Midlife Mayhem

RED LIGHT THERAPY - why a mask is not a bed

🔴 Red Light Therapy — The Bit Nobody Explains Properly
Red light therapy is not one thing.
 
People hear “red light” and assume a face mask, a mat, a sauna, and a $3,000 panel are all just different price points of the same thing.
They’re not.
They are doing different jobs in the body.
And if you don’t understand that, you either overspend…or you buy the wrong tool and feel disappointed.
So here’s what actually matters.
🔬 It’s About Wavelength 
When we talk about red light therapy, we’re really talking about specific wavelengths of light interacting with your mitochondria — your cellular batteries.
That part is the same.
What changes?How deep the light penetrates.
🔴 Red Light (630–660nm)
This stays relatively superficial.
It’s brilliant for:
✨ Collagen stimulation
✨ Skin texture
✨ Wound healing
✨ Post-procedure recovery
That’s why face masks work.
They’re not nonsense.They’re just skin-focused.
But red light alone doesn’t reach muscle tissue in any meaningful way.
🔴⚫ Near Infrared (810–880nm)
This goes much deeper.
Now you’re influencing:
💪 Muscle recovery
🦵 Joint irritation
🧠 Nervous system regulation
😴 Sleep quality
🙂 Mood stability
This is where things become systemic.
If your goal is skin?Red light may be perfect.
If your goal is recovery, inflammation reduction, deeper sleep, better resilience?You need near infrared.
🔥 And What About Infrared Saunas?
Different again.
Saunas use heat.
Heat improves circulation and sweating.That’s thermal stress.
Helpful? Yes.The same as mitochondrial signaling from red/NIR light? No.
Sauna = heat adaptationRed/NIR = cellular signaling
Completely different mechanisms.
📏 Coverage Matters More Than You Think
A small mask treats a small area.A mat treats a local region.A panel or bed treats the whole body.
And mitochondria don’t live just in your face.
If you want:
Better sleep
Whole-body recovery
Nervous system calming
Systemic inflammation reduction
Surface area exposure matters.
This is why Kevin and I ended up with the larger setup.
What started as scar support turned into something much bigger.
Yes, his healing was remarkable.
But what surprised us most?
The sleep.The depth.The calm.The way training stopped feeling like it drained me and started feeling like it rebuilt me.
That’s not magic.
That’s improved cellular energy and lower inflammatory load.
⚠️ Important Reality Check
Red light therapy is a support tool.
It enhances recovery.It regulates the nervous system.It improves resilience.
But it does not replace intelligent training.
If you’re not:
Stimulating muscle properly
Eating adequate protein
Managing recovery between sessions
No amount of light will create the body you want.
💪 And That’s Why Muscle Month Exists
We start March 29.
This is not random workouts.This is structured hypertrophy training for midlife physiology.
Inside Muscle Month we cover:
How muscle actually builds in midlife
How to stimulate it properly
How to protect your joints
How to recover intelligently
How to create a body that gets stronger — without the bulk
Red light can support recovery.
Muscle changes your metabolism.
If you want to build the foundation properly:
👉 www.musclemonth.com
Let’s build the body that doesn’t need constant fixing.
Joanne 💪

