Travel Recap + Hormones TMI + So Much More
Check out my inaugural "What's Good" newsletter!
Hey friends, I’m Karla, a Des Moines, Iowa-based freelance writer, editor and freelance writing coach, travel fiend, optimist and enneagram 2 who is on a quest to find the sparkle and a reason to smile in every day.
Since this is the first newsletter, which I’m sending out to individuals who opted in via a link I shared on social media, I have a feeling we can fly right on by the long introduction. But in case you’re new here—welcome!—you can learn more about my bio on karlawalsh.com.
As a brief overview, after 8 years of full-time work as a magazine editor, on January 1, 2019, I launched my full-time freelance writing career. In January 2022, I debuted a freelance writing coaching program.
On social media, I’ve mainly been sharing my dsm Magazine work that highlights local restaurants and food brands since I am uber-passionate about this place I’m lucky to call home and adore supporting small businesses. But my work encompasses so much more; one of the many reasons why I’m so excited to launch this weekly newsletter!
I’ve covered health, food, fitness, psychology, beauty, and beyond for more than 12 years, and have the privilege of interviewing some of the most brilliant minds in the wellness space. In “What’s Good,” I’ll share a recap of what has been published this week for local and national brands I contribute to, as well as a few bonus items in a selection of these categories:
What to Read: A full list of the new stories I’ve had published since the last newsletter.
Where to Go: Travel-related tips for adventures close to home and abroad.
What to Listen To: As an avid podcast listener with “curiosity” as one of my core values, one of my 90 podcast subscriptions is often playing in the background as I cook, clean, drive, walk or shower. Here, I’ll share an episode that really resonated!
Where to Dine: One restaurant that’s worth the trip—and what to order.
What’s Inspiring Me: A person, charity, social media account or quote that is feeding my soul.
With “What’s Good,” my goal is to connect more with you all directly, share the incredible knowledge I’m able to interview researchers, doctors, dietitians and other experts about every day, plus highlight some of my favorite people, places and plates you might want to try, too. Rather than a one-way , think of this like a conversation; please email me any time or comment directly on Substack with feedback, suggestions, to discuss a story, travel spot or restaurant or to connect in any other way!
Next week, I’ll be back with 5 fun facts about me, and the latest and greatest wellness and lifestyle stories, restaurant tips and beyond.
And now, here’s What’s Good this week!
What to Read…
Since I have been on vacation the past couple weeks (more on that below!), this list is a bit slimmer than usual, but there’s still some terrific just-published news.
I’m particularly excited about how this first Runner’s World piece turned out. It’s inspired by my own (TMI alert) personal experience, along with insights from experts about how I and others in a similar situation can rebound and rebuild our bodies.
Runner’s World: How an Eating Disorder Can Affect Hormones—and How to Get Them Back on Track (subscription required and available via this link; excerpt below)
Every human needs a certain amount of calories just to exist, says Stacy T. Sims, female athlete performance physiologist and author of ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life. For a 130-pound woman who has about 20 percent body fat, about 1,300 calories per day are necessary to power the heart, brain, muscles, endocrine system, immune system, nervous system, and more. Tack on additional exercise beyond just lying in bed, and calorie needs jump far higher.
Despite what those 1,200- or 1,500-calorie-per-day diet plans might lead you to believe, unless you’re a toddler, that’s not going to come even close to cutting it in terms of your adult calorie needs. Even just activities of daily living utilize about 800 more calories, Sims says, and if you add in a 45-minute moderate-intensity training run, that’s another approximately 400 calories.
“We’re looking at a minimum 2,500 calories to fuel this lifestyle,” Sims says, and for many women who are training for an event of some sort, this might be an “easy” day….
EatingWell: Are "Just Egg" Products Healthy? Here's What Dietitians Have to Say About the Plant-Based Egg Trend
Better Homes & Gardens: How to Keep Spices Fresh Longer—And Organize Spices to Make Cooking So Much Easier
GoodRx: Do I Need to Hire a Personal Trainer? Benefits and Costs
LIVESTRONG: 6 Must-Follow Tips for Running With Osteoarthritis
dsm Magazine: Revisiting: Proof—and the Brand-New Tasting Menu
Where to Go…
ICYMI, I arrived home from a 10-day adventure to Croatia and Montenegro on late Tuesday evening. This was my sixth excursion planned to perfection by my friend/travel advisor Whitney Shindelar, owner of Undiscovered Sunsets. She has a magical gift of designing, booking and curating the most life-changing of vacations, and this was my very favorite yet!
The first half, I spent solo; celebrating my 35th birthday over a three-course dinner at Bokeria, scaring my Mom by trying via ferrata for the first time, making new friends on a full-day national park tour (pictured below) and more. The second half, I met up with 8 new friends and 3 top-notch leaders for the Backroads Croatia and Montenegro Multi-Adventure Tour, which involved biking 90+ miles, hiking 13 miles, kayaking 2 miles and eating/drinking our way from Croatia to Montenegro—and making life-long pals along with way.
For a full trip recap, hop over to my Instagram bio page and click on the highlight labeled “Croatia.” Warning: This will likely inspire you to dig out that passport and start dreaming of your next destination!
What to Listen To…
Maintenance Phase: The Body Mass Index
The body mass index (BMI) is a mathematical calculation based on height and weight alone—not other important health factors like body fat percentage, body fat distribution or even your genetically-determined bone structure.
“BMI is a flawed measurement because it was designed by insurance companies to have a ‘score’ to determine healthcare coverage. It’s used as a key measure of health at a doctor’s office, but it can vary based on so many factors, including muscle mass,” Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and the owner of Greenletes, New York City, told me for a recent story.
By this criteria, The Rock is categorized as obese; clearly not a fair assessment of his overall wellbeing and strength. This episode offers a thorough deep dive into the history of the BMI, why it’s totally bogus and why it can be such a harmful force in our medical system and the world at large. Listen here.
What’s Inspiring Me…
One of the very few “detoxes” I recommend is of social media feeds, and I try to follow and unfollow accordingly to ensure that the minutes I do invest on Instagram and Facebook are empowering and uplifting rather than FOMO-inducing or destructive. My challenge to you: Find 3 accounts this week that don’t make you feel the best when you see them pop up (be it due to triggering photos or phrases, negativity or otherwise) and give them an unfollow.
Then follow an individual like @briannawest on Instagram for some beautiful pep talks:
