Vanessa G Fitcast

What if the most uncomfortable two minutes of your day could change how your body handles inflammation, stress, and stubborn weight?
I’m back after a week off and fighting a cold, but I couldn’t wait to share this one, because Omar and I just bought a cold plunge (with a few terms and conditions attached).
We talk about why we want to build a wellness center at home and normalize this kind of healthy lifestyle for Marina and our future kids. I share the story of a client in her fifties with a long list of diagnoses who finally started seeing results, including dropping ten pounds in two months after years of being stuck, with cold therapy as one piece of her overall plan.
Then I break down six benefits of cold therapy, starting with how it lowers inflammation by pushing the body’s signaling pathways in a more positive direction. I explain how it builds mitochondrial resilience as a short, controlled stressor, and how it can help white fat act more like calorie-burning brown fat.
We get into why cold plunging is a pattern interrupt for the nervous system, how it helps drain the lymphatic system so you look and feel leaner, and why it supports motivation and alertness through the dopamine to norepinephrine pathway. I also cover why individualization matters, especially for clients who lean more wired and anxious than depleted.
For anyone ready to try it, I walk through how to start, from the 55 degrees or lower target to working up to one and a half to two minutes daily, plus why timing and doing heat before cold matter.
I also share details on our Black Friday offer, which includes a free GI map and a free month of coaching when you join our one on one program.
If you’ve been curious about cold plunging but weren’t sure where to begin, this episode will give you everything you need to get started.

Time Stamps;

(1:40) Finally Bought A Cold Plunge

(4:17) One Of Our Vital Spark Clients

(6:08) Benefits of The Cold Plunge

(12:22) The Lifestyle Factors

(14:20) White vs Brown Fat

(16:37) Nervous System Pattern Interrupt

(20:08) Lympathic Drainage

(22:45) Supports Motivation

(29:30) Our Black Friday Deal
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Learn more about the Vital Spark Coaching Functional Reset Method.
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Click Here to apply for 1-on-1 coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts.
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Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation.
-------
Click Here for my Free Top 3 Labs training to get to the root of bloating & exhaustion.
-------
Click Here to download a Free Hormone Healing Blueprint.
-------
Check out our YouTube Channel for more free training.
-------
Click Here to read our Client Google Reviews.
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Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!

This might just be what you and your gut need heading into 2027...
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 energy regulation for weight management and weight loss.
Some gut issues can look like:
- Mood disorders
- Stool changes- constipation, diarrhea
- Abdominal bloating and gas
- Feeling full quickly
- Heartburn, GERD, reflux
- Stomach pain, burning, or cramping, nausea
- Hormonal imbalance (gut issues common in perimenopause)
- Food sensitivity
- IBS, IBD, Crohn’s, colitis, etc
- Autoimmune disease
- Skin issues- eczema, acne, psoriasis
- Nutrient deficiencies (poor absorption)
- Getting sick often/easily
To alleviate these issues, most go with taking medication, an antibiotic, go the FODMAP diet route, cut out gluten and dairy, or take random supplements. What if another route existed?
Today's episode is a featured replay of one of our most valuable episodes previously released in two parts but bringing it to you in its entirely today. Topics include:

- The Importance of Gut Health

- Noticing Changes In Your Gut Health

- Gluten and Dairy

- Why We Don’t Recommend Supplements

- The 5R Gut Protocol

- The Lawn Analogy

- Planting The New Seeds

- Prebiotics

- The Repair Phase

- Rebalance
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Learn more about the Vital Spark Coaching Functional Reset Method.
-------
Click Here to apply for 1-on-1 coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts.
-------
Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation.
-------
Click Here for my Free Top 3 Labs training to get to the root of bloating & exhaustion.
-------
Click Here to download a Free Hormone Healing Blueprint.
-------
Check out our YouTube Channel for more free training.
-------
Click Here to read our Client Google Reviews.
-------
Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!

