June 11, 2025 • 31 mins
The journey to wellness often begins unexpectedly. What started as a simple business partnership with Rebalance Health and Wellness transformed into a life-changing health discovery for me. After comprehensive testing—blood panels, cortisol measurements, food sensitivity screening, and gut analysis—I received news that shocked me: despite feeling "fine," I had Hashimoto's hypothyroidism and my gut health was in serious disrepair.
My story reveals the fascinating disconnect between how we feel and what's actually happening beneath the surface. Despite losing 35-40 pounds on semaglutide and managing my energy with supplements and medication, my body was sending signals I hadn't fully recognized. The classic signs were there—weight fluctuations, skin issues, brain fog, fatigue—but had been partially masked by other interventions.
The functional medicine approach has opened my eyes to connections I never considered, particularly how gut health influences autoimmunity (did you know 75% of immune response originates in the gut?). Now I'm navigating a four-week elimination diet—no alcohol, caffeine, dairy, grains, sugar, or legumes—while balancing life as a busy mom and business owner. The dairy restriction has proven most challenging, especially during social events that seem to fill my calendar this month.
Throughout this podcast, I share the raw reality of health transformation—the struggle to comply with dietary changes while maintaining sanity, the complex supplement regimen addressing my deficiencies, and the frustration of navigating health systems that often treat symptoms rather than underlying causes. Join me as I document this journey of discovering what my body truly needs versus what merely masks symptoms, complete with professional complaints, cheese cravings, and newfound appreciation for holistic wellness.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey friends and welcome to MomTalk Maryland.
I'm your host, claire Duarte,founder of the Columbia Mom, and
this is your spot for realconversations, local love and a
whole lot of community.
Whether you're folding laundry,running errands or hiding in
your car for some peace andquiet, let's dive in.
So I wanted to update you on myrebalance health and wellness
(00:21):
journey.
About a month ago I got.
Well, let me start over.
I officially became a RebalanceHealth and Wellness client and
it's funny because when Iinitially met Laura, we had met
because she wanted to partnerwith us to do some marketing,
which we did.
(00:42):
We did the beginning of theyear.
That's when I got to know her,her business and you know we did
some reels and some blogs andlots of fun stuff.
And the more I got to know herI was like, oh my God, I need to
be a client when I learnedabout what she did, like
obviously we learned about that,you know, during the intake
calls and the discovery processwhen we're getting to know other
businesses.
(01:02):
But it was just the more timethat we spent together and cause
I was doing interviews with herand her husband who own it, and
I was just like blown away.
I'd never really heard ofhormone replacement therapy or
functional integrative providers.
It just hadn't really occurredto me and so as we came down the
end of that campaign, I justkept saying I was like I need to
(01:24):
become a client.
We got to figure this out, andso we talked and we were like,
absolutely so, anyway.
So in April is when I fully,like, jumped in.
So the first part of her process, essentially after you know,
just general, like you know,initial intake is you go get all
of your tests done.
So that was a full blood panel.
(01:47):
I did a home cortisol testwhere I had to like spit saliva
into these little tubes.
It's timed, it's a whole thing.
Um, she did a finger prick inthe office for food sensitivity
and literally a stool test thatI had to do at home, um, and
that was sent in to get all myGI results.
Um, so, yeah, there's a lot ofbehind the scenes work that I
(02:11):
had to do, but she's like ittakes a little bit to process
all the results, like you know,a few weeks, up to a month.
So then, um, that's when we hadscheduled that meeting.
Um, well, so, yeah, we actuallyknow when, before I did the
test, I went into her office soshe could kind of like tell me
about all the tests that I hadto do.
It gave me all the instructions, including the information on
(02:33):
doing an elimination diet.
The reason I didn't start theelimination diet then is because
it was like a week to Easterand then we were also going to
Charleston, um, for our springbreak right after.
So I was like okay, I knew thatI wasn't going to start the
elimination diet, which is partalmost like her phase, ish two
of um the program and so, um,that's why I started the
elimination diet, oh, two weeksago.
(02:56):
It was just like doing the math, um, and I started it on the
Tuesday after, cause we got backfrom Charleston on a Sunday and
I used Monday to kind of likeprep and then I started Tuesday
and I've done some of theseelimination diet things before,
from different cleanses, some ofthe beach body programs and
whole 30 different variations ofthat.
(03:18):
So I am familiar with, like themindset of, you know, having to
sort of like separate yourself,do things differently.
A lot of prep, to sort of likeseparate yourself, um, do things
differently, a lot of prep.
There's so much prep becausethere's so much that you cannot
have and trying to break free ofthat mental mindset of like I
can't have this, I can't havethat, the black and white
thinking, the all or nothing.
It's challenging, um, not anexpert at it, and I still
(03:41):
haven't done this.
I still haven't been 100%squeaky clean, which I'll talk
about, but um, uh, yeah.
So anyways, um, so I startedthat two weeks ago and so the in
the first two weeks of theelimination, she wants you to do
it for four weeks and the firsttwo weeks you take um two
shakes a day and um likechocolate protein shakes, and
(04:03):
there there's like these twopill packets.
Um, and on this eliminationdiet there's no alcohol,
caffeine, dairy grains or sugarand no legumes, which is like
peanuts and beans and thingslike that.
Um, so what's?
But you can have protein, um,it needs to be like beef, needs
(04:24):
to be grass fed.
Um, chickens like free range.
Um, salmon and shrimp, um, likewild caught, things like that,
trying to get as much organicproduce as possible, trying to
eliminate, like all pesticides,chemicals, processed foods,
things like that.
Um, because the goal is thatwe're trying to not only detox
(04:45):
but like heal my gut, whichwe'll get into a little bit, um,
so, yeah, I started that theelimination diet two weeks ago.
Um, the alcohol part is actuallyis definitely not the hard part
for me.
I haven't been drinking as muchover the years since, like
becoming a mom, um, caffeine andcoffee actually hasn't been as
bad.
I know blasphemy come from mein the comments, I guess, um,
(05:06):
but I started taking a B12supplement in the fall after my
last primary and, um, that hasreally helped my energy levels a
lot.
Um, I also do take Adderall areally low dose, um, and that,
as a stimulant kind of helps,like me, get the focus and
things that I need.
So haven't been missing coffeeor alcohol at all.
(05:27):
That's been fine.
It's definitely the dairy andthe grains portion, for sure.
When I'm home it's fine, it'seasy, like less temptations, but
when I'm out it's much harder.
And the reality is, when itcomes to these elimination diets
, there's no good time for these.
I've done them all kinds oftimes of year.
Um, I would argue this month,may, december, is rough because
(05:49):
it's like I've already had threebirthdays, um, or three
birthday, three events, um, well, more than three events in the
last, like 10 days, um, and eventhis week alone is pretty nuts
Like I have oh my gosh, I have anetworking event tomorrow.
I have like four or five eventsthis weekend, next weekend's
(06:11):
even crazier, so you know.
