The Hormone Genius Podcast

Have you ever wondered how herbs can support your hormones and overall well-being—especially as a woman? On today’s episode of The Hormone Genius Podcast, we’re diving into the world of herbalism and how nature’s remedies can offer real healing. We’re thrilled to be joined by Colleen Ritz, a clinically trained herbalist, hormone coach at the Fiat Institute, wife, and mom of (soon to be!) six children. With a master’s degree in clinical herbalism and a passion for holistic healing, Colleen helps women find balance in their bodies through personalized herbal support and lifestyle changes. She believes in working with the body, not against it, and shares how simple, natural tools can lead to transformational results. Whether you're curious about herbal remedies, dealing with hormone imbalances, or simply looking for more holistic ways to care for your body, this episode is full of practical wisdom and encouragement. 🔗 Connect with Colleen and learn more: www.nurtured- roots.netSPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNIES WITH THE HORMONE GENIUS PODCAST! If you, or a business you know, are looking to expand your reach and connect with an audience passionate about women's health and hormone education, we'd love to hear from you! Whether you're interested in affiliate partnerships or episode sponsorships, we have options to fit your goals. Reach out to us at thehormonegenius@gmail.com for more details and/or fill out the appropriate form below! Affiliate Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScB9KKcAhKnzrAGsmfw25AEUnyR5S9qylieqKTzgk06b-o9Kg/viewform?usp=header Sponsor Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeC0PM0P7NguN2dduMSnHB-NViKfAxiLbahiRU9DeZPtiseUA/viewform?usp=sf_link Opinions, statements, and beliefs of our interviewees are not necessarily a reflection of the HG podcast's beliefs and opinions as a whole. Medical disclaimer: The information presented in The Hormone Genius Podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical or mental health advice from a doctor, psychologist, or any other medical or mental health professional.

Today on The Hormone Genius Podcast, we welcome back a deeply respected guest and friend of the show—Dr. Marguerite Duane, executive director of FACTS About Fertility. This episode tackles a topic that touches the lives of so many women, yet remains clouded by silence and unanswered questions: miscarriage. With 1 in 4 women experiencing miscarriage, the emotional toll is profound—but what’s often more painful is not knowing why it happened. In this powerful and compassionate conversation, Dr. Duane sheds light on the real causes of miscarriage, how it can be properly evaluated, and what steps women can take to advocate for themselves in the medical system. Miscarriage is complex and can stem from multiple factors. Dr. Duane discusses the importance of personalized, thorough evaluations and restorative reproductive medicine to uncover the root issues behind loss. If you've experienced miscarriage or work in women’s health, this episode is both empowering and essential. 🔗 Explore the educational work of FACTS About Fertility: factsaboutfertility.org 📌 Featured Links: FACTS Pre-Conference in Orlando, FL – Open to everyone! FACTS Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, PA – Open to everyone! FACTS Medical Student Elective – For medical, nursing & health professional students FACTS Online CME Course – Open to all Sample the CME Course – Free preview for all! FACTS Membership – Join the movement in evidence-based women's health 📚 Research Articles to Explore & Share: FABMs for Women’s Health and Family Planning Benefits of DHEA & Estradiol to Prevent Miscarriage Whether you're a woman seeking answers, a clinician looking for better ways to support your patients, or simply someone who wants to understand more about this critical issue—this conversation is for you. Opinions and statements shared by our guests do not necessarily reflect those of The Hormone Genius Podcast. Medical disclaimer: The information presented in The Hormone Genius Podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical or mental health advice from a doctor, psychologist, or any other medical or mental health professional.

