Episodes on Digestion & Gut Health
Did you know your gut does more than digest food? It influences your emotions, energy, and even how you navigate life’s decisions. In this episode, we’re diving into the fascinating connection between gut health and Human Design.
You’ll discover how your gut-brain axis impacts your ability to maintain energy, support emotional balance, and show up fully in your life.
We’ll explore how Human Design Types and Centers—like the Solar Plexus, Sacral, and Root—play a role in your digestion and energy flow.
Plus, you’ll get practical, Type-specific tips to help you align your gut health with your unique design.
Whether you’re struggling with low energy, stress-related gut issues, or simply want to feel more in sync with your body, this episode will give you actionable insights to build resilience, balance your energy, and optimize your health—all through the lens of Human Design.
If you feel like there’s something that feels off within your body, don’t doubt yourself. Take inventory on what those changes are and what’s changed.
Recently, I felt like my gut could use some support. So, I decided to do the 7-Day Gut Reset, created by Mary Shenouda of Paleo Chef.
In this episode, I share my experience with this program. You’ll hear me share:
Why I felt that my gut needed some repair
What the program is and how it aligned with a healing protocol prescribed to me three years before that I never did
A day-by-day recap of the experience
The outcomes and my post-reset experience
Pairing this program with new exercises and meditation, got me in tune with my body again. I believe this is a program you should try - it doesn’t have to be just for when you’re feeling something wrong, but also if you feel like your body just needs a boost!
As a health coach, I’ve had my fair share of challenges in my health.
Back in 2004, I first ventured into (what I perceived to be) healthy eating and was dogmatic in counting every calories that came my way. Years later I struggled with a variety of digestive conditions and poor gut health.
Along the way I’ve experimented with a variety of nutritional therapies and have come to learn that not all of them have the same effect, nor are they suited for the long-term, and, depending on one’s approach, can end up doing more harm than good.
In this episode, I share how I’ve adapted to the shifting nutritional needs that my body has required through different phases of my life.
You’ll hear me discuss:
My health journey from weight loss to fueling for endurance training to repairing my gut health
The aha moment when my weight plateaued
How I’ve come full circle with macros
A healthy gut means a healthy life.
Your gut plays a significant role in your overall health and well-being. Though resilient, the effects of chronic stress on your gut cannot be overlooked.
If you’re experiencing chronic GI discomfort a “leaky gut” might be to blame.
Join me in this episode as I deep dive into the link between your adrenals, food sensitivities, and a leaky gut and what you can do to repair and improve it.
Episode Highlights:
What is a leaky gut and what are its symptoms
The critical things that happen in your small intestines
Why the good more bacteria and how its a tool to protect and promote good gut health
Ways to reduce influencing stressors
Food sensitivities are often doubted because the reactions are not as severe as food allergies. However, there are serious consequences in eating food that you are sensitive to!
Food sensitivities are no laughing matter and can be harmful to your health. Join me in Episode 139 as I provide important information about food intolerance, certain foods I’m personally intolerant of, and solutions you can start implementing to address them.
Do you have a type of food that you are sensitive to, or do you know someone who has it? Be sure to listen to this episode, take notes, and share.
Over the past five years that I’ve been a health coach, I’ve spent a lot of time educating others on what exactly is a health coach, what is our scope of work, making sure that I’m always staying within that lane and practice within my scope.
Joining me in this episode is Reed Davis, a Holistic Health Practitioner and Certified Nutritional Therapist, is an expert in functional lab testing and holistic lifestyle medicine. He’s also the founder of FDN, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition®.
Reed served as the Health Director and Case Manager at a Wellness Center in So. California for over 10 years and now teaches the FDN Course with over 2,500 trainees and graduates in 50 countries. He is known as one of the most successful and experienced clinicians in the world today, having provided functional lab assessments to over 10,000 clients. He’s also a Clinical Advisor for BioHealth Laboratories and lives in the US, teaching the FDN Certification Course and helping his graduates build robust private practices.
You’ll hear us discuss:
What is a health coach, what’s the scope of work for a health coach and what isn’t
How unlicensed practitioners like health coaches can use lab testing to identify opportunities for healing
What is lifestyle medicine
How health coaches are the bridge between patients and physicians
And a whole lot more. If you’ve ever been curious about what exactly a health coach does and how one can help you, this is the episode for you!
