251. Feed Your Brain: How Disordered Eating Impacts Anxiety, Hormones, and Mood in Midlife

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Many women in midlife are silently battling anxiety, fatigue, and mood swings while doing all the “right” things—working hard, leading, caring for everyone else. But few realize how closely mental health and nutrition are connected. 

In this episode, Tanya opens up about her decades-long struggle with anxiety and disordered eating and how undernourishment disrupted her body’s ability to make key neurotransmitters.

She unpacks how protein and amino acids become the building blocks for mood, energy, and hormones—and why digestion, gut health, and liver function all play a vital role in restoring balance.  

Key Topics Covered:

• Tanya’s personal journey with anxiety and bulimia
• How amino acids become neurotransmitters and hormones
• The gut-brain-liver connection in mood regulation
• Protein needs for women in midlife
• Nutrients essential for neurotransmitter synthesis 
• How stress and cortisol disrupt serotonin production
• Faith-based mindset: nourishment as stewardship

Resources & References:

• Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2019 – The Tryptophan Pathway and Serotonin
• PubMed: Dietary Protein and Brain Serotonin Synthesis
• ResearchGate: Gut-Brain Axis and Mood Regulation
• Cleveland Clinic: Understanding Serotonin

 

I hope this episode blesses you!

Xoxo,

Tanya

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Reminder:  The information you hear on this show is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.  It is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your own health practitioner before you make any changes to your health.