TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)

Change is a good (and even great) thing when it means you’re open to new research, new understanding, and what we continue to learn about the body. What you need in any area of your life will evolve as you grow, mature, and gain new knowledge. Build a solid foundation that allows you to pivot as your body ages.

WHY

Were your ears ringing this week? I was talking about you, thinking about you, and discussing all the ways we are going to work together.

This week during a meeting with my team, we were talking about the future of Hello Betty, the Bettyverse, and of course, YOU.

We were thinking about what the immediate, midterm, and long-term needs of our Bettys are.

And we stumbled upon nutrition. Someone on social media this week commented that she is aggravated because I have “changed my stance” on carbohydrates and nutrition. And it got me thinking.

Had I changed my opinion? In some cases (like fasting) yes.

But others I have not changed, but simply evolved as my nutritional needs changed over time.

So when someone asks me to exactly describe how I am currently eating / training / recovering, the answer is a bit complicated.

There is what I do now, and there is also the foundation I built so that I can do what I do now.

WHAT

As many of you read in The Betty Body, I used to despise my menstrual cycle. It hurt. I was down for the count three or four weeks every month. I was medicating my pain, hating my body, and feeling like it was a curse to be female.

Looking at my labs back then, I had

• elevated fasting insulin levels
• high fasted glucose
• high estradiol levels relative to my progesterone levels
• high HbA1c levels (a measure of your blood glucose over the past three months)
• elevated cholesterol levels (TG, LDL-c, and total) that were higher than what was considered normal
• elevated hs-CRP (a marker of inflammation)

When I look at my life back then, I had a small group of people who were not real friends, just acquaintances. I was in the wrong marriage. I had young kids and limited support. My hair was falling out. I was anxious. And, if I’m honest, falling out of love with my work. I loved my patients and I loved the private practice, but the volume of paperwork and often incorrect staff hires wore me out.

If you’d told that girl to just eat more protein, don’t be scared of carbs, and just lift heavy weights–I would have fallen flat on my face.

Carbs felt awful in my body, I felt constantly hungry and snacky, and the afternoon energetic slump at 2 p.m. was REAL.

I was still lifting weights during this time, and having an almost identical amount of protein that I do now, but felt none of my hard work showed. My waist-to-hip ratio was not where I wanted it to be, and in my luteal cycle, bloating made it look like I was in my second trimester of pregnancy. My genetics revealed I was very prone to (although never formally diagnosed with) PCOS, as well as being on the spectrum for endometriosis.

So what gives?

The answer lies in the nutritional journey to healing.

HOW

For me (and the thousands of women who have gone through The Estima Diet), I needed to establish insulin sensitivity again.

I needed to go low carb first before I could go higher carb. I needed to mildly restrict protein for a bit (my formal thinking hypothesis here is that with protein restriction, you also get methionine restriction–a topic for another Mini Pause), and I just needed to drop some water weight and bloating.

This was the birth of Phase 1 of the Estima Diet.

Then I started cycling my macros with my menstrual cycle and Phase 2 of The Estima Diet was born.

I followed this style of eating for years. In doing so, I watched all my labs normalize, to the point now where my hsCRP now is undetectable, my glucose and insulin are optimal, and my cholesterol (all markers) are pristine.

As I built this foundation of metabolic health, I was able to easily transition to the type of diet I have now in my 40s. If I had to start over again, that would be the path I would take:

• Estima Diet Phase 1

• Estima Diet Phase 2

• Move into the Maintenance Phase, with higher protein and carbs to suit my training demands

You’ve heard me say this before and I’ll continue to say it: The diet you follow to heal is not the one you will follow forever.

The diet that heals you is the one that sets you up for metabolic health so that you have the option to play with different styles of eating later on. With estimates that 88-92% of North Americans are metabolically unhealthy and meet the criteria for Metabolic Syndrome, it's likely that you might also fall into that category.

I did for years.

NOW

• If you haven’t already, pick up a copy of The Betty Body and follow the nutrition plan in the book.
• That program saved me, it saved my patients, and saved the thousands of women who went through the program.
• Stay tuned in the coming months as we revise The Estima Diet in a whole new way. I can’t say much yet, but I can reveal it is going to be a game-changer in the industry.
• Along with The Estima Diet relaunch, we are going to debut new programs for those of you who want to go deeper into your health journey and work with me.

If you have gone through The Estima Diet and are ready for more, as well as those of you interested in taking your health in a new direction, reply “ESTIMA DIET” to support@drstephanieestima.com.

We're Making a Q&A Change

You've asked and I've answered 40 questions in this column this year. Thank you to all my Bettys who took the time to write in and ask such great questions!

In September, we began offering full Ask Me Anything episodes in the new EVEN BETTER! Premium Membership. Each month we open up a new AMA to member questions on a specific topic. These Qs form the foundation of a full AMA episode which appears in the members' private podcast feed and on their membership dashboard.

Now that this membership feature is available, we'll be sunsetting the Mini Pause QOTW. To continue to get your questions answered about Meals, Muscle, Mindset and (Peri) Menopause (and more!), I'd love for you to join us in the EVEN BETTER! Premium Membership community.

Membership benefits are outlined for you directly below. You can sign up HERE.

What I Recommend: Sauna

Adding regular sauna sessions into my routine has made a significant difference in my recovery and overall health. The science is clear on sauna benefits. For their 25th Anniversary, Sunlighten is offering up to $600 off PLUS a FREE gift with purchase through Oct. 31. The FREE gift with purchase includes an at-home biomarker panel test and educational webinar.

• The biomarker panel test covers 17 markers across six categories (Lipid and Cardiovascular Markers, Metabolic Health, Inflammation, Hormonal Health, Thyroid Function, and Nutritional Status).
• The webinar will be hosted by Dr. Darshan Shah, who will dive deeper into understanding these biomarkers.

Link HERE to more about the Sunlighten sauna models and take advantage of this special promotion.

Now Open: EVEN BETTER! Premium Membership Subscription

Members have immediate access to numerous content pieces, with more coming online. The membership benefits were designed with input and insights from my community of women. Here's what you'll find within the membership:

• Early and ad-free access to the weekly Better! podcasts.
• A downloadable action guide for each podcast episode.
• Private “Ask Me Anything” episodes based on member questions.
• Surprise guests and solo shows only for members.
• My insights from the guest discussion coupled with recommendations you can use to build habits and routines that support your goals.
• Bonus content beyond the podcast episodes.
• Exclusive discounts for brands I love.
• Being a part of a community with like-minded Bettys!

Subscribe HERE to find several introductory membership options to fit your budget.