Leg Hair, Estrogen Patches & Taco Bell

🤨 Three Topics That Should Never Be in the Same Episode (But Are)
Today we’re talking about:
Why women mysteriously stop growing leg hair as they age
Why your estrogen patch might feel like it “stopped working”
And why Taco Bell Supreme has sent my client to the ER every single time she eats it
This is not a shock-value episode.This is a “your body is communicating very clearly and you should probably listen” episode.
🦵 Why You’re Not Shaving Your Legs Anymore (And Why That Matters)
At some point — usually late 30s or 40s — many women notice:
No stubble
No sandpaper phase
Weeks go by… and nothing grows
It feels convenient.It also means something.
What’s actually happening:
Leg hair growth is driven by androgens (testosterone + DHT)
As ovarian and adrenal hormone output declines, the signal weakens
Hair follicles are signal-dependent, not loyal
Growth slows → hair gets finer → follicles go quiet
This process is called follicular miniaturization.
Same biology as scalp hair thinning — just a very different emotional reaction.
Why I care:
Hair growth is a non-essential function.So is muscle.
When your body stops prioritizing hair growth, it’s often signaling:
Lower thyroid output
Reduced circulation
Insulin resistance
Hormonal downshifts
Which is exactly why “I lift weights and eat protein” is not enough to build muscle in midlife.You have to create the right internal environment.
(Yes — Muscle Month teaches exactly that. More on timing below.)
🔄 Why Your Estrogen Patch “Stopped Working”
This came up within an hour of recording.
You start HRT → feel great → months later → bloodwork drops → symptoms creep back → “My patch isn’t working anymore.”
Here’s the truth:
🧠 Hormones don’t act alone — receptors matter
Hormones are keys.Receptors are locks.
If the lock stops responding, it doesn’t matter how many keys you send.
Estrogen receptors are:
Active decision-makers
Highly responsive to variation
Easily bored by repetition
When you place your estrogen patch in the same spot over and over, receptors can:
Downregulate
Reduce absorption efficiency
Become less responsive locally
Try this instead:
Rotate thoughtfully:
Lower abdomen → opposite side
Upper outer glute → opposite side
Change regions every 2–3 months
This respects receptor biology, not just convenience — and many women see steadier bloodwork as a result.
🌮 Why Taco Bell Supreme Keeps Sending My Client to the ER
This one’s funny… until it isn’t.
My client:
Eats Taco Bell Supreme
Vomits violently
Ends up in the ER
Repeats the cycle
This is not food poisoning.It’s a perfect biochemical storm.
🚨 The likely culprits:
1. Histamine overload
Processed meats, cheese sauces, tomatoes, seasoning blends
Common trigger in midlife, estrogen-dominant women
Worse with gut permeability issues
Symptoms can include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Dizziness
Rapid heart rate
ER-level reactions
(If wine suddenly wrecks you now — same category.)
2. Seed oils & emulsifiers
Soybean oil, canola oil, stabilizers
Increase gut permeability
Let things into the bloodstream that don’t belong there
Your immune system sees that and hits the panic button.
3. Gluten + FODMAP spice combo
Even without celiac:
Gluten increases zonulin
Zonulin loosens gut lining
Onion/garlic powders + spices irritate an already inflamed gut
This can trigger mast cell activation and full-body reactions.
4. Gallbladder slowdown
Estrogen slows bile release
High-fat meals require strong bile flow
Sluggish bile → nausea → vomiting
So no — it’s not Taco Bell.It’s the context.
🧩 What Do Leg Hair, Estrogen Patches & Taco Bell Have in Common?
They all point to the same truth:
Midlife isn’t about being fragile —but it is less forgiving.
You can’t ignore:
Receptor biology
Gut health
Hormonal context
Metabolic signals
And you definitely can’t eat like a 22-year-old with a bulletproof liver anymore.
📣 A Quick Update: Muscle Month
Muscle Month has been postponed.
Not because I don’t love it — but because it requires:
Me at home
My full gym
My full attention
And I refuse to run programs half-present and stressed.
👉 New target start: end of MarchDates will be updated at musclemonth.com
(You now have extra time to decide if building muscle properly — not accidentally losing it — matters to you.)
🔗 Final Bits
New website: joannelee.com
Supplements are live on the site
Programs are always rotating — check what’s open
You can always email me: joanne@joannelee.com

