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Nourishing Her Midlife Rest: Body & Soul is a podcast for Christian women in their 40s and 50s navigating perimenopause, hormone shifts, exhaustion, burnout, and the changing rhythms of midlife.
Hosted by Bethany Thomson, Registered Dietitian, functional nutritionist, and Christian life coach, this podcast blends functional nutrition, hormone health, whole-person wellness, and grace-filled encouragement to support women in body and soul.
Some episodes are practical and educational—covering topics like perimenopause, hormones, fatigue, inflammation, nervous system support, digestion, stress, and nourishment in midlife.
Others are more reflective and restorative, offering gentle conversations about rest, emotional healing, caregiving, faith, identity, and learning to live with greater steadiness and compassion in seasons of overwhelm.
Whether you feel exhausted, disconnected from yourself, stuck in survival mode, or simply weary from carrying too much for too long, there is space for you here.
Together, we’ll explore a gentler path toward nourishment, steadiness, and rest—body and soul.
Learn more at:
www.ingrainedliving.com
Episode 013: When Even Simple Is Hard: 3 Gentle Rhythms for Stormy Seasons of Perimenopause
Here in Tennessee, we’d had weeks of dry skies, and then suddenly yesterday it felt like the bottom fell out—pouring rain out of nowhere. And then this morning, another storm that lasted for over an hour.
At the time of this recording, those storms felt like such a vivid picture of how life can shift in an instant—how one day feels calm, and the next, the bottom falls out.
Sometimes the storms hit suddenly—whether from outside circumstances or from within. And in midlife, those storms can feel even more intense. Our bodies are already walking through the changes of perimenopause, with hormones shifting and stress responses running higher. So when life’s storms hit—whether from caregiving, health, or family—it can feel like the bottom falls out twice over.
In today’s episode, I want to talk about how we can prepare simple rhythms and safety nets that help us stay grounded when those storms come. You don’t need an overhaul—you just need a few anchors that are ‘good enough’ to hold you steady until the fog lifts.
“You can’t hack your way to healing.
You can’t hustle your way to wholeness.
You have to return… to rest.
Welcome to Nourishing Her Midlife Rest: Body & Soul. I’m Bethany Thomson and I walk with women as a Registered Dietitian, functional nutritionist, and holistic Christian life coach. This podcast is for weary Christian women navigating perimenopause and the sacred middle seasons of life—where flourishing isn’t about pushing through, but learning to receive: grace, wisdom, and rest, body and soul.
Two Kinds of Storms
“Sometimes storms come from outside us. Maybe it’s a loved one’s health that suddenly takes a hard turn. Or maybe it’s something happening in the world or in our country that affects us deeply, even though it’s beyond our control. These are the storms we didn’t cause, but they shake us all the same.”
Storms Within
“And sometimes storms rise up inside of us. It might be our own mental health, when we suddenly hit a low we didn’t expect. Or it could be digestive struggles, or an autoimmune condition that feels like it’s under control—until suddenly, it’s not.
For women in midlife, those internal storms can feel even more intense. As estrogen and progesterone shift — sometimes dropping at uneven rates — they begin to pull on the brain’s key mood messengers: serotonin (which lifts your mood), dopamine (which supports drive and motivation), and GABA (the calming signal that tells your brain it’s safe to exhale). When these messengers are disrupted, it can affect everything from sleep and energy to focus and emotional steadiness.
These aren’t just brain chemicals; they’re the messengers God designed to help your body know when it’s safe to rest, rise, or rejoice.
When those signals get scrambled, it can feel like the bottom drops out without warning. One day you’re moving through life just fine, and the next you’re overwhelmed, foggy, or bone-tired — wondering what changed. You might even hear yourself ask, “Why can’t I push through like I used to?” But this isn’t about weakness. It’s about wisdom — learning to listen to your body as it asks for a new kind of care.
Because sometimes, the storms within feel just as disruptive as the storms outside.
The Need for Rhythms & Safety Nets
“We can’t stop storms from coming.
But we can prepare simple rhythms and safety nets that keep us steady when they hit.
And they don’t have to be perfect—they just need to be gentle enough to hold you.”
Movement One: Recognize the Storm
“First, we recognize what’s happening—in our bodies and in our season.
When we’re in a storm, it’s easy to forget to eat. We rush from one thing to the next, stress hormones surging, our minds spinning. Often, we’re so disconnected from our bodies that we don’t notice hunger until late afternoon—when suddenly we’re starving.
And of course, in that moment, we grab what’s quickest—cookies, crackers, chips.
Here’s the truth: that’s not failure. That’s your body doing exactly what it was designed to do. When fuel runs low, your brain sends out a survival signal: get fast energy, now.
During perimenopause, this stress response can feel even sharper. Not because stress hormones like cortisol are always high—but because fluctuating estrogen and lower progesterone make us more sensitive to them. Our internal buffers are thinner.
The problem isn’t your design—it’s that in storm seasons, you may not have quick, nourishing options ready.
That’s why a safety net matters.
And part of recognizing the storm is being honest about how hard even ‘simple’ things can feel when we’re depleted.
