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Evidence-based insights and in-depth education on thyroid health, hormones, gut function, and root-cause healing — written by Lauren and the Functional Fueling® clinical team.
Evidence-based insights and in-depth education on thyroid health, hormones, gut function, and root-cause healing — written by Lauren and the Functional Fueling® clinical team.
The Missing Nutrients Behind Hashimoto’s Podcast Episode 156: [The LoDown] The Missing Nutrients Behind Hashimoto’s In this episode of the Functional Fueling Podcast, we discuss: The role of nutrient deficiencies in Hashimoto’s Why women with Hashimoto’s have higher nutrient needs The hidden connection between oxidative stress and thyroid health The first labs I look at […]
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The Missing Nutrients Behind Hashimoto’s Podcast Episode 156: [The LoDown] The Missing Nutrients Behind Hashimoto’s In this episode of the Functional Fueling Podcast, we discuss: The role of nutrient deficiencies in Hashimoto’s Why women with Hashimoto’s have higher nutrient needs The hidden connection between oxidative stress and thyroid health The first labs I look at […]
Thyroid
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Immune and Lymphatic Systems: The Missing Link in Chronic Inflammation and Thyroid Autoimmunity Immune and lymphatic systems work hand-in-hand to regulate inflammation. And yet, supporting the lymphatic system is often one of the most overlooked steps when trying to improve immune health. The body’s ability to effectively clear inflammatory byproducts is just as important as […]
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What 10 years has taught me about women’s thyroid health Podcast Episode: What 10 Years of Helping Active Women Taught Me About Why So Many Stay Stuck with Thyroid Symptoms Listen to the Full Podcast Episode In this episode of the Functional Fueling Podcast, I discuss: Why so many active women stay stuck despite […]
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Doing Everything Right But Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? Does it feel like you are doing everything right, but still struggling with thyroid symptoms? Maybe you’re eating whole foods, exercising consistently, taking high-quality supplements, prioritizing sleep, and yet you still feel stuck. Despite all of your efforts, you’re exhausted, battling brain fog, experiencing stubborn weight changes, […]
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Can You Come Off Thyroid Medication? Podcast Episode: Can You Actually Come Off Thyroid Medication? One of the questions I get asked most often is: “Will I ever be able to come off my thyroid medication?” The answer is probably not the one you’re expecting. Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes it’s no. But regardless […]
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Why Your Thyroid Medication Isn’t Working & How to Make it Work Better To treat underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism, thyroid medication is often the first step. While thyroid hormone replacement can be incredibly helpful, it shouldn’t be the only treatment strategy. Maybe you’ve been told to take your thyroid medication on an empty stomach and […]
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Food Sensitivities: The Goal Isn’t Elimination – It’s Food Tolerance If you’ve been struggling with food sensitivities for months, or even years, you’re not alone. For many people, navigating chronic digestive symptoms or autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s can feel like an endless cycle of removing more and more foods in hopes of finally feeling better. […]
Immune
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Pain, Swelling & Exercise Intolerance? This Lymphatic Tool May Help | Rush Simonson Podcast Episode 155: How to Improve Pain, Swelling, and Exercise Intolerance with Lymphatic Support w/ Rush Simonson, Founder of Juvent In this episode of the Functional Fueling Podcast, we discuss: Why not all vibration plates are created equal The hidden risks of […]
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Immune and Lymphatic Systems: The Missing Link in Chronic Inflammation and Thyroid Autoimmunity Immune and lymphatic systems work hand-in-hand to regulate inflammation. And yet, supporting the lymphatic system is often one of the most overlooked steps when trying to improve immune health. The body’s ability to effectively clear inflammatory byproducts is just as important as […]
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The Hidden Immune Connection To Endometriosis, HPV, Herpes & Recurrent Vaginal Infections: Causes, Triggers & Solutions with Christian Sohmen A few things we chat about in this episode The immune connection to fertility & unexplained infertility The overlooked immune drivers of endometriosis Why recurrent BV, yeast infections, HPV, & herpes keep coming back […]
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Immune System Support Starts with Understanding Your Immune Triggers Immune system support starts with understanding your immune triggers. Rather than trying to simply “boost” or suppress the immune system, the goal is to identify the energy leaks driving immune dysfunction. By first learning about your unique immune environment, we can then determine whether your immune system […]
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[The LOdown] The Truth About Healing Timelines for Thyroid, Fertility & Autoimmunity In this episode of The Functional Fueling® Podcast, we explore the truth about healing timelines for thyroid dysfunction, fertility, menstrual cycle recovery, and autoimmunity. Learn why root-cause healing is rarely linear, the importance of phased healing, how “energy leaks” influence healing timelines, and […]
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What Causes PMS? Understanding the Root Causes of Painful PMS Inflammation What causes PMS symptoms? If you dread your period because of painful cramps, headaches, or hormonal migraines, you’re not alone. While these symptoms are incredibly common, they’re often a sign of underlying inflammation, and aren’t something women simply need to tolerate. This inflammation is […]
Menstrual Cycle
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FFN Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Case Studies: Cycle Restoration, Fertility Outcomes, and Hormone Rebalancing Hypothalamic amenorrhea is characterized by the loss of a menstrual cycle for six or more months. Below are two case studies from patients of ours at Functional Fueling. We outline their initial presentations, our clinical approach, and how they recovered their menstrual cycle […]
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Hormonal Migraines: Why They Happen & How to Fix the Root Cause Have you ever noticed headaches or migraines showing up at the same time every month, especially around ovulation or right before your period? And have you been told the only solution is something like Botox injections? There’s actually a hormonal reason this pattern […]
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Functional Nutrition for Endometriosis: Case Studies on What Actually Reduces Pain, Bloating, and Inflammation Patient 1: “Mary” 2 years post-excision surgery, wanted to try to manage bloating and pre-menstrual pain without another surgery if she could. Conditions: Endometriosis Symptoms: Severe abdominal pain(endometriosis) not just during period but throughout the month, fatigue, abdominal pain, brain fog, […]
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Progesterone Supplementation for Low Hormones: The Hidden Risks for Women Still Cycling Progesterone is one of the most important hormones for women’s health. It supports mood stability, metabolic function, restful sleep, menstrual cycle regulation, fertility, and pregnancy. When levels are low, symptoms like PMS, spotting, short luteal phases (and therefore short cycles), anxiety, and disrupted […]
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Short Menstrual Cycles and Low Luteal Temperatures: Decoding your Basal Body Temperatures Short menstrual cycles can be more than an inconvenience. They may be signaling a deeper hormonal imbalance, particularly during the second half of your cycle known as the luteal phase. That’s where basal body temperature (BBT) tracking comes in. By taking your […]
[The LOdown] AMA: Navigating Toddler Sleep Deprivation and Balancing Business, Motherhood and Health
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[The LOdown] AMA: Navigating Toddler Sleep Deprivation and Balancing Business, Motherhood and Health A few things we chat about in this episode 👇👇👇 How I balance motherhood with work and healthy habits The strategies I used to help my toddler finally become a better sleeper (no crying involved) How I make time for movement […]
Perinatal
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Why Most Pregnancy Lab Work Falls Short (And What Women Actually Need) Most pregnancy lab work is designed for the average non-pregnant person, not the rapidly changing physiology of pregnancy. In this episode, we break down why standard lab testing often falls short during pregnancy and postpartum, and what that means for thyroid function, nutrient […]
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Pregnancy Support at Functional Fueling®: From Preconception to Postpartum Many women are told to “just take a prenatal,” but true nutrition support during pregnancy is far more nuanced than that. Pregnancy is a dynamic, constantly shifting process where your body’s needs evolve from preconception through postpartum. Your nutrition and lifestyle support should evolve right alongside […]
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My Morning Routine & Things I’m Loving (As a Functional RD + Mom) In this episode I’m sharing a realistic look at how my morning routine has evolved after having a baby—what’s changed, what I’ve simplified, and what I’ve kept as non-negotiables to support my hormone health, workout recovery, and overall wellness. We’ll cover how […]
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Fertility Over 35: The Prenatal Supplement Roadmap for Women + Men with WeNatal Co-Founder Trying to conceive after 35 requires more than just “taking a prenatal.” In this episode, we break down how to choose the right prenatal supplement for both women and men, and why fertility optimization starts months before conception. We discuss why […]
