From NBA Chef to Healing Hormones | Cindy, The Nourishing Cocina

Intro Dr. Civelli sits down with private chef Cindy, founder of The Nourishing Cocina, for a conversation that goes way beyond the kitchen. Cindy spent a decade cooking professionally, including a stint as the private chef for pro basketball players living in China, before turning her own struggle with hormonal acne into a line of gut-healing wellness mocktails, sauces, and detox drinks. She and Dr. Civelli dig into meal planning without the overwhelm, the real relationship between stress and digestion, and why the wellness industry's fear-based messaging around PCOS and hormones does more harm than good. Topics CoveredCindy's path from PR/marketing and teaching English in China to becoming a private chef for professional athletesBuilding custom menus and working alongside her then-boyfriend, the team's athletic trainer, as her business managerWhy grocery shopping triggers so much stress — and how to simplify meal planning around seasonal produceLetting go of food guilt: canned vs. scratch-made, "clean" labels, and doing your best instead of being perfectThe case for slowing down in the kitchen instead of chasing speed and efficiencyWellness retreats in Bali and Thailand, including a 3-day silent meditation retreatConfidence, imposter syndrome, and growing into a professional identityManaging difficult clients and personalities as a private chefDesigning multi-day menus and mocktail bars for wellness retreat propertiesThe stress-digestion-inflammation cycle, and how elimination diets can backfireGetting real about PCOS, hormone symptoms, and wellness fearmongeringLessons on longevity from "The Blue Zones"How Cindy's own hormonal acne led her to develop Coma La Flor (hibiscus, lemon balm, passionflower) and a chlorophyll-dandelion liver detox drinkTestosterone, PCOS, and hair lossMentioned in EpisodeThe Blue Zones (book)Coma La Flor — hibiscus, lemon balm & passionflower drinkChlorophyll dandelion detox drinkConnectCindy | The Nourishing Cocina Instagram & TikTok: The Nourishing Cocina Email: thenourishingcocina@gmail.comDr. Civelli | Trifecta Medical 9000 Ming Ave, Bldg 1LA, Ste. 29, 31, 33, Bakersfield CA (661) 677-2623 info@trifectamedical.org trifectamedical.org www.houseofval.com @drcivelli