#97 - Dopamine Seeking, Food Decisions & Protecting Mental Health as Hormones Change

What if some of the foods and workouts you’ve been relying on are actually making perimenopause harder? In this episode, Louise, one of the world’s leading health, fitness and performance experts for everyday female runners, gets real about the connection between dopamine seeking, food choices, and protecting your mental health as hormones change. You’ll hear why waiting for low hormone labs to tell you that you're in perimenopause is too late, and why learning to listen to your body’s early signals and warning signs matters most.This conversation sheds light on how low hormone levels and perimenopause mechanisms of action affect mental health, nutrient timing, nutrient absorption, recovery, and even how you should approach training. You’ll discover why high-intensity exercise can backfire and why some women need to abstain from certain foods instead of trying to “moderate.”  Enjoy candid real life examples of how genetic predispositions and environmental triggers like family traditions and old memories can spark cravings, mood swings, depression, frustrating performance decline and even fat gain!Most importantly, you’ll walk away with practical insights to protect your mental health, maximize brain health and mood, make peace with your body, and build a lifestyle that supports achieving your goals instead of fighting them. This is about self-love, awareness, and applying the best female-specific strategies specific to YOUR unique body and goals to thrive in a season that often feels overwhelming, but doesn’t have to be!Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/ Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20%: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-startEpisode Highlights:(0:00) Intro(6:13) Hormone shifts and nutrient timing(7:09) Training pitfalls and exercise misalignment(10:17) The stress tipping point and community support(16:15) Running journey, self-belief, and family influence(22:08) Dopamine seeking, cravings, and food memories(27:02) How food triggers dopamine and cravings(33:03) Knowing yourself: Abstainer vs moderator(37:30) Cycle timing, mood dips, and food impact(45:45) Naming dopamine seeking and accountability(52:45) Practical takeaways and self-love as core(57:26) OutroTune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!I'd love to connect!Email 💬  [email protected]  Please note if you want to be a podcast guest, there is a fee and interview process. This is safe space and curated Community exclusively for women who love to feel, look and run our best without B.S. noise, endless pills, extreme diets or misleading fads.