Rooted in Wellness with Mona Sharma

You wake up determined to do everything right, eat clean, stay on track, and by mid-afternoon you are still foggy, bloated, and oddly hungry, like your body never got the memo. The frustrating part is you assume it must be you, so you tighten the rules, cut more foods, buy another supplement, and end up right back in the same loop. 

In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with registered dietitian Ashley Koff to break down what is actually driving that loop and what to focus on first so you stop guessing and start getting traction. We also talk about why digestion gets overlooked, how stress can distort hunger and fullness signals, and what weight-health hormones like GLP-1, GIP, CCK, and PYY have to do with cravings and satiety.

Ashley Koff, RD, is the founder of The Better Nutrition Program (BNP) and a USA Today bestselling author of Your Best Shot (HarperOne). She has 25+ years of clinical experience and has educated health professionals, with her work featured across major media. Her expertise includes the weight health hormones GLP-1, GIP, CCK, and PYY, so the strategies in this episode are grounded in real clinical practice and evidence, not trends.

What’s discussed: 

(00:00) Rooted check-in: What makes you feel rooted vs uprooted (and why “wellness checklists” can backfire)

(~06:30) Rapid fire: Weight gain myths, weight loss myths, nutrition mistakes, GLP-1 misconceptions, diet trends that keep recycling

(~14:00) Why women feel like their body “stopped responding” overnight: Hunger cues shifting, food noise, and why the old rules stop working

(~23:30) Digestion as the missing foundation: Bloating, constipation, reflux becoming “normal,” and why protocols fail when gut function is off

(~33:30) Stress physiology and nervous system regulation: Why lab results still don’t move the needle if your system is dysregulated

(~43:00) Breaking down weight-health hormones: GLP-1, GIP, CCK, PYY and how hunger/satiety signals actually work

(~55:30) How to structure meals for satiety: Building a plate that supports cravings, stability, and consistency

(~1:06:00) Gut and oral microbiome: What your mouth can reveal about your gut, and simple supportive practices that actually matter

(~1:18:00) GLP-1 reality check: muscle loss/bone loss concerns, metabolic priorities, and what to monitor (including DEXA)

(~1:28:30) First step if you feel overwhelmed by cravings, weight fluctuations, or confusing hunger cues: where to start so you stop guessing

Thank you to our sponsors:

BIOptimizers: Visit bioptimizers.com/mona and use MONA at checkout to get the best deal on Masszymes and all BIOptimizers products.

Timeline: Get 35% off your first month at Timeline.com/MONA35.

Learn more about Mona Sharma:

Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips. 

Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation.

Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma.

Learn more about Ashley Koff: 

Instagram: @ashleykoffapproved 

Website: thebetternutritionprogram.com

Most people blame “getting older” when they wake up foggy, achy, and running on fumes—but the real issue is usually inflammaging: low-grade inflammation + oxidative stress quietly stacking up while you’re busy doing “all the right things.” And the wild part is the longevity world keeps selling “more hacks,” when what you actually need is to fix what’s driving the burnout inside your system first.

We dive deeper into this in the Rooted in Wellness with Mona Sharma with Dave Watumull. We also chat about what’s real vs. expensive hype in longevity, why government-funded research matters, and what to look for in an astaxanthin supplement so you’re not wasting money on something your body barely absorbs.

Dave Watumull is the co-founder and CEO of AX3 Life. He has 25+ years of experience in astaxanthin research, development, and commercialization. He has contributed to human clinical research and has been involved in lifespan/healthspan research discussions referenced in the episode.

What’s Discussed: 

00:00 — Sugar amounts, pronunciation, background, and the “rooted” theme

03:10 — Feeling rooted vs. uprooted: why mornings spiral when you start with your phone

07:40 — Rapid fire: the biggest longevity myth, what actually moves the needle, and what most people don’t track

12:30 — Oxidative stress + inflammation, explained in plain English (and why it feels like “aging overnight”)

23:20 — Why astaxanthin stands out: how it works differently than common antioxidants

34:10 — Longevity noise check: what’s real science vs. expensive hype (rapamycin, NAD, etc.

44:30 — Supplement quality + bioavailability: why absorption matters and what makes AX3 different

55:20 — Dosing, food sources (salmon), digestion, safety, and who should be cautious

Thank you to our sponsors:

LeelaQ: Take 10% off at leelaq.com with code MONA.

IM8: Try IM8 for 30 days as part of your holistic wellness practice. Your body deserves this level of comprehensive support. Visit https://im8health.com/

Learn more about Mona Sharma:

Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips. 

Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation.

Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma.

Learn more about Dave Watumull:

Website: https://ax3.life 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davewatumull/

Today’s conversation is a return to what women’s wellness was always meant to feel like: intuitive, rooted, and responsive to the rhythms of the female body. When midlife shifts begin, sleep changes, mood fluctuates, and energy feels unpredictable, it can feel destabilizing. But what if these changes are not a breakdown, but an awakening?

I’m joined by Dr. Mindy Peltz to explore menopause as transformation rather than decline. We discuss nervous system regulation, the hormone hierarchy of oxytocin, cortisol, insulin, and sex hormones, and why metabolic health, particularly hemoglobin A1C, forms the foundation for hormonal resilience. We also explore fasting as both a metabolic reset and a spiritual practice that restores intuition and self-trust.

Dr. Mindy Peltz is a bestselling author of Fast Like a Girl and Age Like a Girl, and a leading voice in women’s fasting, metabolic health, and the midlife hormonal transition. She is a Doctor of Chiropractic, speaker, podcast host, and founder of the Resetter Academy.

