To dive into this I am going to first cover the phases of the female cycle, discussing hormones, the endometrium lining, and how all of this impacts the way we feel. I’ll then cover how to best support yourself during each phase of the cycle and then when you are most likely to get pregnant. This is a necessary prequel into the rest of my series on women’s health as it gives us the foundation for understanding fertility, and a women’s relationship with stress, exercise, energy deficiency, and alcohol.

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All that being said, I am going to be doing a series for the next two months on women’s health and hormones and how our body should best be supported. To catapult into the series, I am going to share with you a little bit of my personal story and why this topic is so near and dear to me. I hope some of you can relate and feel encouraged and informed over the next couple of months.

I started running when I was 15 years old after joining the track team during the Spring of my freshman year of high school. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. Running became my quiet form of therapy. I could get lost in my thoughts, or at the time, lost in the music on my walkman, and eventually I-pod. I always felt the most like myself when I was running on trails, getting into a meditative rhythm.

Although running was not the trigger, it placated some body dysmorphia and disordered eating. It first began in high school. I realized that because of running I was able to maintain a very slight figure and still eat ice cream with peanut butter after dinner. At the time, I was also dealing with some trauma, a major death in the family, and with all the chaos that was happening in my life, being thin was something I could easily control. Yet, due to my initiation into calorie restriction and obsession with my body image, I was addicted to sugar and all I could think about was food. A very common symptom for those who are undernourished.

Once I entered university, my relationship with food became even more obsessive. I built a whole private math around food and movement that was never turned off. I was constantly punishing or rewarding myself based on some invisible ledger of how many miles I ran vs how much food I consumed. This made running and eating significantly less enjoyable. Food was just a necessity and running became an end to a means.

I was very thin. I also had a belief that the thinner I was, the faster I would be. Long distance running is a terrible sport to be in if you have any form of disordered eating. Guaranteed, there are multiple other girls at the starting line who have the same struggle and look equally emaciated, and if they are fast you falsely attribute it to their frail figure. Yet, what you don’t realize, is their lack of nutrition and calories eventually catches up to them. Which, I quickly learned.

Going into my senior year of college, I was completing a summer internship at a local hospital in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. That summer made it painfully clear that I was not doing okay. For years, ever since I started running my freshman year of high school, I hadn’t had a period. My poor father was very concerned and took me on multiple trips to go and see the gyno, whose routine response was, “Either you need to run less and eat more, or you need to go on birth control.” My response always being, “I will do neither.”

Yet, I was starting to have a wakeup call during the fall of my Junior year. I had decided to go on birth control to regain my cycle. Yet, because I didn’t eat enough quality food, consistently bleeding every month without enough iron intake quickly led to a severe case of anemia. My entire fall cross country season was destroyed. I was exhausted. I was slow. It was painful to run. 10 hours of sleep never felt like enough. I went off birth control and started taking a high-dose iron supplement which temporarily cured me for the next six months.

During my summer in Mongolia, I was living with a host family. At that point I was uncomfortably thin and back to not having a period. I was having frequent bouts of feeling dizzy, major drops in blood pressure, and just a general feeling of extremely low energy. I frequently stuffed candy into my running shorts so I could eat them mid-run without feeling like I was going to pass out. You also know you have a problem when you think it’s a success that you no longer have a period and the BMI scale says you are “underweight.”

My host mom, who spoke minimal English and worked in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) ward, took me to her office one day, put me on the scale (awkward to say the least), looked at the number, was not impressed, so proceeded to check my pulse. In TCM, there are multiple pulses on your radial artery that correlate with various organ systems. She said to me, “There is something wrong with your left kidney pulse.” Which I really had no response to until she asked, “What is your period like?” I was shocked. I looked at her and said, “I don’t have one anymore.” She just looked at me knowingly and we went on with our day. From that day forward I started getting two pieces of toast for breakfast in the morning, rather than one, and even though we had dinner around 6pm, she and her son would deliver me another meal in my bedroom around 10pm before I went to bed.

That summer was transformative for me. It made me aware that if I wanted to run well and I wanted to have adequate energy, some things needed to seriously change in my current diet. Going into my senior year, my roommate challenged me to stop weighing myself and just eat based on how I feel. So, I did. I ate when I was hungry. I nourished my body. My period started to come back. I ran more miles. I won more races. I had the best running season of my entire academic career. And I learned that a well-nourished female body will always outlast and outperform one that is not.

Due to my own obsession with food, diving into human physiology in undergrad, researching the female athlete triad, and other female hormonal issues related to undernourishment, it was no surprise I eventually landed on Human Nutrition, where I proceeded to get my master’s degree.

My testimonial to you today, which I will weave into this series, is nutrition changed my life. After restricting certain foods for so long, I started eating more animal proteins and actually felt satiated. Once I incorporated quality animal and plant fats into my diet, I stopped craving sugar. I got my energy back. My body composition improved. I retained muscle mass more effectively. I felt more comfortable and confident in my body. I continued to get faster. My endurance increased. I was able to run marathons and trail races. Even today when I’m not able to run as much or I’m combatting an injury, I still maintain muscle mass and don’t gain weight. I attribute all of this to turning my disordered eating into focusing on what a well-nourished body looks and feels like.

If our diets are not encouraging hormonal balance we feel depleted, exhausted, and deprived. Again, since most of the health and nutrition advice given to women is based on male anatomy, I see way more women who are dealing with autoimmunity, chronic fatigue, GI issues, and a dysregulated stress response, compared to men. Rather, when our systems are well nourished and our body doesn’t enter a stress response because we are nutrient depleted, we start to feel and look like the best versions of ourselves.

My hope throughout this series (as well as with the women I work with) is for you to feel empowered to embody your truest selves. That you are able to be successful as athletes, models, entrepreneurs, and executives without feeling burnt out or depleted. I want women to fully embrace their femininity and not feel like they have to function, eat, or exercise like men in order to be successful or achieve their ideal physique. In the meantime, I’ve got you. xxx

Last week I wrote an article about Bryan Johnson and his goal to live to be 160 years old. A lofty goal. Yet, props to him. He has brought a tremendous amount of attention to the wellness community and why it is so crucial to eat quality foods, get a good night’s sleep, take care of your skin, avoid processed foods, and regularly advocate for your health. Yet, I don’t find his protocol to be very realistic or sustainable for the average individual. I also find it to be lacking in some essential whole foods and what I personally believe is the key to longevity: joy.

A modern day centenarian

In comparison, I want to highlight a modern day centenarian, Jeanne Louise Calment, a French woman who lived to be 122 years old, the world’s longest living person (on record) to date. She was born on February 21, 1875 in Arles, France, and died on August 4, 1997 in a nursing home in Arles. Her record was formally challenged in 2018 by researchers who theorized her daughter had assumed her identity to dodge inheritance taxes, but the claim has been scrutinized and rejected by the demographers who validated her age, and her 122-year record still stands as the most well-documented in history.

Most of her longevity is attributed to her immunity to stress as Jeanne lived a very stress free life. She laughed often and found gratitude in the little things. She never had to work as her husband was a prosperous store owner and she got to spend her time playing tennis, cycling, swimming, roller skating, and playing the piano. In later years, after her husband died, she lived mostly off of the income of her apartment. She rode her bicycle until she was 100 years old, picked up fencing when she was 85, and didn’t move into assisted living until she was 110.

Her diet, for the most part, was moderately healthy (and likely pesticide free due to living in Arles), and consisted of coffee with milk in the morning, cake rusks, meat/fish, vegetables, and a daily fruit salad with bananas and oranges. Her diet was also heavily reliant on olive oil, using it for both cooking and skincare. Yet, Jeanne was not free of indulgences. She would eat up to two pounds of chocolate a week and after her meals, would drink a glass of port wine, have dessert, and smoke a cigarette. Jeanne smoked all the way up until she was 117 years old. The only reason she ever gave up smoking was because she was starting to go blind and couldn’t see the lighter.

Even into her old age and living in a care home, Jeanne maintained a consistent routine. She woke up everyday at 6:45am, ate regular meals, listened to music and the radio, socialized with friends, took a two hour nap, and went to bed at 10pm. She also remained active. Consistently did stretches every morning, washed herself unassisted with a flannel washcloth, and made her own meals.

Unlike Bryan, Jeanne did not take any vitamins or health supplements and for most of her life did not take any medications, outside of the occasional aspirin for a migraine. Later in life, at the ripe old age of 110 / 111 years old, Jeanne did start taking some medications for specific, age-related conditions. She went on digoxin to regulate her heart after a case of heart failure and anti-inflammatory medication for arthropathy (severe joint pain / arthritis). But for the first 110 years of her life, Jeanne was free of all supplements and medication.

Lastly, Jeanne maintained a slight figure. She was only 4’11” and 99lbs for the majority of her adult years.

I am obsessed with Jeanne and her route to longevity. Jeanne, unlike most nutrition and biohacking protocols today, did not follow a 12-step routine, never took any supplements, and didn’t follow a religious work-out protocol. Rather, she lived! She was active up until she had to be in a wheelchair at the age of 114 years old. She rode her bike until she was 100. She drank. She smoked. She ate dessert. She laughed. She ate a stupid amount of chocolate (woman after my own heart). She did her best to remain stress free (even though she lived through two world wars). She prioritized sleep. She ate fruit. She ate real, whole foods, She avoided processed foods and seed oils. She saturated herself inside and out with olive oil. She did not restrict or limit. Rather, she indulged. Yet, still kept her slight and petite figure.

She was also known for having smooth, fairly wrinkle-free skin! And she lived in the pre-botox, pre-sunscreen era! This was all due to adequate vitamin D production from the sun, slathering vitamin-E rich olive oil on her skin, and covering up with hats and long-sleeve shirts when outdoors. But I’d also like to think that she developed some beautiful laugh lines around her eyes and mouth from smiling and spending too much time in the sun. Just look at how precious she was on her 120th birthday.

How Jeanne “bio-hacked” aging

What was it about Jeanne’s lifestyle and diet that allowed her to outlive all her friends and family members (including even her grandson)? I am sure genetics was a part of it. She had other family members who lived well into their 90’s. Yet, predominately, I think her perspective on life was a huge component.

Let’s break this down as to what factors I think supported Jeanne’s longevity. She didn’t just live to be 122 years old. She lived well, remaining mobile and mentally sharp for the majority of her life. Which really is the goal.

• Stress-free: Jeanne did have the benefit of never having to work, which definitely added to her stress-free mentality. But she did live through two world wars in France and outlived all of her family members. According to today’s standards we would consider this trauma, but Jeanne still maintained her resilience and stress-free attitude. Chronic activation of the stress response is a known contributor to inflammation and accelerated aging.¹

• Physically active: Jeanne remained physically active for almost her entire life. She picked up a sport at 85, rode her bicycle until she was 100, and stretched every morning up until she was 114, once she had to be in a wheelchair after a hip fracture. Physical activity is a known molecular driver for slowing down the aging process.²

• Well-rounded diet: Jeanne ate a diet rich in meat, dairy, vegetables, fruit, and grains. She didn’t restrict certain food groups and thus likely avoided any form of nutrient deficiency. A varied diet provides a diversity of antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fiber.

• Meat and animal products: Jeanne did not restrict meat or animal products. She had a preference for red meat and poultry, over fish, and had milk in her coffee every morning. Her favorite meal was daube (Provençal beef stew cooked in red wine). This ensured she consumed plenty of protein, essential amino acids, iron, vitamin B12, zinc, riboflavin, and other minerals and vitamins that are more bioavailable in animal products. This daily supply of essential amino acids likely helped her maintain her muscle mass, allowing her to remain physically active into her later years.³ Based on where she lived, all the meat and dairy she consumed was likely sustainably raised and grass-fed.

• Fruit: So many people today avoid fruit due to its high sugar content. Yet, in moderation, fruit provides a rich supply of antioxidants and polyphenols, all necessary for combatting inflammation and oxidative stress. Jeanne consumed fruit on a daily basis. Phytochemicals in plants may delay aging and prevent age-related diseases.⁴

• Olive oil: Jeanne used a plethora of olive oil everyday. Not only did she cook with it, she also used it on her skin as a daily moisturizer. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid), antioxidants, and polyphenols. All of these are known to combat inflammation, helping reduce oxidative stress in the body. Some of these phenolic compounds have been found to prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, a prerequisite to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Regular intake of olive oil has been linked with improved cardiovascular health, reduced incidence of neurodegenerative diseases and healthier aging.⁵ Olive oil is also rich in vitamin E, benefiting overall skin health. Some studies have found olive oil to be effective in combating inflammation and skin damage from UV radiation.⁶

• Limited processed foods and seed oils: Although Jeanne did not intentionally avoid processed foods and seed oils, she lived in a time and place where these were not readily available. For the first 60-70 years of her life seed oils weren’t even available. Living in Arles, France she had regular access to fresh fruits, vegetables, quality meat and dairy, and locally produced olive oil. Some researchers suggest that seed oils are a major contributor to pathology.⁷

• Regular bedtime/wake-time: Honestly, this is something I personally need to work on. Research has shown that going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday improves cardiometabolic markers, whereas irregular bedtime and wake-up times have an unfavorable impact.⁸ Although, regular physical activity has been shown to be protective against this impact.

• Slim | Petite: Jeanne maintained a very slight (but healthy) figure for her entire life. There is quite a bit of research correlating a healthy BMI with lower morbidities, less inflammation, and greater longevity outcomes.^9,10

• Positive outlook | Joy: Throughout her life Jeanne was known for having a positive perspective. Her lack of worry and good humor were some of her defining traits. She once summarized her philosophy to researchers as, “I think I will die laughing.” Her emotional resilience, her refusal to become stressed, and her cheerful disposition likely kept her stress hormones low, protecting her from disease pathology and inflammation. She was once quoted, “If you can’t do anything about it, don’t worry about it.”

• Indulgences: I’m not going to recommend that you pick up smoking, drink alcohol regularly, and increase your sugar consumption. Yet, I do agree with Jeanne’s mentality that indulgences are a necessary part of life. Becoming too strict with our food and lifestyle routines prevents us from being fully present and often strips us from some of our own joy and gratitude. Jeanne continued to indulge daily in substances that brought her momentary pleasure and kept her grounded and present. In tandem with a healthy, active lifestyle, I don’t think this is a bad thing.

Joy: a key to longevity

I struggle with strict and over-the-top protocols like Bryan Johnson’s, because they are not rooted in reality and they don’t align with how our ancestors used to take care of their bodies. Jeanne lived a long life because she lived in the present, she found joy, she didn’t allow stress to take over, she ate a nutrient-dense diverse diet, she remained extremely active, and she allowed herself to live and indulge. Mind you, she also likely had some fantastic genes!

Although I too want to live a long and fulfilling life and I, like everyone else, am afraid of aging (yes please botox in my forehead), I don’t want to do it through biohacking and analyzing every single minute of my day. Rather, I want to be more like Jeanne. She was consistently active, she moved her body daily, she ate nutrient-dense foods, she had a varied diet, and she embodied the present moment rather than worrying about things she couldn’t control. All of us, myself included, could benefit from more movement and less cortisol being pumped out of our adrenal glands, triggering inflammatory havoc throughout our bodies.

In my anti-aging protocol I am going to focus on being more present and joyful: finding gratitude in the small things and prioritizing being less stressed and anxious. I’m also going to stress less about minor indulgences that actually bring me a lot of joy. Because what is life without pleasure?

Personally, I want to enjoy good wine with my girlfriends. I love adding heavy whipping cream to my coffee. I too have a weekly supply of chocolate. It’s fun to stay out late when I’m not ready for the moment to end. I like working out more when I’m basing it off of how I feel versus what’s on my workout calendar. Yes, I will always focus on eating a nutrient-rich diet, staying active, applying sunscreen, and getting a good night’s sleep. But, I want to do that in tandem with living a joy-filled life that is rich in laughter and maybe one too many espresso martinis. I find, when we are living in the present and focusing on things that bring us joy, we tend to be way less stressed anyways, which in the end benefits our overall health.

References:

1. Chrousos, G. P. (2025). Stress and Healthy Longevity vs. Aging. Toxicology Letters, 411, S2.

2. Izquierdo, M., de Souto Barreto, P., Arai, H., Bischoff-Ferrari, H. A., Cadore, E. L., Cesari, M., ... & Singh, M. A. F. (2025). Global consensus on optimal exercise recommendations for enhancing healthy longevity in older adults (ICFSR). The Journal of nutrition, health and aging, 29(1), 100401.

3. Ruxton, C. H. S., & Gordon, S. (2024). Animal board invited review: The contribution of red meat to adult nutrition and health beyond protein. Animal, 18(3), 101103.

4. Shen, J., Shan, J., Zhong, L., Liang, B., Zhang, D., Li, M., & Tang, H. (2022). Dietary phytochemicals that can extend longevity by regulation of metabolism. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 77(1), 12-19.