And there's Memorial Day comingup, so a lot of like I'm a
foodie a lot of food temptations, so that has definitely been
challenging.
You know, I guess I look at itlike this like, um, even 80%
following this is better than 0%.
(06:32):
Um, you know, I realize that'slike not the point of
elimination to try to, you know,um, adhere to it as much as
possible to really give your gutthat chance to like breathe.
Um, so trying, laura, I'mtrying, if you hear this, if you
see this um, but, um, thatbeing said, I definitely have
had like a cookie here or there,um, like a little like snack
(06:55):
here or there.
Um, weekends are hard, weekendsare hard.
I'm just a girl guys.
Um, and honestly, when she hadsaid that, um, she doesn't
retest the blood work foranother like three months,
sometimes three or six, dependson what it shows I was like, oh
well, then if we're not testingit for a while, then it's fine,
what harm will it do?
(07:16):
Well, so the next part of theprocess is having the, what she
calls like the test results umfindings meeting, and that was
last Tuesday and I had aninkling because, um, it runs in
my family.
And when I actually got a copyof our blood, of my blood work
(07:40):
sent home and I had my husbandlook at it, since he's a doctor,
and uh, cause I was like what?
I don't, I don't speak medical,I don't know any of this, and
um, so we saw some things thatwere definitely high and
definitely low, and so I alreadyhad kind of that in my brain.
I also know, like, um, somelike hypothyroidism, uh, high
cholesterol, um all run in kindof both sides of my family.
(08:02):
So, anyways, when we sat downand met, she was like, yes, you
definitely have Hashimoto's orhypothyroidism, and my
cholesterol is high by like onepoint where she was actually
sort of less concerned aboutmore of the thyroid because
she's like that could also beinfluencing it.
(08:22):
It and also cholesterol canoften be genetic.
So she wasn't as worried aboutthat so much as, um the issues
that come with Hashimoto's andum, one of her biggest things
was like she was like I want youto be dairy free for three
months and I was like, so myrunning joke is that I threw my,
(08:44):
my, my drink in her face andwalked out the door.
So I mean, grant, I'm not amedical professional.
I cannot give and will not giveyou any kind of medical advice
or tell you what to do, becauseI'm still kind of trying to
learn all this and wrap my headaround understanding all of it.
Wrap my head aroundunderstanding all of it.
(09:07):
I almost wish that I had fullyrecorded our entire findings
meeting Because she, laura, wasso thorough, so thorough and can
literally go through thatentire plan.
Not only can she and she canalso pronounce everything like
literally perfectly, like allthe gut bacteria.
I'm like, oh my god, becausethey're like it's just like a
bunch of like letters at thatpoint, um, and you know, and I
(09:29):
was just kind of like mesmerized, cause she's talking about like
there's the good bacteria andthen there's the bad bacteria,
and then there's the parasitesand then there's you need the
digestive enzymes and you needall of this Um, and I guess the
thing with Hashis is it's anautoimmune um condition with
hashi's is it's an autoimmune umcondition.
(09:49):
So, um, you know, essentiallylike your body's being your
immune system.
And she was like she spent somuch time talking about the gut
because, again, I, I'm sure I'veheard it, but I'm just, I feel
like I'm just like relearningall of this stuff is that 75 of
your like body's fightingability or immunoresuno response
is in your gut, and so whenyour gut is crap, makes it even
(10:11):
harder for someone with animmuno um condition.
And I was like, ah, okay,puzzle pieces are starting to
come together.
Um, and she was like, and alsofor you, like, on my food
sensitivity test, um, dairy, shesaid, was marked as a higher
trigger gluten.
(10:33):
I didn't spike for gluten, so,lucky me though I might, I might
have traded dairy for gluten,but that's, I guess they're both
in everything.
So I mean, ironically, bothdairy and gluten are high
trigger items for immuno things,so a lot of people sometimes
eliminate both just to help themfeel better.
(10:53):
I don't know if that'seventually something I'll do.
I have no idea.
I'm already fighting tooth andnail just to be compliant with
dairy, so we'll just see howthat goes.
So I mean, I cannot and will notgo through my whole blood panel
results with you because it'slike so detailed and obviously
personal.
But I mean I guess the realityis I'm I'm a pretty open book.
(11:16):
I'm here to talk to you abouteverything and anything really,
um, if you ask me, I'm sure, butI'm sure to tell you, but I
also I'm like I don't know whatthis really means.
Go ask Laura, she'll, she'll bethe one to really tell you.
Um, all I know, like my biggesttakeaway is she's Laura, if
you're listening and or and arewatching, and she's probably
like rolling her eyes causeshe's like you know, she can go
(11:38):
through it like, so, likeclosely.
But was that?
I was like I am like reallyhigh and stuff you're not
supposed to be, and really lowin the stuff that like I need.
You know, and right before this, I actually did have my IUD
taken out just to like be morenatural.
I'd had it in for like sincewell, I got it in right after I
(12:02):
had my son, so since 21,.
So like four years, and um, soshe was like we just want to get
you to a place where you'remore hormonally balanced.
Um, and so her approach is, youknow, utilizing all these
supplements I have like a wholeslew of everything from like
(12:25):
fiber, magnesium, dhea Um, Ihave to take digestive enzymes,
cause my body has like none ofthat.
Um, biocidin oh, I forgot totake that last night.
I'm thinking I might put in mybedroom so I don't forget.
The majority of my supplementsare all in the morning, um, and
then I need to take digestiveenzymes with like every meal, um
, which, by the way, I snack allthe time.
So it's like I don't forget.
The majority of my supplementsare all in the morning, and then
I need to take digestiveenzymes with like every meal
(12:47):
which, by the way, I snack allthe time.
So it's like, which meal are wetalking about?
So that's interesting.
So the good news, I would sayeveryone's like oh, you'll feel
so much better.
I was like the ironic thing forme is like I actually haven't
been.
I didn't feel terrible prior tothis and let me go back a
(13:10):
little bit because I was likethinking about it more and more.
So I hadn't talked about this alot, but mainly because when I
started it it wasn't asmainstream yet and honestly, it
was still um, I don't know, notfrown on, but there was still.
It was a little taboo.
So I, I, I mean I told myfriends cause I was like I don't
care, um, but I startedsemi-glutide like a year and a
(13:34):
half ago and again, like I said,it was less rampant.
It was starting to become morepopular.
But, anyways, because I insummer 2023, I hit my highest
non-pregnancy weight, meaninglike I basically like I was
almost 200 pounds when I went togive birth to both my son and
(13:54):
my daughter.
It was like 190, 195, 200, likesomething like right up there.
And that summer, after coming,we had a.
I remember we went to a weddingin Mexico and then we came back
and I came back and I got onthe scale and I was like right
around there like 193, 195,something like that, and I was
like, oh my God, this is aproblem.
(14:15):
Um, and ironically, prior tothat, for like a year and a half
, I've been working with afriend of mine from college
who's a macro coach.
Um, and it initially wasworking.
Um, I know it's also one of thethings is like it works when
you work.
And was my eating squeaky clean?
Absolutely not.
Um, there was times I knew thatI was more diligent on it, of
(14:35):
course, but I remember that yearand a half, I remember feeling
really frustrated cause she, wekept upping my protein and I
felt like all I was doing wasjust gaining weight, and I
remember feeling so frustratedUm, granted, was I still over
snacking, yeah, um, but it wasagain.
It was just very frustrating.
Um, what else?
(14:57):
So I was saying, yeah, I wasworking with macro.
Oh, I was working with macrocoach and that's when she was
educating me on, like,increasing my steps,
prioritizing sleep, um, andditching cardio.
And that's kind of when I brokeup with cardio, um, and really,
um, and I had I'm still workingout from home, but I was
exclusively strength training,um, and yeah, that's what I
(15:17):
really started to kind of likeget into strength training more
and really prioritizing that, um, learning the basics of, you
know macros, trying to, you know, up your protein, you know, uh,
eat more balanced things likethat, um, so, anyway, so summer
2023, I'm like, oh, my God, oh,but I, so I mentioned that
obviously I gained all thatweight, um, and it's funny,
(15:41):
cause now when I look back, I'mlike, okay, I think I definitely
had the trail mark, um, uh,symptoms for thyroid issues,
like again, the weight gain, um,the skin issues, for sure, um,
moodiness, maybe I can'tremember, um, but definitely the
brain fog and the fatigue, likeI think those were all big ones
(16:03):
, right?
Oh, my husband told me that Idefinitely used to snore,
obviously all the weight Right,um, and so I mean, I started the
semi-glute mainly for vanitycause.
I was like I want to loseweight.
I I'm like, I'm, I'm strugglingover here, y'all you know.
So I lost like about 35, 40pounds over the last year and a
half and I've been pretty likestable since, like last summer
(16:34):
and but I'm like, oh my God, Ican't imagine like how much
worse I would feel if I stillhad those 40 pounds on me.
I should also mention that twoyears ago, like I wasn't being
followed by a good primary, Iremember I kept trying to find
one at any time.
I would.
I felt like I would call andthey'd be like, oh, we're full,
or like you know, they're nottaking any more um patients, and
I was like, so, like I know, Ididn't have a good relevant
blood panel around that timeperiod of my life.
(16:56):
So I did finally get a newprimary last year who I really
liked.
He did a blood panel and I'msure he mentioned the thyroid
stuff, but we didn't do anythingabout it at the time that.
I'm like, did I end up just notlisten?
I don't know.
I'm feel like if he told me orreferred me I would have gone.
I'm honestly not remembering.
(17:16):
He was very thorough and I andI really enjoyed working with
him.
He's the one that also reallypushed the other supplements and
he said my vitamin D, I think,was decent, but wanted to
increase my B12.
And that's when I started thatand that's when I felt a really
big difference and my coffeeintake went down, things like
that.
So, anyway, so yeah, so fastforward to now.
(17:37):
Right, people are like, oh,you'll feel so much better
without dairy.
But I've been feeling like finefor the most part Again, like I
sleep pretty well.
I mean my brain, not my brain,my memory feels like crap,
that's for sure.
I feel brain foggy a little,but I think again, as a mom and
a woman, I feel like it's sohard to discern which is which,
(17:59):
because, again, I'm no longerpostpartum, I no longer have
babies, I'm no longer having thesleep deprivation, but I am,
for the first time in my life, abusiness owner, and that is
brand new to me, I meanobviously in the last few years.
But to be a mom and a businessowner is completely different
stress than being an employee,and I say that in the terms of
(18:20):
like the brain fog.
It's just, I feel like my brainis always on.
I'm all like.
My brain feels like it's alwaysrunning.
I always got to.
You know, I'm thinking aboutall these things I always have
to do, which, again, ironically,is how we as moms think and
operate anyways, right?
Just throw like businessresponsibilities into the mix,
right?
Um?
So I think the brain fog isdefinitely there there.
But I've been taking theAdderall, you know, for the last
(18:42):
couple years, prior to that,and again, I feel like that
helps give me the focus andclarity that I need.
So, in a way, I think mysymptoms have been very masked
by other things, like you know,the weight loss, b12 helping my
energy, the Adderall alsohelping with the focus and
clarity.
But it's like the perfectexample of like things can seem
(19:02):
fine on the outside but you likeopen the hood and like
everything's on fire, like,basically, my gut like was
horrible.
Basically I joke with Laura.
I was like she's showing me thepanels, showing me levels, and
she was like you have like zerofiber.
And I was like, yeah, no, Iknow, I ate a biscuit right
(19:25):
after they took my, my blood.
Um, I was like could youimagine if I did have fiber
though?
Like, how good would that look?
Right?
Um, like, yeah, my fiber washorrible.
I like I was I prioritizingbalancing my eating super well,
while on the semi-glutidePerhaps not, you know, um, I
(19:47):
definitely had like someconstipation issues.
Um, I mean water, I've alwaysbeen pretty good at Um, but but
yeah, anyway.
So now it's like I, it doesmake me really glad that you
know I did.
I mean I pulled the triggerbecause I was like, okay, I'm,
you know I'm 37 now.
(20:07):
Um, yes, I have a good primarythat I really like I know that
I've got these known.
Um, you know genetic thingsthat run in my family, what you
know.
Maybe it's a good, you knowtime to see if what I have
working on and going on and seeif I was just thinking no, I
just need to like tweet balancea few little supplements Didn't
(20:28):
realize there was going to be agiant overhaul and that's the
part that I'm starting to workon, right, the lifestyle changes
and things like that.
I mean I already work out threedays a week, um, strength
training.
My sleep is good.
Um, you know she, actually mycortisol levels were good, which
I was actually glad about.
(20:48):
Um, cause, for the most part, Ithink I I feel decent.
We all have stress, right?
Um, dairy was the mostsignificant, um, the food
triggers.
The next one was brewer's yeast, which is or, sorry, oh,
brewer's yeast, and baker'syeast, which is like beer, and
I'm like I've never drank beer.
I like beer and I will have it,but you know, so, I mean, I'll
(21:13):
cut out alcohol right now,anyway.
So, but dairy was a big one,and another one was almonds and
I was like, oh, that's great,because I'm just doing nothing
but pounding almonds on thiselimination diet right now.
Uh, I need to circle back withher and clarify, of like, how
much she wants me to cut thatout or not.
I'm not sure, um, but anyways,all this being said, the goal
(21:34):
now, you know, and what, what'sneat, after going through all
the findings, right is like sheputs together a whole plan,
right of like.
Here's the findings, here arethe overall goals, here's where
you're kind of low andsuboptimal on.
Here are the supplements thatshe's recommending, right, and
gives you a whole plan of and awhole regimen and schedule for
(21:57):
those and then the role andimportance of each one Um, and
and then a section on umpotential and possible
prescription medications tointegrate.
