Period Recovery and Fertility Podcast

By Lindsey LussonHealth & Fitness Nutrition

Period Recovery and Fertility Podcast episodes

May 12, 2024Ep 58: Marathon runner to momma: Healing from disordered eating and miscarriage trauma
Sam lives in Charlotte, NC, with her husband and GSP dog, Millie. She was a collegiate runner turned marathon runner, which inevitably led to disordered eating and unhealthy exercise habits. In January of 2023, she and her husband decided they wanted to start their family. After going off birth control, it became clear this wasn't going to be easy, as her period was nonexistent. Over 10 years of a missing period, Sam was able to recover her cycle naturally through the Food Freedom Fertility Society and is now happy to share she is expecting her first baby boy in September.
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In this Episode:
The athletic background that can set the stage for period loss

Red flags of hormone imbalances that are often brushed under the rug

Why your Obgyn won’t be the one to tell you how to get your period back

Why you can get weight and still not get your period back

The mental prison of disordered eating and exercise obsession

Overcoming the fear of what others will think if you gain weight

Why it’s so hard to push yourself to eat enough when you’re working on your own

Getting pregnant again after loss and avoiding relapses into disordered eating

The magic of getting a positive pregnancy and re-establishing trust in your body
Connect with Lindsey:
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.foodfreedomandfertility.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Twitter: @lindseylusson
Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠
44 min
April 29, 2024Ep 57: Root Causes of Period Loss and Infertility
Dr. Kelsey is a licensed Naturopathic Physician from Portland, OR, who specializes in fertility + menstrual health. Balancing roles as a devoted mother of 2 and a thriving practitioner, she weaves comprehensive medical expertise with a holistic approach that nurtures physical, emotional, + energetic wellness. In both her busy private practice and nationwide support for couples, she sees the incredible impact digestive + hormone health have on women's health + fertility. She is very passionate about bridging gaps in comprehensive healthcare, empowering women with education, and nourishing the transition into Parenthood.

In this episode:
Can micronutrient deficiencies cause amenorrhea?

Simple ways to incorporate mindfulness to support nervous system regulation

The best ways to support your detox pathways

Ways to limit endocrine-disrupting chemicals to support your fertility

Signs of lingering low hormone levels even when you are getting your period

Primary Ovarian Insufficiency vs. Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

How often to test your hormones to get a full picture of your fertility

Financial considerations during your fertility journey

Products we’re loving: ⁠Tempdrop⁠
Use code “AFfoodfreedomfertility” for 10% off
Connect with Dr. Kelsey
Instagram: @drkelseystang
Website: www.drkelseystang.com

Connect with Lindsey:
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.foodfreedomandfertility.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Twitter: @lindseylusson
Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility
49 min
April 14, 2024Ep 56: Understanding Labs with HA
Have you been told your labs are normal, but still missing your period? In this solo episode I’m going to walk you through what typical labs look like with Hypothalamic Amenorrhea.
In this Episode
Why labs can be “normal,” but you’re still missing your period

Best labs to have to done to distinguish between HA and PCOS

When to test Progesterone to confirm ovulation

What does low AMH mean with HA?

Is it possible to improve low AMH?

Pros/cons of using labs to assess your progress in recovery
Episodes referenced today:
Ep 48: PCOS and HA? Navigating nutrition when you have both

Ep 39: What happens if you don’t recover your period

Ep 12: Do I have HA or PCOS?
Connect with Lindsey:
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.foodfreedomandfertility.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Twitter: @lindseylusson
Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠
31 min
March 31, 2024Ep 55: Overcoming denial about your habits and finally making changes to support fertility
Beth is a registered nurse and nursing professor with a background in obstetrical nursing from just outside St. Louis, Missouri. In an effort to "get in the best shape possible" before she and her husband tried to conceive, she unintentionally set herself down a path of severe disordered eating, over exercise, and consequently developed HA. After two years of no period returning after coming off hormonal birth control, seeking fertility assistance with a REI, and attempting recovery on her own, she made the decision to join Lindsey's program to get the additional support, guidance, and encouragement needed to get her period back and get pregnant naturally!
Show notes:
Taking your fitness journey too far and losing your period

