Episode 14: Hot Flashes at Night? Breath As Medicine

Guest: Angelia Abouhassan — founder of The Breath Lady Project, trauma-informed breathwork facilitator, stroke survivor, and Hatha yoga teacher
Release Date: November 4, 2025
Length: ~40 minutes

Episode Summary

You’ve been told to “just breathe”—but what if that makes things worse? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Stacey sits down with Angelia Abouhassan, a trauma-informed breathwork guide who rebuilt her body and emotional safety after a stroke.

Together, they unpack breathwork that won’t trigger your nervous system, including the double-exhale pattern that can support hot flash recovery and sensory regulation. This episode is especially for women navigating perimenopause, masking fatigue, and neurodivergence, who need somatic healing that’s safe, slow, and mapped to your lived experience.

What You’ll Learn

• Why “just breathe” often backfires—and how trauma-informed cues really work
• The double-exhale breath to interrupt hot flash cascades (short inhale, longer exhale)
• The power of low-dose, consistent breathwork over high-intensity interventions
• How to recognize high-activation methods (like Wim Hof) that may overwhelm the system
• Safer options for alexithymia, masking, and sensory burnout (mirror work, Yoga Nidra, guided breath scans)

Chapter Markers

00:00 – From Stroke Survivor to Breath Work Practitioner
 06:54 – The Role of Breath in Healing and Safety
 08:42 – Reframing Trauma and Healing
 10:41 – Understanding Interoception and Proprioception
 12:36 – Neuroplasticity and Breath Work
 16:29 – Breath Work for Women in Perimenopause
 18:46 – Trauma-Informed Breath Work Explained
 20:53 – Designing Practices for Overloaded Clients
 22:23 – Breath Work for Hot Flashes
 24:49 – Breath Work for Neurodivergent Women
 26:02 – Nourishing vs. Numbing the Nervous System
 27:58 – Adapting Breath Work for Different Needs
 30:52 – Choosing a Breath Work Practitioner
 33:27 – Nourish or Numb: Everyday Patterns
 40:04 – Practical Techniques for Managing Hot Flashes

Resources Mentioned

• The Breath Lady Project – Angelia Abouhassan
  • Website

  • Instagram

  • Facebook Community

  • LinkedIn

• Free Quiz – What kind of menopause burnout are you?
  → drstaceydenise.com/menopause-burnout-quiz

💌 Connect with Dr. Stacey Denise

• Instagram @DrStaceyDenise

• Blog + Newsletter

• Waitlist for Upcoming Masterclass

• Programs + tools → drstaceydenise.com

Podcast: The Nervous System Eats First
Episode: Eating Feels Impossible? 3 Food-Environment Fixes for Perimenopausal Neurodivergent Women
Guest: Michael Lawrence — Master Chef (World Master Chef Society), Licensed Architect

Episode summary:
Have you noticed the same meal is comforting in one space but exhausting in another? Chef–Architect Michael Lawrence joins Dr. Stacey to reveal how light, sound, temperature, color, and texture shape your appetite, attention, and digestion before the first bite. You’ll learn three food-environment fixes and a 60-second sensory reset you can apply tonight—at home or out—so eating feels calmer and more nourishing, especially in perimenopause. 

Key topics & timestamps:

• 00:00 — Why eating feels “impossible” (it’s not your fault) 

• 01:24 — Who this is for: late-diagnosed, high-masking autistic women in midlife 

• 02:28 — Michael’s dual lens: Master Chef + Architect (sensory-first design) 

• 06:20 — The room speaks first: invisible sensory cues (light/sound/texture) 

• 07:48 — Fix #1: Quiet the Room (soften light, reduce noise, steady temperature) 

• 08:25 — Fix #2: On-Plate Design (color + texture → grounding & satiety) 

• 20:11 — Fix #3: 60-Second Sensory Reset (pre-bite downshift ritual) 

• 20:23 — Nourish or Numb lightning round: car eating, candlelight, “perfect bowl” 

• 24:24 — One gentle ritual if you’ve been eating in survival mode 

• 25:24 — Where to find Michael + free quiz & resources 

Takeaways:

• Environment is medicine: Your eating space can up- or down-regulate your nervous system. 

• Perfect Bite > willpower: Pair warm/soft with crisp/fresh to invite appetite gently. 

