Stephanie Darby RD

04/12/2024

Its the last month of the year.

Which means most of you are either super excited about how the year has gone and the big things you're dreaming up for 2025 OR you're frustrated and feeling like you're stuck in the exact same spot you were this time last year.

If you're in either of these boats, know that December is just a month. It can be easy to get caught up in the "new year, new start" freshness that comes with January, but you can also start right now. On a Wednesday. In the middle of the week.

Where do you start?

👉 Start with movement.

Yes, movement is the LAST habit focus we're highlighting this year. But that doesn't mean it comes last. I put it here because in December, most of us need to get out of our heads and into our bodies. We need to practice slowing down, ditching the over analyzing, constantly running to-do list and planning that's in our heads. We need to feel our tangible bodies.

And guess what?
This is also a very easy, helpful way to start nourishing yourself, setting boundaries, and prioritizing what your body needs to not just survive or enjoy the holiday season ahead, but to start taking those small consistent steps toward the health goals you want to achieve.

Take a 10 min walk outside. At whatever pace you need. However your body is asking you to move, listen.

Can't get outside? Walk up and down the stairs.

No stairs? Move around your house intentionally for 10 minutes.

Don't have time? Mama, you've got to reset some priorities if you want to reach those health goals.

Feel another excuse bubbling up in your head?

Listen to it. Consider why it's coming up and what you can do to address it.

And then find a way to add movement to your day.

Ready to fully embrace healing mode? Now and into 2025, but have no idea where to start beyond movement? I've built a space to help you with exactly that. DM me NOURISH for details.

22/08/2024

No beverage is a magical cure for your metabolism and energy issues!

I'll say this until I'm blue in the face... the environment that got you here is not the one that's going to get you out of it and where you want to be.

If you're living in a constant state of stress from under eating, over exercising, constantly doing, being, going, striving, the only way to change the outcome from hypothyroidism, weight gain, chronic fatigue, and constant cravings is to remove the stressors.

Yes, this means eating more.
Yes, this means changing how you look at stress.
Yes, this means shifting your priorities from constantly striving to slowing down.
Yes, this means doing hard, uncomfortable digging into your subconscious mind to find where the need to constantly strive and go and do comes from. And to reset how you view nourishing your body to reach your goals vs starving it into submission.

99% of the women I work with who are undereating DO NOT KNOW THEY ARE DOING SO.

It's not that they're afraid to eat and rigidly dieting.

It's that they honestly believe what they are eating is enough.

It's subconscious programming.

Eat enough.
Rethink your stress.
Rewire your brain.
Reset your thyroid and your metabolism.

Ready to figure out ALL the ways YOUR body is under stress?

DM or comment STRESS and I'll send you a stress assessment worksheet so you can start to figure out where your unique stressors are coming from.

16/08/2024

There are other options out there that are legitimate tests with answers.

Your doctor isn't the only person who can run diagnostic labs. Most specialists have their own tests, including functional nutrition providers.

I know it can be easier to stick with your P*P so insurance will cover it. Care outside of insurance gets expensive quickly.

But not all supportive care is a financial win to insurance companies. That doesn't mean it doesn't work. It just means it's not profitable for insurance to cover it.

There are lower cost options.
Your choices aren't insurance or $$$$.

But also consider the cost you're spending with insurance to keep getting no answers.

Two of the questions on my coaching application are:

🤔"How much money have you invested in dealing with your current health issues this year (co-pays, supplements, medications, other programs, missed work days, etc.)?"

and

🤔"How much time do you currently spend on your health (appointments, online research, worrying/stress, etc.)?"

What if you could get answers for good this time?

What would that be worth to you (time AND money wise?)

🙋‍♀️Want a completely FREE place to start?

Most of the health foundations I recommend to clients are the things that are FREE. And they're the things that are important to have in place before any fancy testing or supplements will be effective.

DM or 💬 LIBRARY to get a link to all my free resources to get you started.

25/06/2024

Here's what's actually going on ⬇️

Creatine has a water retention effect which can lead to bloating when starting to take it. This usually goes away after about a week of consistent use.

If you're taking more than 5 g a day that first week to try to load up your reserve stores, bloating can be even more pronounced.

But if you're STILL bloated weeks later and you're consistently taking 5 g a day, you're going to want to get your gut checked.

‼️Because it's no longer the creatine that's the problem.

It may be compounding things and showing up as bloating.
You may even feel better when you stop taking creatine.

But it's still no longer the creatine that's the problem.

Ongoing bloating with creatine is a sign that the creatine isn't digesting all the way in your GI tract, leading to ongoing water retention and bloating problems from not being cleared through your system.

📣 This is a digestive problem!

Figuring out what is slowing down the digestive process and working to address THAT will go a long way for not just absorbing creatine better but every other nutrient you put into your body.

Creatine isn't going to help if you're body isn't able to breakdown nutrients from your food that your cells need to make energy.

And also, if you have any sort of digestive issues or IBS, you may want to steer clear of creatine until you get digestion back online.

HOW to figure out that digestion piece?
✅️ With a GI MAP functional stool test.

A GI MAP looks at the bacteria in your gut to help identify pathogens that are impairing stomach acid production to break down food properly.

Ready to figure out if it's your gut that's really the problem?

DM or comment CULTIVATE to get your own custom testing, assessment, and intervention plan.

🗓 (Doors are closing 6/30!)

12/04/2024

Not having time for breakfast is a crap excuse.

We all make time for the things that matter to us.

If you tell yourself you don't have time for breakfast, you're telling yourself you don't have time for yourself.

You're telling yourself that YOU ARE NOT A PRIORITY in your own life.

Not being hungry in the morning is not a good thing. It's a sign that your metabolism has slowed down due to high cortisol, low adrenal function, & lowered thyroid function. AKA, not eating in the morning has stressed your body out. 

Intermittent fasting is also not a good idea because it only furthers the stress response and high cortisol cycle that increases blood sugar levels and as a result, increases cravings.

Many women come to me with a pattern of not eating in the morning, then eating a sensible lunch, followed by grazing in the afternoon while managing school pick ups and dinner time rush. And then they find themselves starving at night and eating whatever they can before bed. Which in turn leads to less hunger the next morning and the cycle continues.

Does this sound familiar?

If so, it's time to make breakfast a priority.

✅️ Go to bed earlier so you can get up earlier and have time to eat.
✅️ Prep breakfast ahead just as you would lunch or dinner.
✅️ If you're not hungry, have a small protein + carb snack to get your body and metabolism used to eating in the morning and slowly increase to a full meal as your hunger responds.

If you want:
💫 all day energy
💫 a revved metabolism for fat loss
💫 reduced cravings
💫 a happier attitude and less mom rage

It's time to make yourself a priority in the morning and eat breakfast! Specifically a breakfast that balances blood sugar for sustained energy, reduced cravings, and a forward oriented mindset.

Want more details on how to become a breakfast person and how to build a breakfast that gives you all of these things? Comment "BREAKFAST" and I'll send you the Blood Sugar Balanced Breakfasts masterclass that covers exactly this!

10/04/2024

Your egg white omelet is the reason why your cholesterol is high.

Your body needs cholesterol to make hormones.

ALL OF THEM.

If it doesn't have enough, it's gonna make some.

Regardless of what you are eating.

High cholesterol specifically is a sign to look closer at:
> thyroid hormone conversion
> bile flow
> liver status
> iron recycling

How are these things connected?

The liver is where we make and store bile.
It is where hormone conversion happens.
It is where iron recycling happens.

If your liver is sluggish from not having enough nutrients to detoxify OR is too overwhelmed/backed up with the amount of things to process, these things won't happen as efficiently.

Want to know what specific nutrients the liver needs? PROTEIN and FAT. Aka the eggs and red meat you're avoiding to lower your cholesterol numbers.

How else are these things connected?

STRESS!

