ALL EPISODES
The Funk’tional Nutrition Podcast
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- ACNE
- ANTINUTRIENTS
- AUTOIMMUNE ILLNESS
- AUTOIMMUNITY
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- SIBO
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- UNDERSTANDING AUTOIMMUNITY
- VITAMIN D
- WEIGHT LOSS
Episode 259: Low FODMAP Diet Considerations | Legacy Series
A low FODMAP diet has become the sweetheart of diets in treating SIBO within the functional and conventional medicine world. However, as with any protocol implementation, one must be sure to ask, “what’s the end game here?”
In this episode, Erin unpacks the low FODMAP diet, what it is, how it helps to reduce symptoms of SIBO & IBS and why she very rarely implements it with her clients. Erin clears the confusion and helps lay out how to determine if it’s right for you, as well as potential drawbacks to the diet. This episode is great for anyone who is suffering from SIBO symptoms, IBS, or are otherwise curious about transitioning onto or off of a low FODMAP diet.
Episode 258: Using Manifestation to Heal Your Body
Our minds are one of the most powerful factors in healing–our thoughts and beliefs can make us well, and they can make us unwell. Understanding how your brain is hardwired and learning to believe in the possibility of change can be the key to accessing healing.
Today’s episode puts the tool of manifestation on the table to show what’s possible when healing the body. In this conversation, Erin shares parts of her story and how she used manifestation to heal, as well as 5 main nuggets of wisdom that listeners can take away and apply to their own lives. If you’re struggling with fears around healing or feel you’ve exhausted options, this episode is for you!
Episode 257: Leaky Gut, Microbiome, & Digestion | Legacy Series
Terms like “leaky gut” and “microbiome” are buzzwords in health these days–so much so that practitioners sometimes jump to prescribing a leaky gut protocol without understanding what’s going on in the whole body.
This episode gives an overview of gut health from top to tail and explains where things can go wrong. There is a WEALTH of information in this discussion–Erin talks about autoimmunity, hormones, and the impact of the modern environment on our gut health. Stay tuned until the end for actionable tips on how to improve your gut health and microbiome diversity!
Episode 256: Healthy Travel Hacks
Staying healthy while traveling doesn’t have to be a challenge–it just takes planning ahead and knowing some tips and tricks! Being in a different place and off your normal schedule can throw your system off-balance, but these hacks will help you stay happy and healthy while on the road.
This episode responds to listener questions Erin received after returning from a week-long trip. After listening to this episode, you will come away with healthy snack ideas for the plane, the best supplements to bring while traveling and why, how to eat and drink on vacation without derailing your immune system, post-travel best practices, and more.
Episode 255: Gallbladder, Bile, Gut Health & Hormones | Legacy Series
When it comes to overall gut and hormonal health, the gallbladder is an unsung hero. It plays a crucial role not just in digestion and your ability to access nutrients in food, but also with detoxification and your hormone systems. Unfortunately early gallbladder issues are often missed in conventional treatment, and while there are instances when removal surgery is necessary, removing the gallbladder typically doesn’t resolve the gallbladder issue.
Today Erin packs an information-heavy episode all about the importance and roles of the gallbladder, bile production, and alerts you to some of the warning signs you may be having issues with your biliary tract. The purpose of sharing this is so you can not just take in this information and comprehend it, but to really take preventative measures BEFORE you get to the point of surgery.
Episode 254: Releasing Shame around Sexual Health with Dr. Jolene Brighten
From reproduction to physical well-being, pleasure, and partner connection, sex is a fundamental part of life–and yet, our society is so uncomfortable with the topic that productive conversations about sex are rare. As a result, many people (particularly women) end up with shame and confusion about their bodies, and questions about what’s “normal” go unasked or unanswered.
Dr. Jolene Brighten’s work answers these questions. In this episode, Erin and Dr. Jolene discuss the origins of shame around sex and pleasure in our culture, answer common questions about odors, discharges, and pain, and explore the orgasm gap and what women can do both physically and with mindset to increase their experiences of pleasure.
Dr. Jolene Brighten is a hormone expert, nutrition scientist, and thought leader in women’s medicine. She is board certified in naturopathic endocrinology and trained in clinical sexology. Dr. Brighten is the author of Is This Normal, a non-judgemental guide to creating hormone balance, eliminating unwanted symptoms, and building the sexual desire you crave.
Episode 253: The Mind-Gut-Immunity Connection | Legacy Series
Secretory IgA is the dominant antibody in our gut mucosal layer and acts as a “first line of defense” against pathogens. When Secretory IgA is low, it’s like the bouncer at the bar is gone. The lower the SIgA is, the more prone you are to acquiring infections AND the less likely you are to clear up existing infections in your gut.
Today Erin covers Secretory IgA and why it’s so important when it comes to overall immune and gut health. She discusses where this antibody is found and reasons why it may be low or high on a lab test. Erin also highlights an important contributing factor that even functional medicine can miss: your mindset.
