Movement Logic: Strong Opinions, Loosely Held

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Laurel Beversdorf revisits the advice to eat 30 different plants per week and explains why it sounds scientific while resting on a much shakier foundation than it appears. She reflects on encountering the claim, why her and Sarah’s initial reaction was skepticism, and how listener feedback led to a closer look at where the idea came from and how it spread.Laurel breaks down what the American Gut Project actually showed: an observational association between self reported plant variety and gut microbiome diversity in a specific, self selected, largely affluent cohort. She explains why this type of research cannot identify an optimal number of plants or justify turning a statistical cutoff into a universal lifestyle rule, especially given the limits of how plant intake was measured.She then examines how the venture backed consumer health company Zoe translated this association into a prescriptive target and built products around it, arguing that the clarity and certainty of the message functions as marketing rather than sound, science backed health advice. Finally, Laurel zooms out to the emotional and social impact of this advice, explaining how moralized wellness claims turn health into a performance metric while ignoring access, instability, and other social determinants of health.FREE Barbell Mini Course—SIGN UPFOLLOW @MovementLogicTutorials on InstagramRESOURCES113: Debunking Menopause Grifters118: How Should We Eat To Be Healthy? with Abby Langer, RD102: Moralizing MovementAmerican Gut ProjectMcDonald, 2018; PMID: 29795809Book: The Certainty Illusion, by Timothy CaulfieldGuardian Article: ‘Personalising stuff that doesn’t matter’: the trouble with the Zoe nutrition appZoe + Science + Nutrition interview with Prof. Tim SpectorPost: Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple's infographic on scientific processPost: What Peter Attia gets wrongPost: Attia & 30 plants/weekPost: Doctor vs. Brand

Testosterone is everywhere in menopause conversations right now, often framed as a solution for everything from low energy and brain fog to bone health and longevity. In this episode, Dr. Sarah Court breaks down what actually matters when it comes to testosterone for menopausal women, separating social media hype from clinical evidence. The real questions are not whether women have testosterone or whether levels change with age, but whether testosterone should be prescribed, for whom, and what the data truly supports.Using current consensus guidelines, this episode explains why testosterone has one narrow, evidence-based indication, hypoactive sexual desire disorder, and why claims about mood, energy, cognition, bone health, and longevity are not supported by high-quality research. Dr. Court also walks through how testosterone is prescribed in the real world, why the lack of FDA-approved products for women creates problems, and what the safety data does and does not tell us about long-term risks. If you have heard confident claims about testosterone as a menopause cure-all, this episode provides the context you need to evaluate those messages with clarity and skepticism.FOLLOW @MovementLogicTutorials on InstagramMovement Logic: Free Barbell Mini CourseInstagram: Professor Susan DavisInstagram: Dr. Kelly CaspersonGlobal Consensus Position Statement on the Use of Testosterone Therapy for Women — Davis et al., 2019, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & MetabolismISSWSH Clinical Practice Guideline on Systemic Testosterone for Women — Parish et al., 2021Testosterone Therapy for Women, Systematic Review & Meta-analysis(Lancet Review) — Islam et al., 2019Androgen Therapy in Women, A Reappraisal — Davis & Wahlin-Jacobsen, 2015Kelly Casperson blog post — Testosterone Can Help With Libido, Energy, Focus, & More During MenopauseYou Are Not Broken Podcast — Kelly Casperson, MDYouTube Short: Testosterone and Bone HealthYouTube Short: Testosterone, Motivation & Vitality

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Laurel and Sarah talk with registered dietitian and longtime myth buster Abby Langer, RD, about what it actually means to eat in a healthy, sustainable way. Abby brings clarity to some of the most confusing and overhyped nutrition messages online, explaining the meaningful difference between dietitians and nutritionists, why food guidelines get so much misplaced blame, and why simple habits like eating more fiber, plants, and whole foods still matter far more than clean eating, hormone-balancing diets, or supplement-driven solutions. She breaks down ultra processed foods, weight gain misconceptions, what causes overeating, and why carbs, fruit, sugar, and seed oils have all become targets of unnecessary fear.The conversation also explores protein needs, plant versus animal protein, the role of fiber in digestion and satiety, what gut health is and isn’t, and why probiotic claims are often overstated. Abby shares how her decades of experience in hospitals, primary care, and private practice have shaped her evidence-based approach, and she offers grounded advice on how to build a sane, less anxious relationship with food in a culture that thrives on extremes.SIGN UP for our FREE Barbell Mini CourseFOLLOW @MovementLogicTutorials on InstagramRESOURCESabbylangernutrition.comSubstack: Bite MeInstagram: @abbylanger

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Sarah discusses two primary methods for measuring bone density: DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) and REMS (Radiofrequency Echographic Multi-Spectrometry). The episode explains what each method measures, their technologies, reliability, and practical applications. It compares their availability, cost, accuracy, and limitations. DEXA is recognized as the clinical gold standard but has some limitations, while REMS, although newer, shows promise with advantages in certain clinical situations.Movement Logic Site Wide Sale now on!Follow Movement Logic on InstagramReferences:77: Are You Getting DEXA Scammed?FRAX toolBest Practices for Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry Measurement and ReportingNew technology REMS for bone evaluationCould radiofrequency echographic multispectrometry (REMS) overcome the overestimation in BMD by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the lumbar spine?DXA beyond bone mineral density and the REMS techniqueCost-effectiveness of radiofrequency echographic multi-spectrometry for the diagnosis of osteoporosis in the United States

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Laurel Beversdorf talks with strength coach James Lederach, MS, CSCS, about the deeper side of coaching and how helping someone get stronger often means helping them grow as a person. Together, they explore the benefits of strength development for adults and kids, training that supports rather than interferes with sport, the downsides of early sport specialization in youth, and the broader life lessons that strength training offers beyond physical health and performance.James and Laurel reflect on how training develops resilience, self-reliance, and emotional steadiness for both kids and adults. They discuss how good coaching balances structure with empathy, how strength training teaches self-trust, and why the most meaningful outcomes of training have less to do with performance and more to do with who we become through the process.SITE WIDE SALE — Save $$ on our Movement Logic TutorialsFOLLOW @MovementLogicTutorials on InstagramRESOURCESBell, 2018; PMID: 30135085DiFiori, 2014; PMID: 24463910Post, 2017; PMID: 28288281Post, 2016; PMID: 27807260VISIT James Lederach's Gym Heavy Athletics FOLLOW @james_lederach on Instagram