The Nourished CEO Podcast

At least ten percent of women have PCOS. Yet, there is very little information out there for handling the symptoms and managing this condition. Many doctors will just tell you to go on the pill and avoid carbs. Through her own experience, today’s guest has some advice to share about how to truly address PCOS for the long run.   About Isabel Garza Isabel is a Registered Dietitian and owner of Woman Wise Nutrition. She specializes in working with women with PCOS and integrates functional medicine strategies with principles of body-trust so that they can eliminate hormone-related symptoms and become the expert of their own bodies. Isabel is passionate about helping women challenge their fears around food while learning to honor their bodies through a gentle approach to their nutrition and lifestyle. She strives to empower women with a deeper understanding of their health so that they can ultimately live their life of purpose.   Understanding the Impact of PCOS Isabel explains how PCOS affects nearly the whole body, not just the ovaries as its name might suggest. From adrenals to neurotransmitters, PCOS can have a considerable impact. As a result, there are some serious symptoms that come with this condition. These can often lead women to have a disconnect with their bodies, which only results in even worse symptoms. Isabel describes how she helps her patients overcome this by emphasizing a stronger connection with the body.   An Informed and Empathetic Approach to PCOS Combining intuitive eating with functional medicine, Isabel focuses her approach on building body-trust. This means reconnecting with your body, understanding the messages it is trying to tell, and responding appropriately. With this approach, women can move beyond just the physiological aspects of PCOS and examine how it affects mental and emotional states as well. How can you start building body-trust today? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode Doing the work necessary to address PCOS [5:15] Why PCOS affects much more than your ovaries [10:05]  Why women with PCOS often have a disconnect with their bodies [15:20] How intuitive eating and functional medicine can work in tandem to help give women relief from their symptoms [17:50] Red flags that disordered eating is an issue [23:00] Developing trust between yourself and your body [33:30] The foundations of establishing body-trust [37:24] The biggest mistake women make when addressing their PCOS [48:00]   Quotes “There is hope. Even with this chronic illness, you don’t need to experience symptoms day to day.” [8:46] “We can’t hate a body that we’re trying to heal. If we’re trying to wrestle it and fight it, then that’s only going to cause more symptoms.” [16:43] “Health is not the destination. It’s the vehicle for everything else in your life; for you to build relationships, fulfill your purpose, to speak the greater things that actually ground you in this life.” [20:43] “Diet - your nutrition - can be very powerful. When people can approach it from a place of empowerment and nourishing their body and not this hard-fast rule that they need to stick to or else, then usually it creates a lot of freedom.” [44:21]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Join the FREE Live Training for Nutrition Entrepreneurs Sign up for the Nutrition Business Accelerator! Find Isabel Garza online Follow Isabel on Instagram 5 Mistakes Holding You Back from Overcoming PCOS Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

There are many reasons for struggles with infertility. Knowing your hormone balance before getting pregnant can be so important for understanding this and getting your body prepared. Today’s guest works to help her patients get the full picture of their health so they can overcome these hurdles.   About Stephanie Paver Stephanie Paver, MS, RD, CSO, CNSC, is a women’s health dietitian with a virtual private practice. She specializes in helping women with PCOS use functional nutrition to achieve regular, healthy periods so that they can get pregnant successfully. Unlike conventional fertility treatments that rely solely on medication, Stephanie helps women prepare their bodies for pregnancy using personalized and evidence-based testing, nutrition, and lifestyle solutions. With clinical roots and an open mind to time-honored food traditions, Stephanie is a forward thinker and a progressive health care provider for over ten years. She graduated with honors from Purdue University with a degree in Dietetics. She completed her dietetic internship at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Chicago and received her M.S. in Nutrition at Arizona State University. Stephanie is a board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition and a certified nutrition support clinician. She also has a certificate of training in weight management, and she is pursuing certification in Integrative and Functional Nutrition.   The Importance of Testing and Information As much as anything else, Stephanie places huge importance on hormonal testing. The information that comprehensive tests, such as the DUTCH Test, provides is needed simply so that you know what you’re dealing with. With this information, Stephanie ensures that the basic elements of her patients’ health aren’t overlooked.  With this information, Stephanie can consider the vast array of information that can clue her into what’s actually going on in women’s bodies. With so many factors that affect fertility, you can’t afford to look at just some parts of the picture. Everything must be taken into consideration. That’s where comprehensive testing can make all the difference.   