I’m excited to share Angela’s story with you today because it’s an incredible example of what you can achieve when you put in the time and work to optimize your health from the ground up. 

I’m betting parts of her story will sound familiar to many of you – seeing multiple doctors, feeling like no one’s listening, and being offered medications to “fix” (aka cover up) the problem…

And my hope is that seeing her amazing journey and outcome will inspire you to take action in your own life!

Check out the video below to hear why she decided to try a functional medicine approach, what the experience was like, and the advice she has for anyone interested in trying it for themselves.

Then read on to discover the exact approach that helped her restore hormone balance naturally and give birth to a beautiful baby girl!

Struggling with Hormone Balance & Infertility

Angela had delivered a healthy baby boy after 3 rounds of IVF a few years prior, and her family was ready to welcome a second child. 

But she wasn’t having regular cycles, and after 3 more rounds of IVF were unsuccessful, she decided it was time for a different approach. As a registered dietitian, she knew there must be something going on below the surface, and she was right to trust her instincts!

Looking at the Whole Picture 

In our Adaptation Program, we start with an in-depth look at a patient’s health history from the time they were born to the present day to make sure we’re seeing the whole picture.

This process revealed that Angela was also dealing with several digestive issues, including a case of SIBO that hadn’t responded to a course of antibiotics. Her cholesterol was high, her thyroid levels weren’t in optimal range, and she had frequent muscle aches and weakness.

Next, we took a close look at her day-to-day lifestyle and environment since these have a HUGE impact on your overall health.

Like many of the female patients I work with, Angela’s life was go, go, go all the time! She was working full-time as a dietitian, while also teaching workout classes, and raising a 2-year old. This told me that stress and sleep deprivation were likely contributing to her hormone imbalances.

What the Right Testing Revealed

The next phase in our Adaptation Program is to get the right testing so that we can pinpoint exactly what’s going on instead of trying to guess.

Since she had a number of digestive issues going on, we tested for common gut infections and confirmed that she had both SIBO (Small Intestinal bacterial Overgrowth) and Candida overgrowth (which is a type of fungus).

Both of these infections reduce nutrient absorption, which explains why her nutrition profile uncovered several deficiencies, including folate or B9, which is needed for methylation and plays a big role in fertility. 

I want to point out here that she was taking a prenatal vitamin that had plenty of folic acid (the synthetic form of B9), so those blood levels looked good. But she wasn’t able to convert it, so she was low at the cellular level where it really counts. This is exactly the type of information that usually gets missed in basic, conventional bloodwork.

A Personalized Protocol to Restore Hormone Balance Naturally

Based on Angela’s in-depth health history and comprehensive testing, we developed a targeted protocol to address her imbalances at their root.

Nutrition
She began an anti-inflammatory diet that focused on clean protein, vegetables, healthy fats, and fruit, while removing common inflammatory triggers like gluten, dairy, corn, soy, and sugar. She also added in key nutritional supplements to support methylation, including active folate, B12, and magnesium.

Supplements & Targeted Medication
We started her on anti-bacterial and anti-fungal herbs to get rid of the SIBO and Candida overgrowth and restore optimal nutrient absorption. From a thyroid standpoint, we changed her prescription to a more balanced and natural form of thyroid hormone medication.

Lifestyle
We also focused in on stress management techniques, creating more balance in her life, and finding the time and space to recharge. We worked on specific, actionable strategies to implement and checked in regularly to help her stay on track. 

A lot of providers talk about self-care without providing any concrete guidance or accountability. We know that’s a huge disservice to patients so it is an essential part of our program!

Success: A Beautiful Baby Girl, Conceived Naturally!

This entire process to restore hormone balance naturally spanned several months from start to finish, and Angela put in a lot of hard work. But her payoff was well worth it!

She started to feel better, her energy picked up, her hair was full and shiny again, her cycles started to normalize, and best of all, she conceived and delivered a beautiful baby girl! 

Angela’s story is more proof of what our bodies can achieve when they’re given the right support and environment to heal. I’ve seen time and time again that a functional, root-cause approach leads to amazing outcomes and I can’t wait to see what it can do for you!

If you’re ready to live your own success story, check out our Adaptation Program and book your free, 10-minute discovery call to get started!