Stress means adrenal activation to release cortisol to handle the stressor. This tells the thyroid to slow down, the body is in defensive fight or flight mode and needs to conserve resources. This slows down digestion and bile flow! Which leads to a build up of cholesterol.

When we're stressed, we don't have the stomach acid to break food down and digest it properly.

The biggest signs of stress I see in women?

Especially women who report their stress level as ZERO?

> undereating
> blood sugar imbalances & insulin resistance
> over training

Want to know where to START to support cholesterol levels and liver health? It comes down to DIGESTION.

DM or comment "GUT TRAINING" to get answers today.

12/12/2023

Want a personalized healing roadmap?

Want a plan that is:
🌟 holistic and supports the mind, body, and spirit in the context of YOUR lived experience?
🌟 trauma informed and addresses the impact of cumulative stress and unresolved trauma in YOUR personal story?
🌟 customized to YOU and your individual needs and goals?
🌟 client centered and works alongside your current capacity and timeline?
🌟 collaborative and embraces a teamwork effort, where we work together to move forward vs an expert just telling you what to do?

This is exactly what you get when you work with me!

Whether it's custom testing protocols, online programs, or 1:1 coaching, we work together to make a plan forward that works with you and for you.

This is also why the HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis) is the primary functional testing that I utilize in my practice.

With a snip of just an ounce of hair, we can analyze mineral status in your body to see unresolved traumatic stress, impaired energy production, and autonomic nervous system dysfunction which drive the root causes of mineral imbalances and chronic health issues.

The root cause of any health issue is an external force that drives internal chaos. Whether that is emotional stress, chemical stress, internalized or unresolved trauma, environmental stress, physical stress, or metabolic stress, the body does not cause disease on it's own. We have to dig deeper to find that external driver, remove the trigger, support the body along the healing journey, and give it the resources it needs to heal for good. Just treating symptoms doesn't remove whatever is driving the issue in the first place. Everyone's unique lived experiences means there is a unique external trigger driving the cascading effects.

Ready to get to the root of your symptoms, heal your body for good, and boldy chase your fitness goals next year?

Join me to Fuel Your Best Life, a fully customized online program with HTMA testing, personalized protocols, coaching, and education to help you go from exhausted to energized and vibrant in just 12 weeks. DM me 'BEST LIFE" to get started! We start January 15th.

08/12/2023

If you're tired of being tired, it's time to change the narrative.

Stop thinking "what do I want to fix?" and start asking:

"How do I want to feel?"

How do you want to feel in 2024?
How do you want to feel TODAY?
What one next right step do you need to get there?

If you're ready, and you're stuck on that next right step, it's time to fuel your best life.

Are you ready to live the life you long for?

Are you ready to stop suffering through your current symptoms and circumstances?

Are you ready to find and implement a path forward?

Join me for Fuel Your Best Life and get to the root cause of your health concerns and symptoms so you can heal not just your body, but your entire self, mind, body, and spirit. This is whole person healing, from depletion to vibrancy.

Today only, if you're ready to jump in, you can get a free coaching session included!

https://stephanie-darby.teachable.com/p/fuel-your-best-life

07/12/2023

As I mentioned when I announced the VIP Coaching Scholarship (tomorrow is the deadline! Apply here: https://forms.gle/aaZCK2hzA3fw1is17). I've been spending most of this year both increasing my knowledge and experience helping clients navigate challenging health concerns using functional nutrition tools as well as trying to make my coaching services more accessible to those who need it.

One of the ways I am doing that is by changing my coaching model. Historically, clients have signed on for a 6 month timeframe and paid upfront for all testing and coaching. This gets pricey. And can be overwhelming.

While most cases do warrant 6 months of working together, I have reworked how I manage both payment for services and the value of that investment. Essentially, it costs less overall, less upfront, and has significantly more value now (no, really! I figured out how to make this all work!)

