Hormonally Yours with The Hormone Dietitian (Melissa Groves Azzaro RDN LD)

This week we’re diving into a common problem for people with PCOS - weight loss. Many people struggle to lose weight without making their PCOS symptoms worse, and it’s one of the most common reasons people want to work with a PCOS dietitian. 

With PCOS, it’s not as easy as calories in/calories out or hopping on the latest diet trend. There are many factors that affect the ability to lose weight with PCOS and each patient has their own set of needs and goals, so it’s impossible to offer blanket advice for how to lose weight with PCOS. And, depending on who you follow, you may even wonder if you’re wrong to even WANT to lose weight.

That’s why I wanted to bring in a guest expert who has a whole program built around how EXACTLY to lose weight with PCOS.

Meet Cory Ruth, a Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist, and women's health expert. Cory is the founder and principal of The Women's Dietitian and Instagram account @thewomensdietitian, a private practice and digital platform for women seeking nutrition support for hormone balance, PCOS, fertility, and weight management. She specializes in PCOS and nutrition therapy for infertility and assisted reproductive technology. In this episode, we talk about how women with PCOS can ACTUALLY lose weight — without making their PCOS symptoms worse. 

In this episode, we talk about 

• Cory’s experiences as a dietitian with PCOS
• WHY it’s so hard for people with PCOS to lose weight
• Why keto diets and intermittent fasting don’t work for people with PCOS
• How to have realistic expectations around weight as a woman with PCOS
• Which practical and sustainable lifestyle changes you can make to lose weight and improve your health 

Where to find Cory Ruth, MS, RDN:

The Women's Dietitian

Website: www.thewomensdietitian.com

Instagram: @thewomensdietitian

Facebook: The Women's Dietitian

LinkedIn: The Women's Dietitian

I wanted to do something a little different today and help you decide if enrolling in my PCOS course, The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap™, is the next best step for you at this time!

The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap is my signature program that has already helped over 700 women with PCOS:

• Get regular periods
• Regain energy
• Banish cravings
• Have clearer skin and thicker hair
• Lose weight
• Get pregnant naturally
• and more...

So in this episode, I walk you through why I created the course in the first place, who it's right for, a bit more about my proven and proprietary 6-step method to PCOS success, and more.

If you're overwhelmed by all of the conflicting info out there and confused about what to do next to manage your PCOS, give this a listen!

In this week's solo episode, I'm going through all the reasons why you might want to consider joining The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap before we close the doors on Friday October 14th. This is one of the most comprehensive PCOS courses out there, and it's the only one that focuses on overall PCOS management from a root cause perspective that's taught by a licensed integrative dietitian!

This Week I Talk About: 

• Who The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap is right for
• All the nutrition, lifestyle, and supplement strategies you've probably already tried
• My proven 6-step method for PCOS success
• What kind of results my students get from the course
• Why I created this PCOS course in the first place
• How following a proven roadmap can save you time and money
• How to know if NOW is the right time
• And you'll hear from several of my students about their experiences!

Mentioned in this episode

The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap – If you've been struggling with alll of the symptoms of PCOS and don't know where to start, The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap is my proven and proprietary 6-step signature method to PCOS success. I help you identify and address the root causes of YOUR PCOS symptoms so that you can feel confident you're making the right nutrition, lifestyle, and supplement changes for your situation.

The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap is based on the exact same methods and tools I use with my clients to get results. They periods back, confirm ovulation, increase energy, decrease cravings, improve skin and hair, lose weight while eating MORE food, and get pregnant naturally. It contains everything you need for support: including dietitian-designed suggested weekly meal plans and hundreds of PCOS-friendly recipes, 6 exclusive PCOS yoga videos developed to complement the modules of this program, and a private support community where you can join the over 700 women who've gone through the course. And you get lifetime access, so there's no rush in working through the program and you can always go back if things change.

The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap is only open for enrollment 2x a year! We start this round on October 17th! There is an option to upgrade to VIP and add weekly group coaching and lab testing, but those spots are extremely limited.

Now open for enrollment! (enrollment closes 10/14/22)

Love the podcast?

Leave a rating and review! Or share an episode with a friend who could benefit!

Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

Disclaimer: This website and podcast are not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before implementing nutrition, lifestyle, or supplement changes. The symptom resolution timelines discussed in this episode are typical of clients and students of The Hormone Dietitian and may not be typical.

Does nutrition make a difference in breast cancer prevention, treatment, and recurrence? If so, what specific changes make the most difference? There are so many myths about breast cancer nutrition that I wanted to find out what's really true by talking with an oncology dietitian who specializes in breast cancer.

I wanted to know... is it true that sugar feeds cancer? Do you have to go vegan after a breast cancer diagnosis? What about soy? And more...

In this episode, I'm talking to Tamar Rothenberg, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian who specializes in recovery after breast cancer in her private practice in Los Angeles. She co-led the clinical study, Coping with Cancer in the Kitchen, published in the journal Nutrients. She is also the author of a new book, Cancer Diet for the Newly Diagnosed, which focuses not only on breast cancer but all cancers. And she is a breast cancer thriver herself.

This Week We Talk About: 

• Myths around nutrition following a breast cancer diagnosis and why some recommendations do more harm than good
• The most important goals of nutrition through breast cancer diagnosis and treatment
• What may shift in your nutrition plan after completion of treatment
• Why "breast cancer prevention" is itself a myth... and research-based tips to reduce risk of recurrence
• Why you don't have to go vegan to benefit from adding plants to your diet
• The real truth about soy and breast cancer
• Lifestyle and supplement recommendations for breast cancer thrivers
• Resources for people thriving after breast cancer

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down exactly HOW to eat for PCOS. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, no matter where you are so that you can have balanced blood sugar, lower inflammation, and support gut and hormone health... without giving up a single food or spending hours in the kitchen!

Where to find Tamar Rothenberg, MS, RDN:

Tamar's Website: Tamarrothenberg.com

Tamar's Instagram: @breastcancer.nutritionist

Tamar's Facebook Group: A Fresh Start for Breast Cancer Thrivers

Find out if you're eligible and apply for the free Sharsheret in the Kitchen coaching program, made possible by a grant from Cedars Sinai here

Love the podcast?

Leave a rating and review! Or share an episode with a friend who could benefit!

Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

Disclaimer: This website and podcast are not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before implementing nutrition, lifestyle, or supplement changes. 

Is there a connection between the recent overturn of Roe v Wade and fertility treatments? Unfortunately, the implications for women's healthcare and reproductive care are far-reaching beyond simply allowing states to ban abortion. And there are a lot of considerations that reproductive-aged women may be facing now that they hadn't before. And having a chronic condition like PCOS only complicates matters more.

I've been fielding questions about what these changing laws mean when it comes to women's health with questions like:

• Should I delete my period tracking app?
• What's the best option for birth control?
• How will the laws impact IVF?
• If I have embryos frozen in a state with personhood laws, should I move them?

I've also been hearing from a lot of women who were planning to start a family but now are afraid of getting pregnant in case they find themselves in a situation where they may require emergency care or are forced to carry a pregnancy to term if there's a medical issue with the fetus.

So I wanted to dedicate an episode to PCOS and fertility in a post-Roe era. Frankly, I have a lot of questions about the situation too! So I brought in Dr. Carolina Sueldo, a Double Board Certified Fertility Specialist, to go over how the changing legal landscape may impact fertility care in America.

Dr. Sueldo completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UCSF-Fresno Medical Education Program, then  went on to complete her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) at the University of Connecticut while concurrently obtaining a Master in Science. Dr. Sueldo practices at Women’s Specialty and Fertility Center and is also an Assistant Professor for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UCSF-Fresno. She is board certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology (ObGyn), as well as Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI).

This Week We Talk About: 

• Why PCOS treatment should be based on whether you're trying to conceive or not
• How to track cycles when cycles are irregular
• Why you should be concerned about privacy of your data with apps you use and practitioners you work with
• Thinking about contraceptives in terms of first-line, second-line, and third-line options and why it's more important than ever to be proactive
• Increased pregnancy risks for people with PCOS
• Impact of state laws on IVF — exactly which procedures are affected and how that will decrease efficiency and success rates and increase costs
• Miscarriage, ectopic pregnancies, and medical terminations

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Dr. Carolina Sueldo, MD, FACOG, OBGYN/REI

Work with Dr. Sueldo: Women's Specialty and Fertility Center

Dr. Sueldo's Instagram: @drcarolinasueldo

Dr. Sueldo's YouTube Channel: Dr Carolina Sueldo

Love the podcast?

Leave a rating and review! Or share an episode with a friend who could benefit!

Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

Disclaimer: This website and podcast are not intended to provide medical or legal advice. This episode was recorded on July 18, 2022. Dr. Sueldo resides and practices in California and Melissa Groves Azzaro resides and practices in New Hampshire. The legal implications of this decision are a rapidly changing landscape and will continue to evolve.

There’s no one size fits all diet plan for anyone — let alone for people with PCOS or other medical conditions. So why does it seem like the only "healthy" meal that gets presented in the media is the same plate of wild salmon, brown rice, and organic kale for everyone? People of different backgrounds should be able to find a diet plan that works for them and their culture. You don't have to give up your cultural foods for PCOS. No one's favorite foods are getting left behind! So how do we make sure they come with us post-PCOS diagnosis?

In this episode, I’m asking Amber Charles, aka The Cultural Dietitian, what we can do to curate a sustainable and culturally diverse diet that can help with our PCOS symptoms.

Amber is a Public Health Nutritionist and Registered Dietitian, certified in Integrative and Functional Nutrition. Amber dedicates her voice to diversifying nutrition recommendations for the Caribbean diaspora.

In this episode, we talk about: 

• What a healthy plate looks like for different people of different cultures 
• How a westernized eating pattern is not the best or “healthiest” diet for everybody and why 
• Why we don’t recommend fad diets 
• Tips on staying connected with your culture even if you’re far from home
• Keeping your cultural foods for PCOS... or any diagnosis 

Keep Up with The Cultural Dietitian 

Amber Charles, MSPH, RDN - The Cultural Dietitian, Instagram and Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop - In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS. 

https://thehormonedietitian.com/easypcos

Dr. Chasse Smeaton is a graduate of Bastyr University, an avid writer, and international speaker who has taught thousands of doctors and functional practitioners her root cause fertility methods. Her practice, Hello Fertility, is dedicated to fertility, sexual health and family wellness.  

We cover a LOT of info in this episode, from nutrition to environmental toxins to oxidative stress and mitochondria. I think you’ll be surprised to learn some factors that may be affecting your and your partner’s fertility that may have never occurred to you. 

This Week We Talk About: 

• The foundations of fertility - nutrition, environment, rest & digest, and movement & connection
• Simple changes you can make in your environment to improve your fertility
• The 3 categories of root causes of fertility issues and the most common root causes of fertility issues
• Why most "infertility" is actually SUBfertility
• What oxidative stress is and why it matters in fertility
• Functional fertility testing you may want to consider if you're not getting answers from conventional medicine
• Why you shouldn't follow a detoxification protocol if you're actively trying to conceive
• Why immune function & blood flow in the uterus matter when it comes to getting (and staying) pregnant
• What a proper fertility supplement plan looks like and which fertility supplements you should avoid

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Dr. Chasse Smeaton

Website: Hello Fertility

Instagram: @hello_fertility

Download Dr. Chasse Smeaton's Hello Fertility Quick Start Nutrition Guide

IS it true that people with PCOS have more issues with milk supply? Why is that and what can we do about it?

What if you had gestational diabetes during your pregnancy, and baby ends up in the NICU for a time while you're sent home? How does THAT impact your plans to breastfeed?

Well, I am in no way a lactation expert, so I invited my friend Megan McMillan to come talk about these issues and more.

Meghan McMillin holds a Master’s Degree in Human Nutrition and is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She spent 5 years working clinically in the NICU, pediatric floor, and women’s units. In 2019, she started her own business, Mama & Sweet Pea Nutrition, a private nutrition and lactation practice and consulting company that specializes in prenatal, postpartum, and infant care. The mother to two kids with food allergies, helping lactating dyads struggling with food allergies or intolerances is her passion! 

I'm so grateful for the opportunity to pick this lactation expert's brain on air... and I know you'll benefit too!

This Week We Talk About: 

• Different types of lactation certifications, which type of lactation consultant may be best for your situation, and when to reach out for help
• Common issues that can come up during the process of lactation
• What causes low milk supply in PCOS and how to know in advance if it might be an issue for you
• Why a blood-sugar-balancing diet is key to supporting lactation, especially in PCOS
• Some popular galactagogues (milk promoters) and which have actual evidence supporting their use
• How hormones and hormone imbalances affect lactation
• Which nutrients are most important while breastfeeding — and which ones your body will take from your own stores to prioritize getting those nutrients in your milk
• Lack of societal support for the 4th trimester/postpartum period and how boundaries can help improve your milk supply
• How you can meet your breastfeeding goals even when baby is in the NICU

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Meghan McMillan, MS, RD, CSP, LDN, IBCLC

Website: Mama & Sweet Pea Nutrition

Instagram: @the.lactation.dietitian

So we’ve had a patient with PCOS on the show, now we’re going to have a medical professional with PCOS on the show! Meet Dr. Janelle Howell, also known as The Vagina Rehab Doctor! She is a pelvic physical therapist and board-certified women’s health specialist. She is leading the pack of the Vagina CEO community, #bigvulva energy train, and all things vaginal happiness. 

I wanted to bring Dr. Howell onto the podcast because I wanted to hear about her experience with PCOS as a healthcare provider dealing with the condition. Her insight into the industry and as a patient allows us to better understand PCOS from both sides of the desk. 

In this episode, we talk about 

• What a normal period is and what it isn’t 
• Which symptoms Dr. Howell had that linked back to PCOS in the future 
• How Dr. Howell and I balance a healthy diet and exercise into our lives 
• How I help my more rebellious patients stay consistent with new habits 

Keep Up with Dr. Howell:

Website: vaginarehabdoctor.com IG @vaginarehabdoctor

Mentioned in this episode:

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop - In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS. 

https://thehormonedietitian.com/easypcos

Dietitians, like myself, get into this business because we want to keep learning and keep finding ways to help our clients heal. Which is why I find myself heading to PubMed to find one article real quick, and end up looking up and realizing 2 hours have gone by. But, compared to some more well-researched conditions, not a lot of research funds are dedicated to PCOS, or to women's health in general. This is why it’s so important that we find the best, most reliable, and relevant studies to help inform our practice.  

For today’s episode, I’ll be joined by Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, LD, CLEC. In addition to being my dietitian bestie, Lauren is an expert researcher when it comes to fertility, pregnancy, and women’s health. She’s the author of several books including Fueling Male Fertility, Avoiding Allergens while Breastfeeding, and the First-Time Mom’s Cookbook. Since Lauren is always my go-to when I want to geek out about something I’ve read, I just had to invite her on to the podcast to dig deep into the latest research studies. 

In this episode, we talk about 

• How to evaluate the quality of studies you’re reading when researching
• Studies published in the PCOS & pregnancy literature over the last few months
• Why petri dish studies and studies on rats aren’t particularly useful in PCOS (or any condition!)
• Interesting findings on dairy, supplements, environmental toxins, miscarriage, and fecal transplants in PCOS (yup, you read that last one right) — and relevant takeaways for YOU

Links to articles discussed: 

1. Systemic review & meta-analysis on omega-3s: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34488386/

2. Berberine, gut microbiota (animal study): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34515131/

3. Whey protein improves glycemic response & NAFLD in PCOS: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34371959/

4. PCOS as an independent risk factor for miscarriage: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34444016/

5. PFAS = higher risk for PCOS & uterine fibroids but not endometriosis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34391986/

6. Curcumin + fecal microbiota transplant as a possible treatment for PCOS: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34332209/

Lauren’s website: https://www.nutritionnowcounseling.com/

Lauren’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenlovesnutrition/

As a registered dietitian who specializes in helping women naturally overcome hormone imbalances, many clients come to me looking for answers for their fertility struggles. On top of the initial issue of struggling with infertility, there is a ton of misinformation online and even in doctor’s offices. Because of the conflicting and sometimes outdated information, it can be difficult for my clients to decipher which advice is useful, which isn’t, and which will work specifically for their needs. 

This is a very important episode that I can’t wait to share with you all. Let’s start by throwing out all the conflicting messages and begin again with the simple things that you can do today. Which is why I am also bringing in my good friend and fellow registered dietitian nutritionist Elizabeth (Liz) Shaw. 

Liz is a nationally known nutrition expert and owns a nutrition communications business and private practice in California. She has been a dietitian for over 10 years and is a four-time author, with titles including the Instant Pot Cookbook For Dummies, Air Fryer Cookbook For Dummies, Fertility Foods Cookbook, and The Stress-Free IVF Nutrition Guide! A guest on local and national television, she serves as a spokesperson for many different agencies, discussing the importance of food and nutrition as key players in leading a healthy life through sound, evidence-based nutrition.

This week, I’m talking to Liz about not only her own journey to becoming a mother but also her expert tips as a fertility dietitian and researcher who has published books on the topic. Liz has gone through IVF and the Google black hole that many of my clients go through, so I hope that hearing her journey and her results can help you too. 

This Week We Talk About: 

• How to navigate buzz words like “processed foods” when grocery shopping 
• The principles of a fertility supporting diet 
• Liz’s experience with IVF and the stress she went through during her fertility journey 
• Why fear-based motivation does not work 
• How to prioritize your health as you grow your family 
• Why BMI is bullsh*t 

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Elizabeth Shaw, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Website: https://shawsimpleswaps.com/ 

IG: @shawsimpleswaps 

Facebook: @simpleswaps 

Listeners can enjoy 50% off The Stress-Free IVF Nutrition Guide with the code "HormonallyYours50"

Liz’s blog post “IVF Transfer – Preparing For An Embryo Transfer”  

Liz’s blog post “What To Eat Post Egg Retrieval During IVF” 

Jennie Vila EdM, LPC, ACS is a licensed mental health counselor who was diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 12. She had difficulties finding medical care that treated her as a whole person and didn’t just focus on her fertility or her weight. After decades of various diets and exercise plans and even undergoing bariatric surgery, what finally made the difference in her PCOS treatment was a mindset shift. She learned how to nourish her body with food and found motivation for exercise beyond just doing it to change her body. 

In this episode, we talk about 

• What it’s like living with the symptoms of PCOS 
• What it’s like as the patient to look for treatment for PCOS 
• The pros and cons of getting bariatric surgery for people with PCOS 
• How exercise can help with PCOS

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop - In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS. 

https://thehormonedietitian.com/easypcos

I want you to know you have more than just two options. There is a wealth of knowledge out there just waiting for you to find it! In this podcast, my guests and I will be exploring our own experience in the medical world and providing possible answers to your symptoms. 

Subscribe to listen to more, and follow me on Instagram for free content and tips. 

This week, I invited friend and colleague Kim Rose onto the podcast to talk about her experiences as a nutritionist who specializes in diabetes care. Kim is a Florida-based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist who works with people with diabetes. Her inclusive approach and philosophy revolve around “making nutrition easy and attainable.” She does this by addressing common diabetes-related misconceptions and educating her clients why better blood sugar control is both realistic and attainable.

In this episode, Kim and I discuss the most common misconceptions around nutrition and diabetes and how you can find a way of eating that works best for YOU and your unique symptoms. 

This Week We Talk About: 

• Why there’s no such thing as a diabetes diet 
• How to prioritize your own cultural staple foods in your diet — even while having diabetes 
• What Medical Nutrition Therapy means and why only Registered Dietitians are licensed to do it (hint: diabetes and PCOS are medical conditions)
• How Kimberly uses the healthy plate method to demonstrate a simple way to balance blood sugar
• Why it's so important to read food labels 

Mentioned in this episode

Can’t Guess, Gotta Test: The No BS Guide to PCOS Lab Tests – In this Live 90-minute training, I break down exactly what kinds of labs you’ll need to help you identify and address the root cause of your unique symptoms. I’ll also be answering your questions during this live training, so feel free to come prepared to post them in the live chat. 

Click here to save your spot and join us Live on Tuesday, March 8th @ 7pm EST

Where to find Kimberley Rose-Francis RDN, CDE, CNSC, LD

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist

Website: www.kimrosedietitian.com

Instagram: @the.bloodsugar.nutritionist

Free quiz: "Find out What Your Diet Says About You"

https://quiz.tryinteract.com/?fbclid=IwAR0MaTLJ8z93XihBZgadRMjO4VJ46UjEemLMJVYQ5lMZClx2m7iqUxGH40U#/5fc82e8b2417a1001647ad6c

In this episode, I'm talking to Callie Exas, a burnout & fertility dietitian about what burnout is, how to know if you're in it, and most importantly — how to heal from it.

