Unlock the latest insights into thyroid health and wellness with McCall McPherson, PA-C. Through expert interviews, personal stories, and actionable advice, this podcast dives deep into thyroid disorders, exploring how they impact everything from energy levels to mental clarity. Whether you're navigating your own thyroid journey or seeking cutting-edge solutions for optimal health, you'll find practical tips and holistic strategies to support your well-being. Join McCall as she empowers listeners to take control of their thyroid health and live a more vibrant life.
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102: Is It ADHD or Your Hormones? The Thyroid & Perimenopause Connection with Dr. Jolene Brighten
Episode 102
Thursday, October 8, 2026 • Duration 47:42
What if the brain fog, forgetfulness, emotional overwhelm, anxiety, or difficulty getting things done isn’t simply stress—or even your thyroid?
In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson, PA-C sits down with Dr. Jolene Brighten, women’s health expert and bestselling author, to explore the often-overlooked connection between ADHD in women, thyroid function, hormones, perimenopause, inflammation, and brain health.
Dr. Brighten explains why so many women reach adulthood without an ADHD diagnosis and why hormonal transitions can suddenly make symptoms that were once manageable feel impossible to ignore.
She also explains an important overlap for thyroid patients: hypothyroidism itself can create ADHD-like symptoms, including brain fog, low mental energy, working-memory problems, changes in neurotransmitter function, and difficulty with executive function.
In This Episode:
Why ADHD in women is often missed or misdiagnosed
How female ADHD can look different from stereotypical hyperactivity
Anxiety, depression, and undiagnosed ADHD
How hypothyroidism can mimic ADHD symptoms
Emotional dysregulation, time blindness, and executive dysfunction
ADHD, Hashimoto’s, PMDD, endometriosis, POTS, histamine issues, and other co-occurring conditions
Dr. Brighten’s brain-immune-hormone model
Why puberty, postpartum, birth control, perimenopause, and postmenopause can change ADHD symptoms
Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, insulin, and brain energy
Why perimenopause can make ADHD much harder to manage
Gut health, sleep, exercise, protein, omega-3s, fiber, and polyphenols
How to work with your healthcare provider instead of trying to DIY everything
ADHD or Hypothyroidism?
One of the most important conversations in this episode is the overlap between ADHD and low thyroid function.
Dr. Brighten explains that hypothyroidism can affect brain energy, memory, attention, neurotransmitters, and executive function. Her approach is to address hypothyroidism first when it could be contributing to new ADHD-like symptoms.
If difficulties with planning, organization, emotional regulation, focus, or executive function persist—especially when similar patterns have existed since childhood—it may be worth investigating another layer.
Why Hormones Matter
Dr. Brighten discusses important hormonal windows when ADHD symptoms may change or become more obvious: puberty, postpartum, the pill, perimenopause, and postmenopause.
During perimenopause in particular, shifts in estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, insulin regulation, mitochondrial function, and brain energy may make brain fog, sleep problems, emotional dysregulation, and executive dysfunction more difficult.
📖 AVAILABLE NOW: ADHD and Women
Dr. Brighten’s new book, ADHD and Women: A Guide to Optimizing Your Hormones and Thriving with ADHD, is available now.
The book explores female ADHD through a hormone-focused lens and includes guidance on gut health, sleep, exercise, nutrition, supplements, hormones, quizzes, and a 14-day reset.
This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease or replace individualized medical care.
101: From PCOS & Hypothyroidism to Long COVID: Personalized Healing, Peptides & Regenerative Medicine with Nicole Peterson Doran
Episode 101
Thursday, October 1, 2026 • Duration 38:45
What happens when you’re doing everything “right” for your health but still don’t feel like yourself?
In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Nicole Peterson Doran, co-founder of PUR-FORM, Humanaut Health franchisee, and host of The Healthspan Collective Podcast, to talk about her decades-long journey through PCOS, hypothyroidism, inflammation, fertility concerns, long COVID, mast cell activation symptoms, and ultimately finding a more personalized approach to health.
Nicole’s story began at just 16 years old when she rapidly gained weight, developed facial hair, experienced irregular periods, severe fatigue, and intense brain fog. She was diagnosed with PCOS and later hypothyroidism, but traditional treatment did little to resolve how she actually felt.
That experience eventually led her into integrative medicine, whole-food nutrition, mindfulness, and the concept of bio-individuality—the idea that what works for one person may not work for another.
In This Episode:
Nicole’s experience with PCOS and hypothyroidism beginning in her teens
Why whole foods and lifestyle changes became a turning point
The importance of bio-individuality in thyroid and hormone health
Why there is no single “best” diet, medication, or wellness plan for everyone
How Nicole prepared her body for pregnancy after years of PCOS
The supplements and lifestyle changes she personally used while preparing for fertility
Her long-COVID journey and mast cell activation symptoms
Her personal experience with microdosed tirzepatide
Thymosin alpha-1 and larazotide
Why gut health became an important piece of her recovery
What EBO2 is and how PUR-FORM uses regenerative therapies
The evolution from struggling patient to health entrepreneur
Fertility After PCOS
Nicole shares how being told as a teenager that getting pregnant could be difficult stayed with her for years.
