Painful periods, bloating, fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, hormone chaos, feeling dismissed by doctors… sometimes it isn't "just stress" or something you need to push through. Sometimes it's a body asking to be understood.

In this episode of the Wellness & Growth Journeys Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Jessica Drummond, doctor of clinical nutrition, licensed physical therapist, board-certified health coach, and founder of the Integrative Women's Health Institute, to unpack why so many women suffer silently with pelvic pain, endometriosis, perimenopause symptoms, and hormonal dysfunction.

We talk about why women's pain has historically been dismissed, how the nervous system and inflammation impact hormones, why symptoms are often more connected than we realize, and what true root-cause healing can look like.

If you've ever thought, "Why does no one have answers for what I'm feeling?" this conversation is for you.

→ What endometriosis actually is and why it's often missed → Why painful periods are never something to ignore → The connection between stress, nervous system dysregulation, and hormone symptoms → Why pelvic pain is more than a reproductive issue → Perimenopause explained and why symptoms can start years before menopause → Brain fog, rage, fatigue, anxiety, and sleep issues in midlife women → Why many women are still dismissed in healthcare settings → How nutrition, movement, and lifestyle shifts support healing → The role of coaching and personalized care in women's health → Why women deserve support, not silence, during hormonal transitions

00:00 – Intro 01:30 – Meet Dr. Jessica Drummond 02:00 – Why pelvic pain needs a whole-body approach 07:18 – What is endometriosis? 11:58 – Nutrition, PT, and coaching working together 17:09 – Inflammation and nutrition gaps women face 24:55 – Phones, stress, and nervous system overload 31:33 – GLP-1 medications and midlife women 34:30 – What perimenopause really is 47:00 – Why women need education and support 50:46 – Message for women who feel dismissed 55:24 – How to connect with Dr. Jessica

Website: https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/

🎙 Wellness & Growth Journeys Podcast

Apple Podcasts Spotify All Episodes Available Now

Website: https://wellnessgrowthagency.com/

This episode shares educational information and general wellness guidance. It is not medical advice. If you are experiencing pelvic pain, hormone concerns, infertility, or chronic symptoms, please work with a licensed healthcare professional.

If this episode resonated, share it with a woman who needs to hear this today.

Painful periods, bloating, fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, hormone chaos, feeling dismissed by doctors… sometimes it isn't "just stress" or something you need to push through. Sometimes it's a body asking to be understood.

In this episode of the Wellness & Growth Journeys Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Jessica Drummond, doctor of clinical nutrition, licensed physical therapist, board-certified health coach, and founder of the Integrative Women's Health Institute, to unpack why so many women suffer silently with pelvic pain, endometriosis, perimenopause symptoms, and hormonal dysfunction.

We talk about why women's pain has historically been dismissed, how the nervous system and inflammation impact hormones, why symptoms are often more connected than we realize, and what true root-cause healing can look like.

If you've ever thought, "Why does no one have answers for what I'm feeling?" this conversation is for you.

→ What endometriosis actually is and why it's often missed → Why painful periods are never something to ignore → The connection between stress, nervous system dysregulation, and hormone symptoms → Why pelvic pain is more than a reproductive issue → Perimenopause explained and why symptoms can start years before menopause → Brain fog, rage, fatigue, anxiety, and sleep issues in midlife women → Why many women are still dismissed in healthcare settings → How nutrition, movement, and lifestyle shifts support healing → The role of coaching and personalized care in women's health → Why women deserve support, not silence, during hormonal transitions

00:00 – Intro 01:30 – Meet Dr. Jessica Drummond 02:00 – Why pelvic pain needs a whole-body approach 07:18 – What is endometriosis? 11:58 – Nutrition, PT, and coaching working together 17:09 – Inflammation and nutrition gaps women face 24:55 – Phones, stress, and nervous system overload 31:33 – GLP-1 medications and midlife women 34:30 – What perimenopause really is 47:00 – Why women need education and support 50:46 – Message for women who feel dismissed 55:24 – How to connect with Dr. Jessica

Website: https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/

🎙 Wellness & Growth Journeys Podcast

Apple Podcasts Spotify All Episodes Available Now

Website: Wellness Growth Agency

This episode shares educational information and general wellness guidance. It is not medical advice. If you are experiencing pelvic pain, hormone concerns, infertility, or chronic symptoms, please work with a licensed healthcare professional.

If this episode resonated, share it with a woman who needs to hear this today.

Bloating, fatigue, stubborn weight gain, hormone chaos, cravings, burnout… sometimes it isn't a lack of discipline — it's a body asking for support. In this episode of the Wellness & Growth Journeys Podcast, I sit down with holistic health coach and nutritionist Lea Dombrowski to unpack why so many women struggle with weight loss when the real issue may be gut health, hormones, metabolism, and chronic stress.