THE FEAR OF PROTEIN

Muscle Month starts Feb 16 — quick note before we dive in
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider Muscle Month. I simply can’t do topics like this true justice in a short podcast. Muscle Month is where I teach the actual physiology behind muscle building, fat loss, and long-term health—properly, in context, and without fear-based nonsense.👉 Join here: musclemonth.com (or joannelee.com)
Midlife Mayhem Show Notes
The Protein Panic: How Fear-Based Science Derailed an Entire Generation
It was only a few years ago that we lived through the protein panic.
Fear-based documentaries told us protein was going to kill us and that we should avoid it at all costs. Films like Forks Over Knives painted protein—especially animal protein—as inflammatory, cancer-causing, and reckless.
At the same time, I was in a constant verbal battle with would-be clients asking me to write “new” vegan diets while also wanting to build muscle.
(Yes. Build muscle… while eating leaves.)
It was a fun time to coach.
But seriously—people became genuinely terrified of protein.And now? The very same people are being told to eat gobs of it.
No explanation. No accountability. Just a hard pivot.
So if you feel confused, cautious, or unsure who to believe—you’re not wrong. You’re watching what happens when badly handled science gets turned into marketing.
This episode breaks down the three biochemical villains that were used to scare people away from protein:
TMAO
IGF-1
mTOR
Here’s what actually matters.
1) TMAO — the story that didn’t hold up
The scary headline:
“Red meat increases TMAO, and TMAO increases heart disease risk.”
What was conveniently skipped:
TMAO production depends heavily on gut bacteria and fiber
Fish contains ~66× more TMAO than red meat, yet is consistently linked with better cardiovascular outcomes
So no—TMAO is not a simple “protein = danger” equation.
What actually helps if you’re concerned:
Soluble fiber (can reduce TMAO production ~60%)
Cruciferous vegetables & sprouts
Resveratrol, garlic, berberine
B vitamins, probiotics, vitamin D
Translation: protein wasn’t the issue.Protein without plants might be—but that nuance didn’t sell documentaries.
2) IGF-1 — essential, not evil
IGF-1 supports:
connective tissue
heart tissue
brain health
The fear came from animal studies suggesting lower IGF-1 may relate to longevity—without explaining that centenarians typically have normal IGF-1 but reduced sensitivity to it.
Key facts that got lost:
Resistance training raises IGF-1
Adequate protein supports IGF-1
Fasting naturally lowers IGF-1
Translation: IGF-1 isn’t something to eliminate. It’s something to cycle and balance.
3) mTOR — the muscle switch everyone loves to blame
mTOR is the pathway required for:
muscle protein synthesis
repair and recovery
Protein (especially leucine) and resistance training help activate it.
Yes—chronically elevated mTOR without balance can be problematic.But that’s a constant-feeding, low-movement lifestyle issue, not a “protein is dangerous” issue.
Your natural counterbalance is AMPK, activated by:
exercise
fasting
glycogen depletion
You’re meant to move between these pathways.
Translation: mTOR isn’t the enemy. Misuse is.
So what actually went wrong?
A small amount of real science was:
oversimplified
taken out of context
weaponized with fear
And in many cases, the loudest voices had financial incentives tied to plant-based products.
Protein was never the problem.
The real issues were always the unsexy ones:
ultra-processed food
lack of fiber
inactivity
metabolic imbalance
Final reminder — Muscle Month starts Feb 16
If this episode made you think “Oh… that explains a lot”, Muscle Month is where I teach this properly—with structure, timing, and application.
You’ll learn how to:
eat enough protein without fear
trigger muscle-building pathways correctly
stay lean while building strength
stop trying harder and start getting results
👉 Join here: musclemonth.com (or joannelee.com)
It won’t be back for a long time

From Skin Cells to Muscle Cells: Why Biology Beats Branding

Niacinamide, Amino Acids, and Why Source Confusion Doesnt Matter
In today’s episode, Joanne dives into two simple, misunderstood products — one for skin and one for muscle — and explains why what something does matters far more than where it comes from.
This is a practical, science-backed conversation about cellular biology, not marketing hype.
 
MUSCLE MONTH STARTS IN LESS THAN 2 WEEKS!  www.musclemonth.com
✨ PART 1 — NIACINAMIDE: SIMPLE, CHEAP, AND INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE
Joanne shares her personal experience using niacinamide powder as part of her nightly skincare routine — a product that costs less than $10 and has quietly delivered some of the best skin results she’s had.
In this segment, you’ll learn:
What niacinamide (vitamin B3) actually is
Why it’s a cellular support nutrient, not a cosmetic trick
Its role in NAD⁺ production, cellular energy, DNA repair, and inflammation control
Why niacinamide improves:
Skin barrier strength
Hydration retention
Redness and reactivity
Texture and overall resilience (over time, not overnight)
Joanne also explains why she prefers niacinamide in powder form, including:
Greater stability
No unnecessary fillers
Fresh activation every time it’s mixed into a serum
Complete control over dose
She discusses her experience using niacinamide from The Ordinary, a company known for simple, single-ingredient products without inflated pricing or marketing noise.
 
Find it on Amazon for under $7 https://a.co/d/aWfMIJr
💪 PART 2 — PROTEIN, PLANT-BASED AMINO ACIDS & A COMMON MISUNDERSTANDING
A listener question sparks the second half of the episode:
If complete proteins come from animals, how can a plant-based amino acid supplement be high quality?
Joanne breaks this down clearly and practically.
You’ll learn:
The difference between whole proteins and isolated amino acids
Why plants are considered “incomplete” at the food level — but not at the amino acid level
How amino acid supplements are produced using fermentation and purification
Why once isolated, amino acids are chemically identical regardless of source
Why muscle tissue does not care about labels, only:
Total essential amino acids
Leucine content
Proper ratios
mTOR activation
Muscle protein synthesis
This segment is especially relevant for:
Midlife adults
People with gut sensitivities
Those struggling to hit protein targets
Anyone losing weight and trying to preserve muscle
🧠 THE BIG TAKEAWAY
Whether it’s skincare or nutrition, the mistake is the same:
People judge the source instead of understanding the biology.
Cells respond to:
Vitamins they recognize
Amino acids they can use
Not branding, not buzzwords, not price tags.
AMINO ACIDS for under $20 https://a.co/d/1TpEODX
🚀 PROGRAM CTA — MUSCLE MONTH
If this episode resonated, Muscle Month is where these concepts are taught in depth and applied correctly.
🗓 February 16 – March 14🎯 10 live coaching calls🎯 Full access to Joanne for the entire month🎯 Training, nutrition, and strategy🎯 365-day access to a deep content library (50+ resources)
If you want to:
Preserve muscle during weight loss
Understand leucine, mTOR, and protein strategy
Stop guessing and start training with intention
👉 Learn more and join here:https://musclemonth.com
🌐 RESOURCES
New website: https://joannelee.com
Supplements & education
YouTube videos on amino acids, muscle, and metabolism

ENERGY DRINKS & SHOULD WOMEN TRAIN LIKE MEN?

Energy Drinks, Gut Damage, Gallbladders… and Why Women Shouldn’t Train Like Men
In today’s episode I cover two topics that came up in real conversations this week: energy drinks (especially in teens/20s) and a key Muscle Month training concept most people get wrong.
Energy drinks: what’s the big deal?
A client told me her doctor is seeing more gallbladder issues in young people, plus signs of gut lining irritation — and energy drinks keep showing up in the pattern.
This isn’t fear-based content. It’s education.
Why energy drinks hit hard:
They’re not “just coffee” — caffeine can be coming from multiple sources, and people often stack it with coffee, pre-workout, and sometimes ADHD meds.
If they’re sugar-based: blood sugar spike → crash → cravings → repeat.
If they’re “zero sugar”: some sweeteners may affect tight junctions / gut barrier over time, especially with a low-fiber, processed diet.
Add in acidity + carbonation and you’ve got a perfect recipe for reflux, nausea, bloating, and ‘my stomach is always off.’
The real problem: it becomes a daily habit replacing sleep, breakfast, hydration, and real food — aka borrowed energy.
Training: should women train like men?
Nope — and the “muscle is muscle” line is oversimplified.
In Muscle Month, I explain how muscle fiber tendencies and fatigue patterns often differ, which changes:
pacing
rest times
exercise sequencing
how you build muscle efficiently (without grinding yourself into dust)
Muscle Month starts Feb 16
If you want to actually learn how muscle is built (and train in a way that works for your body), join me:
➡️ www.musclemonth.com
 
Questions?  joanne@joannelee.com
Coaching?  www.joannelee.com

When Midlife Hormones Stop Playing by the Old Rules

Midlife Mayhem — Thyroid, Testosterone & Metabolism in Midlife
In this episode of Midlife Mayhem, I’m talking about thyroid and testosterone — two topics I’ve covered before, but ones that came up for me personally this week in a way that highlights just how misunderstood midlife physiology still is.
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism over 15 years ago, and for me it was never just about weight. It showed up as fatigue, cold intolerance, Raynaud’s, dry skin and hair, brain fog, constipation — the kind of symptoms that slowly chip away at quality of life. The frustrating part is that the older we get, the more likely these issues are dismissed as “normal aging.” They aren’t.
What came up in my recent labs was something many people don’t expect: I needed less thyroid medication, not more. That goes against the narrative most women are told — that once you’re on thyroid meds, you’re on them for life and the dose only ever increases. But when you understand that most thyroid hormone activation happens in the liver, it starts to make sense. If conversion improves and metabolic stress decreases, needing less can actually be a sign that the system is working more efficiently.
That conversation naturally led into testosterone — another hormone surrounded by fear and outdated advice for women. Hormones don’t act in isolation. As estrogen and progesterone decline in midlife, women often tolerate and benefit from higher testosterone levels than they would have earlier in life. That support matters for muscle, insulin sensitivity, bone density, energy, confidence, and recovery — all of which feed directly back into metabolic and thyroid health.
I also spend time clarifying why SLU-PP-332 has become one of my core metabolic tools in midlife. Despite being associated with an “estrogen-related receptor,” it is not hormonal and does not raise or lower estrogen or interfere with HRT. Instead, it works on metabolic pathways that regulate mitochondrial function, fat oxidation, and muscular endurance — the very systems that tend to decline with age, even when nutrition and training are solid.
What makes SLU-PP-332 especially useful in midlife is that it doesn’t suppress appetite, force rapid weight loss, or override physiology. It improves metabolic efficiency — helping the body access fat for fuel more easily, supporting energy output, improving endurance, and making training feel productive again. In other words, it helps the body behave more like it did when it was metabolically flexible, rather than fighting against it.
This episode isn’t about quick fixes or chasing numbers on a lab sheet. It’s about understanding how the system actually works, challenging outdated conversations, and choosing tools that support your whole body — muscle, metabolism, energy, and long-term health — not just one symptom.
Products discussed: www.joanneleestore.comNext coaching program: Muscle Month starts Feb 16 — www.musclemonth.comPodcast topic requests: hello@joannelee.com

Create the Environment, Not the Obsession

Episode Theme: Stop Obsessing Over Details — Create the Right Environment
This episode was recorded fresh off my first Peak Week coaching call of the year, and something really stood out:People aren’t failing because they’re lazy or unmotivated — they’re stuck because they’re overthinking details instead of creating the right environment.
This episode is about simplifying results by focusing on conditions, not perfection.
The Core Idea
Results don’t come from obsessing over tiny details.They come from creating the right environment.
When the environment is right, you get flexibility.When it’s wrong, perfect execution won’t save you.
Why Details Are Distracting You
In Peak Week, people asked:
“What if my chicken is slightly over?”
“What if I don’t measure oil exactly?”
“Can I swap this food for that food?”
Short answer: I don’t care.
Because:
Fat loss is driven by environment, not precision
Muscle gain is driven by stimulus, not gimmicks
Progress stalls when people confuse accuracy with effectiveness
What “Environment” Actually Means
Environment = the conditions that make a result inevitable.
Examples:
Fat loss environment:
Low insulin state
High protein
Calorie deficit
Movement supports the process
Muscle-building environment:
Progressive overload
Adequate protein
Recovery and sleep
Aging well environment:
Low inflammation
Consistent movement
Food quality + hydration
Details matter after the environment is correct — not before.
The Gym Analogy (Why This Applies Everywhere)
You can obsess over:
foot position
wrist angle
bar choice
Or you can:
lift safely
overload the muscle
force adaptation
Same rule applies to nutrition, habits, work, and relationships.
Lipolysis Explained (Simply)
Lipolysis = stored fat leaving the fat cell and entering the bloodstream
You are either in lipolysis or you’re not
This is an environment, not a calorie trick
How GLP-1 medications work:
They help create lipolysis by:
slowing stomach emptying
reducing appetite
lowering insulin response
That part works.
But then comes the fork in the road.
The Fork in the Road (This Is Critical)
Once fat is released, two paths exist:
Path 1: Optimized Outcome
Resistance training
Adequate protein
Muscle is protected
Metabolic rate stays higher
Results are sustainable
Path 2: The Common Mistake
No movement
Low protein
Severe restriction
Metabolic rate downshifts
Weight loss slows, stalls, or rebounds
Same environment.Very different outcomes.
This is why some people “lose weight but don’t like the result.”
Why This Isn’t Your Fault
Most people were never taught:
what metabolism actually is
how muscle protects metabolic rate
why restriction without movement backfires
why stalls happen around weeks 4–6
Lack of results ≠ lack of disciplineIt’s usually lack of education and structure
Victory Vault (Why It Exists)
Victory Vault starts January 25
This is a 2-week coaching container where we:
identify what you actually want to achieve in 2026
define the environment required
choose 3 small commitments (not forever — just 2 weeks)
create a written agreement you write for yourself
This isn’t motivation.It’s clarity + execution.
👉 Join Victory Vault:www.yourvictoryvault.com
Coaching With Me in 2026
If this episode even slightly resonated, this is exactly how I coach — live, in depth, and focused on understanding, not blind compliance.
👉 View my full 2026 coaching schedule:www.joannelee2026.com
Final Takeaway
Whatever you’re trying to change this year:
Stop obsessing over details
Stop chasing perfection
Start asking one better question:
“What environment do I need to create for this to work?”
Once that’s right, everything gets easier.

