If you’re over 40 and struggling with your weight or your fitness, this is for you.On today’s episode Jenn is joined by fitness expert Brad Williams. Brad specializes in helping people over 40 improve their health, strength, and longevity. During this episode, Jenn and Brad talk about what Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is and how to raise it, even as you age. Brad goes into detail about how to use fitness and nutrition to raise your BMR, as well as the importance of reducing stress, increasing balance, and focusing on sleep. Tune in today to uncover what you might be missing in order to be living your healthiest life. The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast is hosted by Jenn Trepeck, discussing wellness and weight loss for real life, clearing up the myths, misinformation, bad science & marketing surrounding our nutrition knowledge and the food industry. Let’s dive into wellness and weight loss for real life, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store. IN THIS EPISODE:●   [5:32] Brad shares his background and his health journey.●   [11:40] What is BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)?●   [13:27] Why is it important to look at yourself differently as you age?●   [15:03] When it comes to strength training/increasing muscle mass, what is Brad’s advice as we age to raise our BMR?●   [18:54] What is the purpose of doing HIIT?●   [19:51] How do you raise your BMR using nutrition?●   [25:02] What's the balance between fitness and nutrition to improve BMR?●   [28:32] How to manage stress, and what rest looks like.●   [32:19] How should you incorporate balance into your routine?●   [36:55] Brad gives some hacks for fitness while traveling or when you have limited equipment.●   [38:38] Final thoughts on raising your BMR.KEY TAKEAWAYS:●   Quality matters more than quantity. Move slower, lift with more intention, be aware of what muscles you are using, and really pay attention to how your body feels. For example, do a squat for 5 seconds down, 5 seconds up and really tune in to your body. You can reduce the amount of reps you do if you lift this way.  ●   99% of the time stress is the major underlying factor that keeps you from losing weight. If you are struggling with dropping weight, and are doing everything “right”, look at your stress level and your sleep health. ●   Regularly keep a list of food that you eat and make connections with how your body reacts to food and drink. Get curious when you are feeling low energy, bloated, or any other undesirable feeling to see how it is reacting with your body. ●   Each person’s body is individual. Note how your body reacts to what you are doing and then tweak things one at a time. Take small steps and understand that your health is a long haul mission.QUOTES: “The whole point of doing HIIT for the over 40 crowd is, I mentioned before, where your body’s recycling and losing less mitochondria, the energy, and powerhouses of your cells. It’s just a process of aging and slowing down. So we don’t want that. We want to stay youthful. So you have to train at least one day a week, in my opinion. I’m boosting that up to replenish your mitochondria to feel more youthful and then thus become a fat burning machine.” - Brad Williams“There's also a piece of the speed and heavier weight that relies on the joint to do the work vs recruiting the musculature that's going to support the joint.” - Jenn Trepeck“Mental stress affects your cortisol levels and if that's outta whack, nothing in your diet or anything we're doing in the gym is gonna get us any results.” - Brad Williams“That’s the first time I’ve ever seen how important keeping that stress level and cortisol levels down, or else you just can’t do anything. Your body is in distress. You know, and fighting itself, and that’s what it does to protect itself. With anything being over 40, your body is holding onto this fat because that is survival.” - Brad Williams "The better quality sleep you're getting the faster and better results you're getting." - Br