The Role of DUTCH Tests As a window into their biochemistry, the DUTCH Test helps explain what exactly is going on so that we know what to treat. When PCOS is an issue, these tests can better pinpoint its cause. With this information, women can better advocate for themselves for the treatment that they need. They can also find out what nutrients they need to build and support important biochemical pathways. Has testing given you a better understanding of what is going on in your body? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode Discovering the gaps in modern medicine when it comes to PCOS [6:45] Why testing is such an important part of hormonal health [13:30] What  PCOS is and why it’s so misunderstood [19:05] The benefits of the DUTCH Test for understanding PCOS and pregnancy [27:00] The importance of understanding PCOS sub-types [32:18] A case study of how the DUTCH Test can guide an intervention [38:00]   Quotes “Your period and your fertility is an overall indicator of health. So I think it’s important that we do a thorough exploration to figure out what’s going on so that we can intervene appropriately.” [14:16] “Instead of forcing your body into doing something it’s not ready to do, let’s support your body along the way. Then if we need to use medical treatment, we can, but let’s make sure we’re doing everything we can to support you physiologically, mentally, spiritually.” [23:07] “When I can see how the body is breaking things down - metabolizing - I can better understand biochemistry and pathways. That’s where we can use food and nutrients as medicine. You need nutrients for these biochemical pathways to happen.” [30:15]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Register for the 3 Key Elements of a 6-Figure Nutrition Business training Sign up for the Nutrition Business Accelerator Find Stephanie Paver online Follow Stephanie on Instagram The DUTCH Test Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

There’s so much to be prepared for - both mentally and emotionally - as entrepreneurs. There will be failures along the way. It’s inevitable. Rather than let it stop you, see setbacks are opportunities to learn as you go forward. With that in mind, I’m sharing my biggest business failure and what I learned from it.   About My Biggest Business Failure Around a year ago, I went to launch my Fed and Fearless program for the third time. Despite my high expectations, months of preparation, and initial interest in the program, almost nobody signed up. Feeling confused and dejected, I was left wondering where my business was even going. This led me to really dive into how this could be a learning experience that I could share with others.   Foundations of Your Business and Your Inevitable Success The first big lesson I learned is that business foundations are more important than specific strategies. For the launch itself, I did everything right. Yet, I was missing some important foundational pieces about my business. We have to be clear on certain things, such as what your specific niche is and the problem you’re solving for your clients. Now I know that before doing anything else, we must be crystal clear on these core and foundational principles. I also came to realize that failure is merely a belief. If there is something you are truly called to pursue, your absolute commitment to it will likely be enough to get you there. When looked at this way, a failure is merely a step on the journey to success. Even though it may seem like a terrible setback when it happens, there are lessons to learn that will take you that much closer to achieving your goals.   Setbacks as Part of the Long Journey to Success Setbacks are part of the long process that takes us to where we’re meant to go. In truth, it’s likely that every successful entrepreneur has experienced major setbacks and disappointments. It’s not that successful people don’t fail. Rather, successful people allow those experiences to become part of their journey to success. Finally, I learned to believe in the inevitability of success. That means coming to realize that results won’t always be immediate. The things you do today for your business may not actually show results for years. That doesn’t mean that you’re not doing it right. It means that you have to be patient and that you can’t give up when something doesn’t work right away. Have you experienced a major setback in your business? Tell me what it taught you in the comments on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode Reflections of a business failure [4:00] The learning opportunities that come with failure [16:30] Why business foundations are more important than strategy [20:18] Why failure is merely a self-defeating belief [27:51] Understanding that failure is a natural part of the entrepreneurial journey [32:47] Having faith in the inevitably of your success [40:32]   Quotes “We all experience situations where we thought something was going to go one way. We were hoping something was going to go the way we hoped it would and it didn’t. We have to be able to recover from those experiences in order to really make the most out of life and to be able to approach life in a fearless way.” [3:19] “A business failure is a symptom. It’s not a root of the issue.” [17:11] “These things that we experience as failures, they’re only actually a failure if we choose to interpret them as a failure.” [30:48]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Apply to my annual mastermind! Join the Profitable Niche Masterclass Business by Design Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