100: Still Sick on Thyroid Medication? – The Shocking Truth Doctors Aren’t Explaining with Elle Russ
Episode 100
Thursday, September 24, 2026 • Duration 40:20
In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson, PA-C sits down with thyroid health expert and bestselling author Elle Russ to discuss why so many people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s continue experiencing symptoms even while taking thyroid medication—and what may be missing from conventional thyroid treatment.
They break down the limitations of relying on TSH alone, the difference between “normal” thyroid labs and actually feeling well, and why thyroid treatment may need to consider the bigger picture, including T4, T3, reverse T3, medication type, dosage, timing, symptoms, and the individual patient.
If you’ve ever been told your thyroid labs are normal while you still struggle with fatigue, brain fog, stubborn weight gain, mood changes, high cholesterol, fertility concerns, or other hypothyroid symptoms, this conversation will help you better understand the questions to ask about your thyroid care.
📖 PRE-ORDER TAKE BACK YOUR THYROID
McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, is the science-based guide for people who are tired of being told everything looks “normal” when they still don’t feel well.
Pre-order the hardcover and receive the Thyroid Empowered Course ($399 value) FREE with your pre-order.
Why you may still have hypothyroid symptoms while taking thyroid medication
Why relying only on TSH can leave important information out of the picture
99: Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month: Early Detection, Surgery & What You Need to Know with Dr. Rashmi Roy
Episode 99
Thursday, September 17, 2026 • Duration 39:50
Could a simple neck self-check help you notice a thyroid concern earlier?
September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, and in this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Dr. Rashmi Roy, a fellowship-trained, board-certified endocrine surgeon specializing in thyroid and parathyroid disorders.
Dr. Roy practices at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa and has performed thousands of thyroid and parathyroid procedures. Together, McCall and Dr. Roy have an important conversation about thyroid cancer risk, early detection, diagnosis, thyroid nodules, surgery, Hashimoto’s, and how patients can make more informed decisions about their thyroid health.
They discuss how to perform a neck self-check, potential signs and risk factors to be aware of, and when thyroid ultrasound or additional evaluation may be appropriate.
Dr. Roy also explains what patients should know before thyroid surgery, including common misconceptions, potential complications, and why the experience of your thyroid surgeon can matter when evaluating surgical options.
The conversation also explores Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, its relationship to overall thyroid health and thyroid cancer risk, evolving approaches to treatment and post-surgical management, and why learning to ask better questions can help you become a stronger advocate for your own care.
Whether you are navigating a thyroid nodule, Hashimoto’s, a possible thyroid cancer diagnosis, or an upcoming thyroid surgery, this episode offers practical information to help you approach the next step with greater clarity.
🔑 In This Episode:
How to perform a neck self-check
Signs, symptoms, and risk factors associated with thyroid cancer
When thyroid ultrasound or additional screening may be considered
What patients should know about thyroid nodules
Why surgeon experience matters when choosing a thyroid surgeon
98: Thyroid Dysfunction, Cellular Stress & Autophagy: A New Way to Think About Chronic Illness with Dr. Bill Rawls
Episode 98
Thursday, September 10, 2026 • Duration 01:06:18
What if thyroid dysfunction isn’t always an isolated thyroid problem, but a signal that the cells throughout your body are under too much stress?
In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Dr. Bill Rawls, physician, bestselling author, and co-founder of Vital Plan, for a fascinating conversation about cellular health, chronic illness, autophagy, microbes, stress, thyroid function, and the role herbs may play in supporting resilience.
Dr. Rawls’ perspective grew out of his own health crisis. After years of intense work and inadequate sleep as an OB-GYN, his health deteriorated dramatically. He experienced fatigue, neurological symptoms, joint problems, cardiac symptoms, and eventually discovered evidence of Lyme disease. After conventional approaches failed to restore his health, his experience with herbal therapy led him into decades of research on chronic illness and cellular wellness.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Why Dr. Rawls views cellular stress as a common thread in chronic illness
Five major categories that can stress our cells
Why nutrition, environmental toxins, sleep, movement, and microbes matter
What autophagy is and why cellular repair is essential
How fasting, exercise, and stress can influence autophagy
The relationship between thyroid hormone and cellular metabolism
Why Dr. Rawls views thyroid dysfunction as a possible signal of broader cellular stress
His hypothesis about microbes, thyroid cells, and Hashimoto’s
How chronic psychological stress and cortisol affect cellular recovery
Why whole foods, plant diversity, sleep, movement, and reducing toxic exposures form the foundation of his approach
How adaptogenic herbs may support cellular resilience
Ashwagandha, rhodiola, reishi, cordyceps, Japanese knotweed, Chinese skullcap, dandelion, and milk thistle
Why herbs became central to Dr. Rawls’ approach to chronic illness
The Five Drivers of Cellular Stress
97: The Thyroid Supplement Guide: What to Take for Energy, Hair Loss, Hashimoto’s & More with Melissa Afflerbach
Episode 97
Thursday, September 3, 2026 • Duration 28:59
With thousands of supplements promising more energy, better hair, improved thyroid function, and healthier aging, how do you know what your body actually needs?
