What’s Stealing Your Morning Energy (And How to Get It Back)

Recipe: Pear Pecan Chia Pudding — Anti-inflammatory and perfect to soothe a cold!

*This newsletter is not intended to be medical advice. Supported by Mandy Murphy Carroll, RD MPH, Dr. Rosa Keller, PHD RD, Dr. Ricki Pollycove OBGYN, & Dr. Claire Packer OBGYN

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Welcome to Modern Women’s Nutrition!

Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

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My Pear Pecan Chia Pudding — Anti-inflammatory and perfect to soothe a cold!

Hi friends,

I hope your weekend is full of smiles and fun.

I went for a beautiful hike yesterday for a friend’s birthday! It was festive, unique and full of joy.

Hiking on La Rhune for Volcy's birthday!

However, when we stopped for lunch at the top, it started to rain and got chilly, and my light head cold turned into chills and a knock-out deep-in-the-lungs cold quickly. UGH! I’ve been on the couch since. And I’ve heard from many friends and family this week that they somehow got hit with a cold, too.

So, naturally I’ve been cooking up healing foods for myself the last 24 hours, and thought I’d share with you the scrumptious anti-inflammatory breakfast recipe, Pear Pecan Chia Pudding, that I just made. It’s tasty and is a regular in my routine.

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Now, for the theme of the week, let’s talk about mornings.

Specifically, that moment when you open your eyes and should feel like you’re ready to meet the day, but instead, you feel groggy, heavy, and maybe even anxious.

Sound familiar?

There’s a physiological reason you might feel that way, and it’s not just that you didn’t sleep enough or need another shot of espresso.

It has to do with something called your cortisol awakening response, or CAR. This is your body’s natural way of helping you feel alert and energized after sleep, like an internal cappuccino for your hormones. Luckily, it’s something you can support, gently and naturally, starting as soon as tomorrow morning.

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To continue reading (paid subscribers only):
- learn about CAR and how it applies to your life
- get tips on how to help your cortisol awakening response thrive
- grab 8 of my favorite breakfast recipes — these are what I actually eat in the morning to support my cortisol rhythm, blood sugar, and brain
- the featured recipe of the week, Pear Pecan Chia Pudding

👉 Become a paid subscriber to access the rest of this week’s newsletter — designed to support you, your metabolic health, and your everyday happiness.

Cortisol often gets labeled the “stress hormone,” but that’s only part of the story.