CAUTION: This podcast discusses fasting, and its advice may not be suitable for anyone with an eating disorder. If you have an existing health condition or are taking medication, always consult your healthcare practitioner before going for prolonged periods without eating.

I first spoke to today’s guest back on Episode 342 – and that episode has become one of the most downloaded episodes of the year. It has transformed the lives of many women – and men – and I think this conversation will do the same.

Dr. Mindy Pelz is a nutrition expert, a pioneer on the subject of women’s health and hormones, and the author of Fast Like A Girl and The Menopause Reset: Get Rid of Your Symptoms and Feel Like Your Younger Self Again.

Mindy’s aim is to empower women by explaining the biological changes that take place each month and throughout a woman’s life. She believes that, armed with that knowledge, they can improve their health, happiness, and relationships. But this conversation is just as relevant for men.

We start off discussing whether weight gain is inevitable as we age. Is it our fate – and particularly a woman’s fate – to gain weight once she hits 40? It can be, she tells me, but only if women don’t know how to harness their hormones to prevent it. She explains how declining oestrogen levels can make women insulin resistant, which may be one of the reasons why the diet and lifestyle that worked for them in their 20s and 30s no longer does once they hit 40.

At the same time, declining levels of progesterone, the calming hormone, can result in lower-quality sleep, more perceived stress, and increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol – which, in and of itself, will contribute to an increase in belly fat. It makes so much sense when Mindy explains it, but unfortunately, this information is still not widely known.

We cover so many different topics, including:

• How to adjust when and what you eat during different phases of your cycle.
• The importance of gut health when thinking about hormonal health.
• Why women often handle stress in a different way to men.
• The impact that hormonal changes can have on brain function.
• The practical steps we can take to improve our sleep.
• The importance of lifestyle changes irrespective of whether a woman chooses to have HRT or not.
• The best times in a woman’s cycle to resolve conflict and deal with relationship issues.

This episode is jam-packed with insightful information and practical take-homes. I hope you enjoy listening.

Watch the video version of the conversation here: