TheHealthyRD

A woman in her 40s came to me completely destroyed by stress. Doctor said she was fine. She was not fine. We fixed her cortisol, her gut, her nutrients, her sleep — comprehensively. She got her life back. Then she told me to write it all down. So I did. The Cortisol Fix — available for pre-order now, releasing May 15. 🧵👇

@saturnjwatts Awesome!

@HeidiHmoretti Pinned 📌⚕️

🐟 Did you know sardines may outperform fish oil supplements? A 2023 review in Frontiers in Nutrition found sardines deliver a full "nutrient matrix" — omega-3s, taurine, calcium, selenium & more — that capsules simply can't replicate. Plus: eating them 2x/week was linked to 21% lower cardiovascular mortality risk. The humble tin is having its moment. 👇 thehealthyrd.com/best-sardines-… #SardineSeason #FunctionalNutrition #Omega3 #TheHealthyRD

Taurine is one of the most studied amino acids in metabolic research and one of the least discussed outside it. The 2024 Tzang meta-analysis in Nutrition & Diabetes pooled data from randomized controlled trials of taurine supplementation and measured every major marker in the metabolic syndrome cluster. The results are more consistent and more clinically meaningful than most people realize. Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid. The body synthesizes it from cysteine, but endogenous production does not always meet demand, which is why it is classified as conditionally or semi-essential. It is concentrated in the heart, brain, retina, and skeletal muscle. Plasma and tissue taurine levels are consistently lower in people with type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease than in healthy controls, a pattern documented across multiple populations. The 2024 meta-analysis pulled from randomized trials using doses between 0.5 and 6 grams per day. Against placebo, taurine supplementation significantly reduced systolic blood pressure by 4 mmHg. Diastolic blood pressure fell by 1.5 mmHg. Triglycerides dropped by 18.3 mg/dL. Total cholesterol fell by 8.3 mg/dL and LDL cholesterol by 6.5 mg/dL. Fasting glucose decreased by 5.9 mg/dL. The HOMA-IR index, a measure of insulin resistance, fell by 0.69 units. Fasting insulin decreased by 1.5 mU/L. HbA1c trended down by 0.34 percent, a borderline signal. Every endpoint moved in the direction that favors metabolic health. No effect on body weight or BMI, which actually strengthens the mechanistic case because the benefits are not mediated by weight loss. For context on magnitude, a 4 mmHg systolic reduction is roughly what you would expect from first-line antihypertensive monotherapy at standard doses. An 18 mg/dL triglyceride drop is comparable to what EPA/DHA at 2 to 4 grams per day produces. A 0.69 HOMA-IR reduction is a substantial insulin sensitivity improvement. These are not marginal biomarker shifts. They are clinically relevant changes hit by a single amino acid with no observed safety signal. The mechanisms that map to these outcomes are well characterized in the literature. Taurine enhances endothelial nitric oxide availability and modulates vascular tone, which plausibly explains the blood pressure reduction. It conjugates with bile acids in the liver and promotes fecal bile acid excretion, increasing hepatic demand for cholesterol as substrate and reducing circulating cholesterol and triglyceride loads. It appears to support pancreatic beta-cell function and improve insulin signaling at peripheral tissues, which maps onto the observed improvements in fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR. The caveats worth knowing. Trial sizes have generally been modest, typically 20 to 100 participants per arm. Durations have ranged from days to a year, and most are in the weeks-to-months range, so we do not have long-duration hard cardiovascular endpoint data from randomized trials. Populations skew toward metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and hepatic dysfunction rather than the healthy general population. Effects in healthy individuals without metabolic impairment may be smaller or harder to detect. A 2025 meta-analysis in overweight and obese adults identified 3 grams per day as the threshold below which glycemic improvements become inconsistent, suggesting dose matters. Practically, most trials showing meaningful effects used 3 grams per day, usually in divided doses with meals. Taurine is classified as generally recognized as safe by the FDA. The broader point. Taurine has meta-analysis-level evidence for improving blood pressure, lipids, glycemic control, and insulin sensitivity simultaneously, with no weight or safety trade-offs. It is remarkable how little that data shapes the way this amino acid is discussed. Tzang CC, et al. Nutr Diabetes. 2024;14(1):29. Guan L, Miao P. Eur J Pharmacol. 2020;885:173533. Ran L, et al. Nutrients. 2025;17(1):4.

“I’m too tired to eat right.” No, eating poorly has created a systemic energy crisis. You have to eat right to get right. Fixing your fuel is the first step in fixing your life.

Morning cortisol levels are elevated around 8 a.m., and sodium may help lower them. Consuming salt at the beginning of the day may support a less stressful day. Dr. Eric Berg, DC, not MD; information only

@_CynthiaThurlow Great work! Keep spreading the word:)

#TheMenopauseGut spotted on the Top Self-Help shelf in Canada! Still surreal seeing it out in bookstores and in women’s hands around the world. Very grateful for all the support this community has shown since launch.

