This is one of those episodes I usually reserve for my mentorship courses and the practitioners I train, so I'm really glad I decided to bring it to the show. There is so much noise right now on Instagram and TikTok about liver health and gallbladder health, but a 20-slide carousel can only go so deep. My hope is that hearing this explained — with real stories and analogies — actually moves you to explore your own digestive health in a meaningful way.

In this episode, I cover:

• Why your liver, digestive system, and nervous system are interconnected — and what happens when one goes offline

• The constellation of symptoms that get dismissed as "just IBS" or "just perimenopause" (bloating, bowel irregularities, right-sided shoulder ache, mood swings, waking between 1–3 AM, and more)

• How your liver metabolizes estrogen — and what estrogen dominance really signals about liver load

• The two phases of liver detoxification, which nutrients support each phase (B vitamins, magnesium bisglycinate, glycine, NAC), and what happens when those phases become sluggish

• The gallbladder's role as the liver's partner — and why removing it without addressing root cause is a missed opportunity

• The gut–brain axis, the vagus nerve, and why 90% of your serotonin is made in the gut

• Beta-glucuronidase — why your gut microbiome is directly influencing your hormone balance

• Blood work markers to request from your doctor: ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, bilirubin, albumin, ferritin, fasting insulin, HbA1c, full lipid panel, and more

• Functional testing I recommend: comprehensive stool test, Dutch Complete, HTMA, and when to consider an OAT test

• Nutrition priorities: cruciferous vegetables, bitter greens, fiber diversity, healthy fats, choline (please don't ditch the egg yolk), and eating in a parasympathetic state

• Supplement support for the liver, gut, and nervous system — including Hepato DR, L-glutamine, GI Revive, ox bile, calcium D-glucarate, and adaptogens

Let's dive in!

Thank you for joining us today. If you could rate, review & subscribe, it would mean the world to me! While you're at it, take a screenshot and tag me @jennpike to share on Instagram – I'll re-share that baby out to the community & once a month I'll be doing a draw from those re-shares and send the winner something special!

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Have a question? Send it over to [email protected] and I'll do my best to share helpful insights, thoughts and advice.