Nervous System Regulation and Polyvagal Theory

Today’s conversation is a return to what women’s wellness was always meant to feel like: intuitive, rooted, and responsive to the rhythms of the female body. When midlife shifts begin, sleep changes, mood fluctuates, and energy feels unpredictable, it can feel destabilizing. But what if these changes are not a breakdown, but an awakening?

I’m joined by Dr. Mindy Peltz to explore menopause as transformation rather than decline. We discuss nervous system regulation, the hormone hierarchy of oxytocin, cortisol, insulin, and sex hormones, and why metabolic health, particularly hemoglobin A1C, forms the foundation for hormonal resilience. We also explore fasting as both a metabolic reset and a spiritual practice that restores intuition and self-trust.

Dr. Mindy Peltz is a bestselling author of Fast Like a Girl and Age Like a Girl, and a leading voice in women’s fasting, metabolic health, and the midlife hormonal transition. She is a Doctor of Chiropractic, speaker, podcast host, and founder of the Resetter Academy.

What's Discussed:

(00:00) Full circle moment and why menopause is an awakening, not a decline

(06:30) Nature as nervous system medicine and healing through immersion

(14:00) Uprooted in modern life: stress, culture, and losing the feminine voice

(22:00) The grandmother hypothesis and the shift from competition to collaboration

(30:00) Polyvagal theory, freeze mode, and why women feel better alone

(40:00) Grief as a daily practice and processing midlife identity shifts

(48:00) Biohacking vs bioharmonizing and reclaiming intuitive health

(56:00) Wearables, data, and using biomarkers without outsourcing authority

(1:04:00) The hormone hierarchy: oxytocin, cortisol, insulin, and sex hormones

(1:12:00) Fasting for women: metabolic reset, ketones, and spiritual insight

(1:22:00) Self-inquiry as medicine and building a relationship with your body

Thank You to Our Sponsors:
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Learn more about Dr. Mindy Peltz :
Website: https://www.drmindypelz.com
Instagram: @dr.mindypelz