• Rituals beat rules: A 60-second pre-bite reset changes how your body receives food. 

Resources & links:

• Free “Menopause Burnout” Quiz → https://drstaceydenise.com/menopause-burnout-quiz/
  
  
• Watch the video podcast → https://drstaceydenise.com/video-podcast/
  
  
• Listen to the audio podcast → https://drstaceydenise.com/audio-podcast/
  
  
• Guest — Michael Lawrence: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-lawrence-ml-design-studio/ • Site → https://ml-design-studio.webnode.page/
  
  

Credits & CTA:
Hosted by Dr. Stacey Denise, Lifestyle Medicine Physician & Neuroaesthetic MD. If this helped, share it with a friend who’s eating on survival mode.

Subscribe on YouTube and your favorite podcast app, and take the free quiz to get your personalized reset rituals.

Episode summary

Temple Grandin and Dr. Stacey Denise outline digital-hygiene rules for autistic adults: what the algorithm rabbit hole does to mental health, the one-hour screen rule, how to curate your feed, and simple swaps for real-world connection that lowers anxiety and improves sleep—vital during perimenopause/menopause.

EDUCATIONAL SUMMARY
1.Social media can lead to isolation for autistic individuals.
2.Real-life activities are essential for building connections.
3.Slow transitions are crucial for autistic individuals to adapt.
4.Shared interests can help form friendships among autistic individuals.
5.Real activities can help reduce anxiety and improve mental health.
6.Creating a safer digital environment is necessary for young people.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 — Social Media Isolation and Its Impact
02:35 — The Importance of Real-Life Connections
05:18 — Practical tools: Checklists and Independence
06:51 — Temple Grandin’s Anxiety Journey
08:14 — How parents balance Independence with safety
10:02 — How to build Lasting Friendships
11:37 — Risks, Mentorships and Community Repair
14:20 — Digital Isolation impact on mental health
15:40-    How to ensure young people Learn the skills they need
17:40 -   Parents Safety & Real Activities
23:22-    Creating a Safer Digital Environment
25:10-    Communities & Retirees
27:52-    Take Away
28:20 -   Nourish or Numb

RESOURCES
Temple Grandin : 
Website: https://www.templegrandin.com/
Facebook : https://web.facebook.com/drtemplegrandin/
X                :  https://x.com/DrTempleGrandin

WORK WITH ME / LINKS
▸ Start your Neuroaesthetic Reset Blueprint™ →https://drstaceydenise.com/menopause-burnout-quiz/
▸ Learn more about Autism & Menopause →https://drstaceydenise.com/audio-podcast/
▸ Join the Newsletter for tools + research →https://drstaceydenise.com/waitlist/ 
▸ Follow on Instagram & YouTube → drstaceydenise.com
DISCLAIMER Educational only; not medical advice.

#drstaceydenis #Autism #MentalHealth #SocialMedia

Credits

Host: Dr. Stacey Denise. Produced by TNSEF—The Nervous System Eats First.

Welcome to The Nervous System Eats First — a podcast where science, story, and sensory wisdom meet to help neurodivergent women in midlife and menopause reclaim energy, intimacy, and emotional clarity.

I’m Dr. Stacey Denise, a physician-artist and Neuroaesthetic MD. After years of bridging medicine, neuroscience, and color psychology, I created the Neuroaesthetic Reset™ to support women who feel “tired but wired,” emotionally flatlined, or disconnected in their most important relationships.

Here, we explore three essential journeys:

   1.       Resilience & Calm: Nervous System Adaptation for Neurodivergent Women Over 40: Exhausted, But Not Broken

→ Why you’re always tired even when labs are “normal,” and how nervous system rituals, hormone literacy, and color-based resets restore vitality.

   2.      Energy, Sleep & Hormone Rituals for Neurodivergent Women Over 40: Healing Emotional Numbness & Identity Loss

→ What alexithymia and sensory overwhelm look like in menopause, and how interoception, art, and ritual help you name and feel again.

   3.       Regulation & Pleasure Rituals: Sensory Self-Intimacy Tools for Menopausal, Autistic & BIPOC Women: No More Numb, No More Shame

→ How hormones, trauma, and touch aversion affect midlife desire — and what neuroaesthetic rituals can do to rebuild intimacy, without pressure or shame.

Expect candid solo episodes, healing memoir interviews, and expert guest conversations blending evidence with lived wisdom. Each episode closes with a Neuroaesthetic Reset Ritual you can try right away — because healing isn’t just knowledge, it’s sensory practice.

If you’re a high-functioning, neurodivergent, or BIPOC woman in menopause who is done with surface-level hacks and ready for embodied, beautiful solutions — this podcast is your sanctuary.

📌 Take the free quiz: What Kind of Menopause Burnout Are You? 

You don’t need to perform your peace. You just need space to return to it.

Have you ever said, “I don’t even recognize myself anymore” — but your labs come back “normal”?

That gap between how you feel and what you can explain isn’t weakness. It has a name: interoception — the body’s hidden sense that helps you feel safe, centered, and alive. When menopause, neurodivergence, or trauma mutes that internal signal, your nervous system loses its compass. The result? Alexithymia, shutdown, and emotional disconnection. 

In this conversation, Dr. Stacey Denise sits down with Dr. Kelly Mahler, award-winning occupational therapist and interoception researcher, to unpack the sensory and emotional truth behind why midlife can feel so flat — and what it takes to feel again. 

Primary keywords: autistic women, interoception, alexithymia, menopause, neurodivergence, trauma-informed care, sensory regulation, burnout, emotional numbness.

 What You’ll Learn: 

• What interoception is — and why it disappears in midlife
• How alexithymia shows up in high-functioning women
• Why trauma, stress, and ND masking blunt your body’s signals
• The difference between nourishing and numbing rituals
• Gentle ways to rebuild body trust and emotional access (no perfection required)

 This Is For You If:

• You feel emotionally numb, flat, or “not yourself”
• You shut down under stress or can’t explain how you feel
• You’ve been told “everything looks normal” — but it isn’t
• You’re navigating menopause and feeling disconnected from your body
• You’re ND, sensory-sensitive, or just deeply tired of powering through

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 —  What is Interoception
01:40 —  Grounding the Science
02:30 —  Dr. Kelly Mahler
03:39 — Defining Interoception
05:43 — Trauma Complex Post- Traumatic stress disorder
10:46 — How to better discuss emotions
12:21 — How to intercept interoception with mainstream
16:22 — Double Empathy Problem
21:24 — Basic scoresheet for body disconnection
25:06-    Translation into Healthy Living
29:40-    Can Interoception help women in menopause
32:23-    Nourishing or Numb
35:33-   Take a free quiz

LINKS & TOOLS 
Take the free quiz: What kind of menopause burnout are you? → https://drstaceydenise.com/take-the-quiz 
Join the newsletter (monthly micro-practices + sensory tools) → https://drstaceydenise.com/blog/ 
Join the waitlist for the upcoming masterclass → https://drstaceydenise.com/waitlist/
  
RESOURCES
Website : https://www.kelly-mahler.com/
Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-mahler/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelly_mahler/

👩🏾‍⚕️ Hosted by:

Dr. Stacey Denise, The Neuroaesthetic MD
Founder of The Neuroaesthetic Reset Method™ and SDM Medical PLLC
Website: www.drstaceydenise.com
Instagram: @drstaceydenise

👤 Featured Guest:

Dr. Kelly Mahler, OTD, OTR/L
🌍 www.kelly-mahler.com
📸 @kelly_mahler

📚 Resources:

💡 Take the free quiz: What’s Blocking Your Menopause Energy & Intimacy?
🎧 Listen to more episodes: The Neuroaesthetic MD™ Podcast
🧠 Join the email list: drstaceydenise.com/podcast
 

🎧 Episode 8: Beyond the Bowl — How Flexibility, Flavor & Feeling Your Way Through Food Can Reset Your Brain

Host: Dr. Stacey Denise

Guest: Dr. Nina Cherie Franklin

Listen on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio

 Episode Summary:

What if the way you build a salad could help rebuild your nervous system?

In this soulful and science-woven episode, Dr. Stacey Denise sits down with clinical nutritionist and That Salad Lady founder Dr. Nina Cherie Franklin to explore what nourishment really means in midlife—especially for women navigating brain fog, shutdown cycles, emotional fatigue, and sensory overwhelm.

