Strong, Not Stressed: Why Women Need a Different Approach to Stress, Fasting, and Creatine

NUTRITION
How Creatine Helps Women: The Supplement You're Probably Not Taking (But Should Be)

When you hear "creatine," you might think of bodybuilders, gym bros, or high school athletes trying to bulk up. But here’s the truth: creatine is one of the most researched, safest, and effective supplements for women—especially if you care about strength, brain health, energy, and aging well.

Let’s break down what creatine actually is and why more women should be taking it. I know I’ve talked about this before but there’s some new research that makes this even more of a necessary supplement for EVERYONE! And let me let you in on a secret…not much exercise research is conducted in women but there is plenty of studies out there on creatine for women which is amazing!!!

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in your muscles and brain. You get some from food (like red meat and fish), but your body also makes it. Most of your creatine is stored in your muscles and used during short, high-intensity efforts—like lifting, sprinting, or even carrying your toddler up the stairs.

Supplementing with creatine increases these stores, which leads to some amazing benefits for women.

Benefits of Creatine for Women

1. Improved Strength and Lean Muscle Mass

Creatine helps your muscles produce more energy during high-intensity workouts. Studies show that women who take creatine while resistance training gain more strength and lean mass than those who don’t—without bulking up. (Smith-Ryan et al., 2021)

2. Better Exercise Recovery

Creatine can reduce muscle damage and inflammation, which means less soreness and quicker recovery between workouts. This makes it easier to stay consistent with your routine. (Rawson & Venezia, 2011)

3. Brain Health and Mood Support

OK here is where the NEW research is coming in right now!! This might surprise you: creatine plays a key role in brain energy metabolism. Emerging research shows it can support cognitive function, especially during periods of stress, sleep deprivation, or mental fatigue. Some studies even show major benefits for depression and mood regulation. (Avgerinos et al., 2018) Look at this: In a recent study, researchers took people with depression who were undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy for 8 weeks. Half received 5 grams of creatine daily, while the other half got a placebo. The results were eye-opening. The creatine group experienced a significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms compared to the placebo group. This is especially important for women, who are nearly twice as likely to experience depression as men.

4. Hormonal Shifts and Aging

Perimenopause and menopause come with hormonal changes that impact strength, bone density, mood, and cognitive function. Creatine may help preserve muscle mass, bone health, and cognitive resilience during these transitions. (Forbes et al., 2021)

How to Take Creatine

• Type: Look for creatine monohydrate—it’s the most studied and effective form.

• Dose: 3–5 grams daily, taken with or without food.

• When: Anytime works, but some studies suggest post-workout with a carb/protein meal may offer a small edge.

No need to cycle or load it. Just take it consistently.

Here is some options I like:

BPN Creatine

Thorne Creatine

BEAM Creatine

Creatine is safe, affordable, and one of the most effective supplements you’re probably not taking. If you're a woman who wants to lift heavier, recover faster, support your brain, and age strong—creatine deserves a spot in your daily routine.

HEALTH/WELLNESS
Why Intermittent Fasting Might Not Be the Best Choice for Women

What works for men might work against you.

Intermittent fasting (IF) is one of the most hyped wellness trends out there. It promises weight loss, mental clarity, and even longevity. But here’s the problem: most of the research backing IF was done on men — or postmenopausal women.

And if you’re a cycling woman — meaning you’re still having a monthly period — your body plays by a different set of hormonal rules. Which means intermittent fasting might be hurting more than helping.

Let’s break it down.

You Are Not a Small Man

Dr. Stacy Sims famously says:

Here’s what she means: almost all exercise, nutrition, and fasting research has been conducted on men or women with male-like hormone profiles (i.e. postmenopause). The female endocrine system is way more sensitive to energy deficits.

When you fast for extended periods, your brain picks up on that drop in fuel availability and may suppress reproductive and thyroid hormones to conserve energy. That can mean:

• Slowed metabolism

• Menstrual irregularities

• Sleep disruption

• Increased anxiety

• Higher cortisol and belly fat storage

💡 In one study, women who followed alternate-day fasting for just three weeks had impaired blood sugar control, while men improved. It’s not your lack of willpower — it’s your biology responding appropriately.

Stress, Cortisol, and the Female Nervous System

Fasting is a stressor. So is intense exercise, lack of sleep, and parenting toddlers while running a business.

