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High Performance Health · July 20 · 31 min

Stubborn Belly Fat & the Sleep Window That Burns it Faster Than Any Workout

Metabolic flexibility expert Ben Azadi joins me to explain why cortisol, not diet alone, drives stubborn belly fat in midlife women. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why cortisol, not just diet, is the real driver of stubborn belly and visceral fat in women over 35 What role carbohydrates actually play in lowering cortisol load and supporting recovery Why the three hours before bed matter more for fat loss than your workout window How to time fasted workouts around your menstrual cycle for the best hormonal response Why sleep, steps and sunlight need to come before any diet or fasting protocol How increasing protein and building muscle mass changes your insulin sensitivity What's really causing your bloating, and why it may have nothing to do with your gut TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Metabolic Flexibility, Cortisol Belly Fat And The Overnight Fat-Burning Sleep Window 10:08 Fasted Training By Menstrual Cycle, Sleep Foundations And Building Muscle For Insulin Sensitivity 20:55 Why Stress Causes Bloating Plus Ben's Top Biohacks: Sauna, Red Light Therapy And Lymphatic Flow 27:00 Ben Azadi's Ketoflex Revised Book And Where To Connect With Him VALUABLE RESOURCES Ketoflex Revised (Ben's new book) https://ketoflexbook.com/ Ben Azadi's website https://benazadi.com/ Follow Ben on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thebenazadi/ Timeline - Support your mitochondrial health: Timeline Mitopure delivers Urolithin A at the clinically studied dose to support cellular renewal and energy production, helping counter the natural decline in mitochondrial function that comes with age. 👉 Get 20% off Mitopure when you visit http://timeline.com/ANGELA and use code ANGELA. ABOUT THE GUEST Ben Azadi, FDN-P, is the founder of Keto Kamp and host of the award-winning Metabolic Freedom Podcast. After releasing 80 pounds and reversing his own metabolic dysfunction in 2008, he became known as "The Health Detective" for his root-cause approach to metabolic health. He's a NYT best-selling author on ketosis, fasting and metabolic flexibility, including his latest book, Ketoflex Revised. Want to go deeper? Start here: 💌 Fresh Start Sundays NewsletterYour weekly 3-minute guide to creating the healthiest, most vibrant version of you.Each Monday, get one simple habit to boost energy, balance hormones, and enhance longevity - joined by 25,000+ women worldwide.👉 https://angelafosterperformance.com/ 🌸 The 21-Day Hormone ResetDoing everything right but still don't feel like yourself? The 21-Day Hormone Reset helps you understand your hormones, restore your energy, and start working with your body instead of against it.👉 https://www.highperformance-health.com/ 🥗 The Ultimate Guide to Creatine for Women👉 https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/ ⚡ 10 Habits That Helped Me Reverse My Biological Age by 25 Years During Perimenopause👉 https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/ 👩‍💼 About Angela Foster Angela Foster is a corporate lawyer turned health and performance coach, keynote speaker, and creator of the BioSyncing® Method. She is the host of the High Performance Health Podcast, featuring over 500 conversations with world-leading experts in longevity, hormones, neuroscience, nutrition, and female performance. Angela's mission is to help one million ambitious women optimise their hormones, energy, cognitive performance, and longevity—so they never have to choose between success and their health. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who would benefit from it. Follow Angela for daily health and performance tips: Instagram: @angelasfoster Facebook: @AngelaFosterPerformance #AngelaFoster #HighPerformanceHealth #Women'sHealth #Menopause #Perimenopause #StrengthTraining #Longevity #MuscleBuilding #HealthyAgeing #EricHelms

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show notes

Metabolic flexibility expert Ben Azadi joins me to explain why cortisol, not diet alone, drives stubborn belly fat in midlife women.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

  • Why cortisol, not just diet, is the real driver of stubborn belly and visceral fat in women over 35

  • What role carbohydrates actually play in lowering cortisol load and supporting recovery

  • Why the three hours before bed matter more for fat loss than your workout window

  • How to time fasted workouts around your menstrual cycle for the best hormonal response

  • Why sleep, steps and sunlight need to come before any diet or fasting protocol

  • How increasing protein and building muscle mass changes your insulin sensitivity

  • What's really causing your bloating, and why it may have nothing to do with your gut

TIMESTAMPS

  • 00:00 Metabolic Flexibility, Cortisol Belly Fat And The Overnight Fat-Burning Sleep Window

  • 10:08 Fasted Training By Menstrual Cycle, Sleep Foundations And Building Muscle For Insulin Sensitivity

  • 20:55 Why Stress Causes Bloating Plus Ben's Top Biohacks: Sauna, Red Light Therapy And Lymphatic Flow

  • 27:00 Ben Azadi's Ketoflex Revised Book And Where To Connect With Him

VALUABLE RESOURCES

👉 Get 20% off Mitopure when you visit http://timeline.com/ANGELA and use code ANGELA.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Ben Azadi, FDN-P, is the founder of Keto Kamp and host of the award-winning Metabolic Freedom Podcast. After releasing 80 pounds and reversing his own metabolic dysfunction in 2008, he became known as "The Health Detective" for his root-cause approach to metabolic health. He's a NYT best-selling author on ketosis, fasting and metabolic flexibility, including his latest book, Ketoflex Revised. 

Want to go deeper? Start here:

💌 Fresh Start Sundays NewsletterYour weekly 3-minute guide to creating the healthiest, most vibrant version of you.Each Monday, get one simple habit to boost energy, balance hormones, and enhance longevity - joined by 25,000+ women worldwide.👉 https://angelafosterperformance.com/

🌸 The 21-Day Hormone ResetDoing everything right but still don't feel like yourself? The 21-Day Hormone Reset helps you understand your hormones, restore your energy, and start working with your body instead of against it.👉 https://www.highperformance-health.com/

🥗 The Ultimate Guide to Creatine for Women👉 https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/

10 Habits That Helped Me Reverse My Biological Age by 25 Years During Perimenopause👉 https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/

👩‍💼 About Angela Foster

Angela Foster is a corporate lawyer turned health and performance coach, keynote speaker, and creator of the BioSyncing® Method. She is the host of the High Performance Health Podcast, featuring over 500 conversations with world-leading experts in longevity, hormones, neuroscience, nutrition, and female performance.

Angela's mission is to help one million ambitious women optimise their hormones, energy, cognitive performance, and longevity—so they never have to choose between success and their health.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who would benefit from it.

Follow Angela for daily health and performance tips:

Instagram: @angelasfoster

Facebook: @AngelaFosterPerformance

#AngelaFoster #HighPerformanceHealth #Women'sHealth #Menopause #Perimenopause #StrengthTraining #Longevity #MuscleBuilding #HealthyAgeing #EricHelms

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