Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations with Dr. Izabella Wentz

In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, Dr. Izabella Wentz interviews gut health expert Hannah Aylward about why so many people struggle with bloating and other gut issues – even when they’re eating clean.

Hannah shares her personal journey with chronic digestive issues and explains how factors like low stomach acid, poor bile flow, gut dysbiosis, and nervous system dysregulation can all contribute to ongoing symptoms. Together, they explore the deeper root causes of digestive dysfunction and why a personalized, root-cause approach is essential for overall healing.

What you’ll learn in this episode:


Why eating “clean” isn’t always enough to fix digestive issues. Hannah explains how you can follow all the right diets and still have symptoms like bloating, reflux, and constipation, if your digestive system isn’t properly breaking down and absorbing food.


The hidden root causes of chronic bloating (it’s not just food!). Low stomach acid, poor bile flow, gut dysbiosis, and infections can all create the perfect environment for bloating – even with a healthy diet.


How stress and your nervous system directly impact digestion. Chronic stress shifts your body out of “rest and digest” mode, reducing stomach acid, enzyme production, and gut motility, and making digestion an afterthought.


What’s really behind food sensitivities and how to reverse them. Most sensitivities aren’t about the food itself, but about gut imbalances like bacterial overgrowth, histamine issues, or poor digestion.


The surprising connection between gut health, hormones, and histamine. Liver function, bile flow, and the gut microbiome all play a role in hormone balance and histamine breakdown – impacting everything from bloating to painful periods.


Why most gut healing protocols fail (and what works). Generic protocols often miss the mark. True healing requires personalized testing and a root-cause approach tailored to your unique gut.

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Sign up for the Thyroid Pharmacist Weekly Thyroid Solutions Newsletter here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/gift/ 

For the full list of resources and products mentioned in this episode, and to get the full episode transcript, see complete show notes here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/podcast/
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In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, Dr. Izabella Wentz interviews Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson, a neuroscientist and bestselling author, about the connection between food addiction and weight issues. They explore why some people struggle to moderate certain foods, how processed foods impact the brain, and what it really takes to achieve sustainable weight loss.

Dr. Thompson shares her personal journey from addiction to recovery, along with the science behind dopamine, cravings, and appetite regulation. She also explains how her Bright Line Eating approach compares to GLP-1 medications, and why addressing food addiction may be the missing piece for those with thyroid and autoimmunity who are struggling to maintain a healthy weight.

What you’ll learn in this episode:


Why food addiction is real and can be harder to break than drugs. Dr. Thompson explains how addiction can transfer from substances to food (and many other things such as work and shopping). She also shares why highly processed foods hijack the same brain pathways, making it incredibly difficult to stop once you start.


The role of dopamine in cravings, “food noise,” and loss of control. Highly processed foods, especially sugar and flour, create powerful dopamine spikes that rewire the brain, driving persistent cravings and making normal eating feel unsatisfying.


How to tell if it’s food addiction, not just lack of discipline. From constant thoughts about food to feeling powerless once you start eating, Dr. Thompson outlines the key signs that your brain chemistry, not willpower, may be driving your behavior.


Why “moderation” doesn’t work for everyone and what to do instead. For some people, having clear, non-negotiable boundaries (“bright lines”) around certain foods can actually create more freedom, reduce cravings, and simplify decisions.


How the “Bright Line Eating” method compares to GLP-1 medications. Both approaches target hunger, cravings, and appetite regulation, but the “Bright Line Eating” approach works naturally by improving satiety hormones, reducing dopamine overstimulation, and building sustainable habits.


Three identity shifts needed to maintain weight loss long-term. Lasting results aren’t just about food – they require becoming devoted to your plan, building emotional resilience, and allowing yourself to fully move on from the struggle with food and weight.

Be sure to subscribe to the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast so you don’t miss an episode!

Sign up for the Thyroid Pharmacist Weekly Thyroid Solutions Newsletter here: ⁠https://thyroidpharmacist.com/gift/⁠ 

For the full list of resources and products mentioned in this episode, and to get the full episode transcript, see complete show notes here: ⁠https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/podcast/
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In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, Dr. Izabella Wentz interviews Autumn Smith, co-founder of Paleovalley and holistic nutrition expert, about the powerful role of nutrient-dense foods – especially protein and animal products – in supporting thyroid health, mood, and overall well-being. Autumn shares her personal journey from IBS and anxiety to vibrant health, and explains why many “healthy” diets may still leave people undernourished.

Together, they explore the importance of amino acids, iron, and glycine, the differences between conventional and grass-fed meat, and how food quality impacts inflammation and energy levels. This episode offers a refreshing, balanced perspective on nutrition and empowers listeners to find what truly works for their bodies.

What you’ll learn in this episode:


How a “healthy” diet can still leave you undernourished: Autumn shares how her salad-heavy, low-protein diet contributed to IBS, anxiety, and instability, highlighting how common it is for women to miss key nutrients like protein and amino acids, even when eating “clean.”


The connection between protein, mood, and mental health: Without adequate protein, your body can’t produce key neurotransmitters, which can contribute to anxiety, brain fog, and fatigue, even when your diet looks balanced on the surface.


Why iron deficiency may be the missing link in persistent thyroid symptoms: Low ferritin levels can impact hair growth, energy, and how well your body responds to thyroid medication, yet this is often overlooked in conventional care.


Why glycine deserves more attention in modern diets: This often overlooked amino acid plays a key role in sleep quality, inflammation, detoxification, and healthy aging, and many people may not be getting enough from muscle-meat-heavy diets alone.


What actually sets grass-fed meat apart from conventional options: Farming practices directly impact nutrient density, omega-3 levels, and inflammatory potential, making food quality an important factor in how your body responds to what you eat.


