The Power of Melatonin Beyond Sleep, Optimizing Hormones Across the Female Life Cycle, and Understanding Inflammation with Dr. Deanna Minich

Renee Belz & Lauren Sambataro

We are thrilled to have Dr. Deanna Minich back on the podcast this week! During our previous episode together we discussed the many health benefits of color in our diet and environment, as well as an introduction to the use of melatonin supplementation for more than sleep. Today we take a deeper dive into the powerful benefits of melatonin, including its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Deanna also shares insights into hormonal health for women and how we can easily transition through menopause.

Deanna Minich, MS, PhD, CNS, Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner (IFMCP), is a nutrition scientist, international lecturer, educator, and author, with over twenty years of experience in academia and in the food and dietary supplement industries, currently serving as Chief Science Officer at Symphony Natural Health. She has been active as a functional medicine clinician in clinical trials and in her own practice (Food & Spirit™). She is the author of six consumer books on wellness topics, four book chapters, and over fifty scientific publications. Her academic background is in nutrition science, including a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Illinois at Chicago (1995) and a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Medical Sciences from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands (1999). She has served on the Nutrition Advisory Board for The Institute of Functional Medicine and on the Board of Directors for the American Nutrition Association. Currently, she teaches for the Institute for Functional Medicine, University of Western States, Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and Institute for Brain Potential. Through her talks, workshops, groups, and in-person retreats, she helps people to practically and artfully transform their lives through nutrition and lifestyle.

SHOW NOTES:

0:58 Welcome to the show!

1:29 Pop Quiz of the Day

3:56 Today’s interview topics

4:26 Deanna Minich’s bio

5:38 Welcome her to the podcast!

6:28 Melatonin: not a sleep supplement

7:08 The benefits of Melatonin

10:11 Dementia, Melatonin, and Glutathione

12:33 Genetic risk for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s & Sleep

14:03 Decline in Melatonin from childhood to adulthood

14:35 Inverse relationship with hormones & cardiovascular risk

16:55 *Magic Mind*

19:06 Supporting hormones with Protein

20:12 Benefits of dietary fat & cholesterol

20:57 Integrating plants + Maca benefits

23:24 Gut Health & Hormone Metabolism

24:36 Her biggest health surprise

27:19 Bone loss & Perimenopause

29:20 The body gives us communication

30:10 *Sleep Breakthrough*

32:31 Leaning into hormonal changes & fluctuations

38:37 The Importance of Purpose & Creativity

41:35 The Heroine’s Journey

43:01 Releasing control through the female cycle

46:00 Inflammation & correlating phenotypes

51:21 Netflix show “Beef”

53:05 How to dose Herbatonin melatonin

58:32 Her final piece of advice

59:53 Where to find her

1:00:13 Thanks for tuning in!

RESOURCES:

Website: deannaminich.com

Certification Program: www.foodandspirit.com

Whole Detox: www.whole-detox.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deanna.minich/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannaminich/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/foodandspirit/

Workbook: The Heroine’s Journey - Maureen May

Herbatonin - Symphony Natural Health

Paper: Is Phytomelatonin Complex Better Than Synthetic Melatonin?

Is Melatonin the Next Vitamin D?

Magic Mind.com/reneelauren - code: RENEELAUREN20 to save 50% in next 10 days

Sleep Breakthrough - code: biohackerbabes10

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/biohacker-babes-podcast/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands