You're Great with Unique Hammond

Episode Summary: What happens when you over-train, under-eat, and lose touch with your nervous system? For Hunter, it resulted in a "weighted blanket" of chronic fatigue and a terrifying cycle of OCD. In this episode, Unique and Hunter discuss the specific steps he took to desensitize his nervous system, why he had to eat 4,000+ calories just to feel safe, and the importance of disconnecting from the "matrix" of technology to find health.
Key Timestamps:
[00:00] The "Comfort Crisis" and why being cold and bored is good for you.
[08:45] Screen time vs. Fiction: How different hobbies impact the Whoop stress monitor.
[15:20] The Minnesota Starvation Study: Why under-eating leads to psychological breaks.
[24:10] Hunter’s Rock Bottom: Navigating OCD, anxiety, and depersonalization.
[35:00] The "Bottom-Up" Approach: Using the Bean Protocol to calm the brain.
[48:15] Life after Coffee (and bringing it back): Finding personal metabolic balance.
[55:30] The 6 PM Rule: How early dinners revolutionized Hunter’s sleep.
Resources Mentioned:
The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weeks
Good Energy by Dr. Casey Means
The Bean Protocol: wwwyourgreat.com

Episode Summary: What if there was a roadmap that gave you literal permission to stop trying to be someone you’re not? In this episode, Unique Hammond sits down with human design expert Alexandra Cole to discuss how this "spiritual self-awareness tool" can transform how we parent, work, and care for our bodies. From understanding why some of us need big emotions to why some children shouldn't be forced to sit still at the dinner table, this conversation is a deep dive into the beauty of human individuality.
Key Timestamps:
[00:00] Unique’s journey: From "flaky" MG to discovering her design while sick in bed.
[05:30] What is Human Design? The "one-of-a-kind frequency" imprinted at birth.
[08:15] Deconditioning: Moving away from the "molds" we are forced into at age seven.
[12:45] Parenting by Design: How Unique used HD to support her daughters' unique career paths.
[18:20] Emotional Authority: Why "sleeping on it" is a biological necessity for some.
[25:00] Profile Archetypes: A breakdown of lines 1 through 6 (The Investigator to the Role Model).
[38:10] The Human Design Diet: Why how you eat matters as much as what you eat.
Resources Mentioned:
Alexandra Cole’s Substack & Purpose Programs: alexandra cole coach | author | human design Website: www.thrivingbydesign.com Instagram: @alexandrafcole | @purpose_playbook
The Bean Protocol & Working with Unique: www.yourgreat.com
Join my Next Ladies 12 week health ( bean) group Waitlist for Sept 4th!
https://www.youregreat.com/join-the-bean-protocol#jointhewaitlist

Guest: Dr. Hannah Lollar Naturopathic Doctor (ND)
Core Theme: Moving beyond the "pill for every ill" mentality to embrace nutrition (The Bean Protocol™), individualized hormone support, and the powerful signaling of the female cycle.
Key Takeaways & Highlights
1. The Luteal Phase "Truth Serum"
Unique and Hannah discuss the emotional intensity often dismissed as "just PMS."
The Luteal Narrative: The luteal phase (the week before your period) acts as a "BS filter." While it can feel like "lunacy," it often highlights real issues in life or relationships that we suppress during the rest of the month.
Actionable Advice: Don’t make life-altering decisions (like divorce) during this phase, but document the feelings. Use them as data points to address once your hormones settle.
2. Naturopathic vs. Conventional Medicine
Dr. Loller clarifies the rigorous path of an ND:
Training: Four years of medical school, including biochemistry, anatomy, and pharmaceuticals, plus extensive training in nutrition, homeopathy, and hydrotherapy.
The "Village Doctor" Approach: Hannah operates a concierge practice, making house calls. This allows her to see a patient’s environment—poking around the pantry to see what they think is healthy versus what actually supports their biology.
3. The Foundation of Nutrition: The Bean Protocol
Both Unique and Hannah emphasize that nutrition is not a "fad" but the literal building blocks of cells.
Soluble Fiber (Beans & Psyllium): Essential for clearing recycled estrogen and toxins from the liver. This is the "insurance policy" for anyone on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Personal Responsibility: You cannot drive a "Ferrari" (your body) and put in the cheapest fuel. High-performance health requires high-quality, consistent inputs.
4. Advanced Optimizations: Peptides & Genetics
When the foundation of nutrition is set, Dr. Lawler looks at "levers" to move the needle:
Peptides: Signaling molecules that tell cells to perform specific tasks (e.g., recovery, skin health, or mood). Hannah highlights GHK-Cu (copper peptide) for anti-aging and Thymosin Beta-4 for recovery.
Genetics (3x4 Genetics): Understanding "bottlenecks," such as the COMT gene, which affects how you process caffeine and adrenaline. Knowing your genetics removes the "DIY" guesswork from health.
5. Thyroid Health & The "Canary in the Coal Mine"
The discussion touches on why Hashimoto’s is so prevalent today:
Environmental Toxins: Halogens like fluoride, chlorine, and bromine can "plug" iodine receptors in the thyroid, leading to dysfunction.
Root Cause: It’s never "just" the thyroid; it’s a response to stress, viruses, or environmental toxicity (like mold).