Callie has built her business around helping women heal from burnout to optimize their fertility. She's a NYC-area dietitian and personal trainer, who like me, takes a non-BS approach to nutrition and wellness and is not afraid to share and unpopular opinion on current wellness trends.

Her mission is to create a world where women stop worrying about their jean size so that they have the energy, stamina, and resilience to take down the patriarchy. Something I can totally get behind!

She focuses on healing your connection to self and helping you learn how to be your own best advocate, which starts with how you eat, sleep, manage mental energy, and move your body. And you KNOW she's a fan of boundaries!

Callie shares not only her expert tips on healing from burnout but a bit on her own personal journey and how her relationship with work and her business has changed after having a baby. 

This Week We Talk About: 

• How Callie escaped the grind of NYC advertising to become a personal trainer and dietitian
• How the process of becoming a dietitian led to deep burnout... and delving into the research on how to heal
• The difference between burnout and being stressed out
• How society and culture contribute to burnout in women
• Why "hustle" is a dirty word
• Signs and symptoms of burnout
• How feeding ourselves nourishing meals is self care at its most basic
• How to set boundaries to allow us to perform the self-care we need to thrive
• How the postpartum period changed her relationship with work
• Easy tips to make time for eating well

Mentioned in this episode

Tempdrop Exclusive Offer - I'm excited to partner with Tempdrop because not only do I recommend it to my clients, but I also use it myself! You can use your Tempdrop to track your cycle without the usual early morning wake-ups or super strict tracking schedules. Tempdrop helps you collect accurate basal body readings, identify your fertile window, confirm your ovulation, plan for your period, identify pregnancy, and more. 

Whether you’re trying to conceive, avoiding pregnancy, or charting for health reasons, your Tempdrop can help you do it all. You can get 15% off a Tempdrop kit using the code HormoneDietitianPodcast here!

Where to find Callie Exas MPH RDN CPT

Women’s Health Nutrition & Fitness Expert

Website: www.CALLIEEXAS.com

Instagram: @the.burnout.dietitian

Callie's Free Burnout & Fertility Masterclass

Did you know that your gut health impacts your hormones and vice versa? When it comes to gut and hormones, there are multiple ways they impact each other!

We know that conditions like IBS and IBD are more common in people with hormone-driven conditions like PCOS and endometriosis, we know that menstrual cycles impact digestive symptoms, and we know that a healthy gut is necessary for proper estrogen elimination. We also know the gut impacts blood sugar balance and inflammation, nutrient absorption, and neurotransmitters and mood.

So the connection between gut and hormones is complicated!

In this episode, I'm talking to Dr. Leigh Wagner, an integrative dietitian with a PhD in medical nutrition science. She has a virtual private practice and helps her clients optimize their energy, decrease pain, fix digestion and balance hormones using in-depth, personalized nutrition. Leigh also offers her "Mind Your Body" program to women wanting to learn how to tune into their bodies and find what foods make them feel their best without obsessing over every single bite.

Leigh is co-editor of the textbook "Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy” and loves examining the bridge between conventional and integrative and functional approaches to health. 

Leigh has a special skill for breaking these complex topics down into easy, actionable, sustainable steps that you can incorporate to improve your own gut and hormone health!

This Week We Talk About: 

• The mind-gut connection and learning to tune into your body's signals and signs
• How chronic stress and constant "fight or flight" mode impacts gut health and how your body is trying to protect you
• How you can use curiosity & experimentation to get to the root of your problems... and the right solutions for you
• Why you don't want to rule out conventional medicine when it comes to gut issues and why an integrative approach is safest and best
• The multiple connections between gut and hormones
• How menstrual cycles impact gut symptoms
• The connection between gut health, hormones and neurotransmitters
• Why small consistent changes over time matter most when it comes to gut health & hormones

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Dr. Leigh Wagner, PhD, RD

Women’s Health Nutrition & Fitness Expert

Website: www.drleighwagner.com

Instagram: @dr.leighwagner

As a PCOS and fertility dietitian, I work hard to help my patients get pregnant, with the goal of having a healthy pregnancy and bringing home a healthy baby. But the work is far from over once pregnancy has been achieved. We then have to shift the focus to maintaining a healthy pregnancy. One of the biggest threats my patients with PCOS face is gestational diabetes. In fact, people with PCOS are 2x as likely to develop gestational diabetes compared with the general population. So obviously, I get a LOT of questions on managing gestational diabetes in PCOS pregnancy.

That’s why this week, we’re talking to an expert on the topic of gestational diabetes, Lily Nichols. Lily is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based prenatal nutrition. She uses her research to share realistic, whole-food-based recommendations to those seeking optimal pregnancy nutrition.

In this episode, Lily and I talk about the latest research on nutrition for gestational diabetes and where the current guidelines fall short.

This Week We Talk About: 

• The research on pregnancy and gestational diabetes Lily has participated in and how her work has affected prenatal guidelines in some countries
• Why it takes so long for guidelines to incorporate current and emerging research
• Why she wrote and published her book on gestational diabetes 
• How to incorporate her nutrition recommendations in a realistic and accessible way
• Potential risk factors for gestational diabetes 

• Why it's so important that nutritionists stay up to date on the latest research 

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS.

One of the main reasons I created a podcast was not only to share information from myself and other healthcare practitioners… but also to share stories of hope and inspiration from people just like you. In this episode, I’m talking to an incredible member of The Hormone Dietitian community, Jenn N., about her story.  

Jenn is a 38-year-old working mom of 2 living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area who has been diagnosed with PCOS and insulin resistance. She has struggled with fertility issues while trying to figure out how to live her life with PCOS. Jenn has struggled with maintaining healthy pregnancies, gestational diabetes, and has had difficulties managing breastfeeding with extremely high insulin levels. But with a lot of research and a little help from myself and some understanding doctors, Jenn is finally at a much healthier place in her life. 

In this episode, Jenn shares her experiences with insulin-resistant PCOS and how she’s found solutions for her symptoms. 

This Week We Talk About: 

• How insulin resistance manifested in Jenn’s daily life - her symptoms and struggles 
• Why Jenn first reached out to Melissa 
• What Jenn did to maintain healthy pregnancies
• How she manages her insulin resistance now
• The time-saving tips she has for busy mamas trying to do all the things

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS.

Many people are told to lose weight to alleviate their PCOS symptoms. But what if you don’t have any extra weight to lose? About 20–30% of people with PCOS are living with Lean PCOS, meaning their BMI does not qualify them as overweight or obese. They don’t gain extra weight because of PCOS, so they have to address their issues and symptoms differently than the general PCOS population. Often following recommendations that are meant for the more common form of PCOS worsen symptoms for those with lean PCOS. 

Meet Martha McKittrick. Martha is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with over 25 years of experience. She has been specializing in PCOS for over 15 years. She has been published in peer-reviewed journals and was the nutrition editor for the book A Patient's Guide to PCOS - Understanding and Reversing Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

In this episode, I sit down with Martha to discuss Lean PCOS, how it’s different from typical PCOS, and how people with Lean PCOS can find treatment for their symptoms. 

This Week We Talk About: 

• How PCOS symptoms affect people with Lean PCOS differently than people in larger bodies
• What does the current lack of research mean for people with Lean PCOS?
• Other conditions that may be misdiagnosed as PCOS in lean people
• What do you do when you have no extra weight to lose? 
• What are the most common root causes of Lean PCOS?
• What PCOS dietitians do when recent scientific studies change what we think about PCOS

Mentioned in this episode

The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap - For the first time EVER I am hosting The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap LIVE! Usually, this program is a solo mission, but starting February 1st I’ll be there to guide you through this journey. Together we’ll be replacing failed diet plans with tried and true nutrition methods and strategies for people with PCOS. See you there!

Where to find Martha McKittrick, RD, CDN, CDE

Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator

Website: www.marthamckittricknutrition.com 

Instagram @the.pcos.dietitian

Facebook: The PCOS Dietitian

Contact Martha at martha@marthamckittricknutrition.com to learn more about her virtual PCOS coaching.

A Hormones and Mental Health Episode

Why is it that so many women struggling with hormone imbalances also struggle with anxiety? Turns out that the root causes of anxiety overlap with the root causes of hormone imbalances... and having hormone imbalances can contribute to anxiety as well.

From an integrative and functional perspective, anxiety is not a "diagnosis," per se... it's a SYMPTOM. And in order to identify the best approach to treating it, we have to uncover what the root causes of anxiety are on an individual basis. In this episode, I'm talking with Dr. Jen Roelands about the most common root causes of anxiety, the difference between anxiety and stress, and treatment options — which can include a variety of tools depending on your goals, including nutrition, lifestyle, supplements, and medications.

Dr. Jennifer Roelands is an integrative medicine trained OB/GYN with over a decade of women's health experience. She is the CEO and founder of Well Woman MD, a clinic dedicated to a holistic, whole-body approach to care by using nutrition, lifestyle, and cutting-edge testing. She is also the host of Ignite Your PowHer podcast, a platform for badass female entrepreneurs in the health and wellness industry. Dr. Jen is an avid outdoor enthusiast and traveler. Most importantly she is the GO-TO math expert for her 4 energetic kids.

This Week We Talk About: 

• Why choice matters when it comes to a treatment approach for hormone imbalances and anxiety — whether you want a strictly conventional approach, a strictly natural approach, or a combination of the two modalities
• The connection between hormone imbalances and anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders
• What's really underlying anxiety, and what anxiety is actually a symptom of
• Underlying root causes of inflammation and anxiety
• Why women are more prone to anxiety than men and times in the lifespan where anxiety is more common
• Symptoms of anxiety, types of anxiety, and how anxiety differs from day-to-day stress
• Managing anxiety around a chronic condition such as PCOS
• Labs to consider if you have anxiety
• Different treatment approaches to anxiety depending on your situation
• Nutrition and lifestyle tips for managing anxiety
• When you might want to consider medications for anxiety, alternatives to anxiety meds, and weaning off anxiety meds safely

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Dr. Jennifer Roelands:

Dr. Jen's website: WellWomanMD.com

Dr. Jen's Instagram: @wellwomanmd

Download Dr. Jen's Freebie: Get Relief from Anxiety

Love the podcast?

