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Midlife Mayhem

Midlife Mayhem

By: joanne lee cornish
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 Welcome to Midlife Mayhem, where we embark on an empowering journey through the world of midlife body composition transformation. In this space, we challenge the misconceptions surrounding aging and redefine what’s possible for those navigating the exhilarating terrain of midlife and beyond. Join me as we explore the science, mindset shifts, and practical strategies that can help you sculpt the body of your dreams, proving that age is no barrier to achieving peak vitality and confidence. Whether you’re seeking to shed excess weight, gain lean muscle, or simply feel more vibrant, this podcast is your trusted companion in the pursuit of a healthier, stronger, and more resilient you. Welcome to a new era of limitless possibilities in midlife body transformation. ”Hi I’m Joanne, and I have been coaching body composition for over 30 years. I’ve worked with household names that you know, and I have worked with thousands of people in my group coaching programs. I was a pro bodybuilder in the 90’s with a top 10 physique in the world, but I only knew how to be in shape and out of shape. That frustration led me on a fascinating path of self-study where I found all the answers I could have asked for and more. But I had to dig for the answers, and I have my own ideas on why those answers are not mainstream and why the weight loss industry fails you, but I will save that for a Midlife Mayhem episode. Author of ”When Calories & Cardio Don’t Cut It”New podcast weblogCopyright 2023 All rights reserved. Exercise & Fitness Fitness, Diet & Nutrition Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • ZONULIN, GLUTEN & ECOLI - a strange connection

    ZONULIN, GLUTEN & ECOLI - a strange connection
    Jun 26 2025

    🎙️ Midlife Mayhem Show Notes: Zonulin & Leaky Gut — Why You Can’t Not Be Affected

    📆 Tight28 starts July 6–August 2! Enjoy your gluten-filled 4th of July… then join us for 28 days of discovery, education, and possibly the biggest physical and mental relief you didn’t know you needed. 👉 Tight28.com

    🔬 Episode Topic: Zonulin – The Gatekeeper of Your Gut (And Why You’re Not Immune)

    In today’s episode, we’re getting real about zonulin—what it is, what it does, and why it might be quietly wrecking your health (yes, even if you feel “fine”).

    Unlike a food sensitivity (which affects some), zonulin affects everyone. It’s not subjective. It’s not up for debate. And it might just be turning your digestive system into a fishnet factory.

    🧠 What You’ll Learn:

    • What is zonulin? A protein made in the small intestine that controls your gut’s tight junctions (think: gatekeeper).

    • Cheesecloth vs. Fishnet Stockings Analogy A visual breakdown of what a healthy gut lining should be doing… and what happens when zonulin is chronically elevated.

    • The Origin Story Discovered by Dr. Alessio Fasano (Italian gastroenterologist), zonulin was the missing link in how gluten triggers immune responses, even in non-celiacs.

    • Why It’s a Universal Problem Zonulin loosens your gut lining in everybody, not just those with gluten sensitivity. When that lining opens too wide, stuff gets into your blood that shouldn’t. Your immune system freaks out. Cue: inflammation, fatigue, mood swings, brain fog, skin issues, and more.

    • Enter LPS (Lipopolysaccharides) When zonulin opens the gates, LPS—an inflammatory toxin from normal gut bacteria—sneaks in. It’s been linked to insulin resistance, autoimmune conditions, and chronic fatigue.

    • Zonulin Triggers

      • Gluten (especially gliadin)

      • Bacterial overgrowth (E. coli, salmonella, SIBO)

      • Toxins & inflammation

    • Why the Body Even Makes Zonulin It’s a defense mechanism—but it backfires when activated daily by diet. Occasional gluten = recoverable. Daily gluten = chronic gut permeability.

    • Kevin’s Case Study Gluten out, inflammation gone. Kevin lost 15 lbs in 10 days—pure inflammation and water. Not fat. Just normalized gut havoc.

    🧪 Can You Test Zonulin?

    Yes.

    • Stool Test (GI Map, Doctor’s Data): Measures zonulin in the gut

    • Blood Test (Serum Zonulin): Measures zonulin that’s leaked into the bloodstream—often high in autoimmune or chronically inflamed individuals

    💥 Key Takeaways:

    • Zonulin ≠ Sensitivity. It’s a biological mechanism. It works the same in everyone.

    • Gluten increases zonulin. Period. Doesn’t matter if you “feel fine”—your gut lining is still impacted.

    • This is reversible. Remove the irritants, and the results are often shockingly fast.

    🎯 Ready to Discover What You've Normalized?

    Join me for Tight28 (July 6–August 2) We dive into:

    • Food reactivity

    • Histamine & inflammation

    • Gut-brain-skin connections

    • How to feel actually better—without going full-on monk mode

    👉 Tight28.com Let’s clean up your gut without a “cleanse.” Just smart, scientific education with a side of sass. 🎯

    📣 Final Thoughts:

    If you eat gluten regularly and think you're unaffected—you're not. Zonulin guarantees it. And you can feel better than you do right now.

