In this episode, we are continuing the topic of mental health from our previous episode with my mentor, Brendan Vermeire, and diving into how three specific minerals can impact our mental health: copper, zinc, and iron.  Since all of the minerals covered today have their own separate deep dives that go into all the nuance of their functions, testing, etc., you can also find bonus episodes for them inside patreon.com/hormonehealingrd when you join at the exclusive tier. This gives you access to ALL content I’ve ever shared on Patreon, where the $10 tier gives you access to what has been shared that month and every month moving forward.

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:

• Mental health during the postpartum period and excess copper
• How to support excess copper
• The connection between zinc deficiency and mental health conditions
• Whether you should supplement with zinc
• Iron deficiency and excess iron's impact on our mental health
• How to support optimal iron status

Thyroid Mineral Training: https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/e5aa246b68

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

In today's episode, I am chatting with Brendan Vermeire, a Mental and Metabolic Health Scientist & Researcher, Functional Medicine Educator, Writer, and Speaker.  He is a Board-Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, Master Nutrition Coach, Master Personal Trainer, USAW Sports Performance Coach, and Crossfit Trainer.

He is the proud owner and founder of the Metabolic Solutions Institute for Functional Health and Fitness Practitioners and the creator of the Functional Mental Health Practitioner Certificate Course. He is also the founder of the Metabolic Solutions Research & Education Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to ‘changing the way the world views mental health’ through advancing the science of Mental Health Dysfunction.  He is also the creator of The Mental M.A.P.™, a cutting-edge Lab Panel for Mental Health. 

In this episode, we cover:

• Brendan's background and journey to the functional mental health field
• Mental health issues and chemical imbalances, with Brendan's viewpoint about the root of our mental health concerns
• What is driving epigenetic changes and how can they show up as mental illness
• How early life stress in childhood can alter our behavior
• Chasing root causes of health issues and trauma responses
• How mold impacts our brains, and its connection to mental health
• Brendan's advice for individuals struggling with their mental health

Connect with Brendan:

www.metabolicsolutionsllc.com

https://www.facebook.com/metabolicsolutionsllc/

@the_holistic_savage

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-vermeire-23754693/

Thyroid Mineral Training: https://hormonehealingrd.ck.page/e5aa246b68

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

We covered how to have good digestion and support detox in the last two episodes, so the natural next step is to dig deeper into understanding our gut health and how we can begin optimizing it. Digesting our food well is crucial for a healthy gut, so make sure you listen to that one too! I’ll be referencing it a bit throughout to tie it all together. 

As always, this podcast episode is not medical advice. Please talk with your provider before making any changes to your nutrition, lifestyle, or supplements.

This episode covers:

• Key functions of gut bacteria
• What impacts our gut microbiome
• The role of our immune system
• What happens when things get out of balance
• How you can start supporting your gut health today 

Mineral 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

While the internet would have you believe that you need a supplement or cleanse to support your body’s detox pathways, our bodies detoxify daily on their own. We can absolutely have difficulty with certain organs that can negatively impact our ability to detox, but you might be surprised at what will actually help you detox better. No, it’s not milk thistle. While I do love this herb, there’s a lot more to supporting liver detoxification and detoxification in general than just taking a supplement. If you want to learn more about specific foods and supplements that can support detoxification once you have the foundations in place, join patreon.com/hormonehealingrd to get access to this week’s bonus episode where I dive different options for detox support depending on what you have going on. 

As always, this podcast episode is not medical advice. Please talk with your provider before making any changes to your nutrition, lifestyle, or supplements. 

This episode covers:

• How our bodies detox on their own
• Signs and symptoms of poor detoxification
• Four areas that can hinder detoxification
• How to support and enhance your liver and natural detoxification 

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

As we continue to work through the foundations for season 5, we have an important topic this week: digestion! Many women struggle with their digestion whether that be bloating, constipation, loose stools, reflux, etc. A lot of our digestive struggles come back to our body’s inability to produce optimal digestive juices and enzymes because a lot of us are living in a constantly stressed state or have lived in one in the past. 

In this episode, I am going to break down exactly how our bodies digest our food and how you can support your own digestion right now at home. If you want to learn more about how to specifically support constipation and loose stools, make sure you join my Patreon at patreon.com/hormonehealingrd. I go into specific things you can do for those two digestive issues in the bonus episode. 

As always, this podcast episode is not medical advice. Please talk with your provider before making any changes to your nutrition, lifestyle, or supplements. 

This episode covers:

• How our body digests food
• Tapping into your vagus nerve for relaxation
• How digestive bitters work to support digestion and overall gut health
• Benefits of apple cider vinegar on digestion and overall health

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

Supplements are so common these days that it’s easy to forget just how powerful they are. You can go to the grocery store, pharmacy, and most prominently, online to find just about anything you need. I think it’s great that access to supplements is so widely available, but the downside to supplements being so readily available is that they are often taken without as much consideration. Because we can add them to our cart so easily, we may not realize that they could cause more harm than good depending on the supplement and the person.

Again, supplements are powerful, they are an amazing resource to have, but my goal with this episode is to teach you how to analyze supplements that you’re interested in or that are being marketed to you and know go through a series of questions to have an idea of whether or not they are a good fit for you.

I have a bonus episode this week inside Patreon that takes this a step further and highlights certain conditions and supplements that CAN be helpful. You can join my patreon community at patreon.com/hormonehealingrd. 

As always this is not medical advice. I’m a dietitian but I’m not your dietitian so please talk with your medical provider before making any changes.

This episode covers:

• Supplements & the influencer era
• Questions to ask yourself when considering a supplement
• Commonly recommended supplements that could cause more harm than good

Mineral 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

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:

1. Minimizing stressors using nourishment and blood sugar
2. Supporting minerals for a healthy stress response
3. The impact of light exposure on cortisol levels and circadian rhythm
4. How information, inputs, and stimulation can be a blessing and a curse
5. Your daily rhythm’s impact on stress hormones and minerals

Mineral 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

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 enough
• Stress 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

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 

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