Together, they move beyond diets, detoxes, and default wellness rules into a rhythm-based, symptom-informed approach to eating—one rooted in clarity, flexibility, and truth.

Dr. Franklin shares the origin story behind her Build Your Bowl framework and how her new book (The Build Your Bowl Salad Cookbook) is helping women across the country stop numbing with food and start feeding their energy, intuition, and emotional regulation with care.

Primary keywords: nutrition, food stories, OCD, empowerment, salad making, emotional eating, intermittent fasting, women's health, brain fog, nourishment, nutrition, mindful eating, intermittent fasting, food pairing, weight loss, nourishment, diet, health, wellness, food trends

 Inside This Episode You will Learn:

• Why clean eating isn’t always clear or calming
• The link between food sensitivities, stress, and shutdown
• Flexitarian nourishment for neurodivergent and midlife women
• Rituals to soften food guilt and reclaim intuitive structure
• A live “Build Your Bowl” reflection for mood and energy
• Our signature Nourish or Numb? segment with surprising food truths
• 
  

TIMESTAMPS

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction to Nourishment
04:18 The Lived Experience: Why Food Stories Matter
09:44 Understanding OCD and Food Addiction
13:51 Food for the tired brain
20:03 The Art of Salad Making: A Personal Journey
27:09 Understanding Emotional Eating
28:30 Rythm, Ritual & Flexibility
29:08 Breaking Free from Food Guilt
31:07 The Balance of Enjoyment and Nutrition
33:25 How to keep mind clear, bones and muscles intact
35:32 Personalizing Your Diet
37:59 The Journey of Dietary Choices
38:13 Ritual for burnout
43:11 Nourishment and Intermittent Fasting
46:10 The Importance of Food Pairing
50:46 Mindful Eating Practices
55:21 Intentional Eating and Food Choices
56:42 Simple Steps to Start Mindful Eating
59:16 Nourish or Numb

LINKS & TOOLS
Take the free quiz: What kind of menopause burnout are you? → https://drstaceydenise.com/take-the-quiz
Join the newsletter (monthly micro-practices + sensory tools) → https://drstaceydenise.com/blog/
Join the waitlist for the upcoming masterclass → https://drstaceydenise.com/waitlist/

RESOURCES
Website: https://thatsaladlady.com/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/ThatSaladLady
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/that.salad.lady/

DISCLAIMER: The content shared on this channel is for educational purposes only and not intended to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Always consult your healthcare provider.

Can lighting a candle be a form of healing? In this episode of The Neuroaesthetic MD™ Podcast, Dr. Stacey Denise sits down with TEDx speaker and Meltdown Candle Bar founder Tameka Tate for an immersive conversation on ritual, scent, and sensory care for the overwhelmed nervous system.

Whether you’re neurodivergent, menopausal, or just tired of "wellness performance," this episode is a soft place to land.

Primary Keywords: autistic women, autism, menopause, hormone health, sensory overload, trauma, burnout, BIPOC women, neuroaesthetic, scent therapy, aromatherapy, candle ritual, emotional regulation, sensory healing, sensory rituals, scent and memory, limbic system activation, somatic grounding, sensory overwhelm, emotional exhaustion, invisibility in midlife, sensory spaces, cognitive care, dementia care, sensory identity, color and scent, sensory safety, sensory rituals for burnout 

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• What burnout really feels like in neurodivergent & midlife bodies
• • The emotional connection between scent, memory & safety
• • Why “boundaries” aren’t always cognitive — they’re sensory too
• • Tameka’s candle-making practice as a nervous system ritual
• • Why community is the true medicine for burnout recovery

Timestamps
0:00 – Introduction
0:56 – What burnout looks like in autistic & midlife women
2:15-     Guest Introduction
3:01-  Background of scenic candles and aromatherapy
4:07 – When Words Won’t Work  use Scent as Emotional Language
8:50 – Rituals for Sensory Safety & Regulation
12:36 – Identity, Color & Community
17:44 – Live Candle Ritual
20:24 – Nourishing Or Numbing

Free quiz & resources:
• Free “Menopause Burnout” Quiz → https://drstaceydenise.com/menopause-burnout-quiz/
• Video podcast hub → https://drstaceydenise.com/video-podcast/
• Audio podcast hub → https://drstaceydenise.com/audio-podcast/

RESOURCES
Website: https://www.mdcandlebar.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdcandlebar/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mdcandlebar

Disclaimer
Education only. This is not medical advice. Please work with your clinician for personal recommendations.

What if your nervous system didn’t need words to heal—but color, texture, and ritual instead?

In this episode, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Ann Yakimovicz, an Austin-based abstract artist whose work gently unravels the threads between art, nature, and emotional regulation. Her background in landscape architecture adds a unique layer to how she creates—not just for the eye, but for the body. Each piece invites you to feel your way back into the sensory world you may have forgotten.

We talked about what it means to have a “nature’s heartprint”—those deeply personal, embodied memories that live in texture, scent, and shape. Ann’s artwork speaks to that inner archive. And whether you consider yourself neurodivergent or simply exhausted from the noise of modern life, I know this conversation will offer a tender point of return.

One of my favorite moments? When Ann shared a simple but powerful ritual with paint chips—yes, those little color swatches from the hardware store—as a tool for emotional clarity and grounding. It’s low-cost, accessible, and incredibly nourishing.

Inside this episode, we explore:

• How abstract art helps us regulate emotion and process sensory overload

• The intuitive rituals Ann uses to begin her painting practice

• Why texture matters—for memory, for healing, and for neurodivergent care

• What art can teach us about grief, connection, and environmental well-being

• How to bring more observation and reverence into daily life

Ritual to Try:

The Paint Chip Practice

Go to your local hardware store and pick out 8–10 paint swatches that you’re drawn to. Each day, choose one. Ask: What does this color invite me to feel? Where do I see it in my life? Then let that color walk with you—through your home, your commute, or your breathwork.

Let’s Stay in Ritual:

If this episode spoke to you, please subscribe, leave a review, or forward it to a friend who could use a soft landing today. You can find The NeuroaestheticMD™ Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

And if you’d like to explore Ann’s beautiful work, visit annyakiart.com. Her site is a retreat in itself.

Closing Note from Me to You:

Art doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful. Sometimes healing begins in a whisper—a shift in color, a new way of seeing a tree, a memory stirred by touch. This week, I hope you let beauty be part of your medicine.

Ready to personalize your own Color Reset journey?

If today’s episode spoke to you, let’s explore what your nervous system is really asking for. The 4-week Neuroaesthetic Reset™ Starter is the first step—a gentle, structured path into visual healing, emotional clarity, and sensory sovereignty.

I invite you to book a private call with me to explore whether it’s the right fit.

Hey love,
What if color wasn’t just pretty—but a quiet medicine for your nervous system?

In this gentle episode, we explore how certain hues can soothe, restore, and reconnect you to yourself. You'll learn how to discover your reset color, create small rituals for real-life healing, and remember: you don’t have to earn your rest.

Share your color with me on Instagram or let it quietly guide your day. Whether it’s a post, a DM, or a private moment—you’re heard. I’m here, and I’m listening.

With softness,
Dr. Stacey Denise

Subscription, links & Email List

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• ⁠Dr. Stacey's LinkedIn⁠
• ⁠Dr. Stacey's Instagram⁠
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• ⁠Website⁠

Can you really digest kale if your body is in survival mode?

In this truth-telling episode Dr. Stacey Denise sits down with movement educator and mindset coach Nadia Murdock to unpack how stress, body image, and emotional eating are connected through the Organ-Mind-Body Axis (OMBA).

This conversation goes beyond food, it’s about how your nervous system receives nourishment. Because when you’re in fight-or-flight, even the “healthiest” wellness routines can backfire.

Connect with Nadia Murdock 

Her Website 

Instagram 

Her Youtube Channel

Subscription, links & Email List

• ⁠YouTube⁠
• ⁠Blog⁠
• ⁠Newsletter⁠

⁠ ⁠Socials

• ⁠Dr. Stacey's LinkedIn⁠
• ⁠Dr. Stacey's Instagram⁠
• ⁠Dr. Stacey's Facebook ⁠
• ⁠Website⁠

🎧 Tap play to explore how movement, mindset, and emotional safety shape your ability to heal.

👉🏾 If this episode resonates, be sure to follow the show, rate it, and share it with someone who’s ready to move from depletion to deep nourishment.