We talked through the currentones that I am taking, um, and
you know she said all of that isfine, so wants me on that Um,
(22:18):
we will eventually, like Istarted on testosterone because,
believe it or not, all of usneed it, men and obviously men.
But like women too, like um, we, you know you think estrogen,
right, but like there's a reasonlike we need to ying to our
yang Right, um, I also stillneed more progesterone.
It's wild, um again, and Iwouldn't have known this had I
(22:40):
not met Laura, or had Lauranever even reached out in the
first place.
You know what I mean and that'skind of like the beauty and
power of connection andcommunity, you know, um.
So in many ways I'm so thankfulfor Laura, for this um, for
this process, for this journey,right, you know, am I stubborn?
Yes, am I a professionalcomplainer?
(23:00):
Double yes, um, am I going togive dairy up for three months?
We're going to do our best.
We have this on recording.
We're going to do our best, um,I, I.
I am not um proclaimingperfection here, um, but that's
(23:21):
just what we're going to do,right, I have two more weeks of
this elimination diet and Iguess I got a talk to her about,
like you know, what she advisesfor reintroduction, um of those
things.
I don't know if she's going tostill encourage me to keep some
of those things out.
I'm not sure.
Um, but, um, I mean, I've beeneating like a ton of fruits and
(23:43):
vegetables, um, like pretty muchall organic or like 90% organic
at this point.
There's some things that's likeyou know, that have like the
thick skins that like it'sprobably like borderline, you
know, but, like you know, yourberries, strawberries, things
(24:03):
like that you definitely wantorganic for sure.
So that's been a big focus andactually, starting tomorrow, the
shakes, the two weeks of theshakes and the pills will be
done so I can startreintegrating my shakes and now
I'll be having I guess I go backto three meals now, um, cause I
was doing like two shakes ameal and like snacks, um, so
(24:24):
that'll be yeah, kind of this isas I move into week three of
the elimination, um, so, yeah,so that's where I'm currently at
.
Like I said, I, to be honest, II still feel pretty good.
I mean, since I did starttaking some of those supplements
last week and I'll admit I didstarted to feel like I don't
(24:47):
know.
I don't know if it's like alittle crampy or a little like
tummy gurgly.
I mean, again, I'm probablytaking, you know, it's probably
trying to help get my body backto where it should and needs to
be, so with probably a littlemixture of, like you know, some
dairy cheating, um, so it'sinteresting.
Um, I know, if I cut it all outit'd be a lot easier to
(25:11):
identify.
Sorry, laura, doing my best, um, but like I said, all in all,
for the most part I I do feelgood being in.
You know, when I'm out of thehouse and have events, that's
when I feel the temptations arerough.
Um, but you know, we're gonnakeep chugging along and I'm
definitely gonna keep youupdated on, as you know, we keep
(25:33):
finding more things.
I think from here I have monthlylike check-ins with her.
Like I said, we don't, we won'tdo the blood work again for
another few months, um, and Iknow she kept checking and being
like are you okay?
Like how are you processingeverything?
And I just you got to say likeher sensitivity to the um
intense, her sensitivity to theintensity of the information was
(25:54):
wonderful.
I am by no means like somebodythat, like you know, it didn't
shock me and I wasn't scared oroverwhelmed.
Um, I think she kept texting meand checking in to like just
make sure I was okay and if Istill had questions and, um, to
be honest, like last week was sobusy.
So I was like, no, I'm, likeI'm okay and genuinely I really
am saying that I wasn't like, oh, my God, like you know, feel
(26:15):
like devastated, like I don'tknow, like I'm okay, like people
don't die from this.
Like you know you, just you gotto take care of yourself.
This might, yeah, it could meansome very drastic lifestyle
things and, um, if that's what Ineed to do, that's what you
know, I'll take the time to doand figure out.
For right now it's just kind oflike focusing on this plan,
(26:37):
doing the best that I can, um,and trying, you know, and just
keep doing those things, like Isaid, to try to prioritize my
sleep, um, keep working out.
You know movement is reallygood for for the gut and the
health and you know it's just, Ithink, why I really liked this
journey is just kind of rememberthe importance of, like you
know we, as moms and women, likeyou know we, I was gonna say we
(27:01):
need a lot of things, but likewe need, we still need protein,
we still need these important umhormones in our bodies to be
working, whether whether you'reperimenopausal or or
perimenopause or menopause ornot, you know I mean um, we need
, um, we need muscle mass, likethese things are important, and
so that's what I think I.
(27:21):
I love her approach in that itit is very holistic and she's
looking at the whole picture.
You know, she's like women needmore sleep than men and I
noticed that because I'm alwaysin the bed longer than my
husband.
He can kind of wake up on thedrop of a hat and he's a light
sleeper.
I, fortunately, can fall asleepvery quickly and I stay asleep.
I'm a deep sleeper because mybody needs it.
(27:42):
But, yeah, I think it's been awonderful reminder.
Like I said, I really do likeworking out, I really like
strength training, I do like totake care of my body, even if I
want to treat it like a garbagecan at times.
Um, it been like I do feelreally good today and I'm like
(28:03):
it feels good to kind of likefollow the plan as it is and you
know, um, I know when I stickto it it feels good.
So it, all in all, I think thebiggest eyeopening thing to to
this is just it's not having thedoomsday mentality of like you
can feel good and that, buteverything's bad.
It's not that.
But I think it is just beingmindful of the importance of you
(28:28):
know, of getting yourselfchecked of you know, evaluating
what you're doing is Is itactually working or not, or are
you masking potential symptoms?
You know, and that is again thebiggest challenge, being a woman
, for sure, in discerning all ofthis, but, um, I mean, all I
can say and speak to like thishas just been my journey, my
experience so far, and I feellike, the more that I've talked
(28:49):
about it, I've heard you knowagain, how common Hashis is, but
, um, you know.
And I've heard more, more andmore people talk about
functional medicine.
Again, I wish it was somethingthat was talked about more
because she said, like you know,you can go to your primary, but
they're not going to run ablood panel like this, not
because they don't like you, butbecause, like, that's just not
how insurance works.
You know, it's not going to beas thorough there, you're not
(29:11):
going to get to see the wholepicture and they're also not
trained in all these areas to bean expert, you know, on
everything from like yourthyroid and your gut and things
like that.
Sometimes they'll send you tolike an endocrinologist, but,
you know, and then they might bemissing the other hormone piece
of it.
So you know, I can't tell youhow good it feels to have like a
provider like Darren and Laurathat can like literally see
(29:35):
everything and talk about itfrom every angle.
And you know, in a way likewe're still kind of finding it
out and seeing how all of theresults evolve.
You know, I'm hoping in threemonths that I'm just picture of
health.
Um, it's like um.
But you know, like I said, Ithink all we can do in this life
is to do our best.
(29:55):
Um, and that's that's my goalfor sure.
I know it's.
I just love food too much.
Um, and that that's all we cando, you know, and um, but I'm
excited to be on this journey.
I am glad that I have theinformation.
I am glad to know that you know, yes, while things, you know,
(30:18):
my gut is kind of a mess, that Ido have the ability to change
it and to improve Um, you know,now it's just kind of like
taking the step to see what willhappen from here, so I'm
excited to bring you along onthis journey.
So be sure to keep stayingtuned, follow along.
Like I said, we're going tokeep putting out content on
social media, some blogs andagain and definitely some more
(30:43):
podcast interviews.
So yeah, thanks for tuning into this episode of MomTalk
Maryland.
If you loved it, leave a review, share it with a friend or tag
me at thecolumbiamom onInstagram.
I'd love to hear what you thinkand don't forget to follow the
show so you never miss anepisode.
Until next time, keep showingup, keep supporting local and
(31:06):
keep being the incredible mom,woman, human that you are.
Hey friends and welcome to MomTalk Maryland.
I'm your host, claire Duarte,founder of the Columbia Mom, and
this is your spot for realconversations, local love and a
whole lot of community.
Whether you're folding laundry,running errands or hiding in
your car for some peace andquiet, let's dive in.
So I wanted to update you on myrebalance health and wellness
(00:21):
journey.
About a month ago I got.
Well, let me start over.
I officially became a RebalanceHealth and Wellness client and
it's funny because when Iinitially met Laura, we had met
because she wanted to partnerwith us to do some marketing,
which we did.
(00:42):
We did the beginning of theyear.
That's when I got to know her,her business and you know we did
some reels and some blogs andlots of fun stuff.
And the more I got to know herI was like, oh my God, I need to
be a client when I learnedabout what she did, like
obviously we learned about that,you know, during the intake
calls and the discovery processwhen we're getting to know other
businesses.
(01:02):
But it was just the more timethat we spent together and cause
I was doing interviews with herand her husband who own it, and
I was just like blown away.
I'd never really heard ofhormone replacement therapy or
functional integrative providers.
It just hadn't really occurredto me and so as we came down the
end of that campaign, I justkept saying I was like I need to
(01:24):
become a client.
We got to figure this out, andso we talked and we were like,
absolutely so, anyway.
So in April is when I fully,like, jumped in.
So the first part of her process, essentially after you know,
just general, like you know,initial intake is you go get all
of your tests done.
So that was a full blood panel.
(01:47):
I did a home cortisol testwhere I had to like spit saliva
into these little tubes.
It's timed, it's a whole thing.
Um, she did a finger prick inthe office for food sensitivity
and literally a stool test thatI had to do at home, um, and
that was sent in to get all myGI results.
Um, so, yeah, there's a lot ofbehind the scenes work that I
(02:11):
had to do, but she's like ittakes a little bit to process
all the results, like you know,a few weeks, up to a month.
So then, um, that's when we hadscheduled that meeting.
Um, well, so, yeah, we actuallyknow when, before I did the
test, I went into her office soshe could kind of like tell me
about all the tests that I hadto do.
It gave me all the instructions, including the information on
(02:33):
doing an elimination diet.
The reason I didn't start theelimination diet then is because
it was like a week to Easterand then we were also going to
Charleston, um, for our springbreak right after.
So I was like okay, I knew thatI wasn't going to start the
elimination diet, which is partalmost like her phase, ish two
of um the program and so, um,that's why I started the
elimination diet, oh, two weeksago.
(02:56):
It was just like doing the math, um, and I started it on the
Tuesday after, cause we got backfrom Charleston on a Sunday and
I used Monday to kind of likeprep and then I started Tuesday
and I've done some of theseelimination diet things before,
from different cleanses, some ofthe beach body programs and
whole 30 different variations ofthat.
(03:18):
So I am familiar with, like themindset of, you know, having to
sort of like separate yourself,do things differently.
A lot of prep, to sort of likeseparate yourself, um, do things
differently, a lot of prep.
There's so much prep becausethere's so much that you cannot
have and trying to break free ofthat mental mindset of like I
can't have this, I can't havethat, the black and white
thinking, the all or nothing.
It's challenging, um, not anexpert at it, and I still
(03:41):
haven't done this.
I still haven't been 100%squeaky clean, which I'll talk
about, but um, uh, yeah.
So anyways, um, so I startedthat two weeks ago and so the in
the first two weeks of theelimination, she wants you to do
it for four weeks and the firsttwo weeks you take um two
shakes a day and um likechocolate protein shakes, and
(04:03):
there there's like these twopill packets.
Um, and on this eliminationdiet there's no alcohol,
caffeine, dairy grains or sugarand no legumes, which is like
peanuts and beans and thingslike that.
Um, so what's?
But you can have protein, um,it needs to be like beef, needs
(04:24):
to be grass fed.
Um, chickens like free range.
Um, salmon and shrimp, um, likewild caught, things like that,
trying to get as much organicproduce as possible, trying to
eliminate, like all pesticides,chemicals, processed foods,
things like that.
Um, because the goal is thatwe're trying to not only detox
(04:45):
but like heal my gut, whichwe'll get into a little bit, um,
so, yeah, I started that theelimination diet two weeks ago.
Um, the alcohol part is actuallyis definitely not the hard part
for me.
I haven't been drinking as muchover the years since, like
becoming a mom, um, caffeine andcoffee actually hasn't been as
bad.
I know blasphemy come from mein the comments, I guess, um,
(05:06):
but I started taking a B12supplement in the fall after my
last primary and, um, that hasreally helped my energy levels a
lot.
Um, I also do take Adderall areally low dose, um, and that,
as a stimulant kind of helps,like me, get the focus and
things that I need.
So haven't been missing coffeeor alcohol at all.
(05:27):
That's been fine.
It's definitely the dairy andthe grains portion, for sure.
When I'm home it's fine, it'seasy, like less temptations, but
when I'm out it's much harder.
And the reality is, when itcomes to these elimination diets
, there's no good time for these.
I've done them all kinds oftimes of year.
Um, I would argue this month,may, december, is rough because
(05:49):
it's like I've already had threebirthdays, um, or three
birthday, three events, um, well, more than three events in the
last, like 10 days, um, and eventhis week alone is pretty nuts
Like I have oh my gosh, I have anetworking event tomorrow.
I have like four or five eventsthis weekend, next weekend's
(06:11):
even crazier, so you know.
And there's Memorial Day comingup, so a lot of like I'm a
foodie a lot of food temptations, so that has definitely been
challenging.
You know, I guess I look at itlike this like, um, even 80%
following this is better than 0%.
(06:32):
Um, you know, I realize that'slike not the point of
elimination to try to, you know,um, adhere to it as much as
possible to really give your gutthat chance to like breathe.
Um, so trying, laura, I'mtrying, if you hear this, if you
see this um, but, um, thatbeing said, I definitely have
had like a cookie here or there,um, like a little like snack
(06:55):
here or there.
Um, weekends are hard, weekendsare hard.
I'm just a girl guys.
Um, and honestly, when she hadsaid that, um, she doesn't
retest the blood work foranother like three months,
sometimes three or six, dependson what it shows I was like, oh
well, then if we're not testingit for a while, then it's fine,
what harm will it do?
