The Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Podcast

364: I lost my period, ruined my dress and barely remember my wedding w/ Mishi

In this episode we talk about the slippery slope of wedding diets and Mishi shares her experience with extreme weight loss in the lead up to her own wedding. Consider this a cautionary tale for anyone telling themselves "I'll resolve my missing period later" Join The HA Society http://thehasociety.com/join [http://thehasociety.com/join] Apply for The Restore Your Fertility Group Program https://www.thehasociety.com/restore-live [https://www.thehasociety.com/restore-live] Work 1:1 with us to get your period back http://thehasociety.com/coaching [http://thehasociety.com/coaching] Visit us on YouTube https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff [https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff] Follow us on IG http://instagram.com/thehasociety [http://instagram.com/thehasociety] http://instagram.com/danisheriff [http://instagram.com/danisheriff] https://www.instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_/ [https://www.instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_/] https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia/ [https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia/] The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

363: From Denial and Delay in Diagnosis to a QUICK Recovery w/ Anna

Anna is in her early 20's but still had a long road with misdiagnosis, crappy medical advice and confusion around her missing period. After discovering her dedication to weight loss was the issue causing her amenorrhea, she hit the group running with recovery. Join The HA Society http://thehasociety.com/join [http://thehasociety.com/join] Work 1:1 with us to get your period back http://thehasociety.com/coaching [http://thehasociety.com/coaching] Visit us on YouTube https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff [https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff] Follow us on IG http://instagram.com/thehasociety [http://instagram.com/thehasociety] http://instagram.com/danisheriff [http://instagram.com/danisheriff] https://www.instagram.com/abbylowekey/ [https://www.instagram.com/abbylowekey/] The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

362: I Still Had a Period… So I Thought I Was Fine: Recovery Story w/Jasmine

In today’s recovery story, Ashley sits down with Jasmine, a psychologist from the UK whose journey challenges the idea that you need to completely lose your period to struggle with Hypothalamic Amenorrhea. For over 10 years, Jasmine lived in the gray area: irregular cycles, delayed ovulation, low estrogen, intense exercise, chronic stress, and constant reassurance from doctors that everything was “fine.” Because she still got periods (sometimes), she convinced herself it couldn’t be HA. But beneath the surface was a body running on stress, control, perfectionism, and chronic under-fueling. In this conversation, Jasmine opens up about: 1. Being dismissed by doctors for years despite obvious cycle irregularities 2. The connection between chronic pain, perfectionism, control, and HA 3. Going from 10 periods a year > 6 periods a year > 70-day cycles 4. CrossFit, running, Hyrox training, and why exercise became emotionally complicated 5. Extreme hunger, weight gain, and the fear of “losing control” 6. Delayed ovulation, temping anxiety, and becoming obsessed with chart data 7. Why recovery wasn’t a dramatic overnight transformation, but consistent forward movement 8. Learning that your body doesn’t need to be your sole source of happiness 9. Recovering physically while also healing your relationship with food, rest, and yourself This episode is especially for the women who: 1. Still get periods “sometimes” 2. Have long or irregular cycles 3. Feel stuck in denial because they don’t fit the stereotypical HA picture 4. Are high-achieving, Type A, and used to pushing harder for results 5. Know deep down something is off, even if labs come back “normal” Jasmine’s story is a powerful reminder that you do not need to wait until your period disappears completely to start listening to your body. Sometimes recovery isn’t about one massive breakthrough. Sometimes it’s about consistently not going backwards. Join The HA Society http://thehasociety.com/join [http://thehasociety.com/join] Work 1:1 with us to get your period back http://thehasociety.com/coaching [http://thehasociety.com/coaching] Follow us on IG http://instagram.com/thehasociety [http://instagram.com/thehasociety] http://instagram.com/danisheriff [http://instagram.com/danisheriff] https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_ [https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_] https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia [https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia] The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

