Feeling overstimulated, irritable, or off this summer? These grounding rituals can help you regulate emotions, restore energy, and feel centered again.

Let me tell you something I learned the hard way: Your body is always talking. Mine’s been yelling at me for years. And I — like many women — kept pushing her to the bottom of the to-do list. I ignored the exhaustion. I laughed off the brain fog. I slapped a smile on over the bloat, anxiety, mood swings, sleep struggles, and the simmering sense that something was off. I thought I just needed more discipline. More caffeine. More cardio. Less food. 🙃 Spoiler alert: I

🧠 If your mood’s a mess, your gut probably is too. I used to think my irritability, brain fog, and sugar cravings were just “normal” perimenopause stuff. Hormones, sure. But guess what? Your gut actually makes most of your serotonin — the neurotransmitter that keeps you feeling happy, clear, and calm. So if your gut's off? Your mood, metabolism, cravings, energy, and focus? Also off.

I used to think eating “healthy” meant tiny portions, fat-free dressing, and giving up all the fun stuff. Girl. I was starving. Worse — I was inflamed, exhausted, bloated, snappy, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t focus, and was wondering why my body felt like a stranger.

Reacting to foods I've always loved and tolerated. So listen… I used to be able to crush a giant bowl of pasta, cheese-loaded everything,...

You know that feeling where you wake up exhausted, drink coffee like it’s a personality trait, and then crash around 2 p.m. like someone unplugged you from the wall? Same. Well, used to be same. Until I realized I wasn’t eating nearly enough protein — and it was wrecking my mood, my metabolism, my sleep, and my sanity. And honestly, I was close to enough protein but I was taking in JUNK protein (yes, quality matters!).