“Is Stress the Real Reason You Can’t Lose Weight or Heal Your Gut?”
Are you constantly battling fatigue, weight loss resistance, hormone imbalance, or relentless brain fog—and wondering why nothing is working, even though you're doing all the “right” things?
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tricia Pingel to unpack one of the most overlooked but powerful drivers of chronic symptoms: cortisol. We explore how the stress response hijacks your metabolism, messes with your hormones, disrupts your digestion, and can even trigger histamine intolerance and immune system reactivity.
If you’re in perimenopause, struggling with IBS, feel stuck despite healthy eating and workouts, or just can’t figure out why your energy has tanked, this conversation is for you. You’ll walk away with fresh insight into how your body is not broken—it’s protecting you. And there’s a way out.
Key Points:
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The stress-hormone connection that’s wrecking your metabolism and gut health—without you even realizing it.
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A subtle hormone shift that might explain your energy crashes, and how to fix it without coffee.
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Why your IBS, histamine issues, or food reactions aren’t always about the food—and what to focus on instead.
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The surprising link between perimenopause and your adrenal response (plus why fasting could be backfiring).
What You’ll Learn Inside the Episode:
We talk about how adrenal fatigue often sneaks up on the most driven, type-A women—the ones powering through life, checking every box, and still feeling awful. Dr. Pingel explains why your body stores fat in a stressed state (especially around the midsection), how perceived stress—not just actual events—triggers hormonal chaos, and what’s really happening in your immune system when you react to the same food one day but not the next.
She also walks us through her four-pillar approach to adrenal healing:
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Functional nutrition that supports cortisol regulation
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Movement that calms the nervous system rather than overwhelms it
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Strategic supplementation, including specific vitamins and adaptogens
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Mind-body rewiring to shift your stress response for good
We get into the mindset blocks that keep you stuck in burnout, the dangerous myth of pushing harder to get results, and how joy, boundaries, and nervous system regulation can transform your gut, hormones, and energy levels more than any diet or detox ever will.
Fatigue, hormone imbalance, and gut symptoms don’t always mean something’s “broken”—they often mean your body’s under-protected and overstimulated. You can shift your biology by shifting your stress response. This episode offers a roadmap for how to do exactly that, starting with how you think, move, eat, and prioritize yourself.
If you’ve tried everything and still don’t feel better, this might just be the missing piece.
Struggling with bloating, IBS, constipation, fatigue, brain fog, or hormone imbalance? Get expert guidance on gut health, hormone balance, detox, nervous system regulation, weight loss resistance, and upleveling your health.
Join the Women's Wellness Collective, your go-to community for real solutions to boost energy, balance hormones, improve digestion, and more. Get 1/2 off your first month with code HEALTH at www.megmill.com/collective.
Recharge your body and reclaim your energy with the Fatigue to Fabulous Ultimate Energy Boosting Handbook—your go-to guide for beating exhaustion and feeling your best. Download now at https://go.megmill.com/energy.
Let’s connect on Instagram for daily health tips at @drmegmill.
Learn more about how Dr. Meg can help you uplevel your health at www.megmill.com
Our Guest:
Dr. Tricia Pingel:
Are Perfectionism & Pressure Draining Your Energy? Find out if your drive to "do it all" is burning out your body's stress response system. >> Take the Quiz
This content is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new diet or exercise program.
This podcast is for women in perimenopause and beyond who are struggling with fatigue, brain fog, bloating, weight loss resistance, and unpredictable hormones. If you’re dealing with exhaustion, low energy, digestive discomfort, or hormone imbalances, you’ll learn how to support your metabolism, balance hormones naturally, beat IBS and bloating, and finally break through stubborn weight gain. Discover science-backed strategies to optimize digestion, improve gut health, and manage perimenopause symptoms—without restrictive diets or endless supplements. Whether it’s addressing estrogen dominance, blood sugar balance, or adrenal fatigue, this podcast gives you the tools to take control of your health and feel vibrant again. If you are enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a review or share it with a friend.
If you listen to any of the following shows, we're sure you'll like ours too!
Pursuit of Wellness with Mari Llewellyn, Everyday Wellness with Cynthia Thurlow, Just Ingredients Podcast, Longevity with Nathalie Niddam, Wellness Mama, The Dr. Josh Axe Show, Ancient Health Podcast, The Model Health Show, Grounded Wellness By Primally Pure, Be Well By Kelly Leveque, The Hormone Solution with Karen Martel, The Dr. Hyman Show, The Thyroid Fixer with Dr. Amie Hornaman, Treated with Dr. Sara, Well Beyond 40 with JJ Virgin, Better! with Dr. Stephanie, Energized with Dr. Mariza
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