Modern Thyroid and Wellness

What if insulin resistance is quietly driving inflammation, weight gain, and thyroid dysfunction years before blood sugar ever looks abnormal?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with endocrinologist Dr. Alessia Roehnelt for an in-depth conversation about insulin resistance and why it can be such an important marker of long-term metabolic health.

Dr. Roehnelt explains how insulin functions in the body, what happens when insulin resistance develops, and why chronically elevated insulin can contribute to inflammation, weight gain, metabolic dysfunction, and disease progression.

They also explore the bidirectional relationship between insulin resistance and hypothyroidism, including how thyroid dysfunction can worsen metabolic health and how insulin resistance can complicate thyroid function and treatment.

🔑 In This Episode:

• What insulin resistance is and how it develops
• Why insulin resistance may appear before prediabetes or type 2 diabetes
• Common physical and metabolic signs of insulin resistance
• Acanthosis nigricans, carb sensitivity, and rapid weight fluctuations
• The relationship between insulin resistance and hypothyroidism
• How insulin resistance may affect thyroid hormone absorption and conversion
• Why fasting insulin can provide useful information beyond A1c alone
• “Normal” vs. optimal fasting glucose, insulin, and A1c values
• Why population-based lab ranges do not always reflect optimal health
• The role of vitamin D in metabolic and hormonal health
• Fatty liver markers including AST and ALT

🏃‍♀️ Improving Insulin Sensitivity

Dr. Roehnelt and McCall discuss foundational strategies including:

• Consistent, restorative sleep
• Strength and resistance training
• Reducing refined carbohydrates
• Pairing carbohydrates with protein and fat
• Using continuous glucose monitors to better understand personal responses
• Strategic intermittent fasting when appropriate

💊 Medications Discussed

Metformin

• Improves insulin sensitivity
• Has a long history of clinical use
• Can be a cost-effective early intervention

GLP-1 receptor agonists

• Reduce appetite and slow gastric emptying
• Lower liver glucose production
• Improve insulin signaling
• May help reduce inflammation in appropriate patients

🌿 Key Takeaways

Insulin resistance can often be improved when identified early.

“Normal” lab values do not always tell the entire story, and weight gain is far more complex than calories in versus calories out.

One of the biggest themes in this episode is that inflammation connects metabolic dysfunction, thyroid disease, and autoimmunity, making individualized, whole-body evaluation incredibly important.

📖 Pre-Order Take Back Your Thyroid + Get a Free Bonus

Pre-order McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, and choose one free bonus:

🎓 Thyroid Empowered Course — a $399 value

OR

🩺 $150 off a new patient visit at Modern Thyroid Clinic

👉 https://book.modernthyroidclinic.com/

📍 Connect with Dr. Alessia Roehnelt

Website & Practice:

https://www.endohealthdoc.com

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/endohealthdoc/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/alessia.roehnelt

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

Modern Thyroid Clinic:

https://modernthyroidclinic.com/

McCall McPherson:

https://www.mccallmcpherson.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mccallmcphersonpa/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0_JyQdBAJwYT3rMDsvyriw

Facebook:

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X / Twitter:

https://x.com/thyroidexpert

What if the brain fog, forgetfulness, emotional overwhelm, anxiety, or difficulty getting things done isn’t simply stress—or even your thyroid?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson, PA-C sits down with Dr. Jolene Brighten, women’s health expert and bestselling author, to explore the often-overlooked connection between ADHD in women, thyroid function, hormones, perimenopause, inflammation, and brain health.

Dr. Brighten explains why so many women reach adulthood without an ADHD diagnosis and why hormonal transitions can suddenly make symptoms that were once manageable feel impossible to ignore.

She also explains an important overlap for thyroid patients: hypothyroidism itself can create ADHD-like symptoms, including brain fog, low mental energy, working-memory problems, changes in neurotransmitter function, and difficulty with executive function.

In This Episode:

• Why ADHD in women is often missed or misdiagnosed
• How female ADHD can look different from stereotypical hyperactivity
• Anxiety, depression, and undiagnosed ADHD
• How hypothyroidism can mimic ADHD symptoms
• Emotional dysregulation, time blindness, and executive dysfunction
• ADHD, Hashimoto’s, PMDD, endometriosis, POTS, histamine issues, and other co-occurring conditions
• Dr. Brighten’s brain-immune-hormone model
• Why puberty, postpartum, birth control, perimenopause, and postmenopause can change ADHD symptoms
• Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, insulin, and brain energy
• Why perimenopause can make ADHD much harder to manage
• Gut health, sleep, exercise, protein, omega-3s, fiber, and polyphenols
• How to work with your healthcare provider instead of trying to DIY everything

ADHD or Hypothyroidism?

One of the most important conversations in this episode is the overlap between ADHD and low thyroid function.

Dr. Brighten explains that hypothyroidism can affect brain energy, memory, attention, neurotransmitters, and executive function. Her approach is to address hypothyroidism first when it could be contributing to new ADHD-like symptoms.

If difficulties with planning, organization, emotional regulation, focus, or executive function persist—especially when similar patterns have existed since childhood—it may be worth investigating another layer.

Why Hormones Matter

Dr. Brighten discusses important hormonal windows when ADHD symptoms may change or become more obvious: puberty, postpartum, the pill, perimenopause, and postmenopause.

During perimenopause in particular, shifts in estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, insulin regulation, mitochondrial function, and brain energy may make brain fog, sleep problems, emotional dysregulation, and executive dysfunction more difficult.

