The Ben Azadi Show

What if the reason belly fat won’t budge after 40… has nothing to do with willpower—and everything to do with your gut?

In this powerful episode, Ben Azadi sits down with Cynthia Thurlow to unpack the real reason women struggle with weight gain, fatigue, and hormonal chaos in midlife.

Drawing from her new book, The Menopause Gut, Cynthia explains why perimenopause and menopause are far more complex than just declining estrogen—and why the gut microbiome may be the missing piece most women (and doctors) overlook.

They break down how stress, sleep, muscle loss, ultra-processed foods, and hidden hormonal shifts create the perfect storm for weight loss resistance. You’ll also discover why common “healthy habits” like excessive cardio, under-eating protein, or over-fasting can actually make things worse.

If you’ve ever felt like your body stopped responding after 40, this episode will completely change how you approach fat loss, hormones, and long-term health.

 

🔑 Key Topics Covered

Why belly fat after 40 is not about calories but hormones and metabolism

The connection between gut health and every major system in the body

How declining estrogen impacts insulin sensitivity and fat storage

The role of cortisol and chronic stress in visceral fat gain

Why poor sleep directly worsens hormones, cravings, and metabolism

How ultra-processed foods hijack hunger and increase calorie intake

The truth about intermittent fasting for women in midlife

Why strength training beats chronic cardio for fat loss after 40

Early warning signs of metabolic dysfunction before diagnosis

How gut health affects hormones, inflammation, and detoxification

🔥 Key Takeaways

Your metabolism after 40 is hormone-driven, not calorie-driven

Gut health is central to fat loss, energy, and aging

Muscle is your metabolic currency

Stress management is non-negotiable for fat loss

You must adapt your strategy as your body changes 

🛒 Products and Resources Mentioned

📘 Book: The Menopause Gut👉 https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777129/the-menopause-gut-by-cynthia-thurlow-np/

A comprehensive guide exploring how gut health influences hormones, inflammation, metabolism, and aging—designed to support women navigating midlife and beyond with a more holistic, science-backed approach.

 

👤 About the Guest

Cynthia Thurlow is a nurse practitioner, author, and internationally recognized expert in women’s health, with a focus on perimenopause, menopause, and metabolic health. With over two decades of clinical experience and a background in cardiology, she now helps women understand the powerful connection between hormones, lifestyle, and the gut microbiome.

She is also the host of the Everyday Wellness Podcast and a leading voice in integrative and functional health education.

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After 40, your body doesn't just age — it runs out of power. In this episode, Ben Azadi sits down with a Harvard-trained physician to unpack one of the most important and overlooked molecules in the human body: NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide).

NAD controls your energy, metabolism, brain function, muscle strength, and immune health — and it starts declining as early as age 20. By your 50s, you've already lost half of it. The result? Afternoon energy crashes, brain fog, stubborn weight gain, poor sleep, and slower recovery. But here's the truth: this isn't just aging. It's an energy crisis happening inside your cells.

Ben breaks down the hidden enzyme CD38 — which actively destroys NAD and increases with age — and explains how inflammation, leaky gut, and poor food choices are quietly accelerating the process. He also reveals why ketosis is a powerful tool for NAD preservation, how intermittent fasting helps restore cellular energy, and why single-ingredient whole foods are the foundation of any real anti-aging strategy.

You'll walk away with three simple moves to spare, create, and protect your NAD levels — and understand why fixing your energy at the cellular level is the key to looking and feeling years younger.

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If you're over 40 and working out hard but still not seeing results, the problem isn't your effort — it's the signals you're sending your body all day long. In this episode, Ben Azadi reveals four simple habits that take less than nine minutes total and completely shift your body out of fat-storage mode.

Ben breaks down why post-meal squats are more powerful than a long walk, how constant snacking keeps insulin elevated and fat burning permanently switched off, and why your brain mistakes thirst for hunger more often than you think. He also shares his personal protein and hydration habit stack — a 20-second routine that controls cravings and stabilizes energy for the next six to eight hours.

The truth is, you don't need to work harder. You need to work with your body. Once you fix the signals, everything else becomes easier.

