Jaquel Patterson, ND is a nationally recognized naturopathic physician, success coach, three-time Amazon best-selling author, and Forbes contributor. She owns and directs Fairfield Family Health, a multidisciplinary practice in Connecticut, drawing on more than 15 years of clinical experience treating Lyme disease and tick-borne infections, autoimmune conditions, integrative psychiatry, ADHD, and environmental illness.

A past president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, Dr. Patterson currently serves on the boards of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine and the Connecticut Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Her work has been featured in USA Today, Forbes, and New York Magazine, among others.

In this episode, Dr. Patterson explains how the gut microbiome underlies metabolic health, and how hormonal shifts in perimenopause can disrupt that balance — contributing to insulin resistance and weight changes that she addresses through comprehensive testing, diet, and strength training.

"Many of my patients going through perimenopause have seen seven to nine doctors before they come to see me, and they're often told, 'You look fine, your labs are normal, nothing's wrong' — or even, 'You're getting older, this is what's expected.' But we don't want to just get older. We want to function well, all the way to the end."