Q&A Feature / Women’s Health Month
Spotlight: Nathalie Niddam
- By Countdown
Nathalie Niddam, holistic nutritionist and longevity educator, is dedicated to helping us all live joyful and vibrant lives well into our 50s, 60s, and beyond. She shares strategies—from health tech, to ancestral health, to peptides and more, on her podcast, Longevity Podcast with Nathalie Niddam. She speaks internationally, sharing her deep expertise on bioregulators—leading-edge compounds with the power to awaken the body’s innate rejuvenation systems.
Q&A
What influenced your career path, and how has your perspective on women’s health, personally and professionally, evolved over time?
The biggest influence on my career path has been my love of nature and science – from the time I was a child, I was always fascinated by these two areas, and later in life, I became equally captivated by the human body’s innate ability to heal and to function even in many challenging scenarios. My perspective on women’s health naturally evolved and became more focused as I realized just how underrepresented we were in research and science.
You’ve built a platform that translates complex science into something people can actually apply in their daily lives. Where do you see the biggest disconnect today between scientific discovery and how women are actually caring for their health?
For the most part, women remain overburdened by their own expectations of themselves as they try to live up to the impossible ideals (both real and artificial) set out by media of how they should look, feel, and act. We just have such a long way to go. The good news is that with the growing number of women leaders in this space, the message is getting out there – scientific discoveries are great, but it’s what we do at the most foundational level consistently that will have the greatest impact on our well-being (excluding situations where there is actual illness)
So many people are doing all the right things, but still feel low energy. What are we not understanding about cellular energy, what’s actually breaking down, and how does mitochondrial function explain that?
As a society, we are programmed and conditioned to look for the next thing – treatment, gadget, supplement – that will help us to feel better and have more energy. We are constantly looking to external inputs to improve our energy levels, but here’s what people miss – we are designed to be energy batteries – we produce energy through these magnificent organelles called mitochondria. The question we need to ask ourselves is what do we need to remove (toxins, poor lifestyle, poor food choices, etc) to help these factories operate at their fullest potential?
We are constantly looking to external inputs to improve our energy levels – but here’s what people miss – we are designed to be energy batteries – we produce energy through these magnificent organelles called mitochondria.
What drew you to Countdown, and why does this mission feel urgent to you right now?
I truly love everything about the work that you do! From solving for rare mitochondrial diseases to tackling chronic age-related diseases and everything in between, the fact that you are women-led is an extra bonus.
What’s the biggest gap in women’s health today that mitochondrial science has the potential to change?
The acceleration of aging that women experience at the onset of menopause and then again in their 60’s is an issue that has received very little attention (if any) attention – there is no doubt that mitochondrial health sits at the centre of how these issues can be addressed. Be it mitochondria in the ovaries, the brain, the heart, or any other key system.
There’s a growing interest in biohacking and health optimization. What are the most overlooked or misunderstood levers women can focus on today to support long-term health and vitality?
Hormone replacement (or, as some doctors refer to it – replenishment). Only 4% of women in the US (not sure if Canada is included in that stat) are currently on any kind of hormone therapy – this is a foundational hit that sets women up for accelerated aging, cognitive decline, loss of bone, muscle, metabolic health, and so much more. Biohacking and all the shiny toys simply cannot make up for this deficit (which of course also needs to be accompanied by healthy lifestyle and nutrition, etc). The foundations simply cannot be glossed over – sleep, stress management, exercise, movement, and proper nutrition.
Without healthy mitochondria, you simply cannot live up to your fullest potential.
If you could leave the audience with one message about why mitochondrial health should matter to every woman, what would it be?
Without healthy mitochondria, you simply cannot live up to your fullest potential. And…if you are planning to have children, they are the most precious gift you can give that baby.