    🎧 Listen. Learn. Question Everything. That’s Midlife Mayhem.

    🔗 Tight28.com | Starts July 6 #MidlifeMayhem #Tight28 #GutHealth #Zonulin #FoodSensitivities #BodyComposition #Inflammation #GlutenFacts #LeakyGut #LPS #GlutenFreeCurious #MidlifeStrong
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    24 mins
  • HISTAMINE & HORMONES

    HISTAMINE & HORMONES
    Jun 22 2025
    Tight28 starts July 6 — only offered once a year in LIVE format. This isn’t a gut reset or an elimination diet. It’s a discovery program for anyone who knows they don’t feel as great as they could. Join now → WWW.TIGHT28.COM 💥 Episode Overview: In this episode, Joanne takes a deep dive into a topic that's rarely discussed but highly impactful: histamine intolerance. Often mistaken for allergies or hormone issues, histamine overload can be the hidden cause behind bloating, anxiety, brain fog, poor sleep, and even body composition challenges. This episode is rich with information—even if you don’t listen, the notes below will give you a full understanding of: What histamine is and why your body needs it What causes histamine intolerance (spoiler: it’s not just about food) Why midlife women and men are particularly vulnerable How histamine can derail your sleep, hormones, and fat loss What foods to watch for (and why some “healthy” ones might be causing symptoms) How to support your body’s ability to clear histamine and feel better fast 🧪 What Is Histamine? Histamine is a naturally occurring compound in your body, essential for: Regulating stomach acid Acting as a neurotransmitter for alertness Supporting the immune system’s defense mechanisms Histamine isn’t bad—but too much of it with too little clearance leads to histamine intolerance. Histamine intolerance = Buildup > Breakdown 🔍 What Causes Histamine Intolerance? The key enzyme that breaks histamine down is DAO (diamine oxidase)—and it’s made in your gut lining. If your gut is inflamed, leaky, or imbalanced (which it likely is if you’re eating processed foods or have high stress), DAO levels drop. Add in some high-histamine foods or DAO-blocking substances, and boom—you’re suddenly reacting to foods you used to tolerate just fine. 🚨 Common Symptoms of Histamine Intolerance Flushed or red face after meals Headaches, migraines Nasal congestion, postnasal drip Itchy skin or unexplained rashes Anxiety or panic after eating Dizziness or rapid heartbeat Intolerance to HRT Bloating, water retention PMS or worsened menopause symptoms Intolerance to wine or fermented foods Sound familiar? It often gets misdiagnosed as a hormone imbalance, allergy, or “just getting older.” 🧬 Why Midlife Women and Men Struggle More Midlife Women: Estrogen increases histamine release and suppresses DAO. Women on HRT may suddenly experience itchy rashes or anxiety and blame estrogen—when histamine overload is the real issue. DAO supplementation and gut support can allow HRT to work better without side effects. Midlife Men: Declining testosterone + rising visceral fat = higher inflammation. This inflammation weakens the gut, decreases DAO, and worsens histamine sensitivity. Restoring gut integrity + using DAO support = less bloating, better energy, clearer mind. 🧰 What You Can Do About It Short-Term Fix: Try a low-histamine diet for 1–2 weeks. Focus on fresh-cooked, non-fermented meals. Avoid leftovers and “healthy” foods like avocado, spinach, or sauerkraut temporarily. Support DAO Production: Nutrients: Vitamin C, B6, copper, magnesium DAO-Supportive Foods: Pea sprouts, mung beans, arugula, watercress DAO Supplements: Look for porcine kidney extract (take 15–30 mins before meals) Heal the Gut: Glutamine, collagen, zinc carnosine, bone broth Support detox: Glutathione, NAC, milk thistle, broccoli sprouts Use probiotics that don’t promote histamine-producing bacteria 🎯 How It Impacts Body Composition Poor sleep = impaired fat-burning hormones (growth hormone, testosterone) Increased estrogen dominance = more fat storage, less muscle tone Inflammation = bloating, water retention, digestive distress Dysregulated appetite = cravings, over-snacking, stubborn belly fat 💬 Final Thoughts Histamine intolerance is a hidden disruptor—and most people never realize it. That mystery bloating? Restless sleep? Feeling anxious after a glass of wine? It might not be your hormones or aging. It might be your histamine load. You don’t need to cut everything out forever—just support your system, heal your gut, reduce the overload, and reintroduce foods with clarity and confidence. 🎓 Join Tight28 – Starts July 6 Tight28 isn’t about restriction. It’s about discovery. In this one-of-a-kind 4-week coaching program, we explore: Histamine intolerance Enzyme function & absorption Leaky gut & LPS Cross-reactivity (gluten, dairy, soy) Gut-brain-skin axis Estrogen & gut motility Appetite, food sensitivities, inflammation, and more You’ll walk away with clarity, tools, and a completely new understanding of how your body actually works. Only offered LIVE once a year. Join us here → www.tight28.com July 6 - August 2
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    30 mins
  • Chronic Bloating, Fatigue, or Joint Pain? It Could Be a Food Sensitivity

