I am guilty of this too.

This isn’t an attack on women. It isn’t a criticism of anyone who enjoys a little gossip, watches trash television, gets caught up in someone else’s story, or occasionally finds themselves way too invested in something that really has nothing to do with them.

Because I’ve done it too.

I’ve gotten pulled into conversations. I’ve wondered what someone meant. I’ve replayed something someone said. I’ve checked something I probably didn’t need to check. I’ve allowed someone else’s behavior to take up far more space in my mind than it deserved. But this behavior, this reactivity, this drama loop reveals something physiological. Because we spend an extraordinary amount of time trying to create the perfect conditions for a healthy body.

We talk about protein and minerals.

Morning sunlight.

Walking.

Strength training.

Sleep.

Blood sugar.

Thyroid health.

Circadian rhythm.

And all of these things do matter, don’t get me wrong.

But there is another input into the body that we don’t talk about nearly enough:

The emotional environment we live in.

Who are you talking to all day?

What are you thinking about?

What are you watching?

What conversations are you participating in?

What are you checking on your phone?

Whose opinion are you worried about?

Who are you comparing yourself to?

Who are you angry with?

Who are you secretly hoping will text you?

Who are you wondering is talking about you?

Because your nervous system is listening to all of it.

There is a physiological cost of drama. There is something strangely addictive about drama.

A notification comes in.

Your stomach drops.

Your heart speeds up.

You feel that little rush.

You read the message.

You become angry, anxious, vindicated, offended, curious, or excited.

You tell someone else.

You reread it.

You check whether they’ve responded.

You wonder what they meant.

You formulate what you’ll say next.

And suddenly an hour has passed.

Nothing physically dangerous happened.

But your body doesn’t necessarily experience it as “nothing.” Social threat is still a form of stress.

When we perceive conflict, rejection, criticism, exclusion, humiliation, or interpersonal danger, the body can activate the sympathetic nervous system and stress response. Adrenaline rises. Cortisol rises. Heart rate can increase. Attention narrows. We become more vigilant.

Your body has essentially been given the message:

Pay attention. Something is happening.

And this is where I’ve started thinking about female drama differently.

Not as a moral issue.

Not as “women are too emotional.”

But as a stress EXPOSURE.

You can eat the most nourishing breakfast imaginable and then spend the next three hours in a group chat dissecting someone’s behavior.

You can take your supplements, get your morning sunlight, walk outside and drink your mineral-rich water…

…and then spend the afternoon furious about something someone posted online.

Your body experiences both.

We are living in an era of manufactured stimulation

I think this is one of the strangest things about modern life. We have become incredibly good at creating stimulation for ourselves.

There is always something happening.

Someone is pregnant.

Someone got divorced.

Someone cheated.

Someone said something offensive.

Someone unfollowed someone.

Someone bought a house.

Someone looks better than you.

Someone is parenting differently than you.

Someone has an opinion you hate.

Someone is talking about someone else.

There is always another story.

And because our phones fit in our pockets, we can carry everyone else’s lives around with us all day. We don’t have to go looking for drama. It comes looking for us. And then we wonder why we feel overstimulated. The life we say we want was actually much quieter.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately because so many of us romanticize the life of the 1990s mother.

The less technological era.

The kids running around outside.

The neighborhood.

The big breakfasts.

The home-cooked dinners.

The disposable cameras.

The slower pace.

The domesticity.

But there is something we conveniently forget:

Those women weren’t living in an Instagram-free vacuum of perfect wellness.

My grandmother watched Judge Judy. She loved trash television. And I actually think there is something fascinating about that. She could sit down, watch someone else’s ridiculous problem unfold for an hour, laugh at it, shake her head, and then…

turn the television off. The drama had an ending. There wasn’t a group chat afterward. There weren’t 47 comments to analyze. There wasn’t an algorithm serving her increasingly inflammatory content because it knew she would keep watching. There wasn’t a person from high school posting a carefully curated version of their life every day for her to compare herself against. There wasn’t a notification waiting for her in bed. There was an episode. And then it was over.

I think there is something profoundly different about that. We are not meant to be emotionally involved in everything. Maybe this is one of the lost arts of being a woman. Not knowing everything. Not having an opinion about everything. Not knowing what everyone is doing. Not knowing who is fighting. Not knowing who unfollowed whom. Not knowing what someone said about you. Not needing to defend yourself. Not needing to explain yourself. Not needing to participate.

There is an enormous amount of freedom in being able to say: “That’s not my business.”

And then go make dinner.

Go outside.

Fold laundry.

Milk the cow.

Read a book.

Take your children to the creek.

Make something.

Sit in the sun.

Live your actual life.

And I don’t think this means we need to become perfectly serene women! This is where I want to be careful. I’m not suggesting that we eliminate every bit of stimulation from our lives. I’m not suggesting that watching Judge Judy is somehow superior to scrolling Instagram. I’m not suggesting that we can never share stories, never get annoyed, never get sucked into a conversation, or never care what other people think. The point isn’t perfection. It’s awareness. It’s noticing the difference between being entertained by something and being physiologically entangled in it.

It’s noticing when curiosity becomes obsession.

When conversation becomes rumination. When community becomes surveillance. When entertainment becomes agitation. When someone else’s problem follows you around long after the conversation has ended. Your body needs periods of coming down. The stress response isn’t bad. We need it. Cortisol isn’t the enemy. Adrenaline isn’t the enemy. Our bodies are designed to respond to stress.

The problem is what happens when we repeatedly stimulate that system without giving ourselves much opportunity to come back down. And I think this is where our modern obsession with “stress management” sometimes misses the point. We don’t necessarily need another supplement to manage the stress we are deliberately consuming. Sometimes we need less stress coming in.

Less outrage.

Less comparison.

Less gossip.

Less social surveillance.

Less explaining.

Less checking.

Less reacting.

Less involvement in things that have absolutely nothing to do with the life we are trying to build.

There is a difference between being informed and being immersed. There is a difference between having relationships and being entangled. There is a difference between community and constant social stimulation. And there is a difference between knowing what is happening in the world and carrying the emotional lives of hundreds of strangers around in your nervous system.

The “old-fashioned” life isn’t just about the food. When I think about the life so many of us say we want, I don’t actually think we’re only craving butter and homemade bread. I think we’re craving less stimulation.

We want the children outside.

We want the house to feel calm.

We want dinner at the table.

We want to know our neighbors.

We want work that has a beginning and an end.

We want our attention back.

We want to be able to sit down without feeling like we should be checking something.

We want our minds to belong to us again.

And maybe this is part of why a slower, more domestic life can feel so nourishing. Not because folding laundry is inherently therapeutic, but because a life organized around tangible things has a natural rhythm.

You cook.

You clean.

You feed the animals.

You take care of the children.

You go outside.

You work.

You rest.

You sleep.

And then you do it again tomorrow.

There is something very regulating about having a life that asks you to be present for what is actually in front of you. Protect your peace like you protect your sleep. We understand that staying awake all night isn’t good for us. We understand that sleep deprivation affects mood, cognition, appetite, hormones, and metabolic health. But I wonder if we should become equally protective of the things that repeatedly send our nervous systems into a state of activation during the day. Maybe protecting your peace isn’t just a cute phrase. Maybe it is part of caring for your physiology. Maybe declining the invitation to participate in someone else’s conflict is health-promoting. Maybe leaving the group chat is health-promoting. Maybe not responding immediately is health-promoting. Maybe unfollowing the accounts that make you angry is health-promoting. Maybe refusing to gossip about another woman is health-promoting. Maybe deciding that you don’t need to know what everyone thinks about you is health-promoting. And maybe sometimes the most “metabolic” thing you can do isn’t another intervention at all. Maybe it’s putting your phone down. Going outside. Making something warm to eat. Letting the children make a mess. Watching the sun go down. And remembering that you don’t have to participate in every story that enters your field of vision.

Your life is happening here.

Not in the group chat.

Not in the comments.

Not on someone else’s Instagram.

Here.

And your nervous system deserves to feel that. This isn’t something I’ve mastered. It’s something I’m noticing. And maybe that’s the most useful place to begin.