VIP coaching now follows a membership model, with recurring monthly payment until you decide to cancel or we decide you are ready to move on, with a minimum of 6 months commitment to the process. You also get included lifetime access to the new content bundles I am releasing over the course of the next year around the four coaching pillars I utilize: revive, cultivate, flourish, and bloom. You also get access to a VIP client resource library full of resources, recipes, and journal prompts exclusively for VIP coaching.

Today, if you apply for coaching and we decide we are a good fit to work together, you can get your first month for just $10.
(Yes, really!)

Learn more about my coaching philosophy and apply for coaching here.

https://stephaniedarbyrd.com/nutrition-services/

Be sure to check out my stories today for answers to common questions and more info!

06/12/2023

Holiday Sale Day 3 is for all the runners! 🏃‍♀️

If you're starting to plan your 2024 races or are even starting to train for one, you don't want to miss the most important step: fueling it well!

How you fuel your body is MORE important to the success of your race than your training plan.

If you are going to put the effort into training, getting up early, rearranging your schedule, chasing that big, scary, lofty goal, you do not want to ignore the biggest tool to ensuring your success.

You've got to have a nutrition plan.

And not just a race day plan.

You want a baseline of eating enough.
You want training nutrition for weekday runs.
And nutrition for weekend long runs.
Then that race day fueling plan is just icing on the cake.

I've got two options for runners wanting support in crafting custom fueling plans.

1. We make a custom fueling plan together and I coach you through any changes or adjustments that are needed as training changes. You get me for all of your training to ask questions as you go. I set custom macro energy needs for every day fueling, give you specific goals for long run nutrition and hydration, and send you to your race with a mile by mile race day plan.

2. You learn to create your own custom plan step by step with my Fuel Like a Mother Runner program. And no you do not need to be a mom to use this! I do have a bonus module at the end specifically for mother runners, but the rest of the content is for all female runners of all abilities and levels of fitness.

Today's sale is for whichever level of support you need:

Sign up for a custom fueling plan and get the Digestion for Runners masterclass completely free. This class walks you through how to troubleshoot common runner GI issues, so you can reduce anxiety around bathroom stops and run confidently. When you sign up for a fueling plan, you'll be automatically enrolled in this class with lifetime access.

Sign up here: https://stephaniedarbyrd.com/running-services/

I'm also discounting the Fuel Like a Mother Runner program by 50% if you want to DIY your fueling plan. Use code FLAMR50 at checkout.

Order here: https://stephanie-darby.teachable.com/p/fuel-like-a-mother-runner

Not sure which option is best for your training needs and goals? Message me and let's chat it out!

05/12/2023

I love working in the functional space because it's what helped me get out of chronic burnout. I see women everyday pushing through, blind to what is happening until they're deep into it. Our culture perpetuates this burnout mentality, and I'm determined to not just help women recover, but shift the narrative and help others to stay out of this toxic cycle.

I shared my own burnout story with Bold Journey magazine:

We recently connected with Stephanie Darby and have shared our conversation below. Stephanie , thrilled

05/12/2023

I love functional nutrition because we can get so many answers. But I also often dislike the functional space because it can be so expensive and inaccessible to many people who desire to find healing. And while there are a number of things that can be done to improve health outcomes at little or no cost, the answers we get from testing sometimes just cannot be beat.

While I do my best to keep costs accessible, I cannot control the cost of the actual testing services that are sold and analyzed by outside parties. DUTCH and GI MAP tests do cost hundreds of dollars, and the only upcharge I pass on to clients for these tests is the cost of my time to analyze, investigate, and prepare protocols based on test results. I do not and will never markup the cost of the actual test for clients.

Because I keep the cost as tight as possible on testing, I hardly ever discount it. It's already as low as I can offer it in my practice. Which is why today is a very rare, probably only time offer.

Today only, you can get a completely free HTMA test and custom protocol when you purchase either a DUTCH or GI MAP testing bundle. (a $349 value)

For details on each test and when you might want to run one, check out today's stories or shoot me a message!

Book testing here (HTMA will automatically be added): https://my.practicebetter.io/ #/61ca3c363980330ed042d300/bookings