FOOD SENTIVITIES IN MIDLIFE - when food stops loving you back

🚀 Work With Me in 2026
Everything is now in one place:
👉 https://www.joannelee.com
You’ll find:
My full program schedule
90-Day Elite 1:1 Coaching
Perfect Ten — a 10-month immersive mentorship, limited to 10 women only
🔐 Coming up next:The Victory Vault — January 26 to February 7A two-week live coaching program I’m genuinely looking forward to coaching. I’ve got a few things I want to tighten up for 2026, and committing to the group makes all the difference. www.yourvictoryvault.com
🎙️ Food Sensitivities, Hormones & Change in Midlife
This New Year episode covers two topics that hit hard in midlife: food sensitivities (why they show up, why they worsen, and what to do about them) — and why change is harder when there’s no obvious consequence.
🥗 Part 1: Food Sensitivities in Midlife
Food sensitivities aren’t the same as allergies. They’re often delayed, more subtle, and can show up as:
bloating, joint pain, skin flare-ups
brain fog, fatigue, headaches, inflammation
The big idea: it’s rarely “one bad food.” More commonly, it’s the terrain — especially a compromised gut lining (leaky gut). When digestion isn’t breaking food down properly and the gut barrier becomes more permeable, the immune system starts reacting to things it normally wouldn’t… which is why people sometimes feel like they’re reacting to everything.
We also talk about why this gets louder in midlife:
estrogen and progesterone decline affects gut barrier integrity, immune regulation, and inflammation control
stress + poor sleep + processed food damage accumulate over time
midlife doesn’t always start the problem — it removes the buffers that used to keep it quieter
Where HRT Can Help
HRT doesn’t “cure” food sensitivities, but it can improve the environment:
better gut barrier support
reduced inflammation signaling
calmer nervous system (which matters for digestion)
improved repair and recovery capacity
I also share a real client example where food sensitivity testing improved significantly after dialling in HRT.
🔄 Part 2: Consequences, Identity & Why Change Doesn’t Stick
Some behaviors change easily when there’s an obvious consequence.But the toughest habits to shift are the ones that aren’t costing you enough… yet.
So the real question becomes:If it’s not “ruining your life,” why change it?
Because the cost isn’t always external — it’s internal:
self-trust
self-respect
liking who you are when no one’s watching
That’s the work that creates real follow-through — and it’s exactly what we do inside The Victory Vault.
🔐 The Victory Vault
📅 January 26 – February 7
A two-week live coaching program focused on identity, follow-through, and becoming the person who succeeds — not the person who starts again.
👉 Details at https://www.yourvictoryvault.com