Over those years, I’ve supported women in different capacities and spent a long time immersed in the real-life application of what we now call wellness. I’ve read the books, studied the systems, followed the experts, and experimented with more approaches than I can count. These days, my work looks different. I am no longer seeing clients 1:1. Instead, I am focused on writing, teaching, and sharing what I’ve learned over a decade and a half in this field.

My perspective has shifted toward understanding the systems behind symptoms and helping women reconnect with the way their bodies actually function. Physiology has become less of a technical subject and more of a way of seeing.

One of the most important things I’ve learned is that many women are highly skilled at following external guidance, but far less familiar with their own internal feedback systems. We learn how to track numbers, follow plans, and optimize routines, but we are rarely taught how to interpret what the body is communicating in real time.

The body is always speaking through energy, appetite, sleep, temperature, digestion, cycle patterns, and stress response. These signals are not random. They are part of an ongoing physiological conversation that reflects how the body is allocating energy and responding to life.

Metabolism is at the center of this conversation. It is not only about weight or calorie expenditure. It is the entire process of energy production that supports every function in the body. Heartbeat, brain function, hormone production, tissue repair, temperature regulation, and movement all depend on it.

When energy availability changes, physiology adjusts. The body prioritizes essential functions first and adapts its output based on what it perceives is available. This includes changes in hunger, sleep depth, recovery rate, mood stability, cycle regularity, and overall resilience. These shifts are not errors in the system. They are the system working exactly as designed.

One of the most helpful ways to begin understanding your physiology is to start observing patterns rather than isolated moments. The body rarely communicates in a single data point. It communicates in trends over time.

Energy is one of the clearest places to begin. Not just whether you feel tired, but how your energy behaves throughout the day. Many women notice a predictable pattern once they begin paying attention: whether energy is steady, whether it crashes in the afternoon, or whether it depends heavily on caffeine or adrenaline to stay consistent.

Sleep is another key marker. Beyond hours slept, the quality of sleep and the state you wake up in often reflect overall physiological load. Waking up depleted, needing significant stimulation to feel functional, or feeling wired but tired are all patterns worth observing rather than dismissing.

Appetite also carries important information. A consistent appetite often reflects stable energy availability. A suppressed appetite, an erratic appetite, or strong fluctuations can reflect changes in stress, intake, activity, or recovery demands. Hunger is not something to override or control, but something to understand in context.

Body temperature and circulation can offer additional insight. Feeling consistently cold, particularly in the hands and feet, or struggling to maintain warmth, can reflect how the body is distributing energy. These are not standalone indicators, but they contribute to the broader picture.

The menstrual cycle, when present, is one of the most sensitive indicators of physiological state. Changes in cycle length, symptoms, flow, mood, or energy fluctuations across the month often reflect shifts in energy availability, stress load, or recovery capacity. The cycle is not separate from health. It is one of its most responsive feedback systems.

Stress capacity is another important lens. This is not only about emotional stress, but about how well the body adapts to demands overall. It can be observed in how quickly you recover from illness, how resilient you feel under pressure, and how easily your system returns to baseline after busy or demanding periods.

Learning your physiology is not about tracking everything perfectly. It is about becoming familiar with your own baseline so that changes become easier to recognize. It is less about control and more about recognition.

A helpful place to begin is with simple observation. Noticing energy at three points in the day. Noticing sleep without trying to immediately change it. Noticing hunger without responding to it automatically. Noticing cycles over months rather than days. The goal is not immediate correction, but awareness.

Over time, patterns begin to emerge. The body becomes less confusing. Signals become more predictable. Decisions become easier because they are informed by experience rather than external rules alone.

Health becomes about literacy. The ability to read what your body is already communicating.

The more time I spend in this field, the more I see that the body is not something to figure out once and then manage. It is something to stay in relationship with. It changes across seasons, demands, and life stages, and it continues to provide feedback the entire time.

The invitation is not to control it more precisely, but to learn to understand it more clearly. The conversation is already happening. The practice is learning how to listen.

*photos from Pinterest

It shapes the warmth in your hands, the steadiness of your mood, the resilience of your skin, the clarity of your thoughts. Beneath hormones, beneath symptoms, beneath the surface of what we often try to fix or optimize, there is a more foundational rhythm: how well your cells are able to produce and use energy.

At the center of this process are the mitochondria.

These small, dynamic structures are often described as the “powerhouses” of the cell, yet that phrase barely captures their significance. Mitochondria are responsive and intelligent. They take in signals from nutrients, oxygen, light, and the nervous system, and translate them into energy through a series of tightly regulated biochemical steps.

Inside the mitochondria, energy is produced through oxidative phosphorylation. Glucose is broken down through glycolysis into pyruvate, which then enters the mitochondria and is converted into acetyl-CoA. From there, it moves through the Krebs cycle, generating electron carriers (NADH and FADH2) that feed into the electron transport chain. This is where oxygen becomes essential. It acts as the final electron acceptor, allowing electrons to flow and ATP to be generated efficiently.

When this system is working well, energy production is smooth, carbon dioxide is produced in adequate amounts, and the cell maintains a stable internal environment. Carbon dioxide itself plays a protective role, supporting oxygen delivery through the Bohr effect and helping regulate pH within tissues.

Energy, in this sense, is not simply about calories. It is about how efficiently your body converts food, light, and oxygen into ATP. This energy powers ion gradients across cell membranes, supports protein synthesis, drives detoxification pathways in the liver, and fuels the continuous repair of tissues.

From a bio-energetic lens, aging reflects a shift in this system. Mitochondria become less efficient at moving electrons through the electron transport chain, leading to more electron leakage and the formation of reactive oxygen species. In balanced amounts, these molecules act as signaling compounds. When they accumulate beyond the cell’s buffering capacity, they begin to interfere with mitochondrial enzymes, membrane integrity, and DNA stability.

The structure of the mitochondria itself also changes. The inner membrane, where the electron transport chain is housed, relies on a phospholipid called cardiolipin to maintain its shape and function. When this structure is disrupted, energy production becomes less efficient and more energetically costly.

Supporting mitochondrial function invites the body back into a state of energy abundance.

It begins with nourishment. Carbohydrates play a central role in mitochondrial efficiency because glucose metabolism produces more carbon dioxide relative to stress hormones compared to relying heavily on fat oxidation under strain. Glucose also supports the conversion of thyroid hormone T4 into its active form, T3, which directly stimulates mitochondrial respiration.

Protein provides the amino acids needed to build enzymes involved in every step of energy production. The liver depends on these amino acids to carry out gluconeogenesis, detoxification, and hormone conversion, all of which feed back into metabolic health.

Micronutrients guide these pathways. Magnesium stabilizes ATP, as ATP in the body exists primarily as Mg-ATP. B vitamins act as cofactors for key enzymes in glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain. Copper and iron are required for cytochrome enzymes that transfer electrons, while potassium and sodium maintain the electrical gradients that allow cells to function and communicate.

The thyroid acts as a metabolic amplifier. T3 increases the activity of enzymes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and influences the number and function of mitochondria. This is why body temperature, pulse, digestion, and even mental clarity often reflect thyroid status so directly.

Light adds another layer. Exposure to natural sunlight, particularly in the morning, helps regulate circadian rhythms through the suprachiasmatic nucleus. These rhythms influence mitochondrial function by coordinating when energy production, repair, and hormone release occur. Red and near-infrared light have also been shown to interact with cytochrome c oxidase, a key enzyme in the electron transport chain, supporting ATP production.

Movement builds on this foundation. Muscle contractions increase the demand for ATP, which signals the body to create more mitochondria through pathways involving PGC-1α. This process, mitochondrial biogenesis, enhances both the number and efficiency of mitochondria over time. The intention is not exhaustion, but creating a steady signal that energy is being used and replenished.

Rest completes the cycle. During deep sleep, mitochondrial repair processes are upregulated, oxidative stress is balanced, and the brain clears metabolic byproducts through the glymphatic system. Hormones like growth hormone are released in patterns that support tissue repair and regeneration.

From a bio-energetic perspective, anti-aging becomes a practice of alignment.

It is the daily choice to create conditions where the body has the nutrients, light, rest, and rhythm it needs to produce energy efficiently. When energy is available, the body leans toward repair, beauty, and longevity. Skin reflects it, hormones stabilize within it, and the nervous system settles into it.

There is an ease to this way of living. Rather than chasing isolated outcomes, it honors the intelligence of the body as a system designed to renew itself when given the right inputs.

Cellular energy becomes the foundation and from that foundation, everything else rises.

We’re used to quick fixes. Two day shipping. Same day results. “Bounce back” culture that expects our bodies to behave like machines instead of living, breathing ecosystems. So when you begin the work of healing a metabolic imbalance, whether it’s burnout, hormone disruption, blood sugar instability, or postpartum depletion, it can feel frustratingly slow.

But that slowness isn’t failure. It’s biology.

Your metabolism isn’t a switch you flip. It’s a complex network regulated by your nervous system, your hormones, your thyroid, and the signals your body receives about safety and energy availability. It’s a conversation your body has been having for months, sometimes years.

When your body perceives stress, whether that’s under eating, overtraining, poor sleep, emotional strain, or the demands of pregnancy and breastfeeding, it adapts to protect you. Cortisol rises to keep you going. Thyroid conversion can slow, meaning less active T3 is available for energy. Blood sugar becomes more volatile as your body tries to maintain stability. Reproductive hormones often take a back seat because survival is prioritized over fertility. These are not dysfunctions. They are intelligent adaptations.

And when something has been out of balance for a long time, your body doesn’t rush to fix it overnight. It learns to trust again, slowly. Healing is less like forcing change and more like creating conditions. It’s eating enough to signal that energy is no longer scarce.

It’s prioritizing carbohydrates so your body doesn’t have to rely on stress hormones to keep blood sugar stable.

It’s adding minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium to support adrenal function and hydration at the cellular level.

It’s resting so your nervous system can shift out of a constant sympathetic state and into parasympathetic repair.

These inputs may feel simple, but they are powerful signals.

Over time, they tell your body it is safe to lower cortisol. Safe to increase metabolic rate. Safe to convert thyroid hormone more efficiently. Safe to support stable blood sugar without constant compensation. But most of these changes happen beneath the surface first.

Before you feel dramatically different, your body is restoring glycogen stores in the liver and muscles. It’s improving insulin sensitivity at the cellular level. It’s recalibrating hunger and fullness hormones like leptin and ghrelin. It’s rebuilding nutrient reserves that may have been depleted for years.

This is why the process can feel slow and, at times, invisible.

Because the truth is, there will be a middle space that feels confusing. You might not feel as bad as you once did, but you’re not fully where you want to be either. This is where most people give up or swing back into old patterns, undereating, overexercising, chasing control. But this middle, this is where the real repair is happening.

Your body is lowering its stress baseline. Your nervous system is becoming more regulated. Your hormones are beginning to communicate more effectively. What once required compensation is starting to function more naturally.

And that takes TIME.

Patience in healing doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means staying consistent in small, foundational habits without needing immediate proof that they’re working. It means trusting that your body is not broken, it’s adaptive.

Especially in seasons like postpartum, where your body has given so much, healing requires an even deeper level of gentleness. Blood volume has shifted. Nutrient stores have been used to grow and feed another human. Sleep is fragmented, which directly impacts glucose regulation, cortisol rhythm, and appetite hormones.

You are not just recovering, you are rebuilding. And rebuilding asks for nourishment, rest, and grace in ways our culture rarely encourages.

There is strength in choosing patience.

In not rushing the process.

In not punishing your body for where it is.

In not comparing your timeline to someone else’s highlight reel.

Because real metabolic healing doesn’t just change how you look or feel for a moment, it changes how your body functions long term. It builds resilience. Stability. A foundation you can actually live on.

So if you’re in it right now, in the slow, unglamorous, often invisible work of healing

Stay.

Eat the meal. Drink the minerals. Get the sunlight. Go to bed. Repeat.

Your body is listening.

And given time, it will respond.

.If you’re craving more in depth support enroll in our perfect thyroid course!

I can barely put into words what this birth has brought me.

Before labor started, I was cleaning.

Wiping counters. Folding laundry. Picking up the quiet mess of my lived-in home.

It wasn’t frantic nesting. It felt intentional.

Like I knew I was about to step somewhere deep, and I wanted the house settled before I went.

At 7:30pm, pre-labor began.

Soft. Steady. Enough to make me pause. Enough to know.

By 7:40, I was in the bath. My husband had taken the kids to Lowe’s, at my request. I just wanted to be alone, not having to hold anyone else emotionally.

The house was completely still.

Warm water. Dim light. The ordinary rhythm of a normal evening.

At 7:56, everything shifted.

Contractions one minute long, four minutes apart.

No gentle build. Just intensity arriving fully formed.

I stayed in the bath and let it move through me.

There’s a place you go in labor where thinking stops and something bigger takes over. I could feel myself dropping into that place; quiet, focused, inward.

By 8:46, I knew we were close.

The pressure deepened. My voice changed. My body felt heavy and open at the same time.

I got out of the bath and moved to the toilet to transition. I called my husband and told him to come home and to bring me a drink because I was suddenly so thirsty it felt desperate.

He sped home.

He walked in at 9:00pm with a drink in his hand, kids still in the car.

I was already on the floor. On my knees. Inside it.

Two contractions.

The first surged and I thought it was his head, but it was my waters breaking. That unmistakable release. That crossing.

My husband ran back out to get the kids.

And then I was alone again. Truly alone.

No one in the room.

No hands waiting.

No eyes to meet.

Just me.

The next contraction rose and I met it.

There is a moment in birth where you feel how thin the veil is, how close life and death sit to each other.

Even as my fourth sovereign birth, this one stripped everything back. There was no support to lean into. No one to witness the edge.

It was just me, my body, and God.

At 9:04pm, with that contraction, I brought our second son, our fourth baby, into the world with my own hands.

It was fast.

It was raw.

It was the most profound thing I have ever experienced.

In that moment, I met myself; the fear, the strength, the surrender, the power. All of it.

And then suddenly he was here.

Emerged from MY body.

Warm in my arms.

Crying.

Alive.

The veil closed as quickly as it had opened.

My husband came back in around 9:08 with our children, just minutes after their brother was born. They surrounded him in awe, this baby, so loved by these big hearts already.

The house looked exactly the same as it had an hour before.

Counters wiped. Laundry folded.

But I was different.

I had gone somewhere deep and come back holding life.

And as a mother of four now, I feel it even more clearly, this work is ordinary and eternal at the same time.

We make dinner.

We fold laundry.

We clean the house.

And sometimes, in between those things, we stand at the edge of heaven and earth and bring a soul through.

It was fast.

It was confronting.

It was sacred.

And it was mine.

Just me and him — my God-given defender.

Objects are just objects until we place meaning upon them. Threads and fabric, worn and ordinary. And yet this simple dress now holds something sacred. It carries the memory of my breath between contractions, of whispered prayers, of the moments the veil between before and after quietly parted.

I have learned that motherhood is made of these small altars—soft repetitions, familiar movements, ordinary things made holy by love. A dress. A patch of sunlight. The rhythm of swaying with a child in your arms. Nothing remarkable, and yet everything.

Today felt like standing in two moments at once: the night he was born and the quiet morning that followed weeks later. The same body, changed. The same heart, widened. The same dress, carrying a story stitched invisibly into every seam.

Some memories do not live only in our minds. They live in the things we touch, the places we stand, the gentle rituals we repeat without thinking. And when we return to them, even briefly, it feels like opening a door back into wonder.

This is what I want to remember—that the sacred is rarely loud. It is usually soft, warm, and waiting patiently in the most ordinary corners of our days.

Even Dr. Raymond Peat was always clear that nutrition cannot be separated from physiology. A food does not act in isolation; it acts within a hormonal environment shaped by thyroid function, stress hormones, mitochondrial health, and (especially for women) the demands of pregnancy, breastfeeding, and recovery. Milk may be close to a perfect food, but perfection still requires the body to be capable of using what it’s given.

At the center of this conversation is thyroid hormone. T3 governs the rate at which cells convert fuel into usable energy. It activates enzymes like pyruvate dehydrogenase, which allows glucose to move from glycolysis into the mitochondria, where it can be fully oxidized to carbon dioxide. This process produces heat, warmth in the hands and feet, a steady pulse, and emotional calm. When thyroid function is suppressed (as it so often is postpartum, during prolonged stress, under-eating, or repeated pregnancies) glucose oxidation slows. Sugar is no longer burned cleanly and instead is diverted toward lactate production, fat storage, and stress signaling.

Fat complicates this picture through its competitive relationship with glucose. The Randle cycle describes how elevated fatty acids inhibit glucose oxidation. In a metabolically healthy person, this competition is flexible and adaptive. But in a low-thyroid state, flexibility is lost. Fatty acids rise easily and stay elevated because thyroid hormone is needed to properly suppress lipolysis. This means that even when insulin is released in response to sugar, fat continues to circulate in the bloodstream, interfering with glucose use at the cellular level.

Polyunsaturated fats deepen this metabolic impasse. PUFAS are profoundly anti-metabolic. They suppress mitochondrial respiration, inhibit oxidative enzymes, and are uniquely prone to lipid peroxidation, which damages cells and increases inflammation. Because PUFA are stored in body fat, they are released during stress, fasting, disrupted sleep, or blood sugar instability — all common realities for mothers. The result is a steady background of fatty acids that block glucose oxidation precisely when the body most needs quick, clean energy.

When sugar and fat are consumed together in this context, the system struggles. Whole milk delivers lactose and fat simultaneously. Lactose raises insulin, while fat — in a low-thyroid, PUFA-burdened body — keeps free fatty acids elevated. Insulin alone cannot shut off fat release without adequate thyroid support. The cell is flooded with competing fuels, neither of which can be fully oxidized. Glucose is pushed toward storage, fat oxidation remains incomplete, and energy production stalls. Over time, this shows up not just as weight gain, but as edema, fatigue, coldness, and a vague sense that nourishment isn’t quite landing.

This is the physiological reason Peat favored low-fat or skim milk. It definitely wasn’t a rejection of fat or tradition, but actually a strategy rooted in metabolic repair. By removing the cream, the fat burden is lowered enough for insulin to effectively suppress circulating free fatty acids. Lactose can then replenish liver glycogen, stabilizing blood sugar and reducing adrenaline and cortisol. Calcium and milk proteins suppress parathyroid hormone and lipolysis, further lowering fatty acid release. With less metabolic competition, glucose can move through the mitochondria and be oxidized to carbon dioxide.

Carbon dioxide is a silent hero. CO₂ improves oxygen delivery through the Bohr effect, stabilizes cell membranes, relaxes smooth muscle, and calms the nervous system. As CO₂ production rises, so does metabolic efficiency. Body temperature increases. Pulse steadies. In this way thyroid function begins to recover through support.

This approach also aligns beautifully with traditional dairy use. Historically, full-fat milk was rarely consumed as an unlimited daily beverage. Cream was skimmed and intentionally concentrated into butter, cheese, and ice cream — foods eaten deliberately, often seasonally, and in smaller amounts. The remaining milk was consumed regularly, providing sugar, protein, and minerals without overwhelming the body’s oxidative capacity. This natural separation of fat and sugar reduced metabolic friction long before the language to describe it existed.

For women, especially postpartum women, this distinction matters deeply. Pregnancy and lactation are profoundly thyroid-demanding states. They increase the need for glucose oxidation, liver glycogen, calcium, and protein, while simultaneously making the body more sensitive to stress and fatty acid overflow. In that landscape, low-fat milk can act as a stabilizer rather than a burden — a way to feed the nervous system, support milk production, and rebuild metabolic resilience without pushing the body into storage mode.

From a bio-energetic perspective, the problem is not raw milk, nor fat itself. The issue is mixed fuels entering a system that has temporarily lost the ability to handle them together. Low thyroid function and stored PUFA impair mitochondrial respiration and insulin sensitivity, turning nourishment into stagnation. Separating cream from milk is a great tool we can use to meet the body where it is (a subtle nuance that seems to be lost in the health space). Once thyroid function is strong, stress hormones are low, and metabolic flexibility is restored, fat, in greater quantity, can return to the plate with far fewer consequences. Until then, low-fat milk serves as a gentle bridge back to warmth, energy, and the quiet feeling of being truly fed.

*tip: If you are getting raw milk from a farm, skim the cream off the top and use that to make other dairy products in the meantime.

Labor is powered primarily by glucose, not adrenaline. The uterus is a smooth muscle, and smooth muscle functions most efficiently in a well-fed, low-stress state. Glucose is the preferred fuel for this work. When blood sugar is stable, the body can rely on efficient oxidative metabolism, producing adequate energy and carbon dioxide while minimizing lactic acid and fatigue. When blood sugar drops, even slightly, the body compensates by releasing adrenaline and cortisol. These stress hormones may mobilize energy in the short term, but they directly inhibit oxytocin, disrupt the rhythm of contractions, increase pain perception, and shift the nervous system into a fight-or-flight state. In labor, this often presents as erratic or intensely painful contractions, long pauses between effective waves, agitation, shaking, exhaustion, or a labor that seems to stall without a clear mechanical reason.

Sugar during labor can prevent the body from entering survival mode. When glucose is supplied consistently in an easily absorbed form, the body does not need to escalate stress hormones to meet energy demands. Oxytocin can remain dominant, contractions can stay rhythmic and coordinated, and the nervous system can remain regulated. This distinction is critical, as stress hormones are fundamentally antagonistic to birth physiology.

Magnesium plays an equally essential role. It is often referred to as a relaxation mineral, but this oversimplifies its function. Magnesium allows muscles to contract fully and then release completely. Every effective uterine contraction requires calcium to initiate the contraction and magnesium to permit proper relaxation afterward. When magnesium is insufficient, muscles may become tense, crampy, or inefficient. Contractions can feel sharp, panicked, or uncoordinated rather than powerful and wave-like. The uterus may work harder while accomplishing less, increasing fatigue and discomfort without improving progress.

From a bio-energetic perspective, magnesium also lowers excessive adrenaline signaling, supports blood sugar stability, improves oxygen utilization, and protects against lactic acid buildup. It helps preserve carbon dioxide levels in the tissues, which improves oxygen delivery and reduces pain sensitivity. This is one reason adequate magnesium can soften the subjective experience of labor without weakening its effectiveness, it supports efficiency.

Sugar and magnesium work synergistically. Glucose provides the raw energy required for sustained muscular work, while magnesium ensures that this energy can be used without triggering stress responses. Together, they reduce the need for cortisol and adrenaline, protecting the hormonal environment that labor depends on. When either is lacking, blood sugar becomes more unstable, stress hormones rise more easily, thyroid function is suppressed, pain perception increases, and endurance diminishes. Labor is already metabolically demanding, and adding fasting, mineral depletion, or fear of nourishment places unnecessary strain on a system that is designed to work best when supported.

The thyroid sits at the center of this process. Thyroid hormone governs metabolic rate, glucose utilization, and cellular energy production. Labor significantly increases metabolic demand, and if thyroid function is under-supported due to low blood sugar, insufficient minerals, or chronic stress, the body compensates by relying more heavily on adrenaline. This is not a sustainable or efficient strategy. Supporting blood sugar and mineral balance during labor indirectly supports thyroid function, allowing the body to meet energy needs without escalating stress hormones. This helps keep labor in a parasympathetic, oxytocin-led state rather than a sympathetic, fear-driven one.

Liquids containing simple sugars, electrolytes, and magnesium make particular sense during labor because they are easy to consume, empty quickly from the stomach, and are rapidly absorbed without placing a burden on digestion. They help maintain blood sugar, replace minerals lost through sweat and exertion, and often reduce nausea compared to solid food. From a physiological perspective, this is a practical response to the body’s metabolic needs during prolonged exertion.

From a bio-energetic perspective, pain and difficulty in labor are not always inevitable. They are often signals of rising stress hormones, falling blood sugar, or mineral imbalance rather than proof of a dysfunctional body. Of course, sugar and magnesium do not remove the work of birth, but they do support the conditions under which that work can unfold efficiently. Birth asks a great deal of the body.

This labor support glucose–electrolyte drink is designed to sustain energy, support uterine function, and reduce stress hormones during labor by maintaining stable blood glucose and mineral balance. Fresh orange juice and dextrose provide rapidly available glucose to prevent adrenaline spikes and support oxytocin signaling, while potassium and sodium help coordinate strong, efficient contractions in the uterus, which is itself a muscle. Added electrolytes and trace minerals reduce fatigue and cramping, and the natural citrate in orange juice helps buffer lactic acid that can accumulate during intense or prolonged labor. Diluting with sparkling or plain water improves tolerance and hydration, with sparkling water sometimes easing nausea, and because the drink is low in fat and fiber it empties quickly from the stomach and is well tolerated even in active labor.

To make: combine 12–16 oz fresh orange juice with 1–2 tablespoons USP-grade dextrose (fully dissolved first), add a double serving of Forever Healthy LLC Replenish Electrolyte Mix and a double dose of Mitigate Stress Master Mineral Drink, then top with 8–16 oz sparkling or plain water and gently mix.

Practical Tips

• Pre-mix dry ingredients in a jar so your birth partner just adds liquid.

• Serve cold for nausea, room temp if shivering.

• Rotate with plain OJ or coconut water if flavor fatigue sets in OR try chilled red raspberry leaf tea for uterine support.

replenish electrolyte drink mix

USP grade dextrose

master mineral drink- discount: NOELLE

Not a smoothie.

Not a bar.

Not coffee on an empty nervous system.

But warmth. Salt. Broth. Protein. Easy carbohydrates. Something that lands in the body and tells it, you are safe to make energy today.

From a bio-energetic perspective, breakfast is not just a meal—it is a metabolic signal that sets the tone for the entire day. When the body wakes up, liver glycogen is naturally lower from the overnight fast. If that glycogen is not replenished early, the body compensates with stress hormones—cortisol and adrenaline—to keep blood sugar stable. This is the hidden reason so many people start the day anxious, shaky, wired-but-tired, or dependent on caffeine just to function. Cold food, fasting through the morning, or relying only on stimulants forces the body into emergency energy production.

Soup does the opposite. Soup restores thyroid-driven energy, not adrenaline-driven survival.

Warm broth increases circulation and digestive enzyme activity. Salt directly lowers excess stress hormones. Gelatin and amino acids from bones stabilize blood sugar and protect the liver. Easily digested carbohydrates refill glycogen calmly and consistently. Protein supplies the raw materials for hormones, neurotransmitters, and tissue repair. And just as importantly—warmth shifts the nervous system out of fight-or-flight. Digestion, fertility, hormone production, and healing only happen in safety. Soup is safety in a bowl. This is why breakfast soup exists in every traditional culture. Not because it was trendy. Because it worked.

The Bio-Energetic Breakfast Chicken Soup with Chinese Red Dates

This is a warming, thyroid-supportive, blood-sugar-stabilizing, hormone-protective soup that works beautifully for everyday metabolic health and especially for pregnancy and postpartum.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken

• 10–12 cups chicken bone broth

• 6–8 Chinese red dates (jujubes), pitted

• 1 large onion, sliced

• 3–4 shallots, sliced

• 5–6 cloves garlic, smashed

• 2–3 inches fresh ginger, sliced

• 3–4 carrots, sliced

• 3–4 cups cabbage, shredded

• 1 cup white rice (jasmine or short-grain)

• A large handful of fresh herbs (parsley, dill, green onion, rosemary, thyme, sage)

• Sea salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. Add bone broth, whole chicken, red dates, onion, shallots, garlic, and ginger to a large pot. Bring to a gentle simmer. Skim any foam.

2. Cover and simmer on low for 60–90 minutes, until chicken is very tender.

3. Remove the chicken, shred the meat, discard bones and skin, and return meat to the pot.

4. Add carrots, cabbage, and rinsed rice. Simmer another 20–25 minutes until the rice is cooked.

5. Salt generously. Stir in fresh herbs at the end.

6. Serve hot, slowly, and preferably before caffeine.

Why This Soup Works on a Cellular Level:

• Bone broth → glycine for liver detox, calm nerves, stable blood sugar

• Whole chicken → complete protein, B vitamins, saturated fat for thyroid function

• Chinese red dates (jujubes) → gentle carbohydrate + minerals to support blood and adrenal function

• Onion, garlic, shallots, ginger → increase circulation, digestion, and efficient oxygen use

• Carrots → provide easy glucose and fiber

• Cabbage → supports estrogen clearance and gut health

• White rice → directly refills liver glycogen and lowers cortisol

• Fresh herbs → minerals, enzymes, and gentle digestive stimulation

*Use this soup for metabolic healing and eat within 30 minutes of waking and always have it before coffee.

In relationship to pregnancy and postpartum soup is an integral tool to be used. Pregnancy and postpartum are incredibly metabolically expensive states. Blood volume expands. Hormone production skyrockets. Tissue is built, repaired, and rebuilt again. From a bio-energetic lens, this dramatically increases the need for:

• Warmth

• Salt

• Glucose

• Protein

• Protective saturated fat

One of the fastest ways depletion sets in during motherhood is through under-eating in the morning, cold meals, or leaning on caffeine before nourishment. As stated earlier, this forces the body into adrenaline-based energy production instead of thyroid-based energy production. Breakfast soup interrupts that stress loop immediately.

Soup is so emphasized in pregnancy and postpartum because it uniquely supports the massive demands on hydration, blood volume, blood sugar, digestion, hormones, and the nervous system all at once. During this season the body needs warmth, salt, glucose, protein, and minerals in a form that is easy to digest and actually stays in the bloodstream, and soup provides all of that together. Warm, brothy foods calm the stress response and shift the body into a parasympathetic state where digestion, uterine healing, milk letdown, hormone regulation, and emotional stability can occur. The gentle carbohydrates in soup protect against blood sugar crashes that drive anxiety and suppress milk supply, while the gelatin and minerals from broth support tissue repair, sleep, and nervous system regulation. Beyond physiology, soup also carries a deep signal of being held and cared for—something the maternal body and heart both profoundly need during pregnancy and after birth.

Losing a friendship in motherhood feels different—sharper, deeper, closer to the bone. I recently had a falling out with someone I cared about, and it wasn’t over something petty. It was about ethics, about the way we show up in the world, about what we’re willing to be honest about and what holds weight in this life. Motherhood shifts the way you experience these moments. You carry more now—your children, your home, your values—and suddenly the stakes of every relationship feel higher.

Motherhood also reveals the truth about the relationships around you: who can grow with you and who can’t. Sometimes you lose a friendship not because you changed, but because the other person is unwilling to self-reflect, be honest, or take responsibility for their part. It hurts when someone takes too much, gives too little, or chooses their own narrative over the truth. But this is where the “let them” theory becomes its own kind of quiet strength: let them misunderstand you, let them gossip, let them write their own storyline, let them drift if that’s where their integrity ends.

I’m too grown to pretend I’m a victim. I’d rather acknowledge the sadness of an ending while still honoring what it revealed about me. Every loss sharpens my boundaries, clarifies my values, and strengthens the voice inside me—so the friendships that are truly aligned can recognize me when they come.

A secure woman doesn’t let someone else’s version of her define who she is. She knows her character, her intentions, and her heart—and she lets whatever is false fall away. Let them go. Let yourself grow. Let what’s meant for you find you with ease.

And I share this because female friendships can be hard—especially in seasons like motherhood when everything shifts. But we can’t let the hard parts close us. We keep showing up as the kind of friend we wish to have: honest, accountable, generous, grounded. When we live that way, the right women—our real circle—will always find their way back to us.

With Love,

Noelle

We often talk about “getting healthy before pregnancy,” but for many women, that phrase has been hijacked to mean shrinking your body, eating less, or forcing yourself into a calorie deficit. Yet from a bio-energetic perspective (the framework that looks at how efficiently the body makes and uses energy) fat loss before pregnancy has nothing to do with restriction. In fact, the fastest way to disrupt fertility hormones is to under-eat, over-exercise, or push your metabolism into survival mode. Real metabolic preparation for pregnancy is the opposite—it’s about restoring the body’s ability to produce abundant energy so that it naturally lets go of excess weight—not because it’s being starved into submission, but because it finally feels safe.

Let’s break that down.

A woman’s reproductive system is entirely dependent on her metabolic health. Adequate energy availability, stable blood sugar, and healthy thyroid function are the foundations of progesterone production, ovulation, balanced cycles, and strong early pregnancy.

When energy is low (whether from dieting, stress, poor sleep, overtraining, or nutrient depletion) the body compensates by:

• lowering thyroid hormone output

• raising cortisol and adrenaline

• slowing digestion

• suppressing ovulation

• increasing inflammation

• storing fat more stubbornly

The body isn’t malfunctioning. It’s protecting you.

Fat becomes a buffer against stress, a way to stabilize blood sugar, and a signal that the body is not yet in a state where reproduction feels safe. This is why women who chronically diet often struggle with irregular cycles, luteal phase defects, low progesterone, early pregnancy nausea, or difficulty conceiving.

Pregnancy requires metabolic abundance, not metabolic discipline. Fat loss doesn’t happen from eating less, it happens when the body feels safe and is supported to function optimally.

A calorie deficit tells the body:

We’re in danger. Slow down.

But a safe, nourished metabolism says:

We have more than enough. Use energy freely.

From a bio-energetic view, fat is released when:

• blood sugar is stable

• liver function is strong

• thyroid is well-supported

• stress hormones are low

• the nervous system feels safe

• nutrient stores are full

• the body trusts that fuel is coming consistently

This is why women who increase their food quality, balance, and frequency often see body composition improve without cutting calories. Their body finally has the resources to burn energy instead of storing it.

When energy production rises, the body shifts into a high-hormone, high-oxygen state that supports:

• strong ovulation

• robust progesterone

• a thick, healthy uterine lining

• stable blood sugar

• reduced inflammation

• better sleep

• improved thyroid function

• reduced estrogen dominance

This metabolic environment is exactly what early pregnancy thrives on. A nourished metabolism means:

• fewer blood sugar crashes

• less nausea

• better mood

• better placenta development

• better milk production postpartum

You’re not just preparing to conceive, you’re preparing to sustain pregnancy and recover from it!

When fat loss supports fertility you feel:

• warmer throughout the day

• calmer around food

• fewer cravings

• stable energy

• better digestion

• painless periods

• easier ovulation

• deeper sleep

• more emotional stability

Your body composition shifts not because you’re fighting your biology, but because your biology is finally working as intended.

Here are metabolism-first strategies that help the body become more efficient, more hormonally balanced, and more ready for pregnancy (while naturally encouraging fat loss).

1. Eat Enough—But Eat to Support Thyroid Function

Favor:

• fruit, juice, honey, dried fruit

• dairy (milk, cheese, low fat yogurt)

• high-quality proteins (eggs, gelatin/collagen, shellfish, beef)

• root vegetables and potatoes

• easily digestible carbs at every meal

Calories support thyroid hormone production—thyroid hormone drives fat loss.

2. Never Allow Long Gaps Without Fuel

Women are particularly sensitive to blood sugar drops. Small, frequent meals can:

• lower adrenaline

• reduce cravings

• support ovulation

• improve body composition

Symptoms of going too long without food: irritability, nausea, cold hands, headaches, shakiness.

3. Salt, Sugar, and Protein Together = Hormonal Gold

This trio stabilizes your entire stress system.

Examples:

• OJ + pinch of salt + collagen

• Milk + honey

• Potatoes + cheese

• Fruit + cottage cheese

4. Support the Liver

The liver dictates fat loss and hormone balance. A sluggish liver is a common reason for stubborn fat.

Support it with:

• daily (ray peat) raw carrot salad

• coffee with sugar and milk

• adequate protein

• regular meals

• avoid high PUFA intake

• good bowel movements

5. Build Muscle Without Overtraining

Short, strength-based workouts or walking improve insulin sensitivity and raise metabolic rate—without triggering the stress response.

Under-eating + intense training → infertility

Strength + nourishment → fat loss + strong cycles

6. Improve Thyroid Function Naturally

Support thyroid with:

• warm foods

• carbs and protein often

• consistent daylight and sleep

• reducing PUFA

• enough calcium, sodium, potassium

• regular ovulation— progesterone

Remember: a woman with a supported thyroid loses fat effortlessly.

7. Reduce Stress Hormones

This alone can drop 5–10 lbs for many women because cortisol drives fat storage.

Stress-lowering practices:

• warm baths

• sunlight

• small meals

• deep sleep

• emotional regulation

• slower mornings

• drinking something sweet before bed

• Saying no and setting boundaries

The calmer the system, the more fat it can burn.

Fat loss before pregnancy isn’t about force, it’s about preparation. It’s about building a body that can hold pregnancy with strength, safety, and abundance. When your metabolism is repaired your hormones fall into place, your fat becomes accessible fuel, and pregnancy becomes not a strain but a continuation of metabolic resilience.

Once upon a time, homemaking was considered a craft — a sacred vocation. The mother tended not just to meals and laundry, but to the emotional and spiritual climate of the household. She brought beauty, order, and rhythm to daily life, transforming ordinary moments into memories of comfort and belonging. In serving her family, she served the greater good.

To serve your husband is not to diminish yourself — it is to stand beside him as his encourager, his sounding board, and his safe place. Whether that means helping with the logistics of his work, managing the home so he can focus, or simply being the one who reminds him of his purpose when the world grows heavy — this kind of partnership is rare and powerful. When a man is supported by a woman who believes in him, he becomes more grounded, more confident, more capable of carrying his vision forward.

And yet, it’s equally important to honor that every woman’s expression of service looks different. There is nothing wrong with a woman who feels called to pursue her own work or career — just as there is nothing wrong with a woman who finds deep fulfillment in being the keeper of her home. Both are sacred paths. And often, a woman’s true rhythm is found somewhere in between — managing to weave together both callings with grace. She may nurture her children by day and nurture her business by night, or bring her warmth and wisdom into her husband’s work while tending the heart of her household.

This balance is not about perfection; it’s about intention. It’s about embracing the seasons of life — knowing when to pour more into your home, and when to pour into your own passions or work beyond it. The strength of a woman lies in her ability to discern what her family and her soul need most in each moment.

Beyond all else, there is a deeper truth: a woman who serves her family is not bound — she is anchored. Her service is not about servitude; it’s about stewardship. She tends to her home as a gardener tends her soil — with intention, patience, and love. She nourishes her children, uplifts her husband, and in doing so, becomes the quiet force that steadies the entire household.

To return to this lost skill is to reclaim the beauty of devotion — not as a cultural expectation, but as a sacred calling. It’s remembering that greatness often begins at the kitchen table, in the gentle words of encouragement, in the small acts of love that ripple outward and shape the world.

In serving well, the modern woman does not lose herself. She finds herself — in the joy of giving, the strength of partnership, and the legacy of love she leaves behind.

Slow-Cooked Beef Stew with Chuck Roast:

Ingredients:

• 2–2.5 lbs chuck roast, cut into 1½-inch cubes

• 2 tbsp butter or tallow (for browning)

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 3–4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3–4 carrots, sliced into thick rounds

• 3–4 celery stalks, chopped

• 3–4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (optional: use parsnips for variety)

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tsp sea salt (add more to taste)

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp dried thyme or fresh sprigs

• 1 bay leaf

• 4 cups beef broth (homemade or high-quality store-bought)

• 1 cup red wine or extra broth (optional but deepens flavor)

• Fresh parsley for serving

How to:

Cut a chuck roast into large cubes and sear them in butter or ghee until browned on all sides. Remove the meat and sauté chopped onions, garlic, and a bit of celery, carrots, and potatoes in the same pot until fragrant. Return the beef to the pot and pour in bone broth until the meat is just covered. Add sea salt, black pepper, a touch of thyme, a bay leaf, tomato paste, and red wine. Simmer gently for 2–3 hours, or until the meat is tender and the broth is rich. I like to do this in an instant pot of high for 2 hours. You can ladle some broth and make a rue with flour to thicken the stew if you prefer it thick. Finish with chopped parsley, and fresh dill for brightness if you like and serve with warm sourdough biscuits.

