Thought You Already Worked Past That Thing? Here's How Your Brain Finally Closes the Loop

Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought, “Why does my skin suddenly look so different?” Maybe it’s drier. More sensitive. You’re seeing more fine lines, redness, breakouts or pigmentation. And you’re buying the “clean” products, changing your routine and spending more money than you’d like to admit. So why isn’t your skin cooperating? That’s the conversation I wanted to have with Michelle Doan, founder of Emani Vegan Cosmetics, a clean beauty brand created with sensitive, hormonal and midlife skin in mind. But Michelle’s story goes way beyond skincare. She escaped Vietnam by boat with her family as a child, became a single mom while divorcing a narcissist, and eventually built a beauty company from her own experience with sensitive skin. And one of my favorite ideas from our conversation is Michelle’s “zen garden.” It’s the space between your ears. The negative thoughts? Those are the weeds. And if you don't tend to them, they take over. We talk about why your skin can change so much during midlife, what “clean beauty” actually means, why ingredient transparency matters, and why you don’t actually need more products and more steps. We also get into what to look for when your skin becomes more sensitive and less forgiving with age—and whether the things happening inside your body and your mind can influence what you see in the mirror. If you've been wondering Why is my skin changing in perimenopause and menopause? Why is everything suddenly irritating my skin? Does clean beauty really mean better? How many skincare products do I actually need? And could stress be affecting my skin? You’re going to love this conversation. Maybe great skin isn't just about what you put on your face. Maybe it starts somewhere else.   🔗 Resources & Links:   The Morning Mindset Journal https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal   ✨Join the conversation: Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments! 🎙 Subscribe, Share & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people who need these insights. Thanks for tuning in to Pretty Well! See you next week! Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/   Disclaimer:  Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such  advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.

You've talked about it. You've analyzed it. You've understood where it came from. Have you ever talked about something so many times that you’re convinced you’ve dealt with it—only to realize your body still reacts like it just happened? Your heart races. Your stomach drops. You get triggered, anxious, shut down, get angry or suddenly feel overwhelmed. And you think, Why am I still reacting like this? I understand what happened. I’ve talked about it. I’ve worked on it. So why am I not past it? That’s the conversation I wanted to have with psychotherapist and trauma expert Brooke Bralove. Because there’s a difference between understanding what happened and actually resolving the way your brain and nervous system respond to it. Brooke specializes in Accelerated Resolution Therapy, or ART, a therapeutic approach that uses eye movements and guided imagery to help people process distressing memories and update the way the brain holds onto them. And one phrase she uses with her clients really stuck with me: “Keep the knowledge. Lose the pain.” I love that. Because healing doesn't mean forgetting what happened. It means being able to remember it without your body continuing to react as though you're still living through it. We also talk about something I think many women will recognize: anxiety, chronic stress, physical symptoms and emotional triggers that don't always seem connected to anything obvious. Brooke explains why you don't necessarily have to have experienced what we typically think of as “trauma” for your nervous system to have learned a pattern—and why sometimes the connection isn't as obvious as you might think. So if you've been wondering Why am I still triggered by something that happened years ago? Is talk therapy enough? This conversation may give you a completely different way to think about healing. Because what if the goal isn't to forget your story? What if it's to finally stop reliving it? If someone came to mind while listening, send them this episode. It may be exactly the conversation they didn't know they needed. And if you're enjoying the Pretty Well Podcast, be sure to follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share your favorite episodes. Your support helps us bring these conversations to more people looking for real answers and meaningful healing. 🔗 Resources & Links  (As An Amazon Associate I Earn A Small Commission From Qualifying Purchases At No Extra Cost To You):   The Morning Mindset Journal https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal   ✨Join the conversation: Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments! 🎙 Subscribe, Share & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people who need these insights. Thanks for tuning in to Pretty Well! See you next week! Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/   Disclaimer:  Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such  advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.

