The Women Protocol: Optimizing longevity, hormones, metabolism In 2026.

Welcome to the Biohack Method Podcast. I'm Lindsay Burwell, founder, mom, wellness entrepreneur, and I'm here to cut the fluff, break down biohacking for women who want to optimize their bodies, build full, incredible lives, and use tools that actually work for us without any of the overwhelmed. I'm so pumped you're here. Let's dive right in.

I'm so excited to have you both.

Same. We're so excited to be here. And I have my cortisol patch on. I run a little anxious in the morning. Yeah, this has been so helpful. I'm actually too relaxed right now. I don't know if you can see.

I was at Eudaimonia, and this was like, a health conference where, like, tons of brands and keynote speakers on, like, all the topics were there. And I put a cortisol patch on in the morning because I'm just, like, exhausted. There's so much happening. And it was like 10am and I'm, like, yawning and yawning. I'm like, why am I so tired? Like, I need the cortisol. Funny enough, you actually do need cortisol in the morning.

Okay.

Yeah, that's like, I have too much. I have a little too much cortisol. So that's what is interesting. A lot of people will come to me, like, well, I have, like, low cortisol. Should I take the cortisol patch or is that, like, important? And you. You. You do need cortisol in the morning. It's like, what keeps your metabolism high? What helps us metabolize food more efficiently earlier in the day versus later in the day? Because as the sun is setting, your cortisol should naturally start to drop. And that's where we don't really have those same enzymatic, you know, processes to digest food, to metabolize food. So you want cortisol in the morning. You don't more so want it high at night. But some women do get the reverse where it's like low cortisol in the morning. And that's usually what I've learned from a sign of burnout. Is that what you guys see too?

Yeah, a lot of times, burnout. And just it's the daily things that we.

Yeah.

That we deal with and encounter every day. And really easy for that rhythm to get flipped upside down.

Yeah, I ran that way for years. Like, how many of you have ever, like, woke up and you're tired by 10am but at night, when you're ready to go to sleep, your mind can't stop racing. I was there for so long and so that's when I recognized that I was also in that burnout state. And I was like flipped. My cortisol was flipped.

Yeah, yeah. I, I recently touched the veil of burnout and I. It scared me so bad because I am like so high functioning. I just want to do everything all the time and that's something I really want to talk about. Today is like signs of burnout and like maybe when doing too much is not a good thing or like adding in more because I think especially with the New Year's, right January, we're all like, okay, we gotta dial it in harder. We gotta go more. More workouts, less food. You know, doing more, more, more and maybe more is not what we actually really need. Just a little. Yeah, short story on this. I've been training for Hyrox. We got a couple Hyrox friends in here and it's been so fun. Like I could genuinely work out 12 hours a day because I have friends who are constantly inviting me to yoga and Pilates and you know, it's like so fun for me to move my body. It feels very free, feels very creative. But there is like a threshold where like my mind might want it, but like my body is like, we're done here. Especially fourth quarter when we have all the end of year craziness. I have young kids trying to show up for them full time, showing up for my family, making sure there's magic in the holiday and then, you know, owning a product based business. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, like first time doing all that and it was wild. And I'm still keeping up with these workouts, waking up early, kind of going to bed early. And what happened was like I hit a wall. I remember my mom came in, came in and I mean I'm dialed into my diet. Like I really well hydrate really well, work on my nervous system pretty well and I work out, you know, all the things that you're supposed to do textbook wise. And I am laying on my floor in my office with my red blanket and I'm just laying there like lifeless. And I remember laying there going, this isn't it. Like I'm like teaching people to be healthy and I'm like dead on the ground, bone deep fatigued. And then I'm like thinking, and my mom's like so worried about her daughter. You know, is any mom I like you okay, you should really stop doing this. And I'm like laying there and I'm like, when do I slow. This Train down, like, tomorrow or right now or, like. I mean, I think, like, Christmas saved my life because, like, everyone stopped for a minute, you know? But this is what I learned. I learned one. My body started retaining water, like, 10 pounds of water. And I was not eating any different. I was eating perfect, exercising all my normal little things. I was like, what is happening? And I started, like, peeling back the layers of, like, this is cortisol. This is high stress burnout. And this is what happens when you. When more is not good, you know? And that's something I want to kind of dive into. Today is like, if you've both experienced that and what was that like? And, like, how have you gotten to a place? Because since I've gotten to know you, Felicia, like, you have evolved so much in the health space on your own health, and it's, like, really transpired how you've kind of. You're, like, glowing, I feel like, even. Yeah. Oh. I.

So I'm 43, and so I have lived through all of the trends. And for those that may not know my background, I was an IFBB figure pro. Does anyone know mpc ifbb? And I was competing during a time where eating and restricting was popular, right? And so I started competing in 2006. I turned pro in 2007. And by 2008, I was shooting for covers of magazines like Oxygen, Muscle and Fitness, Flex Magazine, Strong Magazine, all of the different fitness magazines. And I sort of wore that like a badge of honor. Like, I restricted. I dieted. I did two cardios a day. And so it wasn't until I got done with my competing, and I'd gone through some traumatic experiences with partnerships and relationships, and your body shuts down. I mean, how many of you have ever had the body shut down because it couldn't.

It's.

It's basically telling you, like, hey, you need to stop. And that's what I was experiencing. And so that was 2013. 2014 is when I kind of started my healing journey, and I went inward. And so, you know, I always get asked, like, felicia, what did you do to, like, heal? Because I had, you know, Epstein Barr virus. I had pcos. I had metabolic syndrome issues. I had. I had gained about 50 pounds in 10 weeks because I was a binge eater as well. And so what they don't tell you, especially with competing or, like, living this lifestyle of restriction, is it starts to mess with you psychologically in how you view food and how you view exercise. And so I had to peel back the layers, not only changing everything because A lot of people ask me, well, what did you do? Because over the period of time I had, I had lost weight, I got healthy again. And it wasn't through diet, it wasn't through counting calories, it wasn't counting macros or doing my 5am cardio. I saw a therapist, I sold my business, I moved houses, I moved cities. Like, I, I literally had to change my environment because all of the people that were around me were, number one, toxic to my mental health. And number two, it was only reiterating the diet mentality and I had to change all of that. So the healing process was actually not what most people think. And so, and even from that, I had a lot of, like, ups and downs. So I had gone through some healing. And then years later, I got asked to be on a reality TV show called Fit to Fat to Fit. Has anyone ever heard of that show? Yeah. So I was on season two with a local trainer, Eric Northington. And so I had to actually gain weight intentionally for my sister, who was about 100 pounds overweight. And so what I learned through that experience is because I had gotten to a place where I was completely so comfortable with my body and with myself that I could gain weight intentionally. And I knew that I would be okay because I had done so much mental work. And so. But what I've realized with that experience with, and I put on about a little less than 40 pounds in eight months, my sister lost almost 80. What I realized is food has such a huge impact on how we feel, on how we show up. But not viewing food from a restrictive place or a good and bad right or wrong, or attaching any sort of moral high ground to food, it's really understanding how it makes you feel and how it affects your hormones. And I know we're going to get into hormone talk, but just, and I won't get into it too deep, but just to give you an example, at the start of the experiment, a fit to fat to fit. My estrogen and testosterone levels were normal because I had gone through the healing process, right? Everything started to regulate and by the end of, of my time of gaining weight, my testosterone had plummeted and my estrogen had skyrocketed. So what do you think happened? Right. Water retention, anxiety, depression, and just the overall feeling of just not motivated. So it really under. I understood what it was like to live in a body where Obviously I wasn't 100 pounds overweight or I had never experienced that before, but how hard it is to actually start a habit and stick to It. Because it's not just what you're doing. It's an actual physical identity that you take on. And that's something my sister struggled with. And so I. So much learning over the last. You say 30 years. I started when I was five.

Yeah.

But no, over the last 25 years, I have seen such a change. And now for me, the last five to eight years has been the pulling back. The less is more. Um, my body likes very gentle exercise. I did a really nice walk this morning on an incline. Um, I love EMS training. I love, like, a really good slow weight training. Um, and the less is more. You know, what you'll realize is the body, really, for me, anyways, really likes that. Because I know for me, when I was in that place of high intensity and working out so much, my body actually was really bloated.

Yeah.

And I was really tired and I was really exhausted, and I was wondering, like, why am I gaining weight?

And.

And I'm doing all the things right. I'm sure many of you have experienced that in here. And so it's. When I pulled back is when things started to shift.

Why do you think, like, what is driving this, like, cultural need to, like, go hard, do more, do more? I feel like it's, like, almost ingrained in us. All the women I hang out with, I mean, like, they are doing double triple workouts a day.

What would you say to that? I think.

I think something that's interesting. When we look at health, we want to think. It's just like we think we. We all know everything, and we're all the experts, and we don't always account for how other people's perceptions, other people's conditioning has impacted that. So I think for a lot of women right now, what we're seeing is years of conditioning, of, you can do it all, you can have it all. But the way that was modeled to us was by literally doing everything all at the same time. Like, I don't know about all of you women here, but I'm a big believer that we're cyclical beings by nature. As women, I'm not just talking about our menstrual cycles. I mean, our energy, how we prioritize things. I mean, think of all of the different roles we play throughout our lives. Right. And so I'm a firm believer we can have it all, but it also makes a lot of sense to me. There's probably seasons where certain priorities are going to be more important than others. When we don't consider that, I think what ends up happening Is we're trying to do everything all of the time. More is better. I just have to work a little harder. I just have to push a little more. I just have to be a little stricter. And for a lot of us who are high achievers, which I think a lot of us identify as that, like that gets us to a certain point when we work harder, when we do more, when we bring in new things, we get achievements until a certain point. I find for most women that tends to happen in your 30s, 30s and 40s and all of a sudden doing more doesn't really serve you. And something that I say a lot to my clients is like the medicine is always the thing you're resisting the most. And for most of us, that's actually stopping doing all of the things and peeling those layers back and figuring out, okay, how do I actually, how do I understand that like pausing and arrest is sometimes just as productive as doing more? How does looking at the way I'm working out and eating, the way I'm approaching my relationships have to shift? Because you know, what's that saying? Like insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. And so if you're continuing to try and do more, be more intense and you're like, body's still falling apart. Yeah, mind doesn't feel good.

Yeah.

Like at some point we also have to be able to rein ourselves in from a mindset perspective and be like, okay, adding more in is not going to fix this.

Yeah.

It's actually completely changing the operating system and acknowledging like, well, what got us here that maybe has nothing to do with the diets and workouts and is actually just how, how we're conditioned to show up and be to everybody else. I know like for my burnout story, that was a big part of it was just I grew up. Any other healthcare practitioners in here? Anybody or like service providers? I know you are health coach.

Health coach.

You tend to like grow up and learn to be always serving other people. And it usually happens at the expense of yourself. Which is why I think the rates of highest or the rates of burnout are highest in, in nursing professions and care professions for that reason. And so everyone reaches a breaking point where you realize that we actually have to peel that back and it's not selfish, it's very self full to change the way you're operating and pour into yourself a little bit more along the way.

Yeah. I also think it's more common, the word burnout among women. Would you agree?

Sure. It's not A conversation that men have.

And the only reason I. I don't, I'm not burnout.

I feel fine.

And the only reason I say this, I was having this really interesting conversation. Her name is Beatric, a. A therapist. She wrote this incredible book, and she said something really interesting that always just kind of stuck with me. And, you know, women who experience burnout. And this is why, when we were voice noting, like, what do we want to talk about? Like, what are we going to, like, bring to light in this conversation? And I was like, you know, the women's protocol, like, we run differently than men. And so what's really interesting, when men are not talking, having these conversations, and, you know, they get up for the cold plunge, they're doing their run, they're like, they're highly productive in the morning. What you don't realize is there's a woman in the background getting his meals ready and doing. Getting the kids ready for school and washing the dishes and multitasking. All of the million things that she has to do that day that he doesn't have to think about. Right. And nothing against men. I'm sure some men do that. But most men are not having to remember the birthday party that's coming up on Saturday that you have to get that gift for, or, you know, oh, I have to pick up the kid after school, or I have to bring the snacks to school today. Like, on top of the workouts.

Yeah.

The cold plunging, the green juice, the sleep, whatever it may be. And so I think that's why women experience it a little bit more. And these are just conversations that are just not happening.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I think, too, like, within my practice, seeing women and doing, you know, the metabolic scan, the conversation that I was noticing I was having over and over is women coming to me and them feeling like their metabolism wasn't working. They were feeling so inflamed. Right. But they were literally doing everything right. Perfect diet, perfect workouts. Kind of like how I experienced, you know, that fourth quarter. It was like I was getting a taste of all that medicine left in December. But what was pulling for them on their scans was their adrenals and their. The stress in their body. Right. And it's like over and over, just talking about. And I think we all need to hear this. I need this reminder, too. Like, we are more than just physical bodies, you know, like, we are emotional beings. We are spiritual beings. Like, so when we think about health and we were thinking about, like, how we want to nurture our body to take care of it for Life and for a long health span for longevity. Like, we have to also remind ourselves it's not in the workouts and the diet alone. Like, what are we doing to nourish our nervous system? And this is why, like, I'm obsessed with tinted salt. Like, truly same. Yeah. And actually, like Kristen, Kristin Cantrell, she had posted as a friend of a friend of ours. She is, like, really big in the real estate and multi passionate. And she had posted about burnout, you know, and how it's like, you can have so much you want to do in a day, but you just can't. And then you experience that burnout. When you're a mom, you have all these other things going on, and it's like that frustrating feeling of burnout. And I voiced her and I said, I see you, and I feel. I know that feeling. And let's like, let's be accountable to once a week, like, honoring our nervous system. Let's go to tinted salt and do, like, some meditation, some vibroacoustic. Let's do, like, why are. Like, I'm not. I'm never doing that automatically. I feel like my. My goals are always very, like, alpha, you know, very, like, masculine. Like, get it done, get it done, get it done. And I'm like, I'm softening. I feel like this year to be like, where am I prioritizing a meditation, a sound bath, a breath work? Like, where am I adding this in? Because we need yin with that yang. Yeah. You know?

Absolutely. Yeah.

That's so big. I want to hear, too. You've shared a little with me, Felicia, but, like, take us through your journey with, like, you know, in the health world and competing. What have been some things that you've done that were, like, trendy, that, like, maybe you're like, I would never do that again. Oh, my gosh. Like, this was supposed to be so healthy. Everyone was doing it or this is going to get you the most dialed in that you like to kind of break up with.

I was watching the Office. I always have the Office on in the background. For whatever reason, I just. It's like, nervous. It calms me for whatever reason. And so it was the episode where they. The whole Office was dieting and. And Kelly, remember Kelly? She's like, don't talk to me. And she's like, she. She's gone. And she's been doing the master cleanse. And she's like, I can't wait to be in a size 2. I'm going to look amazing. And she's just like so. But she's so gaunt and just hungry. I remember doing the master cleanse, and this was like in.

This is like the lemon, right? Lemonade. That's it.

