In this powerful episode of Hormones, Metabolism & You!, board-certified endocrinologist Dr. Cassie Smith sits down with nutrition pioneer Shana Hussin, RDN, for an open-hearted conversation about why the health trends we follow can sometimes backfire—especially when stress and burnout are involved.

What You’ll Hear:

• How fasting backfired during a season of high stress and adrenal exhaustion.

• The role of hormones like leptin and cortisol in regulating appetite, sleep, and metabolic balance.

• Why one-size-fits-all health plans fail, especially around hormone and gut health.

• Shana’s personal pivot—from rigid fasting to listening to her body and honoring circadian rhythms.

• The healing power of grounding, gut support, and restoring rhythm over restriction.

✨ Feel Great System – Clean, effective daily support for metabolic health

🎓 Courses & Programs – Including Low Insulin Academy, Cortisol Calm, and more

💬 Follow Shana on Instagram – Daily tips, truth bombs, and healing insights

🎙️ More Podcast Episodes – Optimal Metabolism podcast archive

If you’ve ever wondered what it actually feels like when your metabolism turns back on, or whether insulin resistance can creep back in after reversing it—this episode is for you. Shana Hussin, RDN, shares powerful answers to real questions from her community, including how the Feel Great system can support healthy cholesterol levels and even help some people get off statins. These bite-sized insights are perfect for anyone feeling stuck in their weight, blood sugar, or hormone healing journey.

• What real metabolic healing feels like (and how to know it’s happening)

• Why insulin resistance can return—but how to prevent it

• How the Feel Great system impacts cholesterol, digestion, and medication use

• Tips for keeping weight off after a win

• 🌟 Low Insulin Academy (Signature Course): https://shanahussinwellness.com/programs-courses/low-insulin-academy-on-demand/

• 🌿 Cortisol Calm: https://shanahussinwellness.com/programs-courses/cortisol-calm-signature-course/

• 💛 Feel Great System: https://shanahussinwellness.com/programs-courses/feelgreat/

• 📘 Feel Great Implementation Guide: https://shanahussinwellness.com/feelgreatopt-in/

• 📚 ALL Free Guides + Ebooks: https://shanahussinwellness.com/additional-resources/freebies/

• 🏡 Homepage: https://shanahussinwellness.com

• DM “FEEL GREAT” to get the Feel Great System link & guide

• DM “FREEBIES” to grab all my free guides + ebooks

👉 Follow me here: @shana.hussin.rdn

In this powerful episode, Shana Hussin sits down with fellow registered dietitian Shannon Davis to unpack her personal and professional journey through infertility, insulin resistance, and metabolic disease. Shannon shares how shifting to a low-carb lifestyle—and later discovering the Feel Great System—transformed her health, helped her conquer intense sugar cravings, and brought her cholesterol and triglycerides back into balance.

You’ll hear how Shannon now uses these same strategies to help her clients reverse type 2 diabetes and regain control over their blood sugar, cravings, and energy.

✨ SPECIAL EVENT ALERT: On August 13th, join Shana and Shannon LIVE on YouTube for the Metabolic Marathon, a powerful day of collaboration between dietitians and doctors with the American Diabetes Society. Sessions run from 12–6 p.m. CT — don’t miss it!

🛒 Explore the Feel Great System: https://shanahussinwellness.com/programs-courses/feelgreat/

🔗 Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Home: https://shanahussinwellness.com

• Feel Great System: https://shanahussinwellness.com/programs-courses/feelgreat/

• Metabolic Marathon (August 13): 

• Shannon’s personal story of overcoming infertility and insulin resistance

• How going low-carb shifted everything

• What makes the Feel Great System so effective (Yerba mate + fiber blend)

• The impact of metabolic health on cravings and cholesterol

• Shannon’s client results: weight loss, blood sugar stability, and diabetes reversal

• Why this system makes intermittent fasting easier—and sustainable

• Upcoming Metabolic Marathon collaboration on August 13

Episode Description: In today’s episode (originally recorded as an Instagram Live), I’m answering some of your most pressing questions about insulin resistance and the buzz around GLP-1 medications—through the lens of real healing, root cause solutions, and God’s design for the body.

We’re talking about:

• Why you might still have insulin resistance even if your labs look “normal”

• What actually happens when insulin is high—even if your blood sugar isn’t

• How long it takes to reverse insulin resistance (and what most people get wrong)

• Why some people struggle with insulin resistance even when they’re not overweight

• What GLP-1 is, and why it affects hunger and fat loss

• How to naturally support GLP-1 function without meds

• What happens when you stop taking medications like Ozempic or Mounjaro

• And the truth about whether GLP-1 meds fix root issues or just mask symptoms

Plus: I’m sharing the exact free resources and tools I use with clients to naturally support insulin, blood sugar, and hormone balance—without gimmicks or restriction.