In this powerful and heartfelt episode of The Hormone Genius Podcast, we honor the life and legacy of Krista Labbe—a Certified Nurse Midwife, U.S. Army officer, and fierce advocate for women’s health—whose untimely passing in 2023 shed light on a silent but serious risk: copper toxicity linked to the copper IUD. Krista's story is not only one of courage and advocacy but also a cautionary tale that underscores the importance of informed consent in birth control decisions. Despite being a trained medical professional, Krista experienced unexplained anxiety, chronic infections, and other debilitating symptoms—later traced back to elevated copper levels. Through her experience, we uncover critical insights about copper metabolism, the limitations of traditional blood tests, and the emerging role of Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) in uncovering hidden mineral imbalances. 🔍 In this episode, we cover: Krista’s health journey and her battle with copper toxicity The science of how copper accumulates in the body Why standard blood tests often miss mineral imbalances The value of HTMA for deeper health diagnostics The importance of advocacy and full-body literacy in women’s health This episode is both a tribute and a call to action—encouraging women to dig deeper, ask harder questions, and empower themselves with the knowledge to make informed choices about their health. 🔗 Resources Mentioned: Krista’s Story: kristalabbe.com Copper Toxicity Info: coppertoxic.com HTMA Testing: mineralsandhealth.com/order Natural Womanhood Article: Read the Article 🙏 Special thanks to Natural Womanhood for amplifying this vital conversation. 🎙 Interested in Sponsoring The Hormone Genius Podcast? Reach a dedicated audience passionate about women’s health and hormone education. 📧 Contact: thehormonegenius@gmail.com 📄 Apply for sponsorship or affiliate partnerships: Affiliate Form Sponsor Form Disclaimer: Views expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of The Hormone Genius Podcast. Medical disclaimer: The information presented in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical advice from a doctor, or any medical professional.

Podcast Overview: The Truth About Ultra-Processed Foods In this episode, we explore the eye-opening insights from Chris van Tulleken’s book, Ultra-Processed People, revealing the hidden dangers of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). UPFs, often found in sugary snacks, ready meals, and sodas, are loaded with artificial additives, preservatives, and unrecognizable ingredients. These foods are designed to be addictive, altering brain chemistry and driving overconsumption, as evidenced by studies like Kevin Hall's 2019 trial, which showed participants eating 500 extra calories daily on a UPF diet. The result? Weight gain, mood shifts, and chronic health issues like obesity and diabetes. UPFs' dominance stems from systemic factors, including marketing, affordability, and convenience, but their health impacts are far-reaching. From ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup to artificial flavors and emulsifiers, these foods are engineered for taste and shelf life at the expense of nutrition. Tune in to learn how to identify UPFs, understand their effects, and take simple steps toward healthier, whole-food alternatives. For extra support, follow us on Instagram @HormoneGenius and post your favorite clean products to claim a free grocery guide with the ingredients to be aware of! Thanks to our sponsor Fiat Institute! If the content you’re hearing on this podcast has stirred something in your heart, and you feel called to be part of the change—to launch a mission in hormone health, wellness, and true women’s health care—then this program is for you! The Fiat Institute certifies women as hormone coaches in a six-month program. You’ll learn about gut health, inflammation, liver detox, cycle charting, cycle-syncing, root cause restoration, and the FiatWay Coaching Methodology. Plus, you’ll find community in weekly calls, small-group breakouts, and the Fiat Sisterhood. Seats for January’s cohort are limited! Schedule a discovery call with Jamie today! Be part of the movement to restore women’s health. Fill out an inquiry form: www.honeybook.com/widget/fiat_inst…0194ff00292a19e2 OR Schedule a 15min 1:1 chat with her! See link: calendly.com/hormoneconsult/fir…chat?month=2024-12 To learn more you can visit www.fiatinstitute.com. Medical disclaimer: The information presented in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical advice from a doctor, or any medical professional.

This week on The Hormone Genius Podcast we welcome a stay at home dad, a self-published author, and hormone genius guy, Author Daniel Kenney, who is also the husband of Teresa Kenney! The life of Teresa's husband will interest many of you in a variety of ways. Learn about how Dan became a stay at home Dad of 8 kids, learned to write stories, and eventually became a self-published author of many children's books, picture books, and cozy mysteries novels, which are under his pen name Daniel Carson! https://www.authordanielcarson.com/ Also, learn about Dan's health journey which includes a transformation of his own body, his hormones, his life really. This includes using a peptide called Tirzepatide for weight loss which I know will interest many. Below is an excerpt from Dan's Memoir called Dad Genius, to give you a flavor of the fun of this interview. Also, Teresa would love for you to consider checking out some of Dan's amazing children's book series which include: The Math Inspectors, The History Mystery Kids, The Science Inspectors & The Remi Muldoon series and so many more! Picture books include: I Am Beautiful Because, I Want to Fix the Moon, I Am Strong Because, I Love You, My Beautiful Boy, I Am Not Afraid to Fail, How to Help An Impatient Cow, and many more. Check out all of Dan's books here https://bakkenbooks.com/pages/daniel-kenney and & https://www.authordanielkenney.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Dad-Genius-Blitherings-Stay-at-Home/dp/1539920437 "The woman had a baby. Then she had two. They needed sleep, shelter, and lots of food. So much food. But still they came. One after another the children came until one day there were 8. Then the woman handed the 8 children to the man. "It's your turn," she said. The man had no plan, below average cooking skills, and a complete inability to fold a sweater. He did things differently than the woman. At first, it was upsetting to some. But eventually, even the skeptics could see. There was something about the way he did things. Some called it Genius. And the man? He called it DAD GENIUS And this is his story. Medical disclaimer: The information presented in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical advice from a doctor, or any medical professional.

