Carbohydrates have become one of the most misunderstood—and frankly, feared—nutrients in the world of body composition.

And I get it.

If fat loss has been your focus, cutting carbs works. It lowers insulin, improves insulin sensitivity, and often unlocks fat loss that felt impossible.

But here’s the problem…

👉 The strategy that helps you lose weight is not always the strategy that helps you build muscle.

And that’s where people get stuck.

Do you need carbs to build muscle?

👉 No.

But if your goal is to:

• Build new muscle
• Train harder
• Recover faster
• Actually look like you lift

👉 Then carbs go from “optional” to strategic.

Muscle isn’t free tissue. Your body doesn’t just hand it out.

To build muscle, you need:

• Adequate calories
• Sufficient protein
• A strong training stimulus
• And most importantly… 👉 An internal environment that says: “We can afford to grow.”

Low calories + low carbs + high cardio?

That’s not a growth signal.

That’s a survival signal.

Carbs are stored as glycogen in muscle—your high-output fuel.

More glycogen = ✔ More reps ✔ Better intensity ✔ Higher training volume ✔ Stronger contractions

Less glycogen = ❌ Earlier fatigue ❌ Lower training quality ❌ Less muscle stimulus

Carbs increase insulin…

…and insulin is not the villain people think it is.

👉 It’s a transporter

It helps:

• Drive amino acids into muscle
• Reduce muscle breakdown
• Support recovery
• Create an anabolic (muscle-building) environment

Without effective insulin signaling? You can train all you want… and still lose muscle.

Think of mTOR as the “on switch” for muscle growth.

• Protein turns it on
• Carbs help support and sustain it

Without carbs, you can still build muscle…

👉 But not as efficiently, and not as consistently.

If you don’t eat carbs, your body will make glucose anyway.

How?

👉 By breaking down protein (including muscle) through gluconeogenesis

So yes…

👉 Carbs are protein-sparing

You can maintain muscle on low carbs.

But building new muscle?

That’s where it gets harder.

Why?

• Higher cortisol (especially around training)
• Slower recovery
• Lower glycogen
• Reduced training output

👉 You’re pushing your body toward survival… not growth.

Carbs are not the problem.

Poor timing + poor structure = the problem.

• Around workouts (especially after)
• Strategically during the day
• Evening (in the right context) for muscle protection

• Add carbs on top of a high-fat diet
• Eat them randomly all day
• Fear them… then binge them

👉 That’s how people gain fat and blame carbs.

If carbs go up… 👉 Fat must come down

You cannot run:

• High carb
• AND high fat

That’s the fastest way to stall progress.

• Muscles look fuller
• You look leaner (yes, leaner)
• Better pumps
• Better workouts
• Faster recovery

👉 Flat muscle = softer look 👉 Full muscle = leaner, tighter look

Carbs are not something to fear.

👉 They’re something to respect and use properly

When they have:

• A job to do
• Somewhere to go (muscle)

They become one of the most powerful tools for body composition.

This is where coaching matters—because timing, structure, and individual physiology all play a role.

👉 Explore programs and coaching: www.joannelee.com

Until May 5th (Cinco de Mayo):

👉 Buy 5-Amino-1MQ or SLU-PP-332 🎁 Get a FREE Sleep Formula ($30 value)

No code needed—just order before the deadline.

Make sure you: ✔ Subscribe to Midlife Mayhem ✔ Share with someone still afraid of carbs ✔ And start using food as a tool, not a fear

Weekly Insulin, Testosterone & a Lesson I Should Have Known

A new insulin, Insulin icodec, has just been approved.

👉 One injection per week 👉 Instead of daily (or multiple daily) injections

That’s a major shift in how diabetes can be managed—and more importantly, how well people actually stick to it.

This is where most people get confused.

Type 2 diabetes starts with too much insulin…

…but over time, the pancreas burns out.

👉 Insulin drops 👉 Blood sugar rises 👉 The system fails

At that point:

👉 Insulin isn’t the problem—it’s the missing piece

Without enough insulin:

• Glucose stays in the blood
• Can’t reach the cells
• The body is essentially starving despite eating

This episode also dives into a bigger theme:

👉 The best plan only works if you follow it

I share:

• My experience with testosterone injections (not for me)
• Kevin’s experience (worked well for him)

Same tool—different outcomes.

I also share something I should have caught sooner:

👉 Histamine

From foods I was eating daily (tomatoes + leftovers)

Once removed: ✔ Symptoms gone ✔ Problem solved

👉 The goal isn’t perfection 👉 It’s consistency

📩 hello@joannelee.com 📺 YouTube: Joanne Lee Cornish

How Much Protein Do You REALLY Need? (And Why I’m Not Changing My Mind)

Everyone’s talking about protein again… and now the narrative is shifting.

“Studies say you don’t need that much.” “0.7g per pound is enough.” “Stop overdoing protein.”

Sounds convenient, doesn’t it?

In this episode of Midlife Mayhem, I break down exactly why I’m not changing my stance—and why aiming for 1 gram of protein per pound of goal weight still stands strong.

Because this isn’t just about muscle. Not even close.

Yes — research shows that around 0.7–0.8g per pound can support muscle protein synthesis.

But here’s the problem: 👉 That’s only measuring one outcome — muscle building from training.

And I don’t coach for just one outcome.

You want results from your training — protein delivers that.

But that’s just the baseline.

If you only eat:

• 90g protein = 360 calories

Where are the rest of your calories coming from?

👉 Carbs and fats.

And that’s exactly where most people:

• Overeat
• Stall
• Or gain fat

Protein isn’t just a target — it’s a control mechanism.

When protein goes up:

• Hunger drops
• Cravings disappear
• Food noise quiets down

This isn’t theory — I see it every single time.

Within 2–3 days, people go from: 👉 “I can’t stop eating” to 👉 “I can’t finish my meals”

That’s physiology, not willpower.

Let’s be clear:

• Carbs → can be stored as fat
• Fat → easily stored as fat
• Lean protein → not converted to fat

There’s no efficient pathway for it.

So if you're going to “overeat” something?

👉 Protein is the safest place to do it.

If you’re 40+:

• You digest protein less efficiently
• You absorb less
• You require MORE per meal for the same effect

A 25-year-old and a 55-year-old do not play by the same rules.

So those studies?

👉 Who were they testing?

Because it matters.

People don’t struggle with protein because they can’t eat it.

They struggle because: 👉 They don’t want to

And those are very different things.

• Appetite stabilizes
• Body composition improves
• Training results accelerate
• Food preferences shift
• Everything becomes… easier

That’s the goal.

The studies aren’t wrong.

They’re just incomplete.

And I’m not coaching for “just enough.” I’m coaching for results, control, and longevity.

👉 Programs & Coaching: www.joannelee.com

👉 Supplements (5-Amino-1MQ & SLU-PP-332): www.joanneleestore.com

👉 YouTube (Live every Sunday): Search Joanne Lee Cornish and subscribe

📩 Questions: hello@joannelee.com

Leptin: The Hormone That Can Make You Hungry… or Not

Hello Midlife Mayhem—

Today we’re talking about something that explains a LOT when it comes to fat loss and appetite:

👉 Leptin

And I’ll start with this—

I recently did a podcast on appetite, and while the information was solid… I didn’t fully acknowledge the people who are:

👉 Hungry all the time 👉 Fighting cravings constantly 👉 Being told “just eat less” when it feels impossible

This episode fixes that.

Leptin is your body’s appetite regulator, produced by your fat cells.

👉 More fat = more leptin 👉 Less fat = less leptin

And your brain responds like this:

High leptin:

• Eat less
• Burn more

Low leptin:

• Eat more
• Burn less

👉 Perfect in theory… frustrating in real life.

As you lose weight:

• Leptin drops
• Your brain senses “less stored energy”
• You get hungrier
• Your metabolism slows

👉 This is why those last pounds feel so difficult.

It’s not you. It’s physiology.

This is where it really matters.

👉 You have plenty of leptin… but your brain doesn’t recognize it.

So instead of saying: “we’re fine”

Your brain says: 👉 “we’re starving”

And the result:

• Constant hunger
• Lower calorie burn
• Strong drive to eat

👉 This is not a willpower issue.

These medications reduce appetite—and for many people, that’s life-changing.

But then comes a fork:

• No real habit change
• Appetite returns
• Weight comes back

• Better food choices
• More protein
• Strength training
• New identity

👉 Same tool. Completely different outcome.

Strategically increasing calories (especially carbs) can signal:

👉 “We’re not starving”

This can help:

• Keep fat loss moving
• Reduce metabolic slowdown
• Improve adherence

And yes—

👉 It needs carbs to work properly.

Leptin can:

• Help regulate appetite
• Or completely override it

So if you’ve ever thought:

👉 “Why am I always hungry?”

There may be a real physiological reason.

If appetite has ever felt like a constant battle— this one will connect a lot of dots.

I go live on YouTube every Sunday— breaking all of this down in real time.

👉 Subscribe here: @joanneleecornish

👉 www.joannelee.com

👉 hello@joannelee.com

NNMT, Cancer Risk & 5-Amino-1MQ – Where Science Ends and Assumptions Begin

Alright… this one is interesting.

Because I talk a lot about 5-Amino-1MQ— mainly in the context of fat loss, metabolic health, and keeping weight off long term.

But recently, I was in a conversation with a doctor… and he told me he personally takes it because his mother died from a glioblastoma.

And his reasoning?

👉 It inhibits NNMT 👉 NNMT is involved in certain cancers 👉 So… maybe there’s something there

Now before we go any further—

I am NOT saying 5-Amino prevents or treats cancer. And neither was he.

What he was doing… was taking a known biological pathway and making an informed assumption.

And honestly?

It’s a fascinating one.

