What Is Going On With My Body

When I was in my early forties, my whole body shifted…downward. 

I used to have toned arms and loved wearing sleeveless dresses, but gradually, my sleeves got longer. Somewhere in my midforties, I went up a size. And then another. Most of my weight gain went right to my belly. Even my bras weren’t fitting right. And no amount of exercise felt like it was working.

It made me feel awful. Then sad. Then self-loathingly bad. And one of the most frustrating things was that I hadn’t made any changes at all to how or what I ate. It’s like my own body was gaslighting me.

I didn’t recognize the changes for what they were: hormonal. At that time (just a few short years ago), no one was talking about what women’s hormones go through in midlife, least of all my doctor. Even though millions upon millions of women were experiencing the exact same thing, I felt lost, alone, confused, and self-conscious because I no longer recognized my body or myself.

This is still a topic we don’t talk about enough. In fact, two of the most common questions I hear from women in midlife are:

1. Why am I gaining weight even though I haven’t changed a thing?
2. What the hell can I do to stop it?

For many women, the default response is to ramp up exercise and restrict food. But according to hormone expert Dr. Amy Shah, this approach often makes symptoms worse.

“Over 80% percent of women notice a change in their weight or a redistribution of fat during perimenopause,” she explains. “It’s very tempting to fall back into the habits we had in our 20s and enter extreme dieting mode. But when we don’t eat enough nutrients, we end up driving cortisol through the roof.”

Chronic under-eating, Dr. Shah says, disrupts blood sugar, increases cravings, and keeps the body stuck in a stress response. If we want to feel better, she encourages women to give up dieting and instead focus on supporting our gut health, metabolism, and hormones. And if you’re unsure where to begin, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why I asked Dr. Amy Shah to come on the podcast.

Dr. Amy Shah has made it her mission to help women understand what’s really happening in their bodies. In this episode, Dr. Shah explains the science behind the weight gain, mood swings, brain fog and digestive changes that women experience as their hormones shift throughout life. She also shares evidence-based strategies that you can implement to support your energy, metabolism, gut health, and hormones during this confusing time.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The biological changes your body undergoes during perimenopause and menopause
• The critical role gut health plays in hormone balance and immune function
• What to eat to support your body in midlife
• How to improve energy, weight, and mood without extreme diets or trends
• Which wellness trends are effective and which are just fads
  
  

If you feel like your body is failing you because your hormones are constantly fluctuating, you’re not alone. By the end of this episode, you’ll have the science to understand what’s actually happening and the tools to work with your body instead of against it.

Listen to "The Gut Doctor: How to Boost Energy and Lose Belly Fat" now!

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