

Hormone Healing RD
Amanda Montalvo
Welcome to the Hormone Healing RD Podcast, where you’ll get clear, practical guidance for your healing journey. I’m Amanda Montalvo, women’s health dietitian and mineral expert. After helping thousands of women and navigating my own healing, I know how overwhelming the wellness world can be. This show cuts through the noise with simple, research-backed insights on hormones, minerals, and what your body truly needs to heal. So let’s dive in and take one intentional step forward together.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 24, 2023 • 53min
A Holistic Approach To Optimizing Cortisol Levels
Stress is a part of everyday life, especially in the fast-paced society we live in today. Many people are aware that having too much stress isn’t good for their health and have at least some idea that stress can cause both physical and mental issues. But what do we do about it? How can we mitigate unnecessary stressors and make our bodies more resilient to the unavoidable stressors in our day to day? That’s what I want to talk about in today’s podcast episode! As always, this podcast episode is not medical advice. Please talk with your provider before implementing any changes. 5 main areas we will cover:Minimizing stressors using nourishment and blood sugarSupporting minerals for a healthy stress responseThe impact of light exposure on cortisol levels and circadian rhythmHow information, inputs, and stimulation can be a blessing and a curseYour daily rhythm’s impact on stress hormones and mineralsMineral Quiz: https://hormonehealingrd.com/guides-support/mineral-quiz/Connect with Me: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hormonehealingrd Free Thyroid Training: https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/bc89ec6723 Feminine Periodical (monthly newsletter): https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/d0317056cd Master Your Minerals course: https://www.hormonehealingrd.com/master-your-minerals-course

Jul 17, 2023 • 1h 1min
How To Eat To Support Your Hormones
Welcome to season five! I am getting back to the basics this season, today’s episode is something most people tend to overcomplicate, which is how to eat to support your hormones. This episode is specifically for you ladies as so many of us have spent years dieting or in a high stress state due to all of the plates we juggle.During this impactful conversation, I share the three main ways to create safety in nutrition and what that actually means for your body. I also give an example of a typical day of a healthy diet, my tips on how to get more protein in and how you can tell if you are eating enough to properly fuel yourself. In today’s episode, I cover:The three main things to create safety through nutrition Calculating your TDEE How to figure out if you are eating enoughStress and stress hormones impact on your body Tips for eating more protein TDEE Calculator: tdeecalculator.net Free Healthy Period Starter Guide: https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/ab86b6faf2 Connect with Me: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hormonehealingrd Free Thyroid Training: https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/bc89ec6723 Feminine Periodical (monthly newsletter): https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/d0317056cd Master Your Minerals course: https://www.hormonehealingrd.com/master-your-minerals-course

May 8, 2023 • 56min
Mineral Highlights
It’s time to wrap up season four of mineral deep dives with a fun recap episode. I will be sharing the highlights for each mineral and if you haven’t listened to an episode and something I talk about interests you, I hope it encourages you to dig a little deeper. Tune in to hear:How to test your mineral status {1:13}Why excess calcium is an issue for so many people {8:51}Magnesium and its importance {13:52}The role of sodium in stress {23:02}Potassium deficiency and blood sugar {30:33}The importance of zinc {36:40}The iron recycling system {41:48}Selenium’s impact on thyroid health {49:31}Links/Resources:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hormonehealingrd Free Thyroid Training: https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/bc89ec6723 Feminine Periodical (monthly newsletter): https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/d0317056cd Master Your Minerals course: https://www.hormonehealingrd.com/master-your-minerals-course

May 1, 2023 • 48min
Selenium Deep Dive
This is our last mineral deep dive of season 4. I covered 7 minerals over the last 8 episodes (iron was a doozy) and will be wrapping up the mineral deep dives with a look at selenium. As always we will go through what selenium does in the body, the recommended daily intake, how it impacts our hormones, and then I will answer your questions at the end with a rapid fire. If you want to learn about the different mineral interactions with selenium, hear me walk through a case study of a client that benefited from selenium, and get a sample day of optimizing the selenium in our food, you can get access to all bonus content on patreon.com/hormonehealingrd.com. As always, this episode is for informational purposes only. Please talk with your healthcare provider before you make any nutrition, lifestyle, or supplement changes. This episode covers:What does selenium do in the body? {2:57}Deficiency and toxicity of selenium {8:35}How does selenium impact the thyroid? {17:28}The connection between selenium and fertility {31:45}What minerals interact with selenium status? {36:51}Do high selenium foods have high mercury? {42:21}Links/Resources:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hormonehealingrd Free Thyroid Training: https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/bc89ec6723 Feminine Periodical (monthly newsletter): https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/d0317056cd Master Your Minerals course: https://www.hormonehealingrd.com/master-your-minerals-course Iodine Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/iodine-the-miracle-mineral/id1568547321?i=1000560008653

Apr 24, 2023 • 48min
Iron Deep Dive Part 2
Strap in, we have a controversial one. It’s time for our mineral deep dive on iron! The mineral that gets many people up in arms, probably even more so than copper. Like most minerals, I think once you understand how our bodies regulate iron, you can see past the confusing information that tends to go to extremes. Most often, things fall somewhere in between. In this episode, I will go through the iron recycling system, what we use iron for in the body, and different iron imbalances. The bonus episode will breakdown iron case studies where I show an iron deficiency case and an iron overload case that go through labs. I also have an iron rich foods list with the amount of iron per serving and a sample day showing how you can get 20-25mg of heme iron and 34-38mg of total iron. I also cover how iron impacts estrogen. You can get access to the bonus episode by joining patreon.com/hormonehealingrd. Quick reminder, this podcast is for informational purposes only. Please talk with your healthcare provider before making any nutrition or lifestyle changes. This episode covers:What is macrocytic anemia? {1:21}Three examples of microcytic anemia {4:20}Highlights of anemia of chronic disease {15:09}Risk factors for iron overload {28:40}The connection between PCOS and iron overload {33:58}How to test for iron {39:39}Links/Resources:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hormonehealingrd Free Healthy Period Starter Guide: https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/9c6b8cf34c Feminine Periodical (monthly newsletter): https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/d0317056cd Master Your Minerals course: https://www.hormonehealingrd.com/master-your-minerals-course Copper Deep Dive episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/copper-deep-dive/id1568547321?i=1000586081883 Zinc Deep Dive episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zinc-deep-dive/id1568547321?i=1000608163442Practitioners can learn more about iron here: https://therootcauseprotocol.com/practitioner-resources/

Apr 17, 2023 • 47min
Iron Deep Dive Part 1
Strap in, we have a controversial one. It’s time for our mineral deep dive on iron! The mineral that gets many people up in arms, probably even more so than copper. Like most minerals, I think once you understand how our bodies regulate iron, you can see past the confusing information that tends to go to extremes. Most often, things fall somewhere in between. In this episode, I will go through the iron recycling system, what we use iron for in the body, and different iron imbalances. The bonus episode will breakdown iron case studies where I show an iron deficiency case and an iron overload case that go through labs. I also have an iron rich foods list with the amount of iron per serving and a sample day showing how you can get 20-25mg of heme iron and 34-38mg of total iron. I also cover how iron impacts estrogen. You can get access to the bonus episode by joining patreon.com/hormonehealingrd. Quick reminder, this podcast is for informational purposes only. Please talk with your healthcare provider before making any nutrition or lifestyle changes. This episode covers:Functions of iron {3:40}How we absorb and release iron {9:05}How bacterial pathogens can acquire iron {19:00}The most important enzymes that help transport iron {24:24}RDA for iron {32:30}How important is bioavailable copper? {38:39}How do I support my thyroid? {43:25}Links/Resources:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hormonehealingrd Free Healthy Period Starter Guide: https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/9c6b8cf34c Feminine Periodical (monthly newsletter): https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/d0317056cd Master Your Minerals course: https://www.hormonehealingrd.com/master-your-minerals-course Copper Deep Dive episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/copper-deep-dive/id1568547321?i=1000586081883 Zinc Deep Dive episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zinc-deep-dive/id1568547321?i=1000608163442Learn more about the intricacies or iron with The Root Cause Protocol (great for practitioners): https://therootcauseprotocol.com/iron-toxicity-post-index/ Practitioner learning: https://therootcauseprotocol.com/practitioner-resources/

Apr 10, 2023 • 1h 1min
Zinc Deep Dive
It’s time for our mineral deep dive on zinc! Another popular mineral, right up there with magnesium, but often misunderstood and supplemented with blindly. In this episode, I cover what zinc does in the body, go through the RDA, and dig into how zinc impacts many aspects of our health like gut health, hormones, blood sugar, and thyroid function. In this week’s bonus episode on Patreon, I cover the relationship between zinc and copper as well as other minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium. I also answer the common question of when someone should supplement with zinc and go through options for that as well as provide a list of zinc rich foods and a sample day of someone getting 39mg of zinc from their diet. Go to patreon.com/hormonehealingrd to join patreon and get access to bonus content!Quick reminder, this podcast is for informational purposes only. Please talk with your healthcare provider before making any nutrition or lifestyle changes. This episode covers:The function of zinc in our body {3:17}Signs of zinc deficiency, with associated diseases and conditions {12:20}Zinc and your gut health {23:54}Zinc deficiency and the immune system {35:21}How zinc affects sex hormones, for both men and women {40:53}Zinc deficiency effects on blood sugar {48:41}Thyroid function and zinc absorption {50:53}Full show notes & references: https://hormonehealingrd.com/podcast-episode/s4-e6-zinc-deep-dive/ Links/Resources:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hormonehealingrd Free Healthy Period Starter Guide: https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/9c6b8cf34c Feminine Periodical (monthly newsletter): https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/d0317056cd Master Your Minerals course: https://www.hormonehealingrd.com/master-your-minerals-courseMineral Testing episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mineral-testing/id1568547321?i=1000602928489Calcium Deep Dive: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/calcium-deep-dive/id1568547321?i=1000603899369Magnesium Deep Dive: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/magnesium-deep-dive/id1568547321?i=1000604933500Sodium Deep Dive: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sodium-deep-dive/id1568547321?i=1000606055821Potassium Deep Dive: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/potassium-deep-dive/id1568547321?i=1000607092198

