38. Label Reading in Midlife: “Healthy” Foods That Backfire

If you’ve ever stood in your kitchen holding a food labeled organic, gluten-free, or naturally sweetened and wondered why you’re still tired, bloated, or gaining weight—this episode is for you.

In this main episode of Midlife and Glowing, Alicia and Nicole break down one of the most confusing (and frustrating) parts of midlife wellness: why foods that sound healthy can quietly work against your energy, blood sugar, hormones, and metabolism in perimenopause.

You’ll learn why the rules around food change in midlife, how estrogen shifts impact insulin sensitivity, and why blood sugar stability matters more now than ever. The conversation walks you through simple, non-obsessive label reading strategies and exposes common "health" foods that may be contributing to fatigue, cravings, mood swings, and weight gain—without you realizing it.

From breakfast foods and smoothies to nut butters, dried fruit, dates, and packaged snacks, this episode gives you clarity without restriction. This isn’t about perfection—it’s about awareness, alignment, and choosing foods that actually support your midlife body.

If you’ve been saying “Nothing I used to do works anymore”, this episode will help it all finally make sense.

⏱️ Chapters / Timestamps:

00:00 Why “Healthy” Foods Stop Working in Midlife
02:00 Hormonal Shifts, Insulin & Changing Food Rules
04:10 Why the Front of Food Packaging Misleads You
06:00 Food Label Reading Basics Every Midlife Woman Needs
08:30 Hidden Sugars, Seed Oils & Artificial Sweeteners
11:30 Breakfast Foods That Spike Blood Sugar
15:00 Oatmeal, Granola, Yogurt & Bread Explained
18:45 Nut Butters, Dried Fruit & Portion Confusion
22:15 Fruit, Dates & Blood Sugar Pairing Mistakes
25:30 Smoothies: How to Build Them for Midlife Metabolism
29:00 “Healthy” Packaged Snacks & Chips
32:30 Label Reading Recap, Balance & Next Steps

📌 Resources
🥗 Nutrition Counseling with Daily Glow → https://visit.berrystreet.co/providers/Nicole-Maholy
📖 Blog: The 4 Worst Artificial Sweeteners → https://dailyglowlife.com/dangers-of-artificial-sweeteners/
✨ Daily Glow Rituals Guide →

Transcript

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If you've ever stood in your kitchen holding the bag of something labeled organic, gluten-free, or naturally sweetened and thought, why am I still tired, bloated, or gaining weight? This episode is for you or if you've ever said, but it's healthy while eating straight outta the peanut butter jar, blending a smoothie the size of your head, or ing off a bag of dried mango. We're not here to call you out, but we are here to tell the truth because some of the foods we've been told are healthy. It can actually work against us in midlife if we don't understand what's really going on. Today we're talking about label reading Sneaky Health Foods, and some common nutrition myths that might be quietly messing with your energy, blood, sugar, and hormones without you even realizing it. Welcome back to Midlife and Glowing. I'm Alicia. And I'm Nicole. And today we're diving into something that comes up constantly with our community food confusion. Specifically how foods that sound healthy on the surface can actually be contributing to fatigue, cravings, weight gain, and mood swings, midlife. So let's start here because this is really important context. In your twenties or thirties, you might have been able to eat a smoothie, a handful of dates, a protein bar, and call it a day, and felt fine. Yeah, I definitely didn't think twice about it back then. I mean, I even had a candy drawer in my office. But in perimenopause, your hormones shift. Estrogen fluctuations impact insulin sensitivity. Cortisol becomes more reactive. Muscle mass starts declining and your body becomes less forgiving of blood sugar spikes. So foods that used to work suddenly don't. And that's incredibly frustrating if no one explains why. Yeah, exactly. And instead, women just think, what am I doing wrong? When really it's just that the rules changed. You know, I didn't really have to worry about what I ate and I never really gained weight. Exactly. And I know many women can relate to that. And this is where label reading and understanding food context is really important for feeling empowering when it comes to your food choices instead of feeling overwhelmed. I think one of the biggest mindset shifts we need to talk about is this idea that if something is labeled healthy, organic, gluten-free, or natural, that it's indeed healthy. Yes. And this is not about demonizing food. It's about understanding ingredients, portions, pairing, and timing. A food can be nutritious and still spike your blood sugar, which we have to be more careful of in midlife. We went into it more in episode 26, which was perimenopause, insulin resistance, and diabetes explained. A food can be organic or gluten-free and still not be a healthy food choice. It's important to be aware that sometimes companies use those words organic, natural, gluten-free. As a marketing tactic. So as the consumer, it's really important to know how to read a food