Guest: Cristina Hoyt, MS, CNS
Integrative Clinical Nutritionist and Body Image Coach specializing in functional, neutral nutrition and Health At Every Size principles.

Episode Overview

If you've ever powered through a flare, skipped rest because your calendar was full, or felt guilty for not bouncing back faster, this episode is for you. Cristina Hoyt joins Paige for a conversation that challenges one of the most deeply held beliefs in high-performance culture: that pushing harder is always the answer.

For women managing autoimmune conditions alongside demanding careers and personal responsibilities, the hustle mindset isn't just exhausting. According to Cristina, it may be actively working against the body's ability to heal.

What We Cover

• Why high achievers are often the last people to recognize their body's warning signs, and the real cost of overriding them
• The nervous system's role in autoimmune health and why chronic stress keeps the body in survival mode
• What "slowing down" actually looks like in practice for women who have never given themselves permission to rest
• Why society rewards over-functioning, and how that reward system makes it harder to heal
• How to begin rewiring a hustle-first mindset without abandoning your ambition or identity
• The intelligence of the body and why learning to trust it is one of the most evidence-backed things you can do for your health

Key Takeaways

• Your nervous system cannot tell the difference between a work deadline and a physical threat. Both trigger the same stress response, and for autoimmune patients, that response has consequences.
• Rest is not a reward for productivity. For many women with chronic illness, it is a clinical necessity.
• The habits that earn you praise at work are often the same habits driving your symptom flares.
• Slowing down does not mean opting out of ambition. It means building a sustainable foundation to sustain it.
• Rewiring a hustle-first brain is possible, but it requires support and intention, not more willpower.

About Cristina Hoyt

Cristina Hoyt is an Integrative Clinical Nutritionist and Body Image Coach who helps clients cultivate a positive relationship with food and their body through functional, neutral nutrition and weight-inclusive, non-diet medical nutrition counseling.

• Podcast: Millennial Body Image Project
• Website: cristinahoyt.com
• Instagram: @cristinahoytnutrition

Connect with Paige:

Website: https://www.invisiblyunwell.com

Instagram: @paigelavellofficial
Substack: https://invisiblyunwell.substack.com/

Have questions about the episode, a guest you'd love for me to interview, or a topic you'd like for me to cover? Email me at paige@invisiblyunwell.com

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