The Heal Deal Podcast with Dr. Leona

What if the oil you cook with every day is quietly driving inflammation you cannot see or feel?
In this episode of The Heal Deal Podcast, sits down with Cherie Calbom, known as The Juice Lady, author of more than 36 books, and holder of a Master of Science in Whole Foods Nutrition, to break down one of the most debated nutrition topics of the moment: seed oils.
The truth is, most seed oils are not just poor nutritional choices. They are industrially processed at 500-degree heat and with chemical agents, including hexane, bleaching, and deodorizing compounds, that create unstable, damaged fatty acids before the oil ever reaches your shelf. At the cellular level, those damaged fats drive oxidative stress and chronic inflammation linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer's, and more. And because the average American's omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is now approximately 20 to 1 instead of the ideal 4 to 1, the burden compounds with every meal.
Cherie also covers the adulteration problem in olive and avocado oil products, the Seed Oil Scout app for scanning products in real time, and practical pantry swaps anyone can make starting today.
Whether you are just learning about seed oils, trying to navigate the conversation and still feeling confused, or thinking you're eating clean and now questioning everything, this episode will change how you look at what is in your kitchen.
🎧 LISTEN NOW to discover:
✅ What Seed Oils Are and Which Ones to Avoid: Corn, Soy, Canola, Safflower, Sunflower, Grape Seed, and More✅ How Seed Oils Are Made: 500-Degree Heat, Hexane Bleaching Agents, and Deodorizers✅ The Link Between Seed Oils and Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, and Alzheimer's✅ The Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio Problem and How to Correct It✅ Why Olive Oil and Avocado Oil Chips Are Not Always What They Seem✅ The Good Oils: Coconut, Ghee, Extra Virgin Olive, Avocado and Red Palm Oil✅ The Seed Oil Scout App: How to Scan Products and Find Seed Oil Free Restaurants✅ How to Boost Omega-3s Through Flaxseed, Hemp, Walnuts, and Wild-Caught Fish✅ Practical Pantry Swaps and Snack Alternatives You Can Start Using Today
🔗 Resources & Next Steps:
🎁 The Truth About Seed Oils by Cherie Calbom available on Amazon
📱 Seed Oil Scout App available in  the App Store and Google Play
🌐 Connect with Cherie Calbom: JuiceLadyCherie.com
📱 Social: Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn | X |
 
💬 Connect with Dr. Leona:
▶️ Watch this before trying another diet, exercise routine, or weight loss plan: BeginHealingToday.com
📸 Instagram | 📘 Facebook | 🎥 YouTube | 💼 LinkedIn | 🐦 X | 🌐 Website
 
THE HEAL DEAL
I'm making a deal with you to help you remove the physical, chemical, and emotional barriers holding you back from healing.
All I need from you is to feel, deal, and heal.
Those are the terms—that is The Heal Deal.
 
If you enjoyed today’s episode, seal the deal to heal by leaving a review and sharing this episode with someone who needs it.
Thank you for listening! Until next time, stop chasing symptoms and start healing your metabolism.
Take care.
 
—Dr. Leona AllenHost, The Heal Deal PodcastFounder, Freedom Health SystemsAuthor: A Journey to Healing | Freedom in Chains | Shop & Savor
🛑 Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen, especially if you are taking medication or managing a chronic condition.

Are you eating less, moving more, and the scale still will not budge? Have your labs come back normal, but you still do not feel fine?
 
In this episode of The Heal Deal Podcast, Dr. Leona Allen walks through five of the most common outward warning signs of insulin resistance. Signs your body has likely been showing you for years that nobody has connected.
 
