Fuel Her Awesome — Mental Health, Aging, Nutrition & Healing Your Relationship With Food: gut-brain connection, emotional e

Jessika Brown- Registered Dietitian, Empowered Eating Coach, Intuitive Eating Mentor, Boy Mom
  • 4.9 (240)
  • Nutrition
  • Updated Weekly

Most women don't have a nutrition problem. They have a relationship problem — with food, with their bodies, and with themselves. And until someone addresses that, no meal plan is going to stick. Welcome to Fuel Her Awesome — the podcast where mental health and nutrition finally meet. I'm Jess Brown, registered dietitian, certified eating disorder consultant, certified sports dietitian and your guide to understanding why you eat the way you do — and how to change it without shame, restriction, or starting over. Each episode goes beyond the food to explore the root causes most providers miss: the gut-brain connection driving your mood, the stress hormones shaping your cravings, the nutrient gaps nobody tested for — and what you can actually do about it. Science-backed, judgment-free, and built for the woman who is done treating symptoms and ready to heal the root. This isn't another wellness podcast. It's the one that finally connects the dots. Subscribe for weekly episodes on: → The gut-brain axis and how your microbiome affects your mental health → How cortisol, blood sugar, and stress hormones drive your eating behavior → The nutrient depletions linked to depression, anxiety, and ADHD that nobody tested for → What your body is actually communicating — and how to listen → Science that's real, actionable, and completely judgment-free You're not broken. You're just missing the full picture. Let's build it together.

  1. 3d ago

    Plot Twist: Your Hormones Aren't Out to Get You!

    From puberty to perimenopause, we've been taught to fight our bodies. What if we listened instead? At 13, your body wasn't betraying you. At 33, it wasn't betraying you. And at 53? Still not betraying you. But somewhere along the way — through puberty, pregnancy, and perimenopause — we got the same message dressed up in different language: your body is the problem. Control it. Fix it. Fight it. In this episode, I'm calling that out. Because the hormone conversation happening everywhere right now? It sounds a lot like the diet culture conversation we were having decades ago — just with fancier buzzwords. We're talking about: The Body Distrust Cycle that follows women through every life stage Why consuming more health information than ever has left so many of us feeling more disconnected from our bodies The three foundations you need before you can actually hear what your body is telling you How to tell the difference between a hormone problem and a fueling problem Your body has been adapting and communicating and keeping you alive through all of it. Maybe it's time we started treating it like a source of information — not an enemy to defeat. 🎁 Grab the Biofeedback Quick Guide HERE and find out "Why am I So Tired?!". 📅 Summer intake assessments are open — only 10 spots! Book HERE!  🎉 Watch Jess' Interview on The Perspective TV HERE!

    25 min

  2. May 18

    The Real Reason You Have Cellulite (And What To Do About It)

    The Truth About Cellulite (What No One Is Actually Telling You) Let's be honest — most of what you've heard about cellulite was designed to sell you something. In this episode, I'm breaking down the science, busting the biggest myths, and giving you a framework that actually makes sense for your body. What We Cover: What cellulite actually is — It's not a fat problem. It's a structural design. Women have vertically arranged connective tissue (septae) that allows fat to push up against the skin differently than it does in men. This is why 90% of women have cellulite and most men don't. Athletes have it. Thin women have it. It is not a measure of fitness or body fat percentage. Why it gets more noticeable in perimenopause — Estrogen directly influences collagen production and skin thickness. As estrogen declines, skin thins and loses elasticity — making the underlying structure more visible. This is biology, not failure. What the wellness industry gets wrong — Creams, dry brushing, and detox regimens don't change your connective tissue structure. Specific foods don't cause or cure cellulite. And yet there's a $4B+ industry built on selling you shame as a product. What actually has evidence — Collagen peptides with Vitamin C, resistance training, hydration, and perimenopause-supportive nutrition (protein, omega-3s, phytoestrogens) can support skin integrity and overall health. Honest disclaimer: cellulite reduction may be a side effect — not a guarantee. The real reframe — Your skin is doing exactly what skin does after decades of living, hormonal shifts, and gravity. The question isn't how do I get rid of it — it's what does my body actually need right now?   Let's keep the conversation going... Learn more about Empowered Eating by downloading my FREE guide for your first steps and the list of nutrition labs I recommend to every client!

    12 min

  3. May 4

    What Your Doctor Isn't Telling You About Nutrition and Perimenopause

    What Your Doctor Isn't Telling You About Nutrition and Perimenopause Have you ever caught yourself thinking, "This is just how I am now — it's perimenopause, there's nothing I can do"? You're not alone. But today we're flipping that narrative. In this episode, I'm sharing what the research actually says about nutrition and perimenopause — and why this conversation isn't happening nearly enough in conventional medicine. Because yes, the hormonal shifts are real. The brain fog, the weight changes, the sleep disruption — all real. But so is your ability to influence how you feel through what you eat. In this episode: Why declining estrogen changes your metabolism (by more than you'd think) The dietary pattern with the strongest evidence base for perimenopausal symptoms 3 nutrition tools backed by peer-reviewed research that you can start using now The 3 changes we cover (and what to do about them): Metabolism changes — why your muscle is at risk and how much you actually need during this transition Gut health changes — the estrobolome, why your gut microbiome directly influences your estrogen levels, and the simple weekly goal that can shift everything Your Supplement Stack needs!  Resources mentioned: Erdélyi et al., 2024 — Nutrients — comprehensive review of nutrition priorities in perimenopause and menopause Grab your FREE Why Am I Tired Guide HERE! This includes a where to start quiz, a list of all the nutrition related labs I recommend to my clients, and a week's worth of energizing menus!!

    18 min

  4. Apr 27

    I Studied Nutrition and Still Made a Mess of Eating

    I Studied Nutrition and Still Made a Mess of Eating Snag your free Nutrition Self Check and Eat to Energize Menu!  What happens when a dietitian can't figure out her own body? In this episode, Jess gets honest about her personal journey with food — the parts that worked, the parts that didn't, and the discovery that changed everything. Jess traces her story from 90s fad diets and college bulimia, through a spiritual awakening abroad that helped her separate her identity from her appearance, to a decade of intuitive eating that served her well — until the demands of motherhood pushed her body past its limits. Years of fatigue, insomnia, and gut issues followed, and a perimenopause diagnosis finally prompted her to stop and ask a bigger question. The answer wasn't what she expected. Her nervous system had been running in sympathetic overdrive for years, quietly driving nearly every symptom she was experiencing. Learning to balance her sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems — and to value rest as much as activity — became the turning point. In this episode Jess also shares the three core beliefs that anchor her practice: The body is designed to be healthy when properly supported Most nutrition information is true, but not all of it is helpful for every person Food is deeply personal — and your nutrition plan should be too This is the story behind the Empowered Eating model, and an invitation to start your own journey. Topics covered: Fad diet culture and its impact Eating disorder recovery without formal treatment Intuitive eating — and its limits Nervous system health and digestion Perimenopause and listening to your body The Empowered Eating framework   Snag your free Nutrition Self Check and Eat to Energize Menu!  Learn more about working with Jess at jessbrownrd.com

    27 min

  5. Apr 13

    Your Body Is Stealing From Your Serotonin — Here's What To Do About It

    Grab the Eat To Energize Freebie (with my go-to Nutrition Labs) HERE!  Life doesn't slow down. Between the daily inconveniences and the hard, unexpected stuff — relationship struggles, loss, disappointments — our bodies are constantly being asked to manage more. One of the reasons Jess has such deep reverence for nutrition is its power to set us up biologically, so when life gets hard, our bodies have something to stand on. Because health isn't just physical. It's mental, social, spiritual, and biological — and if we can shore up the biological piece, we give ourselves a real fighting chance with the rest. In this episode, Jess breaks down: A fascinating gut mechanism that most people have never heard of — and how it directly impacts your mood, energy, and mental wellbeing when your nervous system is in overdrive. The science (made simple): Tryptophan is an amino acid your body uses to make serotonin. But under chronic stress, inflammation, or fight-or-flight, an enzyme called IDO activates and diverts tryptophan away from serotonin production — toward a compound called kynurenine (KIN-yoo-reh-neen). This is your body's survival response. But the cost? Lower serotonin availability, and with it, low mood, anxiety, and fatigue. Your body is literally stealing from your serotonin supply to deal with stress. The nutrition connection: When we're stressed, we're also usually not eating the foods that support this pathway — and that's the double hit. Chronic stress depletes the very micronutrients your body needs to produce serotonin in the first place: B6 — required to convert tryptophan into serotonin Magnesium — supports serotonin synthesis AND calms the HPA axis Zinc — activates the enzyme that kicks off serotonin production Iron — works alongside zinc in that same enzyme pathway (especially important for women) Vitamin D — regulates the genes involved in serotonin synthesis upstream What this looks like in practice: Jess shares how she works with clients to assess their nutrition rhythms, run functional labs and GI-MAP testing, and identify where the raw materials for serotonin production may be missing — so that nourishment becomes intentional, not reactive. Grab the Eat To Energize Freebie HERE!

    14 min

  6. Mar 30

    She Took a Break. Her Progress Didn't. Here's Why. Live Coaching Part 4

    She Took a Break. Her Progress Didn't. Here's Why. What happens to your nutrition when life doesn't go according to plan? In this live coaching episode, we follow Micah — a real client, doing the real work — as she navigates one of the most relatable challenges in any health journey: spring break. This is Part 3 of Micah's Empowered Eating Journey, and it's one of our most practical episodes yet. Before we ever get to spring break, we start where we always start — with data, not guesswork. Micah and Jess work through a full nutrition calibration, assessing her actual intake against her real macro and micronutrient needs. Not a generic template. Not a one-size-fits-all meal plan. A personalized baseline built around how Micah's body actually works. And then life happened. Spring break arrived, routines went out the window, and we worked through it in real time. What we cover in this episode: How to calibrate your nutrition to your actual assessed needs — macros, micros, and what that process really looks like in practice Why the bounce back is more powerful than starting over What Micah's real spring break looked like — and how she navigated it without spiraling How to handle the moments when your plan meets real life and loses The mindset shift that makes the difference between a setback and a data point The bottom line from this episode: Progress doesn't require perfection. It requires a plan flexible enough to survive your actual life — spring break included. Ready to calibrate your own nutrition? If this episode resonated and you're ready to build a foundation that actually fits your life, Jess is taking 1:1 clients. The Nutrition Reboot Package is a personalized, practical reset designed to cut through the confusion and give you a nutrition strategy built around how you want to feel. 👉 Grab your FREE Nutrition Lab Guide HERE!