Like, every time I did something extreme, it was because I did something extreme. I would go from a binge eating to restriction binge eating to restriction. I'm sure you've all heard of yo yo dieting. I was the epitome of yo yo. But no one knew I was also a closet binge eater because from the outside, I had to maintain this, like, perfect food. And I would go to my family functions and I'm. I come from, like a Mexican household. So if I'm not eating my mom's food, she's angry with me, right? If I'm not eating a second meal. But I would, like, bring my Tupperware and my, you know, gallon jug water, and I wouldn't eat any of the food in front of it. Anybody. But I'd go home and I'd binge, right? And this was a personal struggle for years that I actually couldn't talk about because I was embarrassed that I couldn't. I. I thought it was a lack of self control, but it was not. It was so much more than that. It was the literal brain and the restriction and my body needed nourishment. Like, I remember one specific time, which is actually so glad you have these patches. I remember one time in. I was in two. It was like 2000, 2009, 2010. I just done the Olympia. If any of you know what that is. It's like the super bowl of what competing. And I had placed third at the Olympia. This is like top three in the world. And, you know, you have this high and then you have this low, low after because you're not getting ready for something from. My life was built around what are you training for? Oh, my gosh, you look so great. Or what are you shooting for? What are you. What are you getting, you know, what are you getting ready for? And so the moments after a competition people don't talk about, it's actually some of your lowest moments because you're not training for something. And you gain, like 10 pounds pretty quickly. Because also that leanness is not attainable and sustainable year long. And so I was so malnourished that I had developed, like, very, like, socialized anxiety where I couldn't leave the house. And so I would cancel clients, I would stay home, I would binge eat, and then I would restrict. Binge eat, restrict. And so I remember even just going to the doctors thinking that, you know, I can't even go to the doctors. My mom had to come with me and I was telling them how I felt. And he was so quick to want to prescribe me a medication, a Xanax, versus getting to the root of the problem, which is when I sought a naturopath and figured things out. But I was so malnourished and I had no fats in my system like we need fats as women and I was getting no healthy fats that my brain was literally dying. And I knew everything had to change from that moment. And so, and that was like, you know, over 10, 11, 12 years ago. But I always remember those moments because if I wasn't an advocate for myself and I didn't want to change, I would have continued down that road of restriction and binge. And I know women who are still living that life, unfortunately. And what's also crazy about that life, and if you know, you're a competitor, I don't judge it by any means. I just know I had to go through my own lessons. But how much brain space and time it took me to live that sort of life when I could have been learning a skill like piano or bettering my business or making more money or whatever it could be, it took up so much of my time and brain space.

I want to actually add on that and then I want to get both of your opinions on peptides because it's going to segue into that. So I totally agree. I think that food, the thoughts about food could be a full time job for the majority of Americans. And I say that for myself and I say that for like, like the thousand of women I've worked with and just friends, conversation with friends. I think a lot of it has to do with culture, but also like food is everything in like so many ways. It's, it's nourishing to our body. Our body like actually physiologically needs food. Right. But also it's entertaining. It's a good buffer to like avoid emotion, avoid to do list, avoid responsibility. Right. It's something to do. Go in the pantry. What should I do? What looks good, right? Like you're cooking, you're cleaning up the food. Like it truly can be a full time job and which is there's a lot of beauty in it, but when it does kind of hit that threshold of where it becomes a little more or a little too consuming, then you take a step back and you realize like we lose so much of our life just to thinking about food and what we should and shouldn't eat and how we use it as a tool to buffer from those emotions, from those responsibilities. And what would our life look like if we didn't have that buffer and we truly used food as nourishment? Like, this is why peptides are really interesting to me. As, you know, like most of you probably know, I work a lot with peptides, but the science that I read about that gets me so excited about peptides, specifically with GLPs and people. Microdosing is how it's creating new neural pathways in the brain for, for people that use them in the right way, which I actually want to go into, like, how important foundations are before biohacking stuff. But what happens is with GLP is when. If you microdose and you're working with a coach, right, it is. It's kind of turning off the dopamine centers that food normally would have for you. So in a perfect world, people would utilize a GLP when they like, they're. They physiologically need the nourishment from food, but their brain isn't activating those same pathways for, for pleasure, for comfort, and for entertainment. So food really, like, doesn't become that for you. Right? So you find other things for those three areas, whether that be, you know, learning how to sew or calling a friend, or, you know, starting a new company, starting a new job, whatever it might be. That alone, you starting a new routine that normally you would be eating creates new neural pathways in the brain for better habits, behaviors, what have you. Right? This is where they've seen people who have addictive personalities. Microdose of GLPs, and that dopamine center gets shut off. Maybe they were addicted to gambling. Maybe it was food, maybe it was drugs, whatever. Maybe it was TikTok. I don't know. And, you know, you just don't get lit up in the same way when those with those GLPs and so they are noticing brain activity expand. Right. And I just think that that in the research of GLPs, one, done correctly, right. For the right reasons, with the right foundation is so fascinating. I want to. I know Laura and I, we've jammed out quite a bit on peptides. So I want to hear from your perspective, a, what do you think about peptides? And two, what are you seeing in the world of GLPs with, like, women you work with? All that good stuff.

