Welcome back to Gut Talk! If you're new here - hi, we're so happy to have you.

In this episode we sat down with functional nutritionist Micaela Riley (@bebalancedbymicaela) to talk about everything women need to hear about gut health, hormones, metabolism, and why so many are still feeling off - even when doing "all the right things."

Micaela opens up about her own journey of feeling dismissed by doctors, struggling with symptoms like hair loss, weight gain, acne, and burnout - only to later build a thriving wellness practice helping women get real answers.

We cover:

- The biggest mistakes women make when trying to “get healthy”

- Why 1,200-calorie diets and endless cardio aren’t working

- Over-supplementation and how it might be hurting your liver

- Mikayla’s glowy skin routine (and her take on the sunscreen debate!)

If you’ve ever felt dismissed, confused, or like something’s still not right, this one’s for you!

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction & Guest Intro - Micaela Riley from Be Balanced

01:23 The Skin Routine, Wellness in Austin, and Gluten-Free Living

05:04 Micaela’s Personal Health Journey & Being Dismissed by Doctors

08:52 The Problem with Traditional Medicine and Women's Health Dismissal

11:52 Why Functional Testing Matters (DUTCH, GI Map, Bloodwork)

14:06 Over-Supplementation, Liver Stress & TikTok Wellness Culture

17:02 What Lab Testing Reveals: Hair Loss, Hormones, and Chronic Symptoms

19:48 PCOS, Perimenopause & Common Hormonal Patterns

23:44 Metabolic Health, Weight Fluctuations & Cortisol Confusion

26:22 Blood Sugar, Insulin Resistance & Tools to Track It

30:00 The Under-Eating Epidemic & Cardio Overload in Women

33:16 Lifting Weights vs. Endless Cardio: The Metabolism Myth

35:00 Supplement Overload & How It’s Harming, Not Helping

38:22 Jill’s Melanoma Story & Sunscreen Controversy in Wellness

42:46 Healing Through Slowing Down: Letting Go of Over-Exercising

45:11 Skin Health, Retinol, Barrier Repair & Micaela’s Full Routine

49:18 Acne, Insulin Resistance & Why Zinc Isn’t a Cure-All

51:03 Blood Sugar 101: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Fix It

54:35 Macros, Protein, Fiber & Tracking for Long-Term Health

58:10 Eating More to Build Muscle & Reverse Dieting Real Talk

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Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gut-talk-with-jill-and-jenna/id1597804122