Blastocystis…what? You may not have heard of it but Blastocystis Hominis is a common parasitic gut infection that can wreak havoc on digestion, skin, and immune health. Did you know that 3-5 pounds of your body is made up of bacteria, yeast, parasite, and virus? This microbiome impact can work for you or against you and if you have high stress, eat at risk foods, and travel, chances are it is working against you. In this episode Ali breaks down medical studies on Blastocystis, the role of natural compounds and research that supports successful gut cleanse tools, and how she used her Beat the Bloat Protocol to support metabolic, skin, and immune health.

In this episode you will also learn about the importance of liver detox prior to and during a gut cleanse, the best diet to support a microbiome reset, and food-as-medicine to amplify results.

Don’t miss our Beat the Bloat Masterclass on 4/7! Grab your FREE Spot here

Join our April Beat the Bloat 12 week Gut Cleanse Register here

Beat the Bloat Supplement Bundle.

In this episode, we’re diving into the hot topic of protein sparing modified fasting (PSMF) and why short, strategic “3-day sprints” can be a powerful metabolic reset. Ali shares how these brief hypocaloric phases may help accelerate body fat loss while supporting anti-inflammatory processes and increasing autophagy, the body’s natural cellular cleanup system.

The literature consistently shows that most diets fail long term, with weight regain common within five years, and often much sooner with more aggressive interventions like GLP-1 medications or surgical approaches. In this conversation we explore who may benefit from protein sparing fasts, who should avoid them, where supplements fit in and how to implement this strategy. We also discuss research on autophagy.

Also in this episode:

• Beat the Bloat FREE Masterclass 4/7
• Beat the Bloat Program starts 4/21
• What is a protein sparing modified fast?
  • A Systematic Review of Evidence on the Use of Very Low Calorie Diets in People with Diabetes - PubMed
  • The protein-sparing modified fast for obese patients with type 2 diabetes
• What does a day of fasting this way look like?
• A protein sparing fast can be broken into 1 meal and 2 snacks or 2 meals or even 3 meals, but I typically do:
  • Coffee with Pure Collagen and ½ scoop Whey Protect with 1 Tbsp heavy cream (26g protein, 150 cal)
  • 1 jar FOND (15g protein 60 cal)
  • 6oz filet of wild salmon (300 cal 33g pro)
  • 1 jar of FOND (15g protein 60 cal)
  • Naturally Nourished Teas
• Thoughts on dry fasting or water fasting
• Does protein disrupt autophagy?
  • A high protein meal does not change autophagy in human blood
  • In Defense of Protein
  • Effects Of Oral Glutamine on Inflammatory and Autophagy Responses in Cancer Patients Treated With Abdominal Radiotherapy: A Pilot Randomized Trial
• Bone Broth benefits
  • Glycine Relieves Intestinal Injury by Maintaining mTOR Signaling and Suppressing AMPK, TLR4, and NOD Signaling in Weaned Piglets after Lipopolysaccharide Challenge
  • Curcumin induces autophagy, inhibits proliferation and invasion by downregulating AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in human melanoma cells - PubMed
• Who should consider PSMF and who should not?
• What supplements support PSMF?
  • Detox Packs
  • Multidefense
  • Relax and Regulate
  • Berberine Boost
  • Calm and Clear
  • GabaCalm

Are you perimenopausal or in your 30s-50s and your hormones feel off? In this guest episode with Dr. Jen Pfleghaar, Ali Miller RD digs into drivers of hormone imbalance and how women often find themselves in a state of overwhelm of overcommitment leading to overdrive mode. Dr. Jen shares her faith-based functional medicine pearls on ways to manage chronic stress as well as supplements and foods to support hormone balance.

In this episode we also talk about Cycle Syncing and Dr. Jen shares her approach to work with the body based on cyclical shifts to support hormone health, regulate period cycles, and feel your best. She also shares her perspective and experience working with injectable and nasal peptides as tools in clinical practice. This is a fun encouraging listen with a lot of tips and tricks to optimize and thrive in your body.

Want to be a Naturally Nourished Ambassador? Apply here

Beat the Bloat Free Masterclass 4/7 at 12pm CST Register here!

Relax and Regulate has been reformulated

Is stress messing with your hormones? Consider our Stress Support Bundle or Anti-Anxiety Jumpstart

Seeking Whole Health Conference in Ohio SOLD OUT

Where to find more about Dr. Jen www.healthybydrjen.com

Get Dr. Jen’s free cycle syncing protocol https://www.healthybydrjen.com/cyclesyncing

Welcome to the Naturally Nourished Podcast, you are joining me, Ali Miller for episode 485 The Perimenopause Reset with guest Dr. Jen Pfleghaar.

Dr. Jen Pfleghaar, DO, ABOIM

BIO:

Dr. Jen Pfleghaar is a double board-certified physician in Emergency and Integrative Medicine. She earned her medical degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed residency at St. Vincent’s Mercy Hospital, and fellowship at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. She believes true wellness thrives when body, mind, and spirit are aligned with God’s design.

Diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, she became passionate about autoimmune healing, hormone balance, and root-cause medicine. Dr. Jen co-authored Eat. Sleep. Move. Breathe., serves on the boards of the Invisible Disabilities Association and American Board of Integrative Medicine.

Through her practice, Healthy by Dr. Jen, she provides virtual care and shares education as @integrativedrmom. She lives on a mini farm in Tennessee with her husband and four children. She loves cheering at her kids’ games, lifting weights, reading Scripture, and tending to her chickens.

Her newest book, The Perimenopause Reset, was written on a mission to change the health of 500,000 women navigating perimenopause—empowering them with faith-based, science-backed strategies to reclaim their energy, clarity, and joy.

Working in the ER I realized medicine is broken and completely a fellowship in Integrative Medicine so I could change medicine one patient at a time.

Cycle Syncing Secrets: How to Eat, Train, and Thrive in Perimenopause