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🚨🚨🚨Watch Christa's free training here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

This week, Michael Pereira joins me to share his family’s journey after his son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. He opens up about moving from denial to acceptance, how COVID revealed behaviors they could no longer ignore, and the stress it placed on his marriage as they navigated uncertainty about their son’s future. After struggling to find practical, parent-centered resources that were not tied to a sales pitch, Michael left corporate America and created The Autism Voyage®, a platform designed to help families understand the emotional and financial realities of long term planning.

We talk about why so many families feel frozen when it comes to planning and how to move from fear into clarity. Michael explains what it means to become the quarterback of your child’s care, why building a trusted team matters, and how thinking in short term, midterm, and long term timelines can bring stability to an otherwise uncertain path. This is an honest conversation about parenting, partnership, and preparing for the future without losing yourself in the process.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Acceptance creates forward movement
• Fear shrinks with clear planning
• Be the quarterback, build a team
• Protect income before anything else
• Start trust and guardianship talks early
• Rest and marriage are part of the plan

ABOUT GUEST:
Michael Pereira is the founder of The Autism Voyage®, a platform supporting families raising children with autism and other neurodivergent diagnoses. As a father of two, including one neurodivergent child, he brings lived experience alongside professional collaboration to help families navigate long-term planning with clarity. His work focuses on education, trusted resources, and insurance-based strategies within a team-oriented approach to promote long-term stability. 

WHERE TO FIND:
Website: https://theautismvoyage.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theautismvoyage

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
More Links + Quizzes: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

SPONSOR:
Thank you to Jigsaw Health for being such a great sponsor. 😎 Use code LESSSTRESSED10 anytime for 10% off!

I released a free training that shares the 4 steps I use to help clients reduce eczema, inflammation, and food-reaction symptoms by 50%+ in a few months — without restriction or overwhelm. The feedback has been incredible, and I answer every question inside the training. Watch here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

Send a text

🚨🚨🚨Watch Christa's free training here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

This week, Karlee Close joins me to talk about why so many women stay stuck in chronic bloating despite eliminating foods, running tests, and trying supplement protocols. We unpack how stress physiology, under fueling, and blood sugar swings can quietly shut down digestion, even when you are eating “clean.”

Karlee shares her own story of cycling through restrictive diets, repeated food sensitivity testing, SIBO protocols, and candida cleanses before realizing that the missing piece was foundational habits. We dig into how skipping meals triggers cortisol and adrenaline, why digestion starts in the brain, and how eating in a constant fight or flight state can lead to gas, constipation, and that six months pregnant feeling by the end of the day.

We also cover the role of sleep, movement, and nervous system regulation in restoring motility and reducing fermentation in the gut. If you feel bloated no matter what you eat, this episode brings you back to the basics that actually move the needle.

What's Your Bloat Personality? Find out here: https://www.beyondbloated.com/bloat-personality-quiz

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Chronic bloating is often driven by stress physiology, not just food
• Skipping meals and under eating trigger cortisol and slow digestion
• Blood sugar crashes increase cravings and worsen gut symptoms
• Digestion starts in the brain and requires a rest and digest state
• Restrictive diets and repeated testing can keep you stuck
• Light movement after meals supports motility and reduces gas
• Consistent sleep rhythms help stabilize blood sugar and gut function

ABOUT GUEST:
Karlee Close is a Certified Gut Health Coach, host of The Beyond Bloated Podcast, and founder of Beyond Bloated, where she helps women reduce chronic bloating through simple, sustainable habits.

After developing severe digestive issues in her mid-20s, she spent years cycling through restrictive diets and supplements without lasting relief. Now, she teaches a balanced, non-restrictive approach focused on foundational habits so women can feel confident, energized, and comfortable in their bodies.

WHERE TO FIND:
Website: https://www.beyondbloated.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyond.bloated/

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
More Links + Quizzes: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

SPONSOR:
Thank you to Jigsaw Health for being such a great sponsor. 😎 Use code LESSSTRESSED10 anytime for 10% off!