Episode 252: The Holy Grail of Gut Health
The bacterium Akkermansia Muciniphila comprises 1-3% of gut microbiota in healthy adults, and is considered a keystone microbe–some have even referred to it as the potential “holy grail” of improving metabolic diseases. Low levels of Akkermansia are often seen paired together with low levels of secretory IgA, and the reasons behind that demonstrate just how layered and complex our gut health really is.
In today’s conversation, Erin unpacks the reasons why low levels of Akkermansia and SIgA are often seen together, from deficient mucus layers to overall low beneficial bacteria production; the impact of low Akkermansia and SIgA on immune reactions and food sensitivities; how bacteria cross-feed each other and why that’s important for microbiome ecology; and ways to increase Akkermansia to support overall metabolic health.
Today, we’re also announcing the beta program launch of Manifest Your Health™! Learn more on our website at www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/manifest-your-health.
Episode 251: Food Sensitivities | Legacy Series
Food sensitivities are a growing problem—and the reasons behind it are complex. Unpacking food sensitivities is NOT a straightforward task, but today Erin helps make sense of all the moving parts. In this episode, Erin discusses food sensitivity testing, the differences between food allergies and food sensitivities, symptoms and signs you might have a food sensitivity, the science behind our body’s reactions to foods, how our hormones relate, downsides to restrictive healing diets, and considerations to take if you suspect you may have a food sensitivity.
The truth is, getting to the root of food sensitivities is a lot more complicated than an at-home test commercial will ever tell you. After listening to this episode you’ll understand why, and come away with more knowledge, potential solutions, and hope for getting to the root of your own sensitivities. Please share with anyone who could also benefit from this valuable information!
Episode 250: Turning Sh*t into Gold: Heart Wall Work & the future of this podcast
If you’ve been following along with TFN the last couple weeks, you’ve heard about the external sh*tstorm that severely impacted our podcast listenership. Today, Erin shares the story of what happened and why, and the overwhelming support we received from the TFN community in response (thank you!!). This show goes into some of the lessons learned from the situation and how this moment is an invitation for a total energy revamp, both for the podcast as well as for you, the listener.
Right now, there are cosmic shifts taking place that bring us all to a crossroads, in which we have the choice to step into our power and make decisions for the higher good. Erin talks through these shifts as they relate to the future of the podcast, and also shares the importance of working on the energy around the heart wall, why we need to plug into our own power rather than outsource for answers, and the heart medicine of allowing others to take care of us.
What’s going on with the podcast?
A note from Erin:
This week I shared on Instagram what's been going on with the podcast and I was really, really overwhelmed (in the best way possible) with the outpouring of support. I figured I should also share this with the rest of our community.
In the grand scheme of all of the things going on in this world, this is a small problem, and I fully recognize that.
But after reading through all my DMs, and hearing very personalized stories of how my podcast has quite literally changed lives, I don't want to downplay this, either.
It's important that I continue to show up for this work...because the reality is that people need this help.
Today’s minisode has the full story.
Episode 249: A New Approach to Healing Depression with Astrid Schmidt, LCSW-R
Can we take a root cause approach to healing depression? And is our current clinical psychiatry model supportive of finding a root cause? Just like with chronic physical illness, a common pattern in psychiatric medicine is to reach the diagnosis and then manage symptoms, rather than addressing the root issue. But what would it look like to get curious and ask why depression is there, and what it might be trying to tell us on a deeper, psychospiritual level?
Join Erin for a conversation with Astrid Schmidt, LCSW-R, a Certified Gestalt Therapist and the creator of the Spiral Mapping™ Method, a creative healing approach designed to help folks master their core healing themes of this lifetime. This conversation digs into the effects of being labeled a “depressed person,” the invitation of depression, working with the inner child, and ultimately how to find *your* medicine. Please note that this is NOT medical advice or a condemnation of conventional psychiatry; rather, this episode is a big-picture conversation which intends to explore new ways of thinking about our health.
Episode 248: Why You Need to Stop Self-Treating Your Gut
Just because something is natural doesn’t mean it can’t harm you. Herbs have the capacity to negatively alter our gut microbiome if they aren’t used properly, so it’s important to know the root cause before diving into herbal remedies for gut problems. And it’s especially important to seek professional help rather than self-diagnosing and treating with potentially harmful remedies.
In this episode, Erin takes a deep dive into problems with antibiotics and herbal remedies (spoiler alert: they have similar problems), why the 5R protocol needs a revamp, when it’s time to explore functional lab testing, and how to safely support your gut health at home. This conversation is also great for practitioners seeking to learn more about how to treat the gut safely and effectively!
Episode 247: Overcoming Self-Doubt: Mindset of a Successful Practitioner
A lot of practitioners, especially those newer to functional medicine, put pressure on themselves to be all the things and know all the things–which can often lead to crippling self-doubt. The successful practitioner, on the other hand, is one who has a solid sense of self, works within their skill sets and strengths, and acknowledges their limitations.
Continuing last week’s conversation, Erin dives into the mindset piece of becoming a good practitioner. Comparison, self doubt, and imposter syndrome all hold people back from sharing their gifts, which is why doing inner work and overcoming self-doubt is REQUIRED in order to be of greater service to those who need it most.