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Ever feel like you’re doing everything “right” for your health—tracking, restricting, optimizing—yet your energy is still low and your body won’t cooperate? What if the missing piece isn’t another checklist… but the state of your nervous system and the identity you’re operating from?

In this episode of The BeingBrigid Show, Brigid Titgemeier sits down with manifestation teacher and top-ranked podcast host Cathy Heller (author of Abundant Ever After) to explore how stress, beliefs, and “Groundhog Day thinking” can block health progress—and what to do instead.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

• Why chronic fight-or-flight can work against women’s health, energy, and long-term consistency
• How “becoming” is often more powerful than “doing”
• The “I AM” identity reset and why it can feel so different in your body
• A simple morning practice to support nervous system regulation and reduce self-abandonment
• The difference between probability vs. possibility—and how it affects outcomes in health and life
• Why community and who you spend time with influences habits, accountability, and results
• How self-love practices can restore energy and reduce stress

Timestamps:

• 00:34 – Meet Cathy Heller + what this conversation will unlock
• 01:41 – Stress, fight-or-flight, inflammation, and why thoughts can make us sick or well
• 03:59 – Why many women don’t realize they’re living in fight-or-flight
• 06:01 – Morning intention: the first 10–20 minutes that shape your whole day
• 10:29 – Deepak Chopra’s “I AM” exercise and identity as a nervous system shift
• 12:55 – Visualizing your day + journaling to witness the mind
• 17:32 – The therapist’s challenge: a 15-minute phone-free walk
• 22:03 – Probability vs. possibility (and why past results don’t predict your future)
• 28:51 – Neuroplasticity, identity, and why habits stick when you “become” someone new
• 34:33 – Why community accelerates identity shifts
• 39:03 – The hidden story beneath self-sabotage
• 47:29 – Cathy’s book

Why “Doing Everything Right” Still Doesn’t Work

Brigid opens with a common scenario: a woman trying to optimize her health with a strict checklist—only to feel stuck, fatigued, and discouraged. Cathy explains that while food and movement matter, the “state” we live in matters too. When you’re in chronic stress—overthinking, over-functioning, self-criticizing—your body often operates in survival mode rather than repair mode.

This matters for women’s health because the body’s stress response can influence inflammation, recovery, and the consistency required to sustain health habits long-term. If your wellness plan is built on pressure and shame, it can become another arena for self-abandonment.

The Nervous System Connection: From Fight-or-Flight to Repair

A powerful theme in this episode is learning to recognize fight-or-flight—especially for women who have normalized urgency. Cathy shares that people often don’t realize how “wired” they are until they experience a calmer baseline. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s learning how to return to ease more often.

From a holistic nutrition and lifestyle perspective, this is foundational: you can eat an anti-inflammatory diet, focus on gut health, and pursue functional nutrition strategies—but if your nervous system is constantly braced, it can feel like you’re pushing a boulder uphill.

The Morning Practice That Changes Your Whole Day

Cathy emphasizes a practical starting point: the first 10–20 minutes after waking. Without intention, many of us reach for our phone, get flooded by notifications, and immediately enter “roles” and stress.

She offers a simple framework:

• Remember identity beyond the persona (the “I AM” practice)
• Expect delight and evidence of support (shifts your attention and interpretation)
• Visualize moving through your day with presence (not rushing)
• Journal to witness the mind instead of being run by it

This supports the deeper work of consistency—because you’re no longer trying to change habits from a place of pressure and depletion.

Probability vs. Possibility: The Belief That Shapes Results

Brigid highlights something many women experience in nutrition coaching: “I’ve tried before; it didn’t work; it won’t work again.” Cathy calls this living from probability—using the past to collapse the future into a predictable loop.

But health journeys require possibility thinking: the belief that you can learn new patterns, build new skills, and become someone who follows through. This is especially important for anyone working on sustainable changes in women’s nutrition, body composition, inflammation support, or energy.

Identity-Based Habits (and Why Your Environment Matters)

Cathy and Brigid discuss how habits stick when they match identity. If you see yourself as someone who prioritizes health, you’ll naturally choose actions that align—without relying on constant motivation.

They also talk about how community shapes identity (a key reason masterminds and supportive groups can create breakthroughs). Who you spend time with can reinforce standards around self-care, accountability, and follow-through—making healthy choices feel normal instead of exhausting.

Resources & Links:
If you’ve been stuck in “all-or-nothing” health mode, this episode is your reminder that your biology responds to your beliefs, stress load, and sense of safety—not just nutrition and meal plans.

+ Watch the full episode on YouTube

+ Brigid’s Website

+ Brigid’s Instagram

+ Cathy’s Website

+ Cathy’s Workshops

+ Cathy’s Book

+ Cathy’s Instagram 

+ The Cathy Heller Podcast