In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Melissa “Mel” Afflerbach, Clinical Director of Weight Loss & Supplement Programs, for a practical conversation about the supplements they use and recommend within their thyroid and metabolic health programs.
They break down some of the most common concerns women with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s experience—from persistent fatigue and low energy to hair loss—and explain why supplementation should support the bigger picture rather than replace investigating the root cause of a symptom.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Why correcting thyroid function may not completely resolve fatigue
How adrenal and mitochondrial health relate to energy production
The difference between stimulant energy and supporting cellular energy
Why thyroid dysfunction can contribute to hair shedding and changes in hair, skin, and nails
Why ferritin and thyroid labs matter when investigating hair loss
How collagen, micronutrients, and antioxidants may support hair, skin, and nails
Why myo-inositol and selenium are used in ThyroShield™
Why testing and understanding the cause of a symptom still matters
How McCall and her clinical team choose supplements for MDRN Wellness
A sneak peek at what they are developing specifically for the thyroid community
McCall also shares the deeply personal story behind the “Sol” found throughout the MDRN Health line. Her late brother, Solomon, had been working on the project before his unexpected passing, and the line now carries part of his legacy forward.
Supplements Discussed in This Episode
Adrena-Sol — adrenal and energy support
96: Your Thyroid Is a Barometer: What Chronic Disease Can Teach Us About Stress, Environment, and Prevention with Kelly McKenna
Episode 96
Thursday, August 27, 2026 • Duration 31:23
What if your thyroid symptoms aren’t an isolated problem, but one signal from a body asking you to pay attention?
In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Kelly McKenna, CEO and Co-Founder of End Chronic Disease, to explore thyroid health, autoimmunity, chronic stress, environmental exposures, nutrition, and what it really means to focus on prevention.
Kelly’s health journey began with a celiac disease diagnosis in high school, followed by nearly two decades of autoimmune and chronic health challenges. In her early 30s, thyroid labs disrupted her plans to freeze her eggs and pushed her to ask a different question: instead of accepting hypothyroidism as inevitable, what might actually be driving it?
That curiosity eventually changed both her health and career.
Key Topics Covered
Kelly’s experience with celiac disease, hypothyroidism, and Hashimoto’s
How childhood stress may influence long-term health
Why sleep, nutrition, movement, relationships, and environment matter
Environmental exposures and thyroid health
The conversation around paraquat and chronic disease
Why prevention should begin in childhood
Iodine, selenium, vitamin D, iron, and thyroid health
Why Kelly calls her thyroid a “barometer” for her whole body
Simple strategies for fatigue and autoimmune flares
The importance of boundaries and emotional health
Bringing preventive health education into schools
Why chronic disease prevention requires both individual and systemic change
When Your Thyroid Becomes a Warning System
After being re-diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, Kelly began closely observing how changes in sleep, nutrition, nutrient status, stress, and other aspects of daily life corresponded with her symptoms and thyroid labs.
She focused on nutrients including iodine, selenium, vitamin D, and iron and experimented with dietary changes. As her thyroid markers improved, she noticed changes in her skin, digestion, fatigue, and overall wellbeing too.
95: Your DNA Is Not Your Destiny: How Genetics Can Personalize Thyroid Health, Hormones, Metabolism, and Longevity with Kashif Khan
Episode 95
Thursday, August 20, 2026 • Duration 39:31
What if the foods, supplements, workouts, and hormone therapies that work beautifully for someone else are completely wrong for your biology?
In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Kashif Khan, bestselling author of The DNA Way, celebrity longevity coach, and two-time TEDx speaker, for a deep dive into functional genomics and personalized health. Kashif explains how DNA acts as an instruction manual for the body and why understanding those instructions may help explain why people respond so differently to the same foods, environmental exposures, exercise programs, supplements, and hormone therapies.
Drawing from his own experience with chronic illness and years of genetic research, Kashif explores the relationship between genetics and lifestyle, including thyroid health, Hashimoto’s, women’s hormones, detoxification, metabolism, gut health, sleep, cognitive function, inflammation, and longevity. The conversation offers a different way to think about personalized medicine: instead of simply asking what disease you may be genetically predisposed to, ask how your biology works and what choices may better support it.