📖 AVAILABLE NOW: ADHD and Women

Dr. Brighten’s new book, ADHD and Women: A Guide to Optimizing Your Hormones and Thriving with ADHD, is available now.

The book explores female ADHD through a hormone-focused lens and includes guidance on gut health, sleep, exercise, nutrition, supplements, hormones, quizzes, and a 14-day reset.

👉 https://drbrighten.com/adhd-and-women/

📖 Pre-Order Take Back Your Thyroid + Get a Free Bonus

Pre-order McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, and choose one free bonus:

🎓 Thyroid Empowered Course — a $399 value

OR

🩺 $150 off a new patient visit at Modern Thyroid Clinic

👉 https://book.modernthyroidclinic.com/

Connect with Dr. Jolene Brighten

Website:

https://drbrighten.com/

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

💻 Website: modernthyroidclinic.com

🐦 X / Twitter: @thyroidexpert

🌐 Host Website: mccallmcpherson.com

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📘 Facebook: McCall McPherson PAC

📸 Instagram: @mccallmcphersonpa

This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease or replace individualized medical care.

What happens when you’re doing everything “right” for your health but still don’t feel like yourself?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Nicole Peterson Doran, co-founder of PUR-FORM, Humanaut Health franchisee, and host of The Healthspan Collective Podcast, to talk about her decades-long journey through PCOS, hypothyroidism, inflammation, fertility concerns, long COVID, mast cell activation symptoms, and ultimately finding a more personalized approach to health.

Nicole’s story began at just 16 years old when she rapidly gained weight, developed facial hair, experienced irregular periods, severe fatigue, and intense brain fog. She was diagnosed with PCOS and later hypothyroidism, but traditional treatment did little to resolve how she actually felt.

That experience eventually led her into integrative medicine, whole-food nutrition, mindfulness, and the concept of bio-individuality—the idea that what works for one person may not work for another.

In This Episode:

• Nicole’s experience with PCOS and hypothyroidism beginning in her teens
• Why whole foods and lifestyle changes became a turning point
• The importance of bio-individuality in thyroid and hormone health
• Why there is no single “best” diet, medication, or wellness plan for everyone
• How Nicole prepared her body for pregnancy after years of PCOS
• The supplements and lifestyle changes she personally used while preparing for fertility
• Her long-COVID journey and mast cell activation symptoms
• Her personal experience with microdosed tirzepatide
• Thymosin alpha-1 and larazotide
• Why gut health became an important piece of her recovery
• What EBO2 is and how PUR-FORM uses regenerative therapies
• The evolution from struggling patient to health entrepreneur

Fertility After PCOS

Nicole shares how being told as a teenager that getting pregnant could be difficult stayed with her for years.

When she decided she wanted to conceive, she worked intentionally with her practitioners, focused on reducing inflammation, prioritized rest, limited travel, reduced alcohol and sugar, and used supplements including CoQ10 and fish oil.

She became pregnant after approximately three months, while emphasizing that fertility is deeply individual and there is still an element of uncertainty that cannot always be controlled.

Long COVID, MCAS & Finding New Tools

After COVID, Nicole experienced months of intense histamine-type symptoms, inflammation, brain fog, irritability, and weight changes.

She describes working with practitioners and personally using several tools during her recovery, including microdosed tirzepatide, thymosin alpha-1, larazotide, nutritional support, and regenerative therapies. These are shared as Nicole’s personal experience and are not recommendations for every listener.

About Nicole Peterson Doran

Nicole Peterson Doran is a co-founder of PUR-FORM, a comprehensive health optimization clinic in Boca Raton, Florida. She is also involved with Humanaut Health and hosts The Healthspan Collective Podcast.

Her work focuses on personalized health, metabolic and hormonal wellness, regenerative medicine, and helping people find answers when conventional approaches have not been enough.

Connect with Nicole

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/nicolejdoran/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolejpeterson/

PUR-FORM:

https://purformhealth.com/

Humanaut Health:

https://humanauthealth.com/

This episode is for educational purposes only and does not replace individualized medical advice.

📖 Pre-Order Take Back Your Thyroid + Get a Free Bonus

Pre-order McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, and choose one free bonus:

🎓 Thyroid Empowered Course, a $399 value

OR

🩺 $150 off a new patient visit at Modern Thyroid Clinic

Pre-Order & Claim Your Free Bonus

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

💻 Website: modernthyroidclinic.com

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In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson, PA-C sits down with thyroid health expert and bestselling author Elle Russ to discuss why so many people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s continue experiencing symptoms even while taking thyroid medication—and what may be missing from conventional thyroid treatment.

They break down the limitations of relying on TSH alone, the difference between “normal” thyroid labs and actually feeling well, and why thyroid treatment may need to consider the bigger picture, including T4, T3, reverse T3, medication type, dosage, timing, symptoms, and the individual patient.

If you’ve ever been told your thyroid labs are normal while you still struggle with fatigue, brain fog, stubborn weight gain, mood changes, high cholesterol, fertility concerns, or other hypothyroid symptoms, this conversation will help you better understand the questions to ask about your thyroid care.

📖 PRE-ORDER TAKE BACK YOUR THYROID

McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, is the science-based guide for people who are tired of being told everything looks “normal” when they still don’t feel well.

Pre-order the hardcover and receive the Thyroid Empowered Course ($399 value) FREE with your pre-order.