Leave a rating and review! Or share an episode with a friend who could benefit!

Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

Struggling with infertility is the worst. And struggling with infertility while also having PCOS and Type 2 diabetes is a whole ‘nother ball game. But our guest, Stephanie, did not let her diagnoses get her down. She kept searching for answers even as she struggled to find access to care for her PCOS symptoms, trying all the diets and getting no results, and having all of the symptoms but none of the solutions. 

Unlike a lot of women with PCOS, Stephanie actually got pregnant pretty easily but had a miscarriage. She is now pregnant for the second time and dealing with all of the emotions around a pregnancy after a loss. 

This week's guest, Stephanie B, is living her lifelong dream of serving her community and has worked in the nonprofit and government sector for over ten years. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a Master of Science in Public Affairs from the University of Massachusetts Boston, and a Grant Writing Certificate from the University of Southern Maine. Stephanie resides in Western Mass with her husband and her dog and is expecting her first child this spring. She has been a PCOS patient for more than ten years with a history of diabetes. 

This week, we’ll be taking a look at Stephanie’s fertility journey, how she’s managing a PCOS pregnancy after loss, and how she’s learned to overcome her symptoms. 

This Week We Talk About: 

• What it was like growing up with pre-diabetes and PCOS without guidance or solutions 
• How harmful diet culture affected her health journey through the years
• How and why societal norms influence disordered eating 
• How miscarrying affected her fertility journey 
• How working with The Hormone Dietitian helped Stephanie finally get answers about her PCOS symptoms
• What it’s like looking for treatment for PCOS symptoms in a rural area 

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

That journey included high ANA antibodies, silent endometriosis, high natural killer cells, MTHFR, a fibroid, and more. She worked with 2 Reproductive Endocrinologists, a GYN, and finally found a doctor who specialized in reproductive immunology. She had IUIs, two rounds of IVF, endo removal surgery, and multiple medications including immunosuppressants and injectables. And she went through several chemical pregnancies and a medical termination before finally having a successful pregnancy with her son after more than 5 years of trying.

And even then, although everything was looking great during her pregnancy, she never really believed that she would end up with an actual baby at the end of the journey. (Spoiler alert: she did, he's now almost 6, and is a super cool kid.)

After having her son, she felt that her family was not yet complete, but she couldn't go through the 5 years of hell again, physically and emotionally. So she almost immediately started looking into adoption for her second and all of the options there. (Hint: it's not "easier" and it too requires persistence.)

I hope that you enjoy listening in on this conversation between me and my BFF. 

*There are a few swears (we're NYers), so listen with headphones if you have little ones or are listening at work.

This Week We Talk About: 

• The early days of her relationship with her husband being long-distance and some other challenges
• Being proactive when trying to conceive in your mid-30s and trusting your gut
• How not getting answers from conventional medicine drove Heather to find the doctor who COULD help her through reproductive immunology
• The monthly hope and devastation of not getting pregnant, chemical pregnancies and miscarriages
• The brutal decision to terminate a much-wanted pregnancy
• Having difficulty believing her healthy pregnancy would result in a healthy baby
• Going through the adoption process for her second child
• How to support a friend who's going through fertility hell

Mentioned in this episode

Tempdrop Exclusive Offer - I'm excited to partner with Tempdrop because not only do I recommend it to my clients, but I also use it myself! You can use your Tempdrop to track your cycle without the usual early morning wake-ups or super strict tracking schedules. Tempdrop helps you collect accurate basal body readings, identify your fertile window, confirm your ovulation, plan for your period, identify pregnancy, and more. 

Whether you’re trying to conceive, avoiding pregnancy, or charting for health reasons, your Tempdrop can help you do it all. You can get 15% off a Tempdrop kit using the code HormoneDietitianPodcast here!

Where to find Heather Snyder Ippolito:

Instagram: @good.posture.mama

Website: The Graceful Body

A Hair and Hormones Episode

Hair is one of the first things people notice about us. And according to hair and nutrition expert Samaria Grandberry, hair is also a barometer of our inner health.

Hair issues like thinning, loss, dryness, and breakage and scalp issues like seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, and eczema are common. But what is the root cause of these hair and scalp issues?

In this episode with RDN and Certified Trichologist Samaria Grandberry, we dive deep into root causes of hair issues, and treatment regimens, lifestyle factors, and nutrition for hair health.

Samaria is a Memphis-based registered dietitian and certified trichologist. Her background in nutrition and hair science, combined with her own struggles with skin and hair, makes her uniquely equipped to help women get to the root cause(s) of their hair loss. She uses holistic nutritional and trichological therapies - focusing on all aspects of a person’s life. And she encourages honoring your heritage while pursuing overall health and wellness. Her goal is to help you reclaim the power within through nutrition, hair, and lifestyle therapies.

This Week We Talk About: 

• Common hair issues such as hair loss and thinning, breakage, and more
• How styling practices like heat treatments, chemical colors and relaxers, and certain hairstyles can increase hair loss and damage
• Common scalp issues including eczema, psoriasis, and seborrheic dermatitis
• Root causes of hair and scalp issues, such as genetics, styling issues, nutrient deficiencies, stress, illness, hormonal imbalances, and natural hormonal shifts
• Why an individual, whole-person approach to hair care based on root causes is necessary — and what a healthy hair care regimen might look like
• Why you might want to consider making a cup of tea... for your hair!
• The connection between hair health, mindset, and mental health
• Nutrition for hair health - which nutrients you should really be focusing on and which one many people are taking that isn't actually helping
• What to expect during a hair consultation and which lab tests and other findings can help identify the root cause(s) of your hair issues
• Conventional hair and scalp treatments and some of Samaria's favorite off-the-shelf brands and products

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Samaria Grandberry, MS, RDN, WTS:

Samaria's website: Feeding the Root

Samaria's Instagram: @feedingtheroot

World Trichology Society

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Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

Your gut plays a major role in your overall health. Your gut health can affect not only your digestion and absorption, but also your hormones, your skin, your mood, and more. If you're having some hard times in the bathroom or are feeling fearful of certain foods because of how you’ll feel later, this episode is for you. Because often, it’s not actually about the food. This week, I invited gut health expert Amanda Sauceda to the podcast to chat about what’s normal and what’s not when it comes to the gut… and what you can do about it.

Amanda Sauceda is a registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in mindfulness and gut health. She is the creator of The Mindful Gut™ which uses science and strategy to help people improve their gut health. Amanda covers everything from what goes into your body, what happens on the inside, and even what comes out of your body. 

In this episode, Amanda and I discuss how gut health can affect our hormones, lifestyle, and overall health. 

This Week We Talk About: 

• How Amanda became interested in nutrition and lifestyle for gut health and how her practice has shifted to the mind-gut connection
• The common digestive don’ts we all make and how to avoid them
• Tips and tricks you can use at home to monitor how healthy your gut is 
• How gut health is connected to skin health 
• Why you don’t have to eliminate foods and how to bring your favorite foods back into your diet  

Mentioned in this episode

The Period Problems Root Cause Roadmap - If your periods are sent from hell and you’re looking for some relief, check out my new program The Period Root Cause Roadmap™! I’ll help you identify and address the root causes of your painful periods, PMS, PMDD, endometriosis, and more. That means no more period zits, blood clots, or cramps, and regaining 2-3 weeks of your life every month! 

The VIP tier includes comprehensive functional testing, 2 virtual appointments with me, and your personal, customized nutrition, lifestyle, and supplement plan to help you get the answers you need to get the best results possible.

Are you ready to let me help you get rid of your period problems once and for all?

VIP spaces are limited, so click here to register now and join us on March 15th. See you there!

Where to find Amanda Sauceda, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist 

Website: www.amandasauceda.com  

Instagram: @guthealth.nutritionist 

In this episode, I talk about 

• Which foods do you do and don’t have to avoid  
• Which PCOS diet tips are fact and which are fiction, and what the evidence shows
• How these foods on the “no” list actually affect your body and PCOS
• How to eat the foods you want in a balanced way 

Resources: 

Soy Intake For Women With PCOS – Hurt Or Help?

Mentioned in this episode:

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop - In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS. 

https://thehormonedietitian.com/easypcos

How fertile are you?

This may not be something you're even thinking about unless you're planning to try to conceive. But my guest today wants to change that. Dr. Aimee is passionate about empowering and educating every woman about her egg health and how fertile she is... whether she's thinking about trying to conceive in the near future or not.

With more and more people putting conception on the back burner while they focus on their careers or delay family building for other reasons, it's important to understand the impact of time on our fertility and our chances of conceiving.

Fortunately, there are some simple medical tests that can give us answers about our current fertility — taking into account our egg quantity and egg health — and make projections about what our fertility may look like 2 years from now, 5 years from now, etc!

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is a fertility specialist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Practicing for over 15 years, she has a specialization in IVF and has vast experience in helping women over 35 realize their dreams of becoming a mother. Her focus is on finding the sweet spot of where science and patient care meet, and empowering people to better understand their fertility.

She launched Egg Freezing Party in 2014 to help educate people about their fertility preservation options. Since then, she's launched The Egg Whisperer Show, to further the reach of how she educates people. It's broadcast to YouTube, IGTV, Facebook, Twitter, and as a podcast of the same name.

In addition, Dr. Aimee has simplified how people understand fertility by introducing the TUSHY Method, BALLS Method, and the Egg Whisperer DIET, as mnemonics to remind people about the basics of fertility diagnosis and care.

This Week We Talk About: 

• The 3 major factors that affect our fertility and the only one we can control
• What the TUSHY method is and how to use it to evaluate your current egg health and fertility
• How fertility doctors are able to make predictions about your future fertility based on your current situation
• Why Dr. Aimee started the Egg Freezing Party to empower and educate women
• Who should consider freezing their eggs and why
• When to consider IUI vs IVF
• Creative and alternative family building
• Some tips to maintain hope throughout the process

Mentioned in this episode

Losing Weight with PCOS – In this NEW live workshop & Q&A happening June 15th at 7 PM EST, we’ll talk about all the reasons WHY it’s so hard to lose weight with PCOS, why focusing on the scale is the WRONG approach, and what to focus on instead – and the best part is it doesn’t involve giving up ANY of your favorite foods. It’s happening June 15th and it WILL be recorded if you can’t make it live, but of course you’ll want to show up live to get YOUR questions answered! Register today HERE.

