262. The Anxiety–Inflammation Loop: Foods That Calm Your Body vs. Foods That Trigger It ft. Jen Smiley

In this episode, Alison and Taylor explore what authentic healing looks like, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness, resilience, and accepting the non-linear nature of recovery. They share practical insights into managing anxiety, setting boundaries, and cultivating meaningful connections, all while honoring individual journeys. Don’t forget to rate and review The Chicks! 🌐 Connect With Us ⁠@theanxietychicks⁠ | ⁠@theanxietyhealer⁠ | ⁠@health_anxiety⁠ ✨ Taylor’s #1 Anxiety Healing Supplement, Free Resources & More: ⁠peakofpanic.com/collections/all⁠ Order The Anxiety Healers Guide Here: https://theanxietyhealer.com/books  🧰 Alison's Free Resources, Coaching & Healing Toolkit: ⁠www.theanxietyhealer.com⁠ 🎥 Watch Full Episodes on YouTube Subscribe for more anxiety healing content, interviews, and behind-the-scenes insight. www.youtube.com/@anxietychicks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you feel like you can’t stop noticing your body? Like you’re constantly checking how you feel…Scanning for symptoms…Overanalyzing every sensation…And no matter what you do, your attention just keeps going back to your body? This episode is about that. The version of anxiety that isn’t always loud or obvious, but feels like you’re stuck inside yourself, constantly aware, constantly monitoring, and unable to fully relax. In this episode, we talk about: • What somatic hyperawareness actually is and why it happens• Why your brain gets stuck scanning your body• How normal sensations start to feel intense or “off”• The subtle ways checking keeps this cycle going• Why relaxing can actually make it feel worse• What it means when your body feels loud all the time• How to start breaking the pattern without forcing yourself to feel different If you’ve ever thought:“Why can’t I stop focusing on how I feel?”“Why does my body feel off even when nothing is wrong?”“Why can’t I just relax like I used to?” This episode will help you understand what’s happening and why you’re not crazy. This isn’t about ignoring your body.It’s about learning how to stop treating every sensation like a problem. Because your body isn’t broken.Your attention just got stuck. And the good news is… it can learn a new way. Don’t forget to rate and review The Chicks! 🌐 Connect With Us ⁠@theanxietychicks⁠ | ⁠@theanxietyhealer⁠ | ⁠@health_anxiety⁠ ✨ Taylor’s #1 Anxiety Healing Supplement, Free Resources & More: ⁠peakofpanic.com/collections/all⁠ Order The Anxiety Healers Guide Here: https://theanxietyhealer.com/books  🧰 Alison's Free Resources, Coaching & Healing Toolkit: ⁠www.theanxietyhealer.com⁠ 🎥 Watch Full Episodes on YouTube Subscribe for more anxiety healing content, interviews, and behind-the-scenes insight. www.youtube.com/@anxietychicks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friendship breakups hit differently… and yet, we rarely talk about them. In this episode, The Chicks are opening up an honest, compassionate conversation about what it really feels like when a friendship ends. The grief, the confusion, the “what did I do wrong?” thoughts… and the quiet loneliness that can follow. If you’ve ever found yourself outgrowing a friendship, questioning your worth after a disconnection, or struggling to make sense of a shift in a once-close relationship...this episode is for you. Want deeper support?Alison’s Anxiety Healing Coaching Program is now open for new clients 🤍If you’re a woman 40+ navigating anxiety, identity shifts, or changes in your relationships—and you’re ready for a more holistic, integrative way to heal—this may be a really supportive next step for you. Click ⁠HERE⁠ to apply. 💫 Single Ladies in your 40s, 50s, 60s+ wondering, “Where do I find women who truly understand this phase of life?” The Single Sisters Circle is for you! Inside The Circle: real sisterhood, shared experiences, LIVE sessions on midlife dating, friendships, anxiety, grief, identity shifts, and nervous system tools — all in a space where you don’t have to explain or defend your life. Click here to learn more: ⁠https://www.singlesisterscircle.com/learnmore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do some women suddenly feel more anxious, more emotional, more exhausted, or just not like themselves during certain seasons of life? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Greg Mongeon to talk about the very real connection between hormones, anxiety, stress, and perimenopause. This conversation is packed with insight for women who have been told their labs are “normal” while still feeling anything but normal. Dr. Greg shares his personal story, what led him into functional medicine, and why so many women are struggling with symptoms that are often overlooked, dismissed, or mislabeled. We talk about the role of the nervous system, the gut-brain connection, stress, liver health, hormone shifts, and why symptoms should never be ignored just because a lab value falls in the “normal” range. In this episode, we discuss: Why anxiety can intensify during perimenopause The difference between “normal” and optimal lab work How stress and nervous system dysregulation can affect hormones Why the gut, liver, and thyroid matter so much in hormone health The problem with one-size-fits-all wellness advice online Why so many women feel dismissed in traditional healthcare settings The truth about bioidentical hormones vs synthetic hormone therapy How to advocate for yourself when you know something feels off This episode is for the woman who feels like her body has changed, her mind feels more reactive, her cycle feels different, and she’s tired of being told everything is fine when it clearly doesn’t feel fine. More than anything, this conversation is about hope.Hope that your symptoms are not “all in your head.”Hope that there may be deeper answers.And hope that you are not broken. Dr. Greg’s goal is simple: to help people feel seen, understood, and supported while getting to the root of what’s really going on. Follow Dr. Greg:Links mentioned in the episode will be included in the show notes. If this episode helped you, be sure to share it with a friend, send it to another woman who needs to hear it, and tag us when you listen. Don’t forget to rate and review The Chicks! 🌐 Connect With Us ⁠@theanxietychicks⁠ | ⁠@theanxietyhealer⁠ | ⁠@health_anxiety⁠ ✨ Taylor’s #1 Anxiety Healing Supplement, Free Resources & More: ⁠peakofpanic.com/collections/all⁠ Order The Anxiety Healers Guide Here: https://theanxietyhealer.com/books  🧰 Alison's Free Resources, Coaching & Healing Toolkit: ⁠www.theanxietyhealer.com⁠ 🎥 Watch Full Episodes on YouTube Subscribe for more anxiety healing content, interviews, and behind-the-scenes insight. www.youtube.com/@anxietychicks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alison and Taylor explore the impact of AI on mental health support, its risks, benefits, and how to set healthy boundaries when using digital tools for mental health. This episode focuses on the nuances of AI in mental health care. Join The Single Sisters Circle HERE Don’t forget to rate and review The Chicks! 🌐 Connect With Us ⁠@theanxietychicks⁠ | ⁠@theanxietyhealer⁠ | ⁠@health_anxiety⁠ ✨ Taylor’s #1 Anxiety Healing Supplement, Free Resources & More: ⁠peakofpanic.com/collections/all⁠ Order The Anxiety Healers Guide Here: https://theanxietyhealer.com/books  🧰 Alison's Free Resources, Coaching & Healing Toolkit: ⁠www.theanxietyhealer.com⁠ 🎥 Watch Full Episodes on YouTube Subscribe for more anxiety healing content, interviews, and behind-the-scenes insight. www.youtube.com/@anxietychicks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if this headache isn’t stress?What if this chest pain is the beginning of something?What if the doctors missed it? In this episode, we go deep into the psychology and neuroscience behind the fear of the “what if” disease, the illness that hasn’t been diagnosed, but feels like it’s quietly developing in the background. This is not a surface-level conversation about health anxiety. We break down: • How the brain acts as a prediction machine and why it overestimates threat• The role of intolerance of uncertainty in chronic health fears• Why normal medical reassurance doesn’t “stick”• How heightened interoception makes sensations feel louder and more alarming• The science behind somatosensory amplification• Why reassurance-seeking strengthens the anxiety loop• What exposure to uncertainty actually looks like in real life If you’ve ever felt trapped in the cycle of Googling, body-scanning, seeking reassurance, or fearing a rare or missed diagnosis, this episode will help you understand what’s happening under the surface. The goal isn’t to dismiss your fear.It’s to understand it, so it stops controlling you. You don’t need perfect certainty to be safe.And you don’t need a diagnosis to explain every sensation. This episode is about learning to live in probability instead of catastrophic possibility. Don’t forget to rate and review The Chicks! 🌐 Connect With Us ⁠@theanxietychicks⁠ | ⁠@theanxietyhealer⁠ | ⁠@health_anxiety⁠ ✨ Taylor’s #1 Anxiety Healing Supplement, Free Resources & More: ⁠peakofpanic.com/collections/all⁠ Order The Anxiety Healers Guide Here: https://theanxietyhealer.com/books  🧰 Alison's Free Resources, Coaching & Healing Toolkit: ⁠www.theanxietyhealer.com⁠ 🎥 Watch Full Episodes on YouTube Subscribe for more anxiety healing content, interviews, and behind-the-scenes insight. www.youtube.com/@anxietychicks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If your anxiety spikes before your period…If your thoughts feel darker, louder, or more convincing…If you suddenly feel like you’ve “undone” all your progress… This meditation is for you. In the luteal phase of your cycle, progesterone and estrogen shift — and your nervous system becomes more sensitive. That sensitivity can amplify anxiety, intrusive thoughts, emotional intensity, and self-doubt. This doesn’t mean you’re broken.It doesn’t mean you’re back at square one.It means your hormones are shifting. This guided meditation helps you: Regulate your nervous system during hormone changes Separate temporary intensity from identity Stop making permanent conclusions in a temporary state Build trust with your cyclical body Ride the wave instead of fighting it This is not about pushing through or pretending you’re fine.It’s about meeting this phase with awareness, compassion, and steadiness. Listen when anxiety feels louder before your period.Listen when you feel unlike yourself.Listen when you need the reminder: This is a phase.And it will pass. Don’t forget to rate and review The Chicks! 🌐 Connect With Us ⁠@theanxietychicks⁠ | ⁠@theanxietyhealer⁠ | ⁠@health_anxiety⁠ ✨ Taylor’s #1 Anxiety Healing Supplement, Free Resources & More: ⁠peakofpanic.com/collections/all⁠ Order The Anxiety Healers Guide Here: https://theanxietyhealer.com/books  🧰 Alison's Free Resources, Coaching & Healing Toolkit: ⁠www.theanxietyhealer.com⁠ 🎥 Watch Full Episodes on YouTube Subscribe for more anxiety healing content, interviews, and behind-the-scenes insight. www.youtube.com/@anxietychicks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feeling anxious about money can feel heavy, but understanding your body's signals and adopting mental and behavioral tools are key! In this episode, The Chicks explore personal experiences, practical strategies, and mindset shifts to help you find calm amid chaos and build a healthier relationship with money and your emotional well-being. Don’t forget to rate and review The Chicks! 🌐 Connect With Us ⁠@theanxietychicks⁠ | ⁠@theanxietyhealer⁠ | ⁠@health_anxiety⁠ ✨ Taylor’s #1 Anxiety Healing Supplement, Free Resources & More: ⁠peakofpanic.com/collections/all⁠ Order The Anxiety Healers Guide Here: https://theanxietyhealer.com/books  🧰 Alison's Free Resources, Coaching & Healing Toolkit: ⁠www.theanxietyhealer.com⁠ 🎥 Watch Full Episodes on YouTube Subscribe for more anxiety healing content, interviews, and behind-the-scenes insight. www.youtube.com/@anxietychicks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s Meditation Monday explores how “should” thoughts fuel anxiety and perfectionism...especially for high-functioning women who feel pressure to be further along, doing more, or feeling differently. Learn how to replace pressure with permission and self-compassion. If you’ve been hard on yourself lately, this episode is a soft place to land. Don’t forget to rate and review The Chicks! 🌐 Connect With Us ⁠@theanxietychicks⁠ | ⁠@theanxietyhealer⁠ | ⁠@health_anxiety⁠ ✨ Taylor’s #1 Anxiety Healing Supplement, Free Resources & More: ⁠peakofpanic.com/collections/all⁠ Order The Anxiety Healers Guide Here: https://theanxietyhealer.com/books  🧰 Alison's Free Resources, Coaching & Healing Toolkit: ⁠www.theanxietyhealer.com⁠ 🎥 Watch Full Episodes on YouTube Subscribe for more anxiety healing content, interviews, and behind-the-scenes insight. www.youtube.com/@anxietychicks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever have moments where everything feels like too much, emotionally, mentally, physically and you can’t quite explain why? This episode is a soft place to land. In this gentle reset, we talk about what overstimulation actually is, why emotional waves can show up out of nowhere, and how to support your nervous system without forcing yourself to “calm down” or figure everything out. This is a hybrid episode, part understanding, part grounding, designed to help you feel a little more steady when you’re overwhelmed, emotionally raw, or just exhausted from holding it together. In this episode, we cover: What overstimulation really means (and why it’s not a failure) Why emotions don’t always need a story or explanation How to create a sense of safety before trying to calm your body Gentle grounding and nervous system resets you can do anywhere Reassuring your body without feeding anxiety or reassurance-seeking Letting your system settle in its own time You don’t need to fix anything while listening to this.You don’t need to feel better by the end. Just let this episode be a pause, a reminder that you’re allowed to slow down, soften, and take the rest of the day gently. Save this one for the moments when everything feels like too much. Don’t forget to rate and review The Chicks! 🌐 Connect With Us ⁠@theanxietychicks⁠ | ⁠@theanxietyhealer⁠ | ⁠@health_anxiety⁠ ✨ Taylor’s #1 Anxiety Healing Supplement, Free Resources & More: ⁠peakofpanic.com/collections/all⁠ Order The Anxiety Healers Guide Here: https://theanxietyhealer.com/books  🧰 Alison's Free Resources, Coaching & Healing Toolkit: ⁠www.theanxietyhealer.com⁠ 🎥 Watch Full Episodes on YouTube Subscribe for more anxiety healing content, interviews, and behind-the-scenes insight. www.youtube.com/@anxietychicks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices