When Your Body Feels Like a Stranger: My Burnout, Perimenopause, and Why Genetics Still Had My Back
Two years ago, I almost walked away from my practice.
Despite a decade of reclaiming my health and helping hundreds of women do the same, I woke up one day and felt like I was living in a body I didn’t recognize. My weight wouldn’t budge. My ADHD—once my superpower—felt like a burden. My nights were ruled by sweats and 3 a.m. wake-ups, and my days blurred into pain, doomscrolling, and exhaustion. I was overextended—clients, partnerships, even a high-ticket business course I had no bandwidth to finish. For the first time in my career, I thought: Maybe I should just quit.
I’m sharing this because so many women whisper the same words to me: “I feel like I woke up in a new body.”
And here’s the truth—sometimes it really does feel that way. With perimenopause, shifting hormones, and the cumulative impact of stress and inflammation, our bodies change. What worked at 28 may not work at 41. That doesn’t mean you’re broken; it means you’re in a new season.
What I Tried (and What I Believe)
I shut down what wasn’t aligned. I quit the course. I stepped away from partnerships that didn’t fit my integrity. I gave up wine (it didn’t fix everything—but I’ve stayed sober).
I also explored conventional options I once brushed off:
Ozempic (I felt nauseous and didn’t lose weight)
Experimenting with a micro-dose of Mounjaro to support blood sugar and appetite
Bioidentical progesterone to steady hormones
Some helped. Others didn’t.
Here’s my stance: I believe in all modalities—natural and conventional. I don’t believe in taking medication without supporting the why underneath—your genetic blueprint. The “what to take” only works long-term when we also address how your unique body is wired to respond.
Coming Back to Genetics (and Epigenetics)
At my lowest, I went back to my genetic report—the foundation of my work. Your DNA doesn’t change. But gene expression does. That’s epigenetics in simple terms: life events, hormones, sleep, stress, and environment can nudge genes to speak “louder” or “quieter.”
Knowing my blueprint showed me where my dopamine, stress, and sleep pathways needed support. With targeted protocols, collaboration with physicians, and step-by-step changes, my body shifted back toward a healthier expression—even while life stayed busy and hormones kept evolving.
Within a year I:
Lost 30 lbs
Became pain-free
Slept through the night
Got my ADHD hyperfocus back as the gift it is
How This Shapes the Way I Lead
This season taught me to build from integrity, not hustle. My core beliefs:
Genetics explain the why.
Epigenetics is how life changes the volume.
Medications and natural therapies can support the how—but only make sense when we respect your blueprint.
That’s why Feed Your Genes includes collaboration with both NDs and MDs when needed. I’m stubborn in the best way—I don’t let clients slip through my grip until they’re well again.
The Bottom Line : At 41, my hormone health isn’t “perfect,” but I sleep soundly, my mood is steady, and I love who I’ve become because of this journey.
If you feel like you’ve woken up in a new body, you’re not alone. You’re not failing; you’re adapting. Your genetics remain your steady map, and together we can coach your gene expression toward a healthier setting—especially when life flips the switches.
If genetics carried me through burnout, perimenopause, and doubt, they can carry you, too.
Both myself and Chanci have been there, we have built our health back up. We use the same method that we see providing transformations daily with our clients.
If you or a friend want to learn more, or if you woke up like me and need to revisit your genetics, schedule a free discovery call with us! We can’t wait to help you!