I released a free training that shares the 4 steps I use to help clients reduce eczema, inflammation, and food-reaction symptoms by 50%+ in a few months — without restriction or overwhelm. The feedback has been incredible, and I answer every question inside the training. Watch here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

Send a text

🚨🚨🚨Get your inflammation score & root causes of inflammation guide here: https://www.christabiegler.com/inflammationrootcause

In this episode, I’m giving you a little life update and answering a question I get all the time. 

Where do I start with my health?

Using a story about my son’s back pain and how a trained eye caught what others missed, I walk through why assessment has to come first. So often things look fine on the surface. Compensation can look functional. Symptoms can feel normal. And you truly do not know what you do not know.

When it comes to your health, guessing creates overwhelm. Assessment creates clarity.

I explain how I use symptom patterns and an inflammation score to help identify root causes and determine which systems need support. Instead of jumping straight to restriction, random supplements, or excessive testing, we start by looking at the full picture.

This episode will help you understand why restoring function to systems changes everything and why more symptoms often mean more opportunity for improvement.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Why assessment is always the first step
• How compensation can hide dysfunction
• Why higher symptom burden often means more room for improvement
• The questions I ask before recommending testing
• How restoring function shifts you out of restriction and into clarity

❓Questions for Christa? Submit them here: https://www.christabiegler.com/questions

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
More Links + Quizzes: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

NUTRITION PHILOSOPHY OF LESS STRESSED LIFE:
🍽️ Over restriction is dead
🥑 Whole food is soul food and fed is best
🔄 Sustainable, synergistic nutrition is in (the opposite of whack-a-mole supplementation & supplement graveyards)
🤝 You don’t have to figure it out alone
❤️ Do your best and leave the rest

SPONSOR:
Thank you to Jigsaw Health for being such a great sponsor. 😎 Use code LESSSTRESSED10 anytime for 10% off!

Send a text

🚨🚨🚨Watch Christa's free training here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

We often overlook what we cannot see, but stealth toxins like radon, mold, and chemical pollutants may be quietly building up in our homes. This week I’m joined by Justin Liberman, Air Quality Expert and Jaspr’s Head Experience Coordinator, to talk about hidden threats in indoor air and how they can impact health over time. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas formed from the breakdown of uranium in soil, and because it is invisible and odorless, it can accumulate indoors without anyone realizing it.

With experience testing over 3000 homes, Justin explains how radon moves from the soil into indoor air, why basements and certain home features increase risk, and what proper testing and mitigation actually look like. We also explore other overlooked indoor air contaminants and the connection between indoor air quality and symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and emotional dysregulation, along with practical tools to monitor and improve the air you breathe every day.

Use code LESSSTRESSED at checkout to save on the Jaspr Air Scrubber, the air purifier Christa uses in her own home. 

I also cover air quality after floods and fires with Mike Feldstein, co-founder of Jaspr, in episode 355. Listen here: https://kite.link/355-mike-feldstein-air-quality

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• What radon is and where it comes from
• How radon enters the home and why it often goes unnoticed
• Signs indoor air may be affecting health 
• What accurate radon testing looks like and how much it costs
• Common home features that increase radon risk
• Why air quality impacts kids and emotional regulation
• Simple tools to track and improve your indoor air

ABOUT GUEST:
Justin Liberman is an air quality expert and Jaspr’s Head Experience Coordinator. With over eight years of hands-on experience in environmental testing and more than 3,000 home assessments under his belt, Justin specializes in identifying hidden indoor toxins like radon, mold, VOCs, and chemical pollutants. His work bridges the gap between environmental health and everyday wellness by helping people take practical steps to clean up their air and reduce toxic exposure at home. 

WHERE TO FIND:
Website: https://jaspr.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasprco

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
More Links + Quizzes: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

SPONSOR:
Thank you to Jigsaw Health for being such a great sponsor. 😎 Use code LESSSTRESSED10 anytime for 10% off!

I released a free training that shares the 4 steps I use to help clients reduce eczema, inflammation, and food-reaction symptoms by 50%+ in a few months — without restriction or overwhelm. The feedback has been incredible, and I answer every question inside the training. Watch here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

Send a text

🚨🚨🚨Watch Christa's free training here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

You’re eating well, taking the supplements, and following the protocols. So why are your labs still showing burnout? Why do symptoms keep coming back?

This week I’m joined by Hope Pedraza, FDN-P. We unpack the deeper layers behind recurring symptoms, mineral imbalances, and why your nervous system might be the real reason nothing sticks. We talk about how emotional stress shows up on lab work, what a calcium shell actually means, and how subconscious patterns can drain your energy no matter how healthy your habits are.

We also get into how tools like human design can reveal what’s out of alignment and how to finally stop relapsing into the same burnout cycles.

Check out Hope’s free guide to relieving chronic symptoms with mineral balancing: https://hopefulandwholesome.kit.com/6c5b5746cf

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Minerals reflect more than diet
• Burnout starts with misalignment
• Emotions impact detox and hormones
• A calcium shell = emotional shutdown
• Worthiness wounds drive depletion
• Human design shows energy leaks

ABOUT GUEST:
Hope Pedraza is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, Human Design Guide, Clinical Hypnotherapist, and host of the Hopeful and Wholesome podcast. She helps high-performing, spiritually curious women optimize their energy, rebalance their nervous system, and reconnect with their body’s wisdom so they can scale their business and life without burnout. Her signature method blends functional labs, Human Design embodiment, and subconscious reprogramming to create sustainable radiance from the inside out.

WHERE TO FIND:
Website: https://www.hopefulandwholesome.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehopepedraza
Podcast: https://pod.link/1514451766/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HopePedraza

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
More Links + Quizzes: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

SPONSOR:
Thank you to Jigsaw Health for being such a great sponsor. 😎 Use code LESSSTRESSED10 anytime for 10% off!

I released a free training that shares the 4 steps I use to help clients reduce eczema, inflammation, and food-reaction symptoms by 50%+ in a few months — without restriction or overwhelm. The feedback has been incredible, and I answer every question inside the training. Watch here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

Send a text

🚨🚨🚨Watch Christa's free training here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

You’ve probably heard it before. “Picky eating is just a phase. They’ll grow out of it.” But what if they don’t? What if it gets worse? And what if your well-meaning bribing and begging is actually making it harder?

This week I’m joined by picky eating specialist Alyssa Miller RD, and we’re diving into what’s really going on when your kid refuses food. Alyssa brings a refreshing, root-cause lens to the mealtime madness and helps us zoom out to see what picky eating is actually about. Spoiler alert: it’s not about the chicken nuggets.

We talk about how to stop the power struggles, what’s driving the pickiness beneath the surface, and why this stuff hits so hard as a parent. If you’ve ever left the dinner table wondering what just happened or questioned your entire parenting strategy over a side of broccoli, this one’s for you.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Why picky eating is a symptom, not the actual problem
• How to spot the root cause behind your child’s food refusals
• Why your own childhood feeding experience might be impacting your parenting
• What to do instead of pressuring, bribing, or sneaking foods
• Why “they’ll grow out of it” is not always true
• The long-term effects of mealtime control and clean plate expectations
• What real progress looks like and how long it actually takes
• How to create calmer, more connected meals starting now 

ABOUT GUEST:
Alyssa is a registered dietitian, picky eating specialist, founder of Nutrition for Littles and mama of three. She is also a podcast host for the Nutrition for Littles Podcast and creator of Table Talk, a Picky Eating Reversal Program for families. She has a gentle root cause approach for more peaceful mealtimes where little ones can learn to like new foods. She is passionate about teaching moms how to raise healthy, independent eaters and is dedicated to seeing families have success at mealtimes and seeing lifelong healthy eating patterns start at a young age. Her work has been featured on Good Morning America, Huffpost and more.

WHERE TO FIND:
Websites: https://nutritionforlittles.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutrition.for.littles/

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
More Links + Quizzes: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

SPONSOR:
Thank you to Jigsaw Health for being such a great sponsor. 😎 Use code LESSSTRESSED10 anytime for 10% off!

I released a free training that shares the 4 steps I use to help clients reduce eczema, inflammation, and food-reaction symptoms by 50%+ in a few months — without restriction or overwhelm. The feedback has been incredible, and I answer every question inside the training. Watch here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

Send a text

🚨🚨🚨Watch Christa's free training here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

This week on the Less Stressed Life marks the final week of our encore series, where we’ve been revisiting listener-favorite episodes from 2025.

In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Don Wood to explore how unresolved trauma can keep the nervous system stuck in survival mode and quietly drive symptoms like anxiety, autoimmune conditions, and chronic pain.

We discussed how past experiences can remain stored in the brain as “high-definition” memories, keeping stress chemistry turned on and contributing to inflammation, immune imbalance, and physical symptoms long after the original event has passed. Don also shared how reprocessing these patterns can help the body return to regulation, improve performance, and free up energy that had been tied up in chronic stress.

Don's FREE video series "3 Hacks To Reset Your Mind". Here's the link: https://www.inspiredperformanceinstitute.com/3-hacks-video/

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• How unresolved trauma keeps the nervous system stuck in survival mode
• The surprising link between stress, DNA, and inflammation
• Why depression is often unresolved anger (and what to do about it)
• How past emotional wounds show up as physical symptoms
• A simple test to know if you’ve fully processed past trauma
• What happens when you release stored trauma

ABOUT GUEST:
Dr. Don Wood discovered the link between unresolved trauma and chronic health issues while searching for answers to his daughter's autoimmune condition. This led him to develop the TIPP program, a neuroscience-based approach that provides immediate and lasting relief. His work has helped trauma survivors, elite athletes, and executives, including a double-amputee marathon runner who broke a world record and the first athlete with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman. He is also the author of You Must Be Out of Your Mind and Emotional Concussions. 

WHERE TO FIND:
Website: https://www.inspiredperformanceinstitute.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdonwood/ 

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
More Links + Quizzes: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

SPONSOR:
Thank you to Jigsaw Health for being such a great sponsor. 😎 Use code LESSSTRESSED10 anytime for 10% off!

I released a free training that shares the 4 steps I use to help clients reduce eczema, inflammation, and food-reaction symptoms by 50%+ in a few months — without restriction or overwhelm. The feedback has been incredible, and I answer every question inside the training. Watch here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

Send a text

🚨🚨🚨Watch Christa's free training here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

For the next few weeks on Less Stressed Life, we’re republishing listener-favorite episodes from 2025 that resonated deeply with our community.

In this episode, I sat down with former client Kelli, who shared her journey of healing eczema and food sensitivities in a way that felt surprisingly linear. While healing is rarely a straight path, Kelli’s experience highlighted what was possible when the right root causes were addressed with clarity, consistency, and support.

Kelli came to me after years of managing eczema through food restriction, topical treatments, and trial and error approaches that never fully resolved her symptoms. Together, we uncovered what was actually driving her flare-ups, including nervous system stress and environmental mold exposure, and focused on restoring balance rather than chasing symptoms.

This episode is a powerful reminder that eczema and food sensitivities are not something you are destined to manage forever. Symptoms are signals, not failures, and when you learn how to listen and respond, real healing becomes possible.

If you are stuck in restriction, overwhelmed by conflicting advice, or wondering why your symptoms keep returning, this conversation offers both hope and practical insight.

❓Questions about your own health struggles? Submit them here:
 https://www.christabiegler.com/questions

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• How Kelli resolved her eczema without long-term food restrictions
• Why food sensitivities aren’t always the root cause of symptoms
• The nervous system work that helped speed up her healing
• How she tackled mold exposure without getting overwhelmed
• Why symptoms are just messages from your body and how to respond 

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
More Links + Quizzes: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

NUTRITION PHILOSOPHY:

 🍽️ Over restriction is dead
 🥑 Whole food is soul food and fed is best
 🔄 Sustainable, synergistic nutrition is in (the opposite of whack-a-mole supplementation & supplement graveyards)
 🤝 You don’t have to figure it out alone
 💛 Do your best and leave the rest

SPONSOR:
Thank you to Jigsaw Health for being such a great sponsor. 😎 Use code LESSSTRESSED10 anytime for 10% off!