Okay… I have a question for you. Why are you still exhausted, foggy and not feeling right when you’re taking care of yourself? Maybe you’ve thought about the usual suspects: stress, hormones getting older. Maybe you’ve even had labs done and been told everything looks fine. But what if there’s something so simple but you didn’t know to look at?   I recently heard from a woman dealing with anxiety that seemed to come out of nowhere, worsening brain fog, poor workout recovery and a surprising diagnosis of fatty liver disease—even though she doesn’t drink.   And there was one nutrient no one had thought to check. Choline.   Most people have never heard of it, yet it plays an important role in your nervous system, brain function, liver health, fat metabolism and methylation. And during midlife, there’s another reason I want you paying attention to it. Estrogen helps support your body’s internal production of choline. So when estrogen drops during perimenopause and menopause, your needs can change.   And here's where it gets even better. What if your anxiety, brain fog, fatigue, poor recovery and even some of your gut and liver issues aren't completely separate problems? What if there's a connection?   In this episode, we’re talking about why choline is so often overlooked, who may be at greater risk of deficiency, what your standard labs can—and can’t—tell you, and why the form of choline you take actually matters.   And buckle up, we’re going to talk about fishy body odor. 😂   If you've been wondering Why am I so tired? Why can't I seem to recover from my workouts? Could my brain fog be related to a nutrient deficiency? Why am I having liver issues when I don't drink? Could menopause be affecting my choline needs? You’ll want to hear this one.   Because maybe what you’ve been calling “normal aging” could have a surprisingly simple solution: one nutrient.   🔗 Resources & Links:   The Morning Mindset Journal https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal   ✨Join the conversation: Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments! 🎙 Subscribe, Share & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people who need these insights. Thanks for tuning in to Pretty Well! See you next week! Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/   Disclaimer:  Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such  advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.

Okay… I have a question for you. Why is your hair thinning when you’ve been told your labs are normal? You’re eating well. You’re taking your supplements. You’re taking care of yourself. And yet there’s more hair in the shower, your ponytail is getting thinner, and you’re wondering what the heck is going on. Maybe you’ve even been told, “That’s just part of getting older.”   I’m not buying it.   Hair loss in midlife can be a signal that something else is going on—and one of the most overlooked pieces of the puzzle is ferritin, the form of iron your body stores. You can have a “normal” iron panel and still have depleted iron stores that may be affecting your hair, your energy and how you feel.   And ferritin isn’t the only thing worth looking at. Stress, gut health and nutrient absorption, thyroid function, insulin resistance and even the health of your scalp can all play a role.   So if you’ve been wondering Why is my hair falling out? Why am I so tired? Could low ferritin be part of the problem? Can gut issues affect nutrient absorption? Could my thyroid or insulin levels be contributing? And what if my doctor says my labs are normal?   This episode is for you. I’ll walk you through the blood tests that are worth asking about, what your hair may be trying to tell you, and why grabbing another bottle of biotin may not be the answer. Because “your labs are normal” and “everything you need for healthy hair is optimal” are two very different statements. And you deserve the complete picture.   🔗 Resources & Links:   The Morning Mindset Journal https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal   ✨Join the conversation: Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments! 🎙 Subscribe, Share & Review: If you loved this episode, I’d be so grateful if you took a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your support helps us reach more people who are looking for info just like this. Thanks for tuning in to Pretty Well. See you next week! Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/   Disclaimer:  Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such  advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.

What if the problem isn’t that you need another diet, supplement, or protocol? What if you need to change the way you’re approaching your healing in the first place? In this episode of the Pretty Well Podcast, I’m talking with Dane Johnson, naturopathic nutritionist and founder of Crohn’s Colitis Lifestyle, about his experience with severe Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and the foundational shifts he made to help him move from simply surviving to building a life he actually wanted to live. Dane’s story is remarkable. After years of trying restrictive diets, supplements, fasting, and different approaches to healing, his inflammatory bowel disease became so severe that he was hospitalized and told his mother doctors weren’t sure he would make it through the night. But what happened next is what makes this conversation so interesting. Dane didn’t just change what he ate. He changed how he lived. He began journaling, getting outside, walking, reading, meditating, connecting with people, and deliberately creating more moments of joy and hope in his day. And instead of endlessly looking outside himself for the next answer, he started learning how to understand his own body, experiment, observe, and make adjustments. His philosophy can be summed up in one line: Get happy to get healthy. And no, that doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine when you’re sick. It means creating a foundation that makes healthy choices sustainable instead of turning your entire life into one giant healing project. We also talk about why copying someone else’s diet or morning routine doesn’t work, how to create a health plan that actually fits your life, the connection between stress and decision-making, why community matters when you’re dealing with chronic illness, and how to turn the things that feel like sacrifices into investments in the life you want. If you’ve ever found yourself overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information about gut health, supplements, fasting, inflammation, or “the perfect” healing protocol, you’ll want to hear this one. Often the next step isn’t adding more. It’s going back to the foundation. 🔗 Resources & Links:   The Morning Mindset Journal https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal ✨Join the conversation: Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments! 🎙 Subscribe, Share & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people who need these insights. Thanks for tuning in to Pretty Well! See you next week! Contact Dane: https://crohnscolitislifestyle.com  Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/   Disclaimer:  Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such  advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.

