The Nervous System Eats First: Autism Spectrum, Menopause & Beyond

🎧 Episode 8: Beyond the Bowl — How Flexibility, Flavor & Feeling Your Way Through Food Can Reset Your BrainHost: Dr. Stacey DeniseGuest: Dr. Nina Cherie FranklinDuration: ~85 minutesListen on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio✨ Episode Summary:What if the way you build a salad could help rebuild your nervous system?In this soulful and science-woven episode, Dr. Stacey Denise sits down with clinical nutritionist and That Salad Lady founder Dr. Nina Cherie Franklin to explore what nourishment really means in midlife—especially for women navigating brain fog, shutdown cycles, emotional fatigue, and sensory overwhelm.Together, they move beyond diets, detoxes, and default wellness rules into a rhythm-based, symptom-informed approach to eating—one rooted in clarity, flexibility, and truth.Dr. Franklin shares the origin story behind her Build Your Bowl framework and how her new book (The Build Your Bowl Salad Cookbook) is helping women across the country stop numbing with food and start feeding their energy, intuition, and emotional regulation with care.💡 Inside This Episode:Why clean eating isn’t always clear or calmingThe link between food sensitivities, stress, and shutdownFlexitarian nourishment for neurodivergent and midlife womenRituals to soften food guilt and reclaim intuitive structureA live “Build Your Bowl” reflection for mood and energyOur signature Nourish or Numb? segment with surprising food truths📘 Mentioned in This Episode:The Build Your Bowl Salad Cookbook by Dr. Nina Cherie FranklinDr. Franklin’s website: ThatSaladLady.comFollow her on Instagram: @that.salad.lady🧠 For Listeners Navigating:Emotional dysregulation and eating cyclesBurnout, brain fog, and “wired-but-tired” patternsMenopause, ADHD, or sensory processing challengesIdentity loss around food, body, or energy📣 Share Your Story:What’s one food ritual that nourishes you—or one you’re ready to release?Message us or tag @drstaceydenise to continue the conversation. You are never alone in this journey.

Show Notes

🎧 Episode 8: Beyond the Bowl — How Flexibility, Flavor & Feeling Your Way Through Food Can Reset Your Brain

Host: Dr. Stacey Denise
Guest: Dr. Nina Cherie Franklin
Listen on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio

 Episode Summary:
What if the way you build a salad could help rebuild your nervous system?
In this soulful and science-woven episode, Dr. Stacey Denise sits down with clinical nutritionist and That Salad Lady founder Dr. Nina Cherie Franklin to explore what nourishment really means in midlife—especially for women navigating brain fog, shutdown cycles, emotional fatigue, and sensory overwhelm.

Together, they move beyond diets, detoxes, and default wellness rules into a rhythm-based, symptom-informed approach to eating—one rooted in clarity, flexibility, and truth.

Dr. Franklin shares the origin story behind her Build Your Bowl framework and how her new book (The Build Your Bowl Salad Cookbook) is helping women across the country stop numbing with food and start feeding their energy, intuition, and emotional regulation with care.

Primary keywords: nutrition, food stories, OCD, empowerment, salad making, emotional eating, intermittent fasting, women's health, brain fog, nourishment, nutrition, mindful eating, intermittent fasting, food pairing, weight loss, nourishment, diet, health, wellness, food trends

 Inside This Episode You will Learn:
  • Why clean eating isn’t always clear or calming
  • The link between food sensitivities, stress, and shutdown
  • Flexitarian nourishment for neurodivergent and midlife women
  • Rituals to soften food guilt and reclaim intuitive structure
  • A live “Build Your Bowl” reflection for mood and energy
  • Our signature Nourish or Numb? segment with surprising food truths

TIMESTAMPS


TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction to Nourishment
04:18 The Lived Experience: Why Food Stories Matter
09:44 Understanding OCD and Food Addiction
13:51 Food for the tired brain
20:03 The Art of Salad Making: A Personal Journey
27:09 Understanding Emotional Eating
28:30 Rythm, Ritual & Flexibility
29:08 Breaking Free from Food Guilt
31:07 The Balance of Enjoyment and Nutrition
33:25 How to keep mind clear, bones and muscles intact
35:32 Personalizing Your Diet
37:59 The Journey of Dietary Choices
38:13 Ritual for burnout
43:11 Nourishment and Intermittent Fasting
46:10 The Importance of Food Pairing
50:46 Mindful Eating Practices
55:21 Intentional Eating and Food Choices
56:42 Simple Steps to Start Mindful Eating
59:16 Nourish or Numb

LINKS & TOOLS
Take the free quiz: What kind of menopause burnout are you? → https://drstaceydenise.com/take-the-quiz
Join the newsletter (monthly micro-practices + sensory tools) → https://drstaceydenise.com/blog/
Join the waitlist for the upcoming masterclass → https://drstaceydenise.com/waitlist/

RESOURCES
Website: https://thatsaladlady.com/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/ThatSaladLady
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/that.salad.lady/


DISCLAIMER: The content shared on this channel is for educational purposes only and not intended to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Always consult your healthcare provider.

What is The Nervous System Eats First: Autism Spectrum, Menopause & Beyond?

The Nervous System Eats First is a podcast about the midlife body—when masking stops working, menopause hits hard, and your nervous system demands more than just supplements and willpower.

Hosted by Dr. Stacey Denise, a board-certified physician and founder of the Neuroaesthetic MD™ method, this show invites listeners into a new kind of recovery: one where healing begins through the senses.

Each episode blends science, sensory ritual, and somatic insight to help women reclaim regulation—not as a reward, but as a requirement.

This is not “self-care.” This is nervous system nutrition for:

Autistic and ADHD women unmasking in midlife

Black women and women of color navigating medical gaslighting

Women in menopause who feel invisible, exhausted, and emotionally unmoored

Highly sensitive women trying to feel something without getting overwhelmed

If you’ve ever asked, “What is happening to my body?”—this podcast is your permission slip to find out, slowly and with grace.

🎧 The Nervous System Eats First
Where your body is the expert, and your senses are the medicine.