If you sit at a desk all day, you aren't just stiffening your joints — you are driving up your daily anxiety. Clinical data shows that simple stretching is one of the most underrated, lowest-effort biohacks for your mental health. Here is what the science says about how it rewires your brain: The 10-Minute Depression Melt: A randomized controlled trial found that just 10 minutes of daily stretching before bedtime for 3 weeks significantly decreased depressive symptoms. The Office Worker Fix: A study of 150 desk workers showed that a short stretching routine crushed GAD-7 anxiety scores just as effectively as a full Hatha yoga practice. The Cortisol Killer: In the year-long PRYSMS trial, stretching actually beat out restorative yoga at lowering both waking and bedtime salivary cortisol. The Cellular Mechanism: How does lengthening muscle tissue alter your mood? 1. It increases vagal tone and flips your nervous system into rest-and-digest mode. 2. It drops sympathetic nervous system activity (fight-or-flight). 3. It shifts your brainwave patterns into calm, focused alpha waves. If you are overwhelmed or burnt out, stop forcing yourself through high-stress workouts. Unplug 10 minutes before bed tonight, get on the floor, and just stretch. Your nervous system will thank you. #VagalTone #Biohacking

@AlpacaAurelius Some people react in an inflammatory way to coffee or caffeine. There are no absolutes-only the right plan for the individual in front of you.

Interesting new study on coffee: - caffeine DOESNT increase stress or anxiety like many people claim - coffee improves cognition by feeding the gut microbiome, which then sends a signal to the brain - coffee LOWERS inflammation coffee is a superfood that feeds the gut and brain

@nature_sabine I'm tracking symptoms such as sleep, stress, etc. Works well:)

@HeidiHmoretti The 'wired and exhausted' presentation is central to my Long COVID patient group. Much needed resource. Have you tracked measurable HPA shifts with your protocol?

TODAY ONLY — The Cortisol Fix Kindle is at the BookBub promotion price! We hit bestseller in Endocrinology on Amazon in pre-order-yay If you've been waiting — this is the moment. For everyone told their labs are normal who knows something isn't right. 📖 Barnes & Noble bit.ly/3R7sOdj and Amazon amzn.to/4uR4vi2 #cortisolfix #bookbub #adrenalfatigue #womenshealth

Selenium helps counteract heavy metals like lead, mercury, and cadmium in the body. It helps to redistribute mercury to less sensitive organs; it binds to inorganic mercury and forms a stable and safer mercury-selenium complex; it reduces mercury absorption from the GI tract; and selenium restores an natural antioxidant environment. It also helps reduce the damages of microplastics. Don't be without adequate selenium. Read more: thehealthyrd.com/super-selenium…

@HealthyFellow This is fascinating, thank you! Rice spikes sugar so rapidly, yet is so yummy. Nice to have a hack:)

Effect of Adding Medium-Chain Triglyceride (MCT) Oil to Rice on Postprandial Glucose Response in Healthy Adults: A Pragmatic Within-Subject Trial pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13…

🥦 Small kitchen hack. Big anti-inflammatory benefits. When you chop fresh broccoli and let it sit for 90 minutes before cooking, you activate myrosinase. This is the enzyme that converts glucoraphanin into sulforaphane, one of the most powerful natural compounds being studied for cancer prevention and lowering inflammation.. Even better: Once activated, the sulforaphane survives gentle cooking (like stir-frying or light steaming). Quick tips for busy people: No time to wait 90 min? Add a pinch of mustard powder, wasabi, or sprinkle broccoli sprouts on top after cooking. Frozen broccoli usually won’t work the same way (blanching deactivates the enzyme). Your future cells will thank you for this one simple change. 🧬 Who’s trying this broccoli hack this week? Drop a 🥦 below 👇 #FoodAsMedicine #Broccoli #Sulforaphane

@itslarasadowski Thank you, Lara, great to connect with you 😃🧡

@HeidiHmoretti I cannot wait to purchase this as well as your book on gut health, Heidi! So glad I found you on here. 👍👍👏👏📚📚

In 26 years of clinical practice I have never once had a patient tell me their doctor talked to them about cortisol nutritionally. Not the one losing their hair. Not the one awake at 3am for three years. Not the one gaining weight while eating less than ever. Not the one who had seen seven specialists. That's why I wrote this book. The Cortisol Fix is live today on Amazon — paperback and Kindle and Barnes & Noble: bit.ly/3R7sOdj amzn.to/494XMJ5 #cortisol #adrenalfatigue #womenshealth #functionalmedicine #cortisolfix #chronicfatigue #hormonehealth #registereddieti tian

Your gut lining doesn't care about raw cabbage. But fermented sauerkraut? Whole different story. The fermentation process creates protective compounds — D-PLA, ILA, and GABA — that literally strengthen your intestinal barrier. Raw cabbage + brine alone can't do this. Two tablespoons. 1 million+ probiotics. 114 strains. That's more than any supplement on the market. 🫙 Full breakdown → thehealthyrd.com/22-raw-sauerkr…

CBD actually works: Major improvements in fibromyalgia, RA & osteoarthritis pain in new real-world study! Different combinations of cannabis compounds appear to help relieve pain and related symptoms across fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Almost everyone who finished the study reported meaningful improvements in pain and most other symptoms (mood, sleep, physical function), with benefits ranging from small to large. The improvements were generally similar no matter which product they took or which type of chronic pain they had. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42140793/

Glycine and N-acetylcysteine supplementation, with or without exercise, in brain health and functional aging: implications for sarcopenia and frailty in older adults frontiersin.org/journals/nutri…

@LowOxCoach1 Thank you so much, Monique!

@HeidiHmoretti Congratulations, Heidi! and what an important topic too...

"Coconut oil can't help you lose fat, it's full of fat and calories!" This study used coconut oil (1 tbsp) per day for 3 months. Everything was matched - diet, exercise, only the coconut oil was added. Coconut oil alone resulted in weight loss and a drop in waist circumference. It also improved blood pressure + increased HDL ("good cholesterol"). The power of coconut oil lies in its medium chain fats. Medium chain fats go right into the mitochondria without the CPT1 transported, meaning they easily get burned for energy and almost never get stored as fat. Animal studies even show coconut oil fed animals have higher resting metabolism.