Ep. 220 A Detailed Guide to Healthy Hormones with Dr. Lara Briden

I am excited to connect with Dr. Lara Briden today! She is one of my favorite naturopathic doctors and the author of the bestselling books Period Repair Manual and Hormone Repair Manual. She has 25 years of experience in women’s health, and she currently has consulting rooms in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she treats women with PCOS, PMS, endometriosis, perimenopause, and many other hormone- and period-related health problems.

Dr. Briden is a wealth of information! She brings a fresh perspective and a positive voice to the health and wellness space, and I often recommend her book, Hormone Repair Manual, to my clients and patients.

Today, she and I dive into her background as an evolutionary biologist and discuss how she became passionate about supporting women and advocating for them throughout their lifetime. We talk about perspectives on aging, what the second puberty (perimenopause) is, and the impact of histamine, mass-cell granulation, and estrogen. We discuss fat redistribution in middle age and the loss of insulin sensitivity. We speak about how using alcohol impacts brain health, sleep, the gut microbiome, appetite, cravings, and hinders estrogen metabolism. We also touch on ways to address dysfunctional uterine bleeding in middle age and explain how to advocate for your health, how middle age impacts the nervous system, and the role of inflammatory foods, including dairy.

I hope you enjoy our discussion as much as I did! Stay tuned for more!

Ep. 219 Breaking Down Calorie Restriction, Protein Intake and The Ketogenic Diet with Chris Irvin

I had the honor of reconnecting with Chris Irvin today! (He was with me once before, on Episode 175.)
Chris is a nutrition researcher, writer, and educator specializing in low-carb dieting for metabolic health and human performance. He is the author of Keto Answers, The Carnivore Diet for Beginners, and Mommy, Do I Have to Eat This? He is also the Chief Marketing Officer at BioCoach, a company dedicated to taking down prediabetes and diabetes.

Chris is an incredible resource on the value of keto and low-carb diets! His book, Keto Answers, is one of my favorite keto resources to recommend to clients! In this episode, Chris and I get into the differences between micro and macronutrients. We talk about the therapeutic uses of keto, low-carb, hormesis, and carnivore diets, the role of metabolic health, the value of protein, balancing longevity and sarcopenia, and the results of over-fasting, over-restricting, and creating too much stress on the body. We also dive into questions from listeners about the impact of low-carb and ketogenic diets on cholesterol panels and endurance, how to troubleshoot digestive distress, protein excess, and Chris’s favorite gadgets and supplements.

I hope you enjoy listening to this podcast as much as I did recording it! Stay tuned for more!

Ep. 218 Achieving Sustainable Metabolic Flexibility with Mark Sisson

Today I feel privileged to connect with the legendary Mark Sisson, the New York Times bestselling author of The Keto Reset Diet and bestselling book, The Primal Blueprint! Mark has been integral in turbo-charging the growth of the Primal Paleo movement. He is a prolific writer, blogger, and founder of Primal Kitchen and Primal Nutrition.

Our body’s ability to supply the cells with energy is critical to our lives. In all his work, which spans decades, Mark emphasizes the importance of metabolic health, which means that every cell in the body gets supplied with enough energy to function optimally. Metabolic flexibility is the body’s ability to extract energy from multiple sources, including fat stored in the body, and access energy from ketones to fuel the brain.

In this episode, Mark and I dive into metabolic health and flexibility, nutritional dogmatism, disordered eating and extremes, and the misguidedness of the “calories in, calories out” approach. We discuss food scarcity, intermittent fasting, impulse control, and mindset, and Mark also shares how he has managed to have a healthy, happy, and well-adjusted family despite his success.

I hope you enjoy our conversation and gain a lot from listening to it! Stay tuned for more!

Ep. 217 The Shocking Truth about Mold Exposure and Mycotoxin Illness with Dr. Aaron Hartman

Today, I am excited to have my friend and colleague, Dr. Aaron Hartman, joining me! Dr. Hartman is a triple board-certified physician in functional and integrative medicine. 

Our immune systems can go into overdrive in response to many different environmental factors, including some of the things we get exposed to in our food and personal care products. Today, for the first time on the podcast, we will be talking about mold and micro-toxins and their resultant systemic inflammatory side effects.

Be sure to tune in to this conversation to learn more!

Ep. 216 The Science Behind Stress and How to Create Sustainable Change with Dr. Doni Wilson

I am excited to have Dr. Doni Wilson back on the show today! She was with me once before in episode 142. Dr. Doni is a naturopathic doctor, certified professional midwife, and the bestselling author of Master Your Stress Reset Your Health. She has been in practice for the last twenty-two years.

Most people think that stress is all bad. However, it only becomes an issue when chronic, long-term, or debilitating. There are many benefits to having the right amount of stress at the right time. 
In this episode, Dr. Doni and I take a deep dive into the role of stress and the impact of the stress response, including heart rate variability, the autonomic nervous system, and the role of the vagus nerve. We talk about what happens to our bodies with chronic exposure to stress- specifically around digestion, hormonal imbalances, neurotransmitter changes, and immune response.

We discuss the impact of adverse childhood events and trauma, different types of stress, and recovery protocols. We also discuss measuring neurotransmitters and urine and speak about self-compassion and love- especially when dealing with stressful events.

I hope you enjoy today’s conversation! Stay tuned for more!