Insulin resistance is not detected by a single standard lab test, which is why so many people go undiagnosed while continuing to struggle with symptoms that make perfect sense once you understand what the body is actually responding to.
If you have struggled to connect the dots between stubborn weight, afternoon crashes, cravings, skin changes, and broken sleep, this episode connects them for you.
🎧 LISTEN NOW to discover:
✅ What Insulin Resistance Is and Why Conventional Testing Often Misses It✅ Why Stubborn Weight May Be a Chemical Problem, Not a Discipline Problem✅ Warning Sign 1: Weight That Will Not Budge No Matter What You Do✅ Warning Sign 2: The Afternoon Energy Crash Between 2 and 4 PM✅ Warning Sign 3: Uncontrollable Cravings and Late Night Snacking✅ Warning Sign 4: Dark Velvety Skin Patches and Skin Tags as Visible Clues✅ Warning Sign 5: Waking Up Between 2 and 4 AM Every Night✅ Why These Five Signs Together Are One Pattern, Not Five Separate Problems
🔗 Resources & Next Steps:
▶️ Take the FREE Metabolic Training:BeginHealingToday.com
🌐 Take the FREE Metabolic Reset Quiz: 
TheMetabolicResetQuiz.com
💬 Let’s Connect:
📸 Instagram | 📘 Facebook | 🎥 YouTube | 💼 LinkedIn | 🐦 X | 🌐 Website
 
THE HEAL DEAL
I'm making a deal with you to help you remove the physical, chemical, and emotional barriers holding you back from healing.
All I need from you is to feel, deal, and heal.
Those are the terms—that is The Heal Deal.
 
If you enjoyed today’s episode, seal the deal to heal by leaving a review and sharing this episode with someone who needs it.
Thank you for listening! Until next time, stop chasing symptoms and start healing your metabolism.
Take care.
 
—Dr. Leona AllenHost, The Heal Deal PodcastFounder, Freedom Health SystemsAuthor: A Journey to Healing | Freedom in Chains | Shop & Savor
🛑 Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen, especially if you are taking medication or managing a chronic condition.

What if the reason you keep falling off your fitness routine has nothing to do with motivation and everything to do with the advice you've been following?
In this episode of The Heal Deal Podcast, Dr. Leona Allen sits down with Chris Ryan, featured trainer on NBC Strong, founding trainer for Mirror and Lululemon Studio, one of America's top 10 trainers, and creator of the Chris Ryan Fitness app, to break down what actually works for busy adults who want to stay strong, fit, and functional in their 40s and beyond.
The truth is, most fitness advice is built for a 25-year-old with two hours to spare, not a 45-year-old with three kids, a career, and a bad knee. Chris and Dr. Leona break down why a 15-minute workout beats a one-hour workout you never do, why constant soreness is a sign your approach is wrong, and how the 80/20 rule, doing the right things most of the time, is what produces lasting results when life gets busy. They also cover the science of progressive overload, why your bones need weight training after 40, how sarcopenia makes strength training non-negotiable after 30, and why women in perimenopause need to prioritize protein above all else.
Chris also shares the mobility practice he does every single morning in five minutes, why you can't outrun a bad diet, and how to build a fitness identity that survives a bad week.
Whether you haven't worked out in years, you're a former athlete trying to figure out what realistic fitness looks like now, or you just can't carve out an hour, this episode will change how you think about showing up for your health.
🎧 LISTEN NOW to discover:
✅ The 80/20 Rule: How to Stay Consistent Without Trying to Be Perfect✅ Consistency Over Intensity: Why Short Workouts Done Daily Beat Long Ones You Dread✅ Progressive Overload: How to Add Intensity Safely Without Getting Injured✅ Strength Training and Longevity: The Case for Lifting to Prevent Slip and Falls, Osteoporosis, and Muscle Loss✅ Sarcopenia: Why Muscle Loss Starts in Your 30s and What You Can Do About It✅ Protein for Women in Perimenopause: Why It Matters More Than Any Diet✅ You Can't Outrun a Bad Diet: The Calorie Math Reality Check✅ Mobility in Five Minutes: What Daily Movement Actually Does for Aging Bodies✅ How to Build a Fitness Habit That Survives a Bad Day or Bad Week
🔗 Resources & Next Steps:
🎁 Chris Ryan Fitness available in the App Store for Apple products and the Google Play store for Android users 
🌐 Connect with Chris Ryan: ChrisRyanFitness.com
📱 Social: Instagram | YouTube
💬 Connect with Dr. Leona:
▶️ Watch this before trying another diet, exercise routine, or weight loss plan: BeginHealingToday.com
📸 Instagram | 📘 Facebook | 🎥 YouTube | 💼 LinkedIn | 🐦 X | 🌐 Website
 
THE HEAL DEAL
I'm making a deal with you to help you remove the physical, chemical, and emotional barriers holding you back from healing.
All I need from you is to feel, deal, and heal.
Those are the terms—that is The Heal Deal.
 