Teresa Kenney NP here! For many years, I have been able to see patients benefit from this medication called low dose naltrexone. But is it more hype than for real? It has been known to be a treatment for an incredible amount of conditions including; autoimmune diseases of every sort, chronic pain, PMS, infertility, pyschiatric disorders, and more. That is what it makes it seem unbelievable, a drug that can help such a wide complex of symptoms and conditions. But I am here to tell you that it may be true. We actually have decent research that proves low dose naltrexone, with its immune system modulation powers, and endorphin boosting capability, can truly treat diseases. What I love about LDN is that it is a more root cause approach than most treatments. Through its ability to help our own immune system reduce inflammation markers, and target tissues to gain cellular health, it truly can allow restoration through an underlying root cause way. Now in certain areas, we have a long way to go in terms of the research, and that includes the area of women's health, especially fertility. You can see that Dr. Phil Boyle is leading the charge in this area by following his work on YouTube. Just search his name and low dose naltrexone and he has several videos. I mention a podcast I listened to about the science of LDN and that link is here; https://open.spotify.com/episode/4o4unT9C6IezTuA7qUydfj This is a real deep dive into the science of LDN that I found very fascinating. Other resources mentioned in this podcast, are the low dose research organization, https://ldnresearchtrust.org/ which has put all of the collective research about low dose naltrexone in one spot. This podcast hopefully will give you some new insights into a drug that has been around for many years and continues to evolve, even in the area of cancer research they are finding the ability to suppress tumor growth with LDN! That doesn't mean this drug is for everyone, but it may be for you, and therefore we believe you deserve to have this information and talk to your own doctor, do your own research about LDN, and decide if looking into this treatment is the right path for healing for your individual health concerns. Again, we stress that this is not medical advice this podcast is for information only, and you should definitely discuss LDN with your doctor. Also, know that most doctors are not familiar with low dose naltrexone, and are only familiar with regular dose naltrexone which is prescribed for drug addiction, smoking addiction and weight loss. That is why it is good to be prepared with research and empower yourself to know what the differences between low dose and regular dose naltrexone are. Thanks to our sponsor Fiat Institute! If the content you’re hearing on this podcast has stirred something in your heart, and you feel called to be part of the change—to launch a mission in hormone health, wellness, and true women’s health care—then this program is for you! The Fiat Institute certifies women as hormone coaches in a six-month program. You’ll learn about gut health, inflammation, liver detox, cycle charting, cycle-syncing, root cause restoration, and the FiatWay Coaching Methodology. Plus, you’ll find community in weekly calls, small-group breakouts, and the Fiat Sisterhood. Seats for January’s cohort are limited! Schedule a discovery call with Jamie today! Be part of the movement to restore women’s health. Fill out an inquiry form: https://www.honeybook.com/widget/fiat_institute_244143/cf_id/63c89f1e0194ff00292a19e2 OR Schedule a 15min 1:1 chat with her! See link: https://calendly.com/hormoneconsult/firesidechat?month=2024-12 To learn more you can visit www.fiatinstitute.com. Medical disclaimer: The information presented in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical advice from a doctor, or any medical professional.