Ep. 215 How to Use Nutrigenomics to Optimize Health with Kristina Hess

I am delighted to have the opportunity to converse with Kristina Hess today! Kristina is a premier health coach, licensed dietician, and nutritionist with a functional and integrative approach.

Everyone should feel free to experiment with different types of nutritional dogma. However, we should always stay open-minded and lean into whatever our bodies need. I love that Kristina has married the trajectory of her life with genetics and nutrition. So I asked her to join me on the podcast to discuss nutrigenomics.

In this episode, Kristina shares her backstory and talks about growing up and living all over the world, her history of veganism, and healing her body with a nutrient-dense, whole food, primal/paleo diet. She gives some examples of genetic tendencies and low penetrants. She and I dive into gene variants, nutritional choices that include the use of ethanol or alcohol, seed oils, lifestyle choices, and testing. Kristina also provides recommendations for working with individuals trained in the unique form of genetics and study of nutrition and gene expression, known as nutrigenomics.

I hope you will gain a lot from today’s fascinating conversation with Kristina Hess! Stay tuned for more!

Special announcement: I will be an honored guest at the Keto Symposium, a one-and-a-half-day event in New York City on the 23rd and 24th of September, to speak, along with others like the amazing Ben Azadi!

Ep. 214 Breaking Down Insulin Resistance and Ketones with Dr. Latt Mansor

I am delighted to have the opportunity to connect with Dr. Latt Mansor today! Dr. Mansor is the Research Lead at HVMN. He oversees all the company’s research efforts and collaborations with universities and research institutions. He has a Master’s degree in sarcopenia and a P.h.D. from Oxford University. His background is predominantly in metabolism and physiology.

Dr. Mansor is a delightful individual who makes science and physiology accessible to everyone! In this episode, he and I discuss the role of ketones. We dive into how ketones are the fourth macronutrient, the role of energy and ATP, and using CGMs and glucometers to empower and motivate patients. We define endogenous versus exogenous ketones and explain how to utilize them in our daily lives. We also get into how ketones can improve cognition and performance, the cause of keto flu, fatty coffees, and the ongoing research that HVMN is doing.

We hope you enjoy learning from today’s fascinating conversation with Dr. Latt Mansor! Stay tuned for more!

Ep. 213 All About Electrolytes: Symptoms, Causes, and Solutions for Electrolyte Imbalance with Robb Wolf

I am excited to have the opportunity to reconnect with Robb Wolf today! Rob is a delightful and pragmatic research biochemist and two-times New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. One of his books, Wired to Eat, is my favorite, and I often recommend it!

Robb used to be a research scientist, and he also has a background in Jiu-Jitsu. In this episode, he and I dive into everything related to electrolytes. We discuss what piqued his interest in his training journey, the problems with traditional oral rehydration therapies (Gatorade), and what happens with electrolyte loss. We get into some common conditions that can make us lose more electrolytes. We talk about the role of specific electrolytes, including magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium, and explain how to determine if you are creating too much hormetic stress in the body related to overtraining and over-fasting. We also look at lifestyle balance, Zone-2 cardio, and the value of strength training.

I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I did recording it! Stay tuned for more!

Ep. 212 Pt. 2: A Deep Dive into Hormonal Imbalances and Menopause with Dr. Tabatha Barber

Dr. Tabatha Barber

Today I am happy to share the second of my two conversations with Dr. Tabatha Barber. Dr. Barber is a triple board-certified OB-Gyn menopause and functional medicine expert. She is also known as The Gutsy Gynecologist.
Dr. Barber is the kind of healthcare provider we are all looking for! She answers all the questions that women are often afraid to ask. In this episode, she and I dive into menopause. We talk about the myths surrounding GYN care, the issues with the Women’s Health Initiative study, how that has adversely impacted female hormonal health care over the last twenty years, and hormone replacement therapy options versus navigating natural menopause therapies. We compare the impact of hormone replacement therapy on our bone, brain, and heart health with not using it. We discuss tobacco use and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, statistics around skipped cycles, and the predictors for who will navigate the menopause transition with fewer issues. We talk about extreme stress and being underweight, how that can push women into menopause earlier, and the physical changes we can anticipate, including muscle-loss, vasomotor symptoms, and vulvar-vaginal symptoms. We also touch on bladder incontinence, overactive bladders, and prolapses.
I know this episode will be valuable for you, and there will definitely be a third episode with Dr. Barber! I hope you enjoy listening to today’s conversation! Stay tuned for more!

Ep. 211 – Addressing the Root Cause of Hormonal Imbalances with Dr. Sara Gottfried

Dr. Sara Gottfried

Today, I have the privilege of connecting with Dr. Sara Gottfried! Dr. Sara is a board-certified physician who graduated from Harvard and MIT. She practices evidence-based integrative, precision, and functional medicine. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences at Thomas Jefferson University and Director of Precision Medicine at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health. She has written four New York Times bestselling books, including her latest book called WOMEN, FOOD, AND HORMONES.
Dr. Sara is one of my favorite doctors in integrative medicine and GYN! In this episode, we dive into the infodemic, how stress impacts hormones, the impact of age-related changes on hormonal regulation, alcohol, and gender differences with ketogenic lifestyles. We discuss some of the lesser-known hormones, including growth hormone, and how to support it properly. We touch on disordered eating, how trauma influences our relationship with food, epigenetics, and the role of a lifetime relationship with food. We also look at methylation, glutathione, detox reactions, supporting physical detoxification, and our toxic diet culture.
I hope you benefit as much from this episode as I did!