In this episode, I’m continuing the solo series of walking you through my own personal health journey, and my aim for doing this is to illustrate the things that seemed so common, but yet weren’t normal.
Today, we’re talking about a condition that approximately half of all digestive and intestinal complaints are attributed to - Irritable Bowel Syndrome aka “IBS.” It’s the most common of digestive complaints.
But IBS is an “umbrella” term meaning that it can be applied to a number of different things. So if you have IBS, there’s a likelihood that there’s an underlying issue going on.
I had pretty severe IBS that had a significant impact on how I lived my life on a daily basis. So in this episode, I share with you:
What IBS is and common causes of it
What my life was like, suffering from it
What things I did to to overcome it
In this episode, I’m joined by Monica Cox, a Fertility Health Coach, host of the Podcast Finding Fertility, author of “Baby & Me” and creator of #gratedvegbrekkie. Her infertility journey was a 9-year evolution, which led her to overhaul her diet and lifestyle choices.
You’ll hear Monica share:
What her life was like before deciding to start a family
What her 9-year journey looked like - the struggles, the wins and the role autoimmunity played in it
How she’s now a mum to two little boys and she now helps other women create the family of their dreams
Over the past 2+ years of the show, I’ve shared my health journey in a number of episodes, but recently I had an experience that shifted the context of how I view my health.
It’s had such a profound impact on me so, in this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes with an update of what’s going on in my health and how a slightly different approach in tracking is helping me to get to know my body in a whole new way with a fresh perspective.
In this episode, I’m joined by Barb Vogel and Nikki Price, co-founders of inner-ēco, a mission-based company that makes food-based probiotics.
You’ll hear them:
Share their story of how the company came to be
Why they believe in bringing real food with clean ingredients to families of all sizes (pets included!)
The benefits of food-based probiotics
How they’re a mission-based company committed to helping free enslaved people around the world.
How they maintain their health and other life responsibilities as successful businesswomen
In the final installment of this mini-series, we explore Tiers 3 and 4 of the Functional Nutrition Framework.
If your health concerns aren’t resolved in Tiers 1 and 2, there’s likely some complicated dysfunction happening. You’ll hear how in Tier 3, we look to add an Integrative or Functional Medicine doctor to the partnership if one isn’t already involved. I share:
How I found the functional and integrative doctors
How I guide my clients to find one to work with them no matter where in the world they’re located
What to consider when selecting one
After resolving your health problems in Tiers 1, 2 or 3, we move to Tier 4 and maintaining your new normal. I share my new normal is and how I maintain it seasonally.
Would you run before you can walk? Just like you can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet, you also can’t medicate or even supplement your way out of one either.
If you want to address the root causes of your health complaints and find a resolution for them, then the environment that your symptoms and illness manifested itself in needs to be addressed.
A sensible, flexible and bio-individual way to do this is through the Functional Nutrition framework. This is the framework that I’ve structured my health coaching services around and take all of my clients through.
So in this new mini-series of The Live FAB Life Podcast, I’m walking you through each step of this framework. In this first episode you’ll hear:
Why its critical to establish a solid foundation by removing obstacles to health and healing by taking care of the non-negotiables
What the non-negotiables are
How to start addressing the
In this episode, I’m joined by frequent guest (she’s been a guest here on the show more than anyone else) and friend of the program Katie Leadbetter and Alyssa Carrie.
Katie and Alyssa are both certified holistic Nutrition Consultants, 21-Day Sugar Detox Coaches, and they’re both very young cancer survivors.
Katie was on the show last October, specifically in Episodes 056, 057 and 058, sharing her experience of surviving stage 2B Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Breast Cancer which she has been in remission for almost five years.
Alyssa was diagnosed with Lymphoma a year ago at the age of 26 and thankfully is also in remission.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Alyssa share her cancer story for the very first time. She shares how vital the Ketogenic diet was in her healing, as well as how she partnered with her oncologist to trace her steps to identify the root cause of her cancer.
You’ll also hear them both share how important self-care and personal growth was during their respective treatments
What went well during their treatments and what they found lacking
And how they’re filling that gap for cancer patients by collaborating on a new program they’ve created that launches in just a few weeks called, “The Cancer Survivor’s Course.”
It takes a special kind of vulnerability to share such personal experiences and I’m grateful that these women are brave enough to do so.