Where to find Dr. Aimee

Dr. Aimee's Website where you can find her blog, podcast, online classes, or become a patient: DrAimee.org

Social Media:

• YouTube: Egg Whisperer Show
• Instagram: @eggwhisperer
• Twitter: @_Eggwhisperer
• Facebook: Doctor Aimee

Love the podcast?

Leave a rating and review! Or share an episode with a friend who could benefit!

Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

A Self Care Episode

We know that self care is important, but adding self care to our never ending to do list can add more stress than it alleviates. And furthermore, the ideas about what self care looks like that are promoted on social media may not be accessible for all people. Luckily, taking care of ourselves doesn’t have to cost a lot (or any money) and it doesn’t have to take much time either – the important part is making it a consistent habit.

Valerie Agyeman is a Women's Health Dietitian, Podcast Host and Founder of Flourish Heights, a women’s nutrition practice, digital platform, and community. Valerie empowers women to build confidence around their food choices while shining the light on overlooked topics around women's health issues. In the past few years, she has brought hundreds of women together to inspire change, empower and educate, and build stronger, healthier communities. Valerie is a trusted expert in the media regularly appearing on media networks including ABC’s Good Morning Washington Show, and contributing expert quotes to publications like Women’s Health Magazine, The Thirty, and Shape.

This Week We Talk About: 

• What self care is NOT and what it actually is
• Why the image of self care that gets portrayed in the media and on social media is actually harmful and contributes to stress levels
• Why self care has to be individualized for YOUR needs
• Why basic physical, mental, and emotional health needs are a good place to start when thinking about building a self care practice
• How to fit self care into pockets of your day
• Why you shouldn't just focus on stress management when you're busy and stressed
• Foods that support moods and energy
• Why sometimes self care isn't just about what you're doing... it's also about what you're NOT doing

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Why and How to Track your Menstrual Cycles with PCOS —  it's now more important than ever to learn how to identify your fertile window, whether you're trying to get pregnant or trying to avoid pregnancy. So I've decided to make this 38-minute video resource free to all.

Where to find Valerie Agyeman, RD

Valerie's website: Flourish Heights

Valerie's Instagram: @flourishheights

Bloom Summit DC, August 21, 2022: Get tickets

Love the podcast?

Leave a rating and review! Or share an episode with a friend who could benefit!

Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

Summer Break

We practice what we preach here at The Hormone Dietitian and are taking a 4-week summer break from the podcast. Now is a great time to catch up on any of the episodes you've missed! Keep in touch at our website and on Instagram. We'll be back August 16th with all new episodes!

As a registered dietitian, I get a lot of questions about how people can balance their hormones with over-the-counter supplements. But I only ever give one answer to that question: It depends.

Plenty of “hormone-balancing” supplements can be helpful, and I do use and recommend them in my practice as needed (in specific, targeted, and usually short-term ways). However, many of the hormone-balancing supplements on the market are nothing but fancy marketing, not right for the condition they’re being sold for, or contain subtherapeutic levels of active ingredients. And many of them don’t actually do what they promise on the label (or contain what they say they do). 

Because of all that, I wanted to do an episode talking about some of the more popular brands of hormone balancing supplements, fertility supplements, and prenatals on the market right now and why you should look beyond the marketing to determine if it’s something that is actually going to help YOU or not. And since it’s always more fun to rant with a friend, I’ve invited my dietitian bestie, Lauren Manaker, to join me.  

Lauren is a premier researcher when it comes to fertility, pregnancy, and women’s health. She’s the author of several books including Fueling Male Fertility, Avoiding Allergens While Breastfeeding, and The First Time Mom’s Cookbook. Lauren has experience working with several supplement companies and even helping them formulate their products based on the latest research. In fact, we both have experience in marketing in the nutrition products space, so we understand what brands are trying to do with the claims they’re making. 

In this episode, Lauren and I talk about prenatal vitamins and fertility and hormone balancing supplements, and what these two experts think about some of these products. 

This Week We Talk About: 

• How to look beyond the marketing and determine if a supplement is going to help you or not 
• What’s actually in these supplements and what sets them apart from the other brands
• Which formulas may actually be beneficial and which ingredients are added in mostly for marketing purposes 
• What kind of supplements most people can benefit from and which ones should be avoided
• How to spot supplements made by or endorsed by registered nutritionists to get the most out of your supplement choices 
• Why you should consult with a registered dietitian when you’re trying to decide which supplements might be right for you

Mentioned in this episode

The Period Problems Root Cause Roadmap - If your periods are sent from hell and you’re looking for some relief, check out my new program The Period Root Cause Roadmap™! I’ll help you identify and address the root causes of your painful periods, PMS, PMDD, endometriosis, and more. That means no more period zits, blood clots, or cramps, and regaining 2-3 weeks of your life every month! 

The VIP tier includes comprehensive functional testing, 2 virtual appointments with me, and your personal, customized nutrition, lifestyle, and supplement plan to help you get the answers you need to get the best results possible.

Are you ready to let me help you get rid of your period problems once and for all? 

Click here to join! 

We're starting March 15th, 2022!

Where to find Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, LD, CLEC

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Women's Health Expert and Nutrition Communications

Website: www.NutritionNowCounseling.com

IG: @LaurenLovesNutrition

Published books: The First Time Mom's Pregnancy Cookbook and Fueling Male Fertility

Melissa’s Fertility & Pregnancy Supplement Protocol: https://us.fullscript.com/protocols/thehormonedietitian-fertility-pregnancy-protocol

Cannabis is a hot topic in wellness these days, from CBD infused teas and kombuchas available at your local grocery store to gummies and tinctures. But there's more to cannabis than just CBD and THC — there are actually hundreds of cannabinoids, terpenes, and other active compounds found in hemp plants that can impact health. But what do they actually do and are they safe? Since I work mostly with women, I field a lot of questions about cannabis and women's health: Are there hormonal conditions cannabis may help with? Is it safe while trying to conceive, pregnant, or breastfeeding?

The answer is, we don't have the research either way. Which can be totally frustrating!

And then let's say you decide that cannabis is something you're interested in trying... where do you even start? What's the legal way to purchase and use it in your state? What form should you buy — tincture or gummies or salve or flower or what? What dosage? Which cannabinoids in which ratio? What does "full spectrum" mean? And what the heck is "purple kush"?!

I was confused too! So I invited Emily Kyle, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Holistic Cannabis Practitioner to join me on the podcast and talk through all of these issues and more.

Emily Kyle, MS, RDN, HCP, helps people sort through misinformation, conquer fears, and find support as someone interesting in learning how to use cannabis. After years of struggling to manage her own chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and severe mood swings with conventional treatment, she finally turned to the cannabis plant to find relief from her symptoms and was able to reclaim her daily joy and productivity because of it. Now she shares how to use cannabis safely and responsibly with others while breaking the long-held stigma of using cannabis. 

This Week We Talk About: 

• What is the endocannabinoid system (yes, it's a real thing!) 
• Benefits of cannabis and women's health conditions it may be helpful in
• Why you should pay attention to cannabinoids, terpenes, strains and what "the entourage effect" is
• Different types of products and where to start
• Why "low and slow" is the way to go and what you can do if you take too much
• State regulations around online cannabis shopping and why clinical research has been hampered by lack of federal legality
• Why cannabis use is stigmatized while alcohol use and prescription drug use aren't
• How to avoid some of the common pitfalls of cannabis use like the "munchies"
• Emily's own experience being open about her cannabis use publicly and how it has evolved to her becoming a licensed grower

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Emily Kyle, MS, RDN, HCP

Emily's website: Emily Kyle Nutrition

Sign up for Emily's Newsletter (it's great!): Emily's Newsletter

Emily's Instagram: @emilykylenutrition

Love the podcast?

Leave a rating and review! Or share an episode with a friend who could benefit!

Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

Many people with PCOS want to lose weight. And while it is absolutely your right to be comfortable in your own body, the misinformation about how losing weight with PCOS is the answer to all of your problems is rampant. Restrictive diets do more harm than good and research shows that weight cycling (aka, yo-yo dieting) is more harmful to health over the long run than never having gone on a diet at all.

This week we’re diving into why you might want to reconsider pursuing intentional weight loss with PCOS and what to focus on instead. So I brought in my friend and colleague Sam Abbott, who specializes in just this area. 

Meet Sam Abbott, a registered dietitian nutritionist who helps those with PCOS ditch diets, improve insulin resistance, and balance hormones without feeling guilty or stressed about food. She is passionate about empowering people with PCOS to find peace and balance with nutrition, hormones, body, and life. Sam is also the creator of the PCOS Food Freedom Program – a complete program for improving hormone balance without a side of diet culture or weight stigma. 

In this episode, I sit down with Sam to talk about intuitive eating, health at every size, and why weight cycling is dangerous.

In this episode, we talk about 

• Why dieting and weight cycling can be dangerous, especially for people with PCOS 

• What health at every size means to Sam and her practice

Mentioned in this episode

The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap - For the first time EVER I am hosting The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap LIVE! Usually, this program is a solo mission, but starting February 1st I’ll be there to guide you through this journey. Together we’ll be replacing failed diet plans with tried and true nutrition methods and strategies for people with PCOS. See you there!

Where to find Sam Abbott, MSEd, RD, LDN, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

PCOS Food Freedom // G & G Nutrition Co.

Nutrition Coaching for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Website: https://pcosfoodfreedom.com 

Email: Sam@pcosfoodfreedom.com 

Instagram: @pcos.nutritionist

Sam Abbott’s PCOS Free Food Freedom Workbook: https://pcosfoodfreedom.com/workbook/

Isn’t that great!? Imagine a world where your symptoms are virtually non-existent!

In this episode, I talk about 

• What symptoms a doctor looks for to diagnose you 
• How PCOS can affect your daily life
• How to manage PCOS

Mentioned in this episode:

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop - In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS. 

https://thehormonedietitian.com/easypcos

We've talked about gut health and the connection between gut health and hormone health on this podcast. Gut imbalances and dysfunction is a common root cause of hormone issues, because if the gut isn't working right, your hormones won't be either. But the gut doesn't become imbalanced on its own. So in this episode, we're digging into some of the root causes of gut issues, and one specific gut issues that's more common than you might think: PARASITES. (Fair warning if you're squeamish!) In this episode, we talk about how common parasites are, how we get parasites, how to know if we have them, how to get rid of them, and the surprising connection between parasites and the moon.