What's Discussed:

(00:00) Full circle moment and why menopause is an awakening, not a decline

(06:30) Nature as nervous system medicine and healing through immersion

(14:00) Uprooted in modern life: stress, culture, and losing the feminine voice

(22:00) The grandmother hypothesis and the shift from competition to collaboration

(30:00) Polyvagal theory, freeze mode, and why women feel better alone

(40:00) Grief as a daily practice and processing midlife identity shifts

(48:00) Biohacking vs bioharmonizing and reclaiming intuitive health

(56:00) Wearables, data, and using biomarkers without outsourcing authority

(1:04:00) The hormone hierarchy: oxytocin, cortisol, insulin, and sex hormones

(1:12:00) Fasting for women: metabolic reset, ketones, and spiritual insight

(1:22:00) Self-inquiry as medicine and building a relationship with your body

Thank You to Our Sponsors:
Ancient and Brave: Visit ancientandbrave.com and use code MONA for $10 off any order.

IM8: Try IM8 for 30 days as part of your holistic wellness practice. Your body deserves this level of comprehensive support. Visit https://im8health.com/

Learn more about Mona Sharma:

Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips. 

Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation.

Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma.

Learn more about Dr. Mindy Peltz :
Website: https://www.drmindypelz.com
Instagram: @dr.mindypelz

Perimenopause can feel like your body is sending mixed signals. Appetite shifts. Sleep changes. Stress tolerance shrinks. And when labs come back “normal,” it can leave you feeling unheard in your own experience.

In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Kleiner to explore circadian rhythm as a foundational regulator of women’s hormones. We unpack leptin as a master safety signal that influences thyroid function, reproductive hormones, metabolism, and appetite. We also discuss how artificial light, screens, chronic stress, and restrictive dieting can blunt this signaling, especially in midlife when resilience narrows.

This conversation reframes hormone imbalance through the lens of rhythm and nervous system regulation rather than quick fixes. You’ll walk away with simple, practical ways to begin restoring amplitude to your day, starting with light, timing, and nourishment.

Sarah Kleiner is the founder of Sarah Kleiner Wellness and the creator of My Circadian App. 

What's Discussed:

(00:00) Midlife as recalibration and why hormones reflect circadian rhythm and safety
(07:30) Leptin as a master signal and how it informs thyroid, metabolism, and fertility
(15:00) Cortisol, melatonin, and the hormonal cascade shaped by morning and evening light
(23:00) How artificial light, screens, and late eating disrupt hormone signaling
(31:00) Restrictive dieting, fasting, and why low leptin states keep women stuck
(39:00) Nervous system regulation and how chronic stress blunts metabolic communication
(47:00) Fertility, perimenopause, and why resilience narrows in midlife
(55:00) Practical circadian shifts for busy women and families
(1:03:00) Rhythm as root healing and returning to biological coherence

Thank You to Our Sponsors:

Ancient + Brave: Visit ancientandbrave.com and use code MONA for $10 off any order.
IM8: Try IM8 for 30 days as part of your holistic wellness practice. Your body deserves this level of comprehensive support. Visit https://im8health.com/ 

Timeline: Get 35% off your first month at Timeline.com/MONA35.

Learn more about Mona Sharma:

Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips. 

Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation.

Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma.

Learn more about Sarah Kleiner:

Website: https://www.sarahkleinerwellness.com/ 

Instagram: @sarahkleinerwellness

Perimenopause can feel like your body is speaking a new language. Sleep shifts. Energy fluctuates. Mood feels unfamiliar. And when you are told everything looks “normal,” it can leave you feeling disconnected from your own experience.

In today’s episode, I sit down with Dr. Deanna Minich to explore a more rooted, systems-based understanding of women’s hormones. We talk about the HPTAO axis and why stress, gut health, detox pathways, circadian rhythm, and nutrient diversity all influence how hormones move, signal, and clear. This conversation gently reframes midlife as a recalibration rather than a breakdown.

We also explore estrogen metabolism, and the power of plant color and rhythm in supporting resilience. 

Dr. Deanna Minich, PhD is the Chief Science Officer at Symphony Natural Health, an international educator and speaker, and the author of The Rainbow Diet.

Use code Mona to get 15% off:

MacaLife: https://symphonynaturalhealth.com/macalife
Herbatonin: https://symphonynaturalhealth.com/products/herbatonin
pHQuintessence: https://symphonynaturalhealth.com/products/ph-quintessence

What's Discussed:

(00:00) Midlife as recalibration and why hormones reflect the whole system
(07:30) The HPTAO axis and how stress shapes hormone signaling
(15:00) Cortisol, glucose, and insulin as foundational anchors in perimenopause
(23:00) Why HRT does not always feel supportive and what may be missing
(31:00) Estrogen metabolism, phase 1 and phase 2 detox, and the role of the gut
(39:00) Bile flow, toxic load, and clearing hormones effectively
(47:00) Melatonin, circadian rhythm, and healthy aging in women
(55:00) The rainbow diet, plant diversity, and endocrine communication
(1:03:00) Resilience, rhythm, and redefining menopause through a systems lens

Thank You to Our Sponsors:

Timeline: Get 35% off your first month at Timeline.com/MONA35.

IM8: Try IM8 for 30 days as part of your holistic wellness practice. Your body deserves this level of comprehensive support. Visit https://im8health.com/

BIOptimizers: Visit bioptimizers.com/mona and use MONA at checkout to get the best deal on Masszymes and all BIOptimizers products. 

Learn more about Mona Sharma:

Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips. 

Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation.

Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma.

Learn more about Guest:

Website: https://deannaminich.com/

Instagram: @deannaminich