Learning to Discern What Your Body Actually Needs

Note: This is Part 2 in the Midlife Women's Series. Read Part 1 here. 

In the previous post, I explored what we’re missing when it comes to midlife health—and why more advice hasn’t made things easier. When you step back and look at the full picture, it’s no wonder so many of us feel overwhelmed.

In this post, I want to offer a way to turn inward—to learn more about your body—so you can begin to discern which habits and dietary changes may genuinely support your health and longevity, and which ones may not.

Here are the steps I work through with clients, rooted in functional health and longevity research.

1. Get to know your body’s needs and your story.

Understanding what’s happening in your health—and what brought you here—can go a long way in identifying which systems of your body may need extra support. Sit down with pen and paper and create a personal health timeline. Include significant diagnoses, procedures, symptoms, medications, travel, and major life events such as childbirth, illness, or loss.

This document is not only helpful for you; it can be an invaluable gift to any practitioner you work with.

2. Take an inventory of what makes you feel better—and what makes you feel worse.

Look across all areas of your life: your home and work environment, your physical body, your mental and emotional health, and your cognitive function. Think of this as an audit. Write down what supports you and what seems to drain you.

Try your best to leave out any judgment in this process. We’re just getting curious here—deeply listening to the body’s cues.

Once you’ve got it all out on paper, begin to notice patterns. That morning cup of coffee—does it give you a short-lived boost followed by irritability and a 2 p.m. crash that sends you searching for chips or chocolate? Are you waking in the middle of the night? If so, note the time and frequency. Are you eating plenty of fresh vegetables yet feeling bloated or constipated every day? That matters too.

Observation without judgment is key here.

3. Ask yourself what you actually enjoy doing.

What makes your heart feel alive? Before layering on one new habit after another, pause and consider what you genuinely like. If you hate the gym, it’s unlikely you’ll sustain a strength-training routine three times a week on your own. Motivation matters—it’s what makes change sustainable.

When we do what we love, joy and ease come more naturally. That state of ease helps the nervous system settle, which in turn supports hormone balance and more efficient digestion.

For example, I don’t love swimming—especially in cold water. So no matter how many benefits I hear about it, I wouldn’t build my routine around it.

Once you begin to understand your own patterns and responses, the next step—encouraged by discernment, not urgency—is to look at a few foundational supports that tend to matter most in midlife. In the next post, we’ll explore how blood sugar balance, food, and stress response influence energy, mood, and long-term health.

 Stay tuned for Part 3...