Embracing Flow

85 - Dr. Jeffrey Brown: Painful Periods Are Not Normal: Rethinking Hormones, Endometriosis, and Women’s Health

Painful periods are often dismissed as “normal.” But what if they’re not? In this episode of the Embracing Flow podcast, Heather Allmendinger sits down with functional medicine physician Dr. Jeffrey Brown to explore a different conversation around women’s health, hormones, and chronic cycle pain. Many women silently struggle with symptoms such as debilitating cramps, heavy bleeding, PMS, brain fog, mood swings, and fatigue. Too often, the only solutions offered are birth control, antidepressants, or surgery. But what if there are deeper root causes that deserve attention? Dr. Brown shares insights from more than 15 years of experience working in functional and regenerative medicine, helping women understand how inflammation, hormone balance, gut health, and lifestyle factors can influence menstrual health. In this conversation, we discuss: • Why painful periods are frequently normalized in modern healthcare • The difference between progesterone and progestin • What endometriosis and adenomyosis are and why they can be so debilitating • How stress, inflammation, and gut health influence hormone balance • The surprising role testosterone plays in women’s health • Why strength training and lifestyle changes can support hormonal wellbeing • How women can begin advocating for their bodies and their health This episode offers something many women have never been told before: Painful periods are not something you simply have to live with. Whether you are personally navigating painful cycles or supporting someone who is, this conversation brings education, compassion, and hope to the journey of understanding women’s health more deeply. Listen now and join us in changing the conversation around menstrual health. Meet Dr. Jeffrey Brown: Dr Brown is an osteopathic functional medicine physician. Attended NY College of Osteopathic Medicine. Completed residency at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Dept. of Family Medicine After becoming frustrated with traditional medicine's approach to health care while practicing family medicine, he became board certified with the American Academy of Anti-Aging & Regenerative Medicine. He has been focused on improving women's health care for over 15 years. His passion is helping women eliminate painful menstrual cycles Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjeffreylbrown/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKcuSjq89tXh4dVoUbJd0KA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffreybrown.do?igsh=OXBsNWh2ZTNkaTBp&utm_source=qr Website: https://hormonehealthwithdrbrown.com/ Free webinar on March 11 @7pm EST. Free gift for attendees. The link is hormonehealthwithdrbrown.com [http://hormonehealthwithdrbrown.com/]/webinar-registration Connect with Heather Allmendinger! Freebies: https://linktr.ee/vivydus [https://linktr.ee/vivydus] Website: https://vivydus.com/podcast/ [https://vivydus.com/podcast/] FB Group: https://facebook.com/groups/611487486871608/ [https://facebook.com/groups/611487486871608/] FB Personal: https://www.facebook.com/heather.m.allmendinger [https://www.facebook.com/heather.m.allmendinger] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivydus/ [https://www.instagram.com/vivydus/] Website: https://vivydus.com/ [https://vivydus.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmallmendinger/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmallmendinger/] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Vivydus [https://www.youtube.com/@Vivydus] PolkaDot Powerhouse: https://www.polkadotpowerhouse.com/referral?atid=10634 [https://www.polkadotpowerhouse.com/referral?atid=10634] Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3Dpf8nw [https://amzn.to/3Dpf8nw] As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

78- Erin Cutrone: Why “Powering Through” Is Quietly Wrecking Your Body — And What to Do Instead

