ALL EPISODES
The Funk’tional Nutrition Podcast
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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 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 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.
Episode 246: Becoming a Better Functional Practitioner
There’s no question that the conventional medicine system is tragically broken. We’re seeing a greater demand for another way, and functional practitioners are filling that need. But if you’re a newer practitioner, how do you get started growing your skillset and confidence, and do so in a way that is responsible to your clients?
In the first episode of a 2-part conversation, Erin presents actionable steps for practitioners to become advanced in their fields and accelerate their clients’ transformation. Seeking mentorship, developing an advanced mindset and critical thinking skills, and devoting oneself to continued education are all key elements to building a successful practice and getting tangible results.
Episode 245: Our Favorite Functional Labs
Why do some functional medicine providers have waitlists and others don’t? A functional medicine approach at its core is a root cause resolution approach, and successful providers are those who have honed their skills at quickly identifying root causes and creating effective treatment plans. And while labs can help direct that treatment, being a functional provider is more than just ordering labs–you have not only know what labs to run, but WHEN and WHY to choose them, and what to do with the results.
Today, Team FN shares their most favorite functional labs – AND discusses their approach and philosophies around ordering labs and how they discern which labs are right for which client. Grab a pen and paper–this conversation has nuggets of wisdom for both practitioners who want to fine-tune their approaches to lab testing AND the layperson who wants to better understand which labs to ask for.
Episode 220: Hormone Lab Testing: A Non-Algorithmic Approach
On today’s episode Erin explains the approach she and the Funk’tional Nutritionist Team takes to health, healing, and hormone testing in our private practice and in Your Hormone Revival, our 3-month balancing program to revive adrenal, thyroid, and hormone health through root cause restoration. You’ll hear not just what kind of hormone testing we do, but also WHY we do it the way that we do, all while sprinkling in answers to a lot of your questions about hormone testing along the way. By the end you’ll understand the value of a provider who can not only look at lab markers, but also interpret what those lab markers mean in conjunction with one another, AND in conjunction with YOUR unique context.
Whether you’re looking to test your thyroid hormones, you’re wondering about your estrogen or progesterone levels, or perhaps you suspect something is up with your adrenals or cortisol, you’ll want to tune in to this episode! This also provides valuable information to practitioners who want to understand the true meaning of taking a functional, root cause approach to labs and supporting their clients.
Episode 214: Food Sensitivities: Symptoms, Testing & All the Complexities
Food sensitivities are a growing problem—and the reasons behind it are complex. Unpacking food sensitivities is NOT a straightforward task, and for the first time in nearly 5 years of podcasting, Erin addresses this tricky topic and helps to make sense of all the moving parts and considerations. In today’s episode you’ll hear Erin discussing food sensitivity testing (the good, the bad, & the confusing), the differences between food allergies and food sensitivities, obvious (and not so obvious) symptoms and signs you might have a food sensitivity, the nitty gritty 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 be dealing with a food sensitivity.
Episode 212: A Functional Medicine Approach to Labs
Today on the show Erin highlights the differences between functional medicine and conventional medicine in terms of how we approach lab testing. While oftentimes healthcare can be cost prohibitive for some, Erin discusses how you can utilize very basic lab work—that doctors will run and is covered by insurance—through a functional lens. Tune in to hear the differences in functional and conventional lab interpretations, limitations of conventional lab reference ranges, and real world examples of how to approach common lab markers with a functional lens.
Episode 198: Protocols, Elimination Diets & the Pursuit of Wellness with Jessica Flanigan
A functional approach to healing is a root cause approach. It attempts to unearth, understand and resolve unique root causes of any imbalances going on within the body. Where it can get a bad rap is when it becomes too cookie cutter, relying too heavily on protocols, elimination diets and supplements.
Today’s conversation is with clinical nutritionist Jessica Flanigan and taps into this growing trend in the wellness world. Erin and Jessica discuss problems seen in our modern culture of healing, how to find a skilled clinician, authority and power versus experience, how restriction can affect oral tolerance and the power that belief work and spirituality have on our healing.
While this interview originally aired in 2018, Jessica showcases why, even today, she’s always been lightyears ahead of the functional medicine space by offering ways practitioners can approach going deeper with clients to find the root cause of their issues… and ways we can go deeper with ourselves. If you’re struggling to get to the root of your health issues, feeling exhausted by the pursuit of wellness, or are wondering if the health answers you seek fall outside the echo chamber, this conversation is definitely one to hear.
Episode 197: Secretory IgA & Gut Health: What You May Not Know
When it comes to gut health, Secretory IgA is kind of a big deal. 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 - which means anyone who wants to get in, can. In fact, 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.
Inspired by recent stool test results, 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 (not just the gut!) and reasons why it may be low or high on a lab test.
In this episode Erin also highlights an important contributing factor that even functional medicine can miss: your mindset. If you’re a gut geek, if you struggle with food sensitivities, if you know you have low Secretory IgA, or if you are looking for another way to improve your own immune and gut health, grab a pen because this episode is one you don’t want to miss!
Episode 172: Vitamin D for Viral Infections & Immune Health
Vitamin D status can play a big role in your overall immune health, so today Erin unpacks a lot of data on Vitamin D and what you can do with this information. She’ll dive into Vitamin D deficiency, cofactors that play a role in absorption, and shares practical strategies that you can implement into your life over the next many weeks and months.
Episode 171: A Root Cause Look at Blood Pressure
Today we’re getting into specifics with blood pressure, and Erin dives into possible root causes of high/low blood pressure such as diet, lifestyle, and other internal factors that can contribute. Because there are usually no warning signs until there’s a problem, Erin unpacks contributing factors that can lead to this imbalance and offers practices you can incorporate to reduce your risk.
Episode 168: Hormones, the Immune System & Autoimmunity
Today’s episode gets into details about hormones and the immune system. Erin unpacks general immunity questions and how hormones can affect immunity, and also gets into the relation between hormones and autoimmunity.
If you’re someone who struggles with autoimmunity, this will be an interesting episode to tune in to. This episode is geared more towards women, female hormones, and the impact this can have on the immune system, so share this with the women in your life—Erin covers some of the most important things to get under control in regards to overall health, immune health, and to current events.