Healthy Rx for Life

I have a question for you today (fair warning, it's a little bit of a trap!). Which comes first — the sugar, or the stress? Honestly? It's kind of a trick question. Because in perimenopause, these two things feed into each other in a cycle that can leave you feeling exhausted, wired, and wondering why your body seems to be working against you. The good news is — once you see the cycle, you can start to break it! Here's what happens when you're stressed... Your body releases cortisol and...

What if I told you that your daily habits could be secretly spiking your blood sugar...before you've eaten a single "bad" thing? So many women come to me who are genuinely putting in the effort — eating balanced meals, moving their bodies daily, cutting back on sugar. Yet they are not seeing the results they want. Sometimes the obvious stuff isn't the problem. It's the sneaky stuff nobody talks about! Here are 5 surprising habits that can spike your blood sugar and sabotage all your efforts:...

Did you know that maintaining stable blood sugar plays a key role in managing common symptoms like cravings, fatigue, and irritability? Balanced blood sugar is essential for energy, mood, brain function, heart health, immunity, and whole-body wellness, especially in women after 40! Let's talk about some blood sugar myths and truths. Which of these myths have you heard (or believed)? 1. MYTH: I need frequent snacks to keep my blood sugar balanced. TRUTH: Grazing exposes your cells to repeated...

When we think about estrogen, we usually focus on the hormones our bodies naturally produce. But certain compounds in our environment can also mimic estrogen in the body. These are often referred to as environmental estrogens (aka xenoestrogens). They’re found in small amounts in things like plastics, personal care products, pesticides, and even some household items. Over time, repeated exposure may contribute to the overall estrogen load your body has to process. Now before this starts to...

Here’s something many women don’t realize about hormone health in perimenopause: it’s not just about how much estrogen your body produces — it’s also about how well your body can process and clear it. When that system isn’t working as smoothly, estrogen can linger longer than it should. That can show up as things like bloating, mood swings, poor sleep, or heavier and more unpredictable cycles. The good news? Certain everyday foods contain nutrients that help support these natural estrogen...

In perimenopause, hormone shifts can feel unpredictable. Cycles change. Sleep shifts. Mood feels different. Weight can move in ways you didn’t expect. One common pattern during this season of life is estrogen dominance — when estrogen is high relative to progesterone. Since progesterone is often the first hormone to decline in midlife, this imbalance becomes very common. The good news? Our hormones are incredibly responsive! They respond to the food we eat, how we move, how we manage stress,...

If you’ve been experiencing symptoms like bloating, mood swings, poor sleep, or stubborn weight gain, it’s easy to feel like your body is working against you! But once you start to understand what your hormones are doing behind the scenes, things begin to make a lot more sense. Estrogen dominance occurs when estrogen levels are high relative to progesterone. This means it can happen when estrogen levels are normal or even low! Because progesterone naturally declines during perimenopause, this...

Have you noticed things shifting in your body lately? You feel more bloated. Your periods are heavier. Your mood swings are more intense. Sleep is lighter. Your weight feels harder to manage. Let me guess... You've been told that everything checks out fine, that it’s just normal hormonal changes, or that the only option is to take the birth control pill. 😔 But sometimes there’s more to the story! One incredibly common pattern in perimenopause is estrogen dominance — when estrogen levels are...

If you’re in perimenopause, you’re probably thinking about a lot of things when it comes to your health — energy, weight, sleep, stress...and of course, your hormones! But heart health usually isn’t at the top of the list. And that makes sense. Many women don’t start thinking about their heart until a doctor brings it up, or until a lab value changes. But the reality is, the daily habits you’re practicing right now play a role in supporting your heart health. But sometimes what seems "heart...

When it comes to heart health, the conversation usually sounds the same: watch your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol, exercise more. Those things matter — but they’re not the whole story. This month, I’m focusing on heart health in midlife — because it’s a topic that affects nearly every woman in perimenopause, yet isn’t talked about nearly enough! One puzzle piece that often gets overlooked, especially in midlife, is inflammation. As hormones begin to shift in perimenopause, your body...