👉 Pre-order here:

https://book.modernthyroidclinic.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=take_back_your_thyroid_preorder&utm_content=episode_62_elle_russ

🔑 IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why you may still have hypothyroid symptoms while taking thyroid medication
• Why relying only on TSH can leave important information out of the picture
• “Normal” thyroid lab ranges vs. optimal thyroid function
• T4, T3, reverse T3, and thyroid hormone conversion
• T4-only medication vs. combination thyroid therapy
• Natural desiccated thyroid vs. synthetic thyroid hormones
• How medication dose and timing can affect thyroid treatment
• The connection between thyroid dysfunction, fatigue, weight, mood, cholesterol, and fertility
• Common misconceptions about thyroid hormone replacement
• Why understanding your own thyroid labs matters
• How to become a more informed advocate for your thyroid health

👩‍⚕️ ABOUT ELLE RUSS

Elle Russ is a bestselling author, thyroid health educator, and advocate.

After experiencing years of hypothyroidism, misdiagnosis, and unsuccessful treatment herself, she became dedicated to helping others better understand thyroid health and advocate for more individualized care.

She is the author of The Paleo Thyroid Solution and creator of The Ultimate Thyroid Course.

🔗 ELLE RUSS RESOURCES

Website:

https://elleruss.com

Free Thyroid Guide:

https://freethyroidguide.com

🌐 ABOUT MODERN THYROID CLINIC

Modern Thyroid Clinic specializes in helping patients understand and address persistent thyroid symptoms through individualized, comprehensive thyroid care.

https://www.modernthyroidclinic.com

Subscribe for weekly conversations about thyroid health, Hashimoto’s, hypothyroidism, hormones, metabolism, functional medicine, women’s health, and longevity.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or replace individualized medical advice from your healthcare provider.

#Hypothyroidism #Hashimotos #ThyroidHealth #ThyroidMedication #WomensHealth

Could a simple neck self-check help you notice a thyroid concern earlier?

September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, and in this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Dr. Rashmi Roy, a fellowship-trained, board-certified endocrine surgeon specializing in thyroid and parathyroid disorders.

Dr. Roy practices at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa and has performed thousands of thyroid and parathyroid procedures. Together, McCall and Dr. Roy have an important conversation about thyroid cancer risk, early detection, diagnosis, thyroid nodules, surgery, Hashimoto’s, and how patients can make more informed decisions about their thyroid health.

They discuss how to perform a neck self-check, potential signs and risk factors to be aware of, and when thyroid ultrasound or additional evaluation may be appropriate.

Dr. Roy also explains what patients should know before thyroid surgery, including common misconceptions, potential complications, and why the experience of your thyroid surgeon can matter when evaluating surgical options.

The conversation also explores Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, its relationship to overall thyroid health and thyroid cancer risk, evolving approaches to treatment and post-surgical management, and why learning to ask better questions can help you become a stronger advocate for your own care.

Whether you are navigating a thyroid nodule, Hashimoto’s, a possible thyroid cancer diagnosis, or an upcoming thyroid surgery, this episode offers practical information to help you approach the next step with greater clarity.

🔑 In This Episode:

• How to perform a neck self-check
• Signs, symptoms, and risk factors associated with thyroid cancer
• When thyroid ultrasound or additional screening may be considered
• What patients should know about thyroid nodules
• Why surgeon experience matters when choosing a thyroid surgeon
• Common myths about thyroid surgery
• Potential risks and complications of thyroid surgery
• Hashimoto’s and its relationship to thyroid health and thyroid cancer risk
• New and emerging approaches to treatment and post-surgical management
• How to advocate for yourself and ask better questions about your care

👩‍⚕️ About Dr. Rashmi Roy

Dr. Rashmi Roy is a fellowship-trained, board-certified endocrine surgeon specializing in thyroid and parathyroid disorders. She practices at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa and has performed thousands of thyroid and parathyroid procedures.

Her extensive surgical experience gives her a valuable perspective on thyroid cancer diagnosis, surgical decision-making, potential complications, and what patients should consider when selecting a thyroid surgeon.

If you know someone navigating thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, Hashimoto’s, or an upcoming thyroid surgery, share this episode with them during Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month.

📘 Pre-Order Take Back Your Thyroid

McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, is available for pre-order now.

Pre-order and receive FREE access to the Thyroid Empowered Course — a $399 value.

👉 Pre-order here:

https://book.modernthyroidclinic.com/

📲 Connect with McCall & Modern Thyroid Clinic

McCall McPherson, PA-C

Instagram: @mccallmcphersonpa

https://www.instagram.com/mccallmcphersonpa/

Modern Thyroid Clinic

Instagram: @modernthyroid

https://www.instagram.com/modernthyroid/

Learn more about Modern Thyroid Clinic:

https://www.modernthyroidclinic.com/

This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace individualized medical care.

#ThyroidCancerAwarenessMonth #ThyroidCancer #ThyroidHealth #ThyroidCancerAwareness #ThyroidSurgery #ThyroidNodules #Hashimotos #HashimotosDisease #Hypothyroidism #ThyroidDisease #EndocrineHealth #WomensHealth #ModernThyroidClinic #McCallMcPherson #TakeBackYourThyroid

What if thyroid dysfunction isn’t always an isolated thyroid problem, but a signal that the cells throughout your body are under too much stress?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Dr. Bill Rawls, physician, bestselling author, and co-founder of Vital Plan, for a fascinating conversation about cellular health, chronic illness, autophagy, microbes, stress, thyroid function, and the role herbs may play in supporting resilience.