(07:16):
Well, so the next part of theprocess is having the, what she
calls like the test results umfindings meeting, and that was
last Tuesday and I had aninkling because, um, it runs in
my family.
And when I actually got a copyof our blood, of my blood work
(07:40):
sent home and I had my husbandlook at it, since he's a doctor,
and uh, cause I was like what?
I don't, I don't speak medical,I don't know any of this, and
um, so we saw some things thatwere definitely high and
definitely low, and so I alreadyhad kind of that in my brain.
I also know, like, um, somelike hypothyroidism, uh, high
cholesterol, um all run in kindof both sides of my family.
(08:02):
So, anyways, when we sat downand met, she was like, yes, you
definitely have Hashimoto's orhypothyroidism, and my
cholesterol is high by like onepoint where she was actually
sort of less concerned aboutmore of the thyroid because
she's like that could also beinfluencing it.
(08:22):
It and also cholesterol canoften be genetic.
So she wasn't as worried aboutthat so much as, um the issues
that come with Hashimoto's andum, one of her biggest things
was like she was like I want youto be dairy free for three
months and I was like, so myrunning joke is that I threw my,
(08:44):
my, my drink in her face andwalked out the door.
So I mean, grant, I'm not amedical professional.
I cannot give and will not giveyou any kind of medical advice
or tell you what to do, becauseI'm still kind of trying to
learn all this and wrap my headaround understanding all of it.
Wrap my head aroundunderstanding all of it.
(09:07):
I almost wish that I had fullyrecorded our entire findings
meeting Because she, laura, wasso thorough, so thorough and can
literally go through thatentire plan.
Not only can she and she canalso pronounce everything like
literally perfectly, like allthe gut bacteria.
I'm like, oh my god, becausethey're like it's just like a
bunch of like letters at thatpoint, um, and you know, and I
(09:29):
was just kind of like mesmerized, cause she's talking about like
there's the good bacteria andthen there's the bad bacteria,
and then there's the parasitesand then there's you need the
digestive enzymes and you needall of this Um, and I guess the
thing with Hashis is it's anautoimmune um condition with
hashi's is it's an autoimmune umcondition.
(09:49):
So, um, you know, essentiallylike your body's being your
immune system.
And she was like she spent somuch time talking about the gut
because, again, I, I'm sure I'veheard it, but I'm just, I feel
like I'm just like relearningall of this stuff is that 75 of
your like body's fightingability or immunoresuno response
is in your gut, and so whenyour gut is crap, makes it even
(10:11):
harder for someone with animmuno um condition.
And I was like, ah, okay,puzzle pieces are starting to
come together.
Um, and she was like, and alsofor you, like, on my food
sensitivity test, um, dairy, shesaid, was marked as a higher
trigger gluten.
(10:33):
I didn't spike for gluten, so,lucky me though I might, I might
have traded dairy for gluten,but that's, I guess they're both
in everything.
So I mean, ironically, bothdairy and gluten are high
trigger items for immuno things,so a lot of people sometimes
eliminate both just to help themfeel better.
(10:53):
I don't know if that'seventually something I'll do.
I have no idea.
I'm already fighting tooth andnail just to be compliant with
dairy, so we'll just see howthat goes.
So I mean, I cannot and will notgo through my whole blood panel
results with you because it'slike so detailed and obviously
personal.
But I mean I guess the realityis I'm I'm a pretty open book.
(11:16):
I'm here to talk to you abouteverything and anything really,
um, if you ask me, I'm sure, butI'm sure to tell you, but I
also I'm like I don't know whatthis really means.
Go ask Laura, she'll, she'll bethe one to really tell you.
Um, all I know, like my biggesttakeaway is she's Laura, if
you're listening and or and arewatching, and she's probably
like rolling her eyes causeshe's like you know, she can go
(11:38):
through it like, so, likeclosely.
But was that?
I was like I am like reallyhigh and stuff you're not
supposed to be, and really lowin the stuff that like I need.
You know, and right before this, I actually did have my IUD
taken out just to like be morenatural.
I'd had it in for like sincewell, I got it in right after I
(12:02):
had my son, so since 21,.
So like four years, and um, soshe was like we just want to get
you to a place where you'remore hormonally balanced.
Um, and so her approach is, youknow, utilizing all these
supplements I have like a wholeslew of everything from like
(12:25):
fiber, magnesium, dhea Um, Ihave to take digestive enzymes,
cause my body has like none ofthat.
Um, biocidin oh, I forgot totake that last night.
I'm thinking I might put in mybedroom so I don't forget.
The majority of my supplementsare all in the morning, um, and
then I need to take digestiveenzymes with like every meal, um
, which, by the way, I snack allthe time.
So it's like I don't forget.
The majority of my supplementsare all in the morning, and then
I need to take digestiveenzymes with like every meal
(12:47):
which, by the way, I snack allthe time.
So it's like, which meal are wetalking about?
So that's interesting.
So the good news, I would sayeveryone's like oh, you'll feel
so much better.
I was like the ironic thing forme is like I actually haven't
been.
I didn't feel terrible prior tothis and let me go back a
(13:10):
little bit because I was likethinking about it more and more.
So I hadn't talked about this alot, but mainly because when I
started it it wasn't asmainstream yet and honestly, it
was still um, I don't know, notfrown on, but there was still.
It was a little taboo.
So I, I, I mean I told myfriends cause I was like I don't
care, um, but I startedsemi-glutide like a year and a
(13:34):
half ago and again, like I said,it was less rampant.
It was starting to become morepopular.
But, anyways, because I insummer 2023, I hit my highest
non-pregnancy weight, meaninglike I basically like I was
almost 200 pounds when I went togive birth to both my son and
(13:54):
my daughter.
It was like 190, 195, 200, likesomething like right up there.
And that summer, after coming,we had a.
I remember we went to a weddingin Mexico and then we came back
and I came back and I got onthe scale and I was like right
around there like 193, 195,something like that, and I was
like, oh my God, this is aproblem.
(14:15):
Um, and ironically, prior tothat, for like a year and a half
, I've been working with afriend of mine from college
who's a macro coach.
Um, and it initially wasworking.
Um, I know it's also one of thethings is like it works when
you work.
And was my eating squeaky clean?
Absolutely not.
Um, there was times I knew thatI was more diligent on it, of
(14:35):
course, but I remember that yearand a half, I remember feeling
really frustrated cause she, wekept upping my protein and I
felt like all I was doing wasjust gaining weight, and I
remember feeling so frustratedUm, granted, was I still over
snacking, yeah, um, but it wasagain.
It was just very frustrating.
Um, what else?
(14:57):
So I was saying, yeah, I wasworking with macro.
Oh, I was working with macrocoach and that's when she was
educating me on, like,increasing my steps,
prioritizing sleep, um, andditching cardio.
And that's kind of when I brokeup with cardio, um, and really,
um, and I had I'm still workingout from home, but I was
exclusively strength training,um, and yeah, that's what I
(15:17):
really started to kind of likeget into strength training more
and really prioritizing that, um, learning the basics of, you
know macros, trying to, you know, up your protein, you know, uh,
eat more balanced things likethat, um, so, anyway, so summer
2023, I'm like, oh, my God, oh,but I, so I mentioned that
obviously I gained all thatweight, um, and it's funny,
(15:41):
cause now when I look back, I'mlike, okay, I think I definitely
had the trail mark, um, uh,symptoms for thyroid issues,
like again, the weight gain, um,the skin issues, for sure, um,
moodiness, maybe I can'tremember, um, but definitely the
brain fog and the fatigue, likeI think those were all big ones
(16:03):
, right?
Oh, my husband told me that Idefinitely used to snore,
obviously all the weight Right,um, and so I mean, I started the
semi-glute mainly for vanitycause.
I was like I want to loseweight.
I I'm like, I'm, I'm strugglingover here, y'all you know.
So I lost like about 35, 40pounds over the last year and a
half and I've been pretty likestable since, like last summer
(16:34):
and but I'm like, oh my God, Ican't imagine like how much
worse I would feel if I stillhad those 40 pounds on me.
I should also mention that twoyears ago, like I wasn't being
followed by a good primary, Iremember I kept trying to find
one at any time.
I would.
I felt like I would call andthey'd be like, oh, we're full,
or like you know, they're nottaking any more um patients, and
I was like, so, like I know, Ididn't have a good relevant
blood panel around that timeperiod of my life.
(16:56):
So I did finally get a newprimary last year who I really
liked.
He did a blood panel and I'msure he mentioned the thyroid
stuff, but we didn't do anythingabout it at the time that.
I'm like, did I end up just notlisten?
I don't know.
I'm feel like if he told me orreferred me I would have gone.
I'm honestly not remembering.
(17:16):
He was very thorough and I andI really enjoyed working with
him.
He's the one that also reallypushed the other supplements and
he said my vitamin D, I think,was decent, but wanted to
increase my B12.
And that's when I started thatand that's when I felt a really
big difference and my coffeeintake went down, things like
that.
So, anyway, so yeah, so fastforward to now.
(17:37):
Right, people are like, oh,you'll feel so much better
without dairy.
But I've been feeling like finefor the most part Again, like I
sleep pretty well.
I mean my brain, not my brain,my memory feels like crap,
that's for sure.
I feel brain foggy a little,but I think again, as a mom and
a woman, I feel like it's sohard to discern which is which,
(17:59):
because, again, I'm no longerpostpartum, I no longer have
babies, I'm no longer having thesleep deprivation, but I am,
for the first time in my life, abusiness owner, and that is
brand new to me, I meanobviously in the last few years.
But to be a mom and a businessowner is completely different
stress than being an employee,and I say that in the terms of
(18:20):
like the brain fog.
It's just, I feel like my brainis always on.
I'm all like.
My brain feels like it's alwaysrunning.
I always got to.
You know, I'm thinking aboutall these things I always have
to do, which, again, ironically,is how we as moms think and
operate anyways, right?
Just throw like businessresponsibilities into the mix,
right?
Um?
So I think the brain fog isdefinitely there there.
But I've been taking theAdderall, you know, for the last
(18:42):
couple years, prior to that,and again, I feel like that
helps give me the focus andclarity that I need.
So, in a way, I think mysymptoms have been very masked
by other things, like you know,the weight loss, b12 helping my
energy, the Adderall alsohelping with the focus and
clarity.
But it's like the perfectexample of like things can seem
(19:02):
fine on the outside but you likeopen the hood and like
everything's on fire, like,basically, my gut like was
horrible.
Basically I joke with Laura.
I was like she's showing me thepanels, showing me levels, and
she was like you have like zerofiber.
And I was like, yeah, no, Iknow, I ate a biscuit right
(19:25):
after they took my, my blood.
Um, I was like could youimagine if I did have fiber
though?
Like, how good would that look?
Right?
Um, like, yeah, my fiber washorrible.
I like I was I prioritizingbalancing my eating super well,
while on the semi-glutidePerhaps not, you know, um, I
(19:47):
definitely had like someconstipation issues.
Um, I mean water, I've alwaysbeen pretty good at Um, but but
yeah, anyway.
So now it's like I, it doesmake me really glad that you
know I did.
I mean I pulled the triggerbecause I was like, okay, I'm,
you know I'm 37 now.
(20:07):
Um, yes, I have a good primarythat I really like I know that
I've got these known.
Um, you know genetic thingsthat run in my family, what you
know.
Maybe it's a good, you knowtime to see if what I have
working on and going on and seeif I was just thinking no, I
just need to like tweet balancea few little supplements Didn't
(20:28):
realize there was going to be agiant overhaul and that's the
part that I'm starting to workon, right, the lifestyle changes
and things like that.
I mean I already work out threedays a week, um, strength
training.
My sleep is good.
Um, you know she, actually mycortisol levels were good, which
I was actually glad about.
(20:48):
Um, cause, for the most part, Ithink I I feel decent.
We all have stress, right?
Um, dairy was the mostsignificant, um, the food
triggers.
The next one was brewer's yeast, which is or, sorry, oh,
brewer's yeast, and baker'syeast, which is like beer, and
I'm like I've never drank beer.
I like beer and I will have it,but you know, so, I mean, I'll
(21:13):
cut out alcohol right now,anyway.
So, but dairy was a big one,and another one was almonds and
I was like, oh, that's great,because I'm just doing nothing
but pounding almonds on thiselimination diet right now.
Uh, I need to circle back withher and clarify, of like, how
much she wants me to cut thatout or not.
I'm not sure, um, but anyways,all this being said, the goal
(21:34):
now, you know, and what, what'sneat, after going through all
the findings, right is like sheputs together a whole plan,
right of like.
Here's the findings, here arethe overall goals, here's where
you're kind of low andsuboptimal on.
Here are the supplements thatshe's recommending, right, and
gives you a whole plan of and awhole regimen and schedule for
(21:57):
those and then the role andimportance of each one Um, and
and then a section on umpotential and possible
prescription medications tointegrate.
We talked through the currentones that I am taking, um, and
you know she said all of that isfine, so wants me on that Um,
(22:18):
we will eventually, like Istarted on testosterone because,
believe it or not, all of usneed it, men and obviously men.
But like women too, like um, we, you know you think estrogen,
right, but like there's a reasonlike we need to ying to our
yang Right, um, I also stillneed more progesterone.
It's wild, um again, and Iwouldn't have known this had I
(22:40):
not met Laura, or had Lauranever even reached out in the
first place.
You know what I mean and that'skind of like the beauty and
power of connection andcommunity, you know, um.
So in many ways I'm so thankfulfor Laura, for this um, for
this process, for this journey,right, you know, am I stubborn?
Yes, am I a professionalcomplainer?
(23:00):
Double yes, um, am I going togive dairy up for three months?
