About Health and Hormones

Today, I'm joined by Zee Bareli, a nutrition coach, entrepreneur, and former client of mine whose journey with endometriosis, fertility, and motherhood is truly remarkable.

For years, Zee struggled with debilitating period pain, digestive issues, recurring UTIs, and chronic fatigue, only to be told repeatedly that her symptoms were normal or caused by anxiety.

Eventually, she was diagnosed with both endometriosis and a unicorn uterus, leaving her uncertain about her fertility and future.

In this episode, we talk about how nutrition and lifestyle changes helped Zee regain her energy and manage her symptoms, her unexpected pregnancy, and the extraordinary challenges she faced when her husband was severely injured in Gaza just one day after she discovered she was pregnant. Zee also shares her experience navigating postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, and learning to prioritize her own health while caring for her family.

Listen in to hear Zee share:

• Her years of unexplained pain and the journey to finally receiving an endometriosis diagnosis.
• What it means to have a unicornuate uterus and how her diagnoses affected her outlook on fertility.
• How nutrition, movement, and lifestyle changes helped improve her pain, digestion, and energy levels.
• The incredible story of discovering she was pregnant just before her husband was seriously injured in Gaza.
• How she navigated her first trimester while supporting her husband through months of hospitalization and recovery.
• Her struggles with breastfeeding, postpartum recovery, and learning to nourish herself as a new mother.
• Why prioritizing your own health isn't selfish and can help you show up more fully for your children.
• The importance of advocating for yourself, seeking second opinions, and never giving up on your health.
• + So much more!

Nobody warned me that one of the hardest parts of becoming an adult would be maintaining friendships and making new ones.

In this solo episode, I'm diving into a topic that's been coming up constantly in conversations with my friends and even with my clients: why is friendship so much harder as an adult?

Between marriage, motherhood, work, and the never-ending mental load of everyday life, finding the time and energy to nurture friendships can feel almost impossible. But meaningful relationships aren't just a nice bonus in life. They're an essential part of our emotional, mental, and even physical health.

I'm sharing my own experiences with adult friendships, the common traps that keep us feeling lonely, and practical ways to build deeper connections, even when life feels overwhelmingly busy.

Listen in to hear me share:

• Why making friends felt so effortless as kids and why it's completely different in adulthood.
• The five essential ingredients for building meaningful friendships.
• Loneliness and social connection can impact our mental and physical health.
• Why waiting for others to initiate plans can keep us feeling disconnected.
• The friendship traps we fall into, from expecting instant connections to taking rejection personally.
• Why friendship breakups can be so painful and why our culture is sometimes too quick to give up on relationships.
• How unrealistic expectations of having the perfect friend group can make us overlook the wonderful friendships we already have.
• Practical ways to prioritize friendships, create recurring opportunities for connection, and become a better friend.
• Why vulnerability, intentional effort, and showing up for others are essential for deeper relationships.
• Build meaningful friendships that fit into your actual life, even during the busiest seasons of motherhood.
• + so much more!

Cycle tracking can be an incredible tool for understanding your hormones, improving your health, and supporting your fertility. But what happens when something that's supposed to empower you starts creating more anxiety than clarity?

In today's episode, I'm talking about the often-overlooked downside of cycle tracking and how to recognize when tracking your temperatures, monitoring ovulation, and analyzing every symptom might actually be doing more harm than good.

As someone who loves tracking my own cycle and regularly encourages my clients to do the same, I've also experienced times when stepping away from tracking was exactly what I needed.

I share why more data doesn't always mean more control, how to recognize when tracking has become obsessive, and practical ways to build a healthier relationship with your cycle without losing the benefits of understanding your body.

Listen in to hear me share:

• Cycle tracking can be such a powerful tool for understanding your hormones, fertility, and overall health.
• The warning signs that cycle tracking is becoming an obsession rather than a source of empowerment.
• Cycle tracking data to identify meaningful patterns over several months instead of obsessing over individual days.
• Tracking your cycle perfectly doesn't give you complete control over your fertility.
• Practical ways to set boundaries with fertility apps, ovulation tests, and wearable tracking devices.
• Taking a break from cycle tracking might actually be the healthiest decision you can make.
• Trust your body, release the need for certainty, and remember that your cycle data doesn't define your worth.
• When to seek professional support for fertility concerns or cycle-related anxiety.
• + so much more!