NEED MORE ENERGY OR ARE YOU TIRED? - THERE IS A DIFFERENCE

🎙️ Energy: Why You’re Tired, What Actually Makes Energy — and What Really Works
I am just fine-tuning all the pages of my new website but it is live www.joannelee.com on there you will find the online coaching schedule for 2026, the one on one 90 Day Coaching Program and the 10 month Mentorship Program - A Perfect Ten
The products mentioned in this podcast can also be found at www.joanneleestore.com and the video version of this podcast on YouTube @ joanneleecornish
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
In this episode, we break down energy properly — not as a vague feeling, but as a biological process.
Because “I’m tired” can mean a lot of different things… and treating them all the same is where people get stuck.
In this episode, we cover:
⚡ Two Very Different Types of Energy
Why feeling tired is not the same as having low cellular energy
How the brain regulates fatigue based on stress, sleep, hormones, inflammation, and emotional load
Why caffeine can make you feel energetic without fixing the real issue
🔋 Cellular Energy Explained (Without the Buzzwords)
What ATP actually is — and why it matters for everything
The real role of the mitochondria (not just “battery packs”)
How mitochondria decide:
Whether you burn or store fat
How you adapt to stress and exercise
How resilient your metabolism really is
Why mitochondrial health responds to demand, not supplements alone
💤 The Non-Negotiables for Real Energy
Why sleep quality and circadian rhythm matter more than most protocols
How resistance training + steady Zone 2 movement signal mitochondrial growth
Why overeating and poor food quality quietly sabotage energy in midlife
How midlife changes the rules — without making results harder
💉 B Vitamins & B12 — When They Help (and When They Don’t)
The role of B vitamins in energy metabolism
Why B12 shots can be powerful for absorption issues and age-related decline
Why feeling better on B12 doesn’t mean your mitochondria were “broken”
When B12 supports the system — and when it’s masking something else
🧬 MOTS-c: Why It’s Marketed as an “Energy Peptide”
What it means to be a mitochondrial-derived peptide
How MOTS-c supports:
Metabolic flexibility
Glucose handling
Insulin sensitivity
AMPK (fat-burning, cellular cleanup)
Why it’s often called an “exercise-mimicking” peptide
The real-world issue: dose, cost, and compliance
🔒 5-Amino-1MQ: Protecting Energy at the Source
Why NAD+ matters for mitochondrial energy production
The problem with simply adding more NAD+
How NNMT drains NAD+ with age
Why 5-Amino-1MQ works by protecting your own NAD+
Why energy improvements can be dramatic — and sustainable
Why this approach works with the body instead of chasing stimulation
🧠 The Final Distinction That Changes Everything
Feeling tired = a brain signal
Low cellular energy = a capacity issue
Why no peptide, vitamin, or injection overrides personal responsibility
And why — when the foundations are in place — results can show up fast
🔗 Supplements Mentioned
Available at: www.joanneleestore.com
5-Amino-1MQ
SLU-PP-332
(As always: do your own research and understand why you’re using what you’re using.)
🚨 Program Updates & Calls to Action
🔐 Victory Vault
Starts January 26
Identity, mindset, follow-through
Becoming the person who succeeds — not just starting again
🔗 Full program schedule: www.joannelee2026.com
All programs are designed to work in progression, covering body composition, metabolism, hormones, and behavior from A–Z.
💬 Coaching Options
Group coaching programs (run once per year)
Elite 90-Day 1:1 coaching
Perfect 10 — a 10-month immersive mentorship for women only
📧 Contact: joanne@joannelee.com

Temporary States: When a Good Thing Becomes a Problem

Welcome to 2026 — and yes, I tried to turn this podcast into video… and of course it wasn’t simple. 🙃 The video version is still happening (YouTube: Joanne Lee Cornish) — but for now, it’s you, me, and my English accent.
The Peak Week 5 Day Shred starts on Monday, yes THIS Monday - offered only once a year!
Today’s Topics
1) The quiet truth about change
You don’t hate your life… but you’re not really happy either.Thinking about change feels safer than acting — because acting makes it real. And the real fear often isn’t change… it’s what change would prove about you.
My mantra for 2026: Overlearn so you don’t have to overthink.Clarity creates ease. Confusion creates stress.
2) Temporary states: when “good” becomes a problem
A hard workout looks dangerous on paper: heart rate up, blood pressure up, cortisol up, inflammation up, muscle tissue damaged.But it’s healthy because it’s temporary.
Your body runs on signals — and trouble starts when a signal becomes a lifestyle:
Cortisol is useful (mobilizes energy) — until it never comes down.
Inflammation is repair — until it never resolves.
mTOR (build) and AMPK (breakdown/cleanup) are both essential — but neither should be “on” all the time.
Temporary = adaptive. Chronic = destructive.
Quick Self-Check
If it’s working: better sleep, stable mood, improving performance, flexibility.If it’s chronic: rigidity, anxiety, stalled results, constant effort for diminishing returns.
Programs
✅ Peak Week: 5-Day Shred www.5dayshred.com
Starts ON Monday (Jan 12)First coaching call: Sunday, Jan 11A full reset week where you follow the plan and stop overthinking.
✅ Victory Vault www.yourvictoryvault.com
Starts Jan 26Two-week mindset + identity program to remove what’s blocking your consistency.Join here: www.yourvictory.com