I was talking with someone who thought she’d just roast some pre-cut vegetables. On paper that sounded easy—but when we broke it down, it meant taking out a pan, lining it, preheating the oven, waiting, scrubbing the pan afterward. In a calm season, that’s fine. But in a storm? It’s too much.
Even pulling apart a rotisserie chicken can feel like a mountain when your system is overwhelmed.
What feels simple in one season can feel monumental in another—and naming that truth is the first kind of nourishment.”
Movement Two: Reframe with Grace
“Next, we reframe the storm with grace.
Instead of saying, ‘I should be able to,’ we ask, ‘What’s good enough right now?’
Maybe it’s pre-shredded chicken instead of rotisserie.
Maybe it’s a single-serve yogurt instead of portioning a big tub.
Maybe it’s a ready-to-drink shake instead of pulling out the blender.
Maybe it’s bottled water if filling your cup feels like one step too many.
Maybe it’s a nourishing takeout meal you’ve already decided is part of your plan, not a default.
Good enough really is enough.
I’ll never forget a storm season a few years ago. There were so many layers of grief and upheaval in my life, and I felt weighed down in every direction. On one of those days, even my quick and easy meal — a simple pot roast in the Instant Pot with a few seasonings on top — felt like climbing a mountain.
When it was finally done, I was amazed that I had put a home-cooked meal on the table… and that I had simply survived the day. Later, a friend told me she had been praying that I’d have the strength to care for my family, and I knew it was an answer to prayer.
But looking back, I realize something else. I could have asked for help that night. I could have said to my husband, ‘Hey, can we just do takeout tonight?’ I could have frozen the roast and saved it for another day.
I’m not even sure why it felt so important that I make that roast. I just wasn’t thinking clearly. I was running on autopilot—trying to hold everything together, like the meal itself somehow proved I was okay.
My husband often reminds me that I can make things harder on myself than they need to be—especially around food. And if I could go back and speak to myself then, I’d say, ‘Put the roast away, sweet one. This has been a really hard day, and it’s okay to rest. It’s okay to ask for help.’
That’s the deeper lesson for me now: nourishment doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes you just need something simple—like a frozen pizza or takeout. Something that helps you get through the night and remember that you’re still cared for.
It’s okay if what steadies you in the storm looks different than what you’d do on a calm day. What matters is that you keep feeding yourself—in body, mind, and spirit—one simple rhythm at a time.”
Movement Three: Rebuild the Net
“Finally, we rebuild our safety net—those small anchors that help us stay steady the next time the clouds roll in.
You might start by writing down three to five go-to options for food and basic care. Keep it simple and visible—on your fridge, in your planner, or in your phone:
a ready-to-drink shake,
pre-shredded chicken with fruit,
cottage-cheese cups,
your go-to takeout meal,
bottled water.
Then widen that net beyond food. Add two or three daily anchors that bring you back to yourself:
a shower—or just washing your face if that’s all you can do.
water.
food.
a short walk or stretch.
maybe setting gentle reminders.
And perhaps most importantly—let others in.
We tell ourselves, ‘I should be able to do this on my own.’ But God didn’t design us to carry storms alone. Sometimes the most life-giving safety net is community: letting a friend bring a meal before things reach a breaking point, asking someone to sit with you while you eat, or simply telling a trusted person, ‘If I hit a wall, I might need help.’
It doesn’t have to take a crisis for care to be sacred.
A safety net isn’t about perfection—it’s about compassion. It’s about small rhythms, quick nourishment, and letting others in, so the storm doesn’t sweep you away.”
4. Closing Reflection
“Think about the last storm you faced. What 2–3 simple rhythms would have steadied you? Where can you write them down so you’ll see them when you need them?
And who is one person you can reach out to this week, just to say, ‘If I hit a wall, I might need a little help’?
You don’t need to overhaul your life—you just need a few simple rhythms, and the courage to let others in, to carry you until the storm passes.”
“If you’ve been listening and thinking, I wish I had someone to walk with me through this midlife season—to sort through the changes in my body, rebuild my energy, and restore peace to my daily rhythms, this is that space.
As we close today, I want to share something I’m really excited about.
For almost a decade, I’ve been offering nutrition therapy here in Tennessee through my private practice, Ingrained Nutrition Therapy—walking alongside women one-on-one using a holistic and functional approach that honors your whole story: body, mind, and spirit. Together, we uncover the root causes behind your symptoms and create lasting restoration for your hormones, energy, and overall well-being.
Over the past few months, I’ve expanded that care—becoming licensed in additional states and joining more insurance networks—so more women can now access this kind of functional, faith-rooted support, often with insurance coverage and from the comfort of home.
You can visit ingrainedliving.com to learn more, check insurance options, or schedule your first session.
And if today’s episode offered you comfort, would you share it with a friend who may be walking through her own storm right now?
I would also be honored if you subscribe or leave a review—it helps this podcast reach more women in midlife who need this reminder:
You don’t have to carry it all alone.
There is space for you to rest, to heal, and to begin again.
Grace and peace,
Bethany.