Dr. Rawls’ perspective grew out of his own health crisis. After years of intense work and inadequate sleep as an OB-GYN, his health deteriorated dramatically. He experienced fatigue, neurological symptoms, joint problems, cardiac symptoms, and eventually discovered evidence of Lyme disease. After conventional approaches failed to restore his health, his experience with herbal therapy led him into decades of research on chronic illness and cellular wellness.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why Dr. Rawls views cellular stress as a common thread in chronic illness
• Five major categories that can stress our cells
• Why nutrition, environmental toxins, sleep, movement, and microbes matter
• What autophagy is and why cellular repair is essential
• How fasting, exercise, and stress can influence autophagy
• The relationship between thyroid hormone and cellular metabolism
• Why Dr. Rawls views thyroid dysfunction as a possible signal of broader cellular stress
• His hypothesis about microbes, thyroid cells, and Hashimoto’s
• How chronic psychological stress and cortisol affect cellular recovery
• Why whole foods, plant diversity, sleep, movement, and reducing toxic exposures form the foundation of his approach
• How adaptogenic herbs may support cellular resilience
• Ashwagandha, rhodiola, reishi, cordyceps, Japanese knotweed, Chinese skullcap, dandelion, and milk thistle
• Why herbs became central to Dr. Rawls’ approach to chronic illness

The Five Drivers of Cellular Stress

Dr. Rawls encourages listeners to zoom out from individual diagnoses and look at the health of the cells themselves.

He organizes common sources of cellular stress into five broad areas: inadequate nutrition, toxic exposures, insufficient recovery and sleep, physical stress or inactivity, and microbes.

His goal is not simply to suppress symptoms, but to create an internal environment that gives cells the resources and recovery time they need to function well.

Autophagy: Your Cells’ Recycling and Repair System

A major part of the conversation focuses on autophagy, the ongoing process cells use to recycle damaged components and maintain themselves.

Dr. Rawls explains how fasting, movement, and other mild stressors may stimulate this process, while excessive stress can become counterproductive. He emphasizes balance between stress and recovery, rather than believing that more fasting or harder exercise is always better.

What Does This Mean for Thyroid Health?

Dr. Rawls describes thyroid hormone as an important metabolic signal that helps cells produce and use energy.

His central argument is that when cells are chronically stressed, thyroid function may become part of that larger picture. Rather than viewing fatigue or thyroid dysfunction completely in isolation, he encourages looking at sleep, nutrition, stress, environmental exposures, movement, and overall cellular health.

Connect with Dr. Bill Rawls

🌿 Dr. Bill Rawls at RawlsMD

📖 The Cellular Wellness Solution

📖 Unlocking Lyme

🌱 Explore Vital Plan

RESTORE180™

Dr. Rawls also shares RESTORE180, Vital Plan’s six-month program for people navigating complex chronic illness. The program progresses through stress regulation, gut and detoxification support, and concentrated botanical formulations.

Learn More About RESTORE180

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

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With thousands of supplements promising more energy, better hair, improved thyroid function, and healthier aging, how do you know what your body actually needs?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Melissa “Mel” Afflerbach, Clinical Director of Weight Loss & Supplement Programs, for a practical conversation about the supplements they use and recommend within their thyroid and metabolic health programs.

They break down some of the most common concerns women with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s experience—from persistent fatigue and low energy to hair loss—and explain why supplementation should support the bigger picture rather than replace investigating the root cause of a symptom.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why correcting thyroid function may not completely resolve fatigue
• How adrenal and mitochondrial health relate to energy production
• The difference between stimulant energy and supporting cellular energy
• Why thyroid dysfunction can contribute to hair shedding and changes in hair, skin, and nails
• Why ferritin and thyroid labs matter when investigating hair loss
• How collagen, micronutrients, and antioxidants may support hair, skin, and nails
• Why myo-inositol and selenium are used in ThyroShield™
• Why testing and understanding the cause of a symptom still matters
• How McCall and her clinical team choose supplements for MDRN Wellness
• A sneak peek at what they are developing specifically for the thyroid community

McCall also shares the deeply personal story behind the “Sol” found throughout the MDRN Health line. Her late brother, Solomon, had been working on the project before his unexpected passing, and the line now carries part of his legacy forward.

Supplements Discussed in This Episode

Adrena-Sol — adrenal and energy support

Shop Adrena-Sol

Mito-Sol — mitochondrial and cellular energy support

Shop Mito-Sol

Beauty Glow Collagen — collagen support for hair, skin, and nails

Shop Beauty Glow Collagen

Complete Beauty — micronutrient support for hair, skin, and nails

Shop Complete Beauty

Astaxanthin Antioxidant — antioxidant and skin support

Shop Astaxanthin

ThyroShield™ — myo-inositol + selenium thyroid support

Shop ThyroShield™

Shop MDRN Wellness

The MDRN Wellness store was created to make choosing supplements less overwhelming. Products are selected by McCall and the clinical team with the needs of people navigating thyroid dysfunction, hormone concerns, low energy, and related symptoms in mind.

