9 to 5 Wellness

In this episode of 9 to 5 Wellness, I'm joined by Heidi, a scientist and the co-founder and CEO of Peri, the first wearable and AI platform built to track perimenopausal symptoms. We talk about the gender gap in health research, why so many women's perimenopausal symptoms get dismissed, and how tracking hot flashes, night sweats and anxiety can help you advocate for yourself and personalize HRT. We also get into why midlife is such an important window for long-term health, especially when you're at the peak of your career.

 🌟 🌟 🌟Order Peri HERE With This Exclusive Offer

Get $100 off Peri with this 9 to 5 Wellness special link: https://www.myperi.co/shopify-page?utm_campaign=perionpod&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=9to5wellness

Click the link and enter the code PERIONPOD at checkout for an extra $50 off.
Peri is FSA and HSA eligible. Learn more at myperi.co.

Key Takeaways

• Perimenopause has no age. It can start as early as 35 and can last 7 to 10 years.
• The data gap is real. Many medications and health benchmarks were built mostly on men.
• There's no single blood test for perimenopause. Hormones fluctuate too much for one snapshot.
• Your symptoms matter beyond comfort. Hot flashes and night sweats may be linked to long-term risks, including heart disease, the number one killer of women.
• Be the CEO of your own healthcare. Bring data to your appointments, and if you feel dismissed, keep looking for a provider who listens.
• Look at the whole picture. HRT, exercise and nutrition work best together.
• Give yourself grace. Don't wait until you can't cope to get support.

Time Markers

00:00 Perimenopause Episode Intro

00:56 Meet Heidi From Peri

03:06 Key Takeaways Up Front

04:48 The Women’s Health Data Gap

06:20 Why Perimenopause Matters

10:00 Dismissed Symptoms At Work

11:49 Why Diagnosis Is Hard

12:43 How The Peri Wearable Works

16:48 Insights Reports And Patterns

21:34 Tracking HRT And Titration

24:35 Future Of Personalized Care

25:39 Patient Story And Mission

26:48 Funding and Data Momentum

27:52 Perimenopause at Work

28:59 Planning and Self Compassion

32:41 Peri Tracker Demo

35:14 Why It Wears Here

37:12 Symptoms and Longevity

41:22 HRT and Holistic Tools

45:11 Getting Started Guide

47:38 Discount and Wrap Up

 🌟 🌟 🌟Order Peri HERE With This Exclusive Offer

Get $100.00 off + Get EXTRA $50.00 OFF with the code PERIONPOD

Get $100 off Peri with this 9 to 5 Wellness special link: https://www.myperi.co/shopify-page?utm_campaign=perionpod&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=9to5wellness

Click the link and enter the code PERIONPOD at checkout for an extra $50 off.
Peri is FSA and HSA eligible. Learn more at myperi.co.

Connect with Peri and us through these links:

• Peri: myperi.co
• My website: aeshatahir.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir
• Instagram: @tone_and_strengthen
• Partner with 9 to 5 Wellness: 9to5wellness.com/brand-partnership

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a friend or coworker who needs to hear it. Until next time, keep prioritizing your health while you grow your career.

This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and isn't medical advice. If you're experiencing symptoms or have questions about perimenopause, please talk with your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider.

Send us Fan Mail

🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at [email protected]. You can learn more about our programs at:  https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟

My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!

🌟 🌟 🌟 You can learn more about ME- the host at https://www.aeshatahir.com 

 Follow me on IG and LI to learn more

https://www.instagram.com/tone_and_strengthen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir/

How many of the walls you hit at work are real, and how many are choices dressed up as constraints? 

In this episode of 9 to 5 Wellness, Aesha Tahir sits down with innovation coach JL Heather, co-founder and managing partner of Centered and creator of the Can't Culture Framework, to unpack the quiet, often unintentional way teams and leaders stop trying.