Robin Foroutan, MS, RDN, my friend and colleague, is an award winning integrative and functional dietitian specializing in digestive health, detoxification support, and inflammation to reverse imbalances in the body that cause symptoms. Robin has an undergraduate degree in nutrition from NYU and a Masters in nutrition from Columbia University. She has done extensive post-graduate training in Integrative and Functional Medicine and in her virtual practice at Nutrition By Robin and at The Morrison Center in New York City has come to realize just how common parasites are... and how to actually get rid of them.

We get deeeep in this episode and hold nothing back when talking about gut health, parasites, and the moon!

This Week We Talk About: 

• Stealth infections and how they impact health
• Long-COVID and post-COVID changes in the body
• How the gut and gut microbiome are critical to health
• Why we need to start at the bottom when we're treating gut issues
• Some "red flag" symptoms that may indicate gut issues, even if you don't have overt digestive symptoms
• How our guts get "jacked" in the first place - what we know and what we suspect
• Why parasites are so hard to find through testing and hallmark signs to look for instead
• Where we get parasites from in the first place
• Common treatment approaches for parasites and why they have to be aligned with the moon cycles to be most effective
• Foods and herbs you can add to your diet to support microbiome health and prevent dysbiosis

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Robin Foroutan, MS, RDN

Robin's website: Nutritionbyrobin.com

Robin's Instagram: @foroutan.nutrition

Love the podcast?

Leave a rating and review! Or share an episode with a friend who could benefit!

Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

A Nutrition Episode

You KNOW you feel better when you take the time and energy to plan out healthy, balanced meals and snacks... but for whatever reason, you're just not making it happen regularly. Maybe you're too hungry by the time you get home from work to come up with a healthy dinner game plan... or maybe your fridge and pantry aren't stocked with the staples you need to be able to pull together a meal quickly. So you end up relying on takeout again. Or maybe you're in a mealtime rut or you're dealing with challenges like cooking for one (on one end of the spectrum)... or being a short-order cook for a family with different dietary needs. Ugh. No wonder you don't want to cook! This week I'm talking to Elise Compston, of Compston Kitchen, about making meal planning fun!

Can you really put the fun in meal planning? Yes you can! We all eat! Why not make that process an enjoyable one?

We talk about the whole process, from planning, to shopping, cooking, and more, and you'll walk away with TONS of actionable tips and ideas you can start incorporating now!

Elise is a nationally recognized registered dietitian, recipe developer, and content creator. She has developed recipes for a NY Times Bestselling author, nationwide food delivery service, and leading Los Angeles hospital. She founded and runs Compston Kitchen with her husband Stephen — who is also a dietitian. Together they create simple, affordable, plant-focused recipes with creative spins on classic dishes and tasty new favorites. And as the mom of 2 small children, she also puts a big priority on making food fun!

This Week We Talk About: 

• Easy and realistic tips for getting started planning meals and snacks
• Grocery shopping strategies so you always have the ingredients for quick and easy meals on hand
• Why swearing off "processed" foods is costing you time and money
• Finding the time and energy for cooking and saving time with one-pot meals
• Specific ideas for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks
• Why sauces should get a starring role in your kitchen
• Tips for cooking for one without getting bored and for cooking for a family with different dietary needs without becoming a short-order cook

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Elise Compston, RDN:

Compston Kitchen Website: compstonkitchen.com - tons of recipes here!

Instagram: @compstonkitchen

Download Elise's One-Pot Wonders Recipe Guide - FREE with promo code hormone

Love the podcast?

Leave a rating and review! Or share an episode with a friend who could benefit!

Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

Disclaimer: This website and podcast are not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before implementing nutrition, lifestyle, or supplement changes.

If you're thinking about trying to conceive... why might you want to consider working with a doula? What's the difference between a doula and a midwife? Can you work with a doula if you're having a hospital birth? When should you reach out to a doula during pregnancy? I had these questions about working with a doula and more, and I suspect you do too!

In this episode, I'm talking to Erika Watson-Lawson, who is not only a doula but a dietitian as well. In fact, she refers to herself as a Doula-Dietitian Diva and a Dietitian by Day, Doula by Night, and she is able to help her clients in a unique way, supporting them not only through preparing for birth physically but also nutritionally!

Erika, founder of Purely Nourishing Doula, has been a registered dietitian for over 15 years, and added virtual and in-person (Jacksonville, FL area) doula services which include nutrition coaching, pregnancy and labor services, and postpartum care. She strives to educate and empower pregnant people and their partners through the whole process. Having PCOS herself, and the mother of 4 (including a set of twins!), she not only knows what she's talking about, but she's been there herself!

In this episode, I'm talking with Erika about all the reasons why you might want to consider having a doula on your team for your next birth!

This Week We Talk About: 

• What doulas do, the difference between doulas and midwives, and who might benefit from doula support
• The different times and places where doulas can offer support to birthing parents
• How being a doula dietitian allows her support her clients with 360º care
• What working with a virtual doula actually looks like
• How doulas work with birth partners to keep them involved in the process
• The importance of doulas in the Black community
• Why postpartum support is essential and what to focus on
• Erika's personal journey with PCOS and becoming a mother

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down exactly HOW to eat for PCOS. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, no matter where you are so that you can have balanced blood sugar, lower inflammation, and support gut and hormone health... without giving up a single food or spending hours in the kitchen!

Where to find Erika Watson-Lawson, Doula-Dietitian:

Erika's Website: Purely Nourishing Doula

Erika's Instagram: @purelynourishingdoula

Love the podcast?

Leave a rating and review! Or share an episode with a friend who could benefit!

Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

Disclaimer: This website and podcast are not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before implementing nutrition, lifestyle, or supplement changes. 

Many people come to a  Registered Dietitian Nutritionist after they’ve tried getting pregnant or are currently pregnant. But the earlier in your fertility journey you can start working on nutrition, the better — I’ve never heard anyone who’s pregnant say they regretted working on their nutrition and lifestyle! So that’s where we’re starting. This week’s episode is for everyone out there who wants to start looking into nutrition and lifestyle recommendations for fertility, whether they’ve been trying to conceive for a while or whether they’re just starting to think about it.  

In this episode, I’ll be talking to friend and colleague Whitney Gingerich. Whitney is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & holistic fertility coach helping women learn how to nourish, move, and rest their bodies to optimize their hormonal health and fertility.

As a board-certified food & fertility nerd with a decade of experience and a knack for health humor, Whitney uses the 5 pillars of fertility to create lasting change so that women struggling to conceive can bring joy and pleasure back into their lives while addressing the root causes of their health issues.

This week, Whitney and I discuss her journey to becoming a fertility dietitian, the myths around fertility and where you can get actual answers to your problems, and how you can bring a more holistic approach to your own fertility journey.  

*Please note that there are a few swears in this episode so if you have little ones or are listening at work, you may want to use headphones for this episode. Thanks!

This Week We Talk About: 

• How her own struggles with eating led to Whitney’s career in nutrition
• Why her own pregnancy pushed Whitney to learn all she could about fertility nutrition  
• Which fertility myths are just myths and what actually helps improve your fertility chances 
• Who has been left out of fertility studies and how that impacts fertility trends 
• Which supplements Whitney recommends for fertility across the board
• How you can monitor your hormones at home
• Why we shouldn’t leave our partners’ nutrition out of the picture
• When you should reach out to a fertility dietitian for advice

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Whitney Gingerich, RDN

The Fertility Nut

Website: www.thefertilitynut.com 

IG: @thefertilitynut 

Facebook: The Fertility Nut

Take the Baby Body Quiz to find out if your body is ready to get pregnant: https://thefertilitynut.com/babybodyquiz

Stef is a fertility dietitian & nutritionist and founder of The Dietologist. She and her virtual practice team are dedicated to excellence in nutrition for reproductive health concerns, fertility & pregnancy. Her passion for nutrition in this space has truly grown from her experience helping her clients online from around the world and also through her own personal experiences of navigating a diagnosis of endometriosis.  

This Week We Talk About: 

• How Stefanie got interested in preconception nutrition by starting our working in pediatrics
• How specializing in fertility nutrition led to Stefanie's own diagnosis with endometriosis
• Why overlapping GI conditions and vague symptoms make getting diagnosed with endometriosis difficult
• Why there's no one-size-fits-all approach to endometriosis nutrition
• Easy tips for incorporating an anti-inflammatory endometriosis diet and lifestyle plan
• What foods you DON'T need to avoid and what you might want to consider avoiding
• Lifestyle factors that can impact endometriosis

Mentioned in this episode

Tempdrop Exclusive Offer - I'm excited to partner with Tempdrop because not only do I recommend it to my clients, but I also use it myself! You can use your Tempdrop to track your cycle without the usual early morning wake-ups or super strict tracking schedules. Tempdrop helps you collect accurate basal body readings, identify your fertile window, confirm your ovulation, plan for your period, identify pregnancy, and more. 

Whether you’re trying to conceive, avoiding pregnancy, or charting for health reasons, your Tempdrop can help you do it all. You can get 15% off a Tempdrop kit using the code HormoneDietitianPodcast here!

(If that doesn't work, use TheHormoneDietitian)

Where to find Stefanie Valakas, APD

Women’s Health Nutrition & Fitness Expert

Website: thedietologist.com.au

Instagram: @the_dietologist and @endo.nutrition

Facebook Pages: The Dietologist and The Endometriosis Dietitian

Podcast: Fertility Friendly Food

Today’s guest is my good friend, Kendra Tolbert. She helps people prepare for pregnancy by using nutrition and mind-body practices as well as working with their hormones. There is a lot of unlearning we have to do to remove ourselves from society's expectations of us as women, but we need to do it so that we can create a lifestyle that works best for us. 