Yeah, it's such a great question. I was actually, I was chatting with Julie earlier and I'm like, it's interesting that peptides now are so popular. I mean, they've been in my world for over a decade. And you have to remember, like, oh, people are just learning about these tools now. And similar to you, I am particularly intrigued by the brain space that some of these can free up. Because, you know, going back to this conversation around food for a minute, like it is an energy drainer to continually be thinking about food. And I don't just mean in terms of like planning if you're training or things like that. But I talk to a lot of women who food becomes a crutch for avoidance in other areas. And I don't mean that in a negative way. I mean that like a lot of people have stressful things in their life. Relationships, loneliness, other things. And over time, when food kind of becomes the go to, it's really hard to rewire those patterns. And so a lot of people are experiencing, taking these GLPs and all of a sudden they're like, I don't feel like I'm tied to my pantry, I don't feel like I'm tied to that thing. And I'm recognizing I need to make changes in my relationships, that I need to go do these other things. And so I'm really intrigued by those benefits in particular because I think when I think about a lot of people with chronic health issues, I think that's kind of the friction point. Most people inherently know what they need to be doing. Yeah, actually, I think we have almost too much information sometimes. Yeah, it's all of those other things that get in the way of how do I actually stay consistent, how do I actually implement these into my busy life? Because yeah, to your point, it's all good and great to give somebody a three hour long protocol and then have a mom sitting here like, okay, I have literally two minutes maybe today. Like, how am I going to fit this into my life? And so starting to clear some of that noise, I think is a really interesting aspect just of the GLPs. And then, you know, in the peptide world in general, I've met a lot of women who are doing everything right. And I see their food journals, I see their lab work and I see their workouts and they're doing all of the right things on paper and they still feel like crap. And they're passed around from doctor to doctor who tells them, oh, well, here's an antidepressant. It's in your head, oh, you're in your 40s, this is just life now. This is normal, this is normal. This is just how it's going to be. And I think for them, for this group of women in particular, peptides are really interesting because it's a different type of regulation changes that can happen and it's getting into that space between, okay, well these women don't have a disease we can treat yet, but on paper it says nothing wrong. So I guess they're making it up. Yeah, that's just not the reality. And I think getting in with these things where women can feel like they have a toolbox beyond the basics to actually go and make a change, whether it's for their mood and mental health, whether it's for their sex drive, like whatever that looks like. And I think obviously we all, we all work with women, so no offense to the men, we love the men too. But men have a lot more tools than we have available to us. So I think making these more available to women for these different areas of not just health but quality of life. Yeah, I'm just really excited that they're getting a lot more attention. And now it's a matter of teaching women how to use them in a safe way.

And also, I agree. And also like getting rid of the shame and the judgment that you might have on yourself or other, or you worried about what other people might think if you're doing peptides is an important conversation. I know we, like, we briefly talked about. I think in general us women need to just intuitively like drop into our body sometime and ask like, what do we need? Right. Are we really getting the foundations? The, the high quality sleep, the hydration, the sunlight, the exercise. And we still feel like a needle needs to be moved. That's when peptides can be amazing. But what I work with like women is like, they're like, I don't want anyone to know. Like, you know, it's like this like fear of judgment or like fear that they're doing something. I've had people tell me that, like I feel like I'm doing something wrong. I feel like I'm cheating, I'm cheating, cheating when I'm using these peptides and I'm like, why are, why are we cheating? Like, why are, why are you doing anything wrong? This is a tool in your tool shed and you get to decide what tools you bring into your life and be proud that we have opportunity for this type of stuff. Right. Be excited about it. You get to own that mindset. But I think I'd love to hear from you, Felicia, because I know there's been conversations you've had recently about peptides where it's like, there is a lot of guilt and maybe, like, shame or like, not wanting people to know what we're doing or not doing because maybe we might be doing something wrong.

Yeah. Oh, for sure. I. I'm not on any peptides or GLP1, but I've been accused of it because I've lost weight recently. And that's where I think the body shaming in 2026, like, social media has gotten out of control, like, with women commenting on different bodies. And I. On the other side of that. Yes. Like, I think sometimes it can be alarming because we are seeing a lot of thinner bodies in Hollywood with influencers who maybe aren't being as authentic or as vulnerable or open as what they're doing. But I had recently gone through a weight loss, and this is where I'm just, like, reminding women, like, why are we still commenting on people's bodies? Like, I am just in a really good place. I'm happy. And when I'm happy, you know, I'm making good choices, I'm energetic, I'm feeling good. My husband and I just eloped, you know, to my high school sweetheart. We just invested in a new property. Like, there's a lot of just amazing things happening that just happened to have my body shift for whatever reason. And so I think, you know. Yeah, even for me, I felt a little bit of, like, no, I'm not on DLP1. Like, I also felt a little bit of that. Not that I judge anyone who does it by any means.

I'm a life.

I'm an advocate for it. But I think. I think not caring what others are doing with their own life and what allows them to feel good. You know what I mean? And so I think that needs to stop is what I would never get on someone's social media and comment on their body or, you're too thin or go eat a hamburger. Like, I've seen that. I've seen it, and it's just, like, appalling. I'm just like, how are people still having these types of reactions and conversations? And I get it. Like, some people want to bring it to light and have really constructive conversations around the thinness that we're seeing right now. But I also feel like maybe not comment. You don't know what's going on in someone's life.

Yeah, I know. I. I love that conversation. And I keep telling myself too, like, just own what you love to do, and if it feels right in your body, like, who's to say you're doing anything wrong?

