Overview
Contrary to popular belief, women cannot follow the same health and fitness protocols as men and expect to see the same results. Unlike men, women in their reproductive years have specific hormonal considerations, and their rise and fall throughout the month impact everything from energy to focus, mood, metabolism, and the ability to adapt to good-for-you stressors like exercise or fasting.
On today’s episode, I’m excited to talk to Dr. Mindy Pelz all about the benefits of fasting and how women, in particular, can cultivate a fasting routine in a way that honors their hormones. Most fasting advice offers a one-size-fits-all approach that leaves women with more questions than answers. Dr. Mindy and I discuss the menstrual cycle and life phases when women can benefit the most from fasting, and when to pump the breaks on longer fasts and fasting in general.
Dr. Mindy recommends avoiding fasting altogether during pregnancy and not fasting longer than fifteen hours while breastfeeding. She also urges anyone who has had an eating disorder or thyroid condition to work closely with their doctor before starting any fasting routine. Women in their forties often encounter specific issues, like night sweats, mood swings, and other uncomfortable and difficult symptoms resulting from hormonal shifts.
We talk about the five things women over forty should do to ease their way into perimenopause and menopause—fasting, carb cycling and getting adequate protein, repairing the microbiome, detoxing, and incorporating more mindfulness tools. In this conversation, we also cover the different types of fasting, how to properly break a fast, hormone testing, and so much more.
I hope you’ll tune in.