In this episode, we talk about 

• Why Kendra decided to use nutrition and mind-body health when working with her patients  
• Why it’s important to take care of yourself, especially when you have PCOS
• The effects PCOS has on the rest of our body 
• How PCOS affects our chances of pregnancy 
• How the perfect Instagram worthy version of a woman is not healthy or attainable 

Mentioned in this episode:

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop - In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS. 

https://thehormonedietitian.com/easypcos

Infertility is a difficult situation for so many people. And more often than not, those struggling to conceive are not getting any real answers from conventional medicine. Receiving a diagnosis of unexplained infertility is essentially a medical dead-end and a big old shrug. And it’s incredibly frustrating to be told “we don’t know what’s wrong.” Many of my clients were told that IVF was their only option if they wanted to become parents. Well, it turns out that IVF is not your only option. An infertility diagnosis is not the end of your fertility journey… it’s just the beginning.    Fortunately, there’s a lot we can do to better your chances at fertility. In this episode, we’re taking a look at fertility from an integrative and functional perspective and diving deeper into lab testing, nutrition, and lifestyle changes. I wanted to bring on one of my favorite fertility practitioners to help sort through the things that really matter when it comes to fertility - Dr. Kalea Wattles  

Dr. Kalea Wattles is a naturopathic doctor, certified functional medicine practitioner, speaker, and educator. Dr. Wattles combines her naturopathic and functional medicine training to treat patients with a “Functional Fertility” perspective, using a root-cause, science-based, body-systems approach to cultivating a fertile body. She is dedicated to using this patient-centered method to support patients anywhere on their fertility journey – whether they are thinking about getting pregnant for the first time or exploring advanced fertility treatments.

This week, I’m talking to Dr. Kalea Wattles about the fertility journey patients go through when they’ve been given an infertility diagnosis. 

This Week We Talk About: 

• How farming and gardening has influenced Dr. Wattles’s nutrition studies 
• Why Dr. Wattles went into naturopathic functional medicine
• How to let go of perfectionism when going through your fertility journey
• A deep dive into how mitochondria impact fertility and progesterone levels
• How Dr. Wattles helps her clients adjust to their new lifestyle changes 
• Some of the biggest fertility misconceptions that Dr. Wattles would like to bust

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Dr. Kalea Wattles, ND, IFMCP

Naturopathic Doctor

Website: www.drkaleawattles.com

IG: @functionalfertility

Facebook: Dr. Kalea Wattles 

This episode is a deep dive into the different PCOS types and what that means for you as a patient. Knowing your symptoms and your phenotype can help you find a treatment plan that works for you. AND knowing about PCOS phenotypes can help you rule out PCOS altogether if you have another hormonal syndrome. 

In this episode, I talk about 

• Which PCOS types are real and which are misinformation 
• Conventional medicine and functional medicine PCOS types
• What I look at instead of types
• What you should focus on instead

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop - In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS. 

https://thehormonedietitian.com/easypcos

A Breast Health Episode

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so it's a great time to think about breast health.

What's normal, what's not, and what can you do to keep your breasts healthy all year long, not just during October!

In this episode, I'm talking to Dr. Linsey Gold, a breast surgeon who is not only a practicing medical doctor but also shares her insights as a host on The Breast of Everything Podcast as well as on their Website.

She is a Fellowship trained Breast Surgeon, has worked as the Clinical Director of the Michigan Center for Breast Health, the Director of the Comprehensive Breast Center, Genesys Regional Medical Center. She is involved in the American Society of Breast Surgeons and is certified in Breast Ultrasound. Dr. Gold is alsoan Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. She is actively involved in clinical research and is an investigator and participant in a number of clinical trials under the oversight of the National Cancer Institute.

For 20 years she has been involved in the care of women throughout every stage of their life, from puberty through pregnancy, menopause, and beyond, she knows how daunting navigating your own personal health journey can be. Her goal is to make the process of finding quality information about breast health more intuitive and empowering. 

In this week's episode, I'm talking with Dr. Gold about all things breast health, including normal breast changes, problematic changes, diagnostic tests, treatments, and how to prevent breast cancer.

This Week We Talk About: 

• Common conditions that lead women to schedule an appointment with a breast surgeon
• Benign breast health conditions such as abscesses, breast pain
• What are inverted nipples and when they may be a problem
• The differences between types of breast imaging techniques
• Advances in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment
• Tips for breast health and care for healthy breasts for a lifetime
• Dr. Gold's 2 big "no's" when it comes to breast health
• Should you wear a bra? Is there a best "type" of bra?

Mentioned in this episode

The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap – If you've been struggling with alll of the symptoms of PCOS in this episode and don't know where to start, The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap is my proven and proprietary 6-step signature method to PCOS success. I can help you identify and address the root causes of YOUR PCOS symptoms so that you can feel confident you're making the right nutrition, lifestyle, and supplement changes for your situation.

The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap is based on the exact same methods and tools I use with my clients to get periods back, confirm ovulation, increase energy, decrease cravings, improve skin and hair, lose weight while eating MORE food, and get pregnant naturally. It contains everything you need for support including dietitian-designed suggested weekly meal plans and hundreds of PCOS-friendly recipes, 6 exclusive PCOS yoga videos developed to complement the modules of this program, and a private support community where you can join the over 700 women who've gone through the course. And you get lifetime access, so there's no rush in working through the program and you can always go back if things change.

The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap is only open for enrollment 2x a year and the next round starts October 17, 2022! There will be an option to upgrade to VIP and add weekly group coaching and lab testing, but those spots will be extremely limited.

Now open for enrollment! (enrollment closes 10/14/22)

Where to find Dr. Gold:

Dr. Gold's Website: The Breast of Everything  & Online Shop

Dr. Gold's Podcast: The Breast of Everything — be sure to catch my episode

The Breast of Everything Instagram

Love the podcast?

Leave a rating and review! Or share an episode with a friend who could benefit!

Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

Disclaimer: This website and podcast are not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before implementing nutrition, lifestyle, or supplement changes. 

How do you know if all the changes you're making to manage your PCOS are actually working? How can you tell if your PCOS is actually improving?

I got that question from a member of The Hormone Dietitian Community recently, and I thought you might want to hear my answer as well, so I dedicated this episode to answering how to know if PCOS symptoms are improving!

PCOS is complex, and the symptoms can affect nearly every system in the body. And every case of PCOS is unique — different symptom presentation, different root causes driving those symptoms, different severities of root causes. Not to mention your unique needs, goals, preferences, lifestyle, time and budget to spend implementing changes, access to care, other medical conditions and medications, and more. It may seem like a lot, but the "perfect" PCOS plan for YOU has to be personalized.

In other words, you can spend a lot of time trying different dietary approaches, different exercise regimens and routines, making sure you're getting enough sleep, finding a stress management approach that works for you,  etc... but which changes are going to make the biggest impact on YOUR PCOS symptoms?

And that's not even mentioning supplements... there are so many that can potentially be helpful in PCOS, but which is right for your situation?

It's easy to waste a lot of time and money on approaches that don't work for you, so knowing how to evaluate if your PCOS plan is working or not — and relatively quickly — is important!

In this week's solo episode, I'm walking you through how to know if your PCOS plan is working for YOU — in other words, how to know if PCOS symptoms are improving, and what timeline you can expect to see improvements happen on.

This Week I Talk About: 

• Common PCOS symptoms and the 4 root causes of ALL PCOS symptoms
• Why I don't consider diet and lifestyle to be root causes of PCOS
• My 4-pronged treatment approach for PCOS
• Why the order of my 6-step process impacts time to specific PCOS symptom resolution
• Which symptoms I typically see clear up first in my PCOS patients and students
• A realistic timeline for PCOS symptom improvement, and which symptoms take the longest to improve
• I also take a deeper look at 2 symptoms in particular — weight and infertility — because these are the two most common symptoms my clients and students want to improve
• What your next step should be in getting relief from PCOS symptoms

Mentioned in this episode

The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap – If you've been struggling with alll of the symptoms of PCOS and don't know where to start, The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap is my proven and proprietary 6-step signature method to PCOS success. I help you identify and address the root causes of YOUR PCOS symptoms so that you can feel confident you're making the right nutrition, lifestyle, and supplement changes for your situation.

The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap is based on the exact same methods and tools I use with my clients to get results. They periods back, confirm ovulation, increase energy, decrease cravings, improve skin and hair, lose weight while eating MORE food, and get pregnant naturally. It contains everything you need for support: including dietitian-designed suggested weekly meal plans and hundreds of PCOS-friendly recipes, 6 exclusive PCOS yoga videos developed to complement the modules of this program, and a private support community where you can join the over 700 women who've gone through the course. And you get lifetime access, so there's no rush in working through the program and you can always go back if things change.

The PCOS Root Cause Roadmap is only open for enrollment 2x a year! We start this round on October 17th! There is an option to upgrade to VIP and add weekly group coaching and lab testing, but those spots are extremely limited.

Now open for enrollment! (enrollment closes 10/14/22)

Love the podcast?

Leave a rating and review! Or share an episode with a friend who could benefit!

Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

Disclaimer: This website and podcast are not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before implementing nutrition, lifestyle, or supplement changes. The symptom resolution timelines discussed in this episode are typical of clients and students of The Hormone Dietitian and may not be typical.

A PMS & Period Pain Episode

Should you take the pill for PMS? What about for period pain? Despite what you may have been told, there are more options out there than taking the pill. Furthermore, the pill doesn't *actually* address any of the underlying root causes of PMS or period pain. So in this episode, we're asking the million-dollar question - what other options are there besides the pill for PMS and period pain?

I'm talking to Dr. Saru Bala, and educating women on options besides the pill for PMS and period pain is her passion!

Dr. Saru Bala is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor who has done extra training in the areas of women's health and naturopathic endocrinology. Her mission is to educate women about their periods, hormones, and overall health. She works 1:1 with women to address hormonal concerns without the use of birth control and her primary focus is on managing chronic hormonal issues such as PCOS, period pain, heavy bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis, Hashimoto's, fertility, and other women's hormonal concerns.

Or as Dr. Bala says — she works with women at any stage from their first period to their last period!

This Week We Talk About: 

• The most common underlying causes of PMS
• Foods to eat and lifestyle habits to incorporate that can help reduce PMS symptoms
• The hormone balancing supplements that may help with PMS — and why they're likely not the ones that have been marketed to you
• How PMDD differs from PMS
• What painful periods or pain between periods can mean and why getting a diagnosis doesn't matter as much as you think it might
• How the pill makes hormonally driven conditions like PMS and period pain worse by masking the symptoms but not addressing the underlying root causes
• Why you don't need a "detox",,, but you DO need to support detoxification
• Why you shouldn't have to live with symptoms that may be common but aren't normal, and options beyond just "take the pill"

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Dr. Saru Bala

Dr. Bala's Website: www.drsarubala.com

Dr. Bala's Instagram: @drsarubala

Free Guide to Female Hormones: Download here

Love the podcast?

Leave a rating and review! Or share an episode with a friend who could benefit!

Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about the basics of PCOS and how to identify the symptoms of PCOS. Now we’re going to dive deeper into what you can do as a patient who’s looking for more information on how to actively treat PCOS.   