    30 min

  7. Mar 16

    Empowered Eating Journey Part 3: Metabolic Health, Energy & Body Composition (Live Coaching)

    In this live coaching episode, we're diving deep into the foundation of lasting metabolic health — and it starts with getting honest about where you are right now. Part 3 of the Empowered Eating Journey is all about the Nutrition Reboot: a powerful inventory and calibration process that helps you understand exactly what's working, what's not, and what needs to shift to support your energy, body composition, and overall metabolic health. This isn't about starting over from scratch — it's about getting strategic. We walk through how to audit your current eating patterns, identify the gaps, and recalibrate your nutrition in a way that actually fits your life. What We Cover in This Episode The Nutrition Inventory: how to take an honest look at your current habits without judgment What "calibration" means in practice — and why it's more effective than overhauling everything at once Common patterns that quietly sabotage energy levels and body composition goals How to use this process as a launchpad for sustainable change Ready to Do a Full Nutrition Reboot? Ifhttps://lively-mountain-49058.myflodesk.com/nutritionlabs this episode resonated with you and you're ready to reset your nutrition with personalized support, I'd love to work with you 1:1. The Nutrition Reboot Package is designed to help you cut through the confusion, recalibrate your eating, and finally build a foundation that supports how you want to feel in your body. 👉 Grab your Free Nutrition Lab and Empowered Eating Guide HERE!

    42 min

  8. Mar 9

    Empowered Eating Journey Part 2: Metabolic Health, Energy & Body Composition (Live Coaching)

    Grab your FREE Nutrition Lab and Empowered Eating Guide HERE!  Episode #2: A Live Coaching Session What happens after food freedom? In this new coaching series, you’ll follow one woman’s journey as she moves from intuitive eating and food freedom into a season focused on metabolic health, hormone balance, energy, and body composition — without returning to dieting. This is Episode 1, and you’re sitting in on our first session together. She’s done the work to heal her relationship with food. She’s no longer obsessed. But now she wants more: More stable energy Better metabolic health Hormone balance Improved body composition Sustainable weight changes A stronger, more capable body In this session, we unpack: Body composition and the process of making peace with body fat Sport nutrition  Adapting and adjusting nutrition for vacation    You’ll hear the real questions. The hesitations. The mindset shifts. And you’ll begin to see how Empowered Eating bridges the gap between food freedom and sustainable metabolic health.   Who This Series Is For This live coaching journey is for women who: Have done intuitive eating or food freedom work Want to support hormones and metabolism without dieting Feel stuck with energy, body composition, or blood sugar Crave structure without obsession If you see yourself in her story, you’re not alone.   What’s Coming Next In the upcoming sessions, you’ll hear us work through: Protein targets and muscle building Blood sugar regulation Calibrating intake without tracking obsession Body composition goals without body shame Moving from self-trust to strategic alignment You’ll get to witness the process — not just the principles.   Ready to Start Your Own Journey? If this episode resonates and you’re ready to move from food freedom to metabolic health with guidance and support, we’d love to connect. Visit The Well Collective to: Book a Free Discovery Call  Learn more about our Empowered Eating programs Join our email community

    24 min
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About

Most women don't have a nutrition problem. They have a relationship problem — with food, with their bodies, and with themselves. And until someone addresses that, no meal plan is going to stick. Welcome to Fuel Her Awesome — the podcast where mental health and nutrition finally meet. I'm Jess Brown, registered dietitian, certified eating disorder consultant, certified sports dietitian and your guide to understanding why you eat the way you do — and how to change it without shame, restriction, or starting over. Each episode goes beyond the food to explore the root causes most providers miss: the gut-brain connection driving your mood, the stress hormones shaping your cravings, the nutrient gaps nobody tested for — and what you can actually do about it. Science-backed, judgment-free, and built for the woman who is done treating symptoms and ready to heal the root. This isn't another wellness podcast. It's the one that finally connects the dots. Subscribe for weekly episodes on: → The gut-brain axis and how your microbiome affects your mental health → How cortisol, blood sugar, and stress hormones drive your eating behavior → The nutrient depletions linked to depression, anxiety, and ADHD that nobody tested for → What your body is actually communicating — and how to listen → Science that's real, actionable, and completely judgment-free You're not broken. You're just missing the full picture. Let's build it together.

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