Women are often taught that strength means endurance. That rest is weakness. That powering through is the only option. But what if that belief is quietly exhausting your body, your nervous system, and your emotional health? In this episode of Embracing Flow, Heather is joined by Erin Catron — a nervous system educator and trauma-informed therapist — for a deeply compassionate conversation about how survival patterns form, how they live in the body, and why so many high-functioning women feel tired, disconnected, inflamed, or overwhelmed without knowing why. Together, they explore: • How early experiences and unspoken shame shape our nervous system • Why your body may still be operating in survival mode • How tension, digestion, fatigue, and emotional burnout are connected • What safety actually feels like in the body • Why rest is not laziness — it is neurological repair • How to gently begin listening to your body again • And how small moments of awareness can reconnect your internal circuitry This episode is not about fixing yourself. It is about realizing your body has been protecting you all along — and learning how to work with it instead of against it. If you are a woman balancing work, motherhood, caregiving, relationships, and responsibility — and you are tired of feeling like your body is failing you — this conversation is for you. Because you are not broken. You are responding. And you are allowed to respond with care. About Erin Cutrone Erin, is a clinical therapist of over 20 years who has evolved her work into nervous system and awareness training, helping people understand how stress, trauma, and protection patterns live in our bodies. With a background spanning mental health, counseling, yoga, meditation, Energetic anatomy and spirituality. Erin brings a truly holistic lens to healing. She has worked across psychiatric hospitals, schools, foster care, private practice, supporting people of all [00:01:00] ages, and through that work, she's come to see just how transformative nervous system education can be, not only for personal healing, but for collective expansion. Erin is the founder of This Space, a virtual and pop-up community wellness model, re-imagining what wellness can look like, and she's also the host of the Align With Love podcast where she explores how we soften the barriers around the heart and begin to live. Heal and lead from a place of deeper awareness and connection. https://www.inthespace.co/ [https://calendly.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.inthespace.co%2F&user_uuid=f3e1459c-1fd2-454a-9b4b-1331649c5347&stage=1&hmac=6ef3bc9eacd124f70157d033ebf25ba51cd6e3d44c6e36ddfaa2fea311468eb7] https://www.instagram.com/anahata_wellness/ [https://calendly.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fanahata_wellness%2F&user_uuid=f3e1459c-1fd2-454a-9b4b-1331649c5347&stage=1&hmac=fb9d06fe120bd29ec75603301ba15e06292fd3b215905aace2abc9b967f61664] Connect with Heather Allmendinger! Freebies: https://linktr.ee/vivydus [https://linktr.ee/vivydus] Website: https://vivydus.com/podcast/ [https://vivydus.com/podcast/] FB Group: https://facebook.com/groups/611487486871608/ [https://facebook.com/groups/611487486871608/] FB Personal: https://www.facebook.com/heather.m.allmendinger [https://www.facebook.com/heather.m.allmendinger] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivydus/ [https://www.instagram.com/vivydus/] Website: https://vivydus.com/ [https://vivydus.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmallmendinger/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmallmendinger/] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Vivydus [https://www.youtube.com/@Vivydus] PolkaDot Powerhouse: https://www.polkadotpowerhouse.com/referral?atid=10634 [https://www.polkadotpowerhouse.com/referral?atid=10634] Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3Dpf8nw [https://amzn.to/3Dpf8nw] As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

77-Stephanie Keenan Re: You Don’t Need a Spa Day — You Need Self-Reconnection

You Don’t Need a Spa Day — You Need Self-Reconnection In this heart-opening episode of Embracing Flow, Heather sits down with Inner Radiance Wellbeing & Creative Guide Stephanie Keenan Ray, founder of Natural Beauties, Art & Ideas Creative Network, and co-host of Smiling Souls. Together they explore the truth women rarely say out loud: 👉 You can take care of everyone else and still feel completely disconnected from yourself. This episode unpacks the simple rituals that help you return to your center—no luxury spa required. Stephanie shares: Her unforgettable (and hilarious) first-period story The role essential oils play in balancing hormones, mood, and nervous system regulation Why creativity is one of the most underused forms of self-care The power of grounding practices for burnout, overwhelm, and emotional overload How reconnecting with your “little girl self” changes how you show up in your life What women actually need to feel peaceful, energized, and authentic again Heather and Stephanie also explore why many women aren’t truly in their bodies, how stress rewires our sense of self, and why small daily rituals—breath, oils, journaling, creativity, nature—shift our entire emotional landscape. If you’ve ever felt drained, stuck, crispy around the edges, or lost in your own life… this one’s for you. ✨ In every phase — embrace it, love it, crown it, and be Vivydus. Stephanie Keenan Re is an Inner Radiance, Well-being and Creative Guide. She is the founder of Natural Beauties Arts & Ideas Creative Network & She.E.O Elite Membership, and Co-Podcaster of Smiling Souls Podcast. In all she does, she guides women though simple rituals of self care, holistic solutions and creativity with the mission to help others shine from within, aging gracefully with confidence, joy, and inner peace. https://linktr.ee/natural_beauties [https://calendly.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Flinktr.ee%2Fnatural_beauties&user_uuid=f3e1459c-1fd2-454a-9b4b-1331649c5347&stage=1&hmac=ed6ed0ea591b7f5d520d6cabb15c578a67ce298c8ef2c644b8cf6a541dcb6d37] Connect with Heather Allmendinger! Freebies: https://linktr.ee/vivydus [https://linktr.ee/vivydus] Website: https://vivydus.com/podcast/ [https://vivydus.com/podcast/] FB Group: https://facebook.com/groups/611487486871608/ [https://facebook.com/groups/611487486871608/] FB Personal: https://www.facebook.com/heather.m.allmendinger [https://www.facebook.com/heather.m.allmendinger] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivydus/ [https://www.instagram.com/vivydus/] Website: https://vivydus.com/ [https://vivydus.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmallmendinger/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmallmendinger/] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Vivydus [https://www.youtube.com/@Vivydus] PolkaDot Powerhouse: https://www.polkadotpowerhouse.com/referral?atid=10634 [https://www.polkadotpowerhouse.com/referral?atid=10634] Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3Dpf8nw [https://amzn.to/3Dpf8nw] As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FF6 - Your Body Keeps Score

When life feels full, your body always knows first. In this episode, Heather Allmendinger, Queen of Flow and host of the Embracing Flow™ podcast, unpacks how chronic stress reshapes hormonal balance — long before you realize it. Discover why cortisol is more than a “stress hormone,” how it hijacks your cycle rhythm, and what your body is really saying when you feel “tired but wired.” This episode connects this week’s Flow Q and DYK: how emotional and physical stress both disrupt your hormonal blueprint — and what to do about it. 🌿 ✨ You’ll learn: * How cortisol changes energy, sleep, and cycle timing * Why your body holds onto stress signals long after the moment passes * What true rest looks like in a hormone-aware lifestyle * Simple shifts to support your body during high-stress seasons 💭 Reflection prompt: Where is your body keeping score right now? And how can you give it extra credit instead of more pressure? Connect with Heather Allmendinger! Freebies: https://linktr.ee/vivydus [https://linktr.ee/vivydus] Website: https://vivydus.com/podcast/ [https://vivydus.com/podcast/] FB Group: https://facebook.com/groups/611487486871608/ [https://facebook.com/groups/611487486871608/] FB Personal: https://www.facebook.com/heather.m.allmendinger [https://www.facebook.com/heather.m.allmendinger] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivydus/ [https://www.instagram.com/vivydus/] Website: https://vivydus.com/ [https://vivydus.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmallmendinger/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmallmendinger/] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Vivydus [https://www.youtube.com/@Vivydus] PolkaDot Powerhouse: https://www.polkadotpowerhouse.com/referral?atid=10634 [https://www.polkadotpowerhouse.com/referral?atid=10634] Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3Dpf8nw [https://amzn.to/3Dpf8nw] As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

76-Heather Allmendinger: What Stress Really Does to Your Hormones

Your body keeps the score of everything you’ve lived through — every stress, every push, every “I’ll rest later.” In this episode of Embracing Flow™, Heather Allmendinger, Queen of Flow and founder of Vivydus, unpacks how stress doesn’t just affect your mood — it reshapes your hormones, energy, and menstrual rhythm. Learn why your menstrual cycle is more than fertility — it’s your fifth vital sign. Heather explores the science behind cortisol, the HPA axis, and how chronic stress rewires hormonal balance. Through stories, research, and reflection, she helps you understand the link between stress, energy crashes, emotional swings, and cycle changes — and how to restore harmony. ✨ In this episode, you’ll learn: How the stress hormone cortisol influences estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid balance Why women often feel “wired but tired” in high-stress seasons The connection between skipped periods, sleep issues, and chronic overwhelm Steps to reset your body’s natural rhythm through rest, awareness, and nutrition How to teach the next generation that cycles are messages, not mysteries 💭 Reflection Prompt: Where is your body keeping score right now, and what would it look like to give it support instead of pressure? 🎧 Listen now and rediscover your rhythm. 📚 REFERENCES Effects of the Menstrual Cycle Phase on Cortisol Responses. PMC. PMC [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11970578/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] How Stress Affects Your Menstrual Cycle | UT Physicians. UT Physicians [https://www.utphysicians.com/how-stress-can-affect-your-menstrual-cycle/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Chronic Stress and Ovulatory Dysfunction: Implications in Times of Global Disruption. PMC. PMC [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9168655/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Is Stress Affecting My Menstrual Cycle? Understanding the Connection. HERA Health. Hera Women's Health - [https://hera-health.com/is-stress-affecting-my-menstrual-cycle-understanding-the-connection/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Higher Circulating Cortisol in the Follicular vs. Luteal Phase of the Menstrual Cycle. PubMed. PubMed [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37750645/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Effects of Menstrual Cycle on Cognitive Function, Cortisol and Metabolism. PLoS ONE. PLOS [https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0311979&utm_source=chatgpt.com] Connect with Heather Allmendinger! Freebies: https://linktr.ee/vivydus [https://linktr.ee/vivydus] Website: https://vivydus.com/podcast/ [https://vivydus.com/podcast/] FB Group: https://facebook.com/groups/611487486871608/ [https://facebook.com/groups/611487486871608/] FB Personal: https://www.facebook.com/heather.m.allmendinger [https://www.facebook.com/heather.m.allmendinger] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivydus/ [https://www.instagram.com/vivydus/] Website: https://vivydus.com/ [https://vivydus.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmallmendinger/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmallmendinger/] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Vivydus [https://www.youtube.com/@Vivydus] PolkaDot Powerhouse: https://www.polkadotpowerhouse.com/referral?atid=10634 [https://www.polkadotpowerhouse.com/referral?atid=10634] Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3Dpf8nw [https://amzn.to/3Dpf8nw] As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.