Today Kylie & Meg are learning how we can actually balance our hormones by focusing on building muscle! Lauren Papanos talks us through the science behind supporting muscle growth and what exactly it has to do with balancing our hormones. Lauren is a Functional Medicine Registered Dietitian and owner of Functional Fueling Nutrition (FFN), Lauren Papanos. FFN offers private coaching, the Strength in Hormones Collective and functional lab testing. Lauren is a licensed Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics through the Commission on Dietetic Registration. She holds both her bachelor's and master's degrees in Nutritional Sciences. Lauren works with women to get to the root cause of their health issues and help them heal using natural approaches. She specializes in: PCOS, amenorrhea, thyroid conditions, and exercise performance. You can learn more about FFN at www.functionalfueling.com.

Make sure to check out Lauren's program Strength in Hormones, the only live program on how to sustainably lose body fat and build strength while improving your hormone health. Without calorie counting, hours spent in the gym, or taking hundreds of supplements. See more here: https://functionalfueling.thinkific.com/bundles/strength-in-hormones 

TLDL action steps for how to balance your hormones by building strength:

1. Work on your "metabolic flexibility" by implementing a balanced overnight fast. Lauren generally recommends a 12-14 hour overnight fast to allow your body enough rest

2. Identify "Tell-tale" signs of hormone imbalance: mid-afternoon energy crash, sleeping issues, fatigue, gut problems, skin/hair/nails problems

3. Focus on nourishment vs restriction: eat foods you like but make sure you are also getting the basic 3 "PPF" as Lauren calls it

4. Eat ENOUGH!

5. Build muscle by including strength training into your workouts (and no, it DOESN'T mean you'll get "big and bulky")