It’s commonly said that if you don’t have a diagnosed food allergy, then you shouldn't be avoiding any particular food. Unfortunately, this advice does more harm than good for those of us with food sensitivities. Today’s guest knows from both her professional and personal experience how to intuitively listen to your body so you can eat in a normal way and enjoy your food.   About Rachel Naar Rachel Naar MS, RD, CDN, is a decaf coffee-loving, Leo, with a passion for people, places, running, and Motown Music. She received her Master's degree in Clinical Nutrition at New York University and completed her dietetic internship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She is the founder of her private practice, Rachel Naar Nutrition, where she helps people reinvent their relationships with food, focusing on stress management with a body-positive, intuitive-eating approach. Rachel also assists with gastrointestinal distress and food allergies/intolerances. She aims to demystify food, draw connections to overall well-being, and make life palatable.   Approaching Food Intolerances There’s a lot of uncertainty around food intolerances. Many doctors and dietitians will pass them off as not being a big deal since they’re hard to diagnose. However, there are lots of reasons why it makes sense for an individual to avoid certain foods. Rachel explains what intuitive eating is and how you can use it to maintain a healthier diet.   Listening to Your Body for the Right Nutrition Rachel says that it's very important not to ignore nutrition when approaching intuitive eating. This means being in tune with what feelings of hunger are telling you while paying attention to your nutritional requirements. It’s also about being aware of where your fears around eating come from and addressing them at the root. In fact, Rachel finds that it is possible to decrease or even eliminate certain food-intolerances with the right approach. How do you approach a food intolerance? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode How Rachel developed her body-positive and intuitive eating approach [4:45] Realizing the true nature of diet-culture [12:37] The many psychological and physiological reasons people avoid certain foods [18:00] Techniques for using intuitive eating to overcome food fears [20:20] Addressing doubt about the validity of food intolerances [33:00] The connection between stress and disordered eating [38:50]   Quotes “A true allergy is a little bit easier to understand. But when it’s an intolerance, then the symptoms are not life-threatening and your body is not attacking itself, and it’s just a different story.” [16:47] “It’s sort of a process of trial and error and collaboration. I think first and foremost it’s just really validating their experience throughout it all.” [25:54] “Can we have a pump-up playlist where we call from the power of music? It’s so fabulous! Can we have a pump-up, ready for the food challenge playlist?” [48:00]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Apply to my annual mastermind! Sign up for the Nutrition Business Accelerator waitlist! Find Rachel Naar online Follow Rachel on Instagram Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

Intermittent fasting is one of the most popular ways to eat right now. Certified Nutrition Specialist, Deena Thompson, joins me to talk about the best ways to fast, the most common mistakes people make, and why you should absolutely eat breakfast.   About Deena Thompson, CNS, NTP Deena Thompson is a Certified Nutrition Specialist and a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner with a Master's Degree in Human Nutrition and Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science.  Deena spent her teens and early twenties battling chronic digestive issues, undiagnosed autoimmunity, and a slew of mysterious illnesses. This left her with extreme fatigue and feeling hopeless about ever having the strength or energy to be the mother, wife, dancer, and world traveler she dreamed of being.  Everything changed for Deena when she was introduced to the principles of ancestral health and functional medicine. After working with an incredible functional medicine doctor and applying the principles of ancestral nutrition, Deena was able to recover her health, get back her energy and show up more fully in her life and for her family.  Now Deena is passionate about helping others overcome digestive issues and fatigue so they can have the freedom to live a full and vibrant life, no longer limited by their health.   How to Prepare for Intermittent Fasting Deena Thompson joins me to talk about all things intermittent fasting. There are a few different fasting methods, such as time-restricted eating and modified-fasting, which we’re covering in this episode. Deena shares, from her experience, some of the most common mistakes people make when they begin intermittent fasting. She believes that eating breakfast, even while doing time-restricted fasting, is still vital. It’s common to skip breakfast during a restricted-fast, but Deena explains why it’s actually counter-productive to do this. While Intermittent Fasting is beneficial for so many different people, Deena says that there are a few groups that shouldn’t fast. Examples include pregnant people and those with a history of disordered eating. I’d also add that women with amenorrhea should avoid intermittent fasting.   Making Fasting Work for You Deena talks about another method of fasting she uses with her clients: Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting. This method of modified fasting works best for people with pre-existing conditions or metabolic issues. Staring a period of fasting can feel daunting, but Deena gives her best advice for how to prepare your body. While your natural desire might be to eat everything you want, Deena advises to actually have a low-carb meal instead. Your mindset also plays a valuable role during a fast. Deena shares how you can keep a positive and open mindset during these fasting windows. Finally, she explains how fasting can help with digestive issues and weight loss. Have you done intermittent fasting before? What kind of time restriction did you give yourself? What struggles did you have with it, if any? Let me know in the comments on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode Some of the most common mistakes of Intermittent Fasting [10:30] Why it’s vital to eat breakfast