Key Topics Covered
What DNA actually tells us about everyday health
Why genetics are not necessarily destiny
Genetics versus epigenetics
How lifestyle, environment, and nutrition interact with genetic predispositions
Kashif’s personal journey from chronic illness to genetic research
Why two people can make the same health choices and experience very different outcomes
Genetic differences in detoxification
Why DNA testing is different from repeatedly testing hormones, cholesterol, or the microbiome
How genetics may influence sleep and circadian preferences
Personalizing nutrition and carbohydrate intake
Genetics, metabolism, and gut health
Environmental exposures and individual detoxification capacity
Women’s hormone health and estrogen metabolism
Genetics, Hashimoto’s, autoimmunity, and thyroid health
94: Menopause Is Not the End: How to Prepare Your Body to Thrive in Midlife with Lisa Jedan
Episode 94
Thursday, August 13, 2026 • Duration 36:42
What if menopause wasn’t something to fear or simply endure, but a transition you could actively prepare for?
In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Lisa Jedan, creator and host of MenoPositive, to challenge the long-standing narrative that menopause automatically means decline. After a successful career in PR and marketing, where she helped build brands and shape stories, Lisa turned those same skills toward changing the conversation around women’s health and aging.
Lisa shares what she has learned from interviewing experts across conventional medicine, Chinese medicine, longevity, breathwork, nutrition, and women’s health. The message she hears repeatedly is clear: hormones do not operate in isolation, and the earlier women invest in their health, the more options they may have as they age.
Together, McCall and Lisa explore strength training, nutrition, metabolism, thyroid health, Hashimoto’s, mindset, digestion, protein, fiber, sustainable lifestyle changes, and why midlife may become one of the healthiest and most fulfilling chapters of a woman’s life.
Key Topics Covered
Why Lisa created MenoPositive
Changing the narrative around menopause and aging
Why menopause preparation should begin before symptoms become overwhelming
How thyroid health and reproductive hormones overlap
Lisa’s personal experience with Hashimoto’s
Why women often put themselves last
Moving from perfection toward small, sustainable health changes
Why strength training becomes increasingly important during midlife
Building and preserving muscle for healthy aging
Protein, fiber, metabolism, and digestive health
Why regular bowel movements matter
Simple ways Lisa adds flaxseed and sprouts to her diet
How mindset may influence the menopause experience
Building trust with yourself through consistent habits
Moving beyond biohacking toward “bioharmony”
Why wellness optimization can become exhausting
93: Can Your Brain Keep You Stuck in Chronic Illness? The Missing Role of Neuroplasticity in Healing with Faith Ashenden
Episode 93
Thursday, August 6, 2026 • Duration 57:11
What if you've optimized your thyroid hormones, improved your nutrition, reduced inflammation, and addressed the underlying biochemistry, but you still don't feel fully well?
In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson welcomes chronic illness recovery educator Faith Ashenden for a fascinating conversation about the neuroscience of healing and how the brain may continue reinforcing chronic symptoms long after the body has begun to recover. After overcoming Graves' disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, IBS, panic attacks, and years of debilitating illness, Faith now teaches women how to retrain subconscious patterns, regulate the nervous system, and rebuild confidence in their health.
Together, McCall and Faith explore why healing is about more than lab work alone, how chronic illness can shape identity, and why combining functional medicine with nervous system work may help people move from simply managing symptoms to truly thriving.
Key Topics Covered
Faith's journey with Graves' disease and chronic illness
The challenges of delayed diagnosis and years of debilitating symptoms
Graves' disease versus Hashimoto's disease
Why treating thyroid disease doesn't always resolve every symptom
The role of functional medicine in Faith's recovery
What neuroplasticity is and how the brain adapts to chronic illness
How chronic symptoms can become learned neurological patterns
The difference between biochemical healing and nervous system healing
Chronic illness identity and fear of relapse
Why trauma from chronic illness itself matters
Common limiting beliefs that keep people feeling stuck
Practical ways to begin retraining the brain
Why healing is rarely linear
Building resilience through new beliefs and daily habits
Combining functional medicine with mindset and nervous system work
Faith's Story of Chronic Illness
Faith developed Graves' disease while attending college after experiencing severe anxiety, rapid weight loss, heart palpitations, overwhelming fatigue, and multiple unexplained symptoms. After months of searching for answers, she was finally diagnosed when an endocrinologist recognized the signs almost immediately.
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When she decided she wanted to conceive, she worked intentionally with her practitioners, focused on reducing inflammation, prioritized rest, limited travel, reduced alcohol and sugar, and used supplements including CoQ10 and fish oil.
She became pregnant after approximately three months, while emphasizing that fertility is deeply individual and there is still an element of uncertainty that cannot always be controlled.
Long COVID, MCAS & Finding New Tools
After COVID, Nicole experienced months of intense histamine-type symptoms, inflammation, brain fog, irritability, and weight changes.
She describes working with practitioners and personally using several tools during her recovery, including microdosed tirzepatide, thymosin alpha-1, larazotide, nutritional support, and regenerative therapies. These are shared as Nicole’s personal experience and are not recommendations for every listener.