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📚 🎁  Purchase Ben's new book Metabolic Freedom today to receive immediate access to a FREE course on metabolism with exclusive interviews from Dr Daniel Pompa, Dr Jason Fung, Megan Ramos, Cynthia Thurlow & more. CLICK HERE: http://www.metabolicfreedombook.com ($997 Retail Value For FREE)

Over one in three adults have fatty liver — and most don't know it. Once the liver gets backed up, fat loss stalls no matter how hard you try. In this episode, Ben Azadi breaks down three breakfast foods that work together to clear liver fat, stabilize fat-burning signals, and unlock stubborn belly fat — plus the one multiplier most people skip that makes all the difference.

Food #1 — Eggs with the Yolk The real power is choline, the nutrient that packages fat inside the liver and ships it out for fuel. Research from Dr. Buckman found that choline intake completely resolved fatty liver in patients confirmed by CT scan. Higher choline intake is also linked to a 30% lower risk of fatty liver. Always eat the yolk — that's where the choline lives.

Food #2 — Full-Fat Greek Yogurt with Berries Your gut is the control panel that tells your liver to store or burn. A 2019 study of 100 women with fatty liver found that daily yogurt consumption reduced liver fat by 3.44%, dropped fasting insulin, reduced leaky gut markers, and improved the gut microbiome. Berries improve insulin sensitivity so less fat gets pushed into storage.

Food #3 — Avocado Rich in oleic acid, phytosterols, and B vitamins, avocado improves insulin sensitivity, calms cortisol, and lowers inflammation — creating an internal environment where stored fat, especially stubborn belly fat, finally gets unlocked.

The Multiplier — Extra Virgin Olive Oil Drizzle it on everything. A 2018 study confirmed that extra virgin olive oil significantly reduced liver enzymes ALT and AST in fatty liver patients. The key: quality matters. Real olive oil should taste peppery, burn your throat slightly, and have a fuzzy mouthfeel — that's the polyphenols at work. If it goes down smooth, it's likely oxidized or diluted.

Ben personally uses and recommends the Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club — first harvest pressed, high in polyphenols, shipped straight from small farms. His community gets a buy-two-get-one-free deal.

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📚 🎁  Purchase Ben's new book Metabolic Freedom today to receive immediate access to a FREE course on metabolism with exclusive interviews from Dr Daniel Pompa, Dr Jason Fung, Megan Ramos, Cynthia Thurlow & more. CLICK HERE: http://www.metabolicfreedombook.com ($997 Retail Value For FREE)

What if a $2 food could flip your body into fat-burning mode in under 24 hours — no starvation required? In this episode, Ben breaks down the science of the sardine fast, explaining why most people stay stuck in fat storage mode no matter how hard they try, and how one simple 24-hour protocol can change that.

Ben walks through a randomized controlled trial out of Barcelona where participants added just two servings of sardines per week — no caloric restriction, no extreme exercise — and after 12 months, the percentage of people in the highest diabetes risk category dropped from 37% to 7.7%. Insulin sensitivity improved, triglycerides dropped, and good cholesterol rose. Calories stayed the same. The difference was the signal, not the sacrifice.

From there, Ben maps out exactly what happens inside your body during a 24-hour sardine fast — how insulin begins to drop in the first six hours, how glycogen stores deplete through hours 12 to 24, and how your metabolism switches from burning sugar to producing ketones. He explains why sardines specifically accelerate this shift, thanks to their omega-3s, taurine, vitamin D, and B12 — nutrients that reduce inflammation at the cellular level.

Ben also addresses the most common questions: Is this really fasting? Why does it feel easier than a water fast? What do you do if you can't stomach sardines? And how often should you actually do it?

Key Takeaways:


Consume 2–5 cans of wild-caught sardines (in water or olive oil, BPA-free can) over 24 hours


Pair with water and high-quality electrolytes to prevent headaches and energy dips


Eat when genuinely hungry — food restriction adds stress, and stress stalls fat loss


Do this at least once a week; twice a week if significantly overweight


To make sardines palatable: olive oil, lemon, and salt on a plate — or mash with avocado and mustard

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