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Chinese Medicine for Kiddos w/ Dr. David Allen In this episode of Strength in Hormones, we explore how Chinese Medicine approaches children’s health differently than Western medicine and why understanding these differences can transform the way you support your child’s digestion, sleep, emotions, and immune system. Chinese Medicine views children as physiologically and energetically developing, […]
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Can Biotin Cause Acne? What We Know About the Link Between B Vitamins and Breakouts Can biotin cause acne? You may have started taking biotin or other B vitamins to support energy levels or grow stronger, longer hair and nails – but now you’re breaking out and wondering if B vitamins are to blame. We’re […]
Skin
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Keratosis Pilaris (Chicken Skin): Root Causes & Functional Solutions Keratosis Pilaris (KP) — often referred to as “chicken skin” — is more than a cosmetic issue. In this episode, we break down what KP really is, why it happens, and what it reveals about your internal health. You’ll learn: What causes those stubborn bumps on […]
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Anti-aging and Acne Mistakes with Esthetician & Acne Expert, Danielle Gronich A few things we chat about in this episode 👇👇👇 The top 3 skincare mistakes people make that are experiencing cystic and fungal acne What is fungal acne and how does it compare to acne vulgaris? The key differences and similarities in products and […]
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[The LOdown] How Common Acne Treatments Work & Safer Effective Solutions Acne is a skin condition that affects women of all ages. Hormones play a very important role in acne development but so do things like nutrient deficiencies and the health of our digestive system. In this week’s podcast episode we chat about some of […]
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Vitamin E in Acne, PMS and Hormones w/ Dr. Barrie Tan Welcome to the show Dr. Barrie Tan! Dr. Tan is a trailblazer and expert on Vitamin E. In this episode we talk about Vitamin E’s role in acne, PMS and women’s hormones! For the last 35 years, Dr. Tan has immersed himself in researching […]
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Have you tried endless skincare products to get rid of your acne? This episode is all about Acne and Skincare with Esthetician Carolyn, founder of The Complextion Club. Carolyn is an acne specialist esthetician.
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How to Stop Mouth Breathing with Dr. Douillard Breathing is something we do every second of every day, yet most people never stop to consider how their breathing patterns may be influencing their energy, metabolism, stress response, exercise performance, sleep, and overall health. In this episode of The Functional Fueling Podcast, we dive into the […]
Adrenal Hormones
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Pregnenolone vs DHEA-S: The Hormones Before the Hormones In this episode, we’re diving into two of the most overlooked hormones in women’s health: pregnenolone and DHEA-S — the hormones before the hormones. While estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone often get the spotlight, pregnenolone and DHEA play a foundational role in the hormone cascade and can significantly […]
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Adrenal Hormones Explained: A Complete Guide to Cortisol, DHEA, and What Your Labs Really Mean Adrenal hormones play a central role in energy, stress resilience, sleep, and hormone balance, yet they’re often misunderstood or oversimplified. Symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, poor sleep, burnout, blood sugar swings, and that “tired but wired” feeling are frequently tied to […]
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Stress and the Immune System: The Immune-Adrenal Connection and Why Healing Can’t Happen in Survival Mode Stress and the immune system are deeply interconnected, yet this relationship is often overlooked. Frequent infections, autoimmune flares, lingering inflammation, and poor recovery are commonly treated as either signs of immune weakness that needs to be stimulated, or immune […]
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[The LOdown] Why You Can’t Stay Asleep, What Your Hormones Have to do with it (And How to Fix It) Do you find yourself waking up at 2 or 3 a.m., staring at the ceiling, wondering why you can’t stay asleep? In this week’s episode of The Strength in Hormones Podcast, I dive into the […]
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Cortisol Imbalance in Women: 5 Signs Your Adrenals Need Major Support Cortisol imbalance plays an essential role in many women’s health challenges. But cortisol itself isn’t the problem. We need cortisol for a healthy stress response. The real issue arises when cortisol patterns become dysregulated, with either chronically high or chronically low levels. Women are […]