About Nicole Peterson Doran
Nicole Peterson Doran is a co-founder of PUR-FORM, a comprehensive health optimization clinic in Boca Raton, Florida. She is also involved with Humanaut Health and hosts The Healthspan Collective Podcast.
Her work focuses on personalized health, metabolic and hormonal wellness, regenerative medicine, and helping people find answers when conventional approaches have not been enough.
“Normal” thyroid lab ranges vs. optimal thyroid function
T4, T3, reverse T3, and thyroid hormone conversion
T4-only medication vs. combination thyroid therapy
Natural desiccated thyroid vs. synthetic thyroid hormones
How medication dose and timing can affect thyroid treatment
The connection between thyroid dysfunction, fatigue, weight, mood, cholesterol, and fertility
Common misconceptions about thyroid hormone replacement
Why understanding your own thyroid labs matters
How to become a more informed advocate for your thyroid health
👩⚕️ ABOUT ELLE RUSS
Elle Russ is a bestselling author, thyroid health educator, and advocate.
After experiencing years of hypothyroidism, misdiagnosis, and unsuccessful treatment herself, she became dedicated to helping others better understand thyroid health and advocate for more individualized care.
She is the author of The Paleo Thyroid Solution and creator of The Ultimate Thyroid Course.
Modern Thyroid Clinic specializes in helping patients understand and address persistent thyroid symptoms through individualized, comprehensive thyroid care.
Subscribe for weekly conversations about thyroid health, Hashimoto’s, hypothyroidism, hormones, metabolism, functional medicine, women’s health, and longevity.
This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or replace individualized medical advice from your healthcare provider.
Potential risks and complications of thyroid surgery
Hashimoto’s and its relationship to thyroid health and thyroid cancer risk
New and emerging approaches to treatment and post-surgical management
How to advocate for yourself and ask better questions about your care
👩⚕️ About Dr. Rashmi Roy
Dr. Rashmi Roy is a fellowship-trained, board-certified endocrine surgeon specializing in thyroid and parathyroid disorders. She practices at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa and has performed thousands of thyroid and parathyroid procedures.
Her extensive surgical experience gives her a valuable perspective on thyroid cancer diagnosis, surgical decision-making, potential complications, and what patients should consider when selecting a thyroid surgeon.
If you know someone navigating thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, Hashimoto’s, or an upcoming thyroid surgery, share this episode with them during Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month.
📘 Pre-Order Take Back Your Thyroid
McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, is available for pre-order now.
Pre-order and receive FREE access to the Thyroid Empowered Course — a $399 value.
Dr. Rawls encourages listeners to zoom out from individual diagnoses and look at the health of the cells themselves.
He organizes common sources of cellular stress into five broad areas: inadequate nutrition, toxic exposures, insufficient recovery and sleep, physical stress or inactivity, and microbes.
His goal is not simply to suppress symptoms, but to create an internal environment that gives cells the resources and recovery time they need to function well.
Autophagy: Your Cells’ Recycling and Repair System
A major part of the conversation focuses on autophagy, the ongoing process cells use to recycle damaged components and maintain themselves.
Dr. Rawls explains how fasting, movement, and other mild stressors may stimulate this process, while excessive stress can become counterproductive. He emphasizes balance between stress and recovery, rather than believing that more fasting or harder exercise is always better.
What Does This Mean for Thyroid Health?
Dr. Rawls describes thyroid hormone as an important metabolic signal that helps cells produce and use energy.
His central argument is that when cells are chronically stressed, thyroid function may become part of that larger picture. Rather than viewing fatigue or thyroid dysfunction completely in isolation, he encourages looking at sleep, nutrition, stress, environmental exposures, movement, and overall cellular health.
Dr. Rawls also shares RESTORE180, Vital Plan’s six-month program for people navigating complex chronic illness. The program progresses through stress regulation, gut and detoxification support, and concentrated botanical formulations.
The MDRN Wellness store was created to make choosing supplements less overwhelming. Products are selected by McCall and the clinical team with the needs of people navigating thyroid dysfunction, hormone concerns, low energy, and related symptoms in mind.
Today, Kelly describes her thyroid as a “barometer for my whole body.” When fatigue and familiar symptoms return, she views them as signals that her body may need more support, rest, or recovery.
Stress, Environment, and Chronic Disease
Kelly also shares how growing up with a brother who experienced significant disabilities and frequent seizures created a chronic sense of uncertainty and stress, even within a loving family. Only later did she recognize how those experiences may have shaped her stress response.
The conversation expands into environmental health, including paraquat exposure, ultra-processed foods, school environments, movement, and why the places where we live, work, learn, and eat deserve a larger role in conversations about chronic disease prevention.
What If You’re Already Exhausted?
When someone is already depleted, complicated wellness routines can feel impossible.
Kelly recommends returning to basics. Her personal recovery toolbox has included restorative yoga, putting her legs up the wall, prioritizing sleep, simplifying food, gentle walking, acupuncture, positive experiences with people she loves, and examining emotional stress or boundaries that may be draining energy.
The goal is to learn your body’s signals and build a collection of tools you can return to when you need them.
About Kelly McKenna
Kelly McKenna is the CEO and Co-Founder of End Chronic Disease, an organization focused on chronic disease prevention, education, awareness, and policy change.
Personalizing exercise according to individual biology
Why nervous system regulation and gut health may need to come before advanced biohacking
The future of personalized medicine and longevity
Why understanding the biology underneath symptoms matters
DNA as Your Body’s Instruction Manual
Kashif describes DNA in practical terms as an instruction manual contained within the cells of the body.
Genes provide instructions for countless biological processes, including producing hormones, metabolizing food, detoxifying compounds, and supporting cognitive function.
The important difference is that everyone's instruction manual is slightly different.
That helps explain why two people can follow the same diet, take the same hormone prescription, or perform the same exercise routine and experience dramatically different outcomes.
Genetics Load the Gun, Environment Pulls the Trigger
One of the central ideas in the episode is the interaction between genetics and epigenetics.
Your DNA does not change every time you change your diet or lifestyle, but the choices you make interact with the biological instructions you inherited.
Kashif groups those choices into three broad areas:
Environment
Nutrition
Lifestyle
Environment includes what you are exposed to. Nutrition includes food, supplements, and other nutritional interventions. Lifestyle encompasses factors such as exercise, work, and sleep.
Understanding genetics, therefore, is not simply about predicting disease. Kashif sees it as a way to understand how your individual body processes the choices you make every day.
Kashif’s Personal Health Journey
Kashif did not enter genomics through a traditional medical or scientific career path.
Around age 38, after previously considering himself healthy, he developed multiple chronic health problems, including severe eczema, psoriasis, gut issues, migraines, reflux, and inflammation.
He received diagnoses and prescriptions but remained focused on a different question:
Why did this happen?
His search took him through traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, naturopathy, functional medicine, hormone health, the microbiome, and eventually genetics.
Understanding genetic differences helped him begin connecting his individual biology with environmental and lifestyle exposures. His recovery ultimately inspired him to leave his previous technology consulting business and build a genetic research company.
Why Your Detoxification Genetics Matter
Kashif uses his own GSTM1 genetics as an example of how individual differences can influence detoxification.
He explains that glutathione plays an important role in neutralizing and removing unwanted compounds and that genetic differences can affect how those processes function in different areas of the body.
In Kashif’s case, he discovered a copy number variation involving GSTM1, which became one piece of understanding why exposures that did not seem to affect someone living an otherwise similar lifestyle could affect him differently.
This illustrates the broader problem with one-size-fits-all wellness advice: what is tolerated well by most people may not necessarily be optimal for every individual.
Why DNA Testing Is Different
Hormones change.
The gut microbiome changes.
Toxic burden changes.
Cholesterol changes.
DNA does not.
Kashif explains that this permanence is part of what makes genomic information valuable. Rather than repeatedly testing DNA, the goal is to understand what your genetic information means and then use that knowledge alongside changing health data throughout your life.
His current mission centers heavily on education and helping people better understand their own genetic information.
Start With the Foundation Before Biohacking
One of Kashif’s cautions is that people often enter the longevity and biohacking world by copying people who have already spent years optimizing their health.
That can quickly become overwhelming.
His suggested framework begins with identifying where you currently are.
If there is an acute health problem, address that first.
Then consider foundational areas such as:
Nervous system regulation
Gut health
Toxic burden
Health optimization
Longevity and advanced biohacking
Trying to fix decades of accumulated problems in two weeks is unlikely to create the sustainable outcome people are looking for.
The goal is to work in the right order rather than doing everything at once.
Five Areas Functional Genomics Can Help Personalize
Kashif identifies several major areas where he believes functional genomics can provide useful insights.
Cognitive Function
Genetic differences may influence neurochemical pathways involved in behavior, reward, focus, and how people perceive and respond to their environment.
Sleep
Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, feeling restored, or naturally functioning better earlier or later in the day may involve different biological pathways.
Metabolism
People do not necessarily respond identically to the same macronutrient balance.
Kashif shares an example involving female athletes who were struggling on a low-carbohydrate approach but performed better after carbohydrates were reintroduced based on their individual biology.
Gut and Environmental Health
Genetics may help provide context for how an individual responds to environmental exposures and how effectively certain detoxification processes function.
Hormones
This is one of the areas Kashif believes has enormous potential, particularly for women. Understanding how someone produces, binds, metabolizes, and clears hormones may provide a more personalized framework for women's health.
Genetics, Thyroid Health, and Hashimoto’s
McCall and Kashif take the conversation directly into thyroid health.
Kashif explains that people may arrive with symptoms such as fatigue without realizing that thyroid physiology could be part of the picture.
They discuss potential connections among detoxification pathways, environmental exposures, gut-brain signaling, autoimmunity, estrogen metabolism, and thyroid health.