label so you know whether it is actually something that fits what you're looking for as a healthy choice. A food can be natural and still leave you feeling exhausted an hour later. Yeah, and that's such a good distinction. And it's funny, you know, when we get together with my husband's family, his mom will be like, Hey, I got you your healthy gluten-free bread. You know, it's so sweet. Bless her heart, but it's, it's not really healthy, right? It's just gluten-free so I can eat it. You know, I can't eat gluten. Right. But, uh, you know, it's, it's so funny. She's like, I have your little healthy girl bread over here. Oh my God, that's so sweet and so cute. And, but you're right, like a lot of people do hear those words and think that might mean that it's healthy. And obviously for you it is a healthier choice because Right. You have a, a gluten issue, but. Those types of foods, refined carbohydrates are not always the best fit for blood sugar regulation, depending on how you're eating them. So before we get into specific sneaky foods like that, we need to start with the foundation because none of this matters if you don't know how to read a food label and I promise, this does not have to be complicated or obsessive. Yes, because the front of the package is basically marketing poetry. Exactly as we said before, words like organic, natural, gluten-free, plant-based, vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo, none of those automatically mean food is supportive for your blood sugar or your hormones. So here's the simple rule. Flip the package over the back is where the truth really lives. So step one, ingredients come first. The very first place I want you to look is the ingredients list, not the nutrition facts. Ingredients tell you what the food is actually made of. And the basic structure of a food is the quality of the ingredients in it. So a great baseline rule is this, if you don't recognize most of the ingredients as real food or you wouldn't use them in your own kitchen, that's a red flag. And the ingredients are listed in order, right, of how much is in. the item? Yes, exactly. They're listed by weight. So if sugar is listed in the first few ingredients, that product is primarily sugar, no matter how healthy the packaging looks. So we're gonna go over a few things to watch for. Number one, added sugars. These are one of the biggest things quietly impacting women in midlife. And they're sneaky because they go by many names. You'll wanna watch for things like cane sugar. Brown rice syrup, corn syrup, or high fructose corn syrup, agave, honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, dates or dates syrup, and even the natural ones. Yes, natural doesn't mean blood sugar neutral. Things like honey maple syrup. Those sugars still matter, especially if you're already dealing with fatigue, hormone changes, cravings, or weight changes. Another big thing to look for is hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. These are trans fats. Even when labels try to hide them, they can negatively impact inflammation, heart health, and hormone signaling. Things were already working hard to support in midlife, so if you see those, it's probably a no. Yeah, for me, that's true. Yes. I'd rather see fats like olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil or butter, simple recognizable fats. I know that seed oils are a hot topic right now. Are all of those better options in what specific ones are the best to avoid? Yeah, great question. Yes, seed oils are a hot topic and the reason they come up so often is because they tend to be more inflammatory. A big reason for that is because they're high in omega six fats, and most people are already consuming far more omega sixes than omega threes, which can promote inflammation. Omega sixes can, especially in midlife. The bigger issue isn't just the fat type, it's how seed oils are processed. Most of them are highly refined, chemically extracted, and heated to very high temperatures, which makes them more unstable and inflammatory, especially when they're used in packaged foods. So in general, yes, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, grass fed butter, ghee, tallow. Those are actually better options. They're more stable, less processed. Easier for the body to handle. The seed oils I recommend being most mindful of are soybean, corn oil, canola, sunflower safflower, and cotton seed oil. These are the ones that show up everywhere in ultra processed foods, and as everyone that tunes into this podcast already knows we aren't about perfection or panic. If you're cooking at home with better oils, most of the time you're already doing great. This is about reducing chronic exposure. Not necessarily eliminating every single seed oil from your life. I mean, that would be great and ideal, but again, progress over perfection. And next, let's talk about artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols. This one surprises people because I think people think that their low glycemic and low calories, so they must be healthier, but that's not necessarily true. Artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame potassium. Even sugar alcohols like maltitol, sorbitol, and xylitol can disrupt gut health and still trigger insulin responses in some women, especially in perimenopause. So sugar free doesn't automatically mean better, not always, especially if it leaves you bloated, craving more sweets or feeling off afterwards. I know people are like obsessive over their diet coke. Like they, you know, it's like the crispy Diet Coke and I think, you know, from McDonald's is the favorite. I don't know. I've never been a diet soda drinker, but you know, they have like the sweatshirts in the hats and yeah, they're cute, but like I just can't get on board with drinking diet Coke, knowing, you know, it has aspartame and all the other things that are not the best for you. You know, I prefer something like Zevia. And, you know, you can get the cola flavored and you know, you don't have the sugar, um, or the, um, aspartame in that, um, whatever else is in the diet sodas that is not, you know, the best for you. So, you know, it's funny because it's definitely very highly marketed, you know, like it's the girl thing to do, get your crispy Diet Coke. Yeah, that's funny. I've never heard that, uh, phrase before. I don't go on social media much and I don't know, but I never heard that phrase, crispy diet something, and I heard it the other day, but you're right, it's hard to get into that when you know what kind of health consequences those artificial sweeteners have. We did write a blog article on that topic highlighting the four worst offenders, which I'm already mentioned, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, saccharin, and sucralose, and why there's such a problem. They can have a negative impact on neurologic health, gut health, metabolic health, cardiovascular risk, and a few are even linked to increased risk of cancer in certain studies. So they're just best to avoid, in my opinion. We'll make sure to link to our article in the show notes for you so you can dig into that deeper if you're interested. When you know better, you can do better. Exactly. A hundred percent Food dyes are another thing I personally avoid whenever possible. Things like red 40, yellow, five, blue one, they don't add anything nutritionally and they can increase inflammation and affect mood and focus in people that are sensitive to them. Right. You know, and I'm thinking back. When my kids were younger and, um, you're interacting with other parents more. And I know there was someone that was like, no, my kids cannot have any dye because it affects them, uh, behaviorally. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So, you know, that's, it's wild. And they're not, they're usually in foods that aren't doing us any favors anyway. You know, the foods that are, marketed more towards children. Right. Which is totally crazy, by the way. Mm-hmm. But yeah, you're absolutely right. And that is the reason that there's a big push now to get rid of them from our food because it's known they're a problem. People know this. Right? Yeah. You know, in the process, while they are working on getting rid of them, if you see them on a food label, if you can avoid it and choose something better, I think that's a good, a good idea. We were making Christmas treats and my daughter stopped at the store and got some ingredients and she got sprinkles. She's like, mom, these are healthy ones. And I looked, it didn't have any dyes in it. They were all, you know, the coloring was from natural. Well, again, check your labels. What does natural mean? But you know, it, I looked at the label and it was actually good. So, you know, they do have stuff out there. You just need to look for it. Right, exactly. In this whole process when it comes to label reading, just keep it simple. I don't want this to feel overwhelming. This isn't about, again, being perfect or policing every bite of food. Think of label reading as information. A good first step is just asking what are the ingredients? Where is sugar showing up? Does this food actually nourish me or does it just sound healthy? Yeah, that feels very doable. It's more about awareness, not rules. That's exactly the goal. So once you understand this basic label reading framework, the Sneaky foods we're about to talk about will make so much more sense because you'll start to see patterns. Okay. Now that we've got the label reading basics down, let's talk about foods that trip people up the most. Alright, let's start with the sneakiest category of all breakfast foods. Because so many women are doing what they think is right first thing in the morning, but it's actually setting them up for a rough day. Yes, and this is important because how you start your day has a really big impact on your overall metabolism and how your blood sugar behaves throughout the rest of the day. The first meal you eat has a huge influence on your blood sugar, on your cortisol, your energy and cravings for the rest of the day. If breakfast sends your blood sugar on a roller coaster, it becomes much harder to regulate it throughout the