Why Calorie Counting Is Failing Women: Blood Sugar & Menopause Science with Dr. Sarah Berry

Your gut health impacts far more than digestion. From inflammation and blood sugar balance to your immune system, hormones, skin, and mood, your gut microbiome plays a powerful role in how you feel every day. So, what can you actually do to support it? In this episode of The BeingBrigid Show, Brigid shares seven research-backed habits to improve gut health, support a diverse gut microbiome, and reduce chronic inflammation. Learn how to build an anti-inflammatory diet with more plant diversity, fiber, and fermented foods, plus practical ways to improve digestion without unnecessary food restrictions or overwhelming routines. What You’ll Learn In This Episode: Why your gut microbiome influences inflammation, immune function, blood sugar, hormones, and mental health. Four key markers of a healthy gut microbiome, including microbial diversity and a healthy gut lining. Why eating 30 or more different plant types each week can support gut health. How smoothies, fermented foods, chia seeds, and fiber can nourish beneficial gut bacteria. How chewing slowly, managing stress, and spacing meals three to four hours apart can support digestion. What your bowel movements may reveal about your digestive health. Why increasing fiber too quickly can cause bloating and how to make adjustments. When persistent digestive symptoms may warrant working with a dietitian or exploring further testing.

Could your blood sugar be influencing your long-term health in ways you've never considered? In this powerful episode of The BeingBrigid Show, Brigid sits down with Dr. Dawn Mussallem, a double board-certified physician in hematology, oncology, and lifestyle medicine who spent more than 20 years at Mayo Clinic and founded its integrative breast oncology program. Together, they explore the connection between insulin resistance and breast cancer, why fasting insulin deserves more attention, and how everyday nutrition choices can support metabolic health, cancer prevention, and healthy aging. Dr. Dawn also shares her remarkable personal journey through stage four lymphoma, heart failure, and a heart transplant—and how it shaped her mission to help people prioritize aliveness, not just survival. This conversation is a reminder that food is medicine, personalized nutrition matters, and taking care of your health doesn't have to mean following restrictive rules or striving for perfection. What You’ll Learn In This Episode: The connection between blood sugar, insulin resistance, and breast cancer risk. Why fasting insulin may reveal important information about your metabolic health. How sleep, exercise, and balanced meals influence blood sugar regulation. The role of fiber, protein, healthy fats, and colorful plant foods in an anti-inflammatory diet. What the research says about plant-based diets, animal protein, soy, and breast cancer. How personalized nutrition and advanced testing can help identify individual nutrient needs. Why berries, purple sweet potatoes, green tea, turmeric, and other plant foods offer valuable phytonutrients. How Dr. Dawn's experience with cancer and heart failure transformed her perspective on healthy aging, gratitude, and living fully.

What if losing fat and improving your metabolic health had less to do with eating as little as possible—and more to do with improving your blood sugar and insulin sensitivity? In this episode of The BeingBrigid Show, Brigid breaks down 7 science-backed strategies she uses with women to support lower blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation, and lose fat without extreme dieting or calorie obsession. From fiber and protein to meal timing, chewing your food, polyphenols, and strength training, these strategies go beyond the outdated “calories in, calories out” approach and focus on supporting your metabolism as a whole. What You’ll Learn In This Episode: Why insulin resistance can impact weight, energy, cravings, mood, inflammation, and metabolic health—even before pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes Why a mild caloric deficit may be more sustainable for women than aggressive calorie restriction How tracking waist circumference and body composition can provide more insight than the scale alone Why eating 25–30 grams of fiber per day—and getting a variety of fiber sources—can support blood sugar, gut health, satiety, and metabolic health How to moderate carbohydrates without relying on long-term keto or extremely low-carb diets Why protein is essential for satiety, muscle preservation, and insulin sensitivity How meal timing and sleep can influence hunger hormones and blood sugar Why chewing your food more slowly can support digestion, satiety, and food intake Which nutrients—including polyphenols, magnesium, omega-3s, and vitamin D—Brigid prioritizes for metabolic health Why movement throughout the day and strength training are powerful tools for glucose clearance and insulin sensitivity Why consistency—not extreme strategies—is what truly moves the needle

What if the exhaustion, bloating, inflammation, and afternoon crashes you’ve learned to live with aren’t “just aging”? Hallie Abrams spent years feeling exhausted, struggling with sleep, bloating, thyroid antibodies, blood sugar concerns, and inflammation while searching for answers. In this episode, she shares the functional medicine journey that helped her make meaningful changes to her health—including the Blood Sugar Reset, improving her gut health, supporting her hormone health through menopause, and making small, sustainable lifestyle shifts that added up over time. Hallie is the founder of The Wardrobe Consultant and a personal stylist known for helping women over 40 feel confident in their clothes. She joins Brigid to talk about both sides of her transformation: the nutrition and lifestyle changes that helped her feel significantly better and the practical styling strategies she uses to help women feel confident in their bodies. What You’ll Learn In This Episode: Hallie’s journey from chronic exhaustion, afternoon crashes, bloating, and inflammation to feeling significantly better Why her thyroid antibodies became an important part of her functional medicine journey How the Blood Sugar Reset changed the way she approached breakfast, fiber, protein, and satiety Why Hallie’s blood sugar-friendly smoothies became one of her go-to tools for staying full and energized The role of gut health, fiber, probiotics, and personalized testing in her health journey How menopause, sleep, circadian rhythm, and hormone health intersect with overall well-being Why sustainable health changes don’t have to mean completely overhauling your life overnight Hallie’s approach to creating a healthier relationship with food after years of dieting Her five wardrobe staples every woman should consider How to dress for your body, lifestyle, budget, and personal taste Hallie’s advice for building confidence through clothing—and having more fun with your closet

What if the advice to "lift heavy" is actually hurting more women than it's helping? Lindsey Bomgren, certified personal trainer, mom of three, and founder of the 1M-subscriber fitness brand Nourish Move Love, returns to The BeingBrigid Show for a raw, honest follow-up conversation. A year after nearly landing in the hospital from overexertion, Lindsey shares how she rebuilt her health, her training, and her business from the ground up. Brigid and Lindsey talk pelvic floor conditioning, the connection between strength training and blood sugar, and why "doing it all" quietly breaks so many high-achieving women, plus what actually changed once Lindsey asked for help. What You'll Learn In This Episode: Why your body needs to be conditioned, not just motivated, to lift heavy The pelvic floor breathing cue that changed Lindsey's training for good How under-sleeping raises your injury risk Why muscle-building doesn't automatically fix insulin resistance How Lindsey's progesterone journey improved her sleep, anxiety, and cycle Why following a plan beats chasing random workouts or recipes The real, unfiltered story behind running a fitness business Why hiring help at home was Lindsey's hardest, and best, decision