Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown - Episode Summary

Functional Health Expert Dr. Mindy Pelz on How Fasting Heals Hormones, Burns Belly Fat & Increases Sex Drive
Date: November 18, 2025
Host: Mayim Bialik
Guest: Dr. Mindy Pelz

Episode Overview

This episode features Dr. Mindy Pelz, an expert in functional health, metabolic health, and hormone science, discussing the transformative power of fasting. The conversation, infused with humor and relatability by Mayim Bialik and co-host Jonathan Cohen, explores misconceptions about menopause, metabolic health, fasting strategies, and the profound impact fasting can have on weight, disease prevention, mental health, and sex drive—for both women and men. The discussion is particularly focused on empowering listeners to take control of their health without expensive interventions, demystifying the science behind fasting, and shifting the narrative around women’s aging and body changes.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Why Menopause and Women’s Aging Matter for Everyone

[08:11 - 10:23]

• Dr. Pelz explains the neurochemical and hormonal changes aging women undergo (“a massive rewirement” of the female brain during menopause).
  • Quote: “She’s changing, she’s upgrading, she’s deciding what she doesn’t like, she’s deciding what she does like, things are changing...” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 08:27)
• Menopause impacts not just women but everyone around them due to mood and behavioral shifts.
• The cultural conversation around menopause has shifted from “cultural hush” to “cultural chaos”—now more open but still lacking depth and actionable knowledge.

2. The Mystery and Reality of the “Menopausal Belly”

[12:00 - 16:21]

• Sudden, unexplained weight gain in midlife is not due to lifestyle failure but hormonal changes—specifically a decline in estrogen leading to increased insulin resistance.
  • Quote: “If I could go to every 40-year-old and poke them on the shoulder and be like, ‘Hey, I just want to tell you what’s coming down the road…’” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 12:20)
• Traditional advice—diet harder, exercise more—doesn’t work, often blamed on women themselves rather than understanding the real metabolic shift.

3. The Gender Connection: Men, “Dad Bods,” and Endocrine Disruptors

[22:24 - 24:26]

• Men’s midlife belly and "man boobs" often result from environmental toxins (estrogen mimickers from processed foods, beauty products), not merely testosterone decline.
• Detoxifying the diet helps both genders lose stubborn midlife weight.

4. Fasting: Understanding Metabolic Switching and the “Two Systems”

[24:41 - 35:18]

• The body runs on two fuel systems: glucose (from food) and fat (stored energy). Fasting triggers the fat-burning system and ketosis.
• 12 hours without food signals the body to begin burning fat, 17+ hours increase autophagy (cellular cleanup), >24 hours promotes gut repair, and at 36 hours, the body aggressively targets belly fat.
  • Quote: “Every day you have a fasting window and then you have an eating window ... When you fast, especially if you go 17 hours, you stimulate something called autophagy.” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 00:13/31:48)

5. Circadian Eating & The Myth of “Breakfast Is Essential”

[27:49 - 31:02]

• The “breakfast is the most important meal” myth comes from food marketing, not physiology.
• Eat “in the light”; nighttime eating is counterproductive due to melatonin’s effect on metabolism.
  • Quote: “When melatonin kicks in and you get sleepy, so does your pancreas…so the meal that you eat at 10 o’clock is going to be more detrimental and cause you to gain more weight…” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 29:11)

6. How to Actually Start Fasting—And Make It Sustainable

[33:11 - 43:23]

• Gradually extend your overnight fast by pushing your breakfast later.
• Most people acclimate to 15-hour fasts within two weeks—after the initial discomfort, it gets “easy.”
  • Fasting “5-1-1 method”: Five days at a comfortable fast, one day at a longer fast, one day no fast.
  • Quote: “People don’t need motivation, they need momentum.” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 01:34)

Notable Fasting Guidelines

• Fluids are fine (water, black coffee, tea)—avoid sugar and milk.
• Some healthy fats (e.g., cream, MCT oil) can support adaptation.
• Fasting isn’t one-size-fits-all; experiment for your personal comfort.

7. Fasting’s Mental Health and Brain Benefits

[39:46 - 41:50]

• Fasting increases ketones, which are a fuel for the brain and stimulate feel-good neurotransmitters: GABA (calming), dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin (connection).
• Especially beneficial for women over 40, as aging brains become less sensitive to glucose.
  • Quote: “If I never go eight hours without food, then I’m only giving my brain glucose. I’m never giving it ketones. So it’s missing half of its fuel source.” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 40:00)

8. Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Fast?

[49:31 - 54:42]

• Fasting isn’t suitable for everyone—those with active eating disorders should avoid it.
• “Thrifty gene” hypothesis: Humans are evolutionarily wired for periods without food, but modern habits “train” hunger and hypoglycemia (which can be reversed by slowly practicing fasting).
  • Quote: “Hypoglycemia is a trained behavior…because you never trained your body to do what it’s meant to do.” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 51:48)

9. Protein, Muscle, Fitness, and Fasting

[46:08 - 58:44]

• One gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight is a useful target but not an absolute—must adjust to personal results.
• “Most people will end up having two meals and several snacks within their eating window.”
• Fasting actually makes it easier to be intentional with nutritional choices, including protein.

10. Fasting and Chronic Disease Prevention

[58:44 - 62:48]

• Fasting triggers "hormesis," a beneficial mild stress that repairs metabolism.
  • Fasting is particularly effective at lowering hemoglobin A1C, the single best overall marker for chronic disease risk.
  • Quote: “All the major ones, the top killers, all have roots back to poor metabolic health.” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 60:16/61:27)
• With regular fasting, obesity, Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune, infertility, some cancers, and cardiovascular diseases become far less likely.

11. Breaking a Fast Safely

[65:20 - 67:37]

• Focus on protein first, then fermented foods (e.g., sauerkraut, kimchi) for gut health, and healthy fats to avoid rebound hunger.
  • Example meal: “A grass-fed burger patty with a side of sauerkraut.”
• Avoid binging after a fast—intentional, nutrient-rich meals help with adjustment.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “People don’t need motivation, they need momentum.” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 01:34)
• “When estrogen starts to decline, your body and brain do not use glucose the same way it used to use glucose.” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 15:06)
• “We live in the most toxic time in human history…The worst toxin we are exposed to is glyphosate.” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 00:49)
• “Fasting isn’t about, ‘Oh, I found this cool tool, I’m just gonna fast all the time.’ You need to think about eating.” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 55:26)
• “I could probably spend the whole rest of my career just teaching people how to bring their hemoglobin A1C down. Because if they do that, then we start to see all these chronic diseases go away.” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 58:57)
• “It is not complicated. Eat real quality food and start tacking these fasting windows on and watch what happens.” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 61:30)

Moments of Humor

• Mayim: “Are there some people for whom this is something that they're very motivated to do...and the rest of us just like, keep eating?” (48:12)
• On breaking fasts: “I love making sure that people break their fast with protein...a grass fed burger patty with a side of sauerkraut.” (Dr. Mindy Pelz, 65:31)
• Jewish “dry fast” stories, familial food traditions, and the “joy of being alive is that you get to eat all day” (48:12)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [08:11] Why everyone should care about women’s aging
• [12:20] Why midlife weight gain isn’t your fault
• [22:24] Men’s “dad bod,” toxins, and endocrine disruptors
• [24:41] Fasting, metabolic switching, and how the body burns fat
• [27:49] Eating in tune with circadian rhythms
• [33:11] How to start fasting without hating it
• [39:46] Fasting, ketones, and the brain’s fuel sources
• [49:31] Who should/shouldn’t fast; eating behavior and hypoglycemia
• [55:52] Protein in relation to fasting and muscle maintenance
• [58:44] How fasting addresses chronic disease and metabolic health
• [65:20] Breaking a fast – what to eat first and why

Tone

The conversation is lively, accessible, and supportive. Mayim and Jonathan bring humor and skepticism, while Dr. Pelz offers science-based practicality, warmth, and advocacy for self-empowerment in health choices. There’s a notable sense of demystifying “wellness” trends while grounding the advice in both research and Dr. Pelz’s massive clinical experience.

Conclusion

This episode challenges long-held myths about diet, metabolism, and aging—particularly for women. Dr. Mindy Pelz provides a compelling case for fasting as a cost-free, accessible method to radically improve metabolic health, prevent chronic diseases, and support mental and physical well-being. Her advice is both science-driven and flexible, encouraging listeners to experiment and discover what works best for their unique bodies, all within a context of cultural openness, humor, and support.

Listen to Part Two for deeper dives into hormone replacement, managing cravings, and more advanced strategies for metabolic balance!