Actually, Let me ask you a question.

Yeah.

I would love for both of you, actually. What do you feel, or how do you feel about the influx of women who are jumping on the GLP bandwagon, social media, and prescribing it to their people, their followers?

Yeah. I think it's, like, really intense, actually. I'm curious what you think it is.

And I think we're. I think we're in the middle of watching something that is playing out and we're not going to see the repercussions of that for a couple of years. That's like. That's just the reality. We are in that in the test group, for better or worse. I think parts of it probably are illegal. A lot of the times how those companies are set up is somewhere in the company there's a medical provider.

Yeah.

And like, where they come in, they get approved by a certain medical provider. But again, is there a right way and a wrong way to use things? Probably. This goes for supplements, this goes for anything that's out there. Right. And so is it a great tool? Absolutely. But how do you know what the best way to use that tool is for you?

Yeah.

How do you know which specific version of that tool is a good fit for you? How do you know how long you need that tool for? How do you know what other things you have to do in your life to make sure you get the benefits of that tool and really mitigate the potential risks? Because all of these things do come with risks, too.

Right.

And I think it's a very natural thing on the Internet in particular to focus on, like, what is that immediate gratification I can get from something in any area? Like. Right. Like what's going to happen right now? I want it right away.

Very.

It's a very natural thing in some ways. It's the American way. It's like, it can be.

I want it. Amazon now. Amazon now.

Yeah, that's yesterday.

Amazon yesterday.

Well, that's why I've. I've. I've never been the one to be like, what I eat in a day. And not that I judge women who do that, because sometimes it's fun. I love watching, like, those videos where they're putting everything together and it's like, I just. I like watching it, but I hesitate posting the. What I eat in a day because what works for me may not work for someone else.

Yeah.

And so I've. I've never just. I've never really jumped on that. So it's always kind of felt a little uncomfortable for me.

I'm the same way. People ask me all the time, can you show us what you eat? I'm like, my food's ugly. Nothing to show here. Like, it's like yogurt. I just like whip it. It's disgusting. Like, no, literally, I'm like. And also, I don't have time. Like, hold a phone and then like make a yogurt, you know. But no, really, like going back to that whole peptide conversation, I think the problem is it or what's most important to always remember. Like, each body is so different and it is really important to work with somebody who can help you with precision dosing. But that's also with supplements. You can overdose on supplements, like vitamin D, you know, things like that. And so that's what's hard. We live in a world today where we're literally consuming everything all day long. And so just to be like, equipped with some discernment on, like, this is an ad. What does my body actually need? You know? And like, really ask your body. It sounds really woo, you guys. But like, I recently been really dropping in my body and trusting myself. There's been a few times where I was like, kind of like sold certain things and then like had an ick feeling a whole time about it. And then like later it really wasn't in alignment for me and what I actually really needed. And it like, has been really reaffirming. 2026. I am like fully in my intuitive, like, body because I'm like, if it's a not a fucking hell yes, then I'm not gonna do it. Like, I'm not gonna take it. I'm not gonna do it. Like, there's resistance for a reason. There's fire alarms going off for a reason.

And so can I share something about intuition?

Yeah.

I think, you know, we live in a society I know for me where there's a lot of distractions. And so I actually had to get very quiet. So it's waking up and not listening to the podcast right away in the morning or listening to your music. It's literally, even though it' comfortable, like, it's so uncomfortable for me because I'm one that's like listening to the podcast as I'm getting ready. And those are the best moments. Like, I'm such a daydreamer. And I'm. I'm also a manifester. I love manifesting. So a lot of the things that are in my life right now were literally like we prayed for at one moment or on a vision board or something. We've thought about, and it's only in those moments where I got really, really quiet. I didn't have any distractions, whether it's driving in my car or getting ready in the morning in silence. Like, it.

Those. It.

It kind of like, I actually heard Lori Harder say this at a live podcast event. Your blessings can't land until you clean your Runway, right? And so when your Runway is clean and clear with no distractions, the blessings can land. So whatever that idea is or that thought or that manifestation or the realization or your intuition.

Yeah, it's.

If it's loud, you're not going to hear it, because usually those moments, it's. They're really soft. It's like a whisper. And your fear is really loud. So, you know, maybe you make a habit today and tomorrow and the next day to find some time where you can be quiet with no distraction and be open to what you receive.

Yeah, I love that. Even just, like, thinking about, like, the woman, right? And like, sometimes we're all on this New Year's journey. We've got these goals, physical goals, health goals, whatever might be. And we might be also questioning, like, why is this, like, body not changing? Or, like, why am I not losing the weight? Or, like, why is this not shifting for me? Like, truly, like, silencing things for a minute. And if you're, like, really dialed in, like, the workouts exercise, you know, but, like, things still feel inflamed or off or misaligned, like, pausing with silence and, like, dropping into your body and being like, what do I need? You will know. Like, it could be you need rest, you know, or like, you need to reconnect with your body. Or, like, maybe there's energy in your life that is so heavy. Maybe it's people that you need to shed and release, right? Maybe it's certain workouts we need to start shifting because it's not in alignment of those cyclic rhythms that, like, are this season of life we're in. Like, if you aren't seeing the results that you want to see and feel, like it's not. It's not even, like, aesthetics, right? But, like, that feeling when you decide, just don't feel that inflammation when it's, like, not heavy, you know, you just feel light. You feel, like, mental clarity. And I know we've had. We've all felt it at one point, and we're all, like, wanting that every day. Like, ask yourself, like, what. What do you need? Is it another workout? Or maybe is it, like, a trip with your girlfriends just to have some Wine and laugh. Like, literally, like joy. Joy is one of the most attractive, abundant energies in the world. When the universe feels you experiencing joy, it's like, I will give you whatever you want. Like, truly, like, couple that emotion, joy, with, like, a manifestation of, like, love, peace, friendship. It will co. Create that. It's so, so powerful.