Episode 61 Focus: Special Guest Dr Jason Hawrelak ND.

We discuss why health is an active daily process rather than an occasional state, the subtle damages of the Western diet, the distinction between sugar and fruit, and personalized approaches to healing serious GI conditions.
Mouse Study Revelation: Research suggests that mice eating a junk food diet only on the weekends suffered almost as much microbiome damage as mice eating junk food seven days a week, illustrating the importance of consistent, daily nourishment.
The Gut-Brain-Immune Axis: The decisions we make daily—from food choices to stress and sleep—directly impact the microbiome, which, in turn, influences mood, immunity, and long-term disease risk.
Saturated Fat, and gut health.
Crohn's Disease and IBD: IBD symptoms (Crohn's, Colitis) show similar patterns of dysbiosis: too few beneficial, anti-inflammatory bacteria (like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii) and too many pro-inflammatory or pathogenic species (like certain E. coli strains).
Dietary Emulsifiers: A major driver of IBD and inflammation is the consumption of dietary emulsifiers (e.g., carrageenan, polysorbate 80) found in ultra-processed foods. These compounds actively strip away the protective mucus layer, allowing microbes and toxins to interact with the immune system.
Saturated Fat and Pathogens: Saturated fats (from dairy, lard, or coconut) behave differently in the gut:They encourage the growth of bacteria like Bilophila wadsworthia (a bile-loving bug) by increasing bile sulfur levels.
Bilophila produces hydrogen sulfide gas, which is linked to IBD risk and visceral hypersensitivity (painful, oversensitive nerves in the gut).
Saturated fat can also bind to and increase the absorption of endotoxin (a bacterial toxin), driving systemic inflammation.

Optimal Protein: A plant-forward omnivore or pescatarian diet is optimal. A high-fiber diet mitigates many of the risks associated with moderate protein intake. For IBD flares, temporarily reducing red meat is often necessary to suppress hydrogen sulfide-producing microbes.

Key Takeaways:

The Single Most Important Action: Eat a diverse, high-fiber, plant-forward diet aiming for ∼50g of fiber daily.
Be Aware of Toxins: Avoid ultra-processed foods, emulsifiers, and minimize pesticide exposure (eat organic when possible) to protect the gut lining.

You can find out more about Dr Jason Hawrelak ND, BNat(Hons), PhD, FNHAA, MASN, FACN ProbioticAdvisor.com

Interested in testing your gut microbes?

We love TINY HEALTH- https://bit.ly/3RIOiKz

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In Podcast 61, I sit with Dr. Karen Hurd to discuss HRT.
Episode Focus: Re-examining the risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) in light of new scientific rhetoric, The biological mechanism of hormonal damage, and the power of lifestyle in navigating menopause.

1. The Core Scientific Risk: DNA Damage
Dr. Hurd challenges the idea that "bioidentical" hormones are inherently safer than synthetic ones.
The Mechanism of Action: Hormones (both endogenous/innate and exogenous/prescribed) are very small molecules known scientifically as nuclear receptors.
Crossing Barriers: These molecules are so tiny that they can bypass normal cellular defenses by diffusing directly through the cell membrane (plasma membrane) and the nuclear envelope.
The DNA Barrage: Once inside the nucleus, the hormone-transcription factor complex randomly attaches to the DNA3. This is not a one-time event; a daily pill or patch creates a constant barrage on the nuclear envelope.
Mutating Genes: If this random attachment occurs at a critical site, such as the P53 gene (often affected in nearly 50% of hormonally receptive cancers) 5, it can disable the cell's stop mechanism (stop codon)6. The damaged cell then reproduces daughter cells carrying the same mutation, leading to tumors.
The Power of Diet and Lifestyle
The Natural Menopause: Menopausal symptoms (bone loss, brain fog, hot flashes) are often the result of entering menopause in a non-healthy state
Estrogen Drivers: Hormones are naturally produced, but their excess can be driven by lifestyle. Caffeine is a more powerful driver of estrogen production than sugar.
Adrenal Role: The adrenal glands are meant to take over producing weaker, protective estrogens after menopause16. Stressing the adrenals with caffeine, sugar, and over-exercising diverts resources away from hormone production, leading to symptoms like vaginal atrophy and hot flashes.
The Bean Protocol Solution: Eating soluble fiber (like beans) does not stop innate hormone production; rather, the fiber acts by carrying out what the liver dumps into the gut.. This prevents the excessive recycling (up to 72 times daily) of hormones, allowing the body to naturally bring elevated estrogen levels back down to a safe, post-menopausal level
You can learn more about working with Karen Hurd at www.karenhurd.com

and you can learn more about my courses and working with me at www.youregreat.com

Wishing you well on your human journey.
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