Our very own Chelsea Bernardez is answering all our questions regarding her journey with weight loss surgery and Hashimoto’s. Chelsea had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, which is also known as VSG. During this episode, Chelsea goes in depth on each step surrounding her surgery and healing process.

We will discuss the follow topics:

Chelsea made big mindset shifts throughout this experience which has helped her overcome the many challenges associated with the prep and healing of VSG with Hashimoto’s. Chelsea shares that she feels more like herself than ever, and feels like she is capable of accomplishing anything!

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In this week's episode we are laying out the basics around balancing blood sugar. Blood sugar plays an extremely important role in our bodies ability to function and heal, so we will talk about what blood sugar (glucose) is and the role it shares with our pancreas, liver, adrenals, and thyroid. We will talk about how glucose and insulin have a “lock and key” relationship, and why our cells may have a more difficult time accepting insulin and glucose. We will explain common symptoms of uncontrolled blood sugar, and the mechanisms that occur within your body when we eat and store glucose. 

We want to prevent elevated blood sugars and insulin resistance, but know that this can be tricky with hypothyroidism and/or Hashimoto’s. We will discuss how to balance your blood sugar through the following topics:

We will also share some of our favorite supplements that, when used safely and with the guidance of a practitioner, can help regulate your blood sugar. Improving drastic blood sugar swings will allow your body to be able to better repair and process itself.

Want more? Check out our links below👇

This week's episode is about carbohydrates, which will wrap up our 3 part TTC with Hashimoto’s nutrition series! Carbohydrates are needed in our diet, in addition to protein and fats, to have a complete and balanced meal. Incorporating carbs such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains will help you feel energized, keep you feeling fuller longer, and help balance your blood sugar and hormones. All things we want and need while TTC with Hashimoto's!

We will also be discussing carb tolerance and how to know how many carbs your body needs! While we encourage using the plate method to consume a moderate to low carb diet, we want you to understand that your carb tolerance may fluctuate, especially during different stages of your menstrual cycle. For example, your body may require more carbs during the 2 week waiting period because your body is doing a lot more work growing your fertilized egg. Listen to what your body is telling you and give it the fuel it needs because we want you to feel the best during this TTC journey!

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Today’s episode is all about fats and their role when trying to conceive with Hashimoto’s. We know fats are an important aspect of our diets, so we’ll discuss the different types, anti-inflammatory and inflammatory, and how you can incorporate more of the anti-inflammatory fats to help support the many functions within your body. Anti-inflammatory fats are needed in Hashimoto’s women’s diets because they help decrease inflammation, support basic cell and brain function, boost the production of female sex hormones and also help transport those hormones throughout the body. Essentially, they are needed for our thyroid and sex hormones to function proproperly, which we know is key when TTC!

We will also discuss the controversial Keto diet. We explain what it is, how it puts your body in a state of ketosis and why we don’t recommend this for women with Hashimoto’s. The Keto diet is highly restrictive and hard to maintain, as it excludes many carb options that contain vitamins and nutrients our bodies love. However, we do recommend learning what your carb/fat tolerance is and using this to your advantage to improve energy levels!

Lastly, we will share some of our favorite plant and animal fats, which includes avocado, flax seed, hemp seed, eggs, salmon, tuna, olives, nut and seed butters, and more! Learning how to incorporate more of these healthy, anti-inflammatory fats is a great tool to have when balancing all hormones and optimizing your egg quality and monthly cycle!

Want more? Check out our links below👇

In today’s episode we are talking about the importance of protein, more specifically animal-based protein, and its role in our nutrition when trying to conceive with Hashimoto’s. Protein is an essential nutrient and is the building blocks that make up our bodies! They contain many vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins like niacin, riboflavin and B12, along with choline, copper, iron, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc. Our thyroid and reproductive system loves each of these nutrients, which is why we advocate for an animal-based protein diet. During this episode, we will also share our favorite tips and tricks on how to increase protein intake and how to keep it simple when doing so. We’ll explain how to make protein the star of your meal, and how that will ultimately help you consume higher amounts of protein throughout the day. Our biggest tip for hitting your protein goal is to start your day off with a high protein breakfast. Not only will it help you hit your daily protein requirement, but it will help you stay full and energized throughout the day! While we love plant-based proteins, we don’t recommend a solely plant-based diet. We believe plant proteins are great to add into a meal, but not as a replacement for an animal-based protein. Incorporating animal-based protein into your diet helps to build muscle, support thyroid and hormone health, and can improve egg quality, which is why it’s highly important in your Hashimoto’s healing and TTC journey. 

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This week's episode is about coming out of survival mode after the first year of postpartum. So much is happening during the first year- our bodies are trying to normalize through hormone shifts, lack of sleep, thyroid flares, cycles returning, along with adjusting to new routines and schedules. It is exhausting! At times, it might feel like you have lost yourself because you are so engulfed in taking care of this new human who is depending on you. We want you to know, this feeling is totally normal and it does get easier!

However, it is crucial to do the bare minimum for yourself as your environment and hormones are normalizing. This looks like prioritizing taking breaks, eating nutritious foods, scheduling routine lab draws, drinking enough water, and communicating what you need to your support team, and seeking help when needed. Each of these are non-negotiables and we will explain how doing these simple acts of self care will propel you forward as you emerge from the trenches of postpartum.

Coming out of survival mode requires celebrating- you have overcome this challenging first year and evolved into this new version of yourself!

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Our sweet babies are over a year old now, whoa! This first year of motherhood has been overwhelming at times, but also a huge learning experience and time for rediscovering ourselves. In today's episode, we are sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of motherhood.

Chelsea shares how she is in a really great place with her thyroid health, and how it is only allowing her to move forward in all aspects of life. Chelsea feels more herself than ever, and is loving taking on her new coaching business endeavor. She also talks about rediscovering what she loves to do and what that looks like while being a mom.

Morgan shares how she is finally getting quality sleep, and what she is doing to improve her thyroid and cholesterol labs. Morgan also talks about the immense benefits of prioritizing time throughout the week to be present with only herself and how that has improved her mental health.

Both of us have experienced feeling like we lost ourselves in this first year, but with time, have found happiness and joy in our new role as "Mom."

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Cory Ruth is a registered dietitian and PCOS specialist who has helped hundreds of women overcome their PCOS symptoms and beat infertility. Her passion for helping women was ignited through her own personal experience with PCOS, which makes her an amazing resource and educator to women struggling with this condition. In today’s episode, we will discuss what PCOS is, the symptoms that are often associated with it, how to be diagnosed, and how PCOS affects women’s fertility. We want our listeners to be informed about PCOS because it is the leading cause of infertility in women.

Cory will explain how PCOS affects our hormones and menstrual cycles, along with other topics such as insulin resistance, androgen levels, weight gain, how to decrease inflammation, what supplements to take, and what to do when you are TTC with PCOS. If you would like to connect with Cory for your PCOS needs, we’ve linked her Instagram and website below!

Want more? Check out our links below👇

We often do a question box on the @makeababywithhashispod Instagram story, so we are taking the questions our followers submitted and answering them on this episode! We will be talking about how to avoid a flare during pregnancy and postpartum, the link between Epstein Barr Virus and Hashimoto’s, our favorite nutrition tips and supplements we recommend when TTC, and our biggest piece of advice when it comes to pre pregnancy and TTC health! We will discuss why our bodies need a stable level of thyroid hormone when creating a healthy baby and how to ensure your body is being supported while TTC. Our links below have some of our favorite supplements, be sure to check them out and also make sure you are following us on Instagram because we love answering your questions and being able to direct you to any resources!

Want more? Check out our links below👇