The Natural Doctors

Struggling to lose weight despite changing your diet and staying active? Insulin resistance, hormonal changes, inflammation, and other health factors may deserve a closer look.

In Part 2 of our three-part weight-loss series, Dr. Jennifer Stagg and Dr. Katie DiNello discuss the physiology behind weight-loss resistance, including a patient case involving perimenopause.In this episode, we explore:

• Insulin resistance and why a normal A1C may not tell the whole story

• Inflammation and the role of testing such as C-reactive protein

• Perimenopause, estrogen changes, and weight management

• Leptin, GLP-1, and the signals involved in hunger and fullness

• The gut microbiome and its relationship with metabolism

• Thyroid function, mitochondrial health, and nutrient status

• Meal sequencing, fiber, eating patterns, sleep, and stress

• When individualized assessment and testing may be useful

Learn how these factors fit together and what to discuss with your healthcare professional when progress has stalled.

Disclaimer: For educational purposes only; not medical advice. Listening does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. Consult your healthcare professional before changing your treatment.

Why does losing weight feel so difficult—even when you’re trying to eat better? Your food environment, daily stress, sleep patterns, and habits can all influence appetite and metabolic health.

In Part 1 of our three-part weight-loss series, Dr. Jennifer Stagg and Dr. Katie DiNello explore how modern life can make weight management harder—and practical ways to start changing that.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Environmental exposures, including BPA and PFAS, and their potential effects on metabolic health

• Ultra-processed foods, food engineering, and why some foods are easy to overeat

• Stress, cortisol, and disrupted daily rhythms

• Nighttime snacking, food cues, and the role of daily routines

• Whole foods, bitter greens, green tea, and fermented foods

• Setting up your home and schedule to make healthy choices easier

Weight management involves biology, behavior, and the environment around you. Understanding those influences can help you build a more sustainable approach.

Disclaimer: For educational purposes only; not medical advice. Listening does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. Consult your healthcare professional before changing your treatment.

Taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) but still feeling exhausted, foggy, or frustrated with weight changes? Hormones may be only part of the picture.

Dr. Jennifer Stagg and Dr. Katie DiNello break down what HRT can help with—from hot flashes and night sweats to sleep, vaginal health, and bone protection—and why some symptoms need a broader approach.

In this episode, we explore:
• Persistent fatigue, brain fog, and disrupted sleep
• Inflammation, gut health, and the microbiome
• Insulin resistance, metabolic changes, and why HRT isn’t a weight-loss treatment
• Stress, burnout, and feeling depleted entering menopause
• Joint discomfort and changes in alcohol tolerance
• The emotional shifts of menopause, including identity, creativity, and finding new meaning

If your hormones are “optimized” but you still don’t feel like yourself, there’s more to explore. Join us for a candid conversation about looking beyond hormones to support your health through menopause.

Learn more at thenaturaldoctors.org and follow @naturaldoctors.

For educational purposes only; not a substitute for individualized medical advice.

What actually happens inside your body when you stop eating?

In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Stagg and Dr. Katie DiNello break down the science of intermittent fasting, autophagy, and metabolic flexibility—and what fasting may mean for insulin sensitivity, weight, energy, and healthy aging.

We cover 12-hour and 16:8 fasting, longer fasts, fasting-mimicking diets, coffee and fasting, exercise, fasting for women, and who should avoid fasting.

Is fasting worth the hype? Listen in as we separate the science from the trends.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Talk with your healthcare provider before making significant dietary changes or beginning a fasting program, particularly if you have a medical condition, take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a history of an eating disorder.

Have you cleaned up your diet, eliminated junk food and cut back on sweets—yet the scale still won’t budge or your blood sugar markers aren’t improving?

Some nutrient-dense foods can quietly add significant calories, sugar and carbohydrates when portions and ingredients aren’t considered. In this episode of The Natural Doctors, Dr. Katie DiNello and Dr. Jennifer Stagg reveal five “healthy” foods that may be working against your weight-loss and metabolic-health goals.

YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why clean eating doesn’t always lead to fat loss
• How granola and healthy cereals can hide added sugar and concentrated calories
• Why casual spoonfuls of nut butter add up quickly
• How to build a more balanced smoothie or açaí bowl
• Why dried fruit can affect the body differently than whole fruit
• How to prepare oatmeal without turning it into a blood-sugar trap
• How portions and misleading package claims influence metabolic progress

This episode isn’t about fearing food or following another restrictive diet. It’s about understanding portions, reading beyond front-of-package marketing and making informed choices that support weight, blood sugar and long-term metabolic health.

Medical Disclaimer: This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or health plan.

Are you constantly bloated—or have you been told you have IBS without a clear explanation for why?

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO, may be one of the underlying causes. In this episode, Dr. Jen Stagg and Dr. Katie DiNello explain what SIBO is, why it develops, and why treating the overgrowth alone may not prevent it from returning.

You’ll learn:

• The connection between SIBO and IBS
• The differences between hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen-sulfide SIBO
• Why food poisoning, stress, low stomach acid, medications, and impaired gut motility may contribute
• How SIBO is tested and diagnosed
• Why probiotics and fiber can sometimes worsen symptoms
• Natural and conventional treatment options
• Why restrictive diets aren’t a long-term solution
• The importance of addressing digestion, motility, nutrient deficiencies, and the underlying terrain

If you’ve been struggling with chronic bloating, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, food reactions, or unexplained digestive symptoms, this episode will help you understand what may be happening—and which questions to ask next.

