Can’t seem to balance your hormones and get rid of frustrating symptoms like anxiety, irregular cycles, or weight gain no matter what you do? Chances are, your hormones aren’t actually the root cause of those symptoms, but are actually your body’s “check engine light”. 

In this Salad with a Side of Fries episode, Jenn Trepeck and functional medicine expert Jillian Greaves dish on hormonal health, revealing how to read your body’s symptoms for real answers and real results. Jenn and Jillian explain why hormones are your body’s check engine light, highlighting root causes such as chronic stress, nutrient deficiencies, or disrupted blood sugar balance. They dive into the chaos of perimenopause, where cycles can feel like a guessing game, and share why trendy fixes like intermittent fasting often backfire on women’s health. Jillian’s journey highlights the power of self-advocacy and foundational habits, such as nervous system support and proper hormone testing, particularly during the mid-luteal phase. Together, they offer practical, no-nonsense strategies to help you work with your body, not against it, for lasting hormonal health.

The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast is hosted by Jenn Trepeck, who discusses wellness and weight loss in real life, clearing up myths, misinformation, and bad science surrounding our understanding of nutrition and the food industry. Let’s dive into wellness and weight loss for real life, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store.

IN THIS EPISODE: 

• (00:00) Introduction
• (02:02) Your hormones are a check engine light, indicating underlying health issues 
• (06:25) Jillian Greaves shares her hormonal health journey
• (08:11) Symptoms are the body’s way of communicating imbalances, urging women to support their hormonal health
• (12:14) Hormones respond to deeper dynamics like nutrient deficiencies or stress, requiring investigation into the causes of hormone imbalances
• (15:29) For perimenopause, tracking cycles and monitoring symptoms helps to aid in managing hormonal health 
• (17:24) Testing hormones during the mid-luteal phase is crucial for accurate assessment
• (20:57) Foundational practices like blood sugar balance, sleep, and circadian rhythm regulation are essential for supporting hormonal health 
• (23:15) Reduce physical stressors by focusing on low-impact, strength-based movement to support hormonal health
• (26:33) The tools you use to support your nervous system need to be sustainable
• (28:47) Trends and extremes can be detrimental to long term health
• (31:58) A discussion on Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a quick fix for hormone imbalances
• (40:28) Become a member today for $10 per month; prices are going up

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Hormones act as a check engine light, signaling underlying issues like under-eating, over-exercising, or chronic stress rather than serving as the root cause of our symptoms.
• Focus on foundational health practices—such as maintaining blood sugar balance, promoting sleep, regulating circadian rhythms, and supporting the nervous system—to naturally regulate hormonal health.
• Avoid trendy fixes like prolonged fasting or elimination diets; prioritize sustainable, personalized approaches to address perimenopause and hormone imbalances.

QUOTES:        

(12:40) "One of the biggest mistakes we can make is overly fixating on the hormone itself. And what we need to do is ask the deeper question ‘why?’." Jillian Greaves

(14:31) "I always say the body is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. It's compensating." - Jenn Trepeck

(14:52) “Work with your body instead of always trying to fight against it, and we hear it all the time, work with your hormones.” - Jenn Trepeck

(28:09) "What I'm hearing is stop stepping over a hundred dollar bills to pick up pennies, which is the way I talk about looking for the shiny object instead of relentless consistency in some of the basic things." - Jenn Trepeck

RESOURCES:

Become A Member of Salad with a Side of Fries 

Jenn’s Free Menu Plan

A Salad With a Side of Fries

A Salad With A Side Of Fries Merch

A Salad With a Side of Fries Instagram

GUEST RESOURCES:

Jillian Greaves

Nutrition Coaching with Jillian Greaves, Registered Dietitian

PSOC Root Reversal Program

Functional Dietitian & Women’s Health Specialist (@jilliangreavesrd) • Instagram photos and videos

BIOGRAPHY: 

Jillian Greaves (MPH, RD, LDN) is a Functional Medicine Dietitian, Women's Health Specialist, podcast co-host, and founder of the highest-rated dietitian and functional nutrition business in Boston. She has been recognized across major publications such as Dr. Axe, Healthline, and EatingWell for her transformative and unique approach to wellness. Jillian’s mission is not only to empower women to understand and treat the root causes of their health issues naturally but also to guide them in breaking away from the pursuit of perfection in doing so.

It was early on in Jillian’s career when she realized the potentially damaging consequences of the “pill for every ill” approach traditional medicine often takes. After years of struggling with her health, she realized that what she learned in her professional experience and her doctors’ orders to “just take birth control” were not enough to help her truly reverse her symptoms. 

Fueled by her own personal health challenges and frustration with being told that “everything looks normal” while her body was telling her otherwise, she decided to build her private practice.

Through her private nutrition coaching and courses, Jillian has helped thousands of women – and counting – heal their gut and hormone symptoms while breaking away from dieting extremes through personalized and sustainable programs. Her unique approach to helping clients achieve whole-person health is focusing on assisting them to foster empowering relationships with food and their bodies.

Hormones, Check Engine Light, Hormone Imbalances, Perimenopause, Blood Sugar Balance, Hormonal Health, Jillian Greaves, Jenn Trepeck, Functional Medicine, Health Issues, Root Causes, Chronic Stress, Nervous System Support, Women’s Health, Nutrient Deficiencies, Mitochondrial Issues, Hormone Production, Hormone Clearance, Gut Microbiome, PCOS, Fibroids, Menopause, Birth Control, Digestive Symptoms, Eczema, Anxiety, Hair Thinning, Bloating, Self-Advocate, Female Physiology, Dieting Extremes, Circadian Rhythms, Cycle Tracking, Mid-Luteal Phase, Estrogen Dominance, Low Progesterone, Thyroid Health, Intermittent Fasting, Seed Cycling, Low-Impact Movement, Vagus Nerve, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Tracking Cycles