We are welcoming our fourth baby this winter and I’m always inspired to share on pregnancy whilst pregnant.

Pregnancy is the purest expression of creation, a symphony of warmth, rhythm, and energy unfolding in the body of a woman. In these months, the maternal body is both artist and instrument, weaving together nutrients, hormones, and breath into the quiet miracle of new life. Through a bio-energetic lens, pregnancy becomes more than reproduction; it is the ultimate act of metabolic abundance. Health begins and ends with energy, the capacity of our cells to produce warmth and vitality through oxidative metabolism. In pregnancy, that flame must burn brighter than ever. A thriving metabolism allows the mother’s body to sustain the growth of another without slipping into depletion. When energy is abundant, progesterone rises, thyroid function hums along, and the nervous system finds calm. These are not abstract ideas, they are biochemical truths that ripple through every heartbeat, every hormonal signal, and every tender kick beneath the ribs.

At the heart of bio-energetic nutrition lies a reverence for energy production. Our cells generate energy primarily through the oxidative metabolism of glucose, a process that requires oxygen, thyroid hormones, and essential nutrients like magnesium, copper, and B vitamins. When this process runs smoothly, it produces carbon dioxide, warmth, and resilience, the very essence of metabolic health. Pregnancy is a state of expansion, increased blood volume, greater oxygen demands, and an accelerated metabolism. To meet these needs, the body must feel safe, nourished, and steady. This is why many doctors in the bio-energetic field have warned against restriction- whether through low-calorie diets, fasting, or fear of carbohydrates. Energy must be provided in a way that signals abundance, not scarcity. Stable blood sugar protects the mother’s adrenals from overproducing cortisol, while frequent, nourishing meals keep the thyroid active and the body warm.

A bio-energetic-inspired approach to pregnancy centers around foods that speak reassurance to the metabolism: ripe fruits, fresh juice, honey, milk, cheese, eggs, liver, shellfish, gelatin, and mineral-rich broths. These are not merely traditional foods, they are biochemically supportive, providing the sugars, proteins, and fats needed to build a baby’s tissues while keeping the maternal body in balance. From a bio-energetic view natural sugars are not the enemy, they are the preferred fuel of the human cell. Glucose and fructose support thyroid function, enhance progesterone production, and help the liver store glycogen, which in turn stabilizes blood sugar and lowers stress hormones. For pregnant women, this translates into emotional steadiness, better sleep, and improved nutrient absorption.

Minerals act as conductors in this symphony of metabolism. Calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium regulate fluid balance, muscle tone, and nerve signaling. Pregnancy can deplete these stores rapidly, especially if nausea, vomiting, or food aversions make eating difficult (saving this topic for another day). A simple ritual, a glass of warm milk with honey and a pinch of salt, can soothe the nervous system, restore electrolytes, and promote restful sleep. Magnesium, abundant in fruit and dairy, acts as nature’s tranquilizer, easing cramps and stabilizing the heart. Calcium, paired with vitamin A and D from milk, butter, and liver, strengthens bones and ensures that both mother and child remain in mineral balance. Salt, often underappreciated, supports adrenal health and helps regulate blood volume, which increases by nearly 50% during pregnancy.

For many mothers (like myself), the seasons of pregnancy, nursing, and postpartum weave tightly together. Children close in age bring immeasurable joy, and immense metabolic demand. Each pregnancy draws upon the body’s deep reserves: protein for tissue repair, calcium for bones, fat-soluble vitamins for hormone synthesis, and energy for the sheer act of creation. Without intentional replenishment, mothers may find themselves running on stress hormones, tired yet wired, craving sweets uncontrollably, struggling with mood or thyroid function.

To rebuild between pregnancies, nourishment must become a daily devotion.

• Protein: Aim for at least 80–100 grams daily. Combine milk, cheese, eggs, gelatin, shellfish, and occasional liver to cover a full amino acid spectrum. Protein supports thyroid hormones, tissue repair, and milk production.

• Carbohydrates: Favor simple, digestible sources-ripe fruit, orange juice, honey, and root vegetables- to stabilize blood sugar and provide glycogen for the liver.

• Fats: Choose saturated fats like butter, coconut oil, and dairy cream to support hormone synthesis and reduce inflammation.

• Minerals: Sip salted bone broth, enjoy mineral waters and teas, and emphasize dairy for calcium and magnesium.

• Micronutrients: Include liver once a week for vitamin A and copper, oysters or shellfish for zinc and selenium, and fresh fruits for vitamin C and polyphenols.

Rest is as crucial as food. From a bio-energetic perspective, energy is not only caloric, it is also spiritual. A mother’s warmth is her child’s first home, and her metabolic rhythm becomes the baby’s heartbeat of safety. Prioritizing rest, warmth, and emotional nourishment allows the body to shift from survival to creation.

To nourish well in pregnancy is to participate in a timeless ritual, one that honors biology as sacred art. The body, in its wisdom, is not asking for austerity; it is asking for warmth, sweetness, and consistency. Every spoonful of broth, every slice of ripe fruit, every glass of milk is an act of faith in the body’s design. Energy is life- and life thrives in safety. When the mother feels nourished, her cells breathe more deeply, her hormones flow more gracefully, and her heart beats more steadily. The baby, cocooned within, receives this message of abundance, learning through sensation that the world is a place of warmth and plenty.

So, if this pertains to you, let your meals be generous. Let them reflect the rhythm of sunlight and sweetness, fruit in the morning, milk in the evening, broth simmering on the stove. Let your days be soft, your breaths long, your home filled with warmth. For the same energy that sustains you is the energy that shapes your child like cellular poetry written in the language of light, sugar, and love.

This version blends the richness of pork and beef with the brightness of garden tomatoes and the fresh lift of dill and parsley, making it both rustic and fragrant.

I don’t do a lot of meal prep but I will usually make some sort of dish that will cover me for a few lunches at the beginning of the week. Prepping a dish like cottage pie ahead of time on a Sunday is one of the simplest ways to bring more ease, nourishment, and rhythm into the week. When you make a hearty, balanced meal in advance, you ensure that both you and your family have something wholesome to reach for during busy days, something that fills more than just the stomach, but also brings comfort and steadiness. A dish like this, layered with rich pork and beef, sweet garden tomatoes, and the brightness of fresh herbs under a golden blanket of potatoes, reheats beautifully, meaning every lunch feels like it was made just for that moment. Having nourishing food already prepared also helps quiet the daily scramble of deciding what to eat, making it easier to care for yourself and those around you without stress or shortcuts.

Cottage pie is especially perfect for the autumn season, when the air cools and our bodies naturally crave grounding, warming foods. The combination of hearty protein, garden vegetables, and creamy potatoes provides steady energy while feeling deeply comforting, like a warm sweater on a crisp day. It’s a dish that celebrates the transition of the seasons, using the last of the tomatoes and fresh herbs from the garden while embracing the heartier, cozier cooking that carries us into colder months. By preparing it ahead of time, you not only feed the body well but also create a sense of seasonal ritual, something that nourishes body, mind, and home alike.

Eating soup, especially warm, easily digestible broths or vegetable soups, counteracts this by supporting the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) system. Warm liquids stimulate digestive enzyme production and blood flow to the gut, making nutrients easier to absorb. Soups that include proteins, fats, and lightly cooked vegetables provide a gentle yet complete nutritional profile that doesn’t overtax the digestive system. They also help maintain hydration and electrolyte balance, further reducing stress on digestion. In essence, soup is a “metabolic reset,” giving your gut the calm environment it needs to extract maximum nutrition while keeping stress responses in check.

If you are in the thick of a season of stress or feeling the weight of the world on your right now I highly suggest making a healing soup. This is one of my favorite recipes and it’s family size so you can gift it or save some for days to come!

Healing Pumpkin Squash Soup (Family Size)

Ingredients

• 1 medium heirloom pumpkin (about 6–7 cups cubed, peeled & roasted)

• 2 medium butternut squash (about 6 cups cubed, peeled & roasted)

• 8 cups homemade bone broth (chicken or beef)

• 2 medium carrots, chopped

• 1 large onion (optional, can omit if sensitive)

• 4–5 cloves garlic, gently sautéed

• 4 tbsp butter or ghee (or coconut oil)

• 1–1½ cups full-fat coconut milk or cream (or raw cream/milk if tolerated)

• 2–3 tsp fresh ginger, grated

• 1 tsp turmeric + pinch of black pepper

• 2 tsp sea salt, or to taste

• Fresh herbs: thyme, sage, or parsley (optional)

• Juice of 1 orange or 2 tsp raw honey (balances flavor + supports blood sugar)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Roast pumpkin and squash cubes on two baking sheets with a drizzle of butter or oil until soft and caramelized (30–35 minutes).

2. In a large stock pot, melt butter/ghee. Sauté onion, carrots, and garlic until softened. Add ginger and turmeric, stirring for 1–2 minutes.

3. Add roasted pumpkin and squash, then pour in bone broth. Simmer 15–20 minutes to meld flavors.

4. Blend with an immersion blender (or carefully in batches) until smooth and creamy.

5. Stir in coconut milk or cream, season with salt, and finish with fresh herbs.

6. Serve hot with extra cream, Parmesan, or fresh bread for dipping.

One solution is incorporating easy to digest, nutrient dense foods such as gelatin and soup! I love soup for healing the gut and getting massive nutrients in one pot. Soup is a simple, nutritious and an endlessly versatile dish. It can help you stay healthy, as well as help you get better when you find yourself unwell. Soup has been around pretty much ever since humans first began cooking their food in pots and can be traced back to 20,000 BC. Can you imagine how many sorts of soup must have been invented by now?! Over thousands of years, broths, soups and stews have fed communities, because they are easy to cook, hydrating, easy to digest and make a small amount of food go far.

As autumn approaches I am gathering all of my soup recipes to have on repeat. I love having soups on hand because they make great leftovers and I often can make a big enough batch to bring over to a friend’s house and gift her family dinner as well. To me sharing food and recipes (especially online) should always be free.

I will be sharing all my favorite soup recipes with you over the next few months. This rendition of my cabbage soup is a winner in our house. It’s rich yet light and pack full of protein and easy to digest fiber. Pair with sourdough or have solo, it’s a complete meal. Add on to it as you wish!

It feels impossible and completely right all at once. A whole year has passed since I first held her against my chest, stunned by the power of birth and the softness of her presence. She arrived into a home already brimming with life, laughter, little shoes by the door, and the steady hum of love that only siblings can create.

This year, like every year of motherhood, has been marked by paradox.

Exhaustion and joy.

Sacrifice and abundance.

The endless doing, and the quiet, profound being.

And today, on her first birthday, I find myself reflecting on what it means to be a mother of three. Not just in the practical sense, but in the marrow of my bones. How it has stretched me, softened me, sharpened me. How it has tethered me to something ancient and eternal.

Sometimes, the world seems to forget mothers.

It forgets the invisible work we do, the ways we bend ourselves around the needs of others without losing our shape entirely.

It forgets the courage it takes to stay—to stay soft in a hard world, to stay steady in the chaos, to stay rooted when everything is always growing and changing.

But my children don’t forget.

They know who I am in the most essential way.

Not by title, or performance, but by presence.

To them, I am warmth. I am rhythm. I am home.

And as I hold this milestone in one hand and the dailiness of mothering in the other, I feel something quietly powerful settle in:

This is the work that remakes me.

Not all at once, but moment by moment, day by day.

Through whispered songs, midnight wakings, sticky fingers wrapped around mine.

Through their eyes, I learn to see myself again.

No fanfare. No spotlight.

Just the deep, rooted knowing:

I was made for this.

But what about coffee, it has caffeine. The popular question: caffeine- drug or metabolic support?

Context is everything and my poor friend coffee has such a bad reputation! Coffee is actually an adaptogenic nutrient. The caffeine in coffee mimics anti-stress hormones like progesterone, scavenges free radicals, and increases the efficiency of fuel consumption in the body. I believe many things can be used as a drug if taken in isolation and for a specific effect. Poor reactions to coffee generally arise due to lack of nutritional completion or malnutrition. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach increases the cellular consumption of glucose and then causes an increase of adrenaline. Over producing adrenaline can then lead to exhaustion, slowed metabolism, and a depletion of glycogen stores.

This matters because the liver requires glycogen to convert hormones so that your thyroid uses said hormones to produce energy. Your thyroid and metabolism depend on this process to work optimally. So, no wonder we feel poopy when we skip meals or drink black coffee on an empty stomach. Caffeine can be very beneficial when taken in combination with other nutrients and after or with food. Some suggestions: raw cream, milk, cane sugar, maple syrup, egg yolk, ice cream, whipped cream, collagen, colostrum- to name a few.

You may wonder if coffee is a diuretic. Coffee is roughly equally hydrating as it is a diuretic, so it won’t dehydrate you, as long as you are preparing it properly, it will actually hydrate you. Coffee is a good source of minerals and B-vitamins, especially magnesium and vitamin B3 and B1. Both magnesium and vitamin B3 have many thyroid promoting properties. Caffeine protects the liver from toxins and has been shown to reduce the risk of liver damage. Coffee drinkers are also less likely to have indications of liver damage, such as elevated serum enzymes. The caffeine in coffee can help maintain production of thyroid and progesterone and compensates for any deficiencies. Drinking caffeinated coffee can also increase the levels of progesterone in the blood and brain.

As you can see coffee can be really beneficial to your metabolism and increase your energy if taken properly. Most people with “coffee issues” actually need more metabolic support (or are drinking coffee black & on an empty stomach) before consuming coffee. If you’re someone that’s in a poor metabolic state with low thyroid, caffeine might be best added after some healing time. This is because you need adequate nutrient stores to support the kind of metabolic boost coffee can give. You wouldn’t run your car without gas, would you? So you shouldn’t consume coffee without being properly fueled. If you’ve been cruising along on an adrenaline high, coffee is probably not your friend right now and could hinder your quest to restore your thyroid and metabolic health. If you’re in the place of healing and dying for some coffee flavor- try decaf or roasted chicory root for now. Your body will let you know when you’re ready for that metabolic boost.

I highly recommend trying my famous Yolky latte recipe as well or trying out my Yolky drink mix powder if you don’t have access to pastured organic egg yolks.

Yolky Latte:

1 egg yolk

6 ounces coffee

8 ounces milk

Sugar to your preference

Take the egg yolk and whipped it with the sugar

Pour hot coffee over egg and sugar mixture. Stir till dissolved.

Add warm raw milk

Enjoy!

Find my Yolky drink mix powder here!

Monday

Breakfast: Sourdough toast, eggs, and fruit, and yolky coffee

Snack: mango smoothies with raw milk, yogurt, honey, and collagen

Lunch: beef and rice stir fry

Dinner: roast with potatoes

Tuesday

Breakfast: protein pancakes, fruit, yolky coffee

Snack: strawberry smoothies with raw milk, yogurt, honey, and collagen

Lunch: leftover roast with potatoes

Dinner: cabbage soup

Wednesday

Breakfast: protein pancakes, fruit, yolky coffee

Snack: cottage cheese, frozen cherries, raw honey

Lunch: cabbage soup

Dinner: steak, rice, broccoli

Thursday

Breakfast: quiche, fruit, yolky coffee

Snack: yogurt, cooked cherries, raw honey

Lunch: trout, rice, carrots

Dinner: burger and tallow fries

Friday

Breakfast: quiche, fruit, yolky coffee

Snack: mango smoothie with yogurt, raw milk, honey, and collagen

Lunch: spicy beef and rice bowl with beans and cheese

Dinner: meatloaf and potato au gratin

Saturday

Breakfast: egg and croissant sandwiches, coffee

Lunch: leftover meatloaf

Dinner: sourdough pizza

Sunday

Breakfast: egg and croissant sandwiches, coffee

Lunch: egg salad sandwiches

Dinner: naan and butter chicken