Live Like a Girl with Dr. Mindy Pelz

Sleep changed for me during perimenopause. I used to fall asleep the minute my head hit the pillow. Then I started struggling to fall asleep and waking up in the middle of the night, even when I was exhausted. If you're experiencing this after 40, I want to share what helped me.
In this solo episode of Live Like a Girl, I'm walking you through five steps to create a nighttime routine that supports better sleep. We're talking about estrogen, cortisol, blood sugar, and why your evening habits matter more than you might realize.
I'll show you how I think about evening lighting, dinner, magnesium-rich foods, caffeine, scrolling, and calming your nervous system before bed. At the end, I'll give you three simple things to try tonight and a two-week plan to help you see what works for your body.
IN THIS EPISODE
Why women start waking up at 2 or 3 a.m. during perimenopause and menopause
The connection between estrogen, cortisol, insulin, and sleep
How to set up the three hours before bedtime
Foods rich in magnesium and how Mindy uses them at dinner
What to know about magnesium drinks and supplements
Why late dinners, caffeine, and phone scrolling disrupt sleep
Three easy habits to start tonight
RESOURCES MENTIONED
FREE Magnesium smoothie recipes
Fresh Pressed Olive Oil
Qualia Magnesium+ 
Free Nervous System Quiz
Age Like a Girl
Reset Academy
Gut health conversation with Dr. Rajsree Nambudripad
For more resources related to today’s episode, visit the podcast episode page: drmindypelz.com/ep384/

Connect with Dr. Mindy:
Join Reset Academy
Watch the episodes on YouTube
Follow Dr. Mindy on Instagram
Subscribe to Dr. Mindy’s newsletter
Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, fasting routine, or lifestyle.

Bloating is one of the most common complaints I hear from women, especially during perimenopause and menopause. And what's frustrating is that so many women are eating healthy, doing everything they think they should be doing, and still struggling with digestive issues.

In this episode of Live Like a Girl, I'm joined by integrative medicine physician and gut health expert Dr. Rajsree Nambudripad to talk about what's going on in your gut and some of the everyday habits that might be contributing to bloating.

We talk about why giving your gut a break between meals is so important, how your gut bacteria influence hunger hormones like GLP-1, and why stress and even the way you eat your meals affect digestion.

We also get into the changes that happen during menopause, the difference between bloating and belly fat, and why some of the foods we consider healthy aren't always easy on our digestive systems.
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IN THIS EPISODE:
Why constant snacking might be contributing to bloating
How spacing out your meals supports gut health
The connection between your gut bacteria, GLP-1, and hunger
How to tell the difference between bloating and belly fat
Why digestion changes during perimenopause and menopause
How stress and your nervous system affect digestion
What to know about fasting, fiber, and supplements for gut health
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MORE ON DR. RAJSREE NAMBUDRIPAD
Website: oc-integrativemedicine-com
Supplements by Dr. Rajsree
YouTube: @drrajsree
IG: @dr_rajsree_nambudripad
FB: @OCintegrativemedicine
For more resources related to today’s episode, visit the podcast episode page: https://www.drmindypelz.com/ep383/

Connect with Dr. Mindy:
Join Reset Academy
Watch the episodes on YouTube
Follow Dr. Mindy on Instagram
Subscribe to Dr. Mindy’s newsletter
Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, fasting routine, or lifestyle.

What if your body has never once been working against you?
In this special solo episode of Live Like a Girl, you'll hear Dr. Mindy Pelz's live keynote from Hay House's Empower Your Life weekend, an event honoring what would have been Louise Hay’s 100th birthday.
Dr. Mindy shares how a single YouTube video on autophagy took her from a busy functional health clinic to writing Fast Like a Girl, and why the book she thought was a fasting manual turned out to be a women’s empowerment book. She then lays out the five principles she believes every woman should see her body through, and connects each one to Louise Hay’s teachings.
Along the way, she opens up about escaping the Palisades fire, the near-death experience that left her hypervigilant for years, learning to surf at 56, and why she rode a Big Wheel down her driveway on her birthday.

Resources Mentioned
Free Nervous System Questionnaire
Fast Like a Girl by Dr. Mindy Pelz
Eat Like a Girl by Dr. Mindy Pelz
Age Like a Girl by Dr. Mindy Pelz
Who Are You Becoming? Age Like a Girl Conversation Deck
Leanne Morgan: Why Your Best Years Might Start After 50 (Live Like a Girl) 
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

For more resources related to today’s episode, visit the podcast episode page: drmindypelz.com/ep382

Connect with Dr. Mindy:
Join Reset Academy
Watch the episodes on YouTube
Follow Dr. Mindy on Instagram
Subscribe to Dr. Mindy’s newsletter

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, fasting routine, or lifestyle.

Have you ever wondered why you feel the need to prove yourself, struggle to set boundaries, or constantly put everyone else's needs before your own?

In this episode of Live Like a Girl, I'm joined by licensed psychotherapist and bestselling author Terri Cole to discuss her new book, Father Wound, and how our relationships with our fathers can shape our self-worth, relationships, and behaviors long into adulthood.

Terri explains why so many high-achieving women struggle with perfectionism, people-pleasing, and overfunctioning. I also open up about my own father wound, the childhood experiences that shaped me, and what I'm learning about healing these patterns during midlife.

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IN THIS EPISODE:
What a father wound is and how to recognize the signs
Why childhood criticism can lead to perfectionism and people-pleasing
How father wounds influence relationships and boundaries
The connection between childhood experiences and nervous system patterns
Why old emotional wounds may become more apparent during menopause
How to begin healing and reclaiming your self-worth
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TERRI'S NEW BOOK, FATHER WOUND:
https://fatherwoundbook.com/

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MORE ON TERRI COLE
Website: terricole.com
Book website: fatherwoundbook.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terricole/
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/TerriColeLCSW
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/terricoleny
Podcast: https://terricole.com/itunes
For more resources related to today’s episode, visit the podcast episode page: drmindypelz.com/ep381

Connect with Dr. Mindy:
Join the Reset Academy
Watch the episodes on YouTube
Follow Dr. Mindy on Instagram
Subscribe to Dr. Mindy’s newsletter

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, fasting routine, or lifestyle.

What if one of the simplest ways to support your weight loss journey is already sitting in your refrigerator?
In this solo episode, Dr. Mindy Pelz breaks down a fascinating study examining how probiotic-rich yogurt may influence hunger, blood sugar, and your body's natural GLP-1 production. The findings offer a closer look at why the bacteria in your food matter and how certain fermented foods may support your metabolic health.
Dr. Mindy explains the connection between your gut microbiome and two important appetite-related hormones, GLP-1 and ghrelin, including why hunger can become more challenging as you lose weight. She also shares what to look for on a yogurt label, why she prefers protein-rich Greek yogurt, and how pairing fermented foods with fiber can help you build more satisfying meals.
You'll walk away with practical ways to incorporate yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and other fermented foods into your eating window, along with a better understanding of how food and fasting can work together.
In this episode, you'll learn:
What a study involving 140 adults found about probiotic yogurt, blood sugar, and hunger-related hormones
How your gut bacteria are connected to natural GLP-1 production
Why certain probiotic strains and CFU counts are worth understanding
The difference between GLP-1 and ghrelin and how they influence appetite
Why Dr. Mindy recommends plain Greek yogurt over many flavored varieties
Four fermented foods to consider adding to your meals
How pairing probiotics with fiber can support gut health
Simple ways to incorporate these foods into a fasting lifestyle
RESOURCES MENTIONED
FREE Fasting & Food Guide
Fresh Pressed Olive Oil
Study: Yogurt & Vitamin D (Food Science & Nutrition, 2022)
For more resources related to today’s episode, visit the podcast episode page: drmindypelz.com/ep380

Connect with Dr. Mindy:
Join Reset Academy
Watch the episodes on YouTube
Follow Dr. Mindy on Instagram
Subscribe to Dr. Mindy’s newsletter
Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, fasting routine, or lifestyle.