The Doctor Who Left It All Behind to Teach Us How to Heal Ourselves

Hello Warriors!

Welcome back to the ‘Pause Like a Warrior newsletter. This week on the Suburban Warrior podcast, I sat down with visionary physician and regenerative health pioneer Dr. Sangeeta Pati for a powerful, perspective-shifting conversation every midlife woman needs to hear.

What if the most powerful prescription for your midlife health wasn’t hidden in a supplement bottle or buried in a doctor’s portal... but was already inside you?

That’s exactly the philosophy that drives Dr. Sangeeta Pati—a pioneering physician who walked away from a successful OBGYN practice in Washington D.C. to follow a radically different path. Fueled by her own near-death experience and a global journey through maternal health systems, she discovered what most modern medicine has long forgotten: that we are born with the ability to heal ourselves.

Now living in one of the world’s five Blue Zones—Nicoya, Costa Rica—Dr. Pati is helping women remember that power. With a deep understanding of both cutting-edge functional medicine and ancient healing traditions, she developed the Five-Point Model System, a blueprint to rebalance the body naturally by addressing five key areas: hormones, nutrition, detoxification, oxygenation, and emotional-spiritual alignment.

She’s trained over 5,000 doctors. She’s spoken on more than 100 medical stages. And now, she’s speaking directly to you, the midlife warrior who's ready to reclaim her wellness, her intuition, and her joy.

5 Truths From Dr. Sangeeta Pati That Will Reshape the Way You Think About Health

1. "Normal" Labs Are Not Normal—They're a Trap

Dr. Pati explained why conventional lab ranges are misleading and often miss the root cause of your symptoms. The truth? Those “normal” numbers represent the average sick population. Optimizing your health means aiming for the 75th percentile or higher—not settling for “normal.”

2. The Real Pyramid of Hormone Health Starts with the Adrenals

Sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone are just the tip of the iceberg. At the base of it all? Adrenal and thyroid health. When your stress response is overloaded, your entire hormonal system gets hijacked. Balancing the base is essential to restoring energy, mood, metabolism, and more.

3. Modern Culture Is the Disease

The biggest culprit behind today’s chronic illness epidemic isn’t just toxins or diet—it’s the relentless pace of modern life. Dr. Pati says our nervous systems are in overdrive, and the antidote is radical simplicity: slowing down, reconnecting to tribe and nature, and re-learning how to say “no.”

4. The Most Powerful Medicine Is Free

Grounding, morning sunlight, deep breathing, community, intention-blessed water—these are the “treatments” that truly heal. They are accessible, effective, and backed by science. And yet, no one profits from them, which is why you rarely hear about them.

5. Healing Is an Inside Job

Whether it’s burnout, perimenopause symptoms, or a chronic condition, Dr. Pati encourages every woman to reclaim her role as healer. Supplements and doctors can support, but sovereignty begins with trusting your own intuitive wisdom—and making space for it to speak.

Dr. Pati shared on the podcast that morning sunlight is one of the most powerful—and free—tools for resetting the nervous system and restoring balance in midlife. Now, new research supports her claim. Read below!

Morning Sun, Sleep Quality & Menopause: What This New Study Means for You

Researchers Sinclair et al. conducted a 2024 diary-based study (“Sunlight exposure and next-night sleep quality: A daily diary study”) examining how timing of daily sunlight exposure influences sleep quality. Over a week-long period, participants tracked their morning light exposure and sleep outcomes. The key finding: consistent early-morning exposure to daylight—ideally within the first 30–60 minutes of waking—correlated with better sleep quality the following night. Women reported deeper, more restorative sleep and fewer disruptions.

Why This Matters for Women in Midlife

• Hormonal shifts in perimenopause often scramble the circadian rhythm, leading to poor sleep—a major trigger for fatigue, mood swings, and weight changes.

• Morning sunlight naturally synchronizes your internal clock, strengthening melatonin cycles and boosting serotonin—without the need for medication.

• Improved sleep supports hormone balance, metabolism, and emotional resilience, all crucial for thriving during midlife.

Things to Keep in Mind

• This was a short-term diary study with self-reported outcomes—useful for real-world insight, but not a large-scale clinical trial.

• Factors like season, geography, and individual circadian preferences can affect results.

• Women with diagnosed sleep disorders or irregular work schedules (e.g., night shifts) may need tailored guidance beyond morning light alone.

Key Takeaway for Midlife Women

If you're in midlife and struggling with sleep, try spending 20–30 minutes in natural morning light—no sunglasses, ideally before 10 a.m. It could be one of the easiest, drug-free tools to reset your sleep cycle and regain energy.

“But I thought magnesium helped with sleep too?” Read on…

Magnesium: Could It Be the Missing Link in Your Midlife Sleep Routine?

Getting morning sunlight exposure is important, but pairing it with the right magnesium supplementation can take midlife sleep support to the next level. Magnesium helps regulate the nervous system, lower stress hormones like cortisol, and enhance the production of calming neurotransmitters such as GABA—all crucial for deep, uninterrupted sleep. For women in perimenopause or menopause, when hormonal shifts often trigger insomnia or night wakings, a well-formulated magnesium supplement (like magnesium glycinate or L-threonate) can be a powerful, natural ally in restoring rest, resilience, and hormonal balance.

I have been taking the magnesium supplement below for years now and it has been a game changer!

Ready to Warrior Up!

Listen to the Full Episode: Suburban Warrior podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for reading—and remember, knowledge is power! If you’re experiencing symptoms, don’t ignore them. There is help (and hope) out there. Stay tuned for our next newsletter to keep transforming your mindset and rocking your inner warrior!