Why food quality matters just as much as food type. Labels like “organic,” “free-range,” and “grass-fed” can be misleading, and understanding what they actually mean can make a big difference in your health outcomes.

Tune in to learn more about how nutrient-dense foods can transform your energy, mood, and thyroid health.

Be sure to subscribe to the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast so you don’t miss an episode!

Sign up for the Thyroid Pharmacist Weekly Thyroid Solutions Newsletter here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/gift/ 

For the full list of resources and products mentioned in this episode, and to get the full episode transcript, see complete show notes here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/podcast/
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In this episode of the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast, Dr. Izabella Wentz interviews pharmacist and menopause expert Dr. Anna Garrett to unpack the biggest myths – and most misunderstood truths – about menopausal hormone therapy. Together, they explore what hormone therapy looks like today, why many women were unnecessarily frightened after the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study, and how modern options (like transdermal estradiol and micronized progesterone) are changing the conversation.

They also discuss why progesterone can be a game-changer for sleep and mood in early perimenopause, why estrogen becomes more important later on, how testosterone supports strength and vitality, and why testing and metabolism pathways (including gut and histamine factors) can influence results.

What you’ll learn in this episode:


Why the “hormones cause cancer” narrative won’t die despite a flawed WHI study. Dr. Garrett explains how the Women’s Health Initiative used older products (like conjugated equine estrogens and synthetic progestins), and why today’s bioidentical options have a very different risk/benefit profile. She also shares the resource that helped her advocate for herself – even with a strong family history of breast cancer.


Progesterone supplementation can be a smart starting point, even for mid-30s hormone chaos. If you’ve suddenly developed insomnia, anxiety, mood swings, or “crime scene periods,” it may be a sign you’re ovulating less frequently (and losing that calming progesterone effect). Dr. Garrett talks about why progesterone alone can be a smart starting point for many women.


When progesterone stops working for sleep, this may point to a drop in estrogen. Dr. Garrett shares how low estrogen can become a bigger driver of sleep disruption in late perimenopause/menopause, and why combining estrogen and progesterone can be the “lights back on” moment for some women.


Testosterone isn’t a “male hormone” – and dismissing it can cost women strength and vitality. Dr. Garrett shares why testosterone matters for muscle maintenance, bone health, drive, and overall wellbeing… plus why pellets can be risky if you haven’t dialed in your dose.


The DUTCH test and hormone pathways: why metabolism matters as much as dosing. Even bioidentical hormones can create unwanted effects. Dr. Garrett walks through tools and nutrients used to support healthier estrogen/testosterone metabolism – and why these tests are best interpreted with a trained practitioner.


How to decide if hormone therapy is right for you (without needing a medical degree). They talk candidly about “shared decision-making,” quality of life, clotting risk considerations, transdermal estradiol vs oral estrogen, micronized progesterone, and experimenting with HRT to see if it’s right for you.

Tune in to learn more about navigating perimenopause and menopause with clarity, confidence, and thyroid-smart support.

Be sure to subscribe to the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast so you don’t miss an episode!

Sign up for the Thyroid Pharmacist Weekly Thyroid Solutions Newsletter here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/gift/ 

For the full list of resources and products mentioned in this episode, and to get the full episode transcript, see complete show notes here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/podcast/
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In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, Dr. Izabella Wentz interviews functional medicine expert Dr. Sam Shay about the critical lab tests that go beyond TSH for people with Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism. Dr. Sam shares a pivotal patient story that highlights why “normal” thyroid labs can still leave people suffering – and how a broader, root-cause approach can uncover what’s really driving symptoms.

Together, they discuss thyroid panels, gut permeability and gluten triggers, stress hormones and adrenal patterns, estrogen dominance, nutrient deficiencies, genetics, and the often-overlooked role of mitochondria in fatigue, brain fog, and thyroid-like symptoms.

What you’ll learn in this episode:


Why a “normal” TSH can be misleading – and what a full thyroid panel reveals. Dr. Sam explains how people can have significant thyroid symptoms and autoimmunity even when their TSH is in a “normal” range. He outlines the additional labs that provide a more complete picture of thyroid function, hormone conversion, and immune activity so care is not based on a single number.


How gut permeability and gluten can trigger thyroid antibodies (and why it’s a “two-for-one” problem). Intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”) can allow food particles or microbial byproducts into the bloodstream, prompting antibodies that may cross-react with thyroid tissue. Gluten is a key factor because it can both increase gut permeability and contribute to immune cross-reactivity.


Why chronic stress can suppress thyroid function: Dr. Sam breaks down how HPA axis dysfunction shifts the body into a survival state, which can reduce thyroid activity and slow long-term healing. He also explains how ongoing stress can worsen gut health, creating interconnected challenges.


The role of mitochondria in thyroid-related symptoms. Dr. Sam describes mitochondria as the place where thyroid hormones are activated to produce energy. When mitochondrial function is impaired, individuals may experience symptoms of hypothyroidism even when standard thyroid labs appear normal.


Key symptoms that may point to mitochondrial dysfunction. The discussion highlights patterns such as persistent fatigue, low exercise tolerance, muscle weakness, brain fog, blood sugar instability, and migraines. Dr. Sam also explains how environmental factors like mold and toxins can significantly impact mitochondrial function.


How personalized testing can help identify root causes more effectively. Instead of relying on generalized approaches, Dr. Sam explains how targeted lab testing and genetic insights can guide more precise interventions. This approach helps identify the most impactful changes and can reduce the trial-and-error process often experienced in thyroid care.

Be sure to subscribe to the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast so you don’t miss an episode!

Sign up for the Thyroid Pharmacist Weekly Thyroid Solutions Newsletter here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/gift/ 

For the full list of resources and products mentioned in this episode, and to get the full episode transcript, see complete show notes here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/podcast/
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