rest of the day. So in perimenopause, insulin sensitivity is often lower in general. Cortisol is naturally higher when you wake up. So when you combine that with a high glycemic breakfast, you get a big spike, and that's always followed by a big crash. Right, so this explains why people feel shaky, hungry, tired, or craving sugar by mid morning. Exactly, and then the day turns into a constant cycle of chasing energy and trying to stabilize that spike and crash cycle. So let's talk about the most common breakfast staples that cause this issue. Cereal, instant oatmeal, granola, flavored yogurts, bread or toast and juice. And none of these sound unhealthy. That's the sneaky part. Cereal is essentially a refined carbohydrate. Even the organic, gluten-free, ancient grain versions. Most cereals are very low in protein and even fiber relative to total carbs, and they digest quickly. That means a rapid blood sugar spike followed by a crash. And let's be honest, most people pour more than one serving in their bowl. Yeah. Exactly and without enough protein. Cereal is basically sugar in a bowl from a blood sugar standpoint. Now, oatmeal can be supportive, but instant oatmeal is highly processed and digests much faster than steel cut or rolled oats. And most packets also contain added sugars and even plain, instant oats can spike blood sugar when eating alone. Oatmeal isn't bad, but it's just how you prepare it that matters, right? And how it's eaten. Pairing it with protein like eggs, Greek yogurt, collagen or protein powder, can make a huge difference. Protein is gonna blunt a blood sugar spike and crash, so it makes it a healthier meal from a blood sugar and metabolism standpoint. Granola is another one that gets tricky. It often contains oats, honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and seed oils. All combined into something very calorie dense and high glycemic. And it's easy to eat way more than you think. Yes, exactly. Granola works better as a topping, not a base, a sprinkle, not a bowl. And we talked about the ingredient list being super important. Make sure you take a look at it with something like this, because there are so many different types of granola. It can be packed with chocolate dried fruits, sugar, and before you know it, you've got a sugar bomb in your bowl. So look at those ingredients. That actually sounds like the kind that my kids always want me to buy. You're right. They made the chocolate and the mm-hmm. Well, they don't much like the dried fruits, but the chocolate, the peanut butter, the sugar. Yep. And flavored yogurts are one of the biggest breakfast traps. Many contain as much sugar as a dessert, especially the low fat versions. That one actually surprised me because when I started reading labels, I always thought yogurt was a healthy option. But again, it depends on which ones you buy. Yes, always check. Plain greek yogurt with berries and nuts that you add yourself is very different from vanilla or fruit on the bottom yogurt when you buy it that way. There's even ones that have chocolate or Oreos or dyes in them. Oh yeah. Again, the kids are always like, oh, I want these kinds. Yep. So it's like, you know, they really market to those kids well. Yeah, definitely. I remember when we were growing up, we had those like Go-Gurt things like they're like in a pack like tricks or tricks Go-Gurts or something like that. I don't know. But yeah, they were just full of food dyes and sugars and mm-hmm. You know? Yeah. Not, not ideal. So toast is another tricky one. Toast by itself though is mostly carbohydrate. Without protein or fat, it raises blood sugar quickly and doesn't provide lasting energy. And a lot of people at breakfast are toping that toast with jelly or jam, which explains why people are hungry again so fast. There's nothing that's sticking to it that's gonna stick with you. Exactly. I mean, a jelly topped piece of bread is a heck of a lot different than if you're doing an avocado toast with an egg on top or something like that, right? I mean, you, when I say it that way, you can see the difference between those two things and what they're doing to your blood sugar, your energy, and the type of nutrition that they're bringing to you and the type of bread that you're choosing makes a difference as well. Whole wheat has a medium to high glycemic index, and white bread has a high glycemic index. Sourdough, on the other hand, has a low to medium glycemic index, but it is still mostly carbs, so it's better from a blood sugar and metabolism standpoint if you pair it with protein and healthy fats. So toast needs a protein partner, eggs, cottage cheese. Smoked salmon, not just jam or honey. Well, the sourdough ladies are loving it. To hear that, you know, that's the better option because that is a wild craze. That's, you know, a lot of people are into my daughter, actually. She did it and she just said, mom, I think I'm gonna start the sourdough again. Oh, awesome. Yeah. That's fun. She has fun with it. She's fun with that. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I mean, there's, there are a lot more, aside from a blood sugar standpoint, the fact that it's a lower glycemic bread option is great, of course, but it's easier to digest because it's fermented. So there's a lot of factors that make that a, a better choice, you know, certainly than white bread. Mm-hmm. Then when it comes to other common breakfast items, juice is one of the fastest ways to spike blood sugar because the fiber's been removed, even fresh organic juice. And this is something that most people think of as a healthy part of breakfast. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And it's really just basically sugar water at that point. Yeah. From a metabolic perspective, yes. Whole fruit is always a better option, especially when paired with protein. So ultimately when it comes to breakfast foods, make sure you're reading labels and incorporating protein into your first meal of the day. This is gonna help set the stage for blood sugar stability throughout the rest of the day, and where blood sugar goes, energy and mood follows. So this isn't just stabilizing your blood sugar and metabolism for the day, it's also stabilizing your energy and your mood. Let's shift gears a little bit and talk about nut butters, because this one gets so many people. Yes. Because peanut butter can feel harmless. Like it's a classic. Everyone has it in their pantry. Absolutely, totally. And it's sneaky because it's so delicious and literally goes with everything. And nutritionally nut butters do have benefits, healthy fats, some protein minerals. They're also extremely calorie dense and very easy to overeat because they're so delicious. A serving size is basically two tablespoons, and let's be honest, most people are eating four to six without even realizing it. And just for reference sake, two tablespoons. Is 180 calories. So you could easily be eating almost 400 to 500 calories if you've got a hearty serving of nut butter. And you know, just to be clear, I'm not like a huge calorie counter or you know, anybody being like super obsessive about calories. But the rea'cause calories aren't the full picture, but they are part of the picture. So it is something that we have to like take into account. And then we also need to talk about the fact that. Not all peanut butters are created equal. Your traditional Jiff or Skippy that have not just peanuts in them, but also sugar hydrogenated vegetable oils, which again are trans fats, usually soy or canola oil, and then salt, which salt's not bad, but those extra sugars and hydrogenated oils are definitely not great adds to the ingredient list in that case, versus the healthier options, which are just gonna have peanuts and salt. Right and it's harder to find good peanut butter because your typical mainstream options are usually loaded with other junk. You really do have to look for butter options. I mean, the last time I went, I went to a store where I don't normally buy peanut butter, but I spent 10 minutes going through all the different peanut butters to find one that just hit the basic ingredients. Yeah, it it's crazy. And here again, like ingredient lists, label reading is crucial, right? Because. If you're just relying on the marketing on the front of the package, you wouldn't know that those other things are in there, and then the way that you eat it matters too. A balanced snack would be apple slices or celery sticks with one serving of nut butter. Right. That would be a great snack. Yeah, that's definitely a snack that I enjoy. Okay. Next step is dried fruit. This one shocked me when I really learned about it because I was thinking while I'm eating fruit, how bad can that be? Yeah, that's so common. Dried fruit has had its water removed, which concentrates the sugar. So a small handful of dried mango or dates can spike blood sugar faster than people expect. Dried fruit is high glycemic, especially when eaten alone, and it is very easy to eat the equivalent of four or five servings in minutes, and for women already struggling with insulin resistance or cortisol imbalance, which is incredibly common in perimenopause. That spike matters, and a lot of people are eating dried fruit as a snack by itself. You know, we talk a lot about a way to stabilize blood sugar is to pair protein, healthy fats and fiber with whatever you're eating. And they're just, you know, a lot of people do just eat the dried fruit as their snack. So that is definitely from a blood sugar stability standpoint, which has a lot to do with metabolism, and again, energy, mood, those types of things. It is better to pair that dried fruit if you are going to eat a serving of dried fruit to pair it with something like protein or healthy fats. But the other side of things the fresh fruit over the dried fruit is gonna be a better option. And then if you pair that with protein and healthy fat, that tends to be much more stabilizing for blood sugar. And again, stable blood sugar is really important for metabolism, inflammation, brain health, gut health, and so many other aspects of our overall health. And it matters even more in midlife. Next up is fruit all by itself. And I know this one