Welcome back to Balanced Not Boring 🎙️ A wellness podcast that keeps things real, relatable, and science-backed.

We’ve talked about gut health before — but today, we’re uncovering one of the most misunderstood topics in women’s wellness: the gut-hormone connection.

Ever feel like you’re eating healthy, working out, and sleeping okay... yet still feel bloated, tired, or off? You’re not imagining it. Your gut could be sending signals about your hormones; and today, we’re decoding what that means.

Joining us is Tonie-Maria Abi Nader, Registered Dietitian & Nutritionist, mom of two, and founder of Generation H. Tonie helps women simplify nutrition, balance their metabolism, and build sustainable habits that actually work.

✨ Tune in to learn:

-How your gut impacts your hormones & mood

-Why “doing everything right” might still not work

-Signs your metabolism needs a reset

-How to eat and live in sync with your body

Because balance isn’t built in a smoothie — it’s built in how you eat, sleep, move, and recover.

Chapers:

00:00 Episode Introduction

00:45 Sponsor Message – Generation H

02:00 Welcome to Balanced Not Boring

02:40 Toni Maria Story and Gut Health Journey

07:00 Gut Health Basics Explained

12:00 Daily Habits for Better Digestion

17:00 Blood Sugar and Energy Control

22:00 Protein, Snacks and Meal Timing

27:30 Leaky Gut and Inflammation

32:00 Supplements You Actually Need

37:00 Food Myths Debunked

42:00 Best Foods for Gut Healing

47:00 Generation H – Brand Story

50:00 Generation H – Purpose and Vision

54:30 Final Advice and Wrap Up

🎧 Listen now on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts @balancednotboringpodcast

Episode sponsored by @generationh.ae (www.generationh.ae); your easy one stop shop for healthy eats pre approved by TONIE herself!

#guthealth #hormonebalance #balancednotboring #podcast #womenshealth #nutrition #metabolism #bloating #energy #wellnesspodcast #generationH #uaepodcast #dubaiwellness

From teen years spent trying to fit in… to motherhood that reshapes not just your body but your identity — this new episode peels back the layers on how women’s relationships with their bodies evolve. 🩶

Co-host Judy Daghestani + Baraa El Sabbagh - a Dietitian and Adidas Athlete - open up about growing up between California + the Middle East during the era of Victoria’s Secret models and beauty pageants, cultural beauty pressures, and the unspoken weight of comparison.

They explore what happens when admiration turns into obsession — and how to find your way back to partnership with your body instead of judgment through structured, flexible eating habits.

If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and felt you weren’t enough, this one’s for you. 🪞

We dive into:

-Seeing your body as an object to treating it like a partner

-Generational + cross-cultural beauty trends that shaped our self-worth

-Body comments during family visits that stayed with them

-Pregnancy & motherhood as turning points for body appreciation

-Simple food structure that supports freedom, not fear

-Why our body is only 10% of who we are

-Reparenting themselves so their kids inherit a healthier narrative

00:00 – Intro: Welcome to Balanced Not Boring

00:29 – Guest Intro: Baraa Sabbagh’s Wellness Journey

01:15 – Understanding Body Image in Women

02:04 – Trigger Warning & Episode Overview

02:25 – When Body Image Awareness Begins

02:56 – Cultural Shifts & Body Comparison

04:05 – Puberty, Identity & Belonging

05:01 – Thinness Culture & Media Influence

05:42 – Victoria’s Secret & Unrealistic Beauty Standards

07:03 – Impact of Teenage Body Ideals

07:39 – How Early Conditioning Affects Women Today

09:02 – Shifting From Pressure to Body Respect

09:56 – Pregnancy’s Role in Body Acceptance

11:07 – Seeing the Body as Miraculous, Not an Object

12:05 – Mindful Nourishment During Pregnancy

12:40 – Fitness Extremes & Perfectionism in Our 20s

13:23 – When Healthy Becomes Controlling

14:21 – Perfectionism, High Standards & Self-Pressure

16:13 – Stress, Gut Health & the Mind-Body Connection

17:47 – Breaking the Cycle of Extreme Dieting

18:27 – Asking “Why?” Behind Your Health Goals

19:30 – Balancing Discipline With Flexibility

20:49 – Intuitive Eating vs Structured Eating

22:47 – Building Trust With Your Body

23:37 – Enjoying Food Without Guilt

24:55 – “Just Get Back On Track” Mindset

25:44 – Big Picture Thinking Around Health

26:25 – Accepting Natural Body Changes

27:15 – Emotional Eating & Mindful Awareness

28:33 – Breaking Unhealthy Eating Cycles

29:06 – Motherhood, Stress & Healthy Routines

29:56 – Glow With B: Supporting Women Holistically

31:40 – Why Meal Variety Matters for Families

32:10 – How to Raise Kids With a Healthy Body Image

33:01 – Food & Body as Only 10% of the Pie

34:02 – Embodying Balance as a Parent

36:04 – Body Comments in Arab Culture

37:29 – Disempowering Hurtful Comments

38:07 – Breaking Generational Conditioning

39:33 – Confidence & Protecting Your Peace

40:08 – Body Ideals Across Cultures

41:19 – What She Eats in a Day (Realistic Day of Eating)

42:09 – One Tip to Start Eating More Mindfully

43:12 – What Her Body Would Say Today

43:39 – Working With Your Body, Not Against It

44:26 – Practicing Real (Not Cringe) Self-Love

45:13 – Your Body as a Partner, Not an Enemy

46:06 – Final Thoughts & Where to Find Baraa

🎧 Listen on Apple, Spotify & YouTube @balancednotboringpodcast

NEW EPI! The aim isn’t striving for perfect health since that’s not always realistic. We care about building resilient immune systems — swapping sodas and juices with bone broth so we can bounce back to health faster. 🥣

Meet Hadil Al Khatib, founder of @thebrothlab, @catcha_matcha, and @theroost_ae — an award-winning entrepreneur and mom of two. From HR expert to certified gut health coach, Hadil shares how her postpartum nutrient depletion sparked a whole new journey.

In this episode, Hadil + Judy unpack:

•⁠ ⁠Postpartum nutrient depletion and how it started her wellness journey + career

•⁠ ⁠The intuitive gut-brain axis

•⁠ ⁠Why healing requires a hopeful mindset

•⁠ ⁠How Hadil runs three businesses while raising a family

•⁠ ⁠The power of ancient remedies like bone broth

•⁠ ⁠Collagen for beauty vs. immunity — which one to choose

•⁠ ⁠How to avoid long-term autoimmune issues by repairing your gut lining

•⁠ ⁠Bone broth truths vs. myths

•⁠ ⁠A new power product launch you’ll hear first on BNB + more 👀

00:00 – Welcome to Balance Not Boring

00:20 – Meet Hadeel Al Khatib

01:49 – Intro & Guest Welcome

02:23 – Postpartum Health Struggles

03:33 – Corporate Life to Health Crisis

05:01 – Turning to Nutrition for Answers

06:13 – Finding Hope Through Healing

07:06 – Power of the Mind-Body Connection

07:40 – Gut-Brain Axis Explained

08:32 – Discovering Gut Healing

09:12 – Hidden Food Intolerances

10:17 – Stress & Allergies Link

11:16 – Becoming a Gut Health Coach

12:56 – Turning Pain into Purpose

13:52 – Mom Life & Entrepreneurship

16:25 – Bone Broth: A Healing Start

18:07 – Why Bone Broth Works

19:11 – Fixing Leaky Gut Naturally

21:29 – Judy’s Gut Story

22:36 – Understanding Low Stomach Acid

24:44 – Beauty & Gut Connection

25:36 – Broth Types & Benefits

27:03 – Collagen vs IV Drips vs Bone Broth

27:48 – Bone Broth & Detox Power

29:16 – Returning to Ancient Remedies

30:38 – Immunity Begins in the Gut

31:28 – Nutrition for Kids & Little Munchkins

33:29 – Why Kids Need Real Nutrition

35:24 – Bone Broth Myths: True or False

37:16 – The One Wellness Swap You Need

38:29 – What’s Next for Broth Lab

39:19 – Where to Find Broth Lab Products

39:57 – Closing & Final Message

Follow @healwithhadil and tune in to “Soup or Superfood? The Real Truth About Bone Broth” now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube 🎧 @balancednotboringpodcast

Follow us on IG at @balancednotboringpodcast