In this episode we sit down with...Lauren Papanos Lauren Papanos is a Registered Dietitian and Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics who helps women balance their hormones naturally after birth control, put an end to PMS, and eat for strength - rather than deprivation - so they can feel like queens, inside & out. In her clinical work with Olympic athletes and overseeing sports departments at UCLA and Texas Tech, Lauren kept running into active, high-achieving women who were dealing with a host of hormonal conditions including stubborn acne, PCOS, Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (missing periods), and low energy. As a lifelong gymnast and top-tier college cheerleader, Lauren knows the hormonal struggle first-hand. She tried every allopathic and integrative doctor and ultimately became a functional RD so she can help active women tap into their strength - physical, mental, & emotional - to access their highest potential in life. Click HERE for all of the show notes! Pssst...Don't forget to download your free Body Acceptance Starter Kit. Grab it HERE. In this conversation we talk about: Lauren’s personal body image story: growing up a competitive cheerleader, how the pressure to lose weight impacted her relationship with food, & her path from rigid eating to a flexible relationship with food. The 3 fundamental root causes of most hormone issues, and how to take a proactive, non-obsessive approach to your health. How eating disorders influence hormone issues later in life and the best ways to heal in the present. The intersection of hormone preoccupation triggering eating disorders + disordered eating and the best way to take a more balanced approach to awareness. The complexities of stress and how our immune system plays a role in hormone health. Defining & expanding the nuances of PCOS, Endometriosis, Hypothalamic amenorrhea, infertility, digestive issues & more from a hormone + holistic perspective. Why weight loss is not the answer for solving most hormone-related issues, and what we should be focusing on instead. How to approach body shame & live a more empowered life while healing. What to do if “something feels off” in your body, but nobody can give you an answer. The importance of connecting with any provider you choose to work with when seeking help.