Have you ever wondered why doctors are unable to offer any alternatives for women's health issues, other than synthetic birth control? Jamie & Teresa will take a shot at answering this question with some help from a family medicine doctor Rachel Regan! Dr. Regan is passionate about other physicians knowing that it is possible to treat with alternatives to birth control, and give more holistic options for her patients. Dr. Rachel Regan is a board-certified Family Medicine physician who is currently practicing in the Dayton, OH area. She is an NFP-only physician and training to be a NaPro Medical Consultant. She graduated from Caribbean Medical University and then completed residency in 2023 through the University of Tennessee in Jackson, TN. As a Catholic physician she is passionate about teaching women about Natural Family Planning and alternatives to birth control, which eventually lead her to creating a website and blog to make information more easily available to women and couples. "I believe that there are much better alternatives to treating reproductive health problems than birth control. Not only does birth control go against many people's moral values and have a many potential side effects, but it can not be used to diagnose or treat the underlying cause of cycle irregularities and infertility. As an NFP-only physician, I wish that teaching about NFP and alternative treatment options was more widely accepted and taught within medical schools." Get a hold of Dr. Rachel Regan here: www.nfpphysician.com & @nfpphysician Thank you to today's sponsor Pearl & Thistle! Pearl & Thistle equips Catholics to both understand and love God’s design for our bodies–from puberty to perimenopause and everything in between! Moms: Pearl & Thistle’s CYCLE PREP video course is the perfect age-appropriate way to teach your daughter about the menstrual cycle, to talk together about what it’s like to get a period, and get lots of helpful tips to know what’s normal for girls in the first few years of cycling… And if you’re in your 40’s and maybe approaching your own time of transition, Perimenopause Prep will teach you all about the hormonal and cycle changes that come with perimenopause (including why your cycles are crazy short!), providing couples with the resources to navigate NFP during this transition with confidence and positivity, together. Learn more about Pearl and Thistle’s innovative approach to Catholic body literacy at pearlandthistle.com. Can also follow on instagram @pearlandthistle Opinions, statements, and beliefs of our interviewees are not necessarily a reflection of the HG podcast's beliefs and opinions as a whole. Medical disclaimer: The information presented in The Hormone Genius Podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical or mental health advice from a doctor, psychologist, or any other medical or mental health professional.

Today on The Hormone Genius Podcast, we welcome a very special guest—Christa “CJ” Johnston, a listener whose life was forever changed by hearing our very own episode on endometriosis. That one episode gave her the language and insight she needed to recognize her symptoms, pursue answers, and ultimately receive a diagnosis that reshaped her path toward healing. In this heartfelt conversation, CJ opens up about her ongoing journey with endometriosis and infertility. She offers a vulnerable and inspiring look into what it means to wrestle with suffering while still clinging to growth, grace, and hope. This episode is a powerful reminder of how knowledge, community, and faith can equip women to advocate for their bodies and find meaning even in the hardest moments. CJ lives in Minnesota with her husband and their spirited golden doodle. She teaches multilingual elementary students by day and works as a hormone coach certified through the Fiat Institute in her spare time. Her mission? To help women reconnect with the beauty of their bodies and the dignity of their design—one conversation at a time. 📩 To learn more about coaching with CJ, email: info@dignityempowered.com 🎧 Listen to the episode that changed CJ’s life: Endometriosis Episode 🌸 Thank you to today’s sponsor: Pearl & Thistle! Helping Catholics understand and love God’s design for the body—from puberty to perimenopause and beyond. Check out their amazing resources for moms, daughters, and couples navigating hormonal transitions with confidence: 🔗 pearlandthistle.com | 📱 Instagram: @pearlandthistle Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared by our guests are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Hormone Genius Podcast. All content is for informational purposes and not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

