Ep. 112 | The Morning Routine Mistake That’s Wrecking Your Hormones (and What to Do Instead)
Release Date: 12/08/2025
Ep. 115 You’re Not Failing Your Resolutions — Your Physiology Changed
It's Not JUST Menopause
If New Year’s resolutions keep falling apart, especially in your 40s, it’s not because you lack discipline or motivation. It’s because your physiology doesn’t respond to pressure the same way it used to. In this episode, we break down why traditional resolutions backfire in perimenopause, how hormonal and stress-related changes affect your energy, metabolism, sleep, and motivation, and why “trying harder” often makes symptoms worse instead of better. This isn’t about willpower, restriction, or starting over in January. It’s about understanding how your cortisol, blood sugar,...
info_outline
EP. 114 | Why you crash at 2–4 PM (and how to stop it)
It's Not JUST Menopause
If you hit a wall between 2 and 4 PM and suddenly feel foggy, irritable, snacky, or like you need coffee just to finish the day, this episode is for you. In perimenopause and menopause, that afternoon crash is rarely random. It’s often a blood sugar dip paired with a stress response, and midlife hormone shifts can make your body feel like it has less buffer. So the crash hits harder, cravings get louder, and your symptoms feel tougher to manage. Today, I’m breaking down what the afternoon crash really means, why it keeps happening even when you think you’re doing “all the right...
info_outline
Ep. 113 | Why You’re Still Exhausted in Perimenopause—Even When You’re Resting More
It's Not JUST Menopause
Why Rest Alone Isn’t Fixing Your Fatigue If you’re sleeping more, taking weekends off, or even slowing your schedule — and you’re still exhausted — this episode is for you. In perimenopause and menopause, fatigue isn’t always caused by doing too much or resting too little. Many women are already prioritizing sleep and downtime, yet their energy never fully returns. That’s because rest alone doesn’t address what’s actually draining energy beneath the surface. Today, I’m breaking down why sleep, weekends off, and even vacations often don’t fix deep fatigue in midlife —...
info_outline
Ep. 112 | The Morning Routine Mistake That’s Wrecking Your Hormones (and What to Do Instead)
It's Not JUST Menopause
If your mornings feel rushed, chaotic, or draining — or if you hit that “wired and tired” wall before noon — this episode is for you. In perimenopause and menopause, your morning cortisol pattern becomes more sensitive than ever. The first 10 minutes of your day play a massive role in how your hormones behave, how your nervous system responds, and how your metabolism performs for the rest of the day. Most women never learn this… which is why they feel stuck, exhausted, inflamed, or overwhelmed before the day even begins. Today, I’m breaking down the most common morning routine...
info_outline
Ep. 111 | Regulate, Rebuild, Reignite: The Framework That Helps Women Over 40 Feel Better Than Ever
It's Not JUST Menopause
In today’s episode, I’m breaking down the 3-phase framework that finally helps women over 40 understand why their bodies aren’t responding — and what actually changes things in perimenopause and menopause. You’ll hear why strategies that used to work — like eating less, pushing harder, or relying on sheer discipline — suddenly stop working in midlife… and why that has nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with physiology. And even more importantly — you’ll learn the root-cause sequence that helps your body feel safe enough to respond again. This is the exact...
info_outline
Ep. 110 | When My Body Said ‘Enough’: The Origin of My Work
It's Not JUST Menopause
In today’s episode, I’m sharing the story I’ve never fully told — the moment my own menopause journey went sideways and why the strategies I had always relied on completely stopped working. You’ll hear how I went from losing 20 pounds easily in my early 40s… to suddenly gaining weight, feeling bloated, exhausted, wired, and confused by a body that no longer responded to anything I tried. And more importantly — the moment I finally realized nothing was wrong with me… my body was overwhelmed. This shift became the foundation of EVERYTHING I teach now. If you’ve been wondering...
info_outline
Ep. 109 | The Surprising Missing Link to Feeling Amazing During Menopause
It's Not JUST Menopause
If the holidays leave you feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, bloated, or “on edge” every year — it’s not that you can’t handle stress anymore. It’s that your menopause nervous system can’t absorb pressure the same way it used to. In this episode, we break down why stress hits harder in midlife, how it impacts your hormones and metabolism, and what you can do right now to create the grounded, steady energy your body is craving before the holiday chaos begins. This isn't about perfection, routines, or pushing through. It’s about understanding how your cortisol, blood sugar,...
info_outline
Ep. 108 | Cravings Aren’t About Willpower — They’re About Cortisol
It's Not JUST Menopause
If you keep blaming yourself for sugar cravings, afternoon crashes, or late-night snacking — this episode is your wake-up call. Menopause changes how your body handles stress, blood sugar, and hunger signals, and no amount of “willpower” can outsmart cortisol. In this episode, Cindi breaks down the real science behind stress-induced cravings and shows you how to stabilize your energy, calm your nervous system, and stop feeling out of control around food. You’ll learn why stress and cortisol are the missing pieces behind constant hunger, energy dips, and stubborn belly fat — and the...
info_outline
Ep. 107 | The Holiday Stress Trap: Why “Pushing Through” Backfires in Menopause
It's Not JUST Menopause
If you’re already feeling the weight of holiday stress — the endless to-dos, the travel, the expectations — and wondering why your body just can’t handle it the way it used to, this episode is for you. In menopause, your stress response changes. What once felt like “manageable chaos” can now send cortisol soaring, disrupt your sleep, and stall your metabolism. In this episode, Functional Nutrition Practitioner and Certified Menopause Specialist Cindi Stickle breaks down exactly why “pushing through” no longer works — and what your body is actually asking for instead. You’ll...
info_outline
Ep. 106 | The Only Way Menopause Results Actually Last
It's Not JUST Menopause
If you’ve ever felt like your progress disappears the moment life gets stressful — you’re not alone. Most “solutions” for menopause aren’t built to last. Diets, detoxes, and 30-day resets push your body harder… instead of helping it heal. In this episode of It’s Not Just Menopause, I’m breaking down the real reason results fade — and what it takes to finally make progress that sticks. You’ll learn: Why short-term fixes trigger long-term setbacks How stress and cortisol sabotage metabolism and hormones Why you can’t rebuild results on an unregulated nervous system ...
info_outlineIf your mornings feel rushed, chaotic, or draining — or if you hit that “wired and tired” wall before noon — this episode is for you.
In perimenopause and menopause, your morning cortisol pattern becomes more sensitive than ever. The first 10 minutes of your day play a massive role in how your hormones behave, how your nervous system responds, and how your metabolism performs for the rest of the day. Most women never learn this… which is why they feel stuck, exhausted, inflamed, or overwhelmed before the day even begins.
Today, I’m breaking down the most common morning routine mistake I see in midlife women — and how a few simple shifts can help regulate stress, calm your system, and support steadier energy all day long.
This episode is especially helpful if you’re searching for:
-
menopause morning routine support
-
how to regulate cortisol in menopause
-
why mornings feel harder in perimenopause
-
nervous system regulation for women over 40
-
morning habits that help menopause symptoms
-
root-cause hormone support without dieting
-
stress and hormone imbalance in menopause
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• The real reason your mornings feel so rushed or dysregulated in perimenopause and menopause
• How your cortisol awakening response changes in midlife
• The three most common mistakes women make in their morning routine that spike stress
• Why coffee before minerals makes symptoms worse
• How notifications, rushing, and chaos activate the fight-or-flight response
• Why skipping breakfast keeps your hormones stuck in “survival mode”
• A simple, no-BS CALM-first morning routine any woman can do — even on busy days
• How to reset your nervous system in under 2 minutes
If you want your hormones to feel steady… start with your mornings.
Your morning is your hormonal reset button.
When you support your nervous system first, everything else becomes easier — metabolism, mood, energy, cravings, and sleep.
Download: The Nervous System Morning Reset
Ready for calmer, steadier mornings that actually support your hormones?
Get my free guide: The Nervous System Morning Reset — tiny tools to start your day grounded and regulate cortisol naturally.
Download it here: https://cindistickle.myflodesk.com/nervoussystemorningreset
About the Show
It’s Not Just Menopause is the podcast for women who want real answers about midlife hormones, nervous system health, stress, metabolism, and root-cause solutions that actually work.
Hosted by Cindi Stickle — Functional Nutrition Practitioner, Certified Menopause Specialist, and creator of The No-BS Menopause Method.