If you’ve been told your labs are “normal” but you still feel exhausted, bloated, moody, anxious, crampy, or completely off in your cycle, this episode is for you. Normal labs do not mean optimal hormones. And they definitely don’t mean nothing is wrong. Most women are living in the gray zone: not sick enough for medication, but not healthy enough to feel good. In this episode, I’m breaking down what balanced hormones actually look like, why lab ranges are misleading, and how to understand what your body is truly asking for.

In this episode I’m sharing:

• Why normal lab ranges does not mean optimal hormone function, and how conventional ranges are built around disease, not wellness
• The difference between conventional vs functional lab ranges, and why tighter ranges matter for symptom-free living
• Why TSH alone is not a full picture of thyroid health, and what T3, T4, antibodies, gut health, and liver function reveal
• How nutrient deficiencies and poor conversion drive fatigue, PMS, weight gain, and hair loss before labs flag a problem
• Why your doctor isn’t necessarily wrong, but is limited by insurance, time constraints, and pharmaceutical-based training
• How hormones actually work together through the hormone cascade, and why fixing just one hormone rarely solves symptoms
• The connection between cortisol, progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, thyroid hormones, and inflammation
• Why stress, blood sugar crashes, mineral depletion, and liver overload disrupt hormone flow
• What truly balanced hormones feel like: predictable cycles, stable energy, calm moods, good sleep, healthy digestion, and resilience
• The foundational steps that support hormone balance naturally: blood sugar stability, mineral replenishment, liver support, gut health, and nervous system regulation

Your symptoms are not random, they’re communication. You deserve more than being told “everything looks fine” when your body is clearly asking for support. This episode will help you understand how hormones really work, why labs often miss the bigger picture, and how to start building true hormone balance so you can finally feel like yourself again.

Leah’s Favorite Things: https://www.leahbrueggemann.com/favorites

🙏 Thank you to Paleovalley for sponsoring this episode!

👉 Go to https://paleovalley.com/leah and enter code LEAH at checkout for 15% off.

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I’m Leah Brueggemann, a Functional Diagnostic Nutritional® Practitioner and Hormone Health Coach, helping you balance your hormones in effective and realistic ways so you can live a healthier, happier life.

Through the Balance Hormones Naturally podcast, you’ll discover why your cycle is so important to your everyday health and how you can use nutrition to help support the rise and fall of your hormones and finally feel truly amazing. We dig deep to understand and heal the root causes of your symptoms so you can achieve lasting results through manageable and realistic lifestyle changes, allowing you to live a healthy and balanced life without a life-long pharmaceutical prescription.

Let’s connect:

📷 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/balancinghormonesnaturally/

🙋🏻‍♀️ Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leah_brueg/

🌐 Website: https://www.leahbrueggemann.com/

📧 Email: [email protected]