I'm so glad you said that. I. I think that's such a big thing, especially for, like, women, like, all of you in the room. It's so easy for us to get stuck in our heads.

Yeah.

And just be totally disconnected from our body. And so we try and analyze our way through all of these things. Like, even the ads you're saying, like, with influencers.

I need that.

That's.

I need.

And we're not. My. My, like, request of all of you is like, learn to take the pause.

Yeah.

And be like, is this something that I actually want and need? Is this something that I think I have to have because other people are doing it? And, like, if I do need this thing, maybe I just need a season for learning about how to apply it to my life and my body.

Yeah.

So that I don't have to keep searching for the next thing. Next ad, the next pill, whatever that looks like. Because it's really easy to go down a rabbit hole with that stuff. And next thing you know, you got a cabinet with 90 bottles of stuff.

And you're like, how did I get here? It's a mortgage payment. It's terrible.

And I love that you said joy. Can I add to that really quickly? I like to pair joy with pleasure. So I'm. I'm in my 40s now, and for the last five to eight years, I really started diving more into pleasure and not just, like, intimacy, which is part of it. Actually, live by the three S's. Ever since I turned 40, it's sleep. So important. Stress, regulation, tinted salt and sex. Right. And so that's what I feel like what's kept me kind of looking young is, like, those three S's sleep, most importantly. And so. But pleasure, you know? And pleasure again, not just with the intimate partner, but, like, romanticizing your morning. Putting a steamer. We just started putting these, like, eucalyptus steamers in the shower. And it's like. But just that little. That little change in the morning when you're taking a shower and you have spa. Yeah, it feels like a spa. Like, I've just started just taking my time to romanticize my morning or even, like, daily routines. Like, I think it's. It's finding the joy and Pleasure in those things can make such a big difference.

Oh, my gosh. My. I love that. I'm gonna go get a steamer. My 2026 mantra. You guys can all steal this. Because it has been, like, manifesting crazy things for me. Every morning I'm waking up, and I'm like, I'll be like, drive. It's multiple times a day. Whenever I. I'm asking myself, like, how much fun can this get? Like, how much fun can I have today? Like, I get, like, excited. I'm, like, driving to pick up my kids, and I'm like, we should, like, go get ice cream and then, like, climb some rocks. And, like, I just, like, I get, like, so. So that feeling of excitement, like, brings in, like, crazy things into your life. So try that out. If you're just, like, totally dotted it out for the day, be like, how much fun can this get? I love that. Okay, I want to wrap up with just a couple tactical things that you guys can share with our friends here on, like, let's say we're ready to, like, step into our greatest year. And each of us, that is defined so differently, obviously. But, like, what would be some key tactical tips you have for women here as they leave today that they could take with them to be, like, so empowered to, like, really make 2026, like, their healthiest, most vibrant, lightest, joyful year?

I'll start. Build muscle, ladies. Creatine. Creatine has been such a game changer for me, and obviously Dr. Laura can speak to it better, and I don't want to prescribe creatine to everybody, but, like, sorry, okay, I can. I can. Okay. She told me I could. I started with 5 grams. I'm up to 8. I take it daily. Game changer. I took it all of 2025. Like, my body, I feel at 43, better than I did at 33. And cognitively, I've been focusing more on brain. And so because I noticed last year during podcast interviews, like, I would completely lose my train of thought. And so really working on that. And so I started learning the piano. I started doing things that would create new neural pathways in my brain. But that. That is all very intentional. So this year, if you could do one thing that is going to increase neural pathway in your brain, a new skill, something that requires you to be uncomfortable. This year, I highly recommend. Okay. Oh, I'm seeing Renata. She is at Augment. Do a cold plunge. Okay. Or a sauna at Perspire. Like, do something that is uncomfortable this year. Okay. And not just maybe the physical, but also for your brain. Like, some sort of skill that you can learn. Right. And then build muscle. Build some muscle. Have that as a priority this year.

Yeah, mine is actually take a season to actually learn about your hormones and what the hell they do for you. Because I think women are sold a lot of hormone remedies, but we're like. I think back to what. What your average person has for education on hormones. And it was, like, one day in grade school biology with, like, a chart of the menstrual cycle, and that's it. So regardless of what age you are and what stage of hormonal lifespan you're in, take a season, take a couple months, and really learn a where yours are at and what you're doing. Because you need that baseline to understand how to keep that optimized moving forward, but also how to live a little more in alignment with them. And I don't just mean in terms of, like, cycle syncing your workouts and nutrition. I mean, understanding who you are and how you change with those hormones. A lot of women go through perimenopause and menopause, and they're like, I just don't feel like myself. Because you're not. You're totally different person. And that can be, like, the biggest permission you give yourself to lean into that. Or you can spend that time, like, feeling really frustrated that the things you did for yourself when you were 20 aren't working anymore. But, like, dropping those expectations and learning, like, what do I need in this body? How do I get my hormones to work for me instead of fighting them? And what, like, permission do I need to give myself as a woman to, like, be really excited about that.