I released a free training that shares the 4 steps I use to help clients reduce eczema, inflammation, and food-reaction symptoms by 50%+ in a few months — without restriction or overwhelm. The feedback has been incredible, and I answer every question inside the training. Watch here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

Send a text

🚨🚨🚨Watch Christa's free training here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

For the next few weeks on Less Stressed Life, we’re republishing listener-favorite episodes from 2025 that resonated deeply with our community.

This episode explores something many people overlook: stress is often the hidden trigger behind gut and skin issues. If you’ve been dealing with eczema, rashes, bloating, or food sensitivities and haven’t found lasting relief, stress may be the missing piece.

In this conversation, I break down three major ways stress impacts the body, including how it depletes key nutrients, shuts down digestion, and suppresses immune function. I also share practical strategies to help rebuild resilience, replenish nutrients, and support both gut and skin health so you can move toward real, sustainable healing.

❓Questions about your own health struggles? Submit them here:
 https://www.christabiegler.com/questions

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• How stress depletes key nutrients needed for gut and skin health
• The surprising way stress shuts down digestion, leading to bloating and food sensitivities
• Why immune suppression from stress can trigger eczema and chronic skin issues
• The role of gut imbalances, blood sugar stress, and inflammation in ongoing symptoms
• Practical ways to build resilience and support your body through stress

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
More Links + Quizzes: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

NUTRITION PHILOSOPHY:

 🍽️ Over restriction is dead
 🥑 Whole food is soul food and fed is best
 🔄 Sustainable, synergistic nutrition is in (the opposite of whack-a-mole supplementation & supplement graveyards)
 🤝 You don’t have to figure it out alone
 💛 Do your best and leave the rest

SPONSOR:
Thank you to Jigsaw Health for being such a great sponsor. 😎 Use code LESSSTRESSED10 anytime for 10% off!

Send a text

🚨🚨🚨Watch Christa's free training here: christabiegler.com/blueprint

For the next four weeks on the Less Stressed Life, we’re republishing listener-favorite episodes from 2025.

This week, we’re revisiting a powerful conversation with Morley Robbins, creator of the Root Cause Protocol and expert in mineral metabolism, to unpack why high-dose vitamin D supplements might actually be making symptoms worse instead of better.

In this eye-opening episode, we explore why low vitamin D on a lab test doesn’t always equal deficiency, how inflammation and hidden infections can disrupt vitamin D metabolism, and why minerals like magnesium, copper, and retinol are essential for proper function. If you’re struggling with fatigue, hormone issues, or have been told you’re vitamin D deficient, this conversation may completely shift how you think about healing.

To find cliff notes from this episode visit our blog here: https://www.christabiegler.com/blog/encore-why-vitamin-d-supplements-could-be-making-you-worse-with-morley-robbins

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• What low vitamin D really means and why it may signal inflammation
• How infections and immune dysfunction impact vitamin D metabolism
• The vital roles of magnesium, copper, and retinol in supporting vitamin D
• Why supplementing vitamin D without cofactors can worsen symptoms
• How to test for both storage and active vitamin D
• How to safely restore mineral balance using the Root Cause Protocol

Megan Mangin's paper mentioned in episode: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25048990/

ABOUT GUEST:
Morley Robbins is the creator of the Root Cause Protocol and founder of the Magnesium Advocacy Group. Known as the “Magnesium Man,” Morley left a decades-long career in hospital administration after a personal healing experience led him to question conventional health models. Since then, he’s become a passionate educator on mineral balance, conducting thousands of consults and researching the roles of magnesium, copper, and iron in chronic illness. Through his work, Morley helps people address fatigue, inflammation, and hormonal imbalances—one mineral at a time. 

WHERE TO FIND:
Website: https://therootcauseprotocol.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therootcauseprotocol/

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
More Links + Quizzes: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

SPONSOR:
Thank you to Jigsaw Health for being such a great sponsor. 😎 Use code LESSSTRESSED10 anytime for 10% off!

I released a free training that shares the 4 steps I use to help clients reduce eczema, inflammation, and food-reaction symptoms by 50%+ in a few months — without restriction or overwhelm. The feedback has been incredible, and I answer every question inside the training. Watch here: christabiegler.com/blueprint