In this deeply personal solo episode, I’m sharing exactly what I did to prepare my body for pregnancy as a woman 35+ navigating hormonal shifts, subtle cycle changes, and labs that were technically “normal” but not optimal.

After announcing my pregnancy on Instagram, I wanted to pull back the curtain on the work that led me here because it’s the same work I help women with every single day.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why fertility prep at 35+ looks different than it does in your 20s
• The difference between “normal” hormone labs and optimal hormone function
• How estradiol, ovulation, progesterone, and metabolism are deeply connected
• Why supporting metabolism isn’t just about weight loss; it’s about energy, hormone production, and reproductive health
• The role of anti-inflammatory nutrition, healthy fats, digestion, gut health, and mineral balance in fertility
• Why I ran functional testing like the GI-MAP, DUTCH, and HTMA and what I learned from them
• How low potassium and mineral depletion commonly show up in women 35+
• Why nervous system regulation may be the most overlooked (and most important) piece of fertility support

This episode is for you if:

• You’re 35+ and thinking about pregnancy now or in the future
• Your hormones don’t feel the same, even though your labs look “fine”
• You want to understand fertility through the lens of metabolism and whole-body health
• You’re tired of being told to “just relax” or “wait and see”

✨ Free Resource:
Download my Ovulation Tracking Guide to better understand your cycle, identify fertile windows, and spot hormonal red flags early:
👉https://www.monikaeva.com/ovulationguide

✨ Want personalized fertility & hormone support?
If you’re looking for a customized strategy based on your hormones, metabolism, and life stage, DM me on Instagram and let’s chat about what your body needs to move into a more optimal, fertile, and balanced state.

Thanks for listening. Please rate & review so we can reach more women with this very important information. Share with a friend whom you know would benefit from listening to The Balanced Body Podcast.

Follow your host, Monika Eva, on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/monikaeeva

Take my FREE Weight Loss & Energy Blocker Assessment to find out what's blocking you from releasing the weight & being energized here:
https://www.monikaeva.com/whatsblockingyou

Learn more about working with Monika here:
https://www.monikaeva.com

If you’re over 50, eating healthy, staying active, and still gaining weight, this episode is for you.

In Episode 85 of The Balanced Body Podcast, I’m joined by Lori Balue, Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, who lost 100 pounds naturally after 50 and now helps women rebalance their hormones, repair their metabolism, and achieve lasting weight loss without extreme dieting or medications.

In this episode, we break down why weight loss after 50 isn’t about willpower — and what’s actually happening behind the scenes when your body feels stuck despite doing everything “right.”

Before we dive in, if you’ve ever wondered why your weight won’t budge or your energy feels depleted, you can take my free Weight Loss & Energy Blocker Assessment to identify what may be slowing your metabolism and driving weight loss resistance:
👉https://www.monikaeva.com/whatsblockingyou

Inside this conversation, we cover:

• Why women over 50 regain weight even on “healthy diets”
• The role of cortisol, insulin resistance, estrogen dominance, thyroid function, and bile flow in midlife weight gain
• How stress and burnout quietly sabotage metabolism
• Why traditional bloodwork misses key hormone and metabolic issues
• How functional lab testing (DUTCH, GI-MAP, HTMA, MRT, Fluids iQ) uncovers root causes
• Lori’s Aging Adventurously™ method and how women reclaim energy, confidence, and their bodies after 50

If you’ve ever thought “What is wrong with my body?” — this episode will connect the dots and give you clarity.

🎧 Listen now to learn why trying harder isn’t the answer — understanding your hormones is.

🔗 Lori's Links

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loribalueweightloss/
• Website: https://www.loribalue.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn5_Po6BdVvjOjTI8MUYSRA
• Email: loribalue@gmail.com

Thanks for listening. Please rate & review so we can reach more women with this very important information. Share with a friend whom you know would benefit from listening to The Balanced Body Podcast.

Follow your host, Monika Eva, on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/monikaeeva

Take my FREE Weight Loss & Energy Blocker Assessment to find out what's blocking you from releasing the weight & being energized here:
https://www.monikaeva.com/whatsblockingyou

Learn more about working with Monika here:
https://www.monikaeva.com

Feeling tired, wired, anxious, or stuck in a cycle of poor sleep, low energy, and hormonal chaos? In today’s episode, I’m joined by Angela Martinucci, FDNP, founder of Mind Balance Neuro and co-owner of the Bay Area Brain Spa, who has helped thousands of people regulate their nervous system through cutting-edge tools like neurofeedback.

We break down how chronic stress disrupts hormones, the surprising stressors women overlook, and why nervous system regulation is often the missing link in weight loss, energy, anxiety, mood, and sleep. Angela also explains how neurofeedback works, who it’s for, and how changing your brain’s stress patterns can transform your metabolism, emotional resilience, and hormonal health.

This episode is a must-listen if you’ve been doing “all the right things” and still feel burnt out, inflamed, anxious, wired at night, or exhausted during the day.

Connect with Angela:
Mind Balance Neuro: www.mindbalanceneuro.com
Bay Area Brain Spa: www.bayareabrainspa.com
Instagram: @mindbalanceneuro

Thanks for listening. Please rate & review so we can reach more women with this very important information. Share with a friend whom you know would benefit from listening to The Balanced Body Podcast.

Follow your host, Monika Eva, on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/monikaeeva

Take my FREE Weight Loss & Energy Blocker Assessment to find out what's blocking you from releasing the weight & being energized here:
https://www.monikaeva.com/whatsblockingyou

Learn more about working with Monika here:
https://www.monikaeva.com

Your thyroid isn’t broken; it’s responding.
The question most women aren’t getting answers to is: responding to what?

In Episode 83, Monika sits down with Functional Nutrition Practitioner Divya Gupta, who specializes in helping women 30+ with Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism restore energy, reduce inflammation & feel like themselves again.

Together, we uncover three massively overlooked thyroid connections that rarely get talked about in a doctor’s office:
🔥 The liver & gallbladder’s role in converting T4 → T3 (your usable thyroid hormone)
🔥 How everyday toxins disrupt thyroid hormones and trigger autoimmune flare-ups
🔥 Why gut issues like low stomach acid, dysbiosis & constipation stall thyroid healing

So if you’ve been told everything looks “normal” but your body tells a very different story, this episode explains what’s really going on behind the fatigue, weight gain, inflammation, and symptoms you’re feeling every single day.

Links + Resources Mentioned

⭐ Monika’s Free Thyroid Optimal Ranges Guide
https://www.monikaeva.com/optimalthyroidrangesguide

⭐ Connect with Divya Gupta
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_divgupta/

Freebie — Comprehensive Hypothyroidism Symptoms + Complete Labs Guide
https://divyagupta.net/

Thanks for listening. Please rate & review so we can reach more women with this very important information. Share with a friend whom you know would benefit from listening to The Balanced Body Podcast.

Follow your host, Monika Eva, on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/monikaeeva

Take my FREE Weight Loss & Energy Blocker Assessment to find out what's blocking you from releasing the weight & being energized here:
https://www.monikaeva.com/whatsblockingyou

Learn more about working with Monika here:
https://www.monikaeva.com

If you’ve ever been told your thyroid labs are “normal” but you still feel exhausted, puffy, gaining weight, or unlike yourself… this episode is going to hit home.

Before we dive in, I created something that will help you get real clarity fast:
➡️ Download the Optimal Thyroid Lab Ranges Guide to see whether your thyroid is truly functioning at its best — not just “within range.”

(You’ll be shocked how many women look normal on paper but are nowhere near optimal.)

Today, I’m joined by Angela Brown, a Board Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner who helps women with hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, and stubborn hormone issues finally reclaim their energy and lose weight.

We break down:
• why so many thyroid issues NEVER show up on standard bloodwork
• how perimenopause amplifies thyroid and metabolic struggles
• the hidden patterns behind weight loss resistance
• and why deeper testing like HTMA reveals the full picture doctors miss

Whether you’re dealing with fatigue, stubborn weight, brain fog, or feel like your body is working against you — this episode will finally make everything click.

👉 Connect with Angela Brown:
Website: https://angelabrown.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelabrowncoach
Free Thyroid Test Guide: https://angelabrown.org/read-thyroid-test-guide

Thanks for listening. Please rate & review so we can reach more women with this very important information. Share with a friend whom you know would benefit from listening to The Balanced Body Podcast.

Follow your host, Monika Eva, on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/monikaeeva

Take my FREE Weight Loss & Energy Blocker Assessment to find out what's blocking you from releasing the weight & being energized here:
https://www.monikaeva.com/whatsblockingyou

Learn more about working with Monika here:
https://www.monikaeva.com

If you’ve been dealing with cysts, fibroids, irregular periods, random spotting in between periods or your cycle has gone completely missing, this episode is your wake-up call.

In Episode 81, Monika breaks down the real root cause behind these symptoms that most women—and most doctors—overlook: progesterone deficiency.

You’ll learn how chronic stress, poor digestion, mineral depletion, unstable blood sugar, and sluggish detox pathways suppress ovulation long before a cyst or fibroid ever forms. These problems aren’t random… they’re biofeedback from a body stuck in fat-storing, energy-depleted mode.