every day, even when Intermittent Fasting [15:30] Who Intermittent Fasting is good for [21:00] What Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting is [31:30] How to prepare for an extended fast [40:00] How your mindset affects your fasting state [46:30] How fasting can help digestive issues [50:00]   Quotes “When you really fuel well in the morning, it sets us up for a better day. We have better blood sugar all day long, we have less food cravings, and our hunger naturally diminishes the way that it’s supposed to.” [16:42] “I think Intermittent Fasting has a really wide application. There are a lot of people that can benefit from fasting. Those that can benefit the most are probably those with a little extra weight to lose and people that have some markers of metabolic issues.” [29:42] “I think that modified fasting is a really great way to do fasting for people that have pre-existing conditions or metabolic issues, like blood sugar imbalances, because it’s just a much smoother transition than just a full-on fast.” [38:12] “Fasting is really a tool for healing, for regeneration. It’s a tool for recovering from poor health conditions. When we come into it with that mindset, from a place of love, care, and honor for our bodies, we’re going to go into it saying we’ll listen to our bodies.” [47:50]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Apply to my annual mastermind! Find Deena Thompson, CNS, NTP online Follow Deena Thompson on Instagram | Linkedin Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

Despite how common pregnancy and birth are, there’s still so much mystery surrounding it. Many women don’t even begin learning about the pregnancy journey until after they’re already pregnant. Today’s guest explains how you can plan for a birth with as much medical freedom and information as possible.   About Dr. Lindsay Mumma Lindsay Mumma, DC, is an entrepreneur, chiropractor, wife, mother, homesteader, friend, daughter, sister, and lots of other things that are hard to put into neat little boxes. She loves helping women from preconception through postpartum. Lindsay is passionate about the core and pelvic floor, believes in living out magic, and thinks anything is possible.   The Modern State of Childbirth In this frank discussion, Lindsay explains how modern medical practices often interfere with the natural process of pregnancy and birth. C-sections are used far more than is usually necessary. Yet there are some real benefits to a natural birth such as proper hormone release and even a better formation of lung-tissue protein in the baby.   A Necessary Process The truth is, even in the best of circumstances, childbirth is a traumatic process. A proper recovery is needed, yet many new mothers rush to get back to “normal”. Lindsay describes why it's necessary to let the birth process occur as naturally as possible in order to support the health of both mother and child. She also explains where to go for help in this process and what is and is not possible to do at home. Are you planning on having or have had a natural birth? Tell me about it in the comments on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode How Lindsay came to specialize in prenatal and postpartum care [5:40] The role of community and experts in caring for a pregnancy [12:00] Some of the benefits of natural birth versus surgical birth [16:40] How to best advocate and prepare for a natural birth [30:30]   Quotes “It’s such a beautiful process that is super on purpose so that baby comes out ready for life outside the womb. But we can step in and intervene and make it a little easier and set the date and all that. But we’re skipping over a lot of beautiful processes that are inherently part of the journey into the world.” [16:15] “Having a baby is a big freakin' deal. It literally changes every single thing from the cellular level of your body all the way to the metaphysical. Everything about you changes when you have a baby.” [17:44] “We have to go through struggle in order to get to the other side. There is no way around it…. We need that work of childbirth because that work is not pointless. That work is purposeful.” [27:53]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Apply to my annual mastermind! Find Dr. Lindsay Mumma online Follow Lindsay on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin Ina May Gaskin Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

Last year was crazy! Whether 2020 was a good year or a bad one for you, we were all affected by national and world events. Now that we’re in a new year, it’s time to put accomplishing your new goals into action.   The Source of Your Goals is You My goals and habits are rooted in who I am. This means having a vision of the person who I want to be and the life I want to live. This changes over time and that’s okay. It’s fine if yours does too. Having a vision based on your core values will provide you with some direction. By identifying your vision, you’ll be able to think strategically about the path you will want to take to reach your goals.   Be Flexible and Open to Change with Your Goals Now a big lesson from this past year is that there is a lot outside of our control. That’s why I feel it’s very important to be open to adapting your expectations as time goes on. Don't get too emotionally attached to your outcomes and how you plan to achieve them. Flexibility and open-mindedness are key to this mindset.   