might ruffle some feathers probably because a lot of people do eat fruit by itself as a snack, but it's important. Fruit is not the enemy. Fruit is not bad, but fruit alone, especially first thing in the morning, can be a problem for some women. Grabbing an apple or a banana on the way out the door is probably something that a lot of people do. I know I had my fair share of mush bananas by the time I'd make it to wherever I was.'cause it was just the easiest in my mind, healthiest thing to grab. Right. Yes. That's so common. And an apple by itself though, is mostly carbohydrate. There is some fiber in it, but it is quick burning. So pairing it with protein or healthy fats is gonna stabilize that blood sugar, preventing the spikes and crashes that lead to fatigue, shakiness, or cravings. And that explains the, I'm starving in our later feeling. Yeah, exactly. Pair fruit with protein. Things like Greek yogurt, eggs, protein powder, nut butter, cottage cheese, those combinations matter. They make a difference for, again, that blood sugar, stability, and energy, and overall how you're feeling and how your blood sugar behaves throughout the rest of the day. If we're talking about doing this in the morning, okay, next up is smoothies. And they do feel like the ultimate healthy choice. Yeah, they do. And they can be. Many smoothies are essentially sugar bombs, especially when they're mostly fruit, juice, honey dates and almond milk, and especially the ones that are packaged and processed in the store. If you're buying a pre-made smoothie in the store, that's likely what they're made of is things like juice and fruit and honey and dates, and you know, very little protein in them, and it's something that you consume very fast. That's a big part of it. Liquid calories digest quickly and don't provide the same satiety signals as chewing does. So what does a blood sugar friendly smoothie look like? It should include protein, ideally around 30 grams of protein, fiber, think berries, chia, flax, hemps, healthy fats, so things like avocado, maybe some full fat coconut milk, maybe some Greek yogurt. But obviously not the no fat Greek yogurt, the full fat Greek yogurt, something like that. Those would be good ideas for healthy fats, low glycemic fruits like berries, lemon, avocado, and then greens. These are such a great add to smoothies because you really can't taste them, but they add so many great phytonutrients along with some fiber, and then consuming it slowly and almost even chewing. It is a good idea to support your digestion. So it's basically a meal, not a beverage. Yeah. My daughter will actually pour her smoothie right in a bowl and eat it with a spoon. She calls it her smoothie bowl. Yeah. Love she love it. She does also add a couple of chocolate chips on top, but lemme make sure it's the healthy ones. Yeah, there you go. I love it. That's great. And I know she's putting protein powder in there, right? Mm-hmm. Right. Yep. Good. Stabilizing healthy fats. Yeah, she's doing all those healthy things'cause that's all I like. I love it. Awesome. Next up, let's talk about chips, because we've all seen the avocado oil, paleo cassava, flour chips, or apple chips or veggie chips. They're made and marketed to make you think that they're healthy. And yes, these are definitely better than your typical potato chip or Doritos or corn chips or Cheetos, but they're still ultra processed, highly palatable, and super easy to overeat. Yeah, I mean, you sit down and somehow the bag just disappears in one sitting, right? Again, not bad. Not a foundation food. Well, well you never really feel good after doing it. It's alright. Right? No, no, no. That, um, so maybe a little bad, but that pattern not great, but itself, not bad, but definitely not a foundation food. Uh, portion control is important. Yeah. When it comes to these kinds of snacks, certainly. But there are, when it comes to snacks, there are so many better options that are gonna be way more supportive for your energy. That still taste good. Okay, next let's talk about dates and specifically because they're everywhere. I mean, it's the, you know, like the healthy alternative. Let's make a homemade Snickers, which hey, that's right up my alley. I ben pin in those recipes. Um, and it is a much better option, the base layer, the caramel layer, or, you know, you're making stuff with dates. Mm-hmm. And I see it, I see it all over my, my for you page. Probably because I click on it, but Correct, yeah. Dates are often used as a natural sweetener, and yes, they are less processed than white sugar, but metabolically they're still very high glycemic. If someone is already dealing with insulin resistance. Relying heavily on dates can keep that cycle going. And I just wanna say too, like the, you know, healthier, I'm a big fan of. Finding healthier dessert recipes, right? Like finding a dessert recipe and then adjusting the ingredients to make it a healthier option for my blood sugar and my health. Because the goal isn't depriving yourself of things that you enjoy. The goal here in our conversation is just to help you understand,'cause