JL has spent 20+ years coaching senior leaders at Ford, Pfizer, T-Mobile, Wendy's, GE and HP. He shares how one stalled product launch led him to name "can't culture," why over 70% of organizational transformations fail, and a simple three-question filter for telling a true can't from a won't or a haven't. Along the way: a Beanie Baby crisis at a McDonald's drive-thru, the hidden costs of saying yes versus no, and two practical exercises any leader can start this week.

Guest: JL Heather — co-author of The Agile Code and Breakthrough Innovation, co-host of the Breakthrough Innovation Podcast, ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), and Leadership Circle Profile practitioner.

Time Markers

00:00 Welcome and Topic Setup

02:19 Meet JL Heather

03:47 Why Cant Culture Matters

05:04 Defining Cant Culture

06:40 Choices Before Reasons

09:46 Constraints and Testing

10:37 Beanie Babies Lesson

15:31 Cant Wont Havent Framework

20:28 Bureaucratic Mass Momentum

22:23 Generations and Havent Gaps

24:05 Diversity Beyond Generations

25:34 Gen Z Innovation Pushback

27:13 Why Cant Kills Companies

28:36 Digging Into The Why

29:59 Bridge The Generational Gap

31:50 Leaders Punish Innovation

33:03 Process And Metrics Traps

36:05 Make Yes Cheaper

37:03 Spot Cant Culture Fast

39:16 Two Practical Leader Tips

42:41 Curiosity Walk Benefits

44:00 BCG Innovation Reality Check

44:51 Where To Find JL

45:45 Final Thoughts On Cant Culture

Try this week

• Catch one can't a day (or a week). Write down a "can't moment" in as much detail as you can, even if nobody used the word. Later, pick it apart: Is it impossible? If not, who owns the decision? If no one does, why haven't we done it, and what would it take?
• Ask the short-form question. The next time you hear a constraint in a meeting, ask: "Is that a can't, a won't, or a haven't?"
• Give every won't an owner and a review date. Name the decider and revisit the decision quarterly or annually.
• Take a curiosity walk with a peer (not a direct report). Pick a somewhat emotionally charged work issue and walk 20 minutes: 10 out, 10 back. On the way out, one person shares their struggle while the other only asks questions. No suggestions, and no suggestions hidden inside questions. Switch roles on the way back. Bonus points for walking outdoors in nature. JL recommends repeating it once a quarter.
• Watch your body language when someone pushes back or brings you a problem. Your reaction teaches the whole team what's safe to say.

Resources and links

Connect with JL Heather

• LinkedIn: JL Heather (add profile link)
• Centered: centered.work
• Speaking and podcast appearances: jlheather.com
• Books: The Agile Code and Breakthrough Innovation
• Podcast: Breakthrough Innovation Podcast

Mentioned in this episode

• The Can't Culture Framework and the CHOOSE framework ("C" = catch the can't)
• Chamberlin, Newton & LePine (2017): research on promotive vs. prohibitive voice
• Research on learned helplessness
• The "bureaucratic mass index"
• BCG 2024 innovation data: 83% rank innovation a top-three priority; 3% are ready to deliver

Connect with Aesha Tahir and 9 to 5 Wellness

• Website: 9to5wellness.com
• Personal site: aeshatahir.com
• LinkedIn: Aesha Tahir
• Partner with the show: Brand partnerships
• Watch the video episode on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Send us Fan Mail

🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at [email protected]. You can learn more about our programs at:  https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟

My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!

🌟 🌟 🌟 You can learn more about ME- the host at https://www.aeshatahir.com 

 Follow me on IG and LI to learn more

https://www.instagram.com/tone_and_strengthen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir/

Everyone Wants the Results, But Not the Reps

Everyone wants the promotion, the finish-line photo, the big win. Very few want the early mornings, the rejected drafts and the 5:00 AM runs in the rain that come before them. This week's episode is a mindset check rather than a list of tips. A few of my clients kept bringing this up with me, so I figured a lot of you are dealing with it too. People always ask me for the "secret," whether it's weight loss, VO2 max, a marathon, a promotion or balancing a 9-to-5 with a business. The answer is the one nobody wants to hear: the shortcut is hard work.

