The Fit Positive Podcast

In this episode of The Fit Positive Podcast, we cut through the noise around seed oils and vegetable oils — and the confusion created by social media narratives — to focus on what science actually tells us about dietary fats.

If you’ve ever questioned whether certain ingredients are inherently “good” or “bad,” this episode will help you understand:
why seed oils have become a hot topic online

how they fit into a healthy diet

what researchers like Dr Layne Norton conclude about the evidence

how guidance from organisations like the World Health Organization (WHO) frames dietary fat recommendations

and why context and patterns matter far more than demonising single ingredients

This is a common-sense, evidence-based conversation designed to give you clarity and confidence around your food choices.

📌 Key Takeaways
✔️ Social media narratives often lack context:
Ingredients like seed oils get labelled without considering overall diet quality, portion size, and the total dietary pattern.
✔️ Seed oils are a source of unsaturated fat:
They are one type of dietary fat — energy-dense but not inherently harmful when consumed in normal amounts.
✔️ What science shows:
Leading researchers like Dr Layne Norton review the human evidence and find no compelling proof that seed oils are uniquely harmful, toxic, or inflammatory when part of a balanced diet. See References section below for all of the studies that support this finding.
✔️ WHO guidance supports unsaturated fats:
The World Health Organization recommends moderating total fat, reducing saturated fats, eliminating trans fats, and prioritising overall diet quality — not avoiding seed oils outright. See links in references section below.
✔️ Macros and thresholds matter:
Every nutrient — fat, protein, carbohydrate — has a range where it supports health. Eating within those ranges, and in context of whole diet patterns, is the real key to long-term success.
✔️ All foods can fit in the right quantities:
No food or ingredient should be judged in isolation — it’s the bigger picture that determines outcomes.

💡 Real-Life Example
I eat my homemade nutty granola daily — including the vegetable oil in it — and my bloodwork continues to show excellent metabolic and cardiovascular health. This reinforces the episode’s central message: no single ingredient overrides an otherwise healthy lifestyle. More on this in my episode on heart health:
Episode on Heart Health

References & Further Reading:
🔗 WHO Healthy Diet Fact Sheet — World Health Organization👉 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet?utm_source=chatgpt.com

🔗 WHO Guidelines on Saturated and Trans Fats👉 https://www.who.int/news/item/17-07-2023-who-updates-guidelines-on-fats-and-carbohydrates?utm_source=chatgpt.com

🔗 What Are Seed Oils? — Verywell Health (science overview)👉 https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-are-seed-oils-8742630?utm_source=chatgpt.com

🔗 The Seed Oil Debate: Are They Uniquely Harmful Relative to Other Dietary Fats? — The Drive (Layne Norton, Ph.D.)👉 ⁠https://podwise.ai/dashboard/episodes/6887656?utm_source=chatgpt.com⁠

💛 Connect With Me
📸 Instagram — @fitpositive.ie
✉️ Email — [email protected]
🌐 Website — www.fitpositive.ie

This is a re-release of an episode I did last year on heart health. Such an important topic and one worth re-visiting!
Enjoy,
Cx

This week on The Fit Positive Podcast, we’re talking about heart health in midlife — why our risk rises, what markers actually matter, and how the habits inside the Fit Positive Method directly protect your cardiovascular system.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death for women, and our risk triples after menopause.
But the good news?
Around 80% of that risk is influenced by daily lifestyle choices — which means we have far more control than we think.
Inside this episode, we cover:
Declining oestrogen affects blood vessels, inflammation, cholesterol patterns, insulin sensitivity and even fat distribution. We break down what’s actually happening inside your body and why this stage of life requires a more intentional approach.
Including LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking, insulin resistance, belly fat, inactivity, diet, family history, stress and sleep.
This is the list every midlife woman should know.
We unpack:
LDL cholesterol

HDL cholesterol

Triglycerides

Triglyceride:HDL ratio

HbA1c

Blood pressure

…and what each one tells us about your metabolic and cardiovascular health.
You’ll also hear my own latest numbers — including a Triglyceride:HDL ratio of 0.26, which is a strong indicator of excellent insulin sensitivity and low cardiovascular risk.
Every Fit Positive pillar — strength training, steps, macro-balanced nutrition, sleep and stress management — directly improves cardiovascular health.
We explain how each one affects things like:
blood pressure

blood sugar

inflammation

cholesterol

visceral fat

metabolic flexibility

This is the science behind why our method works — not just for fat loss, but for long-term health.
When started within 10 years of menopause, HRT can support arterial health, improve cholesterol patterns, reduce inflammation and slow the progression of atherosclerosis.
Not right for everyone, but worth discussing with your GP.
Finnish research shows that people who use sauna 4–7x/week have:
~50% lower risk of fatal cardiovascular disease

~63% lower risk of sudden cardiac death

Heat stress improves blood pressure, arterial flexibility, circulation and inflammation — making it an excellent midlife tool.

⭐ What You’ll Learn
1️⃣ Why women’s heart disease risk rises in perimenopause & menopause
2️⃣ The biggest cardiovascular risk factors for women (in order of importance)
3️⃣ The blood markers that matter for your heart — and my own recent results
4️⃣ How the Fit Positive Method protects your heart
5️⃣ A quick note on HRT and cardiovascular protection
6️⃣ Sauna for heart health (as covered in my recent sauna episode)

⭐ Resources & Links
🔗 ELITE Trial — Early vs Late Oestrogen Intervention
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1505241
🔗 HRT Timing Hypothesis research (WHI re-analysis)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3986473/
🔗 Study on sauna & cardiovascular mortality (Laukkanen et al.)
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2130724
🔗 Fit Positive Empowered Membership (nutrition, strength, tracking tools & recipes to support both fat loss and heart health)
www.fitpositive.ie/empowered

⭐ If you enjoyed this episode…
Please share it on your Instagram stories or with a friend who needs to hear it.
Every share genuinely helps more midlife women access evidence-based support.
And if you want to take the next step, join us inside Fit Positive Empowered — where we pair science-backed training and nutrition with daily support, coaching, and community so you can feel your strongest, healthiest, most confident self in midlife.

In this episode of The Fit Positive Podcast, I’m answering your questions — exactly as you sent them — covering some of the most common challenges women face in midlife when it comes to weight, training, energy, nutrition and hormones.

We talk through how to set realistic health goals, why hunger and exhaustion are often signs of under-fuelling or under-recovery (not lack of willpower), how to train and eat in a way that supports your midlife body, and how to cut through the noise online with evidence-based guidance that actually works in real life.

This is a practical, reassuring episode designed to help you feel more confident in your choices — without falling into extremes or fads.

In this episode, we cover:
How GPs assess healthy weight using BMI and why body fat percentage matters more in midlife

How to structure meals across long days to avoid constant hunger and energy crashes

Why I moved away from a fully plant-based diet and what I prioritise now

Whether tea and coffee count towards hydration

What massive fatigue, poor appetite and stalled progress are really telling you

How to balance strength training and endurance training in midlife

Smart hacks when daily steps are hard to hit

Evidence-based sauna guidelines for health and longevity

The difference between helpful inflammation and chronic low-grade inflammation

Whether macros matter as much as calories

Where to start if you feel weak or can’t yet do basic strength exercises

Why skin health often improves when lifestyle foundations improve

Easy ways to take creatine beyond protein coffee

Why menopause belly is common — even in fit women — and what actually helps

Simple, effective ways to build core strength without overcomplicating it

If you've ever had any of these questions — this episode is for you.

And if you need more support...
🔗 Join Fit Positive
Fit Positive is my online membership for women in midlife who want to build strength, improve health, and feel confident in their bodies — without extremes.
Inside the membership you’ll find:
30-minute strength workouts designed specifically for midlife women

Simple, macro-balanced recipes and nutrition support

Habit, mindset and stress-management tools

Step tracking, progress tracking and full app support

A supportive community that truly understands this stage of life

Join here: 👉 www.fitpositive.ie

In Part 2 of this mindset series, we move beyond what you want to change and focus on how to make change last — without burnout, overwhelm, or all-or-nothing thinking.
This episode breaks down the psychology behind sustainable habits and why stress management is not optional in midlife health. You’ll learn how to build habits that actually stick, how to work with your nervous system (not against it), and why flexibility — not perfection — is the key to long-term success.
In this episode, we cover:
Why mastering the art of showing up matters more than intensity

How to size your habits so they’re sustainable on your worst days, not just your best

How habit stacking removes decision fatigue and builds momentum

Why your environment and community matter — and how to build a supportive tribe

How to reconnect with your why and focus on what truly matters

Why enjoyment and fun are essential for consistency

How to adjust habits to your current season of life, especially in midlife

The role of stress, the nervous system, and mindfulness in habit formation

How resonance breathing can calm the stress response, improve sleep, and support recovery

This episode is for you if you’re tired of starting over, feel overwhelmed by “doing everything,” or want a calmer, more sustainable approach to health and fitness in midlife.

Resources Mentioned:
Atomic Habits by James Clear

Help us spread the word!
If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean the world if you follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and share this episode with a friend who might find it helpful!

Get in touch!
If you have questions for next week’s Q&A, you can always drop us an email at [email protected]

Join Fit Positive
Get your personalised calorie & macro targets, strength training program, 150+ high-protein recipes, tracking tools, coaching support, and our wonderful community:
 ⁠www.fitpositive.ie⁠

In this episode of The Fit Positive Podcast, we kick off Part 1 of a two-part series on mindset — because while nutrition and training matter, they only work when your mindset supports them.

This episode focuses on the mental side of midlife health: the beliefs, thought patterns and pressures that quietly get in the way of consistency & success — even when you know what to do.

We talk about:
Why mindset matters
How self-limiting beliefs form — and how they hold us back
How to start shifting the story you tell yourself
Why overwhelm is so common, and how to simplify your focus
Essentialism as a tool for managing your time

Helpful links mentioned:
⁠Blog: 6 Steps to Overcome Self-Limiting Beliefs⁠⁠Essentialism by Greg McKeown⁠
🎧 Part 2 will build on this foundation and dive into habits, consistency, stress, and creating change that actually lasts.

Thanks for listening - I appreciate you!
Cx