The bigger takeaway is that there may not be one universal reason someone develops Hashimoto’s or another thyroid problem.
Kashif’s approach is to ask what biological pathways may be contributing in that particular individual so interventions can become more precise rather than simply adding more generalized recommendations.
Why Women’s Hormones Need More Personalization
Kashif describes women’s hormone health as one of the areas where his research revealed significant gaps in conventional approaches.
The conversation explores estrogen metabolism and why understanding what happens after estrogen is produced may matter.
Kashif discusses different estrogen metabolites and how genetics may influence their production and processing.
For McCall, this aligns with what she sees clinically: thyroid hormones and reproductive hormones cannot always be treated as isolated systems.
Understanding how an individual...
The importance of sleep, movement, and nutrition before advanced optimization
Why your best years do not have to be behind you
Changing the Menopause Narrative
Lisa began her career as a dancer and performer before moving into PR and marketing, where she built a career around storytelling and changing narratives.
When she entered perimenopause and menopause herself, she noticed that the cultural story surrounding this stage of life did not match her experience.
So much of the messaging centered on loss, decline, and everything women should expect to go wrong.
Lisa wanted a different conversation.
That desire became MenoPositive, a platform and philosophy built around educating women about hormone changes while showing them what they can actively do to support their health.
After interviewing experts from a wide range of disciplines, Lisa says one message consistently emerges: menopause does not have to equal decline.
Why We Should Prepare for Menopause
Lisa makes a compelling comparison: we prepare for pregnancy, retirement, and marathons, so why do so many women arrive at one of the biggest biological transitions of their lives without preparation?
Historically, women have often been taught to wait until symptoms appear and then figure out how to manage them.
Lisa wants to reverse that approach.
Instead of asking, “How can I manage these symptoms?” she encourages women to ask how they can prepare their bodies for a more positive menopause experience.
For Lisa, this is not about perfection. It is about preparation and beginning wherever you are.
Thyroid Health and Menopause Symptoms Can Overlap
Lisa also lives with Hashimoto’s, giving her firsthand experience with how difficult it can be to distinguish thyroid symptoms from hormonal changes during midlife.
Mood changes, libido concerns, fatigue, brain fog, and changes in how the body feels can appear across both thyroid dysfunction and perimenopause.
One of the biggest lessons Hashimoto’s taught Lisa was to become curious about what her body was communicating rather than automatically accepting symptoms as her new normal.
McCall emphasizes that thyroid hormones and reproductive hormones do not exist in isolation. Understanding both can be especially important as women move through their 30s, 40s, and beyond.
Why Women Need to Put Themselves Back on the List
Whether a woman is the CEO of a company or the CEO of her household, Lisa observes that women often place themselves third, fourth, or fifth on their own priority lists.
Midlife can offer an opportunity to change that.
Lisa encourages women to believe they deserve to be healthy and to recognize that investing in themselves does not require changing everything overnight.
Cooking one additional vegetable, adding a little movement, or making one sustainable change can begin shifting the trajectory.
McCall connects this idea to the power of small habits. Tiny actions may seem insignificant in isolation, but when repeated consistently, they compound.
Strength Training as a Midlife “Secret Weapon”
For Lisa, two changes significantly influenced her menopause experience: strength training and nutrition.
She had always been active because of her background as a dancer, but midlife encouraged her to change the way she exercised.
Strength training became a priority.
Lisa noticed changes not only in her body, but also in her mood, sleep, confidence, and mindset.
McCall emphasizes that building muscle becomes increasingly challenging as women move through perimenopause and menopause, making it valuable to establish that foundation earlier.
Lisa compares strength training to putting money in the bank. Building strength now creates reserves that may become increasingly valuable later in life.
Keep the Schedule, Change the Scope
One of Lisa’s favorite ideas comes from Atomic Habits by James Clear: “Keep the schedule, change the scope.”
If you planned to exercise but suddenly only have ten minutes, doing those ten minutes still allows you to keep the promise you made to yourself.
Lisa and McCall discuss how this consistency builds something even bigger than fitness: self-trust.
Every time you follow through, especially when you do not feel like it, you reinforce the belief that you can rely on yourself.
That mindset can make sustainable health changes much more achievable than an all-or-nothing approach.
From Biohacking to Bioharmony
Women today are surrounded by wellness advice.
Eat more protein. Take supplements. Strength train. Optimize your hormones. Track your sleep. Improve your metabolism.
Eventually, optimization itself can become exhausting.
Lisa believes the conversation is beginning to shift away from constant “biohacking” toward what she calls bioharmony, a more sustainable approach to working with the body rather than endlessly trying to optimize every variable.
The foundation remains surprisingly simple:
Eat well. Move your body. Sleep.
These habits are not always easy, but Lisa believes establishing them first creates a stronger foundation before adding more advanced interventions.