NNMT (Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase) is an enzyme involved in how your body manages:

• Energy production
• NAD+ levels
• Metabolic function
• Aging processes

When NNMT is elevated, it’s associated with:

• Fat storage
• Insulin resistance
• Slower metabolic function
• Lower NAD+ availability

👉 This is why it shows up so strongly in midlife weight gain

And it’s also why I talk so much about 5-Amino-1MQ— because it inhibits NNMT, which can shift the body away from storing fat and toward using energy.

NNMT doesn’t just show up in metabolism.

It’s also upregulated in certain cancers, including:

• Glioblastoma
• Pancreatic cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Ovarian cancer

In these environments, NNMT appears to support:

• Tumor growth
• Cell survival
• Metabolic adaptation

👉 In simple terms: cancer cells may use NNMT to survive.

So researchers have asked:

What happens if we inhibit NNMT?

In early-stage research (cells + animal models), 👉 inhibiting NNMT has shown reductions in tumor growth.

That’s real.

But here’s the key…

We have:

• NNMT is involved in metabolic disease
• NNMT is involved in some cancers
• 5-Amino inhibits NNMT

So the leap becomes:

👉 “Does taking 5-Amino reduce cancer risk?”

And the honest answer is:

We don’t have evidence to say that.

No human trials. No prevention studies.

What we have is a mechanistic connection— and a very interesting one.

Here’s where it gets even more compelling…

NNMT increases with:

• Age
• Obesity
• Insulin resistance

And those same conditions are associated with:

• Higher cancer rates
• More chronic disease
• More metabolic dysfunction

So now we’re looking at a broader picture:

👉 A metabolic environment that becomes more vulnerable over time

And NNMT may be one of the players in that shift.

Not the cause. Not the cure. But part of the story.

This is not a recommendation.

This is not a protocol.

This is simply a lens.

• One enzyme
• One molecule that inhibits it
• Two very different areas of research that overlap

👉 That intersection is worth understanding.

Just remember:

Interesting ≠ proven Mechanism ≠ outcome

If you’ve been following my work, you already know I use and talk about:

• 5-Amino-1MQ
• SLU-PP-332

You can learn more or get them here:

👉 www.joanneleestore.com

Use code:

👉 DAISY for 20% off

⏳ Expires April 1

Insulin Isn’t the Enemy: Why Carbs Might Actually Help You Build Muscle

Show Notes

Before we dive in, a couple of quick reminders.

My Muscle Month program starts March 29, and it only runs once a year. If you’ve been thinking about joining, this is the time. The program walks you through exactly how muscle is built and protected in midlife — including insulin, carbohydrates, mTOR, AMPK, and how to actually use these tools to your advantage.

You can join at musclemonth.com. The cost is $525, and if you’d prefer to split the payment just email me at www.joanneleestore.com.

Now onto today’s topic.

In this episode I talk about insulin, and why it has been given such a terrible reputation in the health and fitness world. For years we’ve heard that carbohydrates spike insulin, insulin stores fat, and therefore carbs must be the problem. And while there is some truth buried in that narrative, the reality is far more interesting.

Insulin is not the villain. It’s actually a tool.

Yes, when insulin is chronically elevated it can absolutely prevent fat loss. A prolonged high-insulin state is one of the biggest reasons people struggle to lose weight, particularly in midlife. Stress, sedentary lifestyles, constant snacking, poor sleep and excessive carbohydrate intake can all push insulin up and keep it there. When that happens, the body simply can’t access stored body fat efficiently.

But that doesn’t mean insulin itself is the problem.

Insulin is one of the body’s key growth signals, alongside protein, testosterone and growth hormone. It helps move nutrients into cells, including glucose and amino acids, which means it plays a direct role in muscle repair, recovery and growth. If someone completely avoids carbohydrates out of fear of insulin, they may actually be removing one of the body’s natural tools for maintaining muscle.

A big part of the conversation in this episode is about environment. Hormones respond to the environment we create. If someone is stressed, sedentary, eating constantly and sleeping poorly, insulin will behave very differently than it will in someone who is active, training, eating strategically and giving the body periods where insulin can come back down.

When used correctly, insulin can actually support both muscle building and fat loss. Timing carbohydrates around activity, especially training, can help direct those carbohydrates into muscle where they’re stored as glycogen rather than fat. Insulin also helps move amino acids into muscle tissue, which is critical for protecting muscle as we age.

I also share a little about my own experience. For many years I ate very low carbohydrate and it worked well for me. But after a major surgery in my 50s where I lost a significant amount of muscle, I had to rethink my approach. Bringing carbohydrates back in strategically allowed me to support muscle again, sleep better, recover better, and overall feel better.

The big takeaway from this episode is simple: insulin is not the enemy. It simply reacts to the environment we create. When we understand how it works, it becomes something we can use to our advantage rather than something we fear.

And if you’d like to go deeper into how all of this works — especially in midlife — Muscle Month starts March 29. You can learn more and sign up at musclemonth.com.

Also, if you’d like to catch the new weekly live sessions, head over to YouTube and subscribe to Joanne Lee Cornish so you’ll get notified when I go live.