We talk about the diet myths keeping women stuck, why quick fixes often backfire, and how healing the body through nutrition, movement, lifestyle shifts, and root-cause support can create sustainable results.

If you've ever thought, "I'm doing everything right, so why do I still feel off?" this one is for you.

In this episode: → Why weight loss isn't just about calories → The gut health connection to hormones, bloating, and energy → How chronic dieting can damage metabolism → Why under-eating may be keeping you stuck → Ozempic, quick fixes, and sustainable change → The truth about intermittent fasting for women → High-protein breakfasts and blood sugar balance → Why one-size-fits-all diets don't work → Healing from the inside out with functional medicine → How to create lasting results without extremes

Lea also shares practical tips for improving digestion, balancing blood sugar, boosting metabolism, and making simple nutrition changes that actually support your body.

If you've been frustrated with your body and tired of starting over, this conversation will feel like clarity.

⏱ Chapters 00:00 – Intro 00:30 – Meet Lea Dombrowski 01:08 – Her personal healing journey 03:16 – Why many women feel dismissed in healthcare 07:44 – Gut health and weight loss explained 10:35 – Biggest myths about weight loss 12:40 – Apple cider vinegar, Ozempic, and quick fixes 15:34 – Why sustainable change matters 19:57 – Intermittent fasting and women's hormones 21:03 – What a high-protein breakfast looks like 25:15 – One change women can make today 35:18 – Advice for women feeling stuck 37:22 – How to connect with Lea

📚 Connect with Lea Dombrowski Website: Living With Strength https://www.livingwithstrength.com/

🎙 Wellness & Growth Journeys Podcast Apple Podcasts Spotify All Episodes Available Now

🤝 Work with Mialisa Website: wellnessgrowthagency.com

This episode shares personal experience and general nutrition guidance. It is not medical advice. For hormonal, autoimmune, or metabolic concerns, please work with a licensed medical professional.

If this episode resonated, share it with a woman who needs to hear it.

Perimenopause doesn't just change your body – it surfaces years of suppressed needs, emotional labor, and quiet resentment that never had anywhere to go. In this episode of the Wellness & Growth Journeys Podcast, I sit down with counselor, educator, and author Dr. Julie Merriman to unpack why so many women hit midlife feeling numb, exhausted, and unlike themselves.

We talk about the hidden weight women carry – caregiving, careers, motherhood, relationships, emotional labor – and how chronic stress rewires the nervous system, tanks libido, flattens pleasure, and slowly erodes identity. If you've ever thought "I don't know who I am anymore," this one is for you.

In this episode: → Burnout vs compassion fatigue – how to tell the difference → Why women feel emotionally numb in midlife (and it isn't just hormones) → Cortisol, estrogen, and the stress-libido connection → How nervous system overload shuts down pleasure and intimacy → Shame around aging, sex, and body image → Social media, perfectionism, and the comparison trap → "Micro rebellions" – the small way back to yourself → Rebuilding confidence, radiance, and joy after burnout → Why choosing yourself isn't selfish

Dr. Julie also shares practical tools for nervous system regulation, body scans, and reconnecting with desire and purpose.

If you've been carrying everyone else and losing yourself in the process, this conversation will feel like permission.

⏱ Chapters 00:00 – Intro 01:30 – Welcome, Dr. Julie 01:53 – What burnout in midlife actually looks like 07:42 – Irritability, resentment, and the "good girl detox" 12:44 – Nervous system overload explained 16:23 – How stress shuts down pleasure 20:09 – Hormones vs stress vs shame 22:00 – Shame around sex and aging 28:14 – Social media, comparison, and body image 34:30 – Throat chakra, authenticity, and perfectionism 38:51 – The case for a social media fast 39:38 – Where to start: micro rebellions 42:00 – Scheduling "soul joy" 51:14 – What radiance means at 63 52:56 – Takeaways

📚 Connect with Dr. Julie Merriman Website:https://www.juliemerrimanphd.com/

Where you can find links to purchase her books:

In Pursuit of Soul Joy and Are We Gonna Have Sex or What? Podcasts: Compassion Fatigue Cure | Sexy After 50

🎙 Wellness & Growth Journeys Podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wellness-growth-journeys/id1761928681

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/653PlFZ7LxJvZNf0Nh6crj

All episodes: https://open.spotify.com/show/653PlFZ7LxJvZNf0Nh6crj

🤝 Work with Mialisa

Website: wellnessgrowthagency.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wellness-growth-agency/

Instagram: itsmialisa (https://www.instagram.com/itsmialisa/?hl=en)

If this episode resonated, share it with a woman who needs to hear it.