In this week’s episode, we’re taking a look at two of the questions I get the most when it comes to PCOS. They are:  

1. “What tests should I have done to find out if I have PCOS?”
2. “What types of lab tests should I consider getting to find out more information about which root causes may be driving my PCOS symptoms?”

To answer these questions, I’ve invited our guest, Dr. Corina Dunlap. Dr. Dunlap is a licensed naturopathic doctor (ND) and women’s health and hormone specialist. She is the creator of Health by Design, a deeply personalized women’s healthcare program, and The Healthy Hormones Method, a transformational framework and course for women. Dr. Dunlap will be helping us answer these questions based on her own expertise and experience as a practitioner. 

In this episode, we talk about: 

• What types of practitioners can diagnose PCOS, if that’s something a woman suspects she might have
• What root causes may be driving your symptoms
• How naturopathic care differs from conventional care
• How medications can be prescribed for PCOS in conjunction with the diet, lifestyle, etc, changes

Where to find Dr. Dunlap:

Dr. Corina Dunlap, ND, MS

  Women’s Naturopathic Healthcare

  www.drcorinadunlap.com

 Dr. Corina Dunlap's Instagram

Did you know that September is Interstitial Cystitis Awareness Month? Until a few years ago, I had never heard of interstitial cystitis (IC), even though it affects an estimated 4–8 million women in the US alone! Also referred to as bladder pain syndrome or painful bladder syndrome, symptoms can commonly include urinary urgency, frequency, and pelvic pain. With the causes and treatments not being well understood and with lack of awareness among even healthcare practitioners, having IC can be incredibly isolating. But there is hope, and you can manage interstitial cystitis! Today we're focusing on interstitial cystitis diet and lifestyle recommendations with an IC dietitian.

Callie Krajcir is a Registered Dietitian specializing in interstitial cystitis (IC), a chronic bladder condition. She helps people with IC minimize their symptoms through identifying their unique triggers. Callie is an IC Warrior herself and has suffered from the condition since she was young, making her want to help others suffering from the same condition. She is currently one of only two Registered Dietitians in North America who specializes in IC. Callie currently offers a program called Road To Remission  that combines an elimination diet, education, and a private support community.

Contrary to popular belief, you are not doomed to a life following a restrictive "IC diet." Like anything, managing interstitial cystitis requires a personalized approach — when it comes to IC diet, lifestyle, supplements, medications, and other treatments. 

This Week We Talk About: 

• What is interstitial cystitis — common symptoms, and how it is diagnosed
• Conventional treatments for IC
• What is the interstitial cystitis diet and what the most common trigger foods are
• Why a short-term elimination diet to identify YOUR trigger foods is better
• Lifestyle triggers and suggested changes to lessen IC flares
• Medications and supplements for IC

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Where to find Callie Krajcir:

Callie K Website: callieknutrition.com

Instagram: @callieknutrition & Tiktok @callieknutrition

Callie's free IC masterclass - click HERE

Love the podcast?

Leave a rating and review! Or share an episode with a friend who could benefit!

Give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts on PCOS, hormones, and fertility. Check out our website for more articles and information and to learn how to work with Melissa.

Disclaimer: This website and podcast are not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before implementing nutrition, lifestyle, or supplement changes.

This week, I want us all to start the year on the right foot and make some goals we can actually achieve in 2022. I know that making and sticking to new habits can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. With my 22 ways to hack your New Year's resolutions, these new habits can be enjoyable and easy to merge into your everyday routine. 

In this episode, I talk about 

• WHY we don’t achieve the resolutions we set out to
• How a goal without a plan on how to get there is just a wish
• How to make sustainable “SMART” goals
• Easy action-based habits you may want to try instead to boost your nutrition and lifestyle!

Check out my 22 Ways to Hack your New Year's Resolutions for 2022 freebie here

Mentioned in this episode:

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop - In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS. 

https://thehormonedietitian.com/easypcos

An Infertility Advocacy Episode

If you're struggling to get pregnant, are you public with your journey? Infertility advocacy is not easy, and it puts your private life in the public eye. But my guest today decided that the pros far outweighed the cons of sharing her journey to becoming a mother. As a result, she built a strong infertility community of people who understand the struggles where she shares others' stories and helpful resources.

Wife, mom, women's health, and infertility advocate. Monique Farook has been an entrepreneur for more than ten years.  When she isn't obsessing over home and work life, you can find her on Instagram creating content for her award winning podcast entitled "Infertility And Me." She created the podcast after her own path to motherhood was disrupted by female-factor infertility. Through the podcast, Monique has been able to reach thousands of men and women from all over the world—passing the mic to other survivors to share their stories authentically. Monique's podcast has been featured in Apple iTunes "New & Noteworthy" editor's picks.

In this week's episode, I'm talking to Monique about her own fertility journey, her work as a fertility advocate, and what it's like being so public about infertility on social media.

This Week We Talk About: 

• Monique's journey to conceiving — her diagnoses and challenges finding supportive fertility care
• What made her step away from fertility treatments for 4 years after a first failed IUI
• All of the things she tried when she wasn't working with a fertility clinic
• Why we can't ignore our mental and emotional health while trying to conceive
• Why she made the decision not to pursue further fertility treatments for a second child
• When and why she began sharing about infertility online and on her podcast
• Why you should care about politics if you're undergoing fertility treatments
• Challenges of social media
• Helpful resources for evidence-based fertility information and grants

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, no matter where you are!

Where to find Monique at Infertility and Me Podcast:

Infertility and Me Podcast

Instagram: @infertilityandme

Additional resources mentioned in this episode:

• Cade Foundation
• Bundle of Joy Fund
• The Broken Brown Egg
• Fertility Rescripted
• Chasing Creation

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Disclaimer: This website and podcast are not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before implementing nutrition, lifestyle, or supplement changes.

One of the most accurate ways to track our menstrual cycles is by using basal body temperature tracking. However, the process can be quite labor-intensive, demanding early morning tracking and super strict scheduling. It’s just not accessible to everyone, especially those without a regular sleep schedule. Fortunately, there are devices available to make it easier for everyone!

This week I am partnering with Tempdrop, a company that creates easy-to-use menstrual cycle tracking kits and speaking to a Tempdrop team member Melony Angus. Melony is a certified fertility awareness educator and Tempdrop team member. Discovering fertility awareness and cycle tracking changed her life and she is passionate about helping other women find this knowledge. Mel is especially focused on the link of hormone health to overall wellness and how cycle tracking can be a door to understanding your overall well-being. 

In this episode, Melony and I will be going over the basics of cycle tracking, BBT tracking, and how you can use a Tempdrop kit at home to make cycle tracking easy! 

This Week We Talk About: 

• What is cycle tracking and how it can benefit you 
• How to use a Tempdrop kit 
• How to track your cycle and what you should look for 
• If you can use Tempdrop and cycle tracking as a form of contraception 
• A quick explanation of the Tempdrop algorithm
• Some myths about cycle tracking that Melony would like to bust

Mentioned in this episode

Tempdrop Exclusive Offer - I partnered with Tempdrop because I not only recommend it to my clients, I use it myself! You can use your Tempdrop to track your cycle without the usual early morning wake-ups or super strict tracking schedules. Tempdrop helps you collect accurate basal body readings, identify your fertile window, confirm your ovulation plan for your period, identify pregnancy, and more. 

Whether you’re trying to conceive, avoiding pregnancy, or charting for health reasons your Tempdrop can help you do it all. You can get 15% off a Tempdrop kit using the code HormoneDietitianPodcast here!

Where to find Melony Angus

Temp Drop Team Member 

More about Melony: https://www.tempdrop.com/blogs/blog/welcome-mel-angus-customer-support 

Thanks again to Tempdrop for sponsoring this week’s episode. You can get 15% off a Tempdrop kit using the code HormoneDietitianPodcast here

As an integrative and functional women’s health dietitian, part of my job is to figure out the root cause(s) of my patients’ symptoms. In many cases, I find that hormone imbalances and symptoms can be directly linked to less than optimal blood sugar levels and what it’s doing to their bodies. In fact, balancing blood sugar is a foundational strategy for most people. Today’s episode is all about biology and how blood sugar affects women’s hormones. Once we understand what blood sugar is and how it affects the hormones in our body, we can start to find solutions and feel more balanced. 

In this episode, we’ll talk about the basics of carbohydrate metabolism, the ways blood sugar affects hormones, how to evaluate for blood sugar issues, and how to balance blood sugar with nutrition and lifestyle.

This Week We Talk About: 

• What is blood sugar 
• How insulin resistance works and how it affects the body 

• How blood sugar and insulin imbalances affect sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen and how that leads to symptoms
• How to know if you have blood sugar imbalances
• How to balance your blood sugar with nutrition and lifestyle changes

Mentioned in this episode

PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3 step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.

Depends who you ask! You might see that you "have to" eat gluten- and dairy-free for PCOS. That you should eat low carb or keto. Does glycemic index matter? On the other hand you might see that you should give up all animal products and go 100% plant-based. You may even see that Intermittent Fasting is the secret key when it comes to managing insulin resistance and PCOS.  Should you count calories? Macros? Anything?

No wonder there's so much confusion!

In this episode I'm breaking down the research that does exist in PCOS nutrition, combined with my experience of working with thousands of women with PCOS, to share what actually works when it comes to managing PCOS with diet (hint: there is no best diet for PCOS... there's only the best diet for YOU).

This Week I Talk About: 

• Existing and emerging research in PCOS nutrition, including low-calorie diets, low-carb / keto diets, low-glycemic diets, anti-inflammatory / Mediterranean diets, vegan / plant-based diets, and intermittent fasting / caloric timing
• Why you don't need to cut out any foods (even dairy and gluten) based solely on a PCOS diagnosis
• The problem with trendy "30-day fixes" or "75-day challenges"
• The common threads in "successful" PCOS diets and the ones that weren't so successful
• Why the best diet for PCOS is one that is individualized to your needs and goals

Mentioned in this episode

Losing Weight with PCOS – In this NEW live workshop & Q&A happening June 15th at 7 PM EST, we’ll talk about all the reasons WHY it’s so hard to lose weight with PCOS, why focusing on the scale is the WRONG approach, and what to focus on instead – and the best part is it doesn’t involve giving up ANY of your favorite foods. It’s happening June 15th and it WILL be recorded if you can’t make it live, but of course you’ll want to show up live to get YOUR questions answered! Register today HERE.