Connect with Lauren:

Get my FREE PCOS Guide here

Join the Empowered Path to Pregnancy here

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Thank you so much for listening to the About Health and Hormones Podcast! If you loved today’s episode, I would love to know! Please leave a rating and review so I can make this podcast even better for you all. I would love to connect with you.

I’m so glad you were here today, and I wish you all health and happiness!

This episode was edited and produced by Intent Media.

In this episode, I’m talking about something I think so many of us struggle with: consistency.

After a busy season of holidays, hosting, solo parenting, moving, breastfeeding, and simply trying to keep up with life, I’m finally getting back into a more predictable routine—and it has me thinking about what actually helps healthy habits stick.

Most of us don’t have a knowledge problem when it comes to health. We know we should eat more protein and vegetables, move our bodies, drink water, and get enough sleep. The harder part is actually doing those things consistently when real life gets busy. Instead of constantly starting over, I want to help you build habits that can flex with the season of life you’re in.

Listen in to hear me share:

• Planning ahead and being proactive instead of reactive can make healthy eating and exercise so much easier
• Enjoying your food and feeling satisfied is an important part of staying consistent long-term
• Sharing and celebrating your wins can help healthy habits become part of your identity
• Frequency matters more than duration when you’re trying to build a new habit
• “Something is better than nothing” mindset can keep you from falling into an all-or-nothing cycle
• Different ways to create accountability without making your health journey feel restrictive or obsessive
• Tracking things like sleep, meals, movement, or your cycle can help you objectively see what’s working
• A simple exercise to choose your five-minute meal, satisfying meal, health win, minimum habit, and accountability strategy
• Consistency isn’t about creating the perfect routine—it’s about creating a system that can grow and change with you through different seasons of life
• + so much more.

Connect with Lauren:

Get my FREE PCOS Guide here

Join the Empowered Path to Pregnancy here

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Thank you so much for listening to the About Health and Hormones Podcast! If you loved today’s episode, I would love to know! Please leave a rating and review so I can make this podcast even better for you all. I would love to connect with you.

I’m so glad you were here today, and I wish you all health and happiness!

This episode was edited and produced by Intent Media.

Ever find yourself looking for a snack even though you ate lunch a couple of hours ago?

In this solo episode, I’m talking about the difference between eating because you’re hungry and reaching for food out of habit, boredom, stress, or a need for a break. Snacking can be a helpful way to fuel your body.

The key is noticing what you need and making a choice that supports it.

Listen in to hear me share:

• When a snack can help, especially if your meals are far apart, you’re exercising, or you’re pregnant or breastfeeding
• Simple snack ideas that offer more lasting nourishment
• How afternoon grazing and late-night snacking can affect your appetite, sleep, and health goals
• A way to pause and identify what you need before reaching for food
• How to find other ways to rest, connect, or enjoy yourself when hunger isn’t the reason
• A seven-day challenge to notice your snacking patterns—without judging yourself or having to change what you eat
• +so much more

Connect with Lauren:

Get my FREE PCOS Guide here

Join the Empowered Path to Pregnancy here

Instagram

Work With Me

Thank you so much for listening to the About Health and Hormones Podcast! If you loved today’s episode, I would love to know! Please leave a rating and review so I can make this podcast even better for you all. I would love to connect with you.

I’m so glad you were here today, and I wish you all health and happiness!

This episode was edited and produced by Intent Media.

Dr. Carrie Carda is a board-certified OB-GYN with nearly 30 years of experience. After realizing that conventional medicine often focuses on managing symptoms rather than identifying their underlying causes, she earned a master’s degree in nutrition and metabolic medicine from the University of Florida and pursued additional training in functional and integrative medicine at Georgetown University. Today, she combines traditional medical care with a whole-body approach to help women better understand their hormones, fertility, and overall health.

