EP 439: Your Gut Controls Your Hormones: The Overnight Food Trick That Changes Everything with Dr Mindy Patterson

Have you ever wondered why your menopause symptoms persist despite doing everything “right”—eating clean, exercising regularly, and following all the conventional advice? What if the solution isn’t about adding more to your plate, but about changing when and how you prepare the food you’re already eating?

While most menopause advice focuses on hormone replacement therapy, real transformation happens when you optimise your gut health. In this groundbreaking episode, registered dietitian and gut health researcher Dr Mindy Patterson reveals how a simple overnight food preparation trick can double your fibre intake and why 90% of your serotonin is actually made in your gut, not your brain.

The Researcher Who Lives What She Teaches

Dr Mindy Patterson isn’t just a dietitian who studies nutrition—she’s a researcher who discovered the power of gut health through her own transformative experience. A memorable college experiment with fibre taught her firsthand about the gut-brain connection and launched nearly two decades of research into how our microbiome influences everything from hormonal balance to mental clarity.

With a PhD in Nutrition, over 20 peer-reviewed publications, and as Associate Professor of Nutrition at Texas Woman’s University in Houston, Dr Mindy combines rigorous science with practical wisdom. As Founder and CEO of NutriCision and creator of Renutrin®, a science-backed prebiotic fibre supplement, she’s dedicated to empowering women in midlife through evidence-based gut health strategies.

The Temperature Secret Nobody Talks About

Dr Mindy’s most surprising revelation: cooking and then cooling starchy foods like potatoes, oats, and quinoa can increase their resistant starch content by two to three times.

When you prepare these foods the night before and eat them chilled or gently reheated, you’re getting significantly more fibre without eating more food. This overnight preparation hack works because cooling causes the starch molecules to recompact in a way that resists digestive enzymes, allowing the fiber to reach your large intestine where beneficial gut bacteria transform it into compounds that reduce inflammation and boost metabolic health.

The Gut-Brain-Hormone Connection

“Most people don’t realise that around 90% of our serotonin is actually made in the gut. When serotonin is stimulated or increased in the gut, that signals the gut-brain axis to increase serotonin in the brain.”

This connection explains why gut health profoundly impacts mood, anxiety, depression, and the mental clarity issues many women experience during perimenopause. The vagus nerve serves as the communication highway between gut and brain, with dietary choices directly influencing your emotional wellbeing and cognitive function.

The Fibre Gap That’s Sabotaging Your Health

While US recommendations suggest modest fibre amounts, Dr Mindy’s research indicates women need 35 to 40 grams daily for true metabolic and gut health benefits, especially during hormonal transitions. Most women fall dangerously short, missing out on fibre’s power to feed beneficial gut bacteria, reduce inflammation, and naturally boost GLP-1 for appetite control and hormonal balance.

From Hormones to Inflammation

As estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone decline during perimenopause and menopause, inflammation levels rise throughout the body. Estrogen acts as a potent anti-inflammatory hormone, so its loss contributes to everything from brain fog to weight gain to chronic conditions.

The liberating truth: calming inflammation through strategic gut-focused nutrition may be the root solution for many menopause symptoms. Dr Mindy recommends C-reactive protein (CRP) testing to measure inflammation levels and emphasises that supporting your microbiome isn’t just about digestion—it’s about supporting your entire hormonal and neurological system.

Beyond Fibre: The Protein and Creatine Connection

For midlife women, Dr Mindy challenges outdated protein recommendati