If you've ever been told "it's just stress" but you know something feels off… this episode is for you. Join us as we break down perimenopause, the phase before menopause that most women are NEVER properly taught about. From brain fog and weight changes to mood shifts and hormonal chaos, this episode explains what's really happening in your body and why so many women feel dismissed.

In this powerful conversation, we sit down with Dr. Sophia Yen, a physician, hormone health expert, and co-founder of Pandia Health, to unpack the truth about perimenopause, one of the most overlooked and misunderstood phases of a woman's life.

Dr. Yen is known for her direct, science-backed approach to women's health and her mission to close the massive gaps in education around hormones, birth control, and menopause care. Through her work, she has helped thousands of women access personalized, convenient reproductive healthcare while also advocating for better training and awareness within the medical system.

In this episode, she shares:

🩺 Her own experience of being dismissed as a physician navigating perimenopause

🩺 Why so many women are misdiagnosed or told it's "just stress"

🩺 The real science behind hormonal changes in your 30s and 40s

🩺 Why birth control may be one of the most underutilized tools in perimenopause management

🩺 What's actually true (and false) about hormone therapy, weight gain, and fertility

If you're in your 30s or 40s and starting to feel "not like yourself," this conversation will give you clarity, validation, and real solutions.

👉 You do NOT have to suffer through this.

What if your symptoms aren't the real problem?

In this episode of the Wellness and Growth Journeys Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Esther Trotman, a medical doctor and founder of Star Wellness Lifestyle, to explore the power of whole-person care.

From her journey through public and private healthcare systems to building her own wellness brand, Dr. Trotman shares why treating symptoms alone isn't enough and how stress, lifestyle, mental health, and relationships all play a role in your physical well-being.

We dive into:

✔️ Why modern healthcare often misses the root cause

✔️ The connection between mental, physical, and emotional health

✔️ Real-life challenges with nutrition, stress, and routines

✔️ Practical ways to start your healing journey

✔️ The power of journaling and small daily habits

If you're ready to stop managing symptoms and start understanding your health on a deeper level, this conversation is for you.

✨ Whether you're a wellness professional or someone on your personal health journey, this episode will shift how you think about healing.

If you've ever struggled with self-worth, negative thought patterns, or unhealthy relationships, this episode helps you understand why and how to heal.

In this conversation, we explore how childhood trauma shapes your adult life, how faith and therapy can work together, and practical ways to retrain your mind, break cycles, and rebuild your identity.

You are not broken. Healing is possible, and it starts with small, intentional steps.

What if staying healthy didn't require long workouts or strict fitness routines?

In this episode, Dr. Amy Bantham, public health expert, fitness professional, and author of Move to Live More, shares a refreshing perspective on staying active, especially for busy women balancing careers, family, and daily responsibilities.

Instead of treating exercise as a chore, Dr. Bantham explains how movement, play, and simple daily activities can transform your physical health, mental well-being, and energy levels.

We discuss:

👣 Why movement matters for physical and mental health

👣 How parents can model healthy habits for their children

👣 Simple ways to add movement to busy schedules

👣 Why "exercise" might be the wrong mindset

👣 How to build sustainable habits that last

Whether you're a professional woman, a caregiver, or someone trying to rebuild healthy routines, this conversation will inspire you to start small, move more, and rediscover joy in movement.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Amy Bantham Website: https://movetolivemore.comBook: Move to Live More Podcast: Move to Live More

🎧 Subscribe for more conversations about health, wellness, and thriving as a woman 35+.

International Women's Day Special

In this special collaboration episode, I am joined by Dianne Squires, host of the Island Woman Podcast, for a conversation about women's voices, podcasting, leadership, and visibility in the Caribbean.

We discuss why more Caribbean women need to take up space in media, how podcasting can help build authority, and why conversations about women's health, entrepreneurship, and wellbeing are so important.

Stress doesn't just affect emotions; it shows up as pain.

In this episode, I speak with reflexology expert Njideka Olatunde about the stress–pain connection, why listening is the first form of healing, and how touch therapy supports the body's natural ability to restore balance.

We explore:

🌿How stress turns into physical pain 🌿Why numbing symptoms isn't the same as healing 🌿The link between financial stress and health 🌿A simple technique you can use immediately to calm the body

If you care about improving health outcomes and truly supporting patients, this conversation offers a powerful perspective.

#StressRelief #ChronicPain #Reflexology #HolisticHealing #MindBodyConnection #NaturalPainRelief #WellnessPodcast #TouchTherapy #HealthAndWellness #MentalHealth