Robyn is a guest I’ve wanted to have on the show pretty much since I started. I turned to Robyn’s blog the Real Life RD years ago when I was struggling and trying to heal my body and mind from disordered eating. She combines evidence based knowledge with empathy and wisdom to help women heal. Her work helped me realize that contrary to diet culture, eating more and moving less was actually what could help me feel better. In today’s episode we dive deep into hormones, periods, what happens when you restrict food, intuitive eating and self love. Robyn brings so much light, joy and knowledge to this conversation. I know you’ll love this episode.   We Talk About: Robyn’s current views on work life balance What does it mean when a woman doesn’t have her period Why it’s important for women to get their period Why losing your period could be a sign of something bigger Looking at health from more of a preventative and long term perspective What to do to balance your hormones to get your period back How to take health resources and make them work for you PMS = Estrogen and progesterone imbalance Why it’s helpful to bring a succinct history of your symptoms to your doctor Why it’s really helpful to track your period How to take care of your hormone health What happens in your body when you restrict your food Why intuitive eating is about more than just hunger and fullness When you micromanage food from only external cues it’s harder to listen to your body’s cues Your HPA get’s disrupted when you restrict too much 4 Key ares of health: nutrition, movement, sleep perceived stress When you restrict too long your body goes into fight or flight mode - elevated stress levels Why working out too much can do more harm more than good How do you start to feel comfortable and love a bigger body when you’re healing from an eating disorder It’s ok to go from tolerate, to acceptance, to love - you don’t need to go from hate to love overnight How creating a full life can shift focus away from our poor body image   This Episode is Perfect For Anyone Who: Has had hormone issues Has missed their period or is trying to get off brith control Wants to know what really happens in their body when they restrict food Wants to learn to love their body Wants to learn about intuitive eating   “Your body is a vehicle for living out your purpose”   Tests that Robyn recommends: Thyroid: Complete Thyroid Panel TSH + free T4 free T3 (metabolically act) reverse T3 (too much is not good) thyroid antibodies Hormones: Estrodial FSH LH Prolactin DHEA Testosterone   Resources Robyn Mentions: No period. Now What? Women Code   Connect with Robyn: On instagram Real Life RD blog   For full show notes visit: init4thelongrun.com