What if the thing standing between you and your health goals isn’t another supplement, but a conversation you’ve been avoiding?
Omar and I are back this week, fresh off our team retreat and feeling full after a weekend with people who challenge us to grow. That got me thinking about a viral post from Dr. Sarah Campbell that I read aloud in this episode, asking whether it’s histamine or three hours of pretending you weren’t mad, and whether it’s anxiety or never setting a boundary in your entire life.
I share why I don’t see this as an either/or, because the women I work with often have a real autoimmune disease and have also been holding in a scream for twenty years. We talk about why healing physically means changing your environment, not just doing the inner work to tolerate it, and why that mind management is exhausting for your nervous system on its own.
Omar and I get into why so many women struggle to ask for support, from learning early on to put their needs aside to staying busy because it feels productive. I redefine what being productive really means and why rest might be the most productive thing you can do. We also talk about the nuance of big life changes, like how to make a smart plan when you can’t just walk away from a job or relationship overnight.
And I explain why your body won’t heal or lose weight in an unsafe nervous system, which is why stress management and nervous system regulation are the foundation of everything we do.
If you’ve been chasing gut and hormone fixes without lasting results, this episode might be the push you need.

Time Stamps:

(2:07) Excitement In The Air & Spending Time With Our Team

(4:04) Recent Instagram Post

(5:52) Holding In A Scream

(13:52) Making Big Changes
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Learn more about the Vital Spark Coaching Functional Reset Method.
-------
Click Here to apply for 1-on-1 coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts.
-------
Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation.
-------
Click Here for my Free Top 3 Labs training to get to the root of bloating & exhaustion.
-------
Click Here to download a Free Hormone Healing Blueprint.
-------
Check out our YouTube Channel for more free training.
-------
Click Here to read our Client Google Reviews.
-------
Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!

I was chatting with a postpartum friend and she asked "are there ways to prevent the hormonal crash postpartum?"
My take is that you can't really prevent the postpartum hormonal crash, but you can absolutely support your body through the transition. And I think it's important to distinguish those two things.
There's also a misconception that the dramatic drop in hormones after birth is inherently a bad thing that we should try to prevent.
In reality, it's a normal, necessary physiological transition.
We'll discuss all of this and more on today's episode!


Time Stamps:

(1:37) Team Retreat This Past Week

(6:47) Omar’s Postpartum Experience

(10:57) Managing The Postpartum Crash

(12:27) Eating Enough

(18:14) Co-Sleeping

(23:06) Hair Loss

(27:57) Body Changes
-------
Learn more about the Vital Spark Coaching Functional Reset Method.
-------
Click Here to apply for 1-on-1 coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts.
-------
Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation.
-------
Click Here for my Free Top 3 Labs training to get to the root of bloating & exhaustion.
-------
Click Here to download a Free Hormone Healing Blueprint.
-------
Check out our YouTube Channel for more free training.
-------
Click Here to read our Client Google Reviews.
-------
Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!

If you've been told your endometriosis is "just a bad period" or that your estrogen looks fine so nothing is wrong, this conversation is for you.
This week I'm joined by Elizabeth, one of our functional health practitioners at Vital Spark, for a deep dive into endometriosis. Omar is sitting this one out, and I'm taking the role of the listener so Elizabeth can educate us on what is actually happening in the body.
We start by defining endometriosis and how it differs from adenomyosis, then talk about what it really feels like, from pain that interferes with work and sleep to endo belly, bowel and bladder symptoms, stubborn weight, and painful sex.
Elizabeth explains why endometriosis is estrogen dependent without always showing sky high estrogen on labs, and how the immune system and nervous system keep each other in a vicious loop.
We also talk about fertility, including a client who was told she'd likely never conceive and later got pregnant after about a year of functional work.
Then we get into the strategic labs we use, including genetic testing, a DUTCH test, and a GI map, and why each one tells us something different.
We cover how estrogen is metabolized, methylated, and cleared through the gut, and why things like beta-glucuronidase and dysbiosis matter so much.
Elizabeth shares why we build step-by-step protocols, starting by opening detox pathways before moving into gut work, and why a one-size-fits-all plan can't work. Even two best friends with the same diagnosis can have completely different labs.
If endometriosis has left you feeling hopeless, this episode will show you there is a path forward.

Time Stamps:

(2:42) What Is Endometriosis?

(8:04) Fertility Struggles

(10:25) Underneath The Surface

(15:47) Labs and Discovering The Root Issue

(19:52) Genetic Testing

(26:15) Starting with Gut Health and The GI Map

(28:37) After Lab Care
-------
Learn more about the Vital Spark Coaching Functional Reset Method.
-------
Click Here to apply for 1-on-1 coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts.
-------
Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation.
-------
Click Here for my Free Top 3 Labs training to get to the root of bloating & exhaustion.
-------
Click Here to download a Free Hormone Healing Blueprint.
-------
Check out our YouTube Channel for more free training.
-------
Click Here to read our Client Google Reviews.
-------
Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!