Ep 33: What the Minnesota Starvation Experiment teaches us about HA recovery

Ep 33: What the Minnesota Starvation Experiment teaches us about HA recovery

Have you heard of the Minnesota Starvation Experiment from the 1940s? While it wasn't designed to study hypothalamic amenorrhea, the findings reveal some fascinating insights into what happens when the human body experiences prolonged energy deficiency, and why so many women with HA experience symptoms like food obsession, fatigue, low mood, and a missing period. In this episode, you will learn: - What the Minnesota Starvation Experiment was - Why you can't stop thinking about food when you are under-fuelling - How energy deficiency impacts hormones, mood, and metabolism - Why hunger often increases during recovery - The biggest lesson this study teaches us about restoring health and fertility I will also share insights from my own 12-year HA recovery journey and the patterns I see coaching women through recovery. ✨ Ready for next steps or feeling stuck and want eyes on your recovery?✨ Book a FREE breakthrough call with me. I’ll help you figure out where you are at and what you need to move forward. Book here: ⁠https://www.herhythmplatform.com/discovery-call⁠ [https://www.herhythmplatform.com/discovery-call] Links + Resources Mentioned: 📸 Come say hi on Instagram → ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/herhythm_platform/⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/herhythm_platform/] 📬 Email me anytime → ⁠⁠laura@herhythmplatform.com⁠⁠ [http://laura@herhythmplatform.com/]  🌐 Website →⁠https://www.herhythmplatform.com⁠ [https://www.herhythmplatform.com/] 📩 Don't forget to sign up to the email newsletter → ⁠https://subscribepage.io/herhythmplatform⁠ [https://subscribepage.io/herhythmplatform] 🎧 More episodes you will love (Apple Podcasts Links): Ep 23: Metabolic adaptation and HA - why eating less backfires [https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/herhythm-podcast/id1814465294?i=1000730711458] Ep 32: The missing pieces of HA recovery: why estrogen stays low [https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/herhythm-podcast/id1814465294?i=1000770500924]

Ep 32: The missing pieces of HA recovery: why estrogen stays low

You have started eating more. You have gained weight. You are doing the work. So why is your estrogen still low? In this episode of the HERhythm Podcast, I'm breaking down the five biggest reasons estrogen can remain stubbornly low during hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) recovery. We will cover: - Low energy availability and under-fuelling relative to your body's needs - The impact of intense exercise and inadequate recovery - Chronic stress and nervous system dysregulation - Body fat and BMI - Why carbohydrates are essential for hormone production and ovulation If you are frustrated by slow progress or confused by your blood work, this episode will help you better understand what your body may be trying to tell you - and why recovery often requires more safety, nourishment, and consistency than we realize. ✨ Ready for next steps or feeling stuck and want eyes on your recovery?✨ Book a FREE breakthrough call with me. I’ll help you figure out where you are at and what you need to move forward. Book here: ⁠https://www.herhythmplatform.com/discovery-call⁠ [https://www.herhythmplatform.com/discovery-call] Links + Resources Mentioned: 📸 Come say hi on Instagram → ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/herhythm_platform/⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/herhythm_platform/] 📬 Email me anytime → ⁠⁠laura@herhythmplatform.com⁠⁠ [http://laura@herhythmplatform.com/]  🌐 Website →⁠https://www.herhythmplatform.com⁠ [https://www.herhythmplatform.com/] 📩 Don't forget to sign up to the email newsletter → ⁠https://subscribepage.io/herhythmplatform⁠ [https://subscribepage.io/herhythmplatform]

Ep 31: What to eat on the hard days of HA recovery

In this episode of the HERhythm Podcast, I break down what nourishment can look like on a rough HA recovery day - when motivation is low and food feels challenging. From easy meal ideas and realistic snack options to the mindset shifts that make recovery feel less intimidating, this episode is all about taking the pressure off while still moving forward. Inside this episode: * what to eat on difficult HA recovery days * easy low effort meal and snack ideas * why "bare minimum" can still support healing * how to reduce triggers and protect your mindset on harder days * how to stop turning recovery into another perfectionist project ✨ Ready for next steps or feeling stuck and want eyes on your recovery?✨ Book a FREE breakthrough call with me. I’ll help you figure out where you are at and what you need to move forward. Book here: ⁠https://www.herhythmplatform.com/discovery-call⁠ [https://www.herhythmplatform.com/discovery-call] Links + Resources Mentioned: 📸 Come say hi on Instagram → ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/herhythm_platform/⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/herhythm_platform/] 📬 Email me anytime → ⁠⁠laura@herhythmplatform.com⁠⁠ [http://laura@herhythmplatform.com/]  🌐 Website →⁠https://www.herhythmplatform.com⁠ [https://www.herhythmplatform.com/] 📩 Don't forget to sign up to the email newsletter → ⁠https://subscribepage.io/herhythmplatform⁠ [https://subscribepage.io/herhythmplatform] 🎧 More episodes you will love (Apple Podcasts Links): BONUS: Mechanical eating in HA/period recovery: how, why and when to transition [https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/herhythm-podcast/id1814465294?i=1000722350458] Ep 8: No hunger? Extreme hunger? What's normal in period recovery? [https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/herhythm-podcast/id1814465294?i=1000715074701]

Ep 30: The 2026 period recovery checklist: a practical audit for getting your cycle back

If 2026 is the year you want to get your period back, this episode is your reset. In this episode of the HERhythm Podcast, I walk through a practical checklist to help you audit where you really are in your hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) recovery journey. Inside this episode: - Are you eating enough consistently to restore energy availability? - Is your exercise or step count still keeping your body in a deficit? - How stress, sleep, and nervous system load impact ovulation - Why your environment and social circle can influence recovery - The role of body composition and leptin in getting your period back - Labs and recovery signs to confirm hypothalamic amenorrhea - Why timeline and consistency matter more than quick changes - The difference between knowing what to do vs actually implementing it If you are navigating missing periods, hypothalamic amenorrhea, cycle loss from stress, under-fueling, or overtraining, this episode will help you take a clear and honest look at what your body may still need to restore health, ovulation, and fertility. Let 2026 be the year your actions fully align with your goal of getting your period back! ✨ Ready for next steps or feeling stuck and want eyes on your recovery?✨ Book a FREE breakthrough call with me. I’ll help you figure out where you are at and what you need to move forward. Book here: ⁠https://www.herhythmplatform.com/discovery-call⁠ [https://www.herhythmplatform.com/discovery-call] Links + Resources Mentioned: 📸 Come say hi on Instagram → ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/herhythm_platform/⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/herhythm_platform/] 📬 Email me anytime → ⁠⁠laura@herhythmplatform.com⁠⁠ [http://laura@herhythmplatform.com/]  🌐 Website →⁠https://www.herhythmplatform.com⁠ [https://www.herhythmplatform.com/] 📩 Don't forget to sign up to the email newsletter → ⁠https://subscribepage.io/herhythmplatform⁠ [https://subscribepage.io/herhythmplatform]

Ep 29: A practical guide to grocery shopping in HA and period recovery

Grocery shopping when you are working on period recovery can feel way harder than it should. In this episode, I break down why making decisions around food feels overwhelming, why old food rules get louder in the aisles, and how to take the stress out of choosing what to buy. I also cover: - the five practical categories every HA recovery cart needs. - the common mistakes that make grocery shopping harder and the simple strategies you can use when anxiety spikes in the store. - answers to the most Googled, most DM’d, most panicked FAQs about what to buy, what actually matters, and what you can stop obsessing over today. Lastly I end the episode with a few challenges for you to implement when doing your next grocery store shop! If you want a clear, grounded, actually practical way to grocery shop during HA recovery - and you are sick of the stress spiral - this is an episode you cannot skip. ✨ Ready for next steps or feeling stuck and want eyes on your recovery?✨ Book a FREE breakthrough call with me. I’ll help you figure out where you are at and what you need to move forward. Book here: ⁠https://www.herhythmplatform.com/discovery-call⁠ [https://www.herhythmplatform.com/discovery-call] Links + Resources Mentioned: 📸 Come say hi on Instagram → ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/herhythm_platform/⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/herhythm_platform/] 📬 Email me anytime → ⁠⁠laura@herhythmplatform.com⁠⁠ [http://laura@herhythmplatform.com/]  🌐 Website →⁠https://www.herhythmplatform.com⁠ [https://www.herhythmplatform.com/] 📩 Don't forget to sign up to the email newsletter → ⁠https://subscribepage.io/herhythmplatform⁠ [https://subscribepage.io/herhythmplatform] 🎧 More episodes you will love (Apple Podcasts Links): Ep 8: No hunger? Extreme hunger? What's normal in period recovery? [https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/herhythm-podcast/id1814465294?i=1000715074701] Ep 12: Eating enough (or too much?) in hypothalamic amenorrhea recovery: calories, set point & getting your period back [https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/herhythm-podcast/id1814465294?i=1000719734698]