levels affect us and explains how they can be managed and even optimized for healing. We get into the variables that affect the efficacy of oxytocin supplementation, the use of exogenous hormones such as melatonin, and the relationship between adiponectin and weight loss resistance. Turning our attention to her newly released book Keto-Green 16, Dr. Cabeca explains how her approach to the ketogenic diet differs from the mainstream understa

A lot has happened since the last time I published a podcast episode, so I want to thank all of you for sticking around despite all the chaos in the world right now. I hope that you guys missed me as much as I missed talking to you. Today I’m introducing you to the new name and brand of the show and explain to listeners the reasons for all these changes. In short, Paleo Magazine is undergoing some big transformations and part of their restructuring resulted in much uncertainty about the future of the podcast. But loving this show and the community we’ve created, I jumped in and purchased the podcast, and decided to rebrand it as Muscle Maven Radio! This is an exciting journey that I hope to take all the current listeners on with me and hopefully gain a whole lot more as we continue building out the community. In this episode, I walk you through the aspects that will stay the same, and those that—I’m certain—will be even better than before!    Key Points From This Episode: The exciting news: I purchased the P