Could your gut be playing a bigger role in your missing period than you realize?

In this episode, I'm joined by Lauren Furgiuele, Registered Dietitian and lead dietitian inside Nourished Fertility, to break down one of our favorite functional lab tests: the GI-MAP stool test. We unpack what this test actually measures, why gut health matters for hormone recovery and fertility, and how hidden gut issues could be making it harder for your body to ovulate and get your period back.

You'll learn why digestion is about so much more than bloating, what common findings like H. pylori or low digestive enzymes can mean, and why the goal isn't to fear food or eliminate everything—but to understand what's happening inside your body so you can support true healing.

In this episode, we cover:

• What the GI-MAP stool test measures
• How gut health impacts hormones and fertility
• Signs your digestion may not be functioning optimally
• Common gut imbalances we see in women with period loss
• Why testing beats guessing when it comes to gut health
• How GI-MAP testing is now included as a bonus inside Premier Period Recovery for Fertility

If you're ready to stop guessing and finally understand what's happening inside your body, this episode is for you.

If this conversation helped you better understand how to nourish your body for fertility, please take a moment to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who's trying to conceive.

If your period is missing, irregular, or you've been told IVF is your only option because you're not ovulating, know that you don't have to navigate this alone.

Inside our coaching programs, we help women restore ovulation, rebuild trust with food and exercise, and nourish their bodies for pregnancy through an evidence-based, root-cause approach.

Learn more about working with us at Nourished Fertility and take the first step toward getting your period back and growing your family.

If you've ever wondered what you should actually be eating to support fertility, this episode is for you.

With so much conflicting nutrition advice online—from low-carb to plant-based to cutting out entire food groups—it can feel impossible to know what's truly best for your body when you're trying to conceive.

That's why I invited Lily Nichols, RDN, back to the podcast. Lily is the bestselling author of Real Food for Fertility, and together we dive into what the research actually says about nourishing your body before pregnancy.

In this conversation, we're breaking down the biggest fertility nutrition myths, discussing why nutrient density matters so much, and sharing the foods we both prioritize with our clients to support healthy hormones, ovulation, egg quality, and pregnancy.

Whether you're actively trying to conceive, working to restore ovulation after period loss, or simply want to build a healthier foundation before pregnancy, this episode will help you feel confident about what belongs on your plate.

• Why fertility is about nourishing your body—not restricting it

• The biggest misconceptions about fertility nutrition

• Why Lily challenges many conventional nutrition recommendations

• The truth about plant-based diets and fertility

• Why eggs are one of the best fertility foods you can eat

• The surprising benefits of liver and organ meats

• Which nutrients have the biggest impact on egg quality

• How cholesterol, healthy fats, and protein support hormone production

• Why nutrient density matters more than calorie counting

• Practical ways to start eating for fertility today

• Real Food for Fertility by Lily Nichols & Lisa Hendrickson-Jack

• Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols

If this conversation helped you better understand how to nourish your body for fertility, please take a moment to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who's trying to conceive.

If your period is missing, irregular, or you've been told IVF is your only option because you're not ovulating, know that you don't have to navigate this alone.

Inside our coaching programs, we help women restore ovulation, rebuild trust with food and exercise, and nourish their bodies for pregnancy through an evidence-based, root-cause approach.

Learn more about working with us at Nourished Fertility and take the first step toward getting your period back and growing your family.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE 21 DAY FERTILITY JUMPSTART. We start Monday, July 13th!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE 21 DAY FERTILITY JUMPSTART. We start Monday, July 13th!

If you've only ever had your ferritin or serum iron tested, you may be missing a huge piece of the fertility puzzle.

In this episode of our Functional Lab Series, I'm breaking down why we run a comprehensive iron panel—not just a single iron marker—on every woman we work with inside Premier Period Recovery for Fertility. You'll learn why iron is about so much more than anemia, how nutrients like copper, zinc, vitamin A, and ceruloplasmin impact your body's ability to use iron, and why digestion plays a critical role in restoring ovulation and fertility.

If you've been eating more, exercising less, and still don't have your period back, this episode will help you understand why looking deeper matters.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why ferritin alone doesn't tell the whole story

• The difference between serum iron, ferritin, TIBC, and percent saturation

• The key nutrients required for healthy iron metabolism

• How gut health impacts iron absorption and fertility

• Why functional lab testing can uncover hidden roadblocks to getting your period back

Resources mentioned: Watch the free training: Restore Your Fertility in 90 Days (or Less) Learn more about Premier Period Recovery for Fertility Rachel's HTMA episode and Amanda's HTMA episode on the show

WATCH ON YOUTUBE HERE. Have you ever looked at your HTMA results and thought:

"Okay... but what does any of this actually mean?"

