Melissa Mondala, MD - Why So Many Women Feel “Off” — and How to Feel Better

For full episode show notes and resources, visit: https://www.plantstrongpodcast.com/bl... What do anxiety, autoimmune disease, perimenopause, blood sugar, fatty liver disease, hormones, and heart health all have in common? According to Dr. Melissa Mondala, they are deeply connected — and lifestyle medicine can help us understand the whole picture. In this episode, Rip talks with Dr. Melissa Mondala, a family medicine and lifestyle medicine physician, women’s health advocate, author, recipe creator, and co-founder of Dr. Lifestyle (https://drlifestyle.org/). Dr. Melissa shares her personal journey from growing up on a traditional Filipino-American diet to struggling with GERD, IBS, fatigue, and mood changes during medical training. Her path eventually led her to Loma Linda, one of the world’s Blue Zones, where she saw the power of food and lifestyle in action. This conversation is especially powerful for women navigating anxiety, autoimmune disease, perimenopause, menopause, metabolic health, brain fog, fatigue, poor sleep, and hormone changes. In this episode: -Why food is the foundation of healing -How blood sugar can impact anxiety, sleep, and mood -Why autoimmune disease is rising, especially among women -What women should know about perimenopause symptoms -Why resistance training matters for bones and muscle -The role of plant-based protein and fiber -Coronary calcium scans and advanced lipid testing -Fatty liver disease and metabolic health -Hormone replacement therapy through a lifestyle medicine lens -Why rest, sleep, breath, and nervous system regulation matter