Listen in to hear Dr. Carda share:

• Why “normal” lab results don’t always mean your body is functioning optimally
• The importance of comprehensive hormone testing before fertility or perimenopausal symptoms become severe
• Why vitamin D, ferritin, thyroid hormones, blood sugar, sleep, and gut health all matter for hormonal balance
• What peptides are, how they signal the body, and their potential role in fertility and women’s health
• Why peptides remain investigational and should only be used with qualified medical supervision
• How poor blood-sugar regulation can interfere with ovulation, conception, and pregnancy
• Why women should address perimenopausal symptoms early rather than waiting until menopause
• How flaxseed, soy, colostrum, glutamine, and zinc carnosine may support gut and hormone health
• The importance of active forms of nutrients such as folate and vitamin B12
• How women can become more informed and proactive participants in their healthcare
• +so much more!

The Jewish holidays can be meaningful and joyful, but they can also feel incredibly overwhelming. Between cooking, cleaning, hosting, traveling, disrupted routines, heavy meals, and children being home from school, many women feel like they have to choose between enjoying the Chagim and taking care of their health.

In this episode, I share how I’m approaching the holiday season without expecting myself to maintain a perfect routine. Instead, I’m focusing on realistic ways to support my health while remaining present for my family, my faith, and the experiences that make this season special. I also speak to anyone navigating infertility or pregnancy loss, acknowledging how emotionally difficult this time of year can be when prayers from the previous year still feel unanswered.

Listen in to hear me share:

• Taking care of yourself during the Chagim is not selfish
• Adjust your health goals without abandoning them
• Why I avoid thinking of the holidays as being “on track” or “off track”
• Practical ways to enjoy special foods without feeling restricted or physically uncomfortable
• How to build balanced meals that leave you satisfied without feeling overly heavy
• The importance of hydration and electrolytes, especially before Yom Kippur
• Simple ways to prioritize movement when regular workouts aren’t realistic
• Sleep should be treated like medicine during busy seasons
• Ways to simplify menus, repeat dishes, prepare easy meals, and reduce unnecessary pressure
• Why you don’t need to wait until “after the Chagim” to begin prioritizing your health
• Let go of perfection and create a holiday experience that feels healthy, meaningful, and joyful for you
• +so much more!

Connect with Lauren:

Get my FREE PCOS Guide here

Join the Empowered Path to Pregnancy here

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Work With Me

Thank you so much for listening to the About Health and Hormones Podcast! If you loved today’s episode, I would love to know! Please leave a rating and review so I can make this podcast even better for you all. I would love to connect with you.

I’m so glad you were here today, and I wish you all health and happiness!

This episode was edited and produced by Intent Media.

Dr. Kayla Smith is a holistic women’s health expert who helps women uncover the root causes behind hormonal and reproductive health challenges.

After receiving an unexplained infertility diagnosis at 36, she began exploring factors that conventional testing had overlooked—including being very thin and possibly experiencing hypothalamic amenorrhea. She later became pregnant twice and now uses both her personal experience and professional expertise to help women optimize their health and fertility.

Listen in to hear Dr. Kayla Smith share:

• Why “unexplained infertility” often means the root cause simply hasn’t been identified yet
• Her personal journey from an infertility diagnosis at 36 to becoming pregnant twice
• How thyroid function, hormone metabolism, adrenal stress patterns, and mineral status can affect fertility
• What DUTCH testing and hair mineral analysis may reveal beyond conventional testing
• How gut and vaginal microbiome imbalances—including issues affecting a partner—may influence conception
• Commonly overlooked basics like timing intercourse correctly, tracking ovulation, and evaluating luteal phase length
• Ways to reduce inflammation through nutrition, cleaner products, stress reduction, and better sleep
• How gratitude, visualization, and healthy circadian habits can support the fertility journey
• Why optimizing overall health may improve the chances of both natural conception and IVF success
• How peptides and hormone replacement therapy may be used as additional tools
• Perimenopause strategies, including eating more protein and prioritizing strength training
• Dr. Smith’s clinic, book, podcasts, and additional women’s health resources
• +so much more!

Connect with Lauren:

Get my FREE PCOS Guide here

Join the Empowered Path to Pregnancy here

Instagram

Work With Me

Thank you so much for listening to the About Health and Hormones Podcast! If you loved today’s episode, I would love to know! Please leave a rating and review so I can make this podcast even better for you all. I would love to connect with you.

I’m so glad you were here today, and I wish you all health and happiness!

This episode was edited and produced by Intent Media.

