Ep 116 Your Mindset Is Messing With Your Hormones

In this episode, I'm unpacking the real science behind food guilt — and why beating yourself up after eating isn't keeping you on track. It's actively working against you.You'll learn:Why food guilt triggers your HPA axis and spikes cortisol, increasing cravings, reducing satisfaction, and impairing the very self-regulation you're counting onHow chronic stress hormones amplify fat storage, particularly for women in perimenopause and menopauseThe truth about the "doughnut study" — how self-compassion after eating led to significantly less food intake later, not moreThe remarkable findings of the "milkshake study" — where the same 380-calorie drink produced measurably different ghrelin responses based purely on what participants believed they were drinkingFive practical CBT-informed steps I use with clients to start dismantling the stress-eat-guilt loop for goodThis isn't about being soft on yourself. It's about understanding that guilt is a stress response — and stress has a hormonal cost your body can't afford.Referenced research:Crum, A.J. et al. (2011) — Mind Over Milkshakes, Health PsychologySelf-compassion and eating behaviour research (doughnut study paradigm)If you'd like to connect you can find me at www.nourishandnurtu.re and on Instagram www.instagram.com/nourishandnurtu.re