Apr 3, 2023 • 57min
Potassium Deep Dive
In this episode, I am doing a deep dive on potassium, one of my favorite minerals because of how it can positively impact those struggling with thyroid health, hormone imbalances, and blood sugar issues. Potassium is definitely an undervalued mineral that deserves more attention! As always, I’ll be going through the different functions of potassium and answering listener questions at the end. If you want access to the bonus episode where I dig into how to improve low potassium on a hair mineral test, share potassium rich food ideas and a sample day of getting at least 4,700mg, and a potassium supplement breakdown, you can join patreon.com/hormonehealingrd. Quick reminder, this podcast is for informational purposes only. Please talk with your healthcare provider before making any nutrition or lifestyle changes. This episode covers:How potassium is regulated {8:28}Adequate intake for potassium {15:50}Potassium intake and blood sugar {21:21}Blood pressure and thyroid health {32:05}Major contributors to potassium deficiency {34:47}Mineral interactions {39:23}The best way to get enough potassium {47:47}Risk and benefits of whole foods vs. supplements {52:57}Links/Resources:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hormonehealingrd Mineral Quiz: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/60ef39359c99020017ec79e9 Mineral Training: https://bit.ly/38BteSF Feminine Periodical (monthly newsletter): https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/d0317056cd Thyroid training: https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/bc89ec6723 Master Your Minerals course: https://www.hormonehealingrd.com/master-your-minerals-course Mineral Testing episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mineral-testing/id1568547321?i=1000602928489Calcium Deep Dive: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/calcium-deep-dive/id1568547321?i=1000603899369Magnesium Deep Dive: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/magnesium-deep-dive/id1568547321?i=1000604933500Sodium Deep Dive: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sodium-deep-dive/id1568547321?i=1000606055821
Mar 27, 2023 • 1h 18min
Sodium Deep Dive
In this episode, I am breaking down what exactly we need sodium for, debunking a lot of myths around salt intake, and as usual will go through how sodium impacts areas like our thyroid, digestion, and blood sugar since they all have a huge impact on hormone health. I also answer listener questions at the end and have a bonus episode for patreon members. In this bonus episode, I go through HTMA case studies with high and low sodium, share a chart comparison of all the popular electrolyte powders with the pros and cons, and so much more. You can join patreon at patreon.com/hormonehealingrdQuick reminder, this podcast is for informational purposes only. Please talk with your healthcare provider before making any nutrition or lifestyle changes. Links/Resources:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hormonehealingrd Mineral Quiz: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/60ef39359c99020017ec79e9 Mineral Training: https://bit.ly/38BteSF Feminine Periodical (monthly newsletter): https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/d0317056cd Mineral Testing episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mineral-testing/id1568547321?i=1000602928489Calcium Deep Dive: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/calcium-deep-dive/id1568547321?i=1000603899369Magnesium Deep Dive: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/magnesium-deep-dive/id1568547321?i=1000604933500Research: Aldosterone production: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470410/ Sodium restriction/needs in pregnancy: https://jbiomedsci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12929-016-0233-8 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1721384/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17170236/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29046520/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/13503249/ https://academic.oup.com/ndt/article/21/7/1984/1821911 Sodium restrictions and babies: https://lilynicholsrdn.com/salt-baby-food-infant-sodium-requirements/ Stress and aldosterone: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3327497/ Sodium & Salt intake studies:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9519949/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1305840/#:~:text=Event
Mar 20, 2023 • 1h 21min
Magnesium Deep Dive
In this episode, we are doing our magnesium deep dive and digging into the different roles magnesium plays in the body, how it impacts our thyroid, blood sugar, hormones, and vitamin D status. I will also be doing a rapid fire Q&A at the end where I will answer questions submitted on Instagram. I will be breaking down how magnesium levels impact heavy metal retention as well as all of the different types of magnesium and their uses for my patreon members. You can join to get access to all bonus podcasts and resources at patreon.com/hormonehealingrd.Quick reminder, this podcast is for informational purposes only. Please talk with your healthcare provider before making any nutrition or lifestyle changes. Links/Resources:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hormonehealingrd Mineral Quiz: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/63fcdeb0284142001410c683 Mineral Training: https://bit.ly/38BteSF Feminine Periodical (monthly newsletter): https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/d0317056cd Free Healthy Period Starter Guide: https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/9c6b8cf34c Master Your Minerals course: https://www.hormonehealingrd.com/master-your-minerals-course Boron deep dive episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/nothing-boring-about-boron/id1568547321?i=1000581367892 Calcium deep dive episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/calcium-deep-dive/id1568547321?i=1000603899369 Research:Blood sugar: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15319146/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7478262/#:~:text=High%20magnesium%20intake%20has%20been,have%20not%20been%20well%20established.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8575413/ Nutrients magnesium:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6298677/#:~:text=One%20proposed%20mechanism%20is%20that https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31384293/ Nutrients for mitochondria: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30201141/ Magnesium & ATP: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.0712401105https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27434863/ Heart Health:https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.120.020205