This episode covers:

• Why cysts & fibroids often signal a deeper hormonal imbalance
• How progesterone protects your cycle, your uterus, and your metabolism
• Why missing periods for months (or years) can be dangerous
• The connection between gut health, minerals, liver detox, and progesterone levels
• What you can start doing today to support ovulation, regulate cycles, and feel like yourself again

If you’ve been feeling exhausted, bloated, inflamed, puffy, gaining weight for no reason, or your cycle is becoming unpredictable, your body is asking for help. The good news? You can fix this once you know what your hormones are doing.

👉 DM me on Instagram and I’ll personally point you in the right direction — whether you need hormone testing, mineral testing, gut support, cycle support, or clear next steps for your body. I’ll help you understand exactly what’s going on so you can finally get real energy, a stable cycle, and a metabolism that responds again.

Thanks for listening. Please rate & review so we can reach more women with this very important information. Share with a friend whom you know would benefit from listening to The Balanced Body Podcast.

Follow your host, Monika Eva, on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/monikaeeva

Take my FREE Weight Loss & Energy Blocker Assessment to find out what's blocking you from releasing the weight & being energized here:
https://www.monikaeva.com/whatsblockingyou

Learn more about working with Monika here:
https://www.monikaeva.com

Today’s conversation with Holistic Health Practitioner Shannon Dahlum unpacks one of the biggest blind spots in women’s health: how your liver and detox pathways determine how smoothly you move through perimenopause and menopause.

We break down:
✨ Why so many women hit a wall with weight, energy, and mood in their 40s
✨ How estrogen changes bile flow — and why poor bile flow leads to bloating, sluggishness, constipation, and stubborn weight
✨ The everyday signs your liver is overwhelmed
✨ How mineral imbalances (revealed through HTMA) impact hormone detoxification
✨ What to prioritize first if you’re exhausted: liver support, blood sugar, or adrenal health
✨ Shannon’s top advice for every woman entering this phase

If you feel like your body is shifting faster than you can keep up, this episode will help you understand the root cause and what to do next.

Connect With Shannon

Instagram: @shannondahlum
TikTok: @bodevolvewithshannon
Website: bodevolvewithshannon.com
Free Guide – Hormone Hangover Guide: http://bodevolvewithshannon.com/hh-guide

If you’re listening to this and thinking, “This is me… this explains everything,” I can help you go deeper.

My functional testing packages are currently on sale, and they’re designed to give you the clarity your doctor hasn’t — including hormone markers, adrenal function, mineral status, as well as gut & digestive health insights that explain exactly why you feel the way you do.

If you’re dealing with low energy, bloating, stubborn weight, mood swings, or feeling “off” in your body… functional testing is often the missing piece.

👉 DM me TEST on Instagram and I’ll help you choose the right test for your symptoms.

Thanks for listening. Please rate & review so we can reach more women with this very important information. Share with a friend whom you know would benefit from listening to The Balanced Body Podcast.

Follow your host, Monika Eva, on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/monikaeeva

Take my FREE Weight Loss & Energy Blocker Assessment to find out what's blocking you from releasing the weight & being energized here:
https://www.monikaeva.com/whatsblockingyou

Learn more about working with Monika here:
https://www.monikaeva.com

In today’s episode, Monika sits down with Elena Kokotov, Holistic Nutrition Practitioner, FDN-P, and Herbalist, to explore one of the most overlooked pillars of hormonal and metabolic health: your nervous system.

If you’ve ever felt “wired but tired,” struggled with stubborn weight despite doing everything “right,” or couldn’t understand why your mood, digestion, and energy swing from one extreme to the next… this conversation is going to land deeply.

Elena breaks down:

✨ What the nervous system actually does — beyond the textbook definition
✨ How being stuck in fight-or-flight affects hormones, bloating, cravings, burnout, and metabolism
✨ Why your body resists healing when it doesn’t feel safe
✨ Signs your nervous system is dysregulated (that most women miss)
✨ How to finally work with your nervous system instead of against it
✨ Simple, practical strategies to shift into a regulated state — even on your busiest days
✨ The botanical and nutritional tools she uses to support lasting resilience

This is one of those episodes that helps everything click. Your symptoms make sense, your patterns make sense, and you walk away with real-world tools to help your body feel grounded, safe, and supported again.

Explore Elena’s Herbal MAP Assessment:
https://www.eat4healthylife.com/herbal-map.html

Learn more about Elena’s nervous system work:
https://www.eat4healthylife.com/nervous-system.html

Thanks for listening. Please rate & review so we can reach more women with this very important information. Share with a friend whom you know would benefit from listening to The Balanced Body Podcast.

Follow your host, Monika Eva, on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/monikaeeva

Take my FREE Weight Loss & Energy Blocker Assessment to find out what's blocking you from releasing the weight & being energized here:
https://www.monikaeva.com/whatsblockingyou

Learn more about working with Monika here:
https://www.monikaeva.com