Women Aren’t Small Men. 6 Daily-Life Health Shifts to Start Making Today

Feb 25, 2026

Victoria Thain Gioia, co-founder and CEO of Perelel, built a doctor-backed women’s health brand after a pregnancy-related diagnosis revealed gaps in maternal care. She discusses stage-specific nutrition, why women need different support than men, the role of protein, fiber and muscle health, simple daily shifts to feel better, and how to make supplements easy and usable.

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ANECDOTE

Founding Parallel After A Personal Birth Diagnosis

Victoria started Parallel after her daughter Imogen was born with a cleft, which prompted deep research into prenatal nutrition gaps.
She discovered prenatal labeling is unregulated and many women unknowingly miss critical nutrients despite doing “everything right.”

ANECDOTE

Launched A Startup Pregnant During COVID

Victoria and her co-founder launched Parallel during COVID while both pregnant and with young children, forcing rapid adaptation.
They leveraged being home during lockdown to build the company despite canceled fundraising and chaotic timing.

ADVICE

Choose Quickly And Iterate Instead Of Overthinking

Make decisions quickly and iterate instead of overthinking details you can't control.
Victoria applies the same 'good enough' rule from parenting to startup choices: pick a option, learn, and move on.

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If you’re a woman - or you love one! - this episode will change how you understand women’s bodies. Because here’s the sad truth: Women’s health has been built on research that largely ignored women. We’ve been handed one-size-fits-all advice for bodies that are anything but. And millions of moms are walking around exhausted, depleted, hormonally off, and wondering, “Why the hell do I feel like this?” So today, we’re going deep into what’s actually happening inside women’s bodies, and what real support should look like.

Deena sits down with Victoria Thain Gioia, co-founder and CEO of Perelel, a doctor-backed women’s health brand created after her daughter was born with a nutrition-related birth condition - a moment that exposed just how massive the gaps are in prenatal and maternal care.

Together, they unpack the reality women live every day:

• Hormones that shift constantly

• Nutrient needs that change across life stages

• The invisible physical load of motherhood

• The pressure to function while depleted

• Why “just take a vitamin” was never enough

This episode is designed to be practical, with simple tweaks you can start making today to optimize your health. You’ll learn:

✔ Why women’s bodies need different support than men’s

✔ The biggest daily nutrition gaps affecting moms

✔ How protein, fiber, and muscle health impact hormones and energy

✔ Why simple routines matter more than perfection

✔ What “stage-specific” support actually means

✔ The small daily shifts that help women feel better in their bodies

This conversation is equal parts science, motherhood reality, and permission to make yourself high up on your to-do list. If you’ve ever felt exhausted, off, depleted, or like your body changed after kids, this episode will make you feel seen, informed, and empowered to start supporting yourself again. Because moms give everything. It’s about damn time someone supported YOU.

Visit www.perelelhealth.com and use code BIGLITTLEFEELINGS for 20% off your first purchase.

This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.

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Produced by Dear Media

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