Okay… I have to tell you about this conversation. If you’ve ever had that experience where you know something in your body is changing, but you can’t quite put your finger on it, I think you’re going to relate to this. You’re tired. Not I stayed up too late tired. More like… why am I tired all the time? tired. Maybe your brain feels a little slower. Your motivation has taken a hit. Your hormones are changing. You’re noticing things in your body that weren’t there a few years ago. And then you go to your doctor. And your labs are normal. Um… okay. But I don’t feel normal. That’s the conversation I want to have today. What if “normal” isn’t necessarily the same thing as optimal? This is where my conversation with Ken Swartz gets really interesting. Ken is a research scientist who spent years working in radiation and fusion research. And while he was looking for ways to protect himself against radiation, he came across a molecule called carbon 60, or C60. Now, I know. You’re probably thinking, Lisa, what does a molecule discovered in a radiation lab have to do with me being tired? Stay with me. Because Ken’s work eventually took him into some pretty fascinating territory—mitochondria, inflammation, hormones, aging… and the question of whether what we call “normal aging” may actually have more to do with what’s happening at the cellular level. And then there’s his own experience. Ken noticed changes in his energy, his macular degeneration, and his overall health after using C60, which sent him even deeper into trying to understand what might be happening. And because he’s a scientist, he didn’t just say, “Well, I feel better. Case closed.” He wanted to know why. And honestly, that's the part I found so interesting. We talk so much about symptoms. You’re tired, gaining weight, foggy, not sleeping well. And your hormones are changing. What if we started asking a different question? What’s happening underneath all of that? We get into mitochondria and why they matter so much for energy production. We talk about oxidative stress and inflammation. We talk about hormones and midlife. We even get into skin aging. I’m not going to tell you that C60 is some magical anti-aging molecule because someone has an interesting story. There are some pretty extraordinary claims in this conversation, and some of the research Ken discusses is from animal studies, case reports, and personal experiences rather than large human clinical trials. So listen with curiosity. But also listen with your critical-thinking hat on. And if you want to learn more about the C60 Ken talks about, you'll find the links in the show notes. As always, do your own research and talk with your healthcare provider about whether something like C60 is appropriate for you. 🔗 Resources & Links:   The Morning Mindset Journal https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal   ✨Join the conversation: Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments! 🎙 Subscribe, Share & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people who need these insights. Thanks for tuning in to Pretty Well! See you next week! Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/   Disclaimer:  Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such  advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.

What if your anxiety isn't anxiety? What if your overwhelm isn't a personality flaw? What if your lack of motivation, emotional exhaustion, irritability, racing thoughts, or constant feeling that you're barely keeping it together has less to do with who you are and more to do with what your brain has been missing?   For years, many of us have been taught to interpret these experiences as character flaws. We tell ourselves we're too sensitive, too stressed, too emotional, too reactive, too distracted, or simply not trying hard enough.   But what if the story is more physiological than personal?   In this conversation, I sit down with brain health expert Laurie Hammer to explore a perspective that challenges how we think about anxiety, depression, overwhelm, burnout, focus, brain health, and emotional resilience.   Laurie believes that many symptoms we commonly associate with mental and emotional struggles are actually signals of underlying nutrient depletion and neurotransmitter imbalance—and that supporting the brain with targeted amino acids may help restore balance in ways many people never knew were possible.   Whether you've struggled with anxiety, emotional exhaustion, poor focus, irritability, cravings, burnout, or the feeling that you've somehow lost yourself along the way, this conversation offers a fascinating and hopeful perspective. Sometimes the most powerful question isn't "What's wrong with me?" It's: "What if I've been asking the wrong question?" 🔗 Resources & Links  (As An Amazon Associate I Earn A Small Commission From Qualifying Purchases At No Extra Cost To You):   The Morning Mindset Journal https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal  ✨Join the conversation: Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments!   🎙 Subscribe, Share & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people who need these insights. Thanks for tuning in to Pretty Well! See you next week! Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com   IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/   Disclaimer:  Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such  advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.

You look in the mirror one morning and think, **Wait… what happened?** You’re more tired than you used to be. Your waistline seems to have changed. You’re waking up at 3 or 4 AM. Your brain feels a little foggier. You’re having afternoon energy crashes. And somehow, your face looks more tired, too. So you go to your doctor. Your labs are “normal.” And that’s when things get really frustrating. Because you know you don’t feel the way you did five years ago. You haven’t suddenly started eating junk food or stopped exercising. You’re actually doing a lot of the things you’ve always done. So why do you feel like you’ve aged overnight? Here’s the interesting part: You probably didn’t. A lot of these changes can be building underneath the surface long before they show up on a standard blood test—or in the mirror. And one of the pieces I want you to understand is something we don’t hear nearly enough about: Insulin Not just blood sugar. Insulin. Your fasting glucose and HbA1c can look perfectly fine while your body is working harder and harder to keep them that way. And if nobody is looking at what insulin is doing, you can miss an important piece of the puzzle. And this is where the aging conversation gets really interesting. In this episode, I’m walking you through the connection between insulin, metabolism, inflammation, belly fat, cravings, energy crashes, brain fog, and why you feel like you’re suddenly aging much faster than everyone around you. And then I’m giving you a very simple seven-day experiment you can start tomorrow morning. Just one change to your breakfast—and then paying attention to what happens to your cravings, energy, and focus over the next week. If you’ve been thinking, "Maybe this is just what getting older feels like,” I want you to listen to this one before you decide that’s the answer. Sometimes what looks like aging is actually your body telling you that something is struggling to stay in balance. If you're loving the Pretty Well Podcast, would you do me a quick favor? Follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. And if you want some protein-rich breakfast ideas to go along with the seven-day experiment, send me the word **BREAKFAST** and I’ll get you the recipes. I love having you here. See you next week on Pretty Well. 🔗 Resources & Links: The Morning Mindset Journal https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal ✨Join the conversation: Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments! 🎙 Subscribe, Share & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people who need these insights. Thanks for tuning in to Pretty Well! See you next week! Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/   Disclaimer: Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.

Have you ever caught yourself thinking: "It runs in my family...so I guess there’s not much I can do." I hear that all the time. And… it bugs me. That's what made this conversation with Dr. Sam Shay so fascinating. He has a way of taking really complicated science and making it feel surprisingly practical. We talked about the difference between genetics and epigenetics, why your genes aren't necessarily your destiny, and how your everyday choices influence a lot more than you realize.   One thing I especially loved is that this conversation isn't about fear or perfection. It's about understanding where you actually have influence—and where you don't. If you've ever wondered: "Am I stuck with the health problems that run in my family?" "Should I get genetic testing?" "Can stress, nutrition, sleep, or gut health really affect my genes?". This conversation might completely change the way you think about your genetics. I think you’re really going to like this one. ✨Join the conversation: Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments! 🎙 Subscribe, Share & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people who need these insights. Thanks for tuning in to Pretty Well! See you next week! Contact Dr. Sam Shay: https://drsamshay.com  https://fitgenesusa.com   https://thednadecoded.com Use GOLD100 for $100 discount.   Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com   IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/    Disclaimer:  Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such  advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.  

Why Don't I Feel Like Myself Anymore? The Midlife Conversation Every Woman Needs to Hear Can I tell you about a conversation with Dr. Christina Enzmann that completely changed the way I think about midlife? Actually...it started with a question I hear from women all the time. "Lisa...I just don't feel like myself anymore." Whenever a woman tells me that, I know she's not talking about one symptom. She's talking about this feeling that somewhere along the way, her body started playing by a completely different set of rules. Maybe she's exhausted even though she's sleeping… or maybe she's not sleeping. Maybe she's gained weight without changing anything. Or maybe she's anxious, forgetful, dealing with heart palpitations, waking up at three in the morning, or wondering why hormone therapy helped her friend but made her feel worse. It all feels disconnected. And that's exactly what makes it so frustrating. Every appointment seems to focus on one tiny piece of the puzzle. One doctor talks about hormones. Another talks about stress. Someone else tells you,  "Well...you're getting older."   That's why I was so excited to sit down with Dr. Christina Enzmann. First of all, she's just fun to talk to. She's incredibly smart, but she has this gift for explaining complicated science in a way that suddenly feels obvious. Every few minutes she said something that made me stop and think, "Wait...why has nobody ever explained it like that before?"   Those are my favorite interviews—the ones where I'm learning right alongside you. Christina shared one perspective that completely reframed the way I think about menopause. It wasn't dramatic. It wasn't gimmicky. It just...made sense.   And once she said it, I thought - “Every woman needs to know this.”   We ended up talking about everything from hormones and the gut microbiome to insulin resistance, sleep, stress, recurrent UTIs, heart palpitations, vaginal health, and why so many women feel like their body has turned against them in midlife.   But what I loved most is that she never looked at those as separate conversations. She connected the dots. If you've ever found yourself wondering... Why don't I feel like myself anymore? Why am I so tired all the time? Why am I gaining weight when nothing has changed? Why did hormone therapy work for someone else but not for me? Is there something my body is trying to tell me? ...I know you're going to love this conversation.   Connect with Dr. Christina Enzmann: drchristinaenzmann.com #Perimenopause #Menopause #Hormones #GutHealth #FunctionalMedicine #Microbiome #HealthyAging #Fatigue #Anxiety #Inflammation #Metabolism #BrainHealth #Longevity #WomensHealth   ✨Join the conversation: Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments! 🎙 Subscribe, Share & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people who need these insights. Thanks for tuning in to Pretty Well! See you next week. Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/   Disclaimer:  Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such  advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.