Let’s talk about something most of us were never prepared for:
As we enter perimenopause and menopause, our hormones don’t just impact mood swings or hot flashes — they also disrupt our metabolism and increase insulin resistance.
As we enter perimenopause and menopause, our hormones don’t just impact mood swings or hot flashes — they also disrupt our metabolism and increase insulin resistance.
Here’s what’s happening behind the scenes:
🩸 Estrogen naturally supports insulin sensitivity.
So when estrogen levels drop, our cells don’t respond to insulin as effectively — making it harder to regulate blood sugar, store fat properly, and feel stable and energized.
So when estrogen levels drop, our cells don’t respond to insulin as effectively — making it harder to regulate blood sugar, store fat properly, and feel stable and energized.
At the same time, we often see a rise in cortisol, our main stress hormone.
Whether it’s from work, caregiving, poor sleep, or the emotional changes of this life stage — chronic stress can keep cortisol levels elevated.
And high cortisol? It spikes blood sugar, worsens insulin resistance, and makes weight loss (especially belly fat) feel nearly impossible.
And high cortisol? It spikes blood sugar, worsens insulin resistance, and makes weight loss (especially belly fat) feel nearly impossible.
Together, low estrogen and high cortisol create a perfect storm — one that impacts:
- Weight gain, especially around the midsection
- Cravings and energy crashes
- Brain fog and mood dips
- Disrupted sleep and restless legs
- Elevated blood sugar and cholesterol
- A general sense of “off”
We’re told it’s just “aging.”
But it’s not just that.
It’s hormonal — and it’s manageable.
But it’s not just that.
It’s hormonal — and it’s manageable.
💡 What You Can Do
You can’t stop the hormonal shifts — but you can reset your body’s response.
By supporting insulin sensitivity and managing cortisol, you can reduce symptoms and feel like yourself again.
Here’s what’s worked for me:
✅ Intermittent Fasting — to give the body time to rebalance hormones
✅ Fiber-first meals — to stabilize blood sugar
✅ Natural supplements — to support insulin and reduce inflammation
✅ Stress reduction — walking, journaling, nature, breathwork
✅ Consistent sleep — no screens, steady rhythms, magnesium if needed
✅ Supportive movement — gentle strength training or walking daily
✅ Fiber-first meals — to stabilize blood sugar
✅ Natural supplements — to support insulin and reduce inflammation
✅ Stress reduction — walking, journaling, nature, breathwork
✅ Consistent sleep — no screens, steady rhythms, magnesium if needed
✅ Supportive movement — gentle strength training or walking daily
Because I followed this path, I’ve:
✨ Lost 30 lbs
✨ Lowered my blood sugar and cholesterol
✨ Eliminated hot flashes and restless leg
✨ Gained energy, clarity, and peace with my body again
✨ Lost 30 lbs
✨ Lowered my blood sugar and cholesterol
✨ Eliminated hot flashes and restless leg
✨ Gained energy, clarity, and peace with my body again
If you’re navigating this season and feel like your body is fighting you — you’re not alone, and you’re not doing anything wrong.
You just need different tools for a new chapter.
You just need different tools for a new chapter.
📩 Want to learn what worked for me? Just send me a message — I’ll walk you through it.
Or if you'd like an Intermittent Fasting Guide for Women (with or without a cycle), let me know — I'll send it to you.
Rachel xoxo
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This week’s reset moment comes from my duck, Tilly.
It’s been 90 degrees outside, and for two days, a brand-new, bigger pool sat in the backyard — full, ready, and waiting. But did she use it? Nope. Not once.
Instead, she paced. Stared. Stayed dry.
So today, I gave in. I pulled out her old pool, the one she knows. Within minutes, she jumped right in, splashing around like she’d found water for the first time.
And it hit me: how often do we do this too?
We stick with what’s comfortable.
We stay “small.”
Even when something better — bigger, more freeing — is sitting just a few steps away.
We stay “small.”
Even when something better — bigger, more freeing — is sitting just a few steps away.
Why? Because it’s unfamiliar. Because we’re afraid to try.
Tilly had the opportunity to enjoy something so much better, but she couldn’t get past her comfort zone.
Sound familiar?
We do this all the time.
That new job you haven’t applied for.
The lifestyle change you keep saying you’ll “start Monday.”
The creative dream you haven’t touched because it feels too scary, too big.
But what if… you just tried?
Today, I want to gently challenge you:
Do the thing.
Try the scary new thing you’ve been thinking about.
Maybe it’s a 24-hour fast.
Maybe it’s journaling, moving your body, or finally standing up for yourself.
Maybe it’s journaling, moving your body, or finally standing up for yourself.
Because here’s what I’ve learned: growth lives on the other side of the unfamiliar.
I’m not the same person my husband Ed married 32 years ago.
Since then I’ve become a mom, a caregiver, a nurse, an author, a health advocate, and a business owner.
But before all of that — before nursing school at 38 — I was nothing like this.
I didn’t even fly because I was scared.
Since then I’ve become a mom, a caregiver, a nurse, an author, a health advocate, and a business owner.
But before all of that — before nursing school at 38 — I was nothing like this.
I didn’t even fly because I was scared.
I used to be like Tilly.
But now? I’m not afraid to dip my toe — or jump headfirst — into the bigger pool.
Because I’ve learned: amazing things are always just beyond the edge of your comfort zone.
If you feel moved, share your story with me.
What’s your “bigger pool” moment?
I’d love to hear it — and cheer you on.
Rachel xoxo
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Your body always knows. The question is: are you listening before it has to scream?
For years, I ignored the signs. The brain fog. The fatigue. The chronic hives and joint pain. I chalked it up to stress, age, hormones — all the usual suspects.
But my body was trying to tell me something deeper.
I was stuck in a loop of caring for everyone else — my patients, my family — while silently falling apart inside. It took me hitting a wall to realize: I couldn’t keep living this way.
What changed everything wasn’t some big overhaul. It was choosing to listen. To slow down. To support my body instead of ignoring it.
Unfortunately there were many years in between, trying to figure out why I was still feeling this way and seeing doctors who often made me feel like I wasn't seen or heard because my labs were "normal."
Four years later, I found a natural protocol with Yerba Maté extract, diverse plant fiber, and intermittent fasting. And within weeks, my body started responding:
- My blood sugar normalized
- My cholesterol came back into range
- My restless leg, leg cramps and inflammation improved
- My perimenopause symptoms faded - goodbye hot flashes
- I lost 30 lbs without even trying
But more than the numbers — I felt like me again. Clear, energized, calm.
You don’t need to hit a crisis to start caring for yourself. Your body is already speaking. The Rooted Reset is about finally listening and getting to the root cause.
Take 5 quiet minutes today and ask: What has my body been trying to tell me lately? What have I brushed aside?
Then choose one small way to respond. Maybe it’s resting. Hydrating. Saying no. Moving. Asking for support.
Tiny acts of care create powerful shifts.
If you're ready to start feeling better — I’d love to show you what worked for me.
No pressure. Just a real conversation about how I got my blood sugar, cholesterol, and symptoms back to balance — naturally, and without any diets or pills.
💛 This is just the beginning. Let’s get to the root of the matter and rebuild from the inside out.
Rachel xoxo
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Healing doesn’t always start with a diagnosis. Sometimes it starts with a whisper — a nudge that says, “Something has to change.”
This isn’t the end. It’s the beginning.
The beginning of paying attention. Of noticing what your body has been trying to tell you for years. Of honoring your energy, your desires, your dreams.
It’s the beginning of listening — maybe for the first time in a long time — to you.
I’ve been there. In the messy middle. Burned out. Sick. Trying to keep all the pieces of my life together while my body and soul were unraveling.
I had to come to terms with who I really was — outside of all the titles and roles. Nurse. Mom. Caregiver. Professional. I realized I was more than the job that was draining me. More than the identity I clung to. I needed to re-invent myself.
At 50, I finally did something I’d always dreamed of: I wrote a book. First, I collaborated with 26 incredible women in The Truth About Success. Then I published my own: Confessions of a Hospice Nurse — The Journey of Life and Death and the Lessons in Between.
That creative expression was part of my healing. So was slowing down. (Although, let’s be honest — my body forced me to slow down.)
I had ignored the signs: the chronic hives, the fatigue, the brain fog. I pushed through until I couldn’t anymore.
Walking away from my job wasn’t easy. But it was necessary. I realized the company I gave everything to would replace me in a heartbeat. They didn’t even honor a $600 bonus I had earned. That told me everything.
My health had suffered. My family had been impacted. My soul was tired.
So I chose me.
And five years later, I can say this: I feel better than I have in decades. My health is thriving. My energy is back. And I’m doing work that aligns with my purpose.
If you’re at a breaking point — or a beginning — I want you to know: it’s okay to re-invent yourself. It’s okay to start again. It’s okay to listen to the whisper.
This isn’t your end. It’s your beginning. And choosing you might just be the most powerful decision you ever make.
Rachel xoxo
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Sometimes quitting isn’t weakness — it’s wisdom.
We don’t hear this enough, but here’s the truth: sometimes the bravest thing you can do is walk away.
From a job. From a role. From a version of yourself that no longer fits.
That’s exactly what I did.
Burned out and exhausted, I knew I couldn’t keep going the way I had been. Hospice nursing had taken its toll. My body was breaking down. My sons had all moved out. And I found myself standing in the rubble of every role I had once used to define me.
Caregiver. Nurse. Mom. Provider.
I didn’t just nearly walk away — I leapt. Not because I had it all figured out. But because I knew something had to change. I knew I couldn’t keep putting myself last.
For the first time in a long time, I focused on myself. On healing. On rest. On finding joy in small habits and nourishing routines. I let myself grieve what I left behind — and made space for who I was becoming.
And at 50 years old, I can honestly say: it was the best decision I ever made.
Reinvention isn’t easy. But neither is staying stuck in something that’s draining the life out of you.
If you’re facing a shift, a crossroads, a quiet question deep inside — maybe this is your nudge. You don’t have to prove anything. You just have to choose what matters now.
You’re allowed to walk away from what’s not working. You’re allowed to start again.
In peace,
Rachel
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