Feel Better. Live Free. | Healthy Weight Loss & Wellness for Midlife Women

You're not failing. You've been fooled.

The foods that were keeping me stuck, tired, inflamed, holding onto weight no matter what I did, were not the cookies. They weren't the candy. They weren't the obvious junk.

They were the foods I was eating because I was trying to be healthy.

The yogurt. The smoothie. The protein bar. The granola. The whole-grain everything. The stuff with the little health halo on the front of the package that made me feel good about my choices.

And the whole time, they were spiking my insulin and quietly working against me.

In this episode, I'm walking you through the seven worst offenders. The foods that look so good on paper and are keeping you stuck. We're also getting a little nerdy with the science (don't worry, I promise it'll make a difference), so you'll finally understand why insulin, not calories, is the number that actually matters. And I'll leave you with three simple swaps you can make this week to start taking your power back.

If you've been doing everything right and still feel like your body isn't cooperating, this one's for you.

Ready to start fixing your metabolism? Check out our free training at Thinlicious.com/happy.

If you've been told that the weight gain, the exhaustion, the brain fog, and the joint pain are just "part of having an autoimmune disease" — this episode is for you.

For decades, that's exactly what I was told. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's, Raynaud's, and lupus in my teens and twenties, and I spent most of my adult life feeling sick, exhausted, and in pain. I hit 288 pounds. I tried every diet. I lost weight, gained it back, and blamed myself every single time. And every time I went to the doctor, the script was the same: "I'm not sure exactly what's going on. It's probably autoimmune related. Also — it would probably help if you lost some weight."

Like that was a treatment plan.

In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the real reason it's so much harder for women with autoimmune conditions to lose weight — and it has nothing to do with willpower. There's actually a clear hormonal cascade going on inside your body, and once you understand it, the whole picture changes.

We're covering:

• Why autoimmune disease creates the chronic inflammation that drives insulin resistance
• How insulin resistance literally locks fat in your cells (and why "eating less" can't fix it)
• The thyroid piece your doctor probably isn't testing for — even with Hashimoto's
• The role medications like steroids play in weight gain and bone density
• Why a doctor's casual "you should lose weight" advice isn't a plan — it's a brush-off
• Three specific things you can do this week to start healing

I'm sharing my own story, too — including the moment my chronic migraines and cluster headaches almost completely disappeared after years of suffering. That was the moment I knew this wasn't a diet. This was healing.

I want to be clear: I'm not telling you that food cured my autoimmune diseases. I still have Hashimoto's, Raynaud's, and lupus. But my body finally got what it needed — and the difference was profound. Eight years later, I've maintained over 100 pounds of weight loss, my energy is steady, and I'm finally living the life I thought I'd lost.

If you've been working harder than anyone you know and getting nowhere — please, listen to this one.

Ready to start healing your metabolism? Get our free guide at Thinlicious.com/happy.

Episode Summary

Women have up to 70-80% lower creatine stores than men — and most of us have never been told that. In this episode Lisa digs into what that means for your brain, sleep, mood, muscles, and energy, and why creatine may be one of the most underreported tools in women's health right now.

What You'll Learn

• What creatine actually is and why it matters beyond the gym
• Why women have lower creatine stores — and why that gap widens in perimenopause
• How creatine supports brain energy (ATP) and what happens when levels run low
• The research on creatine and memory, processing speed, and mental clarity
• Why creatine may reduce depression symptoms — more so in women than men
• Creatine and sleep: the adenosine mechanism, the 2024 women's RCT, and the 2025 perimenopause findings
• The University of Kansas Alzheimer's pilot study
• Creatine + resistance training for muscle and bone health over 40
• How much to take: 5g for general health vs. 10g for brain-specific benefits

Start Here

Ready to heal your metabolism? thinlicious.com/happy

Studies Referenced

Cognitive Function & Memory

Xu et al. (2024) — Creatine & Cognitive Function: Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Nutrition.

Depression in Women

Lyoo et al. (2012) — Creatine Augmentation for SSRI in Women With Major Depression. American Journal of Psychiatry.

Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis: Creatine for Depression (2025). British Journal of Nutrition.

Sleep

Dworak et al. (2017) — Creatine Reduces Sleep Need & Homeostatic Sleep Pressure in Rats. Journal of Sleep Research.

Aguiar Bonfim Cruz et al. (2024) — Creatine Improves Sleep in Naturally Menstruating Females. Nutrients.

Gordji-Nejad et al. (2024) — Single Dose Creatine Improves Cognition During Sleep Deprivation. Scientific Reports.

Hall et al. (2025) — Creatine + Resistance Training in Peri/Postmenopausal Women: Sleep, Cognition, Strength. JISSN.

Alzheimer's Disease

Smith et al. (2025) — Creatine Monohydrate Pilot in Alzheimer's: Brain Creatine & Cognition. Alzheimer's & Dementia.