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Extreme Muscle Soreness: How Low T3 Can Impair Recovery & Exercise Performance Are you sore for 4-5 days after workouts that used to feel manageable? Losing motivation to train because your body never fully recovers? Needing extra rest days or feeling like workouts are suddenly harder than they should be? Chronic muscle soreness and poor […]
Exercise Performance
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The Top 3 Causes of Autoimmunity in Athletes & Active Individuals When thinking of the typical picture painted around autoimmunity, it often doesn’t match the reality of many active individuals and athletes. Maybe you eat healthy, train consistently, prioritize hydration, and “do everything right,” yet you have elevated autoimmune antibodies, chronic fatigue, digestive symptoms, and […]
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[The LODown] Overtraining Syndrome: When Your Body Stops Adapting and Starts Protecting Itself Overtraining Syndrome isn’t just about doing too much—it’s what happens when your body stops adapting to exercise and shifts into a protective, survival state. In this episode, we break down what overtraining syndrome actually is, why it affects both recreational exercisers and […]
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Fatigue with Exercise: Where to Look When Movement Makes You Feel Worse, Not Better If you love to move your body, you’re in good company. But if instead of feeling energized and strong from exercise, you’re feeling exhausted, heavy, and frustrated, it’s time to consider what’s driving this fatigue with exercise. While this is incredibly […]
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[The LOdown] How to Control Inflammation Around Workouts Inflammation isn’t always the enemy. In fact, it’s exactly what your body needs after a workout to repair muscles, stimulate growth, and get fitter. But when exercise-driven inflammation becomes chronic, it can lead to hormonal chaos. A few things we chat about in this episode 👇👇👇 ✅ […]
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100th Episode! Lo vs. Joe: Rapid-Fire This or That – Nutrition, Labs & Workouts! Get ready for a special 100th episode! In this milestone episode, my husband Joe and I go head-to-head in a fun and informative This or That showdown, tackling the biggest debates in training, hormones, nutrition, and labs. 👉 I grill Joe on […]
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[The LOdown] The Strategy Behind My Daily Meals & Grocery Shopping A few things we chat about in this episode 👇👇👇 What my weekly meal planning routine actually looks like How I balance intentional nutrition, ease, and real life as a busy mom The grocery shopping strategies that help me stay consistent throughout the […]
Recipes
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This hearty soup is easy to whip up and so satisfying. Great for feeding the whole family or for batching up and freezing! Lauren Papanos, MS, RD, CSSD, is a nationally recognized Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, board-certified sports dietitian, published researcher, and founder of Functional Fueling Nutrition®, an award winning endocrinology nutrition practice specializing in […]
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This protein-packed omelette is not just for breakfast! Enjoy it any time of day to get your daily dose of choline and omega-3 fats. Lauren Papanos, MS, RD, CSSD, is a nationally recognized Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, board-certified sports dietitian, published researcher, and founder of Functional Fueling Nutrition®, an award winning endocrinology nutrition practice specializing […]
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Great as a mid-day meal or snack — packed with omega-3 fats and protein! Lauren Papanos, MS, RD, CSSD, is a nationally recognized Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, board-certified sports dietitian, published researcher, and founder of Functional Fueling Nutrition®, an award winning endocrinology nutrition practice specializing in thyroid health, metabolism, fertility, and hormones. For more than […]
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This antioxidant-packed refresher is the perfect morning pick-me-up or summertime beverage, and is easy to batch up! Lauren Papanos, MS, RD, CSSD, is a nationally recognized Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, board-certified sports dietitian, published researcher, and founder of Functional Fueling Nutrition®, an award winning endocrinology nutrition practice specializing in thyroid health, metabolism, fertility, and hormones. […]
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This creamy, zesty dressing adds the perfect punch to your salads. Lauren Papanos, MS, RD, CSSD, is a nationally recognized Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, board-certified sports dietitian, published researcher, and founder of Functional Fueling Nutrition®, an award winning endocrinology nutrition practice specializing in thyroid health, metabolism, fertility, and hormones. For more than a decade, she […]
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