    Chronic Bloating, Fatigue, or Joint Pain? It Could Be a Food Sensitivity
    Jun 16 2025
    💥 Feeling Swollen, Tired, or Frustrated With Your Progress?

    Join me for Tight28, starting July 6th – a deep dive into food sensitivities, inflammation, and organ health that could be the missing link in your journey to looking and feeling your absolute best.

    Tight28 isn’t just a meal plan. It’s 28 days of discovery – uncovering how certain foods may be silently sabotaging your health, comfort, and body composition. This is the only live round for 2025, and the non-scale victories are often immediate. 👉 Learn more at www.tight28.com

    🎧 Episode Title: How Food Sensitivities Might Be Causing Your Swelling, Fatigue, and Stubborn Body Fat 🔍 What This Episode Covers:

    • The Differences Between Allergies, Sensitivities, and Intolerances

    • Why skin issues, joint pain, and chronic fatigue might all point to food

    • How food sensitivities can sneak past your radar and still wreak havoc

    • The surprising link between inflammation, ATP energy production, and brain fog

    • Why some people gain 6–8 lbs from a single meal (and what to do about it)

    • The connection between gluten, thyroid tissue, and brain inflammation

    • How your genotype may dramatically raise your risk for Alzheimer’s if inflammation isn’t addressed

    • Why Tight28 gets the best (and fastest) results – especially for people who didn’t quite “crack the code” in my Signature Program

    🧠 Key Takeaways:

    • Allergies are immediate. Sensitivities are sneaky. If you were truly allergic to something, you wouldn’t keep eating it—it hits fast and hard. Sensitivities, though? They creep in days later.

    • Joint pain? Swelling in one area? It might not be "just your knee" acting up again. It could be your immune system responding to food from days ago—especially in joints with a history of injury.

    • That ‘swollen all over’ feeling isn't in your head. It could be chronic inflammation from food sensitivities—something Tight28 was specifically created to help uncover.

    • Fatigue that no nap can fix? It could be reduced ATP production, the cellular energy currency—often hindered by chronic low-grade inflammation caused by hidden food sensitivities.

    • Even “healthy” foods can cause issues if you’re sensitive to them. Common culprits include gluten, dairy, eggs, and soy—which is why they’re removed for just 28 days in the Tight28 program.

    • Brain fog, poor focus, or memory lapses? Food sensitivities—especially gluten—can trigger inflammation in the brain. If you carry the APOE4 genotype (linked to Alzheimer’s), chronic inflammation dramatically increases your risk.

    🥗 Why Tight28?

    ✔️ 9 Live Coaching Calls ✔️ Brand New 2025 Content Library ✔️ Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, and Added Sugar-Free Meal Plans ✔️ In-depth education on food sensitivities, organ health, and cardiovascular strategy ✔️ 6 months access to all program materials ✔️ Life-changing results—especially for people who’ve “tried everything”

    Whether your weight is stable but you still don’t feel your best, or you’ve been spinning your wheels trying to feel energized and less bloated, Tight28 is your next step. It’s not about restriction—it’s about revelation.

    👉 Sign up now before we kick off July 6th.

    📚 Coming Up on the Podcast:

    • Thyroid Health: How to Know If You’re Undiagnosed or Mismanaged

    • Overtraining & Fasting: Are You Slowing Down Your Metabolism?

    • The 4 Forces of Success: Why Weight Loss is Never Just About Food

    • Deep Dive into Menopause, Perimenopause, and Hormone Support

    • Training Smarter After 40: HIIT vs. Steady State – Which Builds the Better Body?

    🙏 Special Shoutout:

    Paul—thank you for the kind words! "Tell Joanne to keep doing the podcast" absolutely made my day.

    🔗 Links & Resources:

    • 🌐 Tight28 Program → www.tight28.com

    • 📘 Book: When Calories and Cardio Don’t Cut It – Available on Amazon

    • 🎥 Programs: Signature 21-Day, Peak Week, Muscle Month, Tight28, Mastering Midlife - www.jlcstrong.com

    🎤 Hosted by: Joanne Lee Cornish – Body Composition Coach, Midlife Health Educator, Former Bodybuilder, and Relatable Science Nerd 📍 Based in Eagle, Idaho – Coaching Globally
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    29 mins

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