The Seed Oil Truth the Food Industry Doesn't Want You to Know.

The Truth About Your Metabolism: Why You're Tired, Gaining Weight & What Actually Works | with Ben Azadi

The Truth About Your Metabolism: Why You're Tired, Gaining Weight & What Actually Works | with Ben Azadi Metabolism is about so much more than the number on the scale. It's the foundation of your energy, brain function, hormones, and long-term health. When it's working well, you feel energized, focused, and resilient. When it's not, it can feel like you're doing everything "right" but still struggling with fatigue, stubborn weight, and frustrating symptoms. My guest today, Ben Azadi, understands that journey firsthand. After losing 80 pounds and reclaiming his own health, he dedicated his career to helping others improve their health and metabolism through nutrition, fasting, lifestyle changes, and education. In this episode, we dive into what metabolic flexibility really means, why it's one of the biggest predictors of long-term health, and how fasting and ketogenic nutrition can support metabolism when used appropriately. Ben also shares important considerations for women, common mistakes people make when trying to improve their metabolic health, and practical strategies you can begin implementing today. Whether your goal is more energy, better blood sugar balance, improved brain function, or simply feeling better in your own body, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways you can start using right away. Ben also just released the updated edition of his bestselling book, Keto Flex, this week. If you're looking for a deeper dive into metabolic health, fasting, and ketogenic nutrition, be sure to check it out. In this episode, we discuss: -What metabolic flexibility is—and why it matters -The connection between metabolism, energy, and longevity -How fasting can support metabolic health -What mental obesity is -Important differences in how women respond to fasting and keto -Simple habits that have the biggest impact on metabolic health -Ben's mission to help reverse type 2 diabetes on a global scale About Ben Azadi Ben Azadi is a bestselling author, educator, and the founder of Keto Kamp. For more than 16 years, he has been teaching people how to improve their metabolic health through evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle strategies. He is the host of the Metabolic Freedom Podcast and the author of several bestselling books, including the newly released Keto Flex. Ben's mission is to educate one billion people about metabolic health and help reverse type 2 diabetes in one million individuals through education and lifestyle medicine.   Listen & Follow New episodes of Pretty Well drop every week. If this episode resonates, follow the show, share, and leave a review — it helps more women find conversations like this one. Get Ben's new book + free bonuses: ketoflexbook.com [https://ketoflex.com]   Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/   Disclaimer:  Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such  advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.

Hormone Replacement Therapy Not Working For You? Here’s What No One is Talking About.