Maybe tiny tweaks and not getting results

Being tapped out on fertility treatment and getting serious about recovery

Thinking about period recovery as a prescriptive diet

When you need more than spousal support to recover

Getting pregnant in under 3 months after over a year of infertility

Take pride in healing from disordered eating to be a role model for your kids
Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Add it here!
Ask the REI: Diagnosing HA Episode 52
How your partner can support you during recovery Episode 15

Connect with Lindsey:
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.foodfreedomandfertility.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Twitter: @lindseylusson
Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility
52 min
March 17, 2024Ep 54: Cycle syncing your workouts with Courtney Babilya
Courtney is a registered nurse and women’s fitness specialist. She provides sustainable fitness programs for women by incorporating menstrual cycle periodization, which means timing your workouts to the four phases of your cycle. As a mom and former athlete, she’s passionate about making fitness accessible to real-world women who are tired of burnout but want to feel strong and healthy.
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In this Episode:
Overcoming an ED and becoming a health expert

Why there’s a need to train around your menstrual cycle

Explaining what a “normal” cycle looks like

Using cyclical fitness to help regulate your cycle

Understanding how your hormones impact motivation and exercise performance

Approaching fitness without being overly focused on changing body composition

Adjusting fitness to the life stage that you’re in and making it fun!
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Links Mentioned in the episode:
Dr. Stay Sims book: “Roar”
Connect with Courtney:
Instagram: ⁠@courtneykeepingbalance⁠
KBM App: KBMAPP
KBM Podcast: Keeping Balance
Connect with Lindsey:
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.foodfreedomandfertility.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Twitter: @lindseylusson
Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠⁠
37 min
March 03, 2024Ep 53: Pressing pause on IVF and getting pregnant naturally 3 months later
Jean wrestled with an eating disorder and Hypothalamic Amenorrhea from her late teens until her 30s. She started working with Lindsey at age 30 with the hopes of becoming pregnant. After over a decade of period loss, excessive exercise, and a complicated relationship with food, she was not only able to regain her cycle, but she is now 32 weeks pregnant with a healthy, happy, amazing baby girl! Jean lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband and two dogs, and plans to get back into her work as a Pilates instructor at some point postpartum.
In this Episode
Overcoming denial about disordered eating

Hitting your breaking point in “quasi-recovery”

When measuring food turns into a crutch that perpetuates under-eating

Understanding what foods help you to feel your best through recovery

Getting pregnant naturally on your first ovulation

The benefits of having food freedom during pregnancy

How to avoid disordered eating relapse during pregnancy

Why you need to break up with your scale ASAP

Exposing the lie “I won’t care about weight gain once I’m pregnant”

Links: Episode 18 from IVF to Natural Pregnancy
Have a question you want me to answer on the Podcast? Add in here

Connect with Lindsey:
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.foodfreedomandfertility.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Twitter: @lindseylusson
Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠
57 min
February 18, 2024Ep 52 Ask the REI: How Should we Approach Getting Pregnant with HA?
Dr. Goldstein is the founding physician of Beverly Hills Fertility. She is one of the most trusted names in fertility and is highly recommended by her patients for her communication, responsiveness, and attention to detail. Dr. Goldstein obtained her MD from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and is a double board-certified OB-GYN and Reproductive Endocrinologist. In an industry that is continually becoming less personalized, Dr. Goldstein is proof that you can provide world-class fertility care and empower hopeful parents to choose a fertility journey that aligns with their goals before anything else. She weaves her way through the often overwhelming world of fertility care with intuition and empathy, to make sure her patients have a clear understanding of their diagnosis and treatment options. Dr. Goldstein lives in Santa Monica with her two children and her husband. When she is not taking care of patients, she enjoys rowing, kayaking, yoga, traveling, and hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains.