If you enjoyed today’s episode, seal the deal to heal by leaving a review and sharing this episode with someone who needs it.
Thank you for listening! Until next time, stop chasing symptoms and start healing your metabolism.
Take care.
 
—Dr. Leona AllenHost, The Heal Deal PodcastFounder, Freedom Health SystemsAuthor: A Journey to Healing | Freedom in Chains | Shop & Savor
🛑 Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen, especially if you are taking medication or managing a chronic condition.

What if the reason you feel exhausted and stuck has nothing to do with what you are adding to your health routine and everything to do with what you have stopped listening to?
In this episode of The Heal Deal Podcast, Dr. Leona Allen sits down with Dr. Brook Sheehan, a chiropractor and creator of the Body OS framework, to explore why so many high-achieving women may not be nutrient-deficient first. They may be signal deficient.
The truth is, most of us have been taught that the answer is always to add more; more supplements, more protocols, more information. But your body has been communicating with you all along. Dr. Brooke shares how she gained 40 pounds in chiropractic school despite doing everything, lost it not by adding another protocol but by finally learning to listen, and built an entire framework around what she discovered. The Body OS framework — Pause, Connect, Ask, Adjust — is a four-step process for building a real relationship with your body so you can understand what it is actually asking for.
Dr. Brooke also covers the This or That technique, how to identify whether a signal is physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, and what your body is trying to tell you when you sneeze, get a headache, or crave a food your diet says is off-limits.
Whether you are drowning in wellness information, stuck in a supplement routine that stopped working, or just tired of overriding your own body, this conversation will change how you approach your health. You will walk away with a practical framework you can use today, no new supplements required.
🎧 LISTEN NOW to discover:
✅ Signal Deficient vs. Nutrient Deficient: Why This Changes Everything✅ The Wellness Culture Trap: When Obsession in the Name of Health Becomes the Problem✅ The This or That Technique: A Simple Daily Practice to Start Reconnecting With Your Body✅ The Body OS Framework: Pause, Connect, Ask, Adjust — Step by Step✅ The Supplement Trap: How to Know What Your Body Needs vs. What Your Mind Thinks It Needs✅ The Sneeze Signal and 7 Other Signs Your Body Gives You That Most People Miss✅ Why Less Is Often More: How to Peel Back and Actually Start Healing
🔗 Resources & Next Steps:
🎁 Get Dr. Brook's Free Decoder: https://os.drbrooksheehan.com/decoder
🌐 Connect with Dr. Brook Sheehan: DrBrookSheehan.com
📱 Social: Instagram | YouTube
💬 Connect with Dr. Leona:
▶️ Watch this before trying another diet, exercise routine, or weight loss plan: BeginHealingToday.com
📸 Instagram | 📘 Facebook | 🎥 YouTube | 💼 LinkedIn | 🐦 X | 🌐 Website
 
THE HEAL DEAL
I'm making a deal with you to help you remove the physical, chemical, and emotional barriers holding you back from healing.
All I need from you is to feel, deal, and heal.
Those are the terms—that is The Heal Deal.
 
If you enjoyed today’s episode, seal the deal to heal by leaving a review and sharing this episode with someone who needs it.
Thank you for listening! Until next time, stop chasing symptoms and start healing your metabolism.
Take care.
 
—Dr. Leona AllenHost, The Heal Deal PodcastFounder, Freedom Health SystemsAuthor: A Journey to Healing | Freedom in Chains | Shop & Savor
🛑 Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen, especially if you are taking medication or managing a chronic condition.

20-year Marine Veteran. 68 years old. Off all his medications. Down 45 pounds. This is what healing from the root looks like.
In this episode of The Heal Deal Podcast, Dr. Leona Allen sits down with Isadore, a 20-year Marine veteran who came out of the hospital with blood clots in both lungs, diabetes, fatty liver, kidney dysfunction, and high blood pressure. He was walking five miles every other day. He thought he was in great shape. When Isadore first called Dr. Leona, he said something he had never said to anyone in 20 years of military service: "I'm scared."
The truth is, real healing is not about managing what you have. It is about addressing what is driving it. Isadore is now 68, off every medication, including Gabapentin, Metformin, Eliquis, and blood pressure meds. Down 45 pounds. Diabetes reversed. Fatty liver gone. Feeling better than he did at 55.
If you or someone you love has been told they have to live with a diagnosis, manage it indefinitely, or stay on medication for life, this episode will show you what becomes possible when you start asking different questions.
🎧 LISTEN NOW to discover:
✅ Blood Clots in Both Lungs: The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything✅ The Full Diagnosis: Diabetes, Fatty Liver, Kidney Issues, High Blood Pressure, and More✅ Off All Medications Naturally: Gabapentin, Metformin, Eliquis, Blood Pressure Meds — All of It✅ The Results: 45 Pounds Down, Diabetes Reversed, Fatty Liver Eliminated in Less Than a Year✅ How to Keep Faith When Healing Is Slow, and Numbers Still Fluctuate✅ What His Own Doctor Said About the Blood Pressure Medication He Prescribed✅ How Gabapentin Left Him Comatose at 55 and Cost Him His Job✅ Why So Many People Stay Trapped on Medication and How to Break the Cycle
🔗 Resources & Next Steps:
▶️ Join The Metabolic Reset Challenge:
TheMetabolicResetChallenge.com
▶️ Take the FREE Metabolic Reset Quiz:
TheMetabolicResetQuiz.com
🌐 Work with Dr. Leona:
TalkToDrLeona.com
💬 Let’s Connect:
📸 Instagram | 📘 Facebook | 🎥 YouTube | 💼 LinkedIn | 🐦 X | 🌐 Website
 
THE HEAL DEAL
I'm making a deal with you to help you remove the physical, chemical, and emotional barriers holding you back from healing.
All I need from you is to feel, deal, and heal.
Those are the terms. That is The Heal Deal.
 
If you enjoyed today’s episode, seal the deal to heal by leaving a review and sharing this episode with someone who needs it.
Thank you for listening! Until next time, stop chasing symptoms and start healing your metabolism.
Take care.
 
—Dr. Leona AllenHost, The Heal Deal PodcastFounder, Freedom Health SystemsAuthor: A Journey to Healing | Freedom in Chains | Shop & Savor
🛑 Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen, especially if you are taking medication or managing a chronic condition.

Your labs came back normal. So why do you still feel terrible?
In this episode of The Heal Deal Podcast, Dr. Leona Allen breaks down why a normal lab result does not mean everything is fine, and which markers your doctor is likely not running that could be revealing the root cause of your symptoms.
The truth is, there are two types of reference ranges: pathological ranges that identify disease, and functional ranges that identify optimal health. Most labs only use one of them. And when 88 percent of American adults are metabolically unhealthy, being compared to that average is not the same as being well. Dr. Leona walks through the markers that actually tell your metabolic story, including liver enzymes, fasting insulin, and thyroid markers that go beyond TSH, and explains what they mean in the context of your health history.
Dr. Leona also covers why your medications may be affecting your results, how to take blood pressure correctly, and what acid reflux is really telling you about your digestion.
If you have ever walked out of a doctor's appointment with "everything looks normal" and still felt like something was off, this episode will give you the language to start asking better questions.
🎧 LISTEN NOW to discover:
✅ Why Getting Labs Is Not the Same as Understanding Them✅ Weight, BMI, and Body Composition: How to Use These Numbers Without Obsessing✅ Blood Pressure Basics: What the Numbers Mean and How to Take Them Correctly✅ pH Balance and What Acid Reflux Is Really Telling You About Your Digestion✅ TSH Is Not a Thyroid Hormone: The Truth About Standard Thyroid Testing✅ Pathological vs. Functional Ranges: Why Normal Is Not the Same as Optimal✅ GGT, AST, and ALT: The Liver Markers That Reveal More Than You Were Told✅ Fasting Insulin: The Most Important Marker You Probably Have Never Had Tested✅ How Your Medications May Be Affecting Your Lab Results
🔗 Resources & Next Steps:
▶️ Join The Metabolic Reset Challenge:
TheMetabolicResetChallