What June Taught Me: A reflection on motherhood, movement, and women’s health

As we welcome July (how?!), I wanted to pause and reflect on what June taught me—about myself, motherhood, and the work I do in women’s health.

June was equal parts exhausting and expansive. I felt stretched, emotionally and physically (hello, sleep regressions and marathon training), but also deeply grounded in what matters most.
Some of these lessons were gentle nudges. Others hit like a ton of bricks. But each one brought clarity—and a deeper respect for this season I’m in.

Here are five lessons I’m taking with me into the second half of the year:

1.You can’t pour from an empty cup

And sometimes that means resting instead of pushing.

This isn’t the first time I’ve said it. But June really forced me to live it.

Between work, family, and marathon prep, I hit a few walls. Days where I wanted to push through—but my body had other plans. Instead of powering past the fatigue, I paused. Went for a walk with my little one. Let the to-do list wait.

And you know what? The world didn’t fall apart. My body and mind thanked me. And I showed up better—more present, more patient—the next day.

👉 Sometimes “less” is the most nourishing choice.

2. You don’t need to “bounce back”—you get to move forward.

This month, I finished a major building block in my marathon training. It was one of the most intense phases yet—long runs, strength sessions, and managing it all while parenting a toddler and juggling work.

To be honest, I was intimidated at the start. There were moments of self-doubt, moments where I questioned if I still had the same strength and stamina I once did.

And here’s the truth: accepting my “new body” hasn’t always been easy. It’s taken time. Some days, I still grieve the ease and energy I once had. But more and more, I’m learning to celebrate this version of me—the one that’s carried life, survived sleepless nights, and is now logging miles with more purpose than ever.

👉 I’m not trying to bounce back. I’m building forward.

With gratitude. With strength. With a deeper respect for what my body is capable of, even (and especially) when it feels unfamiliar.

3. Connection heals.

This one hit hard. Sleep was rough in our house this month. There were nights I felt like I was unraveling. One morning, after zero hours of sleep and too many tears, I reached out to a few fellow moms.

I wasn’t expecting solutions. But the messages I got back? They healed something in me.
They didn’t make the sleepless nights go away. But they reminded me: I’m not alone. None of us are.
Even when it sucks (and it really does sometimes), knowing you’re in good company makes the load lighter.

👉 Community makes the hard parts feel lighter. Always.

4. Toddlers are intuitive eaters—and sometimes your best nutrition teachers.

One of my favorite parts of motherhood right now is watching our son explore food. The joy. The curiosity. The little fingers dipping, tasting, deciding. He eats with presence—and stops when he’s full. Mostly. Unless we have meatballs, then he overeats, and can't sleep because his belly is so full, which is painful for belly sleeper.

But in general: Watching him eat, is such a powerful reminder of something I often teach my clients:
We were all born knowing how to eat. Over time, routines, stress, and food rules make us forget.

Slowing down. Tuning in. Actually tasting our food. These aren’t luxuries—they’re foundational to good health.

👉 Sometimes the best nutrition advice is watching a toddler enjoy blueberries one by one.

5. Women deserve more than generic advice.

Equal Research Day reminded me just how far we still have to go in women’s health. So much of what we know is still based on research done in—and for—men.

But women’s bodies? They’re complex. Dynamic. Ever-changing. Our hormones fluctuate across days, weeks, and life phases. And yet, we’re still often handed cookie-cutter advice—especially around metabolism, recovery, fertility, and aging.

This month, I became my own research participant again. I checked my hormone levels with Strawberry Health to get a clearer picture of what’s happening under the surface. Because even as a trained nutrition scientist, I don’t want to rely on guesswork when it comes to my health.

Data helps—but only when it’s interpreted through a lens that understands the female body. That’s why I’m so passionate about building tools and programs that respect women’s biology, not just modify men’s models.

👉 Women deserve better. And I’m here for it.

Thanks for reading.

If any of these lessons struck a chord with you—I’d love to hear what June taught you. Or pass this along to a friend who might need a little reminder that she’s not alone on this wild ride through hormones, motherhood, and whole-body health.

Here’s to more rest, deeper connection, joyful meals, and a whole lot of strength in July.

With love and respect,
Marie-Luise