Shop All MDRN Wellness Supplements

📖 Pre-Order Take Back Your Thyroid + Get a Free Bonus

Pre-order McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, and choose one free bonus:

🎓 Thyroid Empowered Course, a $399 value

OR

🩺 $150 off a new patient visit at Modern Thyroid Clinic

Pre-Order & Claim Your Free Bonus

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

💻 Website: modernthyroidclinic.com

🐦 X / Twitter: @thyroidexpert

🌐 Host Website: mccallmcpherson.com

📺 YouTube: McCall McPherson Channel

📘 Facebook: McCall McPherson PAC

📸 Instagram: @mccallmcphersonpa

What if your thyroid symptoms aren’t an isolated problem, but one signal from a body asking you to pay attention?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Kelly McKenna, CEO and Co-Founder of End Chronic Disease, to explore thyroid health, autoimmunity, chronic stress, environmental exposures, nutrition, and what it really means to focus on prevention.

Kelly’s health journey began with a celiac disease diagnosis in high school, followed by nearly two decades of autoimmune and chronic health challenges. In her early 30s, thyroid labs disrupted her plans to freeze her eggs and pushed her to ask a different question: instead of accepting hypothyroidism as inevitable, what might actually be driving it?

That curiosity eventually changed both her health and career.

Key Topics Covered

• Kelly’s experience with celiac disease, hypothyroidism, and Hashimoto’s
• How childhood stress may influence long-term health
• Why sleep, nutrition, movement, relationships, and environment matter
• Environmental exposures and thyroid health
• The conversation around paraquat and chronic disease
• Why prevention should begin in childhood
• Iodine, selenium, vitamin D, iron, and thyroid health
• Why Kelly calls her thyroid a “barometer” for her whole body
• Simple strategies for fatigue and autoimmune flares
• The importance of boundaries and emotional health
• Bringing preventive health education into schools
• Why chronic disease prevention requires both individual and systemic change

When Your Thyroid Becomes a Warning System

After being re-diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, Kelly began closely observing how changes in sleep, nutrition, nutrient status, stress, and other aspects of daily life corresponded with her symptoms and thyroid labs.

She focused on nutrients including iodine, selenium, vitamin D, and iron and experimented with dietary changes. As her thyroid markers improved, she noticed changes in her skin, digestion, fatigue, and overall wellbeing too.

Today, Kelly describes her thyroid as a “barometer for my whole body.” When fatigue and familiar symptoms return, she views them as signals that her body may need more support, rest, or recovery.

Stress, Environment, and Chronic Disease

Kelly also shares how growing up with a brother who experienced significant disabilities and frequent seizures created a chronic sense of uncertainty and stress, even within a loving family. Only later did she recognize how those experiences may have shaped her stress response.

The conversation expands into environmental health, including paraquat exposure, ultra-processed foods, school environments, movement, and why the places where we live, work, learn, and eat deserve a larger role in conversations about chronic disease prevention.

What If You’re Already Exhausted?

When someone is already depleted, complicated wellness routines can feel impossible.

Kelly recommends returning to basics. Her personal recovery toolbox has included restorative yoga, putting her legs up the wall, prioritizing sleep, simplifying food, gentle walking, acupuncture, positive experiences with people she loves, and examining emotional stress or boundaries that may be draining energy.

The goal is to learn your body’s signals and build a collection of tools you can return to when you need them.

About Kelly McKenna

Kelly McKenna is the CEO and Co-Founder of End Chronic Disease, an organization focused on chronic disease prevention, education, awareness, and policy change.

🌐 End Chronic Disease

💼 Kelly McKenna on LinkedIn

📸 Kelly on Instagram @earth.to.kelly

📖 Pre-Order Take Back Your Thyroid + Get a Free Bonus

Pre-order McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, and choose one free bonus:

🎓 Thyroid Empowered Course, a $399 value

OR

🩺 $150 off a new patient visit at Modern Thyroid Clinic

Pre-Order & Claim Your Free Bonus

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

💻 Website: modernthyroidclinic.com

🐦 X / Twitter: @thyroidexpert

🌐 Host Website: mccallmcpherson.com

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📘 Facebook: McCall McPherson PAC

📸 Instagram: @mccallmcphersonpa

What if the foods, supplements, workouts, and hormone therapies that work beautifully for someone else are completely wrong for your biology?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Kashif Khan, bestselling author of The DNA Way, celebrity longevity coach, and two-time TEDx speaker, for a deep dive into functional genomics and personalized health. Kashif explains how DNA acts as an instruction manual for the body and why understanding those instructions may help explain why people respond so differently to the same foods, environmental exposures, exercise programs, supplements, and hormone therapies.

Drawing from his own experience with chronic illness and years of genetic research, Kashif explores the relationship between genetics and lifestyle, including thyroid health, Hashimoto’s, women’s hormones, detoxification, metabolism, gut health, sleep, cognitive function, inflammation, and longevity. The conversation offers a different way to think about personalized medicine: instead of simply asking what disease you may be genetically predisposed to, ask how your biology works and what choices may better support it.

Key Topics Covered

• What DNA actually tells us about everyday health
• Why genetics are not necessarily destiny
• Genetics versus epigenetics
• How lifestyle, environment, and nutrition interact with genetic predispositions
• Kashif’s personal journey from chronic illness to genetic research
• Why two people can make the same health choices and experience very different outcomes
• Genetic differences in detoxification
• Why DNA testing is different from repeatedly testing hormones, cholesterol, or the microbiome
• How genetics may influence sleep and circadian preferences
• Personalizing nutrition and carbohydrate intake
• Genetics, metabolism, and gut health
• Environmental exposures and individual detoxification capacity
• Women’s hormone health and estrogen metabolism
• Genetics, Hashimoto’s, autoimmunity, and thyroid health
• Why functional genomics goes beyond disease-risk scores
• Personalizing exercise according to individual biology
• Why nervous system regulation and gut health may need to come before advanced biohacking
• The future of personalized medicine and longevity
• Why understanding the biology underneath symptoms matters

DNA as Your Body’s Instruction Manual

Kashif describes DNA in practical terms as an instruction manual contained within the cells of the body.

Genes provide instructions for countless biological processes, including producing hormones, metabolizing food, detoxifying compounds, and supporting cognitive function.

The important difference is that everyone's instruction manual is slightly different.

That helps explain why two people can follow the same diet, take the same hormone prescription, or perform the same exercise routine and experience dramatically different outcomes.

Genetics Load the Gun, Environment Pulls the Trigger

One of the central ideas in the episode is the interaction between genetics and epigenetics.

Your DNA does not change every time you change your diet or lifestyle, but the choices you make interact with the biological instructions you inherited.

Kashif groups those choices into three broad areas:

• Environment
• Nutrition
• Lifestyle

Environment includes what you are exposed to. Nutrition includes food, supplements, and other nutritional interventions. Lifestyle encompasses factors such as exercise, work, and sleep.

Understanding genetics, therefore, is not simply about predicting disease. Kashif sees it as a way to understand how your individual body processes the choices you make every day.

Kashif’s Personal Health Journey

Kashif did not enter genomics through a traditional medical or scientific career path.

Around age 38, after previously considering himself healthy, he developed multiple chronic health problems, including severe eczema, psoriasis, gut issues, migraines, reflux, and inflammation.

He received diagnoses and prescriptions but remained focused on a different question:

Why did this happen?

His search took him through traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, naturopathy, functional medicine, hormone health, the microbiome, and eventually genetics.

Understanding genetic differences helped him begin connecting his individual biology with environmental and lifestyle exposures. His recovery ultimately inspired him to leave his previous technology consulting business and build a genetic research company.

Why Your Detoxification Genetics Matter

Kashif uses his own GSTM1 genetics as an example of how individual differences can influence detoxification.

He explains that glutathione plays an important role in neutralizing and removing unwanted compounds and that genetic differences can affect how those processes function in different areas of the body.

In Kashif’s case, he discovered a copy number variation involving GSTM1, which became one piece of understanding why exposures that did not seem to affect someone living an otherwise similar lifestyle could affect him differently.

This illustrates the broader problem with one-size-fits-all wellness advice: what is tolerated well by most people may not necessarily be optimal for every individual.

Why DNA Testing Is Different

Hormones change.

The gut microbiome changes.

Toxic burden changes.

Cholesterol changes.

DNA does not.

Kashif explains that this permanence is part of what makes genomic information valuable. Rather than repeatedly testing DNA, the goal is to understand what your genetic information means and then use that knowledge alongside changing health data throughout your life.

His current mission centers heavily on education and helping people better understand their own genetic information.

Start With the Foundation Before Biohacking

One of Kashif’s cautions is that people often enter the longevity and biohacking world by copying people who have already spent years optimizing their health.

That can quickly become overwhelming.

His suggested framework begins with identifying where you currently are.

If there is an acute health problem, address that first.

Then consider foundational areas such as:

1. Nervous system regulation
2. Gut health
3. Toxic burden
4. Health optimization
5. Longevity and advanced biohacking

Trying to fix decades of accumulated problems in two weeks is unlikely to create the sustainable outcome people are looking for.

The goal is to work in the right order rather than doing everything at once.

Five Areas Functional Genomics Can Help Personalize

Kashif identifies several major areas where he believes functional genomics can provide useful insights.

Cognitive Function

Genetic differences may influence neurochemical pathways involved in behavior, reward, focus, and how people perceive and respond to their environment.

Sleep

Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, feeling restored, or naturally functioning better earlier or later in the day may involve different biological pathways.

Metabolism

People do not necessarily respond identically to the same macronutrient balance.

Kashif shares an example involving female athletes who were struggling on a low-carbohydrate approach but performed better after carbohydrates were reintroduced based on their individual biology.

Gut and Environmental Health

Genetics may help provide context for how an individual responds to environmental exposures and how effectively certain detoxification processes function.

Hormones

This is one of the areas Kashif believes has enormous potential, particularly for women. Understanding how someone produces, binds, metabolizes, and clears hormones may provide a more personalized framework for women's health.

Genetics, Thyroid Health, and Hashimoto’s

McCall and Kashif take the conversation directly into thyroid health.

Kashif explains that people may arrive with symptoms such as fatigue without realizing that thyroid physiology could be part of the picture.

They discuss potential connections among detoxification pathways, environmental exposures, gut-brain signaling, autoimmunity, estrogen metabolism, and thyroid health.

The bigger takeaway is that there may not be one universal reason someone develops Hashimoto’s or another thyroid problem.

Kashif’s approach is to ask what biological pathways may be contributing in that particular individual so interventions can become more precise rather than simply adding more generalized recommendations.

Why Women’s Hormones Need More Personalization

Kashif describes women’s hormone health as one of the areas where his research revealed significant gaps in conventional approaches.

The conversation explores estrogen metabolism and why understanding what happens after estrogen is produced may matter.