We're going to do our best.
We have this on recording.
We're going to do our best, um,I, I.
I am not um proclaimingperfection here, um, but that's
(23:21):
just what we're going to do,right, I have two more weeks of
this elimination diet and Iguess I got a talk to her about,
like you know, what she advisesfor reintroduction, um of those
things.
I don't know if she's going tostill encourage me to keep some
of those things out.
I'm not sure.
Um, but, um, I mean, I've beeneating like a ton of fruits and
(23:43):
vegetables, um, like pretty muchall organic or like 90% organic
at this point.
There's some things that's likeyou know, that have like the
thick skins that like it'sprobably like borderline, you
know, but, like you know, yourberries, strawberries, things
(24:03):
like that you definitely wantorganic for sure.
So that's been a big focus andactually, starting tomorrow, the
shakes, the two weeks of theshakes and the pills will be
done so I can startreintegrating my shakes and now
I'll be having I guess I go backto three meals now, um, cause I
was doing like two shakes ameal and like snacks, um, so
(24:24):
that'll be yeah, kind of this isas I move into week three of
the elimination, um, so, yeah,so that's where I'm currently at
.
Like I said, I, to be honest, II still feel pretty good.
I mean, since I did starttaking some of those supplements
last week and I'll admit I didstarted to feel like I don't
(24:47):
know.
I don't know if it's like alittle crampy or a little like
tummy gurgly.
I mean, again, I'm probablytaking, you know, it's probably
trying to help get my body backto where it should and needs to
be, so with probably a littlemixture of, like you know, some
dairy cheating, um, so it'sinteresting.
Um, I know, if I cut it all outit'd be a lot easier to
(25:11):
identify.
Sorry, laura, doing my best, um, but like I said, all in all,
for the most part I I do feelgood being in.
You know, when I'm out of thehouse and have events, that's
when I feel the temptations arerough.
Um, but you know, we're gonnakeep chugging along and I'm
definitely gonna keep youupdated on, as you know, we keep
(25:33):
finding more things.
I think from here I have monthlylike check-ins with her.
Like I said, we don't, we won'tdo the blood work again for
another few months, um, and Iknow she kept checking and being
like are you okay?
Like how are you processingeverything?
And I just you got to say likeher sensitivity to the um
intense, her sensitivity to theintensity of the information was
(25:54):
wonderful.
I am by no means like somebodythat, like you know, it didn't
shock me and I wasn't scared oroverwhelmed.
Um, I think she kept texting meand checking in to like just
make sure I was okay and if Istill had questions and, um, to
be honest, like last week was sobusy.
So I was like, no, I'm, likeI'm okay and genuinely I really
am saying that I wasn't like, oh, my God, like you know, feel
(26:15):
like devastated, like I don'tknow, like I'm okay, like people
don't die from this.
Like you know you, just you gotto take care of yourself.
This might, yeah, it could meansome very drastic lifestyle
things and, um, if that's what Ineed to do, that's what you
know, I'll take the time to doand figure out.
For right now it's just kind oflike focusing on this plan,
(26:37):
doing the best that I can, um,and trying, you know, and just
keep doing those things, like Isaid, to try to prioritize my
sleep, um, keep working out.
You know movement is reallygood for for the gut and the
health and you know it's just, Ithink, why I really liked this
journey is just kind of rememberthe importance of, like you
know we, as moms and women, likeyou know we, I was gonna say we
(27:01):
need a lot of things, but likewe need, we still need protein,
we still need these important umhormones in our bodies to be
working, whether whether you'reperimenopausal or or
perimenopause or menopause ornot, you know I mean um, we need
, um, we need muscle mass, likethese things are important, and
so that's what I think I.
(27:21):
I love her approach in that itit is very holistic and she's
looking at the whole picture.
You know, she's like women needmore sleep than men and I
noticed that because I'm alwaysin the bed longer than my
husband.
He can kind of wake up on thedrop of a hat and he's a light
sleeper.
I, fortunately, can fall asleepvery quickly and I stay asleep.
I'm a deep sleeper because mybody needs it.
(27:42):
But, yeah, I think it's been awonderful reminder.
Like I said, I really do likeworking out, I really like
strength training, I do like totake care of my body, even if I
want to treat it like a garbagecan at times.
Um, it been like I do feelreally good today and I'm like
(28:03):
it feels good to kind of likefollow the plan as it is and you
know, um, I know when I stickto it it feels good.
So it, all in all, I think thebiggest eyeopening thing to to
this is just it's not having thedoomsday mentality of like you
can feel good and that, buteverything's bad.
It's not that.
But I think it is just beingmindful of the importance of you
(28:28):
know, of getting yourselfchecked of you know, evaluating
what you're doing is Is itactually working or not, or are
you masking potential symptoms?
You know, and that is again thebiggest challenge, being a woman
, for sure, in discerning all ofthis, but, um, I mean, all I
can say and speak to like thishas just been my journey, my
experience so far, and I feellike, the more that I've talked
(28:49):
about it, I've heard you knowagain, how common Hashis is, but
, um, you know.
And I've heard more, more andmore people talk about
functional medicine.
Again, I wish it was somethingthat was talked about more
because she said, like you know,you can go to your primary, but
they're not going to run ablood panel like this, not
because they don't like you, butbecause, like, that's just not
how insurance works.
You know, it's not going to beas thorough there, you're not
(29:11):
going to get to see the wholepicture and they're also not
trained in all these areas to bean expert, you know, on
everything from like yourthyroid and your gut and things
like that.
Sometimes they'll send you tolike an endocrinologist, but,
you know, and then they might bemissing the other hormone piece
of it.
So you know, I can't tell youhow good it feels to have like a
provider like Darren and Laurathat can like literally see
(29:35):
everything and talk about itfrom every angle.
And you know, in a way likewe're still kind of finding it
out and seeing how all of theresults evolve.
You know, I'm hoping in threemonths that I'm just picture of
health.
Um, it's like um.
But you know, like I said, Ithink all we can do in this life
is to do our best.
(29:55):
Um, and that's that's my goalfor sure.
I know it's.
I just love food too much.
Um, and that that's all we cando, you know, and um, but I'm
excited to be on this journey.
I am glad that I have theinformation.
I am glad to know that you know, yes, while things, you know,
(30:18):
my gut is kind of a mess, that Ido have the ability to change
it and to improve Um, you know,now it's just kind of like
taking the step to see what willhappen from here, so I'm
excited to bring you along onthis journey.
So be sure to keep stayingtuned, follow along.
Like I said, we're going tokeep putting out content on
social media, some blogs andagain and definitely some more
(30:43):
podcast interviews.
So yeah, thanks for tuning into this episode of MomTalk
Maryland.
If you loved it, leave a review, share it with a friend or tag
me at thecolumbiamom onInstagram.
I'd love to hear what you thinkand don't forget to follow the
show so you never miss anepisode.
Until next time, keep showingup, keep supporting local and
(31:06):
keep being the incredible mom,woman, human that you are.
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