If so, today's episode is for you.

I'm joined by women's health dietitian and HTMA expert Amanda Montalvo for a deep dive into one of our favorite parts of the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis test: significant ratios.

Inside Nourished Fertility, HTMAs have completely transformed how we support women with period loss, fertility struggles, thyroid symptoms, and hormone imbalances. These tests allow us to see deeper than standard blood work and understand how stress, metabolism, nervous system function, thyroid health, and mineral status are impacting your fertility journey.

In this conversation, Amanda breaks down exactly what significant ratios are, why they matter, and how they help us understand what's happening behind symptoms like:

• Missing or irregular periods
• Fertility challenges
• Low energy and burnout
• Thyroid symptoms
• Blood sugar instability
• Anxiety and overwhelm
• Difficulty recovering from stress

We also discuss why hormone imbalances are often the last thing to show up in the body—and why minerals may be the missing piece you've been overlooking.

If you've completed an HTMA, are considering one, or simply want a better understanding of how minerals impact fertility, this episode is a must-listen.

If you have a missing or irregular period and you're ready to uncover the root cause, we'd love to support you inside Premier Period Recovery for Fertility.

👉 Apply for Premier Period Recovery for Fertility Here

Learn our proven framework to restore your fertility naturally, even if you've been told IVF is your only option.

🎓 Watch the Free Training Here

Not sure why your period is missing?

Take our free quiz to discover the most likely root cause of your period loss and your next best step.

🩺 Take the Period Recovery Quiz Here

Instagram: @hormonehealingrd Podcast: Hormone Healing RD Podcast Website: https://hormonehealingrd.com

After 9+ years of podcasting, hundreds of women served, and countless conversations about period recovery, fertility, and women's health, it's official:

The Nourishing Women Podcast is now the Nourished Fertility Podcast.

While the name is changing, the heart behind this show remains exactly the same.

In this special episode, Victoria shares the story behind the rebrand, why this evolution felt so important, and what listeners can expect moving forward.

If you've been with us since the beginning, thank you. And if you're brand new here, welcome—we're so glad you're here.

The Nourished Fertility Podcast is your go-to resource to get your period back, restore your fertility, get pregnant, and become the healthy mom you dream of being. Whether you're navigating hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA), struggling with infertility, preparing for pregnancy, or simply wanting to build a healthier relationship with food and exercise, this podcast was created for you.

If you have a missing or irregular period and you're ready for personalized support, we'd love to help.

💛 Apply for Premier Period Recovery for Fertility here.

Inside our signature coaching program, we'll help you uncover the root cause of your missing period, restore ovulation, improve fertility, and create a clear path toward pregnancy.

The only reason getting pregnant with no period feels hard is because no one has shown you how.

🎓 Watch our free training here Restore Your Fertility in 90 Days or Less Without Giving Up All Exercise or Focusing on Weight Gain

Wondering why your period is missing?

Take our free quiz and discover the most likely root cause of your period loss along with the next best steps to restore your fertility.

🩺 Take the Quiz Here

Instagram: https://instagram.com/nourishedfertility

Website: https://nourishedfertility.co

We'll be back for new episodes SO soon and be back officially as Nourished Fertility. In the meantime, here's my new quiz I made for you if you've tried EVERYTHING and you still don't have a regular period. Click here to take it!

Today's episode is brought to you by our exclusive program, Premier Period Recovery for Fertility. Reach out to chat 1-1 with me to see if it's exactly what you need to get your period back and get pregnant in 2026, by applying here.

This period recovery method will change your life...and I've laid it all out for you in my NEW free course, Restore Your Fertility in 90 Days (or less). Download and watch it today!

If your period is missing, your cycles are irregular, or you're dealing with bloating and exhaustion… this episode is going to hit home.

Because what if none of that is random? What if your body is actually responding exactly the way it's designed to?

So many women are told their labs are "normal" or that birth control or IVF is their only option… but no one is explaining why your body is downregulating in the first place.

In this episode, we break down the real root cause behind low estrogen, missing periods, and hormone imbalances—how under-eating, over-exercising, and high internal pressure signal to your body that it's not safe to ovulate.

You'll learn why your body isn't a calculator (calories in vs. out), but a thermostat constantly adapting to your environment—and how stress isn't just emotional, it's anything that increases demand without enough support.

If you've been doing everything "right" and still feel off, this will help you finally understand what your body has been trying to tell you.

Today's episode is brought to you by our exclusive program, Premier Period Recovery for Fertility. Reach out to chat 1-1 with me to see if it's exactly what you need to get your period back and get pregnant in 2026, by applying here.

This period recovery method will change your life...and I've laid it all out for you in my NEW free course, Restore Your Fertility in 90 Days (or less). Download and watch it today!