Protein, Fiber, and Digestion in Midlife
Nutrition is another major part of the conversation.
Across Lisa’s interviews with experts, protein repeatedly emerges as an important topic, particularly alongside strength training and maintaining muscle.
But protein is not the whole story.
Lisa also emphasizes fiber and digestive regularity.
She shares that many women assume having a bowel movement every two or three days is normal. Her own experience taught her how stress and rushed mornings could affect digestion.
Two simple foods she regularly incorporates are flaxseed and sprouts. She prepares flaxseed ahead of time and adds it to yogurt, while sprouts can easily be added to eggs, salads, or meals.
These small, affordable habits reflect Lisa’s larger philosophy: health does not always require expensive or complicated interventions.
You Have More Influence Than You Think
When McCall asks Lisa what mindset shift she wishes every woman could make, her answer is simple:
You have a choice.
Lisa believes women have more influence over how they approach and experience menopause than many have been led to believe.
That does not mean every symptom can be prevented or that every woman will have the same experience. It means women can become informed, seek appropriate care, strengthen their health foundations, and make choices that support the decades ahead.
Your Best Years Are Not Behind You
Perhaps the biggest myth Lisa wants to challenge is the idea that a woman’s best years are over once she reaches midlife.
She sees the opposite.
Women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are starting businesses, stepping into leadership, pursuing new goals, and redefining what aging looks like.
Instead of treating menopause as an ending, Lisa sees it as an opportunity to enter the second half of life with greater wisdom, perspective, confidence, and purpose.
For her, menopause can be a powerful new beginning.
Final Takeaway
Preparing for menopause does not mean pursuing perfection.
It means starting where you...
Although treatment addressed her hyperthyroidism, Faith continued struggling for years with chronic fatigue, digestive issues, anxiety, and other persistent health challenges. Her experience eventually led her into functional medicine, where she began addressing the underlying physiological contributors to her symptoms before discovering the important role that neuroplasticity and the nervous system would play in her long-term recovery.
Why the Brain Matters in Chronic Illness
Faith explains that when symptoms persist for months or years, the brain naturally adapts.
Through neuroplasticity, the brain learns patterns that associate certain situations, environments, or activities with symptom responses. Even after many underlying physical issues have improved, these learned pathways may continue reinforcing chronic symptoms.
Rather than suggesting illness is "all in your head," Faith emphasizes that biochemical healing and nervous system healing often work together.
Healing Beyond the Lab Results
McCall shares that many patients improve dramatically after optimizing thyroid hormones, inflammation, nutrition, and metabolic health, yet some continue feeling as though they cannot fully regain their confidence or resilience.
Faith believes this is where subconscious beliefs, fear of relapse, and nervous system regulation become important.
Together, they discuss how healing often involves addressing both physiology and psychology instead of viewing them as competing explanations.
The Identity of Being Chronically Ill
One of the most powerful themes throughout the episode is identity.
After years of illness, many people begin organizing their lives around avoiding symptoms rather than building confidence in recovery.
Faith encourages listeners to recognize when the identity of being chronically ill has become part of their daily thinking and to intentionally begin creating a new vision of themselves beyond illness.
Trauma Doesn't End With the Diagnosis
The conversation also highlights an often-overlooked form of trauma: the experience of living with chronic illness itself.
Repeated medical appointments, unanswered questions, fear of relapse, canceled plans, and years of uncertainty can all shape subconscious beliefs about safety and health.
Faith explains that recognizing and working through those experiences may become an important part of long-term recovery.
Practical Steps to Retrain the Brain
Faith encourages listeners to become more intentional about where they place their attention.
Rather than constantly searching for evidence that reinforces illness, she recommends looking for evidence of healing, celebrating small improvements, and creating daily habits that reinforce resilience instead of fear.
She also discusses limiting exposure to online communities or content that continually reinforces hopelessness while seeking stories of recovery, possibility, and growth.
Healing Is a Journey
Both McCall and Faith agree that healing rarely happens in a perfectly straight line.
Setbacks and symptom flares do not necessarily erase progress. Instead, they can become opportunities to strengthen new patterns, build confidence, and continue developing trust in the body's ability to heal.
The goal is not perfection but creating a healthier relationship with both the body and the mind.
Final Takeaway
Faith Ashenden reminds us that healing is about more than simply eliminating symptoms.
Once the body's underlying physiology has been addressed, rebuilding confidence, changing limiting beliefs, regulating the nervous system, and creating new patterns of resilience may become the next layer of recovery.
By combining functional medicine with neuroscience and mindset work, many people may discover possibilities for healing they never thought were available.
About Faith Ashenden
Faith Ashenden is a chronic illness recovery educator, founder of That Healing Feeling, and host of the That Healing Feeling Podcast. After fully recovering from Graves' disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, IBS, panic attacks, and multiple chronic health conditions, she now helps women understand the neuroscience of healing, nervous system regulation, and subconscious pattern change through her educational programs and coaching.
