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

Can lighting a candle be a form of healing? In this episode of The Neuroaesthetic MD™ Podcast, Dr. Stacey Denise sits down with TEDx speaker and Meltdown Candle Bar founder Tameka Tate for an immersive conversation on ritual, scent, and sensory care for the overwhelmed nervous system.Whether you’re neurodivergent, menopausal, or just tired of "wellness performance," this episode is a soft place to land.💡 What You’ll Learn:– How scent heals where language can’t– Candle rituals that soothe burnout– Sensory strategies for dementia, menopause, and grief– Why emotional safety starts with sensory rhythm– How to reclaim your identity through ritual🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & iHeart Radio🔗 All links: drstaceydenise.com/podcast📍 Connect with Tameka Tate:Website: mdcandlebar.comInstagram & TikTok: @mdcandlebarLocation: 1564 A Street, Castro Valley, CAEmail: meltdowncandlebar@mdcandlebar.com🎙 Hosted by Dr. Stacey Denise, MD | PhD(c) | Founder of The Reset™ MethodSubscribe for more episodes exploring brain health, neuroaesthetics, and ritual-based healing.

Show Notes

Can lighting a candle be a form of healing? In this episode of The Neuroaesthetic MD™ Podcast, Dr. Stacey Denise sits down with TEDx speaker and Meltdown Candle Bar founder Tameka Tate for an immersive conversation on ritual, scent, and sensory care for the overwhelmed nervous system.

Whether you’re neurodivergent, menopausal, or just tired of "wellness performance," this episode is a soft place to land.

Primary Keywords: autistic women, autism, menopause, hormone health, sensory overload, trauma, burnout, BIPOC women, neuroaesthetic, scent therapy, aromatherapy, candle ritual, emotional regulation, sensory healing, sensory rituals, scent and memory, limbic system activation, somatic grounding, sensory overwhelm, emotional exhaustion, invisibility in midlife, sensory spaces, cognitive care, dementia care, sensory identity, color and scent, sensory safety, sensory rituals for burnout 



💡 What You’ll Learn:
  • What burnout really feels like in neurodivergent & midlife bodies
  • • The emotional connection between scent, memory & safety
  • • Why “boundaries” aren’t always cognitive — they’re sensory too
  • • Tameka’s candle-making practice as a nervous system ritual
  • • Why community is the true medicine for burnout recovery
Timestamps
0:00 – Introduction
0:56 – What burnout looks like in autistic & midlife women
2:15-     Guest Introduction
3:01-  Background of scenic candles and aromatherapy
4:07 – When Words Won’t Work  use Scent as Emotional Language
8:50 – Rituals for Sensory Safety & Regulation
12:36 – Identity, Color & Community
17:44 – Live Candle Ritual
20:24 – Nourishing Or Numbing

Free quiz & resources:
• Free “Menopause Burnout” Quiz → https://drstaceydenise.com/menopause-burnout-quiz/
• Video podcast hub → https://drstaceydenise.com/video-podcast/
• Audio podcast hub → https://drstaceydenise.com/audio-podcast/

RESOURCES
Website: https://www.mdcandlebar.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdcandlebar/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mdcandlebar


Disclaimer
Education only. This is not medical advice. Please work with your clinician for personal recommendations.

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.