some people are eating these things thinking that they are not just a healthier option, but that they are healthy. Yeah, absolutely right. And they do have, like, there is, yes, there's minerals in dates, there're, it's a, a whole food. But you know, again, from. The conversation around perimenopause and midlife and the things that we're dealing with and the things that women in midlife often are coming and saying is their metabolism is changing. They don't recognize their bodies anymore. Right? So these pieces are an important like thing to be aware of because if you are making these choices thinking that they're healthier for your body, they are, again, they are healthier than refined sugar, certainly. From a metabolism standpoint, it's still not ideal when you're doing these, in large quantities or you're doing it a lot, you know, frequency and, uh, how you're eating. These things matter. But really the goal today is to talk about like, these are, you know, certainly some of these things are healthier options, but they're sneaky because you think they're healthier. And so, you know, a lot of times people are eating more of them. Yeah. Well, I was talking to. A girl, and you know, we're talking about healthy eating and Yeah. Um, she has PCOS and we're talking about dates as, you know, a healthier option, whatever. She's like, yeah, I throw like five or six dates in my smoothie every day, and I'm like, well, you have PCOS. Right. Like, and you were talking about how Yeah. You're not doing well with it. Mm-hmm. And I, I took out my bag of dates. I'm like, well, you do realize there's this much sugar in it, and if you're putting that much in your smoothie every day, and she thought she was healthy, right? Like she thought she was doing, you know, supporting her PCOS and you know, like why is she struggling with it and all this? Right? And, you know, she had no idea. She just thought it was healthy and they, they are, but like, yeah. In moderation. Totally. And pairing is key. Always the same principles apply here. Protein, fiber and healthy fats are gonna keep blood sugar stable. So if you're using dates, just make sure you're combining them in a balanced way. And again, you know, like quantity, right? Like moderation is important. Mm-hmm. And also if any part of this is like confusing to you or you're, you know, struggling with it, or you're like, I might need help with this part of, you know, like if I wanna know if what I'm doing is. The best, healthiest thing for me. We do have nutrition, uh, counseling services as well. So, uh, we'll make sure to link that in the show notes if you're feeling like you need help with that part of your lifestyle. Yeah, because it is daunting, it is overwhelming, and if you, you know, you think you're doing what you're supposed to be doing and you're not seeing results and, you know, maybe you just need a, a little extra help. Right, and that's okay. I mean, I have called Nicole many a times like, Hey, can you look at this label with me and tell me like, is this good or, because it's very confusing. Yeah. Okay. So let's do a super quick label of reading recap, because this is one of the simplest ways to feel more in control around your food and what you're consuming. First, ignore the front of the package. It's marketing. Always flip it over. Next, check the ingredients list before anything else. Shorter is usually better. And if sugar shows up in the first few ingredients, that's important information. Watch for added sugars, even the natural ones like honey maple syrup or dates. And be mindful of hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, and food dyes. And finally, remember, this is not about perfection. Label reading is just a tool. It helps you choose foods that actually support your energy and blood sugar. Instead of leaving you on a rollercoaster. And again, if you see that there's, you know, those things in it that maybe aren't ideal, but you already know that and you're like, let's say you're buying a packaged food and you already know that it's, yeah, it's not the healthiest choice, but of these choices, is this the healthiest option and how you pair it is important. So what you're eating it with essentially is really important too. Yes. This information just helps raise your awareness so you can make choices that support your health. Right, and again, if you want deeper nutrition support, you can book an appointment too. A lot of people don't realize nutrition care is often covered by your insurance, so we'll put a link to the booking page in the show notes if you'd like more support there. Thanks so much for spending time with us on midlife and glowing. If this episode helped bring clarity or made you feel more confident around food choices. We'd love for you to share it with a friend who's navigating midlife right alongside you, and if you haven't yet, be sure to follow the show and leave us a review. It truly helps more women find these conversations. Midlife isn't about restriction. It's about alignment, awareness, and choosing what actually supports you. We'll see you next time.