In this Episode
Understanding the physiology of Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

Distinguishing between HA and PCOS

Diagnosing HA when your labs are “normal”

How set point comes into play with regard to fertility

Should you do IVF if your period is still missing?

Why some women lose their period with HA, and others do not

Why some Obgyns aren’t up to speed on how to properly diagnose HA

The questions your REI should be asking upon your initial fertility assessment

Connect with Dr. Goldstein
Website: Ellen Goldstein

Connect with Lindsey:
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.foodfreedomandfertility.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Twitter: @lindseylusson
Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility
41 min
February 04, 2024Ep 51: Going from No Period to Pregnant in 8 Weeks
Kelly has been a physical therapist for 7 years and lives in eastern Pennsylvania w/her husband of 5 years. Shortly after getting married, Kelly lost her period due to Hypothalamic Amenorrhea. After months of trying recovery on her own, Kelly joined Lindsey's program in the summer of 2023 after realizing she couldn’t keep putting recovery on the back burner if she wanted to get pregnant ASAP. By the end of the summer, Kelly had not only gotten her period back, she found out she was pregnant! Listen as Kelly, and I visit through her experience going from no period to pregnant in 8 weeks!

In this Episode:
Linkage between Physical Therapy and a potential pathway to developing HA

Leaning into your gut feeling that something is off with your body

How weight status can impact your body’s ability to get a period

Flipping the script on weight gain: tips and tricks to reframe your mindset during recovery

Achieving pregnancy naturally in 8 weeks after going 4 years without a period

Lessons learned from HA recovery that can serve you well in pregnancy
Connect with Lindsey:
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.foodfreedomandfertility.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Twitter: @lindseylusson
Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠
30 min
January 21, 2024Ep 50: Bridging the Gap in Practitioner Care for Period Recovery
Join me and my friend Cynthia Donovan, aka the Period Nutritionist, as we discuss the gaps we see currently in our healthcare system with properly diagnosing and treating Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and our hope for how our new program, Period Recovery Practitioner will help to better educate and equip healthcare professionals.
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In This Episode:
Statistics on the prevalence of HA

Why all healthcare providers need to know about HA

What you won’t learn in books and research papers

Understanding the health ramifications of missing periods

How Period Recovery Practitioner can help you level up and better serve your patients and clients

Ready to learn more about PRP? Start by filling out this form and be sure to give us a follow on Instagram @period.recovery.practitioner
Connect with Lindsey:
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.foodfreedomandfertility.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Twitter: @lindseylusson
Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility
38 min
January 07, 2024Ep 49: Recovery Reflections 7 years later
Join me for a casual conversation with my friend Kristen Kelly who I met through HA recovery 7 years ago! We review our experiences coming to terms with an HA diagnosis, what recovery looks and feels like now versus then, and our reflections on how recovery has changed our lives for the better.
In this Episode:
Two very different paths that led to period loss

Being honest with yourself and navigating PCOS misdiagnosis

Challenges of going straight from recovery into pregnancy

How to approach eating and exercise post-recovery

The rabbit hole of toxic-free living and how to approach this mindfully

Learning patience, acceptance, and appreciation for your body regardless of what size or season you’re in
Stay up to date with all things Food Freedom Fertility and gain access to my free Period Recovery Meal Plan.
⁠⁠⁠Get my Period Recovery Meal Plan⁠
Links Mentioned in the Episode:
Podcast Episode 1: My Recovery Story

Podcast: Fertility Friday Podcast
Connect with Lindsey:
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility⁠⁠⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.foodfreedomandfertility.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠
Twitter: @lindseylusson
Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@‌food.freedom.fertility
57 min

About Period Recovery and Fertility Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to the Period Recovery and Fertility Podcast! Here we discuss the challenging, rewarding, and life changing process of recovering your period and finding freedom with food and exercise. Whether you’re hoping to regain your cycle and get your health on track or you're ready to become a momma- this podcast is for you.