361. Prenatal Vitamins Explained w/FullWell Founder Ayla Barmmer

In this episode of The HA Podcast, Dani and Ashley sit down with registered dietitian and FullWell founder Ayla Barmmer to break down what actually matters when it comes to prenatal nutrition, fertility, and supplementation. If you’ve ever wondered whether you really need a prenatal, if food alone is enough, or why so many supplements fall short… this episode is for you. Ayla shares how working with women in fertility clinics revealed a massive gap in care (hint: restriction right before pregnancy is NOT it), and how that led her to create a practitioner-trusted prenatal rooted in real clinical experience and evidence. This conversation goes deep into the why behind prenatals, the nutrients most women are deficient in, and the misinformation that keeps women undernourished during one of the most critical stages of life. We cover: 1. Why nutrition for fertility is often misunderstood (and mismanaged) 2. The biggest gaps in most prenatal vitamins 3. Why food alone may not meet nutrient needs today 4. The impact of stress on nutrient depletion and fertility 5. Key nutrients for pregnancy (and why most women aren’t getting enough): 6. Choline 7. Vitamin D 8. Magnesium 9. Calcium 10. Iron 11. Why high-quality prenatals require multiple capsules (and why that’s a good thing) 12. Folic acid vs methylfolate (and why this topic is so controversial) 13. The truth about vitamin A and pregnancy safety 14. Whether organ meats alone are enough for prenatal nutrition 15. Why iron should be individualized (and not always included in prenatals) 16. How to think about supplementation in HA recovery and preconception Key Takeaway: Your body doesn’t respond to intentions, it responds to the environment you create. And when it comes to fertility, ovulation, and pregnancy, that environment requires more nutrients, more consistency, and more support than most women realize. Learn more about FullWell: https://fullwellfertility.com/ [https://fullwellfertility.com/] For Pregnancy Lab Ranges: https://perinatology.com/ [https://perinatology.com/] Connect with Ayla: https://substack.com/@aylabarmmer [https://substack.com/@aylabarmmer] https://www.instagram.com/aylabarmmer/ [https://www.instagram.com/aylabarmmer/] Work 1:1 with us to get your period back http://thehasociety.com/coaching [http://thehasociety.com/coaching] Visit us on YouTube https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff [https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff] Follow us on IG http://instagram.com/thehasociety [http://instagram.com/thehasociety] http://instagram.com/danisheriff [http://instagram.com/danisheriff] https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_ [https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_] The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

360. Is the anxiety of HA recovery making things worse? How much working out is too much?

Learn more about the next Rest Retreat https://thehasociety.com/retreat [https://thehasociety.com/retreat] In today’s episode, we’re answering two powerful (and very common) questions we see during hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) recovery: 1. Can you work out 4x per week during recovery? One listener shares that she’s gained weight, regained two periods, and is feeling more stable—but recently increased her training from 3 to 4 days per week (upper/lower split with longer sessions). We break down: 1. Whether 4 workouts per week is appropriate at this stage 2. The difference between “feeling fine” vs. true recovery safety 3. How intensity, volume, and recovery all matter more than just frequency 4. Signs your body might still be under stress (even if cycles have started returning) 5. How to approach exercise without risking setbacks 2. Why does anxiety increase during recovery? Another listener opens up about feeling more anxious now than before recovery—despite eating 3000+ calories and not exercising. We dive into: 1. Why recovery can actually heighten anxiety (and why this is normal) 2. The mental shift from control → uncertainty 3. Obsessive tracking of “micro wins” (BBT, ovulation signs, etc.) 4. How healing your body can temporarily dysregulate your mind 5. Practical ways to reduce anxiety and feel more grounded during this phase Join The HA Society http://thehasociety.com/join [http://thehasociety.com/join] Work 1:1 with us to get your period back http://thehasociety.com/coaching [http://thehasociety.com/coaching] Follow us on IG http://instagram.com/thehasociety [http://instagram.com/thehasociety] http://instagram.com/danisheriff [http://instagram.com/danisheriff] https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_ [https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_] https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia [https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia] The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.