Did you know 80% of all autoimmune diseases and 90% of fibromyalgia diagnoses are in women? And (less surprisingly) that women experience more anxiety and PTSD than men?
This episode separates fact from fiction when it comes to how men and women differ on the physiological, limbic, semantic, biochemical, and physiological levels. Sara Gustafson is a holistic tech practitioner and a women’s health researcher from Austin, Texas. She has a lot of expertise in many areas, but today we’re digging into tough questions like why medical studies focus on men, what factors in our modern world affect women more than men, and how to use this knowledge for better health.
Episode Highlights With Sara Gustafson

The problems that arise when studies look primarily at men but women receive the same treatments
A fascinating hormonal difference that affects how women respond to viruses
The surprising reason so many Alzheimer’s patients are women
Two items that we use on a daily basis that were designed on the measurements of women and not on the average man
How we can understand and use knowledge of cellular differences based on sex to better help everyone
A metaphysical link to chronic disease symptoms and why this affects women more
The surprising statistic of how much work women do, unpaid and paid
Why autoimmune disease often comes from a feeling of not feeling like you have worth or that you aren’t good enough
The link between breast cancer and disease and self-sacrificial emotions
A short exercise to help get emotionally unstuck by asking “is this true?” and “what else could be true?”
The cortisol connection: how our cortisol response is still pumping out cortisol for a 24 hour period after a stimulus
Drastic differences between cortisol patterns in response to stress in women and men
Why Sara recommends reading a lot of books written before 1989!
And more!

Resources We Mention

Primal Fusion Health
Primal Pride

More From Wellness Mama

486: Sara Gustafson on the Four Feminine Archetypes and Finding Purpose
455: Gin Stephens on the Real Deal About Intermittent Fasting for Women
246: What Women Need to Know About Heart Health With Dr. Mark Menolascino
201: Understanding Fasting & Keto for Women (Even During Pregnancy or Breastfeeding) + Instant Pot Tips
93: How to Avoid the Most Common Fitness Mistakes Women Make
204: The Rise of Autoimmune Disease (& How to Thrive Even If You Have It) With Dr. Guillermo Ruiz
115: Decoding Autoimmune Disease with Dr. Tom O’Bryan

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