Kashif discusses different estrogen metabolites and how genetics may influence their production and processing.

For McCall, this aligns with what she sees clinically: thyroid hormones and reproductive hormones cannot always be treated as isolated systems.

Understanding how an individual produces, converts, metabolizes, and clears hormones may provide another layer of personalization.

Can Exercise Be Personalized to Your DNA?

One surprisingly practical application discussed is exercise.

Kashif believes genetics can provide information about how an individual may respond to different training styles, including resistance training and cardiovascular exercise.

The goal is not simply determining whether exercise is "good" for you.

It is asking which type of exercise may provide the best return for your individual physiology, body composition, recovery, and health goals.

He shares an example involving an elite tennis player whose cardiovascular and mitochondrial genetics required a more individualized approach to supporting the demands of his sport.

The Future of Personalized Medicine

McCall and Kashif also explore whether genomics could eventually become part of everyday medicine.

Kashif believes that shift is already beginning.

Instead of personalizing only the treatment given after disease appears, he envisions a healthcare model that uses genetic, hormonal, microbiome, and other biological information to understand the individual earlier.

For patients, that could mean moving from generalized wellness advice toward more precise decisions about nutrition, exercise, environmental exposures, hormones, and long-term health optimization.

Final Takeaway

Your genes may influence your biology, but knowing your genetics does not have to be about fear.

For Kashif, the value of functional genomomics is understanding why your body behaves the way it does so you can make more informed decisions.

Instead of copying someone else's diet, workout, supplement routine, or longevity protocol, personalized medicine asks a different question:

What does my body actually need?

The goal is not to obsess over every genetic variant. It is to understand your individual strengths and vulnerabilities, strengthen the foundations of health, and use that information to make more precise choices about how you eat, move, sleep, manage your environment, and support your hormones throughout life.

About Kashif Khan

Kashif Khan is the bestselling author of The DNA Way, a celebrity longevity coach, and a two-time TEDx speaker known for his personalized approach to health integrating genetics with lifestyle, environment, and nutrition.

After experiencing multiple chronic health conditions himself, Kashif immersed himself in functional medicine and genetics and went on to build a genetic research company. Today, his work focuses heavily on education, functional genomics, personalized wellness, and helping people better understand how their unique biology may influence their health.

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What if menopause wasn’t something to fear or simply endure, but a transition you could actively prepare for?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Lisa Jedan, creator and host of MenoPositive, to challenge the long-standing narrative that menopause automatically means decline. After a successful career in PR and marketing, where she helped build brands and shape stories, Lisa turned those same skills toward changing the conversation around women’s health and aging.

Lisa shares what she has learned from interviewing experts across conventional medicine, Chinese medicine, longevity, breathwork, nutrition, and women’s health. The message she hears repeatedly is clear: hormones do not operate in isolation, and the earlier women invest in their health, the more options they may have as they age.

Together, McCall and Lisa explore strength training, nutrition, metabolism, thyroid health, Hashimoto’s, mindset, digestion, protein, fiber, sustainable lifestyle changes, and why midlife may become one of the healthiest and most fulfilling chapters of a woman’s life.

Key Topics Covered

• Why Lisa created MenoPositive
• Changing the narrative around menopause and aging
• Why menopause preparation should begin before symptoms become overwhelming
• How thyroid health and reproductive hormones overlap
• Lisa’s personal experience with Hashimoto’s
• Why women often put themselves last
• Moving from perfection toward small, sustainable health changes
• Why strength training becomes increasingly important during midlife
• Building and preserving muscle for healthy aging
• Protein, fiber, metabolism, and digestive health
• Why regular bowel movements matter
• Simple ways Lisa adds flaxseed and sprouts to her diet
• How mindset may influence the menopause experience
• Building trust with yourself through consistent habits
• Moving beyond biohacking toward “bioharmony”
• Why wellness optimization can become exhausting
• The importance of sleep, movement, and nutrition before advanced optimization
• Why your best years do not have to be behind you

Changing the Menopause Narrative

Lisa began her career as a dancer and performer before moving into PR and marketing, where she built a career around storytelling and changing narratives.

When she entered perimenopause and menopause herself, she noticed that the cultural story surrounding this stage of life did not match her experience.

So much of the messaging centered on loss, decline, and everything women should expect to go wrong.

Lisa wanted a different conversation.

That desire became MenoPositive, a platform and philosophy built around educating women about hormone changes while showing them what they can actively do to support their health.

After interviewing experts from a wide range of disciplines, Lisa says one message consistently emerges: menopause does not have to equal decline.

Why We Should Prepare for Menopause

Lisa makes a compelling comparison: we prepare for pregnancy, retirement, and marathons, so why do so many women arrive at one of the biggest biological transitions of their lives without preparation?

Historically, women have often been taught to wait until symptoms appear and then figure out how to manage them.

Lisa wants to reverse that approach.

Instead of asking, “How can I manage these symptoms?” she encourages women to ask how they can prepare their bodies for a more positive menopause experience.

For Lisa, this is not about perfection. It is about preparation and beginning wherever you are.

Thyroid Health and Menopause Symptoms Can Overlap

Lisa also lives with Hashimoto’s, giving her firsthand experience with how difficult it can be to distinguish thyroid symptoms from hormonal changes during midlife.

Mood changes, libido concerns, fatigue, brain fog, and changes in how the body feels can appear across both thyroid dysfunction and perimenopause.

One of the biggest lessons Hashimoto’s taught Lisa was to become curious about what her body was communicating rather than automatically accepting symptoms as her new normal.

McCall emphasizes that thyroid hormones and reproductive hormones do not exist in isolation. Understanding both can be especially important as women move through their 30s, 40s, and beyond.

Why Women Need to Put Themselves Back on the List

Whether a woman is the CEO of a company or the CEO of her household, Lisa observes that women often place themselves third, fourth, or fifth on their own priority lists.

Midlife can offer an opportunity to change that.

Lisa encourages women to believe they deserve to be healthy and to recognize that investing in themselves does not require changing everything overnight.

Cooking one additional vegetable, adding a little movement, or making one sustainable change can begin shifting the trajectory.

McCall connects this idea to the power of small habits. Tiny actions may seem insignificant in isolation, but when repeated consistently, they compound.

Strength Training as a Midlife “Secret Weapon”

For Lisa, two changes significantly influenced her menopause experience: strength training and nutrition.

She had always been active because of her background as a dancer, but midlife encouraged her to change the way she exercised.

Strength training became a priority.

Lisa noticed changes not only in her body, but also in her mood, sleep, confidence, and mindset.

McCall emphasizes that building muscle becomes increasingly challenging as women move through perimenopause and menopause, making it valuable to establish that foundation earlier.

Lisa compares strength training to putting money in the bank. Building strength now creates reserves that may become increasingly valuable later in life.

Keep the Schedule, Change the Scope

One of Lisa’s favorite ideas comes from Atomic Habits by James Clear: “Keep the schedule, change the scope.”

If you planned to exercise but suddenly only have ten minutes, doing those ten minutes still allows you to keep the promise you made to yourself.

Lisa and McCall discuss how this consistency builds something even bigger than fitness: self-trust.

Every time you follow through, especially when you do not feel like it, you reinforce the belief that you can rely on yourself.

That mindset can make sustainable health changes much more achievable than an all-or-nothing approach.

From Biohacking to Bioharmony

Women today are surrounded by wellness advice.

Eat more protein. Take supplements. Strength train. Optimize your hormones. Track your sleep. Improve your metabolism.

Eventually, optimization itself can become exhausting.

Lisa believes the conversation is beginning to shift away from constant “biohacking” toward what she calls bioharmony, a more sustainable approach to working with the body rather than endlessly trying to optimize every variable.

The foundation remains surprisingly simple:

Eat well. Move your body. Sleep.

These habits are not always easy, but Lisa believes establishing them first creates a stronger foundation before adding more advanced interventions.

Protein, Fiber, and Digestion in Midlife

Nutrition is another major part of the conversation.

Across Lisa’s interviews with experts, protein repeatedly emerges as an important topic, particularly alongside strength training and maintaining muscle.

But protein is not the whole story.

Lisa also emphasizes fiber and digestive regularity.

She shares that many women assume having a bowel movement every two or three days is normal. Her own experience taught her how stress and rushed mornings could affect digestion.

Two simple foods she regularly incorporates are flaxseed and sprouts. She prepares flaxseed ahead of time and adds it to yogurt, while sprouts can easily be added to eggs, salads, or meals.

These small, affordable habits reflect Lisa’s larger philosophy: health does not always require expensive or complicated interventions.

You Have More Influence Than You Think

When McCall asks Lisa what mindset shift she wishes every woman could make, her answer is simple:

You have a choice.

Lisa believes women have more influence over how they approach and experience menopause than many have been led to believe.

That does not mean every symptom can be prevented or that every woman will have the same experience. It means women can become informed, seek appropriate care, strengthen their health foundations, and make choices that support the decades ahead.

Your Best Years Are Not Behind You

Perhaps the biggest myth Lisa wants to challenge is the idea that a woman’s best years are over once she reaches midlife.

She sees the opposite.

Women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are starting businesses, stepping into leadership, pursuing new goals, and redefining what aging looks like.

Instead of treating menopause as an ending, Lisa sees it as an opportunity to enter the second half of life with greater wisdom, perspective, confidence, and purpose.

For her, menopause can be a powerful new beginning.

Final Takeaway

Preparing for menopause does not mean pursuing perfection.

It means starting where you are.

Build muscle.

Eat nourishing foods.

Prioritize protein and fiber.

Protect your sleep.

Pay attention to your thyroid and hormones.

Listen to your body.

Make small promises to yourself and keep them.

Most importantly, reject the assumption that midlife automatically means decline.

As Lisa and McCall discuss, women have more information, tools, and opportunities than ever before to become active participants in their health. The goal is not to obsessively optimize every aspect of life. It is to build a sustainable foundation that allows you to feel strong, capable, and empowered through menopause and the decades beyond.

About Lisa Jedan

Lisa Jedan is the creator and host of MenoPositive, a platform and philosophy dedicated to changing the narrative around menopause. After beginning her career as a dancer and performer, Lisa moved into PR and marketing, where she worked in storytelling and brand building.

Her own experience with perimenopause, menopause, and Hashimoto’s inspired her to bring those storytelling skills back to women’s health. Through MenoPositive, Lisa interviews experts from around the world about hormone shifts, health, longevity, nutrition, mindset, and practical strategies designed to educate and empower women.

Resources & Links

🌐 MenoPositive

menopositive.life

📸 MenoPositive on Instagram

@menopositive.life

🎙️ Lisa Jedan / MenoPositive on Audible

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