I'm going back to my childhood roots and where I get my work ethic from. I'm also drawing on the Stoic teachings, to look at what we lose when we rush the process. You can learn three practical habits for honoring the process at work and in your health.

Key takeaways:

1. Pick one boring rep and protect it. A walk after lunch, the same bedtime every night, or one focused hour on a skill. Keep it small, repeatable and non-negotiable.
2. Track your inputs, not just your outcomes. Ask yourself "Did I show up today?" as well as "Did I hit the goal?"
3. Reframe your next obstacle. When a meeting goes badly, you miss a workout or you get rejected, ask what it's letting you practice: patience, resilience or grit.

Quotes from the episode:

Resources mentioned:

• Ryan Holiday's Podcast - https://dailystoic.com/life-is-too-short-to-rush-through/
  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily-stoic/id1430315931
• Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir/
• Brand partnerships: https://9to5wellness.com/brand-partnership/

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone in their own grind season. And if you haven't yet, subscribe and leave a review for 9 to 5 Wellness on your platform of choice. It helps more busy professionals find the show.

Send us Fan Mail

🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at [email protected]. You can learn more about our programs at:  https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟

My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!

🌟 🌟 🌟 You can learn more about ME- the host at https://www.aeshatahir.com 

 Follow me on IG and LI to learn more

https://www.instagram.com/tone_and_strengthen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir/

The other day, my 15-year-old son Aiden cleaned out our pantry without anyone asking him to. As he threw out the chips and crackers, he said, "I don't eat unhealthy like that anymore." I haven't stopped thinking about that sentence. He wasn't talking about a diet, a macro plan or a coach's rules. He was telling me who he is now.

In this episode, I look at why so many health goals fail when willpower runs out, and why changing how you see yourself is the most underused tool you have. I draw on my work as an exercise physiologist and corporate wellness consultant to explain why identity-based habits hold up through deadlines, stressful weeks and busy family schedules. I also share three simple steps you can start tomorrow morning.

In This Episode, I Cover

• Why "I'm trying to eat better" keeps your old identity in place, and what to say instead
• How willpower and motivation fail you when work gets stressful
• The link between rules, decision fatigue and the 3 PM donut problem
• Why every healthy action is a "vote" for the person you're becoming
• How a healthy identity builds resilience after setbacks
• Why you don't have to earn the identity before you claim it
• My 3-step framework for making the identity shift in everyday life

Send us Fan Mail

🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at [email protected]. You can learn more about our programs at:  https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟

My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!

🌟 🌟 🌟 You can learn more about ME- the host at https://www.aeshatahir.com 

 Follow me on IG and LI to learn more

https://www.instagram.com/tone_and_strengthen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir/

If you could track one number that shows how long and how well you'll live, it would be your VO2 max. In this episode of the 9 to 5 Wellness podcast, I'm diving into VO2 Max: what it is, why researchers treat it as a longevity biomarker, and how busy professionals can raise it.

Many of my clients and patients put it this way: "I don't feel old, and I want to stay this way." If that sounds like you, start here.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What VO2 max is, and why it's also called your aerobic capacity
• How your heart, lungs, circulatory system and muscles work together to turn oxygen into ATP, your body's energy currency
• The study of more than 122,000 patients that linked a higher VO2 max to a lower risk of death from all causes, not just heart disease
• What counts as a "good" VO2 max for your age, sex, fitness level and altitude
• Where to get tested: university labs (often free), cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) or a smartwatch estimate
• Her top 3 strategies and 2 favorite workouts for improving aerobic capacity

⏱️⏱️Time Markers

00:00 Welcome and Update

01:22 Why VO2 Max Matters

02:45 VO2 Max Basics Explained

06:21 Longevity Research Link

07:29 What Is a Good Score

09:25 Benchmarks and Personal Example

12:20 How to Test VO2 Max

13:34 Three Ways to Improve It

17:10 Go To VO2 Workouts

18:56 Wrap Up and Call to Action

🔗🔗Related Episodes

If you liked this episode we think you'll enjoy this one too:

https://9to5wellness.com/episode/key-biomarkers-of-metabolic-health/

🔬🧪👩‍🔬Related Research Studies

VO2 max ageing and all cause mortality

The Role of VO2 max as an Indicator of Population Health

📚📖Books on the Topic

Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia, MD (2023)

80/20 Running by Matt Fitzgerald (2014)

Send us Fan Mail

🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at [email protected]. You can learn more about our programs at:  https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟

My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!

🌟 🌟 🌟 You can learn more about ME- the host at https://www.aeshatahir.com 

 Follow me on IG and LI to learn more

https://www.instagram.com/tone_and_strengthen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir/

It's a listener Q&A episode — two questions, no fluff. First: why core muscles don't show up no matter how hard you train them. Second: why "doing everything right" for your health can still leave you completely exhausted.

Key takeaways

• Ab definition is a body-fat story, not just a training story
• You can't out-crunch a bad diet
• "Toned" isn't a separate physiological state — it's muscle plus low body fat, earned slowly
• Health fatigue isn't a motivation problem, it's a systems-overload problem
• One clear health priority beats twelve half-followed ones

Got a question for a future Q&A?

Send it in — Aesha reads every one.

Send us Fan Mail

🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at [email protected]. You can learn more about our programs at:  https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟

My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!

🌟 🌟 🌟 You can learn more about ME- the host at https://www.aeshatahir.com 

 Follow me on IG and LI to learn more

https://www.instagram.com/tone_and_strengthen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir/

Ever wondered why you can nail a presentation with friends but completely freeze when it's time to deliver it to your team or at a big pitch? In this episode of 9 to 5 Wellness, Aesha is joined by Dr. David Lee Fish — a communication expert who's spent decades helping professionals, performers, and athletes close the gap between their expertise and their delivery under pressure.

Dr. Fish's approach has an unusual origin story: it traces back to his early career as a saxophone player and later professor, and to studying under Zen master Seung Sahn. That training led him to a method that closely parallels mindfulness, built around one core idea — acceptance, not resistance, is the key to managing performance anxiety.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The three factors that trigger performance anxiety — and why 75% of us are wired to feel it
• The role of the amygdala ("your internal bodyguard") in fight, flight, or freeze responses
• Why trying to eliminate stage fright entirely is a "dead man's goal" — and what to aim for instead
• The Yerkes-Dodson finding on how the right amount of adrenaline actually improves performance
• Dr. Fish's practical READ framework for staying composed in high-stakes moments:
  • Remember your core values behind the task
  • Engage fully with what you're doing
  • Accept nervous thoughts and sensations without fighting them
  • Detachment naturally follows
• How to recover gracefully if your mind goes blank mid-presentation
• Why the threats get bigger — and the nerves more real — the higher you climb

Memorable moment: Aesha shares advice from her Toastmasters mentor: when you're anxious about forgetting a detail or missing a stat, ask yourself — "Who will know that?"

Find out more about our guest Dr. David Lee Fish below:

• Website: riseup8.com
• LinkedIn: David Leifes

Time Markers

00:00 Welcome and Episode Setup

01:05 Meet Dr David Lee Fish

02:49 From Saxophone to Zen

06:27 Why We Freeze Under Pressure

08:04 Amygdala and Survival Mode

10:23 First Aid Accept It

13:41 Self Worth vs Symptoms

18:57 Stop Chasing Zero Fear

20:42 Adrenaline Sweet Spot

24:52 READ Framework Explained

30:09 When Your Mind Goes Blank

36:08 Where to Find Dr Fish

37:35 Closing Thanks and Goodbye

Send us Fan Mail

🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at [email protected]. You can learn more about our programs at:  https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟

My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!

🌟 🌟 🌟 You can learn more about ME- the host at https://www.aeshatahir.com 

 Follow me on IG and LI to learn more

https://www.instagram.com/tone_and_strengthen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir/

Forget January — fall is the smartest, most natural time to reset your goals. In this episode, we break down the science of why autumn motivation actually works better than New Year's resolutions, walk through a practical 90-day goal review framework, and dig into specific healthspan and fitness goals worth building into your fall.

What You'll Learn

• Why January is biologically and psychologically one of the worst times to set new goals — and why fall works with your body instead of against it
• The physiology behind fall motivation: circadian shifts, sleep quality, and training performance
• A four-step framework for reviewing and resetting your goals for the rest of the year
• A full menu of healthspan-focused fitness goals, from strength training to sleep to metabolic health
• Why career and health goals can't actually be separated from each other.

00:00 Weekend Welcome

00:26 Why Fall Resets

02:08 New Year Myth

06:40 Fall Biology Boost

09:39 Fall Audit Framework

10:46 Four Step Reset

18:20 Healthspan Over Fitness

21:12 Strength For Longevity

24:50 Cardio And Mobility

27:22 Recovery And Labs

29:50 Personal Fall Motivation

31:49 Homework And Wrap Up

Learn more about our working with Aesha Tahir

https://9to5wellness.com/workwithus/

Learn more about Aesha’s Movement Assessment and Consultation

https://toneandstrengthen.com/fitness-coaching/

🔬🧪👩‍🔬Related Articles

Surprising Ways Your Body Changes in the Fall

📚📖Books on the Topic

The Autumn Reset

Send us Fan Mail

🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at [email protected]. You can learn more about our programs at:  https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟

My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!

🌟 🌟 🌟 You can learn more about ME- the host at https://www.aeshatahir.com 

 Follow me on IG and LI to learn more

https://www.instagram.com/tone_and_strengthen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir/

I hear it all the time from my male patients and clients: "I don't have time to work out." So in this episode, I wanted to dig into that excuse with someone who lives it himself. I sat down with Coach Brian Parana, a men's health coach with over 23 years of experience helping busy professionals and elite athletes — including an Olympic silver medalist and a CrossFit world champion — improve their body, energy, and day-to-day habits without sacrificing their careers or families.

Brian is also a dad of four, self-employed since 2010, and just as busy as the guys who come to him for help. His message going in was simple: busy dads don't need more time. They need a better plan.

Here's what we covered:

• "No time" is usually a priorities problem, not a time problem. Everybody wastes some time — Brian shared a client example of someone who wasn't sleeping because he was up late watching shows, which then killed his morning workout window. The fix started with an honest question: what's actually more important to you?
• Drop the all-or-nothing gym mindset. If you're working out three days a week, you're already more consistent than most people for life. You don't need an hour a day — you need a plan that fits where you are right now.
• You can't out-train a bad diet. If your nutrition is dialed in, a 20–30 minute circuit three to four days a week is enough for most people who aren't training for a specific event.
• The simple workout template we love: push, pull, shoulder press, legs, and core — five sets of ten reps each. Twenty to twenty-five minutes and you've covered your whole body.
• Protect your lunch hour like a real boundary. Brian pushes clients to treat their lunch break as protected time to move, not more meeting time — it makes the rest of the workday more productive too.
• Match your workout to your actual energy, not an ideal schedule. If you're mentally fried after work, a solo gym session probably won't stick — pickleball, a class, or meeting a friend might work better than forcing it.
• Turn socializing into movement. Trade a sit-down dinner for a hike, walk and talk with your spouse instead of sitting on separate screens, or join a rec league — adult basketball, pickleball, a running club.
• Sleep and small daily habits matter more than people think — they're often the quiet reason a workout plan falls apart in the first place.
• This isn't just about how you look. Brian was direct about the health stakes — waist and neck measurements tied to increased risk of heart disease, blood pressure issues, and diabetes — and why building strength and functionality now (especially in your 40s and 50s) pays off for the long run.

Brian shared some incredible client transformations in this one too, so if you want the full stories, give the episode a listen. Huge thanks to Brian for joining me — this was such a practical, no-excuses conversation.

⏱️⏱️Time Markers

00:00 Fitness for Busy Dads

01:17 Meet Coach Brian Prana

04:46 Why Fitness Matters Now

07:31 Dad Stress and Burnout

10:17 Finding Time and Priorities

14:28 Ditch the All-or-Nothing

17:52 Simple Workouts and Nutrition

21:33 Make Movement Social

22:34 Logistics With Your Partner

22:54 Schedule Reality Check

24:10 Family Walks and Workouts

25:12 Lunch Break Boundaries

26:53 Beat After Work Burnout

30:01 Health Wake Up Calls

33:54 Movement Social Life

35:52 Client Transformations

40:04 Five Pattern Workout

42:01 Simple Wrap Up

👇⬇️Learn more about our guest Brian Parana & his pod 👇⬇️

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/driven-for-health-nutrition-and-weight-loss-for-men-over-40/id1841880571

📚📖Books on the Topic

The Fitness Mindset: Eat for energy, Train for tension, Manage your mindset, Reap the results

No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness

🔬👩‍🔬Discover more on Aesha's blogs on this topic

https://toneandstrengthen.com/wellness-blog/

Send us Fan Mail

🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at [email protected]. You can learn more about our programs at:  https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟

My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!

🌟 🌟 🌟 You can learn more about ME- the host at https://www.aeshatahir.com 

 Follow me on IG and LI to learn more

https://www.instagram.com/tone_and_strengthen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir/

This episode of the 9 to 5 Wellness Podcast features a conversation with Kristina, a nutritionist specializing in anti-inflammatory nutrition. The discussion covers women's nutritional needs across menstrual phases and life stages, including pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause.

Topics covered include:

Cycle Syncing
An overview of the four menstrual phases—menstruation, follicular, ovulation, and luteal—framed through an "inner seasons" model, along with corresponding food strategies:

• Menstruation: warm meals supporting iron and magnesium intake
• Follicular phase: lighter, protein-forward meals, fermented foods, and intermittent fasting as an option
• Ovulation: cruciferous vegetables, fiber, and anti-inflammatory foods
• Luteal phase: balanced plates with complex carbohydrates, zinc, and B vitamins to address cravings and energy needs

Perimenopause and Menopause
A discussion of physiological changes during this life stage, including increased insulin resistance and central weight gain. Topics include blood sugar balance, gut health, eating breakfast before coffee, and maintaining consistent strength training for muscle and bone support.

⏱️⏱️Time Markers

00:00 Cycle Syncing Overview

01:10 Meet Cristina

02:26 Endometriosis Journey

04:56 What Is Cycle Syncing

07:45 Menstrual Phase Nutrition

10:14 Follicular Phase Fuel

13:12 Ovulation Phase Support

14:43 Luteal Phase Cravings

18:13 Work Energy in Luteal

23:12 Meal Prep for Busy Weeks

28:44 Perimenopause Metabolism Shifts

36:28 Bone Health and Strength

38:18 Quick Tips and Wrap Up

Learn more about our guest Kristina Krasteva 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/k-krasteva/

Learn more about Kristina's anti-inflammatory nutrition program here-

https://the-8week-inflammation-reset.carrd.co/

🔬🧪👩‍🔬Related Research Studies

Dietary energy intake across the menstrual cycle

The Impact of the Menstrual Cycle on Nutrient Metabolism

📚📖Books on the Topic

Cooking in Sync with Your Cycle

Send us Fan Mail

🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at [email protected]. You can learn more about our programs at:  https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟

My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!

🌟 🌟 🌟 You can learn more about ME- the host at https://www.aeshatahir.com 

 Follow me on IG and LI to learn more

https://www.instagram.com/tone_and_strengthen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir/