I’m excited to announce that my live, four-week Balance Your Hormones 101 program is officially open again! This course includes comprehensive hormone education along with four live Q&A sessions where you can get your questions answered directly. As a podcast listener, you can save 20% with the code PODCAST at laurenallenutrition.com.

Join here: https://www.laurenallennutrition.com/balance-your-hormones-101

In this episode, I’m talking about the hidden connection between blood sugar and your mood, anxiety, PMS, energy, sleep, and overall well-being. I share my own story of growing up on a high-sugar diet and struggling with daily anxiety, only to see a dramatic improvement within weeks of reducing refined sugar and eating meals that supported stable blood sugar.

I also share stories from clients who experienced improvements in depression, anxiety, energy levels, marriage, and parenting simply by focusing on blood sugar balance. I explain how blood sugar spikes and crashes trigger insulin, cortisol, and adrenaline, contributing to chronic stress, inflammation, and disruptions in neurotransmitter function. We’ll also discuss how modern foods and drinks make it easier than ever to get caught in this cycle.

Listen in as I Share:

• Why blood sugar impacts far more than just weight and diabetes risk
• How blood sugar fluctuations can contribute to anxiety, mood swings, PMS, and poor sleep
• The signs of unstable blood sugar, including shakiness, energy crashes, cravings, waking between 2–4 a.m., severe PMS, and dependence on caffeine
• Simple strategies to stabilize blood sugar, including eating regular meals, reducing added sugars and refined carbohydrates, building balanced meals, prioritizing sleep, and moving your body
• How improving blood sugar balance can positively affect your hormones, relationships, and daily quality 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.

Charlotte Leventhal is a certified doula, content creator, and single mother living in Israel. Through her social media platform, @daniellesmom, she shares openly about marriage, divorce, motherhood, and rebuilding life after unexpected challenges.

She is passionate about supporting women through pregnancy and birth, and works as a doula while also advocating for greater understanding and support around divorce within the Orthodox community.

Originally from the United States, Charlotte now lives in Israel with her daughter and is navigating the realities of co-parenting, single motherhood, and building a new future for herself and her family.

Listen in to hear Charlotte share:

• What it was like to be told she was heading toward divorce while nine months pregnant
• How she navigated the grief of losing the future and family life she expected
• The shame, secrecy, and stigma that often surround divorce—and why she chose to share her story publicly
• The critical role friendships, therapy, and community played during one of the most difficult seasons of her life
• How she is rediscovering herself through creativity, exercise, journaling, and intentional self-care
• The realities of co-parenting, custody arrangements, and raising a young child after divorce
• Her journey into becoming a doula and why supporting women through birth has become deeply meaningful
• Lessons she's learned about resilience, identity, and finding strength when life takes an unexpected turn
• Her message to others navigating divorce, loss, or major life transitions
• +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.

In this episode, I explain why sleep is one of the most powerful and most underutilized tools for improving health, hormones, fertility, and overall well-being.

I break down how quality sleep affects everything from brain function and emotional regulation to metabolism, reproductive health, and hormone balance.

I also share practical strategies that can help you improve your sleep, even if you're a busy parent, work night shifts, or struggle with waking up in the middle of the night.

Listen in to hear me share:

• How sleep helps clear toxins from the brain, supports memory, promotes neural repair, and protects long-term cognitive health
• The impact of sleep deprivation on cortisol, melatonin, fertility, menstrual cycles, PMS, thyroid function, appetite hormones, insulin sensitivity, and metabolism
• Why sleep pressure matters and how understanding it can help you fall asleep more easily
• Practical ways to optimize melatonin production through darkness, reducing blue light exposure, and creating a sleep-friendly environment
• How caffeine, screens, and stimulating evening activities can silently undermine sleep quality
• Strategies for navigating sleep challenges with partners, newborns, night-shift work, and middle-of-the-night awakenings
• The role of supplements such as magnesium glycinate, L-theanine, glycine, and low-dose melatonin
• How I apply principles from Atomic Habits to build sleep habits that are realistic, sustainable, and effective
• +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.

Atara Bienenfeld is an executive functioning coach, educator, and founder of the Instagram page The Organized Mind (@theorganizedmindatara)

She works with mothers to create practical home systems that reduce overwhelm, free up mental space, and support healthier, calmer family life.

A former teacher and mother of six children ages 1–13, Atara shares how her move to Israel and her youngest child starting daycare gave her the opportunity to build her coaching business focused on organization, routines, and executive functioning skills.

Listen in to hear Atara share:

• Why modern motherhood feels so overwhelming
• How weekly planning for meals, schedules, and responsibilities can dramatically reduce stress and decision fatigue
• Practical home organization strategies, including THE laundry system that changed her life.
• Simplifying meal planning with repeatable routines
• How to teach children more independence through clear instructions, timers, and simple accountability systems
• Why imperfect but functional systems are better than chasing perfection in the home
• How reducing chaos can improve family relationships, mental health, and a mother’s ability to care for herself
• +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.

I’m sharing why building muscle has become one of the biggest priorities in my health journey—not just for aesthetics, but for hormonal health, metabolism, longevity, confidence, and mental health.

In this episode, I break down how muscle helps improve insulin resistance by giving carbohydrates a place to be stored and used instead of overburdening the liver, and why that matters so much for women’s health.

Listen in to hear me share:

• Why building muscle matters for hormones, metabolism, and weight loss
• How muscle supports insulin resistance, PCOS symptoms, fertility, and blood sugar balance
• The difference between movement, muscular endurance, and true muscle-building
• Why lifting close to failure, using heavier weights, and resting properly matters
• How strength training can support confidence, mental health, and healthy aging
• My own at-home routine using Peloton split programs, yoga, and mat Pilates
• +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.

Recurrent miscarriage is one of the hardest and most sensitive topics in women’s health, and in this episode, Lauren Allen opens up a practical, research-informed conversation about why miscarriages happen, when to look deeper, and what testing may help reduce future risk.

Listen in to hear Lauren share:

• What miscarriage is, how common it is
• The difference between a random miscarriage and recurrent pregnancy loss
• Root cause of miscarriage, including thyroid dysfunction, PCOS, nutrient deficiencies, gut health, clotting disorders, lifestyle factors, and inflammation
• What tests to do after repeated losses
• +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. Aimee Baron is a pediatrician and the founder of I Was Supposed to Have a Baby, a nonprofit supporting people through infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, and related struggles in the Jewish community. After walking through secondary infertility, miscarriage, multiple unexplained losses, and eventually a surprise twin pregnancy, Dr. Baron turned her personal pain into a mission to help others feel less alone. Through shared stories, support groups, education, and her podcast, she works to reduce isolation and create more sensitive communal spaces.

Listen in to hear Dr. Baron share:

• Her personal fertility journey, including secondary infertility, miscarriage, and repeated pregnancy loss
• Why she founded I Was Supposed to Have a Baby and how storytelling helps break the silence around infertility
• Practical ways communities can be more sensitive, from changing the way we ask about family to being mindful at Shabbos tables and simchas
• How to support a friend who is struggling while sharing your own pregnancy news with care
• Holiday survival strategies for people facing infertility or loss, including setting boundaries, opting out when needed, and creating private space
• Why all forms of infertility-related grief deserve validation, including circumstantial infertility for singles
• +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.

In this solo episode, I open up about a deeply raw season of postpartum burnout, feeling disconnected from myself just seven months after giving birth.

What started as resistance to work, movement, and routine quickly intensified when war broke out, bringing daily sirens, disrupted sleep, canceled plans, and a constant sense of survival mode.

I share the guilt I felt stepping away for a 36-hour desert wellness retreat—and how that decision became a turning point in helping me reconnect, reset, and begin finding myself again.

Listen in to hear me share:

• What postpartum burnout actually felt like day-to-day, and how it showed up in my energy, motivation, and identity
• How living through war impacted my nervous system, routines, and family life in ways I didn’t expect
• The internal struggle of choosing self-care during chaos, and why it was exactly what I needed
• The powerful impact of a short desert retreat, including gentle movement, deep rest, and a breakthrough cold plunge experience
• How I began redefining productivity, rebuilding routines, and returning to work with more intention and self-trust
• +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.

In this solo episode, I open up about one of the most vulnerable seasons of my life, when I was deep in PCOS flare-ups, facing months of negative pregnancy tests and irregular cycles, and quietly questioning if I would ever become a mom. I share a pivotal moment at a friend’s wedding that completely blindsided me and brought up intense jealousy, shame, and the painful feeling that I was “so far behind,” especially within an Orthodox Jewish community where marriage and babies can feel closely tied to your sense of progress and belonging.

Listen in to hear me share:

1. What infertility and PCOS flare-ups felt like emotionally and socially in a tight-knit community
2. The identity and worthiness struggles that surfaced when motherhood felt out of reach
3. How opening up to the right person helped break the isolation and normalize my triggers
4. The coping tools that helped me survive that season, including distraction, intentional joy, and feeling proactive through medical and lifestyle changes
5. Why expanding your identity beyond “trying to get pregnant” is so crucial for your mental health
6. +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.

In today's episode we're going to talk about about a common concern I hear from women before they start focusing on eating for fertility: What if this morphs into unhealthy obsession/disordered eating?

It's a great question and a fair concern. How do we balance the importance of striving for a consistently healthy diet while also maintaining a healthy relationship with food?

In today's episode, we're talking all about intuitive eating, and how it can actually go hand-in-hand with eating for fertility.

Here’s what I break down:

1. Why so many women are afraid that having nutrition targets will automatically turn into food obsession
2. What Intuitive Eating actually is, including the 10-principle framework created by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch for eating disorder recovery, and why it wasn’t specifically designed to regulate cycles, treat PCOS, or improve fertility
3. Why intuitive eating and fertility nutrition are not opposites, but why nutrition education often needs to come first
4. How our cravings, “healthy meal” ideas, and food rules are shaped by upbringing and diet culture
5. Why many gut-health habits, like eating enough fiber or fermented foods, are not naturally intuitive
6. Why extreme calorie restriction can slow your metabolism and negatively affect ovulation
7. Why ignoring hunger cues can damage trust with your body
8. What “making peace with food” really means to me, including letting go of “good” and “bad” food language
9. How I personally had to learn to honor fullness
10. Why your hormones respond to consistent patterns over time, not one imperfect meal
11. Why women with PCOS are at higher risk for eating disorders, and the red flags I want you to watch for, like anxiety around social meals, skipping events, compensatory exercise, or obsessive tracking
12. The difference between intentional, flexible nourishment and punishing, rule-following eating
13. How to adjust protein and blood sugar targets when life is hectic without falling into all-or-nothing thinking
14. And why your nutrition plan should calm your nervous system, not stress you out
15. +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.