Follow The Natural Doctors for weekly conversations about gut health, metabolic health, hormones, inflammation, longevity, and evidence-informed natural medicine.

Medical disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Are you experiencing numbness, tingling, burning, weakness, or “pins and needles” in your hands or feet? These symptoms may be signs of peripheral neuropathy—but understanding why they are happening is essential to finding the right approach.

In this episode of The Natural Doctors, Dr. Jen Stagg and Dr. Katie DiNello explain what peripheral neuropathy is, how nerve damage develops, and why nerve symptoms can reflect deeper metabolic, nutritional, inflammatory, or systemic imbalances.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

• Common causes of numbness, tingling, burning, pain, and weakness
• How blood sugar dysregulation, insulin resistance, and diabetes affect the nerves
• The role of vitamin and nutrient deficiencies in nerve health
• How inflammation and oxidative stress may contribute to nerve dysfunction
• Practical nutrition and lifestyle strategies that support nerve and metabolic health
• Key clinical nutrients used for natural nerve support

If you’ve been told that nothing can be done—or that these symptoms are simply something you have to live with—this episode will help you understand which questions to ask and why finding the root cause matters.

Follow The Natural Doctors so you don’t miss new episodes about metabolic health, gut health, hormones, inflammation, brain health, natural medicine, and healthy aging. If you find the show helpful, please rate it and share this episode with someone who may benefit.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your physician or another qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical condition or treatment.

Protein is everywhere right now—from shakes and bars to high-protein snacks and oversized portions of meat. We’re told it’s the answer to weight loss, muscle building, energy and healthy aging. But if more protein automatically produced better results, why are so many women still struggling with their weight, digestion and body composition?

In this episode of The Natural Doctors, Dr. Jen Stagg and Dr. Katie DiNello explain why protein is essential—but more isn’t always better. Your ideal intake depends on your age, activity level, metabolic health, life stage and individual goals.

We break down five ways a high-protein diet may be working against you:

• Adding protein without accounting for the additional calories
• Developing bloating and digestive problems after increasing protein too quickly
• Crowding out fiber-rich, antioxidant-rich plant foods
• Expecting protein to build muscle without strength training
• Relying on highly processed bars, shakes, chips and “protein-enhanced” foods

We also discuss insulin resistance, kidney function, the gut microbiome, muscle and bone health, protein quality, and the nuanced research surrounding animal protein and cancer risk. Plus, we share practical ways to incorporate plant proteins such as edamame, tempeh and nutritional yeast without replacing meat with highly processed, high-glycemic alternatives.

The goal isn’t to fear protein or eliminate it. It’s to find the right amount and the right balance for your body—so protein supports your metabolism, strength and long-term health instead of quietly working against them.

Follow The Natural Doctors for practical, physician-led conversations about metabolic health, nutrition, hormones, gut health and healthy aging.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Are your periods changing, sleep disrupted, weight shifting, or mood suddenly different? Is it perimenopause—or could something else be going on?

🌸 Perimenopause is everywhere right now, and greater awareness is a good thing. But there’s a risk in attributing every change in a woman’s 30s, 40s, and 50s to hormones.

In this episode of The Natural Doctors, Dr. Jen Stagg and Dr. Katie DiNello unpack what actually happens during the perimenopausal transition—and why the full picture involves much more than simply having “low” or “broken” hormones.

🩺 We cover:
• The signs and symptoms of perimenopause
• Why estrogen can swing high and low during this transition
• Period changes, sleep disruption, mood changes, and weight gain
• How metabolic health and aging can mimic—or amplify—hormonal symptoms
• Why hormone testing during perimenopause can be complicated
• What “normal” labs do and don’t tell you
• Why simply adding estrogen isn’t always the whole answer
• How to support your health through perimenopause and beyond

💡 The takeaway: Your hormones aren’t broken. Perimenopause is a transition, and understanding what’s actually changing can help you make better-informed decisions about your hormones, metabolism, lifestyle, and long-term health.

🎙️ The Natural Doctors brings you practical, science-backed conversations about hormones, metabolic health, gut health, inflammation, nutrition, and healthy aging.

The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with your physician or other qualified healthcare professional regarding your individual health needs and before making changes to your treatment plan.

Why do you wake up at 3 AM every night? Why can’t you fall asleep—or sleep eight hours and still wake up exhausted?

Your specific sleep pattern may offer important clues about what is disrupting your rest. In this episode, Dr. Jen Stagg and Dr. Katie DiNello break down the most common sleep problems they see in clinical practice and explore the possible underlying contributors.

We discuss:

• Feeling “wired but tired” at bedtime
• Waking repeatedly between 2 and 4 AM
• Waking before your alarm
• Sleeping all night but never feeling restored
• Circadian rhythm and cortisol patterns
• Blood-sugar fluctuations, caffeine and alcohol
• Menopause and other hormonal changes
• Inflammation, nutrient status and sleep apnea
• Morning light, evening routines and sleep environment
• Natural sleep strategies, supplements and testing commonly considered in practice

Sleep affects far more than energy. It plays a critical role in brain health, metabolism, appetite, hormones, immune function and cardiovascular health.

If you’ve been trying to improve your sleep without understanding why it keeps going wrong, this episode will help you start looking at the pattern—and the possible root cause.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information shared does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. Always consult your qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health, medications, supplements or treatment plan.