When you pile fasting on top of all that, your cortisol levels can stay elevated. That might leave you feeling wired but tired, moody, and inflamed.

Over time, this can make it harder to lose fat, build muscle, or feel emotionally stable.

Muscle Needs Fuel — Not Fasting

If you’re strength training (and you should be), fasting can actually work against your results. Women need more protein and fuel around training to support muscle synthesis, recover properly, and regulate hormones.

Instead of skipping breakfast and hitting a fasted workout, try this:

• Eat a protein-rich snack before training

• Refuel with 30g+ of protein and carbs within an hour afterward

• Space meals every 3–5 hours to keep blood sugar and mood stable

Long-Term Fasting Can Disrupt Menstrual Cycles

When your body perceives it’s not getting enough fuel, it may down-regulate reproductive function. That’s why many women who fast too aggressively see:

• Irregular periods

• Low libido

• Cold hands/feet

• Fatigue or insomnia

Even if your goal isn’t fertility, your period is a vital sign. Losing it (or experiencing major shifts) can be a red flag that your body isn’t thriving.

So When Can Women Fast?

Time-restricted eating can be beneficial for:

• Postmenopausal women

• Women with insulin resistance or PCOS (under supervision)

• Short windows of 12:12 or 14:10, with proper fueling around workouts

But for most active, cycling women — especially those with high mental and physical loads — longer fasting windows (16:8, OMAD) are too much stress on the system.

Bottom Line: Eat to Support Your Hormones, Not Fight Them

If you’re:

• Skipping breakfast

• Training hard

• Struggling with fatigue, poor recovery, or hormone imbalances…

…it’s time to flip the script.

MINDSET
How to Turn Stress Into Strength

We talk a lot about physical stress—lifting heavier, doing hard workouts, pushing ourselves in the gym. But what about mental stress?

In 2025, we’ve been told to treat stress like the enemy. Something to avoid. Manage. Medicate. Escape.
But here’s the truth: stress isn’t always bad.

In the same way lifting weights makes your muscles stronger, the right kind of mental stress—handled with the right mindset—can build a more powerful, grounded, resilient version of you.

The goal isn’t to eliminate stress.
It’s to use it.

Let’s talk about how:

1. Reframe the Stress

Your mindset about stress matters more than the stress itself.

A massive study of nearly 29,000 people found something wild: people who believed stress was harmful were 43% more likely to die from it.
But people who had high levels of stress and believed it was helpful? They were 17% less likely to die than those who had little stress at all.

🧠 The way you think about stress can literally change how your body responds to it.

This is called a “stress-is-enhancing” mindset—and it’s something you can train.

Instead of spiraling when things get hard, try saying:

It’s your body gearing up. Your mind sharpening. Your resilience being built.

2. Adopt a Growth Mindset

Ever caught yourself saying,

That’s the voice of a fixed mindset—where your abilities, your habits, your patterns feel permanent.

But growth mindset flips the script.
It says: “I’m not there yet—but I can learn.”

And the science backs it: people who believe they can grow are less reactive to stress, more emotionally resilient, and recover faster from challenges.

Try this the next time something feels overwhelming:
💡 Ask: “What is this trying to teach me?”
Growth doesn't come from easy days. It comes from the hard ones.

3. Embrace Discomfort On Purpose

Let’s be honest—most of us are comfort addicts. We crave ease, avoid pain, and sidestep challenges.

But here’s the secret no one talks about: discomfort is where growth lives.

Whether it’s an early workout, a difficult conversation, or facing something you’ve been avoiding—every time you lean into discomfort, you’re training your brain to be stronger.

There’s a part of your brain (called the aMCC) that literally lights up when you push through hard things. It helps you stay motivated, focused, and emotionally regulated. The more you use it, the stronger it gets.

🧠 Translation: Mental toughness is a muscle. And it grows with reps.

Start small: 💡 Do one uncomfortable thing every day.
Speak up. Take the cold shower. Start the hard task.
That’s how you raise your threshold.

Bottom Line: This Is Training

Stress doesn’t have to be the villain. With the right mindset, it becomes the weight that builds your strength.

So the next time life pushes back—when it feels hard, messy, or heavy—pause, breathe, and remind yourself:

Make yourself Better Today.