If you’ve ever experienced SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), are currently battling through it, suspect you might have it, or have heard about it and wanted to learn more about it, then you’ll want to listen up!
In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes and sharing how I navigated through SIBO - twice! You’ll hear me share:
Why I suspected I might have SIBO
How I tried to manage it through my diet
What the testing process was like and how I prepared for it
The route I took to eradicate it
And lessons I learned from the entire experience
In this episode, I’m joined by Brian Richards, the founder and Lead Product Developer of SaunaSpace, makers of Near Infrared ( NIr) Saunas.
You’ll hear Brian share his personal health struggles with toxic-related acne, adrenal fatigue, brain fog, insomnia and the role that saunas played in restoring his health. He shares how his journey inspired him to create SaunaSpace to help others discover how saunas are a simple the pathway to general health and natural healing.
We also discuss:
What are Near Infrared saunas and why they are more effective than other saunas
How saunas resculpt, rebuild and restore the body against the toxic exposures of the modern world
Why they are so effective for detoxification
Sunlight and the effects that the different kinds of rays have on the body, EMFs and even the sympathetic vs parasympathetic nervous systems
In this very important episode, I'm joined by Dr. Jolene Brighten. Dr. Brighten is a Functional Naturopathic Medical Doctor and nutritional biochemist with a focus in women’s endocrine health. She is recognized as a leading expert in Post-Birth Control Syndrome and the long-term side effects associated with hormonal contraceptives.
Dr. Brighten is the author of Beyond the Pill, a 30-day plan to support women on birth control, help them transition off, and eliminate symptoms of post-birth control syndrome.
We discuss:
Why the pill is problematic
What is Post-Birth Control syndrome & what to do about it
How it’s connected to mental health, heart disease, cancer, as well as acne, poor gut health, Leaky Gut Syndrome, adrenal and thyroid dysfunction, SIBO, overtraining and more
The vernal equinox, also known as the Spring Equinox, marks the shift from longer nights to longer days. It marks new beginnings and represents renewal, growth, and expansion. It’s the season to awaken from the slumber of winter and it the perfect time to do a cleanse or detox.
In this episode, I share how to go about doing a cleanse or detox:
General guidelines
The best foods that are in season to eat
Foods to avoid
Body support practices to enhance your cleanse / detox experience
Back in Episode 068, I was joined by New York Times Best-selling author Diane Sanfilippo, who joined me for a discussion on the ketogenic diet and her new book, “Keto Quick Start.”
A week after that episode aired, I embarked on my own experiment following the Keto Quick Start 30-Day Meal Plan. It was my first time following a keto-focused program and in this podcast episode, I’m sharing all about my experience with it.
In this episode I take you behind-the-scenes and share:
The backstory and thought-process of why I chose to embark on this experiment
How I prepared to set myself up for success
My biggest takeaways and challenges
Answers to your most commonly asked questions!
I documented my daily eats over on Instagram which you can check out by searching for the hashtag: #naomisketoquickstart!
We're wrapping up our 4-part mini-series on taking a Functional Nutrition approach towards skin health
In this episode, I pull back the curtain and share:
My decades-long struggle with chronic skin problems
How I came to Functional Nutrition
How reverse engineering my health helped me uncover the root causes of my chronic skin (and other health!) problems
How you can learn this for yourself through my Beautiful Skin for Life Bootcamp program
When it comes to your chronic skin problem have you ever been advised to focus on repairing your gut health?
But what does that even mean? What does your gut health have to do with what’s going on with your skin? How are these things related?
In this episode, Part 3 of this 4-part mini-series on taking a Functional Nutrition approach towards skin health, we’ll explore something called a “Leaky Gut” and in doing so, hopefully, make the skin + gut connection.
You'll hear:
What is a Leaky Gut
How does a gut become "leaky" with a mini anatomy lesson
The problems a leaky gut can cause
Contrary to popular belief, skincare doesn’t start at Sephora, nor does it start with Beautycounter. Skincare begins with what you’re feeding your body and what your body can with what you’re feeding it.
Because your diet and lifestyle habits - sleep, stress, and even the beauty products that you’re using -influence how your internal systems and organs in your body function - and your skin is the largest organ in your body.
In this episode, Part Two of this four-part mini-series on taking a Functional Nutrition approach towards skin health, we’ll examine four common mistakes that you’re making in your skincare and a better approach to take instead.
“I have cystic acne but my skin is super dry too.”