Breaking Down Your Goals with Meaningful Action I find that ninety days is a good chunk of time to plan for my goals. Identify something that is reasonably easy to accomplish within that time that would move you towards your vision. Think of a few projects that will move you along that path. Identify the smaller steps that are needed to complete your project and assign them due dates. By breaking a larger goal down into smaller manageable tasks, you can begin to take meaningful action right away. What can you do over the next three months that aligns with your vision and beliefs? Let me know in the comments on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode How my goals have changed over the years [2:50] Setting a vision to strategically reach your goals [5:40] Recognizing when we don’t have control over particular outcomes and circumstances [10:05] Setting quarterly goals according to your core beliefs [14:30] Useful tools for staying on track with your goals [22:00]   Quotes “By identifying that vision I’m able to think more strategically about the path it will require for me to get there and the specific actions I will need to take that will move me along that path.” [7:21] “As much as I have these goals… the fact is that I don’t have control over all the outcomes. I can plan for it. I can vision it. I can come up with the individual steps I’m going to take to get there. But I’m not really in control of those outcomes.” [10:05] “After you’ve assigned all the tasks, then really it’s just time to focus on those individual tasks and their due dates and to chip away at the project until it’s done.” [25:41]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Apply to my annual mastermind! Find your free guide on my website Asana Trello Monday.com Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

As many as one in five Americans suffer from IBS. SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) is one of the most common causes. Yet, so often this common condition goes untreated and leads to food fears which just makes things worse. Today’s guest is someone who works with people with SIBO to help them surmount these very real obstacles.   About Amy Hollenkamp, MS, RD Amy Hollenkamp is a Registered Dietitian on a mission to help her clients with SIBO and IBS overcome their symptoms so they return to their true purpose. Amy focuses on digging into the root causes of her clients’ symptoms so that they can find lasting relief without restrictive diets. Amy writes about her own battle with SIBO and her latest SIBO insights in her blog, the SIBO Diaries.   Food Fears, IBS, and Getting the Nutrients You Need From both personal experience and her work, Amy is familiar with the link between IBS and food fears. When eating causes pain and discomfort, it’s only natural that negative associations with food will arise. This leads to a whole host of other problems such as disordered eating and malnutrition. That’s why it’s crucial to focus on finding nourishing foods while treating SIBO. With all the focus on cutting out foods, supplements, and labs, the nourishment aspect often gets forgotten. Amy describes what a balanced diet looks like for those with SIBO and why it’s much better than the commonly prescribed restrictions.   Nurturing a Healing Mindset Because it’s impossible to meet nutritional needs when you’re afraid to eat, Amy works to help her clients move past their fears. Since there is both a mental as well as a physical element to this, Amy takes a careful and measured approach. This means not trying to accomplish too much at once but realizing that true and lasting progress takes time and commitment. Going slowly and thoughtfully helps us get adjusted to new food both physically and mentally. This builds new positive beliefs around food so that you can get the nutrition you need to heal and recover. Have you been diagnosed with IBS or SIBO? What has helped and what hasn’t? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode How Amy’s history with IBS led her to help others with SIBO [6:00] The link between SIBO and malnutrition [13:00] Common dietary mistakes that exacerbate SIBO [21:40] Tips for moving past food-centered fears [30:15]   Quotes “A lot of people are stuck in that vicious cycle of just clearing or restricting diet-wise and they never look deeper. They’re not working with anyone who is looking deeper and it’s a very frustrating track to be on. Unless you figure what the SIBO is rooted in, it’s hard to move forward.” [11:32] “Usually the people who are more balanced when they come to see me tend to make better progress faster because they’re getting better nutrition, even if it isn’t perfect by SIBO standards. It’s just one of those things where this idea that you have to be on this restrictive diet to get better is not accurate from what I’ve seen.” [29:48] “Food isn’t the problem. It’s the environment that’s causing you to potentially react to foods. And by not eating foods, you could be creating a worse environment.” [39:30]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Apply to my annual mastermind! Find Amy Hollenkamp online Follow Amy on Facebook | Instagram Use code FEARLESS for 20% off Amy’s program The SIBO Diaries The IBS Freedom Podcast Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

As women, it’s empowering to have an understanding of our hormones. They influence us in as many ways as we influence them. It’s a complex topic that we are still learning more about every day. That’s why I’m so excited to welcome today’s guest who sheds important light on how we can live in better harmony with our hormones.   About Kaely McDevitt, RD Kaely is a Registered Dietitian who helps her clients personalize their nutrition for optimal health and hormones. Kaely runs a virtual private practice specializing in women's health and is a co-creator of the online women's health course and community, Her Hormones Academy. She is energized by helping women take back power over their health and wellbeing.   Hormones as an Indicator of Your Health Although many things affect our hormones, Kaely explains why they are often not the source of the problems themselves. Instead, they’re how your body communicates that something else is wrong. From irregular cycles and heavily symptomatic periods to acne and brain fog, your hormones are trying to tell you something. Too often, we get caught up in a lifestyle that leads to irregularities. What and when you eat, your sleep patterns, levels of activity, and stress all have an impact. With the extreme nature of messaging around health, too many women push themselves too far. This sends unsafe signals to the brain that naturally manifest in hormonal imbalances.   Retaking Control of Your Health and Hormones In order to retake control over hormonal health, Kaely describes several actionable steps. First of all, she stresses the importance of getting enough to eat every day. Getting the proper exercise is also crucial, particularly strength-training as well as restorative movement. It all comes down to doing the right thing in the right amounts.  Many clinicians rely on lab tests to help guide their recommendations. While there is a huge value to many of these tests, Kaely cautions us about getting carried away. More important than any test is taking control over the foundations of your health. Once that is in order, substantial change can truly take place. Are your hormones trying to tell you something? Share it in the comments on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode Kaely’s journey to help other women navigate their way through hormone complications [3:38] Why many women believe that their hormones are their biggest issue [9:50] Common hormonal symptoms that suggest something else is wrong [12:25] Actionable steps to taking control of hormonal health [22:10] How dieticians can best use labs to support their clients [36:00] The one thing that everyone should do improve their hormone balance [44:00]   Quotes “Your hormones are your dashboard warning lights. They’re not the root of what’s going on but they’re usually what’s letting you know what’s causing some of the symptoms that you notice.” [10:21] “We’ve got so many things that can move the needle so dramatically that are oftentimes so straight-forward and oftentimes free to implement. You gotta start general first and then get specific if the need is there.” [34:59] “Knowing how to map out where you are in your cycle so that when you do have symptoms you can see where in your cycle that it’s falling gives you so much insight into what might be out of balance for you.” [45:12]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Apply to my annual mastermind! Find Kaely McDevitt online Follow Kaely on Instagram Lab testing free guide Her Hormones Academy The Fifth Vital Sign by Lisa Hendrickson-Jack Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden Dr. Aviva Romm Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

Sadly, many women of faith struggle with disordered eating. They may be getting their messages about their bodies from the wrong place or are dealing with spiritual battles surrounding those beliefs around food. Today, I talk with someone who will help you get the perspective you may need to start to take action on overcoming these negative beliefs.   About Brittany Braswell, RD Brittany is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RDN) who has a passion for helping women of all ages discover their God-given worth and value.  She believes that a person’s identity cannot be based on their appearance or abilities, but can only be found in the Lord. Brittany strives to make each of her clients know that their voice is being heard and that it matters. She is passionate about serving her clients and helping them establish a healthy relationship with food and their body in order to improve their quality of life and walk free and fearlessly in their purpose.   The Role of Faith in Knowing Your Worth Of course, it is still possible to get results without a faith-based element. However, both Brittany and I have found that bringing faith into the process allows for more drastic and lasting results. This means reinforcing the idea that worth does not come from society. Instead, your worth is something God-given that no person or diet can give or take away.   Listening to the Right Voices Brittany helps her clients recognize where the negative voices they hear come from and differentiates them from God’s voice and their own. When self-talk revolves around guilt, condemnation, rushed decisions, and obsessions, you should try to recognize these as voices to reject. Listen for encouragement, reassurance, clarity, and anything to build confidence and a sense of calm. Honing in on these positive internal voices is a crucial step in regaining your control and addressing disordered eating. Does your faith play a role in how you treat your health? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode How Brittany became a dietician who supports people with eating disorders [4:20] What happens when faith becomes part of the recovery process [8:28] How to recognize an eating disorder[12:05] The distinction between the voices you hear concerning eating [17:00] The role of emotions in regaining control over eating [33:33] Strategies to grow in your ability to listen to God’s voice [37:20]   Quotes “Once you really know your true worth and value and where it comes from - that it’s not based on your body-weight or your health or your shape - there’s that much more freedom you can experience.” [10:14] “Food has no morals. It doesn’t have the ability to make a choice. It can’t make a decision. It’s an inanimate object. So eating the food doesn’t make it good or bad and eating the food doesn’t make you good or bad.” [13:34] “Feelings or emotions are indicators, not dictators. You have to take your emotions into consideration when you are making a decision, but they cannot be the sole factor in your decision-making process.” [34:20]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Apply to my annual mastermind! Find Brittany Braswell online Follow Brittany on Instagram Get your FREE copy of Faith Over Fear Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative