In Episode 19, Certified Wellness Nutrition Coach and Educator AC Price breaks down one of the most searched — and most misunderstood — symptoms of the perimenopause transition: cortisol belly.

Drawing on research from the National Institutes of Health and the Cleveland Clinic, this episode explains exactly why abdominal weight accumulates during perimenopause, how chronic cortisol dysregulation drives visceral fat storage, and why Blood Type A is particularly vulnerable to this pattern. Listeners walk away with blood type-specific cortisol strategies, three actionable daily rituals, a cortisol-reset dinner bowl, and a direct invitation to join the newly launched 14-Day Culinary Cortisol Reset.

• Cortisol belly is driven by a hormonal and insulin loop — not lack of willpower.

• Blood Type A carries a naturally elevated cortisol baseline, making them most vulnerable during perimenopause.

• Over-exercising during perimenopause can worsen cortisol belly — regulation, not restriction, is the solution.

• The 14-Day Culinary Cortisol Reset is open now — acartoffood.com/culinary-cortisol-reset.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

🩸 Type O

Fast cortisol responder. Protein at every meal. Short-burst vigorous movement. Minimize wheat, corn, dairy. Avoid cucumber and avocado.

🩸 Type A

Elevated baseline cortisol — most vulnerable to cortisol belly. Plant-forward eating, fermented foods, ashwagandha, and daily decompression are essential.

🩸 Type B

Cortisol belly shows through impulse eating and blood sugar volatility.

🩸 Type AB

Absorbs stress quietly. Small, frequent meals.

THE GREAT EATS :

🩸 Blood Type O

Grass-fed beef stir-fry or wild-caught salmon, roasted sweet potato, sautéed kale and spinach with garlic and olive oil, shredded purple cabbage, fresh lemon, sea salt.

🩸 Blood Type A

Pan-seared tempeh or wild-caught sardines, steamed brown rice, roasted broccoli and carrots, miso-glazed eggplant, spinach with sesame oil, pumpkin seeds, tahini.

🩸 Blood Type B

Roasted lamb or baked turkey breast, steamed jasmine rice, collard greens with olive oil, roasted beets, sheep's milk feta, parsley, apple cider vinegar.

🩸 Blood Type AB

Pan-seared wild salmon over millet, steamed snap peas and zucchini, lemon-ginger dressing, cultured yogurt with dill, chamomile tea.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Cortisol belly is not a personal failure — it is biology. When you understand the hormonal loop driving abdominal weight during perimenopause, you stop fighting your body and start working with it. That shift, anchored in your blood type, is where sustainable change begins. Join the 14-Day Culinary Cortisol Reset at acartoffood.com/culinary-cortisol-reset.

Blood type wellness principles are inspired by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo, author of Eat Right 4 Your Type. AC Art of Food pairs this framework with modern nutrition science and mindful living to support sustainable, personalized wellness.

AC ART OF FOOD

www.acartoffood.com

• 14-Day Culinary Cortisol Reset — acartoffood.com/culinary-cortisol-reset

• Culinary Health Assessment — available on the home page

• Blood Type Wellness 101 Starter Kits

• Wellness Coaching & Memberships

• Custom Meal Plans & Healing Tea Blends

• Seven wellness eBooks & eCookbooks

• Abstract Spice Gold Seasoning Blends — heart-healthy, small-batch, flagship product

Longevity begins with honoring your biology.

Until next time — Great Eats & Healthy Living! 💚🎧