You finally decide to do it. You're going on HRT. You're so excited to feel better. And then… Nothing changes. —or— Everything gets worse. Like, way worse.   More anxiety. More bloating. More mood swings. Or no response at all.  So you try a different dose or a different formulation, but nothing gets better.   So now you’re left wondering: 👉 Is it me? 👉 Is this just how it’s going to be? 👉 Why does this work for everyone else—but not for me? This episode gets to the root of what's happing — but not in the way you expect.   🔥 Why This Episode Is a Must-Listen This isn’t another conversation about adding more hormones. It’s about why your body might not be responding to what’s already there.   And once you see this piece, a lot of confusion starts to make sense, fast. Especially if you’re in perimenopause or menopause and things are feeling more intense, less predictable, and harder to “figure out” than they used to be.   ⏱️ Timestamps You’ll Want to Bookmark [00:01:00] – The question that changes how you think about hormones [00:03:00] – What’s actually happening in perimenopause (that no one explains clearly) [00:05:00] – Why your symptoms can feel amplified, messy, and unpredictable [00:08:30] – The two patterns so many people fall into with hormone therapy [00:11:00] – The hidden layer that determines whether hormones help… or backfire   🧠 The Shift That Changes Everything Most conversations stop at: 👉 “You need more hormones.” 👉 “You need a different dose.”   But what if the real issue isn’t what you’re taking but how your body is handling it?   There’s a difference between: Having the right inputs And your body actually using them And when that gap exists, it creates symptoms that feel confusing, unpredictable, and incredibly frustrating.   🚩 If This Sounds Like You, Press Play: 👉Hormone therapy made you feel worse instead of better 👉You’ve tried different forms or doses with no real change 👉Your symptoms feel stronger or more chaotic than expected 👉You’re being told your hormones are “declining”… but your body feels anything but calm   There’s a reason for that and it’s not random.   FAQs: Why doesn’t hormone replacement therapy work for some women? Because the issue may not be hormone levels—it may be how the body processes, responds to, and uses those hormones. Why do I feel worse on estrogen therapy? In some cases, underlying imbalances can amplify the body’s response, making symptoms feel more intense. Why do I feel nothing on hormone therapy? The body may not be properly responding to or registering the hormones at a cellular level.   🎯 The Real Takeaway This isn’t about forcing your body into balance. It’s about understanding why it’s not responding the way you expected so you can finally work with it instead of against it.   💬 Final Thought When something doesn’t work, it’s easy to assume it’s the wrong solution. Sometimes… it’s just the wrong starting point. 🔗 Resources & Links: *   The Morning Mindset Journal https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal [https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal] ✨Join the conversation: Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments! 🎙 Subscribe, Share & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people who need to know they're not alone and there is hope. Thanks for tuning in to Pretty Well! See you next week! Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com [http://www.lisasmithwellness.com/]  IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/]   Disclaimer:  Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such  advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.

Hormones Out of Whack? It's Not What You Think

Your hormone symptoms are unpredictable. Your mood is all over the place. Some months are fine, some months are a disaster — and nobody has been able to tell you why. You've tried the supplements. Maybe even hormone replacement. And something is still off. Here's what even functional medicine and a holistic approach are still missing: it might not be a hormone problem at all. It might be a hormone processing problem. And the place to look isn't your ovaries. Your hormonal balance starts in your gut. In this episode I'm breaking down the estrobolome (the part of your microbiome that controls how much estrogen is actually circulating in your body at any given time). When it's off, everything feels off. And it's way more common than anyone is telling you. What we get into: * Why your body can produce the right amount of estrogen and still have too much of it cycling through your system * The enzyme that pulls estrogen off the elimination track and sends it right back through your body (and how to get it back on track) * Why this shows up as unpredictable cycles, mood swings, bloating, and weight that won't move ...and keeps getting mistaken for a hormone imbalance * The everyday habits sabotaging your estrobolome and easy fixes that start to turn it around * What to do before ever going to hormone replacement Your gut is actively deciding whether your used estrogen gets eliminated or recycled back into your body. This often overlooked piece has everything to do with how you feel and how your hormones are functioning. Next week: already on hormone replacement and it's still not working — or making things worse? That's exactly where we're going.   🔗 Resources & Links: *  The Morning Mindset Journal https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal [https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal] ✨Join the conversation: Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments! 🎙 Subscribe, Share & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people who love this type of content. Thanks for tuning in to Pretty Well!  Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com [http://www.lisasmithwellness.com/]  IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/]   Disclaimer:  Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such  advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.

The Seed Oil Truth the Food Industry Doesn't Want You to Know.

The Seed Oil Truth the Food Industry Doesn't Want You to Know. You've probably heard that seed oils are bad. But do you actually know what they're doing inside your body and why swapping them out could be one of the most powerful things you do for your health? Cherie Calbom, The Juice Lady — bestselling author, nutritionist, and author of The Truth About Seed Oils — joins me to pull back the curtain on the fats we've been cooking with for decades, and what the science actually says about how they're driving inflammation, hormonal disruption, and chronic symptoms that most women have just accepted as normal. What we get into: * Why seed oils were never designed with your health in mind and what they're actually doing at the cellular level * The fat-hormone-metabolism connection and why the type of fat you eat matters more than how much * Cherie's own story of rebuilding her health from chronic illness in her 20s... and what finally worked * Why you can be eating "clean" and still feel inflamed, puffy, and exhausted * What to cook with instead and how to navigate labels that are designed to confuse you * The nervous system piece that most nutrition conversations completely skip * Why healing isn't a destination and what consistency actually looks like in real life Cherie has sold over 3 million books and spent decades helping people get answers their doctors couldn't give them. This conversation is the kind of straight talk your body has been waiting for. 📖 Find Cherie at juiceladycherie.com A few moments worth listening twice: 05:30 – From chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia to rebuilding her health 11:45 – Why healing is never linear (and how to think about it differently) 18:00 – Diet vs. stress: which one matters more? 22:30 – The backstory on seed oils (and why it’s not as simple as it sounds) 31:00 – What your cells are actually made of and why that matters 38:30 – The inflammation connection 44:30 – The two shifts that make the biggest difference   🔗 Resources & Links (As An Amazon Associate I Earn A Small Commission From Qualifying Purchases At No Extra Cost To You): * The Truth About Seed Oils by Cherie Calbom https://amzn.to/3OJRbwT [https://amzn.to/3OJRbwT]  *  The Morning Mindset Journal https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal [https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal] ✨Join the conversation: Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments! 🎙 Subscribe, Share & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people who need these insights. Thanks for tuning in to Pretty Well!  Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com [http://www.lisasmithwellness.com/]  IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/]   Disclaimer:  Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such  advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About "Normal" Women's Symptoms.

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About "Normal" Women's Symptoms. If you've ever walked out of a doctor's appointment feeling dismissed, confused, or like you somehow did it wrong — this one's for you. Award-winning health journalist Meghan Rabbitt has spent years investigating what women haven't been told about their own bodies. And what she's uncovered is equal parts infuriating and empowering. This is the user manual for your health that no one handed you. What we get into: * Why women are still underdiagnosed, under-researched, and misunderstood — and how it's affecting your care right now * The silent connection between pregnancy complications and heart disease that most doctors never mention * Why your stress response is biologically different from a man's — and what it's doing to your brain * The symptoms you've been taught to ignore that are actually critical data about your future health * The breast cancer risk test most women have never heard of * How to walk into any doctor's appointment like a CEO, not a bystander The shift that changes everything: just because something is common doesn't mean it's normal. Pain, heavy periods, brain fog, exhaustion — these aren't things to push through. They're things to investigate. This episode doesn't just give you information. It changes how you relate to your body. 🎙️ Find Meghan at meghanrabbitt.com Links & Resources (as an Amazon affiliate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to yo): * New Rules of Women’s Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age  https://amzn.to/4e6aNFL [https://amzn.to/4e6aNFL]  * Tyrer-Cuzick Assessment (Calculator) for Breast Cancer Risk https://magview.com/ibis-risk-calculator/ [https://magview.com/ibis-risk-calculator/] * The Morning Mindset Journal https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal [https://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal] ✨Join the conversation: Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments! 🎙 Subscribe, Share & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people who need these insights. Thanks for tuning in to Pretty Well! See you next week! Contact Meghan and buy The New Rules of Women's Health from her website: ht [https://newrulesofwomenshealth.com/]tps://newrulesofwomenshealth.com/ [https://newrulesofwomenshealth.com/]   Contact Lisa: Website: www.lisasmithwellness.com [http://www.lisasmithwellness.com/]  IG: https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/]   Disclaimer:  Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine. The primary purpose of The Pretty Well Podcast being to educate. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of such  advice or treatment from a personal physician. By listening to this content, you agree to consult your own physician or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Lisa Smith, The Pretty Well Podcast, nor any guest takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content. All listeners of this content, especially those who are pregnant or taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. The Pretty Well Podcast is for private non-commercial use and our guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for. In addition, opinions of interview guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lisa Smith and/or The Pretty Well Podcast. This content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.