Today, I’m sharing my personal breastfeeding journey across all three of my children—and how dramatically different each experience has been. After relatively smooth breastfeeding experiences with my first two babies, I went into my third postpartum journey assuming breastfeeding would be the easy part. Instead, it became one of the most challenging and humbling parts of my postpartum experience.

I share how my third baby suddenly stopped latching during the day at just three weeks old, despite continuing to nurse perfectly at night. I tried lactation consultants, different nursing positions, craniosacral therapy, pediatric physical therapy, stretches, courses, and more, but nothing seemed to fix the problem. Eventually, I transitioned to pumping throughout the day and nursing at night—and lived that way for months. Then, completely unexpectedly, around nine months old, she began nursing normally during the day again.

Throughout this journey, I’ve developed so much more compassion for how complicated and emotional feeding a baby can be. I’m passionate about breastfeeding and incredibly grateful I was able to continue, but I also believe a mother’s mental health matters tremendously and that there is no single “right” way to feed or bond with your baby.

Listen in to hear me share:

• How I prepared for breastfeeding before becoming a mom and why I think prenatal education can make such a difference
• What my relatively easy breastfeeding experiences with my first two children looked like
• How infertility affected my ability to trust my body during early motherhood
• Why my third breastfeeding journey completely humbled me
• What happened when my baby suddenly refused to latch during the day—but continued nursing normally at night
• The lactation consultants, therapies, positions, stretches, and other approaches I tried
• Why I eventually stopped trying to force daytime nursing and created a pumping routine instead
• The mental and logistical load of pumping multiple times every day while caring for three children
• How a wearable pump gave me back some freedom and allowed me to leave the house
• Why my baby unexpectedly started nursing normally again around nine months
• My mixed emotions around breastfeeding, formula, pumping, weaning, and protecting a mother’s mental health
• How this experience changed the way I soothed and bonded with my third baby
• Why motherhood continues to humble me—and why sometimes you can do everything “right” and still have a completely different experience than you expected
• Why I’m ready to wean, take a real break, and finally have my body and time back after years of pregnancy and breastfeeding
• +so much more.

Connect with Lauren:

Get my FREE PCOS Guide here

Join the Empowered Path to Pregnancy here

Instagram

Work With Me

Thank you so much for listening to the About Health and Hormones Podcast! If you loved today’s episode, I would love to know! Please leave a rating and review so I can make this podcast even better for you all. I would love to connect with you.

I’m so glad you were here today, and I wish you all health and happiness!

This episode was edited and produced by Intent Media.

Dr. Sahar Wertheimer is a fertility specialist and double board-certified OB-GYN and reproductive endocrinologist practicing in Beverly Hills, California. She also serves as chair of the Women’s Health Committee for the Jewish Orthodox Women’s Medical Association. Her research and publications cover topics including placental epigenetics and markers of androgen excess in PCOS and hirsutism. Dr. Wertheimer completed four years of OB-GYN training followed by a three-year fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

Listen in to hear Dr. Wertheimer share:

• How to prepare for egg freezing, egg retrieval, IVF, and embryo transfer
• What fertility statistics can—and cannot—tell women about egg freezing and future family building
• Why male fertility deserves greater attention and how sperm health can affect treatment outcomes
• The connection between insulin resistance, PCOS or PMOS, ovulation, egg quality, and implantation
• How nutrition, sleep, exercise, and evidence-supported supplements may help optimize fertility
• Her perspective on GLP-1 medications for some patients with insulin resistance
• When advanced testing such as sperm DNA fragmentation analysis and PGT-A may be helpful
• Potential causes and evaluations following recurrent pregnancy loss
• Why IVF, donor-assisted conception, and surrogacy should be discussed without shame
• Encouragement for anyone navigating the emotional challenges of fertility treatment
• +so much more

Connect with Lauren:

Get my FREE PCOS Guide here

Join the Empowered Path to Pregnancy here

Instagram

Work With Me

Thank you so much for listening to the About Health and Hormones Podcast! If you loved today’s episode, I would love to know! Please leave a rating and review so I can make this podcast even better for you all. I would love to connect with you.

I’m so glad you were here today, and I wish you all health and happiness!

This episode was edited and produced by Intent Media.