Jamie & Teresa already knew how much they could learn from Sophie, in our first podcast with her in 2021, but to have her on a 2nd time is truly bringing us to a genius level! Link to previous podcast with Sophie: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s2-ep-7-gut-health-nutrition-and-getting-to-the/id1527363397?i=1000537722494 When Sophie Shepherd first started, SHE Talks Health back in 2017, she had but one goal – elevating and creating awareness about women’s health, around the world. From the rise in infertility, to epidemically high numbers of chronic illness like Endometriosis, PCOS, and Hashimoto’s, to the intricates of the female libido, irregular and painful menses, impact of hormonal birth control pill and stress and anxiety, SHE Talks Health, empowers women to reclaim their health through learning practical nutrition and holistic lifestyle changes. At 22 she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, put on medication and was told “There was nothing else they could do for me” Exasperated with how lousy she felt, she ended up firing her doctor to search for someone who would truly help her. Today, SHE Talks Health is globally recognised as an organization on the mission to help millions of women to have better periods, happier hormones, a relaxed gut and balanced moods. Empowering women to be the boss of their own health and lives, the organization helps busy women resolve painful and irregular periods, gut issues and anxiety by using the SHE Health Experience Method. This carefully curated method, an amalgamation of functional nutrition, sustainable lifestyle changes, eating psychology coaching, womb healing and functional lab testing, has proven to help women from all over the planet. “We are integrating coaching, lifestyle science, functional lab work and heart centered holistic nutrition coaching with emotional release activations and body love so that our clients feel better not only physically but emotionally and spiritually too,” says Sophie. Founder of SHE Talks Health Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach Creator of the SHE Talks Health Podcast Website: www.shetalkshealth.com IG & FB: @shetalkshealth Work with Sophie: FREE HEALTH STRATEGY SESSION WITH ME: www.shetalkshealth.com/call Here is the mineral test Sophie discussed! HTMA LAB REVIEW: https://l.bttr.to/WfoEz Thank you to today's sponsor Pearl & Thistle! Pearl & Thistle equips Catholics to both understand and love God’s design for our bodies–from puberty to perimenopause and everything in between! Moms: Pearl & Thistle’s CYCLE PREP video course is the perfect age-appropriate way to teach your daughter about the menstrual cycle, to talk together about what it’s like to get a period, and get lots of helpful tips to know what’s normal for girls in the first few years of cycling… And if you’re in your 40’s and maybe approaching your own time of transition, Perimenopause Prep will teach you all about the hormonal and cycle changes that come with perimenopause (including why your cycles are crazy short!), providing couples with the resources to navigate NFP during this transition with confidence and positivity, together. Learn more about Pearl and Thistle’s innovative approach to Catholic body literacy at pearlandthistle.com. Can also follow on instagram @pearlandthistle Opinions, statements, and beliefs of our interviewees are not necessarily a reflection of the HG podcast's beliefs and opinions as a whole. Medical disclaimer: The information presented in The Hormone Genius Podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical or mental health advice from a doctor, psychologist, or any other medical or mental health professional.

Cervical mucus/fluid is the sign of the main event! It is the gatekeeper of your fertility as well. It is through changes in cervical fluid that your fertility opens and closes in a 5-7 day window around the main event of ovulation. The cervical fluid that tells us that ovulation is approaching has very specific properties. Cervical fluid is a hydrogel, or in other words it is mostly water, 90 to 95% water to be more precise. It contains mucin, glycoproteins, and nutrients that help sperm survive and thrive. As our hormones change, our cervical mucus changes, when the estrogen rises during ovulation our fluid becomes more watery, like raw egg whites and it becomes clear and stretchy, and very slippery. This should be an obvious sign of our bodies that we can observe when wiping front to back in the restroom daily. You can start paying attention every day when doing your regular routine by noting the sensation that you feel when you wipe front to back; was it dry, or smooth, or was it slippery? Look at the tissue next and observe whether you see mucus on the tissue; what does it look like? If you pick it up off the tissue, does it stretch more than an inch? Is it clear or cloudy? These are simple ways to be observant of the changes in your cervical fluid through the menstrual cycle. You can learn to chart these symptoms daily as well in your menstrual tracking chart! Again, the cervical fluid is a biological valve that turns on our fertility, and turns off our fertility. It opens and closes based on the hormonal messages that our cervix is receiving through the body. Estrogen in high amounts creates an increase in cervical fluid. Progesterone dries cervical fluid, therefore after ovulation most women are dry, or have very little vaginal discharge. These are just the very basics about cervical mucus, and we are teaching you today this information for the educational purpose of cycle and body awareness. If you are looking to use cervical fluid as a way to determine fertility for the purpose of either avoiding or achieving pregnancy, than you really want to learn to chart your cycles by a trained professional and scientifically validated method of charting. You can learn about different methods of charting from FACTS. https://www.factsaboutfertility.org/ or this site for FABMS; https://fabmbase.org/ or Managing Your Fertility; https://www.managingyourfertility.com/ If you want to look at beautiful pictures of cervical mucus ferning, check out this article which references the work of Dr. Pilar Vigil and the MIT researcher Dr. Katharina Ribbeck; https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/cervical-mucus-health/ Also, thank you to this months sponsor! Brigid Tebaldi... Brigid is a birth trauma recovery coach 🫶 helping moms feel strong and safe after a tough birth & find peace! https://www.instagram.com/loretowellness/ Schedule a FREE mini-session with Brigid by visiting her website www.loretowellness.com, as well as a ton of helpful information to help you on the path of healing and peace today! Medical disclaimer: The information presented in The Hormone Genius Podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical or mental health advice from a doctor, psychologist, or any other medical or mental health professional.