Brain Dosing: The Case for 10g

Dechent et al. (1999) — Creatine Increases Brain Creatine by 8.7% in Human Neuroimaging Study. American Journal of Physiology.

Candow et al. — Higher Creatine Doses for Brain Bioenergetics. Journal of Psychiatry and Brain Science.

Dr. Rhonda Patrick on 10g brain dosing (@foundmyfitness)

Medical Disclaimer: For educational purposes only. Not medical advice. Always consult your doctor before starting any new supplement.

If you've been wondering where we've been — this episode is your answer. And trust us, it was worth the wait.

Today, Ruth Soukup is joined by someone you may already know and love from inside the Thinlicious community: Lisa Joy Thompson. She's been here since day one — literally the very first coach in the TAS program — and today we're making it official. Lisa is now the majority owner of Thinlicious, and this podcast has a new home with her at the helm.

But before we get to the big news, we're taking you back to the beginning. Because the story of how this happened isn't just a business announcement. It's a God thing. And you need to hear it from the start.

In this episode, Ruth and Lisa share:

• How Ruth's decade-long yo-yo diet struggle led her to finally ask the right question — and lose 40 pounds in six months by ditching everything she'd been told about weight loss
• Lisa's parallel journey: diagnosed with autoimmune disease in her teens and twenties, hitting 280 pounds at 40, and eventually losing over 100 pounds (and keeping it off for eight years) by eating the same way TAS is built on
• The Christmas Eve party conversation that started it all — and why Ruth's first answer when asked "who would you sell Thinlicious to?" was Lisa, without hesitation
• What this transition actually means for you as a member of this community — and why the best of Thinlicious is still ahead
• What's coming next: more coaching, more community, and more of what has always made this program work

This isn't goodbye. It's the beginning of something even bigger. Ruth isn't disappearing — she's cheering Lisa on as her partner and biggest fan. And Lisa? She's been living this mission for years. She just gets to lead it now.

If you're a woman over 40 who's tired of feeling sick, exhausted, and like your body has stopped cooperating — you're in the right place. The Feel Better, Live Free podcast is back on a regular schedule, and we cannot wait to show you what's coming.

Ready to get started? Visit Thinlicious.com/happy to take your first step toward healing your body and getting your life back.

Two babies under two. 80 pounds lost. More energy than ever.
And the best part? She’s just getting started.

Today I’m excited to introduce you to one of my incredible clients, Tiffany Greer, and to share her incredible story, because it’s both super relatable and incredibly inspiring.

She’s a young mom of two little girls under the age of two, who joined the TAS program at 28 years old—and has since lost more than 80 pounds, completely transformed her energy, and reclaimed her confidence in a BIG way.

But her journey hasn’t been linear. She’s faced pregnancy, miscarriage, doubt, and even a few Taco Bell detours along the way. And yet, she kept coming back, and every time she did, she saw more results—because she finally found the truth about how her body actually works.

So whether you’re a busy mom, just getting started, or feel like you’ve tried everything, I know you’re going to be inspired by her story.

Let’s get into it.

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To learn more and get started on making this the year of you, be sure to visit thinlicious.com/program.

If you’ve tried everything—from doctors to diets to detoxes—and still feel exhausted, inflamed, or just off... this episode is for you.

Because what if the real reason you’re not healing isn’t your willpower... it’s that no one’s actually gotten to the root of what’s going on?

In this episode we’re chatting with Carrie Drinkwine, a regenerative health expert, root-cause specialist, and the founder of the Institute of Regenerative Health. After healing herself from multiple autoimmune conditions, chronic illness, and even infertility, Carrie made it her mission to help other women do the same—physically, emotionally, and energetically.

And let me tell you, this conversation is deep. We talk about why so many women get stuck in survival mode, what conventional and even functional medicine often misses, and how real healing can actually start when you go beyond just managing symptoms.

If your labs say you’re “fine” but you still feel like garbage… if you’ve spent years pushing through the pain, the fog, the anxiety—this episode is going to challenge what you think you know about your body.
But more than that, it’s going to give you hope.

So let’s dive in.

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You can find Carrie at www.carriedrinkwine.com
Or on her Socials
IG @carriedrinkwine
IG @instituteofregenerativehealth
LinkedIn
Facebook
TikTok @carriedrinkwine

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Want to learn more about how our program can help you lose weight and get healthy FOR LIFE without dieting or drugs, then I'd love to invite you to join me for my FREE training!

It will walk you through it all, and it's really good and really helpful.

To get all the info and get signed up, just go to thinlicious.com/happy. 

If you’ve ever peed a little when you laughed—or if sex has started to feel more painful than pleasurable—you might be dealing with pelvic floor dysfunction… even if no one’s ever told you that.

Pelvic floor issues are way more common than you think, especially for women over 40. So why aren’t we talking about them?

Well, today we are.

We’re going to be chatting with Christina Walsh, a licensed physical therapist and the co-founder of Tighten Your Tinkler, where she specializes in holistic pelvic floor health for women—especially those of us over 40.

Christina’s work is all about non-invasive, practical solutions to problems like leaks, prolapse, pelvic pain, and all the awkward stuff that no one wants to talk about—but so many of us are secretly dealing with.

And I’ve got to say, this conversation was SO eye-opening. Whether you’ve had kids or not, whether you’re in perimenopause or postmenopause, this is info every woman needs to hear.

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You can find Christina at tightenyourtinkler.com

Or on Instagram at @tighten.your.tinkler, and YouTube.

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Want to learn more about how our program can help you lose weight and get healthy FOR LIFE without dieting or drugs, then I'd love to invite you to join me for my FREE training!

It will walk you through it all, and it's really good and really helpful.

To get all the info and get signed up, just go to thinlicious.com/happy. 

In this eye-opening episode of Feel Better, Live Free, Ruth sits down with thyroid expert Dr. Eric Osansky to unpack one of the most misunderstood—but critically important—parts of your health: your thyroid.

Dr. Osansky is a chiropractor, clinical nutritionist, and certified functional medicine practitioner who overcame Graves’ disease using natural therapies. Now, he helps others do the same—specializing in both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, along with autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s.

If you’re a woman over 40 dealing with unexplained fatigue, brain fog, stubborn weight gain, or hormonal chaos, this conversation is a must-listen. You'll learn what the thyroid actually does, how it connects to other systems like your liver and gut, and why your “normal” lab results might be hiding a much deeper issue.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• The vital role your thyroid plays in metabolism, hormones, and energy
• How thyroid dysfunction shows up (even when labs look normal)
• The difference between hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Graves’ disease, and Hashimoto’s
• How your liver, gut, and immune system are all connected to thyroid health
• Natural treatment options and dietary strategies for Graves’ disease
• Why so many women are misdiagnosed—or never diagnosed at all

Resources & Links:

• Connect with Dr. Eric Osansky: savemythyroid.com
• Dr. Osansky’s Books: Natural Treatment Solutions for Hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease, Hashimoto’s Triggers, The Hyperthyroid Healing Diet
• Listen to the Save My Thyroid podcast
• Join Dr. Eric Osansky's newsletter

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Want to learn more about how our program can help you lose weight and get healthy FOR LIFE without dieting or drugs, then I'd love to invite you to join me for my FREE training!

It will walk you through it all, and it's really good and really helpful.

To get all the info and get signed up, just go to thinlicious.com/happy. 

Okay, let’s be honest—when was the last time you really thought about your dental work? Probably never.

But what if I told you that old filling, root canal, or even just skipping floss isn’t just about your teeth—it could actually be what’s messing with your hormones, draining your energy, and keeping you stuck?

Today’s episode is going to blow your mind… and maybe have you calling your dentist.

(Or looking for a new one!)

In this episode we are chatting with Dr. Michelle Jorgensen, a trailblazer in the world of Biologic and Holistic Dentistry. She’s an author, speaker, and teacher who had to completely reinvent her career after discovering that her own dental work was making her dangerously sick.

And through her healing journey, she uncovered some of the shocking risks most of us never even consider when it comes to modern dentistry—things like mercury poisoning, hidden infections, root canals, and how they’re all connected to your hormones, your immune system, and even your gut.

Now, through her practice at Total Care Dental, she’s helping people from around the world get their health back—starting with their mouth.

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You can find Dr. Michelle Jorgensen at livingwellwithdrmichelle.com

Or she's @livingwellwithdrmichelle on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. 

And you can get 10% off her Living Well products with code: Ruth10

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Get our FREE guide to finally fix your metabolism!

Losing weight & getting healthy is never easy, but lately you might feel like it’s suddenly become impossible.

Our Flip the Switch guide will help you clearly understand what’s been going on, as well as exactly what you can do to get your metabolism working again so that you can look and feel your best—it’s easier and more simple than you think! Get it HERE.

Okay, let’s be honest—confidence doesn’t always come easy, especially in midlife.

Between the career pivots, the body changes, and the whirlwind of life, it’s easy to feel like we’ve somehow lost our spark.

But what if confidence isn’t something you're either born with or not… what if it’s something you can actually build—one intentional step at a time?

And what if reinvention isn't just possible at this stage of life—but actually easier because of everything you've already overcome?

Today’s guest, Karen Fabian, is showing us exactly how to do that—and trust me, you’re going to want to take notes.

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Your Website URL
Find Karen at her website: barebonesyoga.com
Or on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube

Get Karen's 5 Day Confidence Challenge HERE.

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Get our FREE guide to finally fix your metabolism!

Losing weight & getting healthy is never easy, but lately you might feel like it’s suddenly become impossible.

Our Flip the Switch guide will help you clearly understand what’s been going on, as well as exactly what you can do to get your metabolism working again so that you can look and feel your best—it’s easier and more simple than you think! Get it HERE.