🧰 Free Resources Mentioned: Browse all my freebies here: https://shanahussinwellness.com/#freebies

• Insulin Resistance Starting Guide – DM or comment “GUIDE”

• Circadian Reset Foundations Guide – DM or comment “FOUNDATIONS”

• 3AM Wake-Up Fix – DM or comment “3AM”

• Hormone-Friendly Fasting Guide – DM or comment “SAFEFAST”

🛍️ Product Recommendations & Tools I Trust: My curated favorites for metabolic and hormone support: 👉 https://shanahussinwellness.com/products

💛 The Feel Great System (Unicity): Want to try the system I personally use and recommend to clients to support insulin balance, blood sugar stability, and energy? Start here 👉 https://ufeelgreat.com/c/SHANAH Don’t forget to use code SHANAH at checkout!

f you're stuck in a cycle of poor sleep, cravings, fatigue, and stubborn weight gain, this episode is for you. I sat down with Jill McRae, co-founder of Inactive Co., to dive into the often-overlooked link between sleep and insulin resistance—especially for midlife women battling hormone chaos.

We explore how modern life disrupts your natural sleep-wake rhythms and what it really takes to restore deep, healing rest without pills or complex protocols. Jill shares powerful insights from the Sleep 7 Playbook, a faith-rooted and biology-based approach to resetting your nervous system and supporting your metabolism through rest.

Whether you’re dealing with adrenal fatigue, high cortisol, or a constant “wired but tired” feeling—this episode will bring clarity and practical tools for transformation.

Use code SLEEP25 for 25% off your sleep mask and free shipping!

• 🛏️ Grab the Sleep 7 Playbook from Inactive Co.: inactiveco.com/sleep-7-playbook

• 🧠 Book your GET UNSTUCK Wellness Audit 

• 🌐 Visit Shana's Programs + Courses: shanahussinwellness.com

• Jill’s personal story of sleep struggles and transformation

• Why poor sleep is a root cause of insulin resistance and weight gain

• How circadian rhythm disruption leads to hormone chaos

• The difference between “active body” and “active mind” sleep problems

• The impact of artificial light, evening stress, and overstimulation

• The 7 core foundations of sleep from the Sleep 7 Playbook

• How to honor rest as a spiritual and biological necessity

• Simple shifts you can make tonight to sleep deeper and wake up more energized

🔎 Episode Summary: Are your high blood sugar readings truly coming from what you're eating—or is your nervous system the real culprit? In this solo episode (taken from Instagram LIVE), Shana unpacks the hidden connection between cortisol and glucose, sharing her personal journey of dealing with high morning blood sugars, plus how to identify whether you’re dealing with insulin resistance or a stress response. She explains how to test and interpret both cortisol and blood sugar levels, and how to know whether Cortisol Calm, Low Insulin Academy, or the new Get Unstuck Audit is the right next step for you.

Shana also answers powerful listener-submitted questions about fasting patterns, morning glucose spikes, and how to approach healing when clean eating alone isn’t cutting it.

🧠 Topics Covered:

• Cortisol-driven vs food-driven blood sugar spikes

• The truth about high morning glucose and Dawn Phenomenon

• When stress—not sugar—is the problem

• Cortisol and blood sugar testing 101

• Personal story: How I solved my high AM blood sugars

• How to choose between Cortisol Calm and Low Insulin Academy

• Who should consider the new Get Unstuck Audit

• Listener Q&A on CGMs, stress, fasting, and insulin resistance

📌 LINKS & RESOURCES: 💻 Get the “Get Unstuck” Wellness Audit – use code AUDIT47 to save $47! 🎓 Low Insulin Academy 🧘‍♀️ Cortisol Calm Course 🏡 Home Page 📲 Message “AUDIT” on Instagram to get your discount!

We’ve been told cancer is genetic… or just bad luck. But what if that’s not the whole story?

In this deeply personal and eye-opening episode, I share the journey of my mom—a nurse, a night-shift worker, and a fighter who passed away just 7 months after her pancreatic and liver cancer diagnosis. For well over a decade, she was told to "watch" elevated liver enzymes while living in a circadian storm of artificial light, disrupted sleep, and minimal sun exposure.

