Restore your energy, balance your hormones and heal your gut so you can show up as the best version of yourself.
Hi, I’m Michelle Peña, Integrative Health Practitioner, Functional Wellness Coach, and Speaker. For over 25 years, I’ve been immersed in the health and wellness industry, both professionally and personally. But after being told “your labs look normal” while battling burnout, gut issues, inflammation, and mold toxicity, I knew there had to be more to the story. That experience led me on a mission to uncover the root causes of health imbalances and become a fierce advocate for women’s whole-body healing. Today, I help women restore energy, balance hormones, and heal their bodies from the inside out through functional nutrition, lab testing, and lifestyle medicine. As a speaker, I share real-life, science-backed, and soul-centered insights at corporate wellness events, women’s conferences, and professional summits, helping audiences understand how to reclaim their vitality and align their health with their purpose. If you’re ready to heal deeply, feel better in your body, and live with more energy and intention, you’re in the right place.
✨ Let’s connect - for 1:1 coaching, collaborations, or speaking engagements.
12/10/2025
As a good first step in any health and wellness program, it may surprise you that drinking water should be one of the first things you begin with!!
I always say the things that are easy to do are also easy not to do, so get to it and stop making excuses!!
If you’re new here, my name is Michelle and I am an integrative health practitioner and functional nutrition coach and I help midlife women stop chasing symptoms and get to the root cause of what is going on so they can have more energy and live life full of purpose and vibrancy.
12/09/2025
Most women don’t realize that inflammation is one of the biggest reasons they feel puffy, exhausted, achy, bloated, and stuck in midlife. It’s not “just hormones” and it’s definitely not age. It’s a buildup of stressors your body hasn’t had the capacity to resolve.
Here’s why inflammation hangs on in your 40s and 50s:
• Years of stress that keep cortisol high and recovery low
• Blood sugar swings from inconsistent meals or low protein
• Gut imbalances that trigger bloat, food sensitivities, and sluggish digestion
• Sleep disruption that increases inflammatory markers
• Hormone shifts that lower resilience and slow repair
• A nervous system that’s been in fight-or-flight for too long
The shift happens when you give your body what it’s been missing: predictable meals, more protein, better blood sugar control, fewer inflammatory foods, nervous system support, and a gut-first approach to healing.
I want you to join my group coaching program that will start after the first of the year.
You could try to figure all this out on your own, but it’s so much better and easier with the support of someone who has been in your shoes and knows how to help you get to feeling better by taking a functional medicine root cause approach.
More details to come!
11/11/2025
No amount of nutrition, supplements, red light therapy, or cold plunging can bring wholeness like your spiritual walk can.
You need all of it, just don’t forget that your faith journey matters too.
Forgiveness can often be the catalyst to healing and releasing what your body is holding on to.
11/07/2025
If you’ve been told “everything looks fine” but you still feel exhausted, you may be missing some root causes.
Most standard panels don’t look at cortisol rhythm, mitochondrial function, mineral depletion, or inflammation, they just flag you when it’s already severe.
Here are 10 reasons you can feel tired even when your labs look “normal.”
1️⃣ Your cortisol rhythm is flatlined → You wake up foggy and you are wired at night.
2️⃣ Your mitochondria are sluggish → You have energy swings no coffee can fix.
3️⃣ You’re under-fueling → Too little protein = too little cellular power.
4️⃣ Your ferritin is “normal” but not optimal (< 70 = fatigue).
9️⃣ You’re sleeping but not restoring → No REM = no repair.
🔟 You’re doing “all the things” but not slowing down → Healing needs margin, not more effort.
10/30/2025
Spent a few days in Dallas this week, hanging with my daughter and planning out my growth plans for 2026 🙌
I have some cool things that I will be rolling out next year🎉
The main thing I am excited about is helping you feel your very best while also feeling empowered to take action on your own goals with both health and life.
For me, this year has been challenging and good at the same time.
Recovering from a head injury and post concussion symptom was definitely the theme of this year. I also became a bonafide empty nester!! Working smarter not harder by off-loading and delegating my duties at my gym, was huge for me too this year.
Maybe the theme has been LETTING GO OF CONTROL 😂 so I could heal and get clarity!
It’s been a year of slowing down, letting go and taking intentional action on how to grow my holistic health practice.
I feel the most at peace I have felt in a very long time. God is good.
Been leaning on Romans 8:28,
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose .”
10/01/2025
If you want better hormone health and balanced blood sugar, the way you structure your meals matters.
Every plate should include protein, fiber, and healthy fat and meals should be spaced about 3½ to 4 hours apart.
This balance supports steady energy, improves digestion, and reduces cravings by keeping blood sugar stable.
Fiber = fruits, veggies, and slow carbs like sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, carrots, and squashes.
Examples of balanced meals using the protein + fiber + fat method:
• Eggs with spinach and avocado • Grilled chicken with roasted vegetables, a side salad, and olive oil dressing • Salmon with quinoa and broccoli • Turkey burger wrapped in bib lettuce with sweet potato and a side salad • Steak with a baked potato and roasted Brussels sprouts
Spacing your meals this way allows your body to digest, reset, and use food as fuel instead of storing it.
09/12/2025
Energy is coming back.
The brain fog is lifting.
Your sparkle is starting to show again ✨
This is the result of:
- Drinking the water
- Prioritizing protein
- Saying no without explaining
- Supporting your gut
- Supporting your nervous system
- Getting honest with yourself
- Forgiving yourself and others
You’re not chasing “skinny” or “perfect”, you’re pursuing true health.
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Take control of your health and live the life you were created for.
Hi, my name is Michelle, and I help motivated people transition to clean eating so that they can feel better, reduce inflammation, improve digestion and lose weight. Unlike other health coaches who may not be able to relate to your struggles, I know what it feels like to gain the mystery weight, develop health issues, lose motivation and feel tired all the time. Because of my own experiences and a desire to help others like me, I developed an easy to follow plan that empowers you to become your healthiest self using food as your foundation.
Ways I Can Help
One-on-One in-person or virtual coaching and accountability
Eliminate & Elevate, 42 Days to A Vibrant, Healthier You
Join The Fortified Woman Facebook Group for relevant conversations, free resources and a like-minded community to help you in the areas of stress management, movement, nutrition and faith: www.facebook.com/groups/thefortifiedwoman
A Little Bit About Me
I have been in the health and wellness industry for over 25 years, serving in various roles, including Group Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer, CrossFit Trainer, Gym Owner and Fitness Industry Consultant. No matter what role I have served in, I have always loved helping others reach their full potential while improving their health and well-being.
My most recent project is a new fitness center in my home town called Rise RX Fitness.