That.

Right? Like, I think a lot of the times, again, we think of hormones as, like, oh, hormones, they suck. No, they're so awesome at all stages of life. And, like, men will never know. They'll never know what it's like to be in a room of women and get, like, oxytocin going in the brain and, like, all this other great stuff.

All of us are gonna have periods at the same time.

We're all gonna be, like, under the full moon together. It'll be great. But just, like, take that season and learn about it. And I know that's asking a lot when your time is already so precious, but I promise you, it will be the biggest thing to just letting you know, like, oh, all of a sudden, I know exactly what I have to do because I know how my body's operating today. I don't have to wonder if this is the right workout for me or if this is the right food for me, because I know what I need right now. And so a season of learning translates to just so much more ease in every aspect of your life afterwards.

I love that. Thank you both so much. I just want to share, too, something that's on my heart, like, thinking about each of you in this year ahead, and we kind of touched on this. But I want you to do a little audit on your life. Not just like, you know, food and hormones, but also, like, who are you surrounding yourself with? Who are you giving your energy to? Who are you allowing into your space? Like, that is an honor for people to be a part of your life. And if there's any heaviness or, like, friction or resistance, do not be afraid to release and let go. That is something that's been hard for me, but what it has done, when I stop saying yes to those energies, I was able to say yes to new, beautiful friendships that has expanded me and really blessed my life this year. And so as you walk into this new year and you really just, like, look for those people that will lift you to the highest level of, like, who you really are and see the beauty in you and see the love in you and see your gifts not as threats, but as, like, genuine gifts that alone will transcend into your body and how you show up in this world. So that's my blessing and thank you both for coming. I want, though, for you both to share, like, where people could find you. I know you have some friends in here too, but one part of surrounding yourself with really good energy is, like, not listening to, you know, podcasts that don't fuel you with love. Felicia has an incredible podcast. When I barely got to know her, I, like, deep dived of all her podcasts and, like, each of them gave me such a gift. So if you guys both could share, like, where they could find you if they're like, everything she said resonated and landed for me where they can find you online, what you're working on and how we can all stay connected did amazing.

You can follow me on Instagram. I hang out on there. I also love Tik Tok.

She's gonna teach me Tik Tok so.

Much at Felicia Romero. I actually dropped something in your guys's bag. So my husband and I just closed on our seventh rental property that we're actually turning into an Airbnb slash retreat house. And so I've been hosting masterminds and retreats for about six Years now I'm going to be hosting my first retreat at our new house in Show Low at Torreon in March. And so at the end of March. So in your bag, I put a little coupon card in there. You can scan the QR code and you guys, anyone here gets 500 off that retreat, it's two nights, three days, all included. From the experiences to the food to lodging, you just got to get yourself there. So it's a business wellness retreat. It's called Momentum. Because Year of the Horse this year is really big on momentum and energy and taking real big, bold action. So I'm a big believer in being in the room because your energy can literally shift from one weekend to where you can feel unstoppable, especially being around people, women who are doing really big things. And so that'll be at the end of March. And then I'm hosting a live podcast event this Friday called the Year of the Horse with Feng Shui master Jen Stone. And she's going to go deep dive into what 2026 looks like for Year of the Horse as well as feng shui tips on how to attract more abundance by switching some things in your house. So, yeah, and you can follow me on Instagram, Alicia Romero and I have the hi Felicia podcast.

It's. That's Friday at 12 or 1 at 1 31.

3133 Letty Ly Studios in Gilbert.

Yay.

Yeah, thank you.

I wish I could make it. I'm on Instagram and TikTok under Dr. Laura Deceseris. Same handle in both places. I think it's always me and my DMs. I love having conversations. Feel free to reach out. That's about it for now. I have a book coming out later.

I want to. Can you share us a little bit about that book? Yeah.

So I what started as a typical health book really turned into something much bigger. I thought I wanted to write a book about biohacking strategies and it really turned into a piece on cycle aligned living for women. And really what got us here. And I don't just mean supplements and diet, but like what landed us here in the culture that we live in and how do we actually have this unique opportunity right now to shift that for all the women coming after us. All of you, like right now in your lives are in such a powerful position to influence how our daughters go through the world and everything else. So I'm really excited just to get that out into the world and hopefully share it with a lot more women.

Awesome. Well, thank you all for coming. I hope your hearts feel so full and so happy and. And I hope you have an amazing rest of your day.

That's it for today's episode of the biohack Method. If this lit something inside of you.

Do me a huge favor.

Where will you share it with a couple friends and tag me at Lindsay Burwell Wellness on Instagram and drop a little review. And if you're ready to dive a little bit deeper, head to the show notes for peptide information, the transdermal patch information, and different programs that are truly changing the game for high performing women just like you.