Her story—combined with the latest research—is a powerful case study for rethinking cancer as a metabolic disease rooted in mitochondrial dysfunction, circadian disruption, and environmental chaos.

Inside this episode:

• Why blue light and lack of infrared may be more dangerous than we think

• How 90% of melatonin is made inside your cells—and why that matters

• The truth about seed oils, vitamin D, and sun exposure

• The lifestyle “storm” that quietly builds cancer risk

• What you can do NOW to reset your light, rhythm, and repair systems

📩 Get my FREE Circadian Reset Guide by commenting or DMing FOUNDATIONS on Instagram.

🎧 Resources & Mentions:

• The Light Doctor by Dr. Martin Moore-Ede

• Circadian light hygiene and red light therapy product recommendations

• MyCircadian app by Sarah Kleiner Wellness

• Cortisol Calm and Low Insulin Academy courses to overcome metabolic dysfunction

Could the invisible waves around us be damaging our children’s brains, hormones, and fertility? In this critical episode, Shana Hussin, RDN, interviews Arthur de Calenge, founder of HAVN (Havnwear), about the powerful yet often overlooked effects of EMF (electromagnetic field) exposure on human health.

Arthur breaks down what EMFs really are, how they affect our biology—especially in children and reproductive health—and why 5G presents new concerns. They also explore how silver-lined clothing can serve as a powerful shield, and how you can take simple, meaningful steps to protect your home and family.

If you’re struggling with fatigue, hormonal imbalance, fertility challenges, or raising children in a tech-heavy world—this episode is for you.

• 🛡️ HAVN EMF-Blocking Apparel: havnwear.com Use code OPTIMAL for 10% off your order

• 🧠 Learn More About Shana’s Courses: Low Insulin Academy Cortisol Calm

• What EMFs actually are and where they come from

• Why children are more sensitive to EMF exposure

• Symptoms of EMF overload most people ignore

• The link between EMFs, fertility, and hormone disruption

• What changed when we went from 4G to 5G

• How HAVN’s silver-lined apparel blocks over 99% of EMFs

• Simple steps to protect your family—without going off-grid

If you’ve ever wondered why you feel great one minute—and crash the next—or why your weight won’t budge despite healthy eating, it might be time to try a CGM.

In this solo episode, Shana Hussin, RDN, breaks down what a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is, why it’s one of the most powerful tools in metabolic healing, and how to use it effectively. Whether you’re managing insulin resistance, adrenal fatigue, or just curious about your patterns—this is the clarity you need.

You’ll learn:

• How CGMs work and why real-time glucose data matters

• What to look for in your daily glucose curve

• How to get your own CGM 

• When elevated blood sugar is caused by food vs cortisol

• How to use your data to build a healing plan

• Stelo CGMs – https://www.stelo.com

• Lingo CGMs- https://www.hellolingo.com/

• Low Insulin Academy – https://shanahussinwellness.com/programs-courses/low-insulin-academy-on-demand/

• Cortisol Calms Program – https://shanahussinwellness.com/programs-courses/cortisol-calm-signature-course/

• What is a CGM and how does it differ from traditional glucose testing

• The importance of timing, meal tracking, and lifestyle logging

• Benefits of using a CGM platform

• How CGM trends reveal insulin resistance and cortisol issues

• Actionable tips for interpreting your data and creating lasting change

🎓 Ready to make sense of your glucose patterns? ➡️ Enroll in Low Insulin Academy to understand insulin resistance from the inside out 🌙 Struggling with morning highs? Get to the root with Cortisol Calm

In this raw and deeply personal episode of Optimal Metabolism, I’m opening up about something far beyond food, fasting, or hormones: my spiritual transformation.

Over the past several years, I’ve experienced tremendous success—and tremendous loss. What started as a nutrition therapy business rooted in service began to feel more like striving. I found myself chasing downloads, metrics, and content calendars… and losing sight of who I was really called to be.

✨ In this episode, I share:

• Why I stepped away from social media and podcasting for a season

• How I realized I was idolizing my business

• The power of obedience and stillness when life feels out of control

• What God is showing me about rest, identity, and true healing

• How I’m rebuilding my work around Him—not around hustle

This is a heartfelt invitation to pause, reflect, and consider whether you’re prioritizing spiritual health as much as physical.

• The unspoken pressure behind business success in the health world

• Recognizing when social media becomes spiritual distraction

• How stepping away brought clarity to your faith and family

• What it means to trust God with your business and your purpose

• Encouragement for others stuck in the cycle of “doing more”

Want to connect with me personally or share your story? Message me on Instagram: @shana.hussin.rdn