Search for:

Book Free Discovery Call

Find a Provider
Programs
Table Talk Podcast
Contact

The Circadian Code: Why Your Sleep-Wake Cycle Matters More Than You Think

Episode 48

Home
Table Talk Podcast

Table Talk

Table Talk

The Circadian Code: Why Your Sleep-Wake Cycle Matters More Than You Think

00:00 / 00:33:59

Apple Podcasts Spotify

RSS Feed

Share

Link

Embed

Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 00:33:59 | Recorded on February 17, 2025

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Show Notes

HOST

Melody Hartzler

| | Book Appointment

AROUND THE TABLE

Lindsey Dalton

| | Book Appointment

AROUND THE TABLE

Megan Morrison

| Book Appointment

In Today’s Episode We

Define what the circadian rhythm is
Dive deep into sunlight and why it’s so crucial for our health and wellbeing
Introduce the topic of malillumination.
Explain why it’s so important to have sun exposure first thing in the morning
Share other ways besides light to regulate the circadian rhythm
Detail what other health conditions have been linked to circadian rhythm disruption

Supplement Spotlight

Vitamin D / K2

Liquid – 1 fl oz

D3 5000 with K2

60 Softgels

Related

Boosting Immunity Naturally: Essential Lifestyle Tips and Supplements Breaking the Acne Cycle: Inflammation, Hormones & the Gut Connection

Categories: Tags:

Leading the way to better chronic disease management through functional and integrative medicine.

Melody Hartzler

Recent Posts

Astaxanthin: How a tailored diet can help you prevent sunburn and fight aging skin
Female Hair Loss: Root Causes and Natural Support
Metabolic Dysfunction and Fatty Liver Disease: The Connection and Progression
Beyond the Bump: How to Recognize and Recover from Traumatic Brain Injuries
Red Light Therapy 101: What It Is, How It Works, and What It Can Do for You

Search for:

pharmtotableteam

Functional Healthcare led by Expert Pharmacists and Health Coaches
+ Advanced testing for hormones, gut, & metabolism
↳ Work with our team 👇

View the comments for a list of things that surpri

View the comments for a list of things that surprised me ⤵

Comment MICROBES and we’ll send you the link to our GutScan. See exactly which bacteria are helping (or hurting) your metabolism.

#bloodsugar #insulinresistance #metabolichealth #weightloss #womenshealth

The metabolic meal formula. 30 / 30 / 30. 30g pr

The metabolic meal formula.

30 / 30 / 30.

30g protein per meal (~90/day). 30g fiber per day (~10 per meal), 30 min walk after dinner.

This is the formula women 35+ have been missing. No complicated macros. No hours of meal prep. Three numbers, three meals a day.

Save this. Try it for 7 days. Notice your energy, your cravings, your sleep.

Comment READY if after 30 days things still feel off, we’ll look deeper with you.

#bloodsugar #insulinresistance #metabolichealth #weightloss #womenshealth

The post-meal walk isn’t trendy. It’s the cheapes

The post-meal walk isn’t trendy.

It’s the cheapest blood sugar intervention we have.

Ten to fifteen minutes of walking within 30 minutes of eating can drop your post-meal glucose spike by up to 30%. That’s a medication-level effect from a habit that costs nothing.

Why it works:
∙ Muscles pull glucose directly out of your bloodstream
∙ Insulin demand drops dramatically
∙ You avoid the spike → crash → cravings loop
∙ Digestion improves (movement helps motility)
∙ You sleep better because blood sugar is steadier at night
∙ Inflammation markers drop with consistent practice

It doesn’t have to be fast. It doesn’t have to be 10k steps. It’s a walk around the block after dinner.

We give this advice to every single patient and we don’t charge for it. Because the best interventions are often free — we just have to tell you they exist.

💪 Comment READY and we’ll connect you with a PharmToTable provider to work on this together.

#bloodsugar #insulinresistance #metabolichealth #weightloss womenshealth

Protein first. Every meal. Starting now.. our meta

Protein first. Every meal. Starting now.. our metabolism will thank you in 30 days....

This is the single most underrated intervention for women 35+. Not supplements. Not extreme workouts. Not another elimination diet. Protein.

Why it matters at this age:
∙ Muscle becomes metabolically non-negotiable — you lose it faster after 35
∙ Protein stabilizes blood sugar at every meal (no spike/crash)
∙ It’s the most satiating macro — cravings quiet down
∙ It prevents sarcopenia (muscle loss) that makes menopause harder
∙ It’s essential for making neurotransmitters (hello, mood)
∙ Hair, nails, skin all improve within 60 days

Target: roughly 1g per pound of goal body weight. For most women 35+, that’s 100-130g daily.

Practical: 30g protein at breakfast changes everything. Most women eat 6. Start there.

This is lifestyle, not a prescription. But if your cravings, energy, and weight are still off after 30 days of hitting protein, there’s something deeper happening. That’s a discovery call conversation.

💪 Comment READY and we’ll connect you with a PharmToTable provider to work on this together.

#bloodsugar #insulinresistance #metabolichealth #weightloss womenshealt

Perimenopause makes you more insulin resistant ove

Perimenopause makes you more insulin resistant overnight.

Literally.

This one sentence explains why so many women in their 40s feel like their body changed without warning. Because it did. Our hormone test shows us where your estrogen and progesterone are, and we can see, on paper, why your metabolism changed. Then we can do the right things instead of the generic things.

Perimenopause makes you more insulin resistant overnight.

As estrogen starts to fluctuate:
∙ Insulin sensitivity drops measurably.
∙ The same meal spikes you higher than it did five years ago.
∙ Fat storage shifts to your midsection.
∙ Muscle mass becomes harder to build and keep.
∙ Cravings intensify, especially for carbs.
∙ Sleep disruption makes all of it worse.

This isn't "slowing metabolism." This is an actual biochemical shift in how your body handles sugar. And no amount of "just eat less" is going to override it without understanding what's driving it.

Our hormone test shows us where your estrogen and progesterone are. We can see, on paper, why your metabolism changed. Then we can do the right things (protein, strength, fiber timing, sometimes hormones) instead of the generic things.

💫 Comment CLARITY and we'll send you the link to our Hormone Clarity Kickstart — finally see what your sex hormones are actually doing.

#bloodsugar #insulinresistance #metabolichealth #weightloss #womenshealth

The 6 labs every woman 35+ should run (most PCPs d

The 6 labs every woman 35+ should run (most PCPs don’t):
• Fasting insulin: catches insulin resistance 10 years before diabetes
• HbA1c: 3-month blood sugar average
• hsCRP: Systemic inflammation
• Homocysteine: Cardiovascular + methylation
• Free T3: Real thyroid function (not just TSH)
• Vitamin D: Immune, hormone, mood

Your annual physical probably runs 2 of these. Maybe 3.

If you want the full picture, you need a clinician who will order the full panel.

💪 Comment READY and we’ll connect you with our team.

#labs #functionalmedicine #insulinresistance #womenshealth

Your metabolism didn’t “slow down” at 42. It got R

Your metabolism didn’t “slow down” at 42. It got REWIRED.

Estrogen fluctuations directly change:
• How your body responds to insulin.
• Where you store fat (hello, midsection).
• How quickly you build and keep muscle.
• How you sleep (which affects every other hormone).
• Your cravings — especially for carbs.
• Your cortisol rhythm.

This isn’t a willpower problem. It’s a hormonal one. And it’s visible on our Hormone Clarity Kickstart test.

💫 Comment CLARITY to see what your sex hormones are actually doing.

#perimenopause #metabolism #hormonebalance #test

5 “healthy” breakfasts spiking your blood sugar Sl

5 “healthy” breakfasts spiking your blood sugar Slides:
1.Oatmeal
2. Smoothie
3. Granola
4. Toast + jam 5. Yogurt parfait

Next:
Better swaps:
• Protein + fiber combo • Add fats
• Balance macros

💪 Comment READY and we’ll connect you with a PharmToTable provider to work on this together.

#bloodsugar #insulinresistance #metabolichealth #weightloss #womenshealth

It’s not a lack of willpower at 3 PM. It’s a lac

It’s not a lack of willpower at 3 PM.

It’s a lack of Lactobacillus.

Your gut bacteria don’t just digest your food. They communicate with your brain. They produce neurotransmitters. They influence what you crave, how much, and when.

When your microbiome is out of balance:
∙ Candida and sugar-loving bacteria demand more sugar to survive.
∙ Low Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium = low serotonin = cravings for quick carbs.
∙ High LPS = brain inflammation = impulsive eating.
∙ Disrupted short-chain fatty acid production = unstable blood sugar.
∙ Low GLP-1 signaling = you never feel satiated.

Then the cruelest part: the cravings feel like YOUR fault. Like you’re weak. Like you should be able to power through.

You’re not weak. You have bacteria lobbying your brain for their own survival.

Fix the ecosystem, and the 3 PM vending machine loop goes away on its own. No white-knuckling required.

🧬 Comment MICROBES and we’ll send you the link to our GutScan, See exactly which bacteria are helping (or hurting) your metabolism!

#guthealth #microbiome #weightloss #metabolichealth #functionalmedicine

You’ve been “eating clean” for six months. Exerci

You’ve been “eating clean” for six months.

Exercising. Tracking. Doing everything right.

And the scale hasn’t moved in 90 days.

Here’s what’s probably happening: you hit a gut diversity wall.

In early weight loss, almost any strategy works a little. Calorie restriction, more movement, cleaner food. Your body responds because it was wildly out of balance to begin with.

But long-term fat loss requires microbial diversity. And if yours is depleted:
∙ You keep extracting maximum calories from every meal
∙ Inflammation stays high no matter how “clean” you eat
∙ Hunger hormones stay dysregulated
∙ Your body fights every pound you try to lose
∙ The plateau becomes permanent

The “eat less, move more” advice fails women at this stage because it’s not a calorie problem anymore. It’s an ecosystem problem.

Testing tells you which bacterial species are missing, what to feed them, and what’s driving the plateau. No more guessing. No more blaming yourself for “not being consistent enough.”

You’ve been consistent. Your microbiome is the bottleneck.

🧬 Comment MICROBES and we’ll send you the link to our GutScan. See exactly which bacteria are helping (or hurting) your metabolism!

#guthealth #microbiome #weightloss #metabolichealth #functionalmedicine

The 4 gut bacteria that drive weight loss. (And t

The 4 gut bacteria that drive weight loss.

(And the foods that actually feed them.)

Generic probiotics don’t solve this. Random fiber supplements don’t solve this. Your gut wants specific bacteria in specific ratios — and those bacteria want specific foods.

Save this. Tag a friend who’s been fighting her body and losing.

Comment MICROBES and we’ll send you the GutScan link — see which of these 4 are actually thriving in you right now.

#guthealth #microbiome #weightloss #metabolichealth #functionalmedicine

GLP-1 Medications are Hormone Signals Your gut ca

GLP-1 Medications are Hormone Signals

Your gut can create the GLP-1 signal if it has the right bacteria.

I’m not anti-GLP-1. I prescribe them. They work. But here’s something that doesn’t get talked about enough: your body already makes GLP-1. And specific gut bacteria are the ones cueing that production.

The bacteria that drive natural GLP-1 release:
∙ Akkermansia muciniphila
∙ Faecalibacterium prausnitzii
∙ Certain strains of Bifidobacterium
∙ Roseburia

When these are abundant, your gut sends strong satiety signals, blood sugar stabilizes naturally, and cravings quiet down.

When they’re depleted, from antibiotics, chronic stress, processed food, or years of restrictive dieting, those signals go silent. And suddenly, you need an injection to do what your gut used to do for free.

Medication has a place. But so does fixing the root. For a lot of women, the right answer is doing both, and eventually doing less of the medication because the system is finally working.

GutScan shows you exactly which of these bacteria are thriving and which are missing.

🧬 Comment MICROBES and we’ll send you the link to our GutScan — see exactly which bacteria are helping (or hurting) your metabolism!

#guthealth #microbiome #weightloss #metabolichealth #functionalmedicine

Follow on Instagram

follow us

Subscribe For Updates

Let’s Find A Pharmacist Near You.

Menu

About Our Founder
Blog
Disclaimer
Privacy Policy

Search

Search for:

Our Specialites

Functional Medicine
Wellness
Medication Optimization
Nutrition
Health Coaching

© Copyright 2026. All Rights Reserved by PharmToTable

Terms of user
Support