Amy Nelson, ND

Progesterone and GABA are closely connected, and this is one reason progesterone often feels calming.
Progesterone supports GABA, one of the body’s main “calm” neurotransmitters, which helps reduce anxiety and improve sleep.
You can also naturally support this pathway through slow breathing and vagus nerve activation. Deep, intentional breaths help shift the nervous system into a more relaxed state by signaling safety to the brain and body.
This is why breathwork practices like box breathing or diaphragmatic breathing can feel so regulating; they help activate the body’s built-in calming system.

Dairy is one of the most common inflammatory triggers I see in practice.
People often rely on it for protein and nutrients, but casein and other dairy proteins frequently show up on food sensitivity testing.
When I look deeper, I also think about biology. Humans don’t digest food like cows do, and that mismatch can matter for some people’s gut health.
The important thing is we’re not missing nutrients by removing it. Calcium and minerals are found in many other foods, including vegetables and sea vegetables like algae-based sources.
The goal is simple: nourishment without inflammation.

The urine spot test for hormone evaluation is valid. Please stop saying it isn’t.