5. Morkovin, E., Litvinov, R., Koushner, A., & Babkov, D. (2024). Resveratrol and extra virgin olive oil: protective agents against age-related disease. Nutrients, 16(24), 4258.

6. Abdalla, S., Aroua, M. K., & Gew, L. T. (2024). A comprehensive review of plant-based cosmetic oils (virgin coconut oil, olive oil, argan oil, and jojoba oil): chemical and biological properties and their cosmeceutical applications. ACS omega, 9(44), 44019-44032.

7. Mercola, J. (2026). Seed Oils as a Hypothesized Contributor to Heart Disease: A Narrative Synthesis. Cureus, 18(1).

8. Nauha, L., Farrahi, V., Jurvelin, H., Jämsä, T., Niemelä, M., Ala-Mursula, L., ... & Korpelainen, R. (2024). Regularity of bedtime, wake-up time, and time in bed in mid-life: associations with cardiometabolic health markers with adjustment for physical activity and sedentary time. Journal of Activity, Sedentary and Sleep Behaviors, 3(1), 2.

9. Khan, S. S., Krefman, A. E., Zhao, L., Liu, L., Chorniy, A., Daviglus, M. L., ... & Allen, N. B. (2022). Association of body mass index in midlife with morbidity burden in older adulthood and longevity. JAMA Network Open, 5(3), e222318.

10. Hu, C. (2025). Prevention of cardiovascular disease for healthy aging and longevity: a new scoring system and related “mechanisms-hallmarks-biomarkers”. Ageing Research Reviews, 107, 102727.

11. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2024/2/oldest-person-ever-122-year-old-jeanne-calments-extraordinary-life-765016

What is autoimmune gastritis?

Autoimmune gastritis is a disease where the immune system attacks the parietal cells in the stomach lining. The parietal cells produce stomach acid and intrinsic factor.

When proteins arrive in our stomach, from our food, they are unable to be broken down by digestive enzymes because of their complex folding pattern. Stomach acid denatures proteins, allowing this folding pattern to unravel so the amino acid chain is fully exposed and can be cleaved by digestive enzymes. Without stomach acid, denaturing of proteins does not occur. The inactive protein in the stomach (pepsinogen) does not get activated into the enzyme pepsin (which splits the amino acid chain into smaller amino acid sequences). The now undenatured proteins leave the stomach and arrive in the small intestine where they cannot get digested by digestive enzymes. In addition, the lack of acidic chyme leaving the stomach and entering the small intestine prevents the proper digestive sequence of events - i.e., release of bile, release of enzymes, etc. Undigested proteins, fats, and carbs, now make their way into the large intestine fermenting bacteria and leading to bacterial overgrowth. Without adequate stomach acid, your digestive system is completely screwed. This will lead to nutrient deficiencies, bacterial overgrowth, and overall gut inflammation.

Intrinsic factor binds to B12 in your food to allow for absorption. Without it, B12 deficiency is inevitable. As B12 is necessary for methylation (gene silencing, liver detoxification, and the list goes on) as well as red blood cell production, and neuron myelination (myelin is the coating around your neuron axons that allows for accelerated signaling), the list of bodily disrepair, in deficiency, is daunting. It can lead to irreversible neuropathy, spinal cord atrophy, and signs of dementia.

Autoimmune gastritis leads to digestive discomfort, early satiety (feeling full before you have eaten enough), severe fatigue (due to nutrient deficiencies), and neurological issues (due to B12 deficiency). It is a damaging disease and must be treated appropriately.

What is autoimmunity?

Prior to his recent diagnosis, Bryan already had an autoimmune disease. When he was 21 he was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s (an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid gland leading to hypothyroidism), and currently takes thyroid medication.

In brief terms autoimmunity is:

• Loss of self-tolerance: the immune system becomes dysregulated and starts misidentifying human body cells and tissue as foreign. This is correlated with a lack of t-regulatory cells (Treg), which are necessary for regulating the immune system and making sure you don’t have an overactive immune response.

• Autoantibodies and T-cells: the body starts producing antibodies (targeting proteins) and T-cells (destructive white blood cells) to attack its own tissue.

• Chronic inflammation: as the body is now recognizing its own tissue as foreign, it will continue to attack leading to chronic and persistent inflammation.

As autoimmunity is really one broad category of immune dysregulation, once you have one it is likely you will get more if the original was not appropriately treated (Linklater 2015). As I will outline below, his current diet and lifestyle decisions are not doing wonders for his current autoimmune condition.

What he has done right

I don’t want to entirely bash Bryan and his protocol as he has done some things well to support autoimmunity and prevent further prognosis. Here are the pros:

• Prioritizes sleep. Bryan has a very strict sleep schedule. He’s in bed by 8:30 and naturally wakes up at 5am. He stops eating eight hours before bed. He avoids blue light and optimizes his sleep environment. Essential as sleep supports a healthy stress response and ensures our bodies are able to adequately recover. As stress and autoimmunity are highly correlated this is important.

• High antioxidant intake. He consumes berries, an antioxidant blend, and a lot of veggies throughout the day. Antioxidants are essential for combatting bodily inflammation.

• No seed oils. Most of his fats come from MCT oil, olive oil, and supplemental EPA/DHA. All rich in fatty acids that balance a healthy inflammatory response. Seed oils are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, precursors to inflammatory molecules. An excess intake of omega-6’s in the diet can further exacerbate autoimmune symptoms.

Where he potentially went wrong

Now, when I have worked with autoimmune clients my primary goal is to regulate their nervous system (as autoimmunity is highly correlated with stress and trauma), support their gut health (also correlated), and remove any foods that activate immune flare-ups. Typically, their diet is limited to quality meat and vegetables to limit all of the potentially inflammatory foods. It focuses on the following:

• Sustainably raised animal proteins. Proteins sourced from healthy animals are rich in bioavailable vitamins and minerals and the protein within them is much easier for their inflamed digestive systems to break down.

• Avoid legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds. All of these foods are rich in nutrient inhibitors (phytates) as well as fiber. This makes the proteins within them difficult to access (especially when their gut is compromised) and can exacerbate gut inflammation and permeability (which I am trying to avoid). Eventually we will slowly reintroduce and see how the body responds.

• Cook their greens. Greens are rich in oxalates (also nutrient inhibitors) which can trigger gut flare-ups. I want their greens to be cooked so they are easier to digest.

• Integrate fish. Ocean-sourced fish is rich in EPA and DHA (difficult to produce from plant-sourced omega-3’s). EPA is necessary for producing anti-inflammatory molecules for supporting a healthy immune response.

• Avoid night shades. For many autoimmune individuals the nightshade family is very triggering and can activate a full on immune response. We limit.

• Quality fats. I want their diet to be rich in quality fats to nourish their nervous system and balance inflammation. Not just fish, but grass-fed ghee and beef tallow, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil. Integrating all of these will provide a variety of fatty acid chains that have different purposes in supporting the brain and cell membrane health.

• Supplements. I make sure their vitamin D levels are optimal and I often have them take a quality probiotic to support their overall gut health.

Bryan’s current diet is very different and in my opinion does not nourish the system of someone who has a dysfunctional immune system. He needs nourishment, not optimization.

• Oxalates and phytates: Most of his diet is composed of legumes, nuts, seeds, and foods rich in oxalates and phytates. As mentioned above, they could be further exacerbating his inflammation.

• Ashwagandha. This is a night shade. This can be inflammatory-inducing for an autoimmune individual and he takes this everyday.

• Avoids animal products. Bryan does not eat meat, eggs, or dairy products. All of these foods contain nutrients that are very difficult to find in plant foods - i.e., heme iron (more bioavailable than non-heme iron in plants), vitamin B12, choline, vitamin A (retinol is only found in animal products), calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin K2. All necessary for a balanced immune response and a healthy gut lining.

  • Animal protein is easier to digest as it is not packaged in fiber or phytates.

  • The only animal-sourced protein he consumes is collagen (which lacks the essential amino acid tryptophan).

• A lot of plant protein. Outside of collagen, most of his protein is from nuts, seeds, legumes, pea, and hemp protein. Although healthy , their amino acid profile is not in a ratio that matches human biology. They may contain a lot of phenylalanine but not enough lysine or methionine. You don’t just need all of the essential aminos, you need them in the right ratio for adequate protein synthesis.

• Sun avoidance. He avoids all sunlight and has to supplement vitamin D. I don’t want my skin to age either but sunlight is crucial for our function as humans and vitamin D deficiency is highly correlated with autoimmunity.

• 100+ daily supplements. To achieve healthy biomarkers (because he avoids animal foods) he has to supplement. He takes a laundry list of them everyday to make up for potential nutrient deficiencies and to improve overall biomarkers. This is A LOT for the liver and kidneys to process.

• Multiple medications: Bryan takes a lot of medications to support his cholesterol, glycemic levels and his thyroid. I have listed them below.

  • Levothyroxine (100 mcg): A synthetic T4 hormone that replaces what his immune system destroys from Hashimoto’s.

  • Armour Thyroid (60 mg): A natural pig-derived T3 and T4 extract used to guarantee active thyroid levels.

  • Acarbose (200 mg): A diabetes drug that blocks carbohydrate enzymes to slow down digestion and flatten blood sugar spikes.

  • Metformin (500 mg): A diabetes drug that improves insulin sensitivity and stops the liver from dumping excess glucose.

  • Jardiance (10 mg): A kidney-filtering drug that forces excess blood glucose out of the body through urine.

  • Repatha (140 mg): A biweekly injection that alters liver receptors to aggressively clear bad (LDL) cholesterol from his blood.

  • Tadalafil (2.5 mg): Daily low-dose Cialis, typically used to relax and dilate blood vessels, improving blood flow.

  • Minoxidil (3.75 mg): An oral pill that increases blood supply to his scalp to prevent hair thinning.

• I.e., his biomarkers are not a testament to his “nutrient-dense” or “healthy” diet. They are a testament to him optimizing his daily medication and supplement routine.

• Mono-routine. You need variety in your diet for adequate nutrient and antioxidant intake.

• Long fast: Bryan fasts for 18 hours a day. For a lot of men this fasting window is fine. For someone with autoimmunity it is not ideal. A prolonged fast causes a dip in blood sugar, which triggers a cortisol response. It can be very stressful on the body. Autoimmunity is correlated with stress so adding additional stressors to the body is not a helpful treatment protocol.

Bryan had achieved ideal biomarkers and a perfect sleep score. Yet, it’s important to keep in mind that this is due to spending $2 million dollars a year and taking daily medications and supplements to achieve this. It’s not from nourishing his system with whole foods. Medications will only cover up the symptoms and an inflamed nervous system, they don’t always get to the root cause. We need a nutrient-rich diet and a healthy, normal routine to do that.

In addition, autoimmunity is highly correlated with trauma. A plethora of research has connected a high ACE (adverse childhood experiences) score as well as an overly activated nervous system with adult onset autoimmunity (Köhler-Forsberg et al 2025). This is something that optimization will not address.

Pleasure

Something that saddens me about Bryan’s routine is he is missing out on one of the most crucial pieces of life: pleasure. He will likely disagree with me and say he gains a lot of pleasure out of his life. Yet, most of my richest moments are when I’m not following a 5-step routine and I’m not focusing on how to biohack my way to health. I’m living in the moment.

One of my long-time autoimmune clients and former students followed an insanely regimented diet. She did everything I ever told her to do, but her symptoms would only subside when she was traveling. She’d go abroad with her boyfriend for six months and her psoriasis would clear up, her vitiligo patches would go away, her energy would improve, and she felt more like herself. It was definitely not from eating cleaner. It’s because her nervous system was more centered. Once she came home and had to go back to work her immune system would again flare up. It was revelatory because she realized stress was a trigger for her autoimmunity.

Something I tell my autoimmune clients is to find ways to relax your nervous system and look for pleasure in your everyday life. I will definitely put them on a cleaner and more nourishing diet but pleasure and relaxation are even more pivotal. Because living in the moment and finding gratitude in our daily lives heals us.

It’s not beneficial to do these things everyday but letting your hair down and fully embracing the moment can nourish your system. Like having one too many glasses of wine gossiping with your best gal on a Friday. Staying up way too late because you’re enjoying the company of your lover or you’re entrenched in a good book. Traveling to a new country and trying all of the street food, even though it is cooked in reused oil. Eating that delicious chocolate cake at the end of a really good dinner. Going out to eat at your favorite restaurant and ordering the fries. Being outside and getting a little too sun-kissed. Having your third or fourth espresso martini because you’re dancing at your best friend’s wedding. Developing laugh lines on your face because you smile too much.

This is the stuff that really makes life matter. Not biohacking your way to health. Next week I’m going to talk about centenarians and comparing them to modern-day biohackers and again highlighting where I think we’re getting it wrong.

Fig 6.21. “Summary of protein digestion” by Alice Callahan is licensed under CC BY 4.0; edited from “Process of denaturation” by Scurran is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

“Protein Digestion and Absorption”, section 6.3 from the book An Introduction to Nutrition (v. 1.0), CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

Linklater, S. (2015). Defining autoimmunity: an epistemological history. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 3(5), 321.

Köhler-Forsberg, O., Ge, F., Aspelund, T., Wang, Y., Fang, F., Tomasson, G., ... & Valdimarsdottir, U. A. (2025). Adverse childhood experiences, mental distress, and autoimmune disease in adult women: findings from two large cohort studies. Psychological Medicine, 55, e36.

Grief can be caused by a variety of forms of loss. It could be from loss of a job, a lover, a parent, a friend, a spouse, a child, your life before kids, or a former home. We then grieve the loss of what that person or situation meant to us for a period of our lives and then the part of ourselves that only existed with that person, place, or situation. This is healthy and normal.

Yet, I think that part that often upends many people is how grief changes us. Not even necessarily in a negative way. But we are changed and the part of us that existed prior to grief may never come back. I’m going to dive into first one of my own experiences with grief and then the science behind grief and how it impacts our brain, thus inducing change.

Unfortunately, grief and loss is part of the human experience but as it is something we all will walk through at one point or another, it’s important to talk about it and remember no one is alone. Having a healthy social network is one of the most scientifically impactful ways to heal and move forward.

Grief:

About ten years ago my dad was living in Iceland. We had had a pretty distant relationship and at that point we weren’t talking very much. Randomly, one night we had been chatting over Facebook messenger, just catching up on what I was up to in Denver and how his life was in Reykjavik as he was preparing for retirement. As I was getting ready for work the next morning, I received one of the worst phone calls of my life. My step-sister, Anya, was hyperventilating. “Dad’s in the ICU. He had a cardiac arrest while walking to work. His face planted, some stranger found him unconscious and called the ambulance. You need to get to Iceland as soon as possible.” This information was eventually confirmed with the doctor managing the ICU ward in the Reykjavik hospital and he advised me to get there quickly, in the next day or two, to say goodbye to my dad, who was currently in an induced coma. My roommate and I scrambled that day to get me an i-phone (I had protested up until that point and only ever had a flip phone), pack to leave the following day, and tell work I would be out of town for the foreseeable future.

The next day, I was flying to Reykjavik, making an effort to keep my cries at silent streams of tears rather than chest-rattling sobs. I was feverishly praying that my dad would miraculously come out of it. I wasn’t even 30, he was my only parent, and our relationship wasn’t in a very good place. I found myself seated next to a married couple who were on their way to Paris. Their honest demeanors were a massive comfort to me. They never asked me any personal questions but rather made jokes about how small and uncomfortable our coach seats were and how much they loved Paris. We spoke a little more about why they were traveling and our mutual love for Europe and fine wine. The rest of our journey was spent in comforting silence as we traveled to Reykjavik in the middle of the night.

Long story short, I made it through that horrific trip to Iceland. I spent most of my time in the ICU and eventually Anya and I packed up my dad and his wife’s apartment as he was medevacked out of the country back to Illinois. Miraculously, he started to come around a couple of months later, talking again and being more responsive, and eventually was transferred to a rehab hospital. My dad was never the same again as his cardiac arrest caused permanent brain damage. But, shockingly to all the medical staff, he is not a vegetable as the doctors in Reykjavik had warned. For that, I will forever be grateful. Yet, that time period was horrendous and I had to grieve the fact that the man who was messaging me that night in Denver would never be the same. He would never again be the dad I remember.

This isn’t an incident I dwell on often. It really only comes up when I go back to visit my dad in Illinois or occasionally when we are chatting on the phone. More so, I have been thinking about who I was before that incident and then who I was after. Nothing too drastic. Yet, my friendships significantly changed after that season. My community became smaller. I became more selective regarding who I was willing to spend my time. I was more pensive and introspective. I opted to spend a lot of time alone. I was more guarded around my personal boundaries. I became more sensitive and tender. These were things that most people around me were not huge fans of but I needed space and time to heal and figure out how I was going to move forward. I didn’t want anything manifesting under the rug waiting to come up years later.

We never fully go back to being who we were before significant grief entered our lives. Our periods of coping require us to relearn the new person we have become. It takes time to remember who you once were, prior to loss. Grief changes us. It shifts the way we view life, the way we view ourselves and it puts things into a new perspective. It comes in and molds the shape of our souls, impacting us on a deep, inner level and affecting how we interact with others and the world. The shape of our new self will never quite be like what we were before. This is neither positive nor negative, just different and new. In some ways, we must be introduced to our new persona and see how she or he is going to behave once our person is willing to interact again with the outside world.

I have found, after loss, the things I previously thought were important become meaningless. The people I love start to become a greater priority and I realize the essentialness of doing what makes me come alive. Grief makes you realize life is unpredictable. You recognize the necessity in making sure the people around you know how much you love them. You understand the absurdity in doing anything which does not line up with your unique design and passions. Life is beautiful, yet fleeting. Grief makes you aware there is no time to waste on the unwarranted things in life we all do for the sake of practicality. In some ways, grief can re-awaken you to finally live.

Grief made me more in touch with reality and humanity. I began to feel everything around me and tangibly experience the heartbeat of the world, of loved ones, of strangers, and of myself. I become aware of the sacredness of life and people. Every moment felt more precious, and I began to breathe in those seconds and minutes deeply and hold them close to my chest as a revered memoir. I realized this too shall pass so I wanted to enjoy it and drink it in while it lasted. Every second and every interaction with another person: a priceless gift. I didn’t want any of it to be taken for granted.

It is worth noting that my experience with my dad falls under what scientists call ‘ambiguous loss.’ He didn’t die, but who he was did, in many ways. The neuroscience I’m about to share is largely bereavement research, but the same attachment and stress systems are at work, which is why it is still relevant.

The brain and grief:

When dealing with loss, why do we change? What is happening in our brains and bodies that leads to emotional and behavioral change? There is a tremendous amount of research showing how grief not only impacts the brain and neurological function, but also has a physical impact on the body. As the brain is one of the most complex human organs, I’m going to try to break this down as simply as possible. Yet, understanding how grief impacts the body and brain gives us a better idea of how to support and treat those undergoing grief in order to mitigate long-term brain alterations and physical consequences.

Neurological Impact

First off, it is no surprise that grief has a profound impact on the brain, triggering neurobiological changes that can reshape how someone deals with loss. As one heals, the brain has to adapt and rewire itself to manage the new absence of a loved one. This requires various areas, specifically in the limbic system (the emotional lobe of our brain), to rewire, heal, and adapt. Those areas which deal with attachment are most impacted.

• The amygdala: this is the region known for emotional processing, particularly around fear and sadness. During grief it is more activated, which intensifies emotional responses like anxiety, sadness, and distress.

• The prefrontal cortex: this region is responsible for higher cognitive functions like decision-making, emotional regulation, and social behavior. During grief, it has reduced activity which leads to difficulty in emotional regulation, decision making, and cognitive clarity.

• The supramarginal gyrus: this region is crucial for processing the sounds of language and holding verbal information. This atrophies during grief leading to cognitive inhibition, intrusive thoughts, and difficulty disengaging from grief-related memories.

• The hippocampus: responsible for memory formation. It is under active during grief which leads to difficulty in forming new memories and retrieving old ones.

• The nucleus accumbens: this is more activated which suggests that reminders of loss can trigger a craving‐like response.

• The anterior cingulate cortex: this helps regulate pain and emotional responses to stress. It is more active during grief, reflecting the brain’s attempt to manage emotional pain.

• The Default mode network (DMN) and reward systems: this communication system is disrupted which alters cognitive and emotional regulation, leading to persistent negative emotions and difficulty with emotional processing.

Structural MRI studies have confirmed the above changes, seeing reductions or differences as well as white matter brain abnormalities in those experiencing prolonged grief. Initially, this leads to disruptions in emotional regulation, reward processing, and cognition. Behavior is altered as our attachment systems become completely disoriented and altered in response to loss. If not dealt with or treated appropriately this can potentially lead to neural changes that increase risk for brain pathologies and neurodegenerative diseases. Loss of a significant other is an extremely stressful event, leading to lasting changes in the brain.

Impaired stress response

Loss is also extremely stressful. Grief manifests physically by increasing stress hormones, such as cortisol, which leads to an elevated heart rate, anxiety, poor sleep, and a dampened immune response. Cortisol also has an impact on our brains, leading to memory impairments. Over time, this can lead to altered stress regulation and chronic fatigue.

Epigenetic changes

Epigenetics is a field of research looking at how various lifestyle factors alter how our DNA is transcribed. It doesn’t change our DNA or cause mutations. It just alters which genes are transcribed and which genes are silenced, leading to significant physiological changes. Grief has been shown to influence epigenetic changes in the brain (i.e., influencing genes). This impacts emotional and cognitive processing, particularly areas involved in attachment and reward. Hence, leading to the following symptoms:

• Increased sensitivity to stress and emotional pain.

• Increased vulnerability to health issues.

• Increased cortisol release, making one more susceptible to anxiety and depression.

• Reduced ability to effectively regulate the stress response.

• Altered immune function.

Immune system impact

Evidence also shows that grief can alter immune function. Typically, researchers have seen an increased and sustained secretion of inflammatory molecules (IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α). I.e., the body is now more inflamed and prone to disease pathology, like autoimmunity. Yet, these individuals are also more prone to getting sick as they have also seen a reduction in T-lymphocyte activity and natural killer cell function, the cells that combat abnormal cells and disease. This is something I have seen time and time again with my autoimmune clients. They dealt with a significant trauma in either their childhood or at disease onset that was never fully dealt with. That unprocessed grief leads to an overactive immune response.

Changes in attachment

Part of what makes loss so challenging is our brains have formed a strong attachment. Attachment bonds lead to lasting epigenetic changes in our brain, making it very difficult for our brains to accept the loss. So, even after loss, oxytocin (the bonding or “love” hormone) still remains high, reinforcing grief. We are still very emotionally attached. Continued elevated oxytocin is often what forces us to look for new social bonds and attachment.

Treatment:

For those of you undergoing grief, none of this is to make you fearful of all of the potential negative repercussions. Rather, it is to help you better understand what your brain and body is experiencing and how to better care for it.

There are many effective treatments revolving around behavioral, cognitive, pharmacological, and neuromodulatory approaches. I have listed a few below.

• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: these help you notice and step out of unhelpful thought patterns through meditation and present-moment awareness techniques.

• Social support: surrounding yourself with people who love you helps buffer grief-related stress.

• Group therapy and bereavement support groups: it is very impactful to meet with those who understand loss and what you are experiencing.

• Expressive writing and narrative therapy: writing or talking about loss is highly impactful for restructuring narratives and decreasing amygdala hyper-reactivity.

• Grief-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy: this encourages individuals to replace darker thoughts with adaptive coping mechanisms.

• Mind-body interventions or relaxation techniques: this is doing anything that gets your body into more of a rested state - i.e., meditating, journaling, taking a bath, walking in nature.

There are obviously many other interventions. For some individuals it may mean going on pharmaceuticals or seeing a therapist for a period of time. Yet, it is important to prioritize yourself and focus on your healing.

As I am a Nutrition Consultant, my approach with clients who are dealing with grief and significant stress or trauma is a little different.

• I focus on dietary changes to make sure whatever my client is consuming isn’t further activating a stress response or heightening inflammation.

• I focus on metrics to make sure they are sleeping well and managing their stress response. We consistently look at their bedtime routine and other ways they can rest their activated system.

• I integrate supplements when necessary to help better support the stress response and manage inflammation.

• I utilize herbal medicine consistently and prioritize adaptogens and nervines to help calm their nervous system and mitigate the stress response to help prevent over-activation in the brain.

Yet, predominately, my advice to clients who are processing grief and aiming to move forward, is to keep their healing sacred. I believe it is vital to decipher how you spend your time and with whom. Whatever you experienced may have been formed by some harsh, irreversible situations, and now you need to care for yourself appropriately so you can heal. My role is to support them in that process on a physiological level.

I know it’s not an easy path. There is definitely past loss I experienced as a child that I never processed so it led to more adverse symptoms and emotional dysregulation that I had to deal with in adulthood. What I learned, after my dad’s cardiac arrest, is to embrace grief in the moment so you can avoid the negative impact later on. Since I was willing to sit with my pain for a period of time, I have found memories of my dad don’t trigger me in the same way that past childhood trauma did (and sometimes still does). Did grief change me? Definitely. Do I feel like I healed and moved on? Certainly.

If you, or someone in your organization or community, are currently navigating grief or trauma and want support, physiologically, nutritionally, or just someone who understands both the science and the experience, I’d love to help. You can check out my website (meganbgrover.com), email me directly (info@meganbgrover.com), or book a quick inquiry call (meeting link).

References:

Statharakos, N. (2025). Unraveling the Neurobiology of Grief: Insights into Brain and Behavior–Narrative Review. Brain Science Advances, 11(3), BSA-2025.

Evstigneev, S. R., O’Connor, M. F., Wilhelm, F. H., Blum, D., Slavich, G. M., & Seiler, A. (2025). Grief and bereavement: A pre-registered systematic review of neuroimaging studies. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 106535.

The Knicks are in the finals and as a very new New Yorker and Knicks fan, I can’t get enough of it. It also has my mind thinking a lot about athletes and performance. How, outside of raw talent and an insane amount of dedicated hours to your sport, so much of performance comes down to quality nutrition and prioritizing rest.

A few summers ago, I was running an insane amount of miles on the trails outside of my town in California (it was during COVID lockdown so running literally took up all of my time). Typically, most of my runs (especially on trails where I was gaining a lot of vertical) would be considered a VO2 max workout. Meaning, I was exerting myself at full capacity and my heart rate was close to its max for the duration. I was running hard and often with not enough rest in between.

During that summer I had some rough runs. About a mile or two in, I would feel my blood pressure and blood sugar dramatically plunge and would feel like I was about to pass out. My only option was to walk back to my car and call it a day. This kept happening until I finally talked to a friend who is a cyclist. He said, “You are not properly fueling with carbohydrates so you don’t have any glycogen to access. Your muscles are deprived of fuel.” At the time my diet was very carb avoidant and fat and protein heavy, which can be great for weight loss but not so great if you are an athlete. In that case, with little to no carbohydrates, my muscles were running on empty.

Glycogen: what is it?

Much of this is due to needing carbohydrates to ensure glycogen stores are adequately full in the fast twitch muscle fibers. Glycogen is a polysaccharide chain of glucose molecules that is stored in both the liver and fast-twitch muscle fibers (discussed below). It is a limited storage house. Most individuals only can store about 500g of glucose as glycogen. The majority of this (350g) being in muscles and only 150g being in the liver. If you are an elite athlete you can likely store a lot more, due to various metabolic adaptations. Once blood glucose levels drop (after a meal) the body starts to tap into both glycogen and fat stores for energy. Yet the rate you burn through glycogen and fat is going to be very dependent on the length and type of exercise you are doing.

Muscle fibers and their anatomy

Let’s break down the anatomy so this makes sense. All of your skeletal muscles are made up of a variety of fibers, type I (slow twitch / slow oxidative), type IIa (fast twitch / fast oxidative glycolytic), and type IIb (fast twitch / fast glycolytic). Based on the intensity of your exercise determines which fibers you are recruiting.

• Type I: These fibers are thinner and rich in mitochondria, meaning they are able to utilize oxygen for fuel and can burn both glucose and fatty acids for energy. They are recruited at the onset of movement / exercise. I.e., when you are walking, sitting up straight, or doing any form of low-intensity exercise like yoga or pilates. As they can burn both fat and glucose these fibers can endure for long periods of time without fatiguing. Hence why you can walk for a few hours and still feel energized.

• Type IIa: These fibers are a little bigger and contain some mitochondria, but not nearly as many as type I. They are still able to burn some fat for fuel but mostly rely on glucose for energy. As you start to increase the intensity of your workout - whether it’s moving faster (like transitioning from a walk into a jog) or lifting a little heavier - you start to recruit these fibers as they are able to handle higher intensities.

• Type IIb: These fibers are your largest and strongest fibers. They contain barely any mitochondria so as a result they ONLY burn glucose for fuel. Thus, they churn through glycogen very quickly. As you increase the intensity of your workout you are recruiting more and more of these fibers. Think, running fast or lifting heavy weights. Typically you recognize their recruitment as your heart rate gets closer to max and you are straining at capacity. These fibers fatigue very quickly because they burn through their only fuel source (glucose and glycogen) rapidly. Once glycogen stores are depleted it is very difficult for these muscle fibers to operate as their source of fuel is no longer present. It’s like trying to run a car with no gasoline.

How does this apply when you transition from walking to running?

• When you first begin you are at the pace of a leisurely walk. At this point you are only using your type I muscle fibers and you are burning both glucose and fat simultaneously, at about a 50:50 ratio. You feel comfortable. Your heart rate is at about 95bpm.

• Eventually you switch into a slow jog. You start to recruit some of those type IIa fibers and now you are starting to burn a little more glucose compared to fat. Your heart rate is around 120bpm

• Soon you start to pick up the pace of your run. You’re not at an all out sprint but your heart rate is getting into the 150’s. You have started to recruit those type IIb fibers and now you are burning way less fat and tapping more into that stored glycogen.

• Eventually, you are going at full speed and your heart rate has reached 190bpm. You are breathing heavily and your legs are burning. At this point you are fully recruiting those fast twitch muscle fibers in your legs and you are now only burning glucose / glycogen for fuel. You will not be able to remain at this pace for long as your legs will eventually start to get tired and your glycogen stores will start to diminish.

The diagram below provides an accurate depiction of what this looks like during a training session. The higher the intensity, the less fat you are burning. Once you surpass 85% of your VO2 max you are completely burning glucose for energy.

Achten, J., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2003).

Carbohydrates to optimize recovery

Going back to my summer of running an insane amount of trail miles, what did I do to get myself back to normal so I was no longer running on empty?

When I was on those long runs, my exertion was high. I was likely predominately using my fast-twitch muscle fibers, especially when climbing those hills. So, by the time my run was over, most of my glycogen stores were depleted. It was ESSENTIAL that I replaced those stores (which I had not been doing). To change the game, I started packing a banana or a couple dates or maybe even some leftover chocolate chip cookies. Once I got back to my car post trail run, I rapidly consumed. This was necessary to replenish glycogen so the next time I went to do a long run, I was going in with a full tank. Those blood sugar crashes stopped happening.

In exercise nutrition, we like to call this the “30 minute window.” Also known as the anabolic window (which recent research has stretched this to be more within an hour or two post workout), the most efficient time to refill glycogen stores, aid muscle repair and boost recovery. To successfully accomplish this it requires consuming a simple carbohydrate ideally within 30 minutes after a high-intensity workout. This could be a smoothie with a banana, dates with some nut butter, a banana and peanut butter, or a couple cookies. Without refueling immediately post exercise, recovery will be suboptimal and performance will be negatively impacted 24 hours later.

In a 2024 double-blind cross-over design trial, nine recreationally active men performed high-intensity interval exercise on two occasions. The first was when participants consumed a carbohydrate rich drink within 0-3 hours post a HIIE workout and the second was when participants consumed the same amount of carbohydrates but delayed. Those participants were then required to do the same HIIE workout the following day. They found that delaying post-exercise carbohydrate intake compromised HIIE capacity and increased the perception of effort during a HIIE session performed 24 hours later. Rather, when they consumed their drink immediately post workout their performance improved and their to-failure capacity was significantly greater.

Díaz‐Lara, J., et al. 2024

Keep in mind, this is referring to high intensity exercise, like a HIIT workout, interval training, a long run or cycle ride, sprints, heavy lifting, or lifting to failure. These are the workouts that really require a simple carb post workout to optimize glycogen resynthesis and recovery. This does not apply to low intensity workouts like walks, yoga, or pilates. You are not recruiting enough fast-twitch muscle fibers to burn through glycogen stores.

As much as I will always favor a diet rich in protein, fat, and non-starchy vegetables, I have developed a much better relationship with carbs. Realizing their necessity in recovery and optimizing performance. We need them to get the most out of our workouts and to fully recover post workout. Without them, our performance and our energy will suffer.

References:

Achten, J., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2003). Maximal fat oxidation during exercise in trained men. International journal of sports medicine, 24(08), 603-608.

Díaz‐Lara, J., Reisman, E., Botella, J., Probert, B., Burke, L. M., Bishop, D. J., & Lee, M. J. (2024). Delaying post‐exercise carbohydrate intake impairs next‐day exercise capacity but not muscle glycogen or molecular responses. Acta Physiologica, 240(10), e14215.

After I left my job it probably took me a full month just to catch up on sleep and then another six months to become what felt like my normal self again. I slept, I avoided caffeine, I went to Europe, and I spent a significant amount of time by myself. By the time I came home from traveling for a few months a close friend asked if I had gotten work done on my face. (I had not!) I was so well rested that I looked like a brand new version of myself.

I think we can all attest to the fact that when you are experiencing burnout you are not able to bring your best self to the table or your work environment. Outside of feeling chronically fatigued, you lack mental clarity, your performance suffers, and you start to become depressed and cynical. Once you reach this stage no one is benefitting. You hate waking up and going to your job and your employer suffers due to your poor performance. This is one of many reasons I left my job. I struggled to get out of bed in the morning and my students were starting to suffer due to my growing cynicism and my increasing inability to be mentally present.

My own personal experiences with chronic stress and burnout are one of many reasons I entered the corporate wellness space. I empathize with people who aim to bring their very best to the table in their work environment yet are struggling to keep their head above water. It’s a miserable experience and in most cases not everyone has the capacity to just quit their job. In addition, most companies do not have the structure in place to support the mental health of their employees and prevent burnout, especially in high-performing industries like academia, law, medicine, and finance.

The financial cost of burnout

Prioritizing employee wellness is not just important for the health of employees it is also essential for supporting the company’s bottom line. Burnout increases the employer’s overall financial burden. Employee burnout and disengagement leads to more sick days, less productivity, and negative health implications that increase the company’s overall health insurance costs.

The current World Health Organization definition of burnout is “An occupation-dependent syndrome from unsuccessfully managed chronic workplace stress, recognizable by reduced professional efficacy. Its result is energy depletion or exhaustion, increased work-related mental distance, negativism, or cynicism” (Nash 2025).

A very interesting study regarding the economic burden of employee burnout to U.S. employers by Martinez et al (2025), found that subsequent productivity losses due to disengagement and burnout, i.e., missed workdays, reduced productivity, and health effects, significantly increased overall employer costs. Below are some of their key findings.

Employee disengagement, overextension, ineffectiveness, and burnout, over the span of 1 year, cost an employer the following:

• $3,999/year for an average U.S. non-managerial hourly employee.

• $4,257/year for an average non-managerial salaried employee.

• $10,824/year for an average manager.

• $20,683/year for an average executive.

• For an average U.S. 1000-person company (assuming average wages by employee type and employee distribution) this leads to $5.04 million in costs and 801.7 quality-adjusted life years lost annually.

• Employee disengagement and burnout cost employers 0.2-2.9 times the average cost of health insurance and 3.3-17.1 times the cost of employee training costs.

In summary, employee burnout and disengagement is a MASSIVE economic burden to corporate organizations. Supporting overall employee wellness and looking for targeted initiatives to prevent burnout and disengagement is crucial for supporting the bottom line and improving overall revenue, costs, and profit.

Corporate Wellness

Burnout prevention initiatives should address nutrition, sleep, chronic stress, and overall mental health in order for employees to be adequately supported to not only combat their exhaustive work load but to also feel like they are working for an employer who cares about their overall health.

This is why I started MBG Wellness, a corporate wellness concierge service where I live in the back-pocket of corporate companies, supporting their employees and c-suite executives on a daily basis. We have a ground-up approach where we integrate the following into a wellness initiative: nutrition education via monthly lunch and learns, monthly newsletters, and weekly science content; quarterly in-person catered events focusing on overall wellness, quality diet, and in-person connections; one-on-one consults for employees and c-suite executives to be able to privately address their health questions and concerns, gaining more personalized support; discounted coaching rates for employees who want more personalized support; consistent email access for daily support.

When it comes to wellness I am all about empowering organizations and people with science-backed content so they can make more consistent, necessary changes to their overall health.

Nutrition education for burnout prevention

Yet, you may be asking what nutrition has to do with burnout prevention? Wouldn’t it just be more effective for interventions to be focused purely on stress and mental health? Well, there are an overwhelming number of studies pointing to nutrition interventions and a balanced diet helping combat burnout rates amongst employees.

In a 2021 study amongst Finnish municipal employees, they found that consumption of healthy food items had an inverse relationship with the severity of burnout symptoms. Subjects with a lower burnout score consumed more often low fat dairy, vegetables, fruit and berries, and white meat.

Typically, when individuals are feeling burnt out this impacts their food choices which further leads to poorer health and then even more adverse symptoms of burnout. Studies demonstrate that increased fast food intake is correlated with burnout, whereas self-reported healthy eating tends to be protective. Much of this is due to how food impacts our brain, neurotransmitter production, blood sugar balance, and thus our mood.

For example, omega-3 fatty acids, which are necessary for balancing bodily inflammation, found predominantly in fatty fish (at least the long chain forms - EPA and DHA), have been widely studied for their positive impact on mood and brain function. These long chain fatty acids help support serotonin and dopamine production (feel good neurotransmitters in the brain) and help decrease cortisol levels, thus supporting a healthy stress response.

In addition, high protein has also been found to support symptoms of burnout. Proteins, especially sourced from animal products, are high in specific amino acids necessary for mood and brain support. Tryptophan (high in poultry) is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, thus supporting mood and sleep. Ornithine, (high in clams and tuna), also supports sleep and modulates the stress response.

Complex carbohydrates, from fruits and vegetables, contain higher amounts of fiber. This feeds our good gut bacteria to produce short chain fatty acids which helps activate a healthy inflammatory response in the brain. As a result, studies have found that implementation of the Mediterranean diet yields statistically significant improvements in self-reported depression.

Alternatively, a poor diet can further exacerbate symptoms of burnout. Simple carbohydrates from refined grains, sweets, and sugar-sweetened beverages enhance brain serotonin production (our feel good hormone), but excessively so, which triggers consumption of more sugary foods and thus exacerbates mood disturbances.

In my realm I focus on nutrition education. A systematic review on the efficacy of nutrition education found that interventions that extend for at least 5 months and are highly focused, yield the greatest effect in inducing adoption of healthy eating behaviors. These interventions are even more effective when they are supported by policy makers, such as a wellness initiative in the workplace. Evidence supports that these initiatives are beneficial for preventing burnout. Thus, making corporate wellness that exists within the workplace a worthwhile ROI.

Overall, burnout is expensive. Most companies don’t realize how much money they are losing based on the current mental health of their employees. Integrating a wellness initiative into their company to support their employees on a consistent basis has been clinically found to be beneficial in helping support overall employee wellness, reduce rates of burnout, and enhance company equity. This is why I left my job. This is why I started MBG Wellness.

References

Martinez, M. F., O’Shea, K. J., Kern, M. C., Chin, K. L., Dinh, J. V., Bartsch, S. M., ... & Lee, B. Y. (2025). The health and economic burden of employee burnout to US employers. American journal of preventive medicine, 68(4), 645-655.

Nash, C. (2025). Burnout, Nutrition, and Nutrition Literacy or Food Literacy: A Scoping Review of Recent Peer-Reviewed Publications.

Penttinen, M. A., Virtanen, J., Laaksonen, M., Erkkola, M., Vepsäläinen, H., Kautiainen, H., & Korhonen, P. (2021). The association between healthy diet and burnout symptoms among Finnish municipal employees. Nutrients, 13(7), 2393.

Murimi, M. W., Kanyi, M., Mupfudze, T., Amin, M. R., Mbogori, T., & Aldubayan, K. (2017). Factors influencing efficacy of nutrition education interventions: a systematic review. Journal of nutrition education and behavior, 49(2), 142-165.

Esquivel, M. K. (2021). Nutrition strategies for reducing risk of burnout among physicians and health care professionals. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 15(2), 126-129.

Sleep is often an underrated asset to human cognition and performance and when we don’t get enough sleep (both quality and quantity) we do not function as our best selves. At least, I definitely do not. Avoiding its necessity is a fast road to burnout.

The importance of quality sleep is a conversation I have had time and time again with clients who live extremely busy and stressful lives. They ask what they can do to have better daytime energy or a healthier mood. They wonder why they are struggling to lose weight or why their blood sugar is randomly spiking. The answer is: they need more sleep.

So, what is it about sleep that makes it paramount to human function and how do our daily lives either promote quality sleep or impair it?

Let’s first dive into the four stages of sleep.

• Stage 1: N1 ~ stage 1 of NREM (non-rapid eye movement)

  • Eye movement and brain waves are starting to slow down. This is the lightest sleep stage.

  • It should only make up 5% of your total sleep.

• Stage 2: N2 ~ stage 2 of NREM

  • It makes up about 45% of your total sleep and is considered light sleep.

  • It is preparing you for deep sleep as your heart rate and body temperature begin to drop.

  • It plays a crucial role in memory formation and supporting overall brain health.

• Stage 3: Deep sleep ~ stage 3 of NREM ~ also known as slow wave sleep (SWS)

  • This is the deepest stage of sleep and should make up 20% of your sleep (ideally) or 90 minutes to 2 hours throughout the course of the night.

  • It is very difficult to wake up during this stage, if you do you will likely have major brain fog and feel rather confused and moody.

  • This stage is essential for repair of tissues, bones, muscles, and neurons. Your immune system also gets a healthy reboot.

• Stage 4: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep

  • This is our “dream state.”

  • It should also make up about 20-25% of our total sleep, or 90+ minutes (ideally I like to see this over 2 hours for a really good night’s sleep) over the course of the night.

  • It is not as deep of a rest considering your brain is more active but is still essential for repair and memory formation.

Throughout the evening you will go through all of these sleep stages multiple times. Deep sleep tends to be more prominent and longer at the beginning of the night and REM sleep becomes more frequent at the end of the night, before you wake up.

Yet, not all sleep is good sleep. Although quantity is important for overall rest, quality is even more essential. Quality sleep is defined by how much of your sleep is composed of SWS and REM sleep combined. Together, they should make up about 40-50% of your night. I have had clients who sleep 8+ hours a night and still do not feel rested because they only had 15 minutes of SWS and 50 minutes of REM, whereas I have had other clients who only sleep 6 hours a night and wake up rested because they got in 90 minutes of SWS and 2 hours of REM. They are functioning optimally because their body is prioritizing quality sleep.

What happens when we sleep?

When we are sleeping our body is able to finally rest. Our heart rate and respiratory rate drop. Our blood pressure regulates. Our body temperature lowers. This is especially evident during SWS. Our bodies fully enter into a parasympathetic (rest and digest) state. This is crucial, especially when we are running on adrenaline for a large percentage of our day.

Sleep is also where most of our repair takes place. Sleep is essential for tissue resynthesis (like muscle growth). Much of this is due to the hormones that are activated when we sleep. Growth hormone (GH), whose primary role is to repair tissue and amplify overall bodily growth, is most pronounced when we sleep. This is especially evident soon after we fall asleep and most pronounced in the first cycle of SWS. As a result, a lack of deep sleep inhibits proper GH release and thus tissue repair and muscle growth.

Adequate amounts of deep sleep are also imperative for managing our stress response. Adequate SWS during the night directly correlates to regulated cortisol secretion, allowing us to wake up more rested and less anxious.

Sleep is also necessary for your overall brain health. It’s when your body cleans up toxic by-products, forms and consolidates new memories, and activates synaptic plasticity (the brain’s ability to strengthen, weaken, or rewire connections between neurons). Without adequate sleep our overall brain health, memory formation, and ability to learn and focus, are all hampered.

Harms of sleep deprivation:

Due to sleep’s (especially SWS) beneficial role in regulating GH and cortisol release, sleep deprivation can have a severely negative impact on tissue repair and our stress response.

When we are sleep deprived, GH release is impaired and thus tissue repair does not keep up with the rate of tissue breakdown, especially as we age. This eventually leads to a loss of muscle mass. Deep sleep helps combat this breakdown and preserves muscle. One of MANY reasons why elite athletes prioritize sleep.

Cortisol is our primary stress hormone and it is catabolic. This means its job is to break things down, like fatty acids from fat tissue, glycogen to release glucose into the bloodstream, and tissue protein to convert amino acids into more glucose. Its aim is to make sure you have adequate energy to deal with the stressor. In excess, it prevents muscle and tissue repair and can lead to excessive tissue breakdown.

Evidence has found that after 36 hours of sleep deprivation, cortisol levels were significantly higher than the controls and on recovery nights. Short sleep and overall sleep deprivation are positively associated with elevated cortisol levels and a more activated sympathetic nervous system. In layman’s terms, lack of sleep leads to a stressed body. You will wake up feeling anxious the following morning and your blood sugar will be a wreck (because cortisol also elevates glucose). Now you’re not only anxious, you’re craving sugar, your blood sugar is spiking, and you’re not getting the most out of your workout with tissue growth and muscle recovery.

How much sleep is necessary?

This has often been up for debate and typically the standard recommendation has been for people to get, on average, 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Yet, this preconceived notion has been challenged.

A very recent sleep study out of Columbia University, “Sleep chart of biological aging clocks in middle and late life,” was published on May 13th of this year in the science journal, Nature. The study analyzed data from approximately 500,000 participants sourced from the UK biobank population (aged 37-84 years), with researchers building 23 biological aging clocks across various organ systems. Across the entire body, a coordinated U-shaped pattern was found: both short sleep (less than 6 hours) and long sleep (more than 8 hours) were associated with faster aging. The least amount of aging occurred in people who reported sleeping between 6.4 and 7.8 hours per day. Obviously, sleep duration is not the only contributor to aging, but it does suggest that both insufficient and excessive sleep may be markers for poorer overall health.

I have included the image regarding the tested biological aging clocks below, for reference. ProtBAG (BAG - biological age gap) is a metric calculating how much an organ system’s biological age deviates from a person’s real calendar age. You can see below how they looked at various organ systems. So, for example, if your calendar age is 50, but your proteins look like those of a typical 55-year-old, you have a (+5) year biological age gap. You can see below how all of the images for the most part land in between 6 and 8 hours for optimal aging.

(Nature 2026)

What harms a good night’s rest?

Ideally, to have a good night’s rest you need to focus on quality, not just quantity. Meaning, you want to get adequate amounts of SWS and REM sleep so you wake up feeling refreshed and focused.

There are many things that can inhibit quality sleep, but these are a few that are the most impactful:

• Blue light: Blue light is what is emitted from all of our screens, like TV’s, phones, and computers. As blue light rays are also emitted from the sun, the more we look at blue light in the evening, once the sun has gone down, the more our brain receives information that it is still daytime and thus melatonin (our sleep hormone) production is impaired, making it difficult to fall asleep.

• Caffeine: Caffeine is a stimulant and can activate a slight stress response in the body. The more you consume this throughout the day, especially in the afternoon, the more difficult it is to enter a deeper rest.

• Alcohol: Alcohol quickly gets converted into the toxin, acetaldehyde. Once that builds up our liver prioritizes its breakdown. As alcohol is focusing on detoxifying, it is not as efficient at breaking down glycogen during our overnight fast to release glucose into the bloodstream. This leads to a blood sugar crash that triggers a stress (cortisol) response that then wakes us up in the middle of the night. The more alcohol you consume, the more difficult it will be to enter SWS sleep.

• Carbohydrates: Too much or too little consumption of carbs can negatively impact sleep.

  • If you over consume carbs at dinner, like a huge bowl of pasta, without enough protein, plus dessert, you are going to enter your night on the blood sugar roller coaster. Those blood sugar spikes and crashes will make sleeping very difficult.

  • Alternatively, if you avoid carbs, this could also harm your sleep. Not enough carbs will lead to low blood sugar, which will trigger a stress response during the night. Personally, if I haven’t had enough carbs at dinner or during the day, I cannot sleep and I wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety.

What supports a good night’s rest?

• Avoid blue light: Avoid screens before you go to bed or at the very least wear blue light blockers.

• Alcohol: Limit alcohol intake or at least make sure you are not consuming alcohol on an empty stomach. I always tell clients to have a protein-rich appetizer first.

• Carbohydrates: Aim for a small serving of carbs with your dinner, paired with adequate fiber (like a good salad) and a lot of protein.

• Exercise: Get adequate exercise during the day to allow your body to enter a deeper rest at night.

• Lavender + chamomile: If I’ve been dealing with some bouts of insomnia I start to drink tea with equal parts chamomile and lavender before I head to bed. They are herbal sedatives that will hopefully lull you into a deeper rest.

• Stress management: If you have had a stressful evening it is very hard to enter a deep sleep. Sleep relies on your body being in a parasympathetic (rested) state. So, if you are still in that aroused sympathetic stressed state, it makes it very difficult to fall asleep. Do some meditation or take a hot shower before bed to ease your mind.

Creating a healthy evening routine to support a quality night’s rest can be very challenging. Yet, it is imperative for overall health. Not only does this support your brain and memory formation, it also ensures adequate tissue repair and a healthy stress response, so you enter your day focused, energized, and happy. Yet, as research has found, more is not necessarily better. You just need the optimum amount, consistently, and full of quality.

References:

Kuriyama, N., Inaba, M., Ozaki, E., Yoneda, Y., Matsui, D., Hashiguchi, K., ... & Watanabe, Y. (2017). Association between loss of bone mass due to short sleep and leptin-sympathetic nervous system activity. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 70, 201-208.

Castro-Diehl, C., Diez Roux, A. V., Redline, S., Seeman, T., Shrager, S. E., & Shea, S. (2015). Association of sleep duration and quality with alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenocortical axis: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 100(8), 3149-3158.

Stich, F. M., Huwiler, S., D’Hulst, G., & Lustenberger, C. (2022). The potential role of sleep in promoting a healthy body composition: underlying mechanisms determining muscle, fat, and bone mass and their association with sleep. Neuroendocrinology, 112(7), 673-701.

MULTI Consortium, O’Toole, C. K., Song, Z., Anagnostakis, F., Yang, Z., Tian, Y. E., ... & Wen, J. (2026). Sleep chart of biological ageing clocks in middle and late life. Nature, 1-11.

When you are creating your mid-day meal, your primary goal is to stay off the blood sugar roller coaster. This will ensure sustained, balanced energy. You get on this ride whenever your meal or selected beverage causes a blood sugar spike. This spike then leads to the release of insulin from the pancreas. Insulin binds to receptors on your cells and ensures the uptake of glucose out of the bloodstream and into the cells for either energy or storage. When this occurs, a blood sugar crash results. This leads to feelings of fatigue, being “hangry”, low energy, poor motivation and hunger. This crash also triggers the release of cortisol to help elevate your blood sugar, but now also leads to feelings of anxiety. At this point you are not only anxious but you are craving sugar, caffeine or simple carbohydrates (like bread, bagels, pizza) to try and get that glucose back up to baseline. Once you’re on the rollercoaster it is A CHALLENGE to get off. In my opinion, your day is fairly sabotaged and you almost have to wait until the next day to recalibrate. I see this all the time on client’s continuous glucose monitors.

How to avoid the blood sugar rollercoaster?

To avoid the blood sugar rollercoaster, these are the pillars you should build your work lunches around:

1. Protein: Optimize this first and then build everything around it. This will make you feel full, balance your blood sugar and sustain your energy.¹

2. Veggies: A large portion of your lunch should be made up of non-starchy vegetables. These give you a heavy dose of fiber (makes you feel full and supports your gut), antioxidants and water-soluble vitamins. They also help prevent a blood sugar spike.²

3. Fat: It shouldn’t have to be a lot but a little bit of fat in your meal will help slow gastric emptying, which keeps you full. This could be some nuts, an olive-oil based salad dressing, or ½ of an avocado.

4. Minimize the carbs: Carbohydrates are great to consume with dinner and after a hard workout. It helps replenish us by replacing glycogen (stored glucose) that we’ve burned throughout the day and helps us sleep better at night. Yet, when we over consume them at lunch it leads to that unwanted blood sugar spike that leads to an afternoon crash.

   1. If you are going to have them make it the smallest portion of your meal. No more than ¼ of a cup (unless you are an athlete and need more of this to fuel your workout).

   2. Make sure they are paired with protein, veggies, and fat.

Where can I eat lunch?

I live in NYC and most of the people I work with are based out of the city so I am going to share some examples from local eateries that also hopefully apply to you. Yet, the concepts remain the same. Outside of balancing blood sugar you want to look for restaurants that avoid seed oils (which will just further exacerbate bodily inflammation). Here are my top 10 favorite lunch ideas:

Sweet Green: build your own bowl! So many of the custom salads (I’ll list a few below) are loaded with rice, quinoa or tortilla chips - putting the grams of carbs at 50+. Personally, this would make me fall asleep. Otherwise I love Sweet Green as they are adamant about avoiding seed oils.

1. Build your bowl: Build a base of lots of greens. I like arugula + baby kale. Add in your four toppings. Make them non-starchy vegetables. I.e., carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, pickled onions, broccoli. If you need some carbs make one of your veggies sweet potatoes. This will contain fiber and is more nutrient dense than rice or quinoa. Pick your protein. Personally, I like the grass-fed steak, the blackened chicken, or the salmon. Add your dressing. If your concern is weight then the olive oil and balsamic vinegar is your best option.

2. Kale Caesar: This is a great, high-protein salad with lots of veggies and only 14 grams of carbs. If you are trying to lose weight, sub out the caesar dressing for olive oil and balsamic.

3. Guacamole Greens: Sub out the tortilla chips and add an extra scoop of chicken to make it higher in protein and lower in carbs.

Springbone Kitchen: This brand also does not use any seed oils and has a big focus on bone broth for collagen intake. They also let you add in additional protein and build your own bowl. Their broths are delicious as a take away, protein-rich drink. They are all over NYC.

4. BBQ Chicken: Lots of vegetables and chicken. The only carb here is some sweet potatoes.

5. Build your own: Base - kale mix and/or cauliflower rice; Side - brussel sprouts or broccoli; Protein - any of these are perfect. If you are really feeling up for it - add extra protein. Toppings - cabbage slaw, cucumbers, carrots, tahini beet salad and pickled turnips are all great options. Sauces - I like the cashew caesar, olive oil, red wine vinegar, or the cashew white.

6. Broth - Chicken Zoodle: Loaded chicken in broth along with zucchini noodles. This is an amazing option, especially for days where you need something quick.

7. Broth - Bad Hombre: Loaded chicken in spicy bone broth.

Locanut: They are off of 17th street in NYC - but deliver all over the city for a reasonable price. They are also seed oil free and source high-quality, ethically-sourced meats, like grass-fed steak.

8. Kale Caesar Salad: This is an antioxidant rich salad, only 14 grams of carbs and gluten free. Just add a protein with either their grass-fed flank steak, turkey meatballs or organic herbed chicken.

9. Locanut Cobb Salmon Salad: I love this for the protein and veggies. Leave out the croutons to avoid the unnecessary carbs (44g).

10. Grass-fed cubed steak & lemon zoodles bowl: It’s loaded with protein and non-starchy veggies with the zucchini noodles. You can also just order a zoodle bowl and then add whatever protein you want. Select your protein and then opt for either the garlic herbed olive oil sauce or the plain veggie broth for added protein.

We often make eating healthy more complicated than it should be, which is why I love the graph above. Your goal when eating lunch is to keep your blood sugar balanced by prioritizing protein, non-starchy veggies and a little fat. The carbs are extra and should be the smallest portion of your meal. This will ensure you don’t need that additional cup of coffee at 3pm.

1. Davis, R., Bonham, M. P., Nguo, K., & Huggins, C. E. (2020). Glycaemic response at night is improved after eating a high protein meal compared with a standard meal: a cross-over study. Clinical Nutrition, 39(5), 1510-1516.

2. Martin, K. E. (2017). Glycaemic response to varying the proportions of starchy foods and non-starchy vegetables within a meal: A randomised controlled trial (Doctoral dissertation, University of Otago).

Yet, his story is not uncommon in New York. There are a lot of individuals who have achieved crazy success but due to their 80+ hour work week they have made a lot of sacrifices for their own well-being and personal life and are verging on the edge of extreme burnout. I have deep admiration for individuals like him because I am so wildly impressed how their work ethic got them to where they are today. It is extremely inspirational. But I empathize with them as it has come at a great cost and they have not been fully supported in their work environment to achieve success without simultaneously experiencing burnout and potentially harming their personal health.

People like him are my motivation and why I decided to launch MBG Wellness. I want people to be enabled in achieving their career goals without sacrificing their personal health and wellbeing.

Burnout, stress, and anxiety are becoming increasingly common in the work force, and at a huge cost to corporate companies. Statistics show that stress at work costs the United States industry more than $300 billion a year as work-related stress leads to absenteeism, employee turnover, reduced productivity and employee health problems. This is a huge financial loss for companies but also a sign of a great personal loss for employees and executives.

My primary aim is to help companies gain a competitive advantage by offering science-backed nutrition and wellness solutions to ensure their employees and C-suite executives are able to successfully combat burnout, maintain peak performance, and bring their fullest selves to their jobs and personal life every single day. My approach is unique in that it is a bespoke, high-touch service, tailored to meet the specific needs of a corporation. A white-gloved method where I am in the company’s back-pocket, easily in reach to offer consistent support.

I understand that for my clients, time is their most valuable asset. Our programming is engineered to deliver maximum physiological optimization without requiring hours of extra effort. We are educating, meeting them at the work place, and switching up what they are already doing, rather than adding more to an already demanding routine.

Why initiatives should be science-based

Something that is extremely challenging in the wellness space is the amount of influencers and “experts” who proselytize various methods without truly having a strong understanding of the human body. We are unfortunately in an age of excess misinformation. Working in nutrition and human science in both academia as well as for wellness companies over the last decade has taught me two things.

First, understanding the “why” or the science behind either pathology or wellness solutions is essential. If an individual understands why stress is making them feel so exhausted or why having a protein-rich breakfast in the morning will help them feel more energized, they are more likely to make necessary changes.

Second, many of the individuals who are offering nutrition or wellness advice are not rooted in science, so a lot of their recommendations are based on either other people’s platforms / advice, what personally worked for them, or whatever is currently trending in the wellness community.

I have always made it a priority to educate and help people fully understand their body and how it needs to be better optimized, based on their individual biochemistry and human physiology. In an era of information overload, I break down complex human science into an understandable format.

I am also extremely passionate about nutrition science and how it relates to our performance, cognitive health, and longevity. What you consume directly shapes your hormones, your cognition, and your energy. A recent study found that people with unhealthy eating habits were 66% more likely to demonstrate poor work productivity and the International Labour Organization found that optimal nourishment can raise national productivity levels by up to 20%. When it comes to wellness initiatives and avoiding burnout, quality nutrition has to be at the center.

In regards to corporate wellness, much of what is offered to businesses is app-based and catered for scale. Not that I am anti-scaling a business, but I do believe it is essential to make sure wellness and nutrition solutions not only remain rooted in science but are specifically designed around the unique needs of the individual or corporate client. Rather than offering a generic app or a scaled-down version of a program, I offer 15+ years of nutrition science expertise, personal attention, and bespoke programming. This is exactly the philosophy behind how MBG Wellness is structured.

What does MBG Wellness offer?

Much of what we offer is unique to the needs of our corporate clients. Yet, our designed programming includes the following components and framework:

• Thematic monthly content: We will have a unique wellness strategy every month. This may center around: gut health, the stress response, blood sugar balance, protein intake, sleep.

• One-on-one consults: All of our companies will have a select number of employee and c-suite consults for more personalized support.

• Weekly science content: Every week employees will receive a brief executive summary of a specific health science topic with actionable strategies to take into their week.

• Monthly newsletter: A newsletter will be distributed to all employees and executives with more in-depth evidence based content. This will bring home our monthly thematic content.

• Email access: Direct, concierge access for quick questions. Instead of spending hours scouring the internet for conflicting health advice, your team gets an expert answer by the end of the day.

• Discounted coaching programs: If an employee or executive would like more one-on-one support and to be enrolled into a personalized coaching program, they receive a 20% discount on all packages.

Additional add-ons for higher-tier packages include:

• Additional C-suite consults: Companies who want to focus more on the health of their executives can select a premium number of consults.

• Monthly lunch and learns: An hour long lunch and learn, via zoom, regarding a specific topic. These are designed to be high-impact yet time efficient, fitting seamlessly into a busy schedule.

• Quarterly events: This is an in-person catered event, including a nutrient-dense lunch or dinner, a science-based lecture, and a Q&A for all attendees.

For more information on our corporate packages you can check out our website or book an inquiry call.

Ultimately, our goal is to help companies make the health and wellness of their employees and executives a strategic priority. A company’s greatest asset is the cognitive capacity and resilience of its team. When top performers and executives are fully supported and their health is optimized, the results and return of investment will speak for itself. Performance improves, retention is maintained, and company goals accelerate.

A study at Harvard found that for every $1 invested in workplace wellness, companies see an average return of $3.27 in reduced healthcare costs and $2.73 in reduced absenteeism. A worthwhile ROI.

I personally spent quite a few years at jobs where I was either extremely burnt out and feeling very unsupported or that my basic health and wellness was not a company priority. Both are very frustrating when you know you are an expert in your field and you bring excellence to the table. I don’t ever want anyone to feel that way. I also believe most employers want their employees to be adequately prioritized, they just don’t know where to begin. I am here to fill in that gap.

As I am launching MBG Wellness, I am accepting corporate partners for 2026. If you work for or run a company where you see the signs of burnout and poor retention amongst your employees and you want to prioritize their wellness, I would love to help. You can reach me directly at info@meganbgrover.com. From here we can discuss how one of our corporate wellness initiatives is a strategic investment and in your company’s best interest. You can also check out our website at meganbgrover.com for more information.

xx

Kutebayev, T., Utaliyeva, Z., Sautenkova, M., & Aizhanova, G. (2024). Work-related stress among financial professionals: The impact of age, work experience and education. PloS one, 19(11), e0314169.

Tito, Shams & Arefin, Sabira & Team, Global. (2025). Integrating AI Chatbots and Wearable Technology for Workplace Mental Health: Reducing Stigma and Preventing Burnout through Human-AI Collaboration. Central India Journal of Medical Research. 4. 60-68. 10.58999/cijmr.v4i01.261.

Grimani, A., Aboagye, E., & Kwak, L. (2019). The effectiveness of workplace nutrition and physical activity interventions in improving productivity, work performance and workability: a systematic review. BMC public health, 19(1), 1676.

https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/data-research/facts-stats/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/costs/index.htm

Merrill, R. M., Aldana, S. G., Pope, J. E., Anderson, D. R., Coberley, C. R., & Whitmer, and the HERO Research Study Subcommittee, R. W. (2012). Presenteeism according to healthy behaviors, physical health, and work environment. Population Health Management, 15(5), 293-301.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alankohll/2019/07/17/nutrition-the-missing-piece-of-the-corporate-wellness-puzzle/

Sarhan, S., Pretlove, S., Mossman, A., & Elshafie, M. Z. (2023). Occupational Stress in Construction: Fostering an IGLC Research Agenda. In Proceedings of the 31st Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC31) (pp. 423-434).

Baicker, K., Cutler, D., & Song, Z. (2010). Workplace wellness programs can generate savings. Health affairs (Project Hope), 29(2), 304–311.

Stress is also a complicated topic because we all deal with stress and managing it is an entirely different ball game. But today, we are going to discuss the complex relationship between cancer and chronic stress and why, when I am working with cancer clients, we focus a lot on stress management.

What is stress and what are stress hormones?

First off, let’s circle back and talk about what the stress response even is. For a more detailed overview I covered this in my article “What is the stress response” but we will also highlight it here.

When you experience some type of negative emotion, such as fear, sadness, depression, anxiety, anger, frustration, or irritability, the amygdala in the brain identifies this as a potential threat (emotional, physical or cognitive) and alerts the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is now going to activate two different mechanistic responses.

Firstly, it will activate the sympathetic nervous system (flight or fight response). Neurons are now releasing norepinephrine (noradrenaline) which leads to elevated heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, increased blood flow to skeletal muscles, impaired digestion and reduced reproductive function. Your body is basically preparing to run away from or fight a bear.

Secondly, the hypothalamus sends a hormonal signal from the brain to the anterior pituitary and then to the adrenal cortex to stimulate the release of cortisol. This is known as the HPA axis (hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis). In response to the release of cortisol, the adrenal medulla is also activated to pump out the hormone epinephrine. Cortisol elevates your blood sugar, suppresses your immune system, and overtime can lead to tissue break down. Stress is meant to be a response system that helps you survive, but when chronically activated it can be extremely damaging to your overall health.

What is cancer and the TME?

In relation to this article it’s important to understand what cancer is as well as its tumor microenvironment (TME). Stress has a strong correlation with both. Cancer is characterized by your own cells no longer responding to signals that either stops their growth or triggers them to die (allowing for healthy cell turnover). Rather, they are mutated cells that now undergo uncontrolled cell growth. Mutation can come from a variety of genetic and environmental factors, which will vary amongst cancer types.

The TME is the environment that a cancer cell exists within. It consists of tumor cells, tumor stromal cells (fibroblasts, immune cells and others that help cancer cells grow and hide from your overall immune system) and non cellular components, such as blood vessels and extracellular fluid. The wild part about the TME is it can develop its own blood supply, which further supports its uncontrolled cell growth and eventual metastasis. TME is involved in the growth and strength of a cancer cell to potentially resist treatment.

How is chronic stress correlated with cancer?

Research increasingly shows that chronic stress doesn’t merely exacerbate cancer progression, it can contribute to all stages of tumor development: initiation, promotion, and progression.

Chronic stress leads to elevated levels of catecholamines (epinephrine / norepinephrine) in solid tumor tissues and elevated glucocorticoids (cortisol / cortisone) in the TME. This has an extremely negative impact on the immune response as chronically elevated cortisol leads to dampened immunity. Meaning it decreases the number and function of immune supportive t-cells and increases the amount of exhausted immune cells and immunosuppressive cells. This prevents the immune system from being able to effectively combat cancer cells and prevent their overgrowth.

In addition, under chronic stress, the TME experiences enhanced functions of immunosuppressive cells and changes in cytokines (signaling molecules). Cytokines in a stressed TME show cancer-promoting properties such as increased angiogenesis (blood vessel growth to the cancer cell), boosted tumor cell proliferation, and enhanced EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition), which is basically how cancer cells gain their ability to invade and metastasize.

The excess secretion of glucocorticoids and catecholamines from overactivation of the stress response not only alters the TME, it also reduces the efficacy of anti-tumor therapies, like chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Meaning, under chronic stress the body is less responsive to treatment. Targeted cancer treatments are not nearly as effective when stress hormones are circulating within the TME.

A key driver of this treatment resistance is β-AR (beta-adrenergic) signaling (the release and tissue responsiveness to epinephrine), which can enhance angiogenesis, promote cell survival and facilitate metastasis. As a result, negative emotions (stress) are associated with poor survival outcomes in cancer patients.

Excess release of stress hormones also activates inflammation in the body. They can up-regulate the expression of stress-related pro-inflammatory genes in white blood cells, which increases the release of pro-inflammatory cells and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, collectively amplifying the body’s inflammatory response. This chronic level of inflammation promotes tumor development and growth, as well as its spread (metastasis).

Stress hormones can also induce DNA damage accumulation, which promotes carcinogenesis (cancer development). Primarily via p53 degradation. P53 is a tumor suppressor gene. Its presence is imperative for helping prevent cancer progression. When a cell’s DNA is damaged, p53 steps in and pauses the cell cycle to ensure DNA repair, programmed cell death, and the prevention of cell division. This stops the cancer from progressing. When p53 is non-functional or impaired, damaged cells are able to divide unchecked, allowing additional mutations to accumulate and cancer to develop.

Due to all of these mechanisms, chronic stress may be recognized as a potential “fourth etiology” of cancer, considering stress-related hormones and neurotransmitters, like glucocorticoids and catecholamines, are correlated with tumor initiation, promotion, and progression.

Integrating practices to support a healthy stress response is no longer an optional lifestyle consideration, but a clinically meaningful and vital component of cancer care. Hence, the strategies listed below are crucial.

Image: Tian et al 2021

How to manage the stress response?

Again, stress management is a difficult topic, especially as stress is perceived and our response to various stimuli differs for all of us. Also, many individuals who are “type A” and have spent most of their life running off of adrenaline are not even aware that they are chronically stressed. In these cases, wearing a measurable, like an Oura ring or a Whoop band, can be very helpful to see how well you are managing stress. In fact, I would highly recommend this for anyone when they are going through cancer treatment. There is a lot out of their control, but they can control what they are putting into their bodies and how they are choosing to manage their stress.

Stress management varies from person to person - i.e., do what makes you feel centered and calm - but these are some pointers of where you could choose to begin:

• Regular exercise: it is a well known fact that exercise helps you manage stress and burn off some of that excess glucose and cortisol that stress tends to elevate. I would recommend trying to get in at least 10k steps a day, two VO2 max workouts a week (where your heart rate is at its max for a prolonged period of time), and three heavy lifting sessions a week.

• Yoga Nidra: this is my favorite meditation for clients to do before they fall asleep. Start with 10 minutes, listen when you are already tucked into bed, and you’ll likely fall asleep quickly. It basically helps your brain get out of a sympathetic state and into a rested state. I just recommend 10-20 minute sessions from YouTube.

• Box Breathing: this is a great exercise when you feel yourself getting anxious. Inhale (through your nose) for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, exhale slowly (through your mouth) for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, then repeat. Aim for 1-5 minutes to calm your nervous system and get your heart rate back to rest.

• Sleep: aim for 7-9 hours a night. If you are not getting good sleep or you’re chronically sleep deprived, it will be near impossible to get out of a stress response. Also, optimize quality sleep. Things like a dark, cool room, and no electronics 30 minutes before bed can make a big difference.

• Balance your blood sugar: prioritize protein, fat and fiber and never eat your carbohydrates naked. Begin your day with a savory, protein-rich breakfast. Dysregulated blood sugar is very stressful on the body and will make you more stressed.

There are many ways to support a healthy stress response, but I would begin here and see how your anxiety begins to settle on a daily basis. Dealing with chronic stress is not just beneficial for our day to day function, it is essential for our livelihood and longevity outcomes.

Tian, W., Liu, Y., Cao, C., Zeng, Y., Pan, Y., Liu, X., ... & Wu, F. (2021). Chronic stress: impacts on tumor microenvironment and implications for anti-cancer treatments. Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, 9, 777018.

Khan, A., Song, M., & Dong, Z. (2025). Chronic stress: a fourth etiology in tumorigenesis?. Molecular cancer, 24(1), 196.

Dai, S., Mo, Y., Wang, Y., Xiang, B., Liao, Q., Zhou, M., ... & Zeng, Z. (2020). Chronic stress promotes cancer development. Frontiers in oncology, 10, 1492.

This by no means indicates that I am an expert at personally managing stress! I too, at times, am a ball of human emotion with crippling anxiety. Ask anyone who is close to me. But, professionally, it is an area of fascination for me and has become my primary focus in the nutrition and wellness space. It is also what led me to working with so many clients who suffer from autoimmunity and inflamed GI tracts, as both are often rooted in stress and trauma. It is also what has led me to corporate wellness as burnout, lack of focus and eventually poor retention in the work space is mostly stress-related.

I think all of us know stress is something to avoid or adequately manage. Yet, unless you are a Tibetan monk and spend the majority of your day meditating, stress is inevitable. I’ve worked with so many individuals who are unraveling at the seams because they are working 80+ hours a week and still have personal responsibilities they need to manage. Telling them to change careers in a profession where they have worked so hard to succeed and make it to the top is unrealistic and then giving them a list of five different things to add to their routine to “help” manage stress is just not really helpful.

My approach for stress with my private and corporate clients is fairly simple and doesn’t add anything to their daily routine. They just need to switch up what they are doing. This is what I typically suggest:

• Choose your dietary choices wisely so you do not further exacerbate the stress response. Prioritize protein, fiber (vegetables), and fat. Limit your carbohydrates and don’t eat them naked, so you are not riding the wave of consistent blood sugar spikes.

• Have a savory breakfast. If you prioritize a protein-rich (like eggs, sausages, or a protein-rich smoothie) rather than a carb-heavy breakfast your blood sugar will remain balanced and this will carry your energy and cravings throughout the day.

• Drink a lot of water. Dehydration makes you even more stressed so aim for 2-3 liters a day.

• Don’t drink black coffee. Add cream and or collagen to blunt the cortisol spike that caffeine often initiates in many individuals. OR have your coffee with food.

• Stop drinking caffeinated beverages after 2pm. Any later in the day and you’re going to harm your sleep and that will make your next day feel more stressful and you will be exhausted.

• Move! Even if you don’t have time to get in a workout, get in some form of movement during the day. Even just a 15 minute walk here and there will balance your blood sugar, calm your mood, and alleviate some anxiety.

• Deep breathing. You may not feel like you have time to meditate but you always have time to breathe. Give yourself two minutes to focus on breathing. Breathe in for four seconds. Hold it for four seconds. Exhale for four seconds. Hold it for four seconds. Repeat.

• Go to bed. Nothing replaces a good night’s rest. If someone is chronically sleep deprived it doesn’t matter what they are eating or how they are exercising or what supplements they are taking. They will still feel crappy and anxious.

• Educate! My number one angle is to explain to my client how all of the symptoms they are experiencing are related to their level of stress. This gives them way more incentive to start getting it under control.

There are obviously MANY other things you can do to manage your stress but for someone who is working an insane amount of hours every week and doesn’t have time to think, this is the best place to begin.

So, back to the entire purpose of this article - what is the stress response? This may be getting into the weeds but understanding what stress does to your body is essential in eventually creating long term change. I think this is even more important when you are in a career that even encourages daily stress to be successful.

Your brain is separated into different lobes and they all communicate with one another. The limbic system is made up of various interconnected structures and is known as the emotional command center of the brain. It is made up of the amygdala (processes emotions relating to fear, pleasure, and anger), the hippocampus (memory formation), the hypothalamus (regulates the autonomic nervous system, homeostasis, and the endocrine system) and the thalamus (the relay station). We can thank the limbic system for the infamous stress response.

When you are initially feeling stressed, it is the amygdala that is activated. Its job is to scan our environment for threats. Those threats are related to our pre-conceived ideas of the world, connected to past trauma or previous situations that went south. Its activation is very fast acting, communicating the perceived threat to the hypothalamus before you can logically think through the situation.

The stress signal is sent to the hypothalamus that is now going to activate two different pathways. First off it is going to put your nervous system into a sympathetic (flight or fight) state. This leads to an elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, increased blood flow to your skeletal muscles, and signals that inhibit function of the digestive tract and reproductive organs. Your neurons are releasing a tremendous amount of the neurotransmitters adrenaline and noradrenaline to keep you in this heightened state. For all your body knows, you are running away from a predator. It does not differentiate stressors. It has the same response, no matter the threat. Its goal is survival and to help you run and flee the perceived threat. These neurons also activate the adrenal medulla to release the hormonal version of adrenaline and noradrenaline into the blood stream.

Secondly, the hypothalamus is going to stimulate a hormonal response. It sends CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone) to the anterior pituitary gland which releases ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) to the adrenal cortex, which is now stimulated to release cortisol. Cortisol is your body’s primary stress hormone. Its main mission is to energize your body so it can better handle the stress. It does this by elevating your blood sugar, activating the adrenal medulla to release even more adrenaline, suppressing the immune system, and temporarily shutting down non-essential functions like digestion, reproduction, and growth.

The body is now in a fully activated stress response, before you have even had a moment to figure out why you are even stressed in the first place.

https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.phptitle=File:HPA_axis.jpg

In moderation, this signaling pathway is a good thing. We can thank cortisol and adrenaline for helping our body survive all kinds of stressors. Without cortisol, humans would not be able to survive humanity. Literally. Cortisol is essential for our survival. Yet, in excess, a prolonged stress response can be very detrimental leading to chronic inflammation, poor digestion, dysregulated immunity, shunted growth, and reproductive failure.

In a healthy person, cortisol levels are highest 30 minutes after you wake up. Cortisol is nature’s alarm clock, it gets you going and helps you start your day. When you are in the initial stress response, the “alarm” stage, aka anxiety, cortisol levels are consistently elevated to provide you with energy and the resources to survive the stressor. If stress continues, you reach the “resistance” stage where cortisol secretion is now all over the map. I call this stage “tired and wired.” Someone could be exhausted during the day due to low cortisol and eventually it spikes at night and the poor person is now dealing with insomnia. Eventually, the adrenal gland is unable to respond to constant signaling from the brain. The receptors for ACTH become resistant and now the adrenal gland is not releasing enough cortisol. This leads to extreme exhaustion and an inability to fully function throughout the day. At this point, the main course of treatment is rest.

I think we have all had moments where we can relate to the stages of anxiety, tired and wired, or exhaustion. They are each debilitating in their own right and are usually clear signs to our body that we have to make some form of a change. About three years ago, I left my job in academia because I was fully in the “exhaustion” phase. Outside of my long summer break, the school year consisted of late nights, early mornings, very little sleep and not enough compensation to make up for the amount of stress and overwhelm I was feeling. I knew it wasn’t sustainable and it was starting to affect my health, so I left.

I don’t recommend to all of my corporate clients to take the same extreme measures, but I do recommend they start to make some necessary changes, like prioritizing sleep and setting some healthy boundaries. Because as much as that initial stress gives us a bit of a glorified high, it eventually leads to a very intense level of burnout that is difficult to drag yourself out of. And from a health perspective, it’s just not worth it to live there.

Although caffeine will carry you through that exhaustion for a period of time, those 10 cups of coffee everyday will further deplete your adrenals, making you even more exhausted. So, no, as much as I love a good cup of coffee, it will not fix your chronic stress or treat your very intense level of fatigue. Trust me.

We have become a wellness-focused society. Although there are aspects of this that I love, I mean I’ve dedicated my entire career to nutrition and human science, this has led to online influencers becoming health “experts” and where so many people I know are getting their nutrition and fitness advice. We are in an age of misinformation.

What are peptides?

Simply put, peptides are short chains of amino acids (they build proteins) that function as messenger molecules, activating specific functions in the body. They signal cells to build muscle, activate collagen synthesis, repair, and enhance growth and metabolism.

As injectables and topicals, they have been used for weight loss, diabetes, chronic pain, osteoporosis, aesthetic purposes, anti-aging, and muscle recovery.

Currently, peptides involved in tissue repair are the most actively studied, as well as what most people are taking without the supervision of a medical provider.

The peptides that are FDA-approved, and have been consistently used and regulated, include GLP-1’s and insulin. Diabetics have been taking insulin for decades to support blood sugar balance. It is also a natural hormone secreted from the pancreas. GLP-1 agonists have been a hot peptide used for weight loss. They mimic the natural GLP-1 hormone that is produced in the gut for blood sugar regulation and satiety. They are effective because they mimic hormones that the body naturally produces.

Outside of injectables, which we are mainly focusing on in this article, there is a tremendous amount of research when it comes to topical peptides, especially for skincare. There have been decades of human skin studies for the tripeptide, GHK-cu, for improving skin texture, collagen production, and skin elasticity. That has consistently been backed up by an incredible amount of human clinical trials and is utilized extensively in the skincare industry. Yet, there is little research on the injectable version and significant concerns from the FDA about impurities.

What are peptide injectables?

Peptides mimic natural hormones and proteins that are already produced in the body. As a result, they have a fairly strong impact. In relation to injectables, these are peptides created synthetically in a lab and then injected, typically subcutaneously. Synthetic injectables are designed to bypass the digestive system to ensure higher absorption. Although there are numerous FDA approved peptides, like GLP-1’s and insulin, the ones often used in the wellness industry are not FDA-approved. We will discuss the concerns around this at the end!

Some of the most common ones, used in the wellness industry, to get results like improved muscle mass and enhanced tissue repair, include the following: BPC-157, TB-4, TB-500, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, and tesamorelin. I’m going to overview some of these just to give you a general idea of why people use them.

TB500 is an endogenous protein that the body up-regulates in response to tissue injury. It has been synthesized into an injectable to benefit tendon and muscle repair, support a healthy inflammatory response, and promote angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels). This, as well as another similar functioning peptide (TB-4), have only shown potential benefits in pre-clinical models (cell and animal studies). Human data is lacking and they are both banned substances in sports.

Recently, tesamorelin has gained popular interest due to its effects on lean body mass growth. It was originally FDA approved to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV. There has been little to no evidence supporting its perceived orthopedic benefits.

One of the most popular peptides for promoting healing and repair in the tendons, ligaments, and joints is BPC 157 (body protection compound). It has displayed potential benefits in tendon and muscle repair but the findings are largely unvalidated in human trials. It is also reported to enhance repair by promoting angiogenesis, which keep in mind this is also what cancer cells do, so there is a fear that this could potentially encourage the growth of precancerous cells. This requires further research as its benefits have mostly been seen in cell cultures and rodent studies.

Growth hormone (GH) secretagogues are another popular category of peptides. These are synthetic peptides that stimulate the pituitary gland to increase human growth hormone (HGH) secretion. Typically, bodily hormone production responds to a feedback loop. Once you secrete enough of a certain hormone, the presence of it in the blood prevents further production and secretion. This helps maintain normal hormonal balance. Yet, these synthetic peptides preserve the negative feedback loop and minimize suppression of natural hormone production. I.e., you keep secreting HGH even when there is already enough of it in your blood. Ipamorelin is one of these. It promotes HGH secretion by inhibiting somatostatin (an inhibitory hormone that inhibits GH release). Sermorelin is another GHRH analog that was FDA approved for children with growth hormone deficiency, but was removed from the US market in 2008.

Growth hormone releasing peptides (GHRP’s) and Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) analogs are both GH secretagogues that increase HGH levels to enhance muscle mass and repair injuries. There are many different versions of these but the most popular include CJC-1295 (a GHRH analog) and ipamorelin (a GHRP). In combination therapy these have provided significant improvement in muscle strength after being weakened by high levels of cortisol (stress). But these findings are limited to animal studies.

Elevating HGH levels in the blood promotes overall growth. Hence the gym rats taking this to improve their muscle gains in the gym. Elevated HGH leads to elevated IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor), which has been linked to enhancing cartilage production and bone growth, thus supporting fracture healing and joint preservation. Although this seems like the end all be all, messing with natural hormones (via synthetic peptides) can lead to hormonal dysregulation. Although your levels of HGH decline as you age, excess amounts of this in the body can be extremely detrimental. I.e., increased cancer risk due to the excess level of unregulated cell growth as well as chronically elevated blood sugar and cortisol levels. GH secretagogues are also prohibited substances for athletes.

Outside of these, there are multiple other peptides used for sleep support and immune support, but again, minimal research in human trials.

Why the caution?

You may be asking, well what is the harm in taking them if they mimic naturally producing hormones and further activate normal bodily functions? Or, you may state, I don’t agree with the FDA and since supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA why does it matter? Fair question. But you have to keep in mind that supplements are not mimicking natural producing hormones or functions in the human body. Supplements just fill in for nutrition gaps. Anytime you mimic hormonal functions, there is a potential for adverse effects. Yet, as there is a lack of human trials for injectable peptides, there is no understanding of what these adverse effects may be.

There is a major lack of evidence supporting the clinical use of these peptides in humans. The current literature on peptides is dominated by animal models, small prospective cohorts, and case series, with very limited randomized controlled trials (the end all be all for human research studies). The majority of the research has been in pre-clinical trials. Pre-clinical trials look at the impact in cell cultures or animals. Not humans.

In addition, the information regarding the dosing, indications, frequency, and duration remains unknown. The minimal trials that are in humans, as well as the ones implemented in the lab or animals, vary their dosing, so it’s impossible to know what levels are safe or how much someone should take without having an adverse reaction. For that reason, the therapeutic dose is unknown, which, in my opinion, is very scary.

Outside of inconsistent dosing, there are problems around label discrepancies and endotoxin contaminants, which can provoke inflammation. Clinicians who are selling these peptides should prioritize transparent suppliers and verify product quality directly. These suppliers should be regularly inspected by the FDA and follow current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). If you are getting at-home injectable peptides, there is no indication of its safety profile.

Eventually, once more human trials have been implemented and dosage and safety become more well known, then maybe peptide therapy is worth considering. Until then, I don’t think it’s a great idea to mess with your hormones or normal bodily functions. You could end up causing more harm than good. I would wait until the FDA makes it clear what doses are safe and what the adverse effects are. But this won’t happen until a considerable amount of research is implemented in the human population.

Natural alternatives:

Although HGH is essential for ensuring muscle growth, activating repair, and maintaining a healthy metabolism, focus on what does optimize HGH and tissue repair naturally:

• Consume adequate amounts of protein. Ideally in the range of 0.8-1g of protein / lb of ideal body weight / day

• Make collagen a part of your daily routine. I like to add this to my coffee or smoothie.

• Take vitamin C. This is necessary for collagen synthesis and when you are stressed your body quickly becomes vitamin C depleted.

• Exercise. Do a mixture of high-intensity VO2 max workouts (heart rate close to max), heavy lifting, and low-intensity cardio. High-intensity exercise is one of the best ways to naturally increase HGH.

• Optimize sleep quality. The majority of HGH is released during deep sleep. If you use a measurable, aim for at least 90 minutes of deep sleep a night.

• Intermittent fasting. Some studies have found that an occasional 24 hour fast or a 16 hour overnight fast may potentially increase HGH levels.

• Lower carb / sugar intake. Excess insulin release has been found to lower HGH levels.

Opt for those natural lifestyle and dietary changes. If you still aren’t reaching your goals, then talk to a qualified medical provider about peptides or other alternatives.

Mayfield, C. K., Bolia, I. K., Feingold, C. L., Lin, E. H., Liu, J. N., Rick Hatch, G. F., ... & Weber, A. E. (2026). Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Physicians. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(1), 223-229.

Mayfield, C. K., Bolia, I. K., Feingold, C. L., Lin, E. H., Liu, J. N., Rick Hatch, G. F., ... & Weber, A. E. (2026). Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Physicians. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(1), 223-229.

Sarbaziha, R., & Goldberg, D. J. (2026). Copper Peptides in Regenerative Aesthetic Dermatology. Dermatological Reviews, 7(2), e70067.

Outside of talking about stress and how it impacts our overall health, I have always had a mild obsession with the physiology of the female body. I find it so fascinating that, as women, our bodies give us direct feedback based on how we treat it internally and externally. If we are chronically stressed and sleep deprived our hormones, and thus emotions, are a rollercoaster of a mess. If we are undernourished or over exercised, our periods go away and our mood starts to shift. The female body is very sensitive to both emotional and physical stressors.

In practice, I see this all the time with females. They will come to me saying, “My cycle is inconsistent. One cycle was only 10 days long and the next one was 45 days long. My energy is low. I don’t have a libido. I also have a UTI.” Their blood work reflects this. Estrogen and testosterone are low. Active thyroid hormone (T3) is low. Their weight is slowly creeping up. They think their body is turning against them. My response is most often: “You are chronically stressed and you are undernourished. You have to start prioritizing self-care and eating quality meals that nourish your system. You have to avoid diets that restrict fats and or carbohydrates. The lack of these macronutrients tells the body you are starving.”

When self-care and quality nutrition are deprioritized, women’s bodies do start to shut down. They become infertile. They stop having a cycle. They’re not interested in sex. They start to gain weight. Much of this is the body telling the woman that it is not a safe environment to grow a baby. When a woman is pregnant it takes so many of the nutrients that are stored within her and if she is undernourished her hormones shift to prevent her from getting pregnant because the growing embryo / fetus will not find enough reserves to adequately grow. Stress also impacts growth in utero, which also tells the woman that it’s not safe to grow a baby. The body will prioritize the stress response and not fertility. Hence why stress and quality nutrition are some of the main priorities when it comes to helping a woman get pregnant, or even just to help her regain a normal cycle and achieve hormonal balance.

Obviously there are many other factors that impact fertility that are out of or our control - but on my end I help women by focusing on nutrition and supporting a healthy stress response.

Much of my interest in female hormonal balance and fertility was due to my own health issues and disordered eating throughout my teens and early 20’s. I didn’t have a normal cycle, as my bodyweight was too low, and I didn’t eat nearly enough for how many miles I was running. I was chronically undernourished and my body was physically stressed. As time went on this started to impact my overall health. I had low energy. I had a severe case of anemia. I was addicted to sugar. A DEXA scan revealed I had osteopenia (low bone mineral density). For several years I couldn’t go for a long run unless I hid candy in my running shorts to give me enough glucose to get through without passing out. My blood sugar and blood pressure would drop so low during the day that I was frequently worried about fainting. I remember thinking, “There is no way I could ever have a normal job, I don’t have enough energy to make it through the day.” That was my wake up call and when I finally started to shift out of my disordered eating mentality and my extreme obsession with calorie counting and weighing myself everyday.

When I finally started having my period again, my senior year of college, I remember being so excited and thinking, “This is a sign that I finally have a healthy, female body!” versus “Shoot - this means I’ve gained weight.” And - no surprise - I started to run faster! I was eating more and gained some of that healthy weight back, which likely contributed to better muscle mass and overall energy. I hit all of my biggest running milestones that year, likely because I was well nourished and my body had the available store house to adequately supply my muscles with fuel.

The female body is always talking through our cycles. The healthier our bodies, the more regular, consistent, and pain free we are. Women must be well nourished and well rested for her hormones to remain in balance. Hence, my conversations with women often revolve around prioritizing self care, quality nutrition, and managing their stress response.

Yet, trying to manage your stress response when you are going through some legit stressors is easier said than done. This is where I love herbs and find that adaptogens play a pivotal role. They help your body manage and get through stressful times. Obviously, not a cure all, but a major supporter.

Shatavari is my favorite adaptogen for women. It is traditionally referred to as “the queen of herbs.” As an Ayurvedic herb its name means “100 spouses” due to its ability to help support fertility and act as a sexual tonic. Not only does it help the body better manage stress, it helps support female hormonal balance. Thus, you often find it in fertility blends as well as galactagogue (milk-producing) blends.

It contains unique constituents, known as shatavarins, that contribute to most of its hormonal benefits in the body. Shatavarins are steroid molecules that mimic the structure of steroid based hormones - like cortisol, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. More specifically, shatavarins are estrogen-mimicking, helping activate estrogen receptors, hence Shatavari’s role in supporting fertility. Estrogen is necessary for ovulation to occur. When estrogen levels are low, fertility is impaired.

There are many other benefits of shatavari, such as functioning an immune-modulator and supporting a healthy inflammatory response, but I love it most as a female fertility or stress tonic. It is safe to consume and beautiful in flavor. I love mixing this in blends with other adaptogens like ashwagandha and licorice root.

Obviously, there are so many other factors that come into play when supporting female hormones but I love herbs, like Shatavari, as a helpful tool when a woman is trying to better care for her body. Plus, sitting down for a nourishing cup of tea is always a good place to start when you are aiming to reground your system.

Arora, N., & Banerjee, A. K. (2024). Molecular docking analysis of shatavarins with female hormonal receptors. Bioinformation, 20(7), 775–780.

Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism by Donald R Yance

Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevallier

Rhodiola has a very unique, endearing history, as it used to hold an incredible amount of monetary and symbolic value. Years ago, in the mountain villages of Russia, a bouquet of Rhodiola roots was given to a couple, prior to marriage, as a sign of good health and fertility. Chinese emperors sent expeditions to Siberia (where it originates) to bring back the roots for medicine, and in Siberia they would exchange rhodiola for wine, fruit, garlic, and honey. Although it doesn’t hold the same level of currency value as it did back in the day, it is an incredibly potent herb with so many benefits for supporting overall physical health.

Rhodiola is a primary adaptogen that has been used for centuries to improve physical and mental performance and support overall cognitive function and mood. It’s even commonly been used amongst athletes and Russian astronauts to help prevent fatigue and improve performance, as it is allowed by sports regulators. Part of this is due to its constituents that impact the central nervous system and help increase concentration and fight both physical and mental fatigue and stress. Again, best utilized for those dealing with extreme exhaustion.

Part of the reason rhodiola is something I would only recommend for the later stage of the stress response when someone is fully depleted, rather than the initial stage when someone is anxious, is because it is a cardiovascular stimulant. It contains multiple constituents, like cinnamyl alcohol, which may convert into cinnamic aldehyde, and is thought to act as an indirect-acting sympathomimetic (ephedra-like effect). In layman’s terms this means it mimics the sympathetic nervous system (your flight or fight response). I.e., it activates a very slight stress response in the body (a token quality of adaptogens). This is also what makes it extremely stimulating as it helps increase release of adrenaline / noradrenaline, which helps jumpstart your system and gives you a boost of energy. Yet, noradrenaline does bind to receptors on your heart and elevate heart rate (which you find in a stress response). So, any excess production of that is going to have a fairly strong stimulating impact on the body.

Its other primary constituents that also contribute to it having a sympathomimetic effect in the body are salidrosides, rosavins (unique to rhodiola) and tyrosol. Salidrosides have been shown to help influence signaling of dopamine and adrenaline, thus supporting mood and a healthy stress response. Rosavins also help modulate serotonin (your feel good neurotransmitter) and activity of adrenaline and noradrenaline. Tyrosol also helps support noradrenaline pathways. I.e., they all help activate and modulate a slight stress response in the body to help boost energy and support an individual under extreme exhaustion and physical / mental fatigue.

Although the constituents in rhodiola seemingly activate a slight stress response in the body, they also help the body become more resilient and protected from the harms of stress. Part of this is by interacting with the brain to the adrenal glands signaling pathway to help modulate cortisol release. In some cell studies and animal studies, rhodiola was shown to help increase various heat shock proteins (HSP 70 & HSP 72) in the body. Their presence and upregulation helps make cells more resilient, longer-lived, and better able to recover from stress. They are better protected from all of the inflammatory damage that often occurs in the body when dealing with a stressor. This mechanism is one of the primary benefits of rhodiola and its role as an adaptogen and helping the body mitigate some of the negative side effects that occur in the body under stress.

Outside of being used for helping the body better cope with stress and move out of exhaustion, it’s been utilized for helping support physical endurance, work productivity, longevity and shortening recovery time in between high intensity exercise. So, outside of just supporting those who are overtly fatigued it is also beneficial for individuals who have physically demanding jobs, like athletes or construction workers, or individuals who work insanely long hours like medical doctors, lawyers, and those in finance. Ideally, helping their body better cope with daily stressors, stay focused and energized, and potentially delay the onset of chronic fatigue.

If I am recommending this herb to someone I typically would like to know what stage of the stress response they are in and, if possible, what their morning cortisol looks like. If their morning cortisol is low and exhaustion is prevalent, I love to recommend they drink rhodiola tea in the morning as a caffeine substitute. If they are experiencing symptoms of anxiety and already feel overly stimulated, this herb is not for them. It also should be avoided by anyone taking prescription stimulants, heart medication, or anti-depressants. In addition, it is a very astringent herb and is much better in combination with others. I personally like it mixd in with eleuthero and a dash of licorice root.

Li, Y., Pham, V., Bui, M., Song, L., Wu, C., Walia, A., Uchio, E., Smith-Liu, F., & Zi, X. (2017). Rhodiola rosea L.: an herb with anti-stress, anti-aging, and immunostimulating properties for cancer chemoprevention. Current pharmacology reports, 3(6), 384–395.

Horowitz AJ, Frey D, Denault D, et al. Sympathomimetics. [Updated 2023 Sep 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546597/

Dimpfel, W., Schombert, L., & Panossian, A. G. (2018). Assessing the Quality and Potential Efficacy of Commercial Extracts of Rhodiola rosea L. by Analyzing the Salidroside and Rosavin Content and the Electrophysiological Activity in Hippocampal Long-Term Potentiation, a Synaptic Model of Memory. Frontiers in pharmacology, 9, 425.

​​Herbal Vade Medcum by Gazmend Skenderi

Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism by Donald Yance

Using stimulants to manage stress and fatigue will often exacerbate adrenal burnout. When you are under stress and the adrenal glands are constantly receiving signals from the brain to release cortisol (our primary stress hormone), eventually they become resistant to signaling and cortisol levels start to decline. This leads to chronic feelings of fatigue. As stimulants trigger a stress response in the body, this further exacerbates this process and can accelerate an individual into having tapped out adrenals.

Oftentimes, if I am working with a client who is dealing with chronic stress I advise them to remove caffeine from their routine for a period of time. Ideally, this allows the receptors on the adrenal glands to recover so they once again becomes responsive to signaling from the brain and cortisol levels return to normal. Removing excess stress from their life (like caffeine) allows this process to happen much quicker. They also start to gain back their energy naturally without relying on caffeine to give them that desired morning burst of energy.

Yet, no one likes to go cold turkey and remove those coveted energy boosters. So, outside of telling clients to switch to decaf in the morning (so they still feel like they’re having a cup of coffee in the morning) I like to suggest some more stimulating adaptogens. One of my favorite being: eleuthero.

Eleuthero is a fascinating herb that has been used for over 2000 years, dating back to Traditional Chinese Medicine usages for treating respiratory infections and the flu. Yet, where it really started to gain its popularity was back in the 1960’s in Soviet Era Russia to help increase performance and quality of life, especially amongst individuals with physically demanding jobs like soldiers, construction workers, and athletes. The Russian Ministry of Health coined eleuthero as an Adaptogen in 1964 and it was eventually used amongst Russian olympic athletes to help improve their performance, endurance, and stamina.

Since eleuthero is slightly stimulating, I like to recommend this for individuals who are in the exhausted phase of the stress response. Meaning, they wake up in the morning and they feel like they were hit by a train. As their morning cortisol levels are extremely low, it makes it difficult to get out of bed in the morning (cortisol is typically highest upon waking in a “non-stressed” individual). Eleuthero is best utilized for these ones as it helps promote adequate secretion of various hormones, especially noradrenaline (your immediate stress response hormone), cortisol (your chronic stress response hormone) and serotonin (your feel good hormone, which is also a precursor to melatonin for a better night’s sleep). In simple terms, eleuthero is helping jump start your adrenal glands so your stress response is normalized, homeostasis is restored, and you can experience better recovery from stress.

Eleuthero is also unique in that it helps prevent vitamin C dumping from the adrenal glands. Your adrenals are a large store house for vitamin C. Much of this is because vitamin C is a necessary cofactor for the production of dopamine, adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol. When an individual is dealing with chronic stress and pumping out insane amounts of cortisol this leads to adrenal vitamin C dumping. There is not much understanding as to why this happens outside of vitamin C functioning as an important antioxidant to combat the inflammatory side effects of stress and to ensure adequate production of adrenaline, which also gets dumped when you are releasing that much cortisol. Once you become vitamin C depleted this contributes to exhaustion because your adrenal glands are now lacking in an important cofactor for the production of stress hormones. As eleuthero has been shown to help prevent vitamin C loss, it helps delay the impending exhaustion and low cortisol that comes with chronic stress.

For all of the above reasons, I recommend eleuthero to be taken in the morning, to function as a slightly stimulating caffeine alternative. It has many other benefits in the body relating to athletic performance, immune support, protein synthesis, and sex hormones. Yet, I like it best for supporting a healthy stress response and bringing the adrenal glands back into balance.

Image: Patrya et al. 2025

- Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism by Donald R Yance

- Herbal Vade Mecem by Gazmend Skenderi

- Medical Herbalism by David Hoffmann

- Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevallier

- Patyra A, Kołtun-Jasion M, Kupniewska K, Parzonko A and Kiss AK (2025) Eleutherococcus root: a comprehensive review of its phytochemistry and pharmacological potential in the context of its adaptogenic effect. Front. Pharmacol. 16:1683795. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1683795

Although not the end all be all, I have found ashwagandha, when consumed on a regular basis, to do just that.

I’ve previously discussed ashwagandha about a year ago in my post “Nature’s Chill Pill.” But as we are on a theme of stress and adaptogenic herbs for the next month or so, it is worth bringing it back to the forefront. Especially as the research around this beloved herb is extensive and not all of it can be addressed in one article.

Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic adaptogenic herb that has been utilized in India as a rejuvenating tonic for over four thousand years. Ashwagandha means “strong as a horse.” Its scientific name is Withania somnifera, somnifera means “restful sleep.” I don’t consider this much of a sedative but as it is known to inhibit an excessive anxiety-induced stress response, and helps increase GABA (inhibitory, calming neurotransmitter) release in the brain, it supports a more restful night’s rest.

Some of its primary properties are functioning as a sedative and as a hypnotic. Again, I don’t find that ashwagandha makes me tired like traditional sedative herbs, such as chamomile or lavender. But consuming a large amount of it before bed will give you this euphoric, calming feeling that lulls you into a very deep sleep. In animal studies it was found that a root extract of ashwagandha significantly increased total sleep time, slow wave sleep (deep sleep), while reducing sleep latency and total waking time. Benefits in multiple human studies for insomnia have also been seen.

The primary reason ashwagandha may has a positive impact on sleep is its ability to activate GABAergic transmission. This means it helps ensure adequate GABA release. GABA is the primary neurotransmitter in the central nervous system that reduces neuronal excitability. Thus, it promotes calmness, lowers feelings of anxiety, and improves sleep. It gives you that “hypnotic” feeling. Without adequate GABA release we often feel overly stimulated and struggle falling asleep at night.

Another way that ashwagandha helps support the stress response is by modulating serotonergic pathways. Serotonin is one of our “feel-good” neurotransmitters / hormones that is also a precursor to melatonin (our sleep hormone). When we are dealing with chronic stress this can lead to a down regulation of serotonin which can have a negative impact on overall mood and sleep. In a 2020 study, they found that administration of ashwagandha for 21 days protected against a stress-induced reduction in serotonin levels. This indicates that not only can ashwagandha help our body better handle stress, it also has a potential benefit in supporting a healthy mood.

Yet, it is important to keep in mind that ashwagandha is an adrenal inhibitor. Meaning it prevents the adrenal gland from pumping out a ridiculous amount of cortisol. When you are dealing with the peak of stress and cortisol is consistently flowing, this can be a good thing. Yet, when you are further along in dealing with a stressor and cortisol levels start to decline and fatigue has started to settle in, adrenal inhibition is probably the last thing you need. Thus, I like to recommend ashwagandha for people who are dealing with stress at its onset, when they are struggling with anxious thoughts and have a hard time falling asleep at night. Once someone hits exhaustion, there are other herbs that I will likely suggest. Ashwagandha will not be one of them.

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1. Salve, J., Pate, S., Debnath, K., & Langade, D. (2019). Adaptogenic and Anxiolytic Effects of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Healthy Adults: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Study. Cureus, 11(12), e6466. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.6466

2. Kumar, A., & Kalonia, H. (2008). Effect of Withania somnifera on Sleep-Wake Cycle in Sleep-Disturbed Rats: Possible GABAergic Mechanism. Indian journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 70(6), 806–810.

3. Speers, A. B., Cabey, K. A., Soumyanath, A., & Wright, K. M. (2021). Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) on stress and the stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Current neuropharmacology, 19(9), 1468-1495.

4. Priyanka, G., Anil Kumar, B., Lakshman, M., Manvitha, V., & Kala Kumar, B. (2020). Adaptogenic and immunomodulatory activity of Ashwagandha root extract: An experimental study in an equine model. Frontiers in veterinary science, 7, 541112.

5. Lopresti, A. L., Smith, S. J., Malvi, H., & Kodgule, R. (2019). An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Medicine, 98(37), e17186.

6. Fry, C. H., Fluck, D., & Han, T. S. (2022). Adrenal hypofunction associated with ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) supplementation: a case report. Toxicology and Environmental Health Sciences, 14(2), 141-145.

My favorite category of herbs are adaptogens. They are known for helping the body have a better and more stable stress response. Meaning not under or overreactive. Much of this is because the constituents within many adaptogens are structurally very similar to stress hormones and thus are able to mimic a small stress response in the body.

I realize taking herbs that mimic a small stress response when you are already stressed sounds counterintuitive but let me explain. Adaptogens function in some ways very similar to vaccines. When you take a vaccine for let’s say measles, the vaccine is effective by inputting a very small dose of measles into the body so the body is able to develop an immune response against measles. It’s able to recognize the virus and thus have a more effective immune response to protect the body from infection. Adaptogens are similar. You consume them and they exert a very slight stress response in the body, allowing the body to develop resistance and protective mechanisms against actual stressors.

Adaptogens are also most effective when consumed on a regular basis, v. taken just once and hoping you’ll feel better. Your body needs time and consistent support to build homeostatic resistance to stress. I like to think of this like a marathon. If you have never been a runner there is no way you can sign up for a marathon and be prepared by just getting in one training day. Your body hasn’t developed enough of a resistance to the stressor of running. Rather, you start training six months in advance. You slowly ease into long runs. Maybe the first week your longest run is only four miles and the other days of the week you run two miles. At first you feel terrible. Your legs are sore. Your heart is racing. You feel nauseous. But eventually you adapt. As the weeks go on and you increase your mileage your heart gets stronger. Your resting heart rate is lower. Your lung capacity increases. Your muscles get stronger and hypertrophy. You develop more capillary beds in your legs to increase oxygen supply. Running becomes much easier. Your body has adapted to the stressor of running so it in of itself is less stressful to the body. It’s the same with adaptogens. The more frequently you consume them the more you start to adapt to everyday stressors and begin to feel more grounded and resilient.

In the coming weeks I’m going to focus on talking about some of my favorite adaptogens and what they do in the body to help you feel more balanced on a consistent basis. Less thrown off by daily stressors. And honestly - it’s a reminder for me to start integrating them back into my routine.

Some of my favorites that I’ll be including are the following:

• Ashwagandha ~ I like to think of this as a grounded, masculine hug. It makes you feel more calm, balanced, and less overstimulated. As a perk it can also help you have a better night’s sleep. I find this herb is best for those who feel anxious and struggle with insomnia.

• Eleuthero ~ This is known as the “King Adaptogen.” It is slightly stimulating and is best utilized for those who are dealing with exhaustion or chronic fatigue. It’s also great for supporting endurance and athletic performance.

• Rhodiola ~ I personally find this herb to be extremely stimulating so again is best utilized for people who struggle to get out of bed in the morning and have been dealing with long standing fatigue. It is a bit of a cardiovascular stimulant so should be avoided by anyone taking prescription stimulants, heart medication, or anti-depressants.

• Shatavari ~ I love this herb. It is delicious and feminine, considered the “Queen of Herbs.” Although rejuvenating and beneficial for supporting a healthy stress response it does wonders for female hormonal balance.

• Ginseng ~ This is honestly an herb I never consume (probably shouldn’t be listed amongst my favorites!) but as it is a very popular adaptogen it needs attention. This is a VERY stimulating herb. It should not be used for people who are dealing with anxiety but best for those who feel like they have been hit by a train and exhaustion has taken over their life. Amazing for fatigue, decreased performance, and decreased concentration and mood.

Look forward to more adaptogen education! They are some of the best supporters for a healthier stress response and I think all of us could use these a little more regularly in our routines.

Amongst individuals I have worked with who have undergone extreme trauma, I have found their level of perceived stress is very high. It does not take much to send them over the edge and into a perpetual state of anxiety. Especially if trauma occurred during childhood. Let’s be honest here, I would put myself into this category and it is something I am desperately aiming to improve. As I discussed in “An Overactive Brain = An Overactive Immune Response,” trauma impacts the developing brain and child-based trauma increases your risk for anxiety and depression.

Yet, managing our level of perceived stress, i.e., by changing our perspective on all that life throws at us, is essential. There is a tremendous amount of research pointing to a significant correlation between perceived stress and bodily inflammation. Hence why it is no surprise that trauma is a causative factor for autoimmunity or why chronic stress is the primary root cause of cardiovascular disease. Stress increases inflammatory molecules in our bodies and this puts us at risk for disease (Balieva et al., 2022; Jergens et al., 2023)

Many years ago, I was working as an in-store nutritionist at a popular grocery store chain in Colorado. I was hosting a little book club with some of the women who frequented my in-store classes and we would read various nutrition books and have a monthly discussion. In one of these meetings one of the women mentioned how frustrated she got from reading these books. “I have such a healthy diet and yet I have all of these health issues, whereas my mother is 94, drinks a gin and tonic every night, smokes cigarettes everyday and has no health concerns.” Initially I was pretty stumped as to what to tell her until I asked how her mother handled stress. Her response: “Oh! My mother survived the Holocaust. Nothing stresses her to this day. She always tells me I get stressed out too easily.”

Trauma can either change our perspective in one of two ways. It can either rewire our brain and make us believe that the world is a scary place and worst-case scenarios will always ensue, hence chronic anxiety and potential depression. Or, it can make us look at our lives post-trauma with a new lens, focusing on gratitude for the present and the fact we are no longer living within trauma.

Quite a few years ago I was working with a trauma therapist to work through some of what had happened during my childhood. I had become uncomfortably aware that my behavior and response to situations was trauma-based and the fact I was allowing my past to still influence my present. One of the things my therapist said to me was: “Your trauma, what happened to you, it isn’t real. It’s just a memory. It was real, but it’s not real anymore. It is no longer your reality. You can’t put yourself back into the memory and keep reliving it otherwise it will continue to become your reality. Rather, look at it like a movie you are watching or rehashing, not reliving.”

It takes work and is a daily, conscious decision, but we can’t allow what happened to us many years ago continue to influence our present. Otherwise we continue to give excuses for our inappropriate behavior such as: “Well I have anger problems because I was abused,” or “I will always be sad because I was neglected” or “everyone will reject me because I was rejected as a child” and the list goes on and on. Rather, we can form new narratives.

Because in the end, if we continue to live life wearing our trauma-based lenses it not only affects our mental and emotional health, it also has a physical toll on the body.

Research has found that psychological stress (or perceived stress) increases risk for metabolic syndrome (obesity, type II diabetes, heart disease), outside of lifestyle and dietary factors, due to its contribution to putting the body into a state of low-grade, systemic inflammation. Much of this is because norepinephrine and epinephrine (neurotransmitters released from neurons when you are in a sympathetic / stressed state) modulate the immune response and leads to an increased release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (Jurgens et al., 2023).

Another study found a three-fold increase in perceived stress amongst patients with inflammatory skin conditions, such as psoriasis, compared to a group of controls. This was supported by other research showing that sensitivity to stress affects psoriasis severity and high-stress reactors had significantly more severe psoriasis (Balieva et al., 2022). As psoriasis is a form of autoimmune disease, this shows further correlation between stress and autoimmunity. This is backed by research showing elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines being a causative factor for rheumatoid arthritis, which would be further exacerbated by stress (Favalli 2020). In general, stress leads to increased inflammatory molecules which leads to increased risk for autoimmunity and autoimmune-like symptoms.

For those of you who live in a state of perpetual anxiety and chronic stress, it can be difficult to change the way you think. Although there are many recommended tools and hacks out there, the best way I know to shift your perspective and look at life and your current circumstances with a new lens is to focus on gratitude. This practice highlights the good and richness in your current life. When we focus on that rather than what is lacking, it makes us look at our lives in a new light. As a friend and former life coach told me many years ago, “When you focus on your losses, rather than your gains, you will always come up short. Yet when you focus on your gains you will be more likely to move forward.”

Huh HJ, Kim KH, Lee HK, Jeong BR, Hwang JH, Chae JH. Perceived Stress, Positive Resources and Their Interactions as Possible Related Factors for Depressive Symptoms. Psychiatry Investig. 2021 Jan;18(1):59-68.

Balieva, F., Schut, C., Kupfer, J., Lien, L., Misery, L., Sampogna, F., ... & Dalgard, F. J. (2022). Perceived stress in patients with inflammatory and non-inflammatory skin conditions. An observational controlled study among 255 Norwegian dermatological outpatients. Skin Health and Disease, 2(4), ski2-162.

Favalli E. G. (2020). Understanding the Role of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the Joint and Beyond: A Comprehensive Review of IL-6 Inhibition for the Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Rheumatology and therapy, 7(3), 473–516.

Jurgens, S. M., Prieto, S., & Hayes, J. P. (2023). Inflammatory biomarkers link perceived stress with metabolic dysregulation. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity-Health, 34, 100696.

GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like-peptide-1 hormone. It is naturally formed by gastrointestinal mucosal L-cells, pancreatic islet alpha cells, and neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (found within the medulla oblongata of the brain stem). There are GLP-1 receptors all over the body: the central nervous system, the GI tract, heart, blood vessels, immune system, kidneys, lungs, spleen. When GLP-1 binds to these receptors it induces a metabolic impact. This includes signaling the pancreas to release insulin, delaying gastric emptying to slow digestion, sending signals to the brain regarding satiety, improving glucose uptake into muscle tissue, increasing fat breakdown for energy, and overall managing blood sugar.

Anderson et al 2018

In summary, GLP-1s help ensure adequate release of insulin from the pancreas to lower blood sugar, slow digestion to regulate blood sugar, and tell your brain you are full.

The popular weight loss drugs, GLP-1 agonists (GLP1A), mimic GLP-1 by binding to its receptors and amplifying the hormone’s impact to further balance blood sugar, promote satiety, and support weight loss. Due to its impact on increasing the release of insulin, GLP1As were originally designed for type II diabetic patients. As a side effect they found it was an effective weight loss drug, hence getting re-marketed to the general population. It makes you feel full so you eat less and it lowers your blood sugar.

There are obviously some major side effects: gut issues, constipation, malnourishment, extremely low blood sugar, fatigue, dehydration, low mood, and many more.

Yet, as this is a natural bodily hormone, various dietary factors can help increase the production and release of GLP-1s in the body. Consuming various herbs, like turmeric and cinnamon, have been found to increase production of GLP-1. Resveratrol from red wines and grapes (that’s right, grab that dry red wine over that cocktail) and other antioxidant-rich foods promote production. Protein is especially key. Consuming all nine of the essential amino acids (think animal proteins) aids in the secretion of GI peptides, including GLP-1s. Supplemental aminos, especially glutamine found in collagen, are helpful. Consuming quality monounsaturated fatty acids from olive oil and polyunsaturated fatty acids from fatty fish help increase GLP-1s from the intestinal L-cells. Fiber (both soluble and insoluble fiber), is fermented by gut bacteria into short chain fatty acids, which also stimulate GLP-1 secretion from intestinal L-cells.

What you choose to eat on a daily basis will have a profound impact on GLP-1 secretion and thus satiety and blood sugar regulation. When your blood sugar is regulated you are less likely to gain weight. Center your meals around protein, fat, and fiber.

I came across several fascinating studies which determined that the order in which you eat your food has a major impact on GLP-1 secretion. They found that individuals who first consumed their fats and proteins, prior to consuming carbohydrates, had a significant increase in GLP-1 secretion compared to those who ate their carbohydrates simultaneously. Consuming fiber before consuming carbohydrates did support blood sugar balance but it did not have a significant impact on GLP-1 secretion. Thus, if you are at a restaurant and you order steak frites (my all time favorite meal), eat the steak with the butter and salad first and then dive into the fries.

Kubota et al 2020. Figure 1: Summary of preloading fish and meat before carbohydrate. Preload of fish and meat ameliorated postprandial glucose excursion by enhancing GLP-1 secretion and delaying gastric emptying. Preload of meat, which is rich in saturated fat (SFA) and monounsaturated fat (MUFA), enhances glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) secretion more than fish, which is rich in polyunsaturated fat (PUFA). As GIP promotes fat accumulation, frequent preload of meat before carbohydrate might well increase body weight.

In the appropriate circumstances, such as obesity and type II diabetes, I think GLP-1s are an amazing drug. They can completely reverse an individual’s poor metabolic health and have a life-changing impact. For everyone else who is not dealing with metabolic syndrome, before jumping to Ozempic or Tirzepatide, I think it is wise to first integrate dietary changes that help promote the production and release of GLP-1 naturally.

Andersen, A., Lund, A., Knop, F. K., & Vilsbøll, T. (2018). Glucagon-like peptide 1 in health and disease. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 14(7), 390-403.

Kubota, S., Liu, Y., Iizuka, K., Kuwata, H., Seino, Y., & Yabe, D. (2020). A Review of Recent Findings on Meal Sequence: An Attractive Dietary Approach to Prevention and Management of Type 2 Diabetes. Nutrients, 12(9), 2502.