The Hormone Lifestyle Zone
A Podcast by Meg Richichi
Taking the mystery out of women’s hormonal issues, struggle
and the many things that dance in between.
When women inquire about my services, they frequently start the conversation with, “Meg, my hormones are out of balance.†And then I ask, “Tell me, what’s going on with your gut?†Nearly 99% of the women I work with (including many of today’s listeners) have unsuspected underlying gut issues with symptoms ranging from gas, bloat, and constipation to heartburn and loose stool, including undiagnosed parasites and bacterial infections.
If women don’t address underlying gut issues, they’ll never balance their hormones.
Your gut takes front and center stage in every aspect of your health, including hormonal challenges like PMS, infertility, PCOS, fibroids, endometriosis, heavy bleeding, hot flashes, and night sweats.
I sense that many women are confused by what triggers hormone imbalances. My intention and focus throughout today’s episode are to help you better understand and grasp the connection between your gut and your hormones.
As you’ve heard me say over the years- what you eat, assimilate, and what you eliminate has a tremendous impact on your reproductive or sex hormones.
I’ll take a deep dive into the following aspects of gut function and gut integrity impacting women’s hormones:
• Why the GI Tract is your body’s largest immune organ.
• I’ll explain why the microbiome plays a key role in how you eliminate excess estrogen. And how a certain gut enzyme can inhibit estrogen from being excreted via the bowels. Increasing a woman’s risk for fibroid, polyp, PMS, ovarian cysts, and estrogen-related cancers.
• I’ll help you understand WHY it’s crucial for women to have 2-3 daily bowel movements.
• I’ll deconstruct why and how intestinal hyperpermeability (aka leaky gut) and dysbiosis (an imbalance of good and bad gut bacteria) are major contributors to hormone imbalances.
• And why Leaky Gut Syndrome is associated with nearly all autoimmune disorders, compromised immunity, and mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, ADHD.
As always- I want to empower all my Sweet Lovelies with evidence-based information that allows you to take control of your hormones and celebrate the exploration of life’s exquisite journey.
Welcome to The Hormone Lifestyle Zone!
Sweet Lovelies, if you haven’t already, please subscribe on SPOTIFY OR ITUNES and watch episodes on MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL. You can also reach me directly at info@megrichichi.com
Penny suffered for over 20 years with Breast Implant Illness (BII). Her symptoms of fatigue and Raynaud’s syndrome developed within months of her breast augmentation. By the time Penny came to see me, she had depilating joint and muscle pain, a diagnosis of connective tissue disease that included Sjogren’s syndrome, brain fog, and cognitive decline– so severe that she couldn’t remember how she drove to our appointment.
Breast Implant Illness (BII) is a syndrome that includes a constellation of symptoms driven by a systemic inflammatory immune response occurring in women who have had breast augmentation.
Common Breast Implant Illness Symptoms that can manifest within weeks, months, or years after receiving breast implants: Joint & Muscle Pain • Fatigue • Brain Fog • Rashes & Skin Issues • Anxiety • Depression • Mood Swings • Food Sensitivity • Allergies • Autoimmune Disorders • Cancer
Dr Lillian Schapiro, gynecologist and dear colleague, referred Penny to my clinical practice. It took her nearly 6 months to finally contact me. That one phone call changed her life forever, as well as mine. Every aspect of Penny’s health was in rapid decline, and in her own words, “Meg, I would have died in a few months if I didn’t make that call and start working with you.” During our first session, I referred her to Dr David Brothers, an amazing explant surgeon located here in Atlanta.
Penny suffered for over 20 years with Breast Implant Illness (BII). Her symptoms of fatigue and Raynaud’s syndrome developed within months of her breast augmentation. By the time Penny came to see me, she had depilating joint and muscle pain, a diagnosis of connective tissue disease that included Sjogren’s syndrome, brain fog, and cognitive decline– so severe that she couldn’t remember how she drove to our appointment.
I am honored to have Penny share her BII journey. She displays tremendous honesty, and vulnerability coupled with immense grace and courage as she tells her story. This journey also includes our 9 months of working together and peeling back the onion that has helped her recover and reclaim her life.
Sweet Lovelies, If you haven’t already, please subscribe on SPOTIFY OR ITUNES. You can also watch episodes on MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
I’m excited about today’s podcast for a variety of reasons. Beginning with this episode, I’ve decided to bring my clients on as guests to THLZ. I want these lovely women to share their personal stories, health journeys, and life rumbles and tumbles because they are also your stories.
What if YOU were living with chronic lung congestion and sinus infections? What if you had a lifetime of constipation, gas, and bloat? What if your fatigue, unexplained weight gain, aches, and pain made it difficult to move forward with your life? These are just some of the reasons why my next guest, Julia Marie B, came to see me.
Julia has been a fashion content creator and influencer for eight years. She has a tremendous following on TikTok because Julia is so relatable and so creative– she loves helping women look and feel their best. During today’s episode we’ll take a deep dive into Julia’s health crisis and how I helped her turn her life around.
What if you could do something every day, consistently, that becomes non-negotiable? An action that can buffer your stress, help you feel less overwhelmed and more creative, help balance your hormones, boost your immunity, promote sleep quality, and improve your libido. Have I perked your interest?
“The most intimate relationship you will ever have with anyone or anything begins with your own breath. Why? The inhalation is the first action you take upon entering this world. The exhalation is the last thing you release before leaving this earthly plain and passing on.”
Today’s conversation is about Breathwork and how the quality of our breathing can shift our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health toward a calmer place in our daily lives. I’m excited to explore this topic with my guest, Lisa Jones, a Breathwork Therapist. She believes our bodies have forgotten how to breathe the way they’re designed to breathe, and this is a major contributing factor to many health challenges, including digestive disorders, headaches, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and unresolved trauma.
Stress is related to 95% of disease and illness. So many of us have lost our point of reference because we live in a sympathetic- fight-or-flight response. We don’t even know when we’re stressed out because it’s become the norm.
Sweet Lovelies– may today’s episode open doors, allowing you to explore the most intimate relationship that begins and ends with you. The rhythm of your breath reflects the rhythm of your life.
I’ve been thinking about how best to describe today’s episode with my guest, Â Agnieszka Gasparska, a dear friend and “soul-searching” sister. I inevitably decided that I’d like you to listen to the podcast and come to your interpretation of her “certain something” that best exemplifies “the divine something” in all of us.
It’s a powerfully lovely, funny conversation about navigating the bumps, the losses, the wins, and the WTF moments that bring us to our knees while raising us up again.   In my case, literally– I had a weird tumble, giving myself a concussion that inevitably changed the trajectory of my life.
Agnieszka was born in Warsaw in 1977 under the Communist regime. After repeated attempts to escape, her parents decided to give it one last shot, and they arrived in New York City in the Fall of 1988. She came to this country at age 11 and changed her name to Agnes for a few years because she felt Agnieszka was too difficult to pronounce. She had a passion for science and math but life had other plans for her and Agnieszka ended up attending Cooper Union School of Art on a unexpected full scholarship.
Agnieszka is deeply dedicated to her spiritual practice. She is an artist, educator, and designer with 20+ years of experience in visual communication and digital design. She’s also the founder and creative captain of Kiss Me I’m Polish (and its only Polish member).
Sweet Lovelies– if any of you are feeling lost, stuck, or living with a bit of uncertainty, today’s podcast may help bring clarity and comfort in addition to making you laugh. I have moments when life feels out of sorts, and I’ll hear an inner voice, like a whisper, telling me, “Baby girl, enjoy the ride, just enjoy the ride.
Today’s Guest: Caroline Alan
Women are designed to thrive! All we have to do is give our bodies what they need, specifically starting with our cells. We are comprised of trillions of cells that make up our skin, organs, neurotransmitters, hormones, and every bodily system.
When I hear clients express how their hormones are out of balance or how they’re struggling with fatigue or brain fog or finding it difficult to lose weight, I always include cellular support. WHY?
Cellular health is the foundational biomarker for overall health and hormonal balance.Â
Many women, if not most, are deficient in minerals and why many struggle with a layering of health challenges.
Humic and fulvic acids found in our soil assist plants in absorbing nutrients. Every time we eat a fruit or vegetable, we’re ingesting humic and fulvic acids. These extraordinary minerals help our cells absorb nutrients, assist in mitochondrial energy production, and usher toxins out of our cells.
Sadly, our present farming practices, combined with the effects of pesticides and herbicides, have left our soil depleted of minerals. Vegetables and fruit are lacking in essential minerals like zinc, iodine, manganese, molybdenum including humic and fulvic acids.
I’m thrilled to have Caroline Alan join me today on THLZ. She describes herself as a “humic and fulvic minerals geek,” and I’m a big fan! Caroline will share her health journey, which includes adrenal burn-out and systemic inflammation. Many of Caroline’s chronic health issues resolved as a result of taking humic and fulvic acids. She experienced such positive health effects from these minerals that Caroline co-founded BEAM Minerals.
May today’s episode change how you view supplements and what you need to thrive and rock your life.
Sweet Lovelies, Welcome to The Hormone Lifestyle Zone
BEAM Minerals is The Multi-Mineral Solution for Women and Men! I highly recommend starting your day with MICRO-BOOST & ELECTROLYZE!
