Lead and Lift

Bria Gadd - What Every Woman Needs to Know About Midlife

Episode Summary

You don’t have to push harder to get through midlife. Learning to restore energy, reduce stress, and work with your body can help you feel strong, clear, and resilient again. About Bria Gadd: Bria Gadd is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, holistic health coach, and certified personal trainer who specializes in female hormones, helping women with weight release and energy gain in pre- and post menopause, and finding clarity in hormonal chaos. Her podcast, The Period Whisperer, is a top 1% wellness podcast in the world with an Instagram following of over 17,000. Bria has been featured in Fox News, Women's Health, and top women's podcasts, such as The MidLife Makeover Show, to name a few. In this episode, Chabidaye and Bria Gadd discuss: Understanding the real difference between perimenopause and menopause Recognizing health debt as the root issue Avoiding strategies that increase stress and backfire Rebuilding health through foundational habits and informed testing Key Takeaways: Menopause is a single milestone reached one year after the final menstrual cycle. Perimenopause is the long transition leading up to that point, often beginning in the mid-30s. Most symptoms attributed to menopause are actually signs of perimenopause and hormonal transition. Health debt occurs when the body’s energy demands exceed its available energy supply. Sleep, nutrition, joy, and purpose determine whether the body thrives or enters survival mode. Many midlife symptoms stem from accumulated health debt rather than hormones alone. Eating less and exercising harder can worsen symptoms when the body is already depleted. Excess stress elevates cortisol and deepens survival responses like weight retention and fatigue. Recovery begins by restoring energy availability, not increasing pressure on the system. Consistent sleep, gentle movement, balanced meals, and stress discharge restore energy balance. When basics are solid, functional testing can reveal deeper root causes beyond standard labs. Perimenopause is a signal to lead the body with intention and build resilience for the decades ahead. "Care about your body, become that CEO, and be more in your life, and not just less on the scale." —  Bria Gadd Connect with Bria Gadd: Website: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bria_period_whisperer/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriaThePeriodWhisperer/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briagadd YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bria_period_whisperer Podcast: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/the-period-whisperer-podcast

Episode Notes

You don’t have to push harder to get through midlife. Learning to restore energy, reduce stress, and work with your body can help you feel strong, clear, and resilient again.

About Bria Gadd: Bria Gadd is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, holistic health coach, and certified personal trainer who specializes in female hormones, helping women with weight release and energy gain in pre- and post menopause, and finding clarity in hormonal chaos. Her podcast, The Period Whisperer, is a top 1% wellness podcast in the world with an Instagram following of over 17,000. Bria has been featured in Fox News, Women's Health, and top women's podcasts, such as The MidLife Makeover Show, to name a few. 

In this episode, Chabidaye and Bria Gadd discuss:

• Understanding the real difference between perimenopause and menopause
• Recognizing health debt as the root issue
• Avoiding strategies that increase stress and backfire
• Rebuilding health through foundational habits and informed testing

Key Takeaways:

• Menopause is a single milestone reached one year after the final menstrual cycle. Perimenopause is the long transition leading up to that point, often beginning in the mid-30s. Most symptoms attributed to menopause are actually signs of perimenopause and hormonal transition.
• Health debt occurs when the body’s energy demands exceed its available energy supply. Sleep, nutrition, joy, and purpose determine whether the body thrives or enters survival mode. Many midlife symptoms stem from accumulated health debt rather than hormones alone.
• Eating less and exercising harder can worsen symptoms when the body is already depleted. Excess stress elevates cortisol and deepens survival responses like weight retention and fatigue. Recovery begins by restoring energy availability, not increasing pressure on the system.
• Consistent sleep, gentle movement, balanced meals, and stress discharge restore energy balance. When basics are solid, functional testing can reveal deeper root causes beyond standard labs. Perimenopause is a signal to lead the body with intention and build resilience for the decades ahead.

"Care about your body, become that CEO, and be more in your life, and not just less on the scale." —  Bria Gadd

Connect with Bria Gadd: 

Website: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bria_period_whisperer/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriaThePeriodWhisperer/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briagadd

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bria_period_whisperer

Podcast: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/the-period-whisperer-podcast