“Most of the time my skin is okay but I have breakouts around my cycle. I know its hormonal.”
“I have keratosis pilaris on my arms which is why I always wear long sleeves. I really want to be able to wear t-shirts and tank tops this summer.”
“I have eczema / psoriasis / rosacea, and none of the products I’ve tried has helped.
These are the kinds of things so many people have come to for looking for help with.
So in this episode, we tackle:
The two types of skin problems we struggle with
How even the best, safest products are only the first step in trying to address chronic skin problems
How to take a functional approach toward resolving skin issues
The word “detox” has gotten a bad rap because there’s been so much “noise” out there about how to detox, AND there’s different ways to do it.
In this week’s podcast episode, I break down:
What a detox really is
Why its essential in this modern world we live in
The three ways toxins enter your body
And I share ten practical and tactical tips for your detox!
How many times have you made an appointment to see your doctor, only to have the whole visit last approximately 7-10 minutes? And you found yourself leaving thinking, “that’s it?!" And you can’t help but feel dismissed, misunderstood, not heard and worst of all - not believed.
In this episode, I get very tactical and offer up ideas on how to make the most of the challenges of the current health care system, specifically how to make your doctor’s visits more productive.
Have you ever had a health problem come up so you researched to see what might help?
And as you did your due diligence you began to see how the costs will start to add up - from the doctors' visits to lab tests, and the supplements all of which aren't covered by health insurance.
So what are you supposed to do?
In this episode, we'll discuss what to do in this situation, how can you be efficient & maximize your health care dollars, & what it means and how to "back things up."
In this episode, I’m joined by my dear friend, Lori Newlon of The Bariatric Dish. Lori is a registered nurse (she has 18 years of experience and counting!) with a specialty certification in bariatric nursing.
Thirteen years ago, she herself had weight loss surgery and struggled with a number of post-operative complications. She turned to real food nutrition to help support her recovery and long-term health which has helped her maintain a 160-pound weight loss. She’s since become a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and also runs her own counseling practice helping clients work towards improved health and wellness by adopting a real, whole food diet.
Since having bariatric surgery, Lori has developed not one, not two, but THREE autoimmune diseases, Reynard’s Disease, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
You’ll hear Lori and I chat about a number of things from what is Nutritional Therapy, to her experience with weight loss surgery, how it led her to specialize in Bariatric nursing, and how holistic practices helped her recover from it, ultimately leading her to become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and start her own counseling practice.
We also talk about:
How she bridges the gap between conventional and holistic medicine
Her struggles with three autoimmune diseases
And we even get into “what is gut health” and how important it is to overall wellness, what is Leaky Gut Syndrome and even how heart disease is tied to sugar, not fats!
The conventional two-dimensional approach to treating skin issues like acne is typically topical creams, along with pharmaceuticals like antibiotics or birth control pills.
The problem with this approach is that these things only suppress the symptoms while failing to address the underlying root causes of WHY these problems are happening. And even more problematic are the more significant health issues that these treatments can lead to.
In this episode, I’m discussing the what the common root causes of skin issues are, and a four-dimensional functional approach to take instead!
At some point in your life, whether during puberty, adolescence, or even well into adulthood, that acne, or other skin issues became a big concern for you. It’s frustrating, depressing, confusing, and leaves you feeling soooo self-conscious.
You may have even taken medications to treat it, but they never entirely worked, and you still had to supplement with other over-the-counter products. Have you ever wondered why this is?
In this episode, we’ll take a look at why the conventional approach to treating skin problems isn’t effective, common myths about them, and I share my story on how I struggled with acne for over thirty years and what finally resolved it!
My behind-the-scenes mini-series continues with a very frank and honest conversation on the emotional side and mindset of weight gain.
You’ll hear me share all about how I developed an unhealthy obsession with calories and the sense of control counting them gave me. I also talk about the temptation and effort it takes not to fall into old habits and limiting beliefs.
And I share with you the one question that helps me reframe my mindset and perspective on weight gain.
I recently put a call out to my Instagram community for requests on topics for future episodes. One topic that came up was how to make wellness more inclusive.
It’s a vast topic given the variety of things that fall into the wellness space. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I do believe that we can find empowerment when we become leaders in our own health care.
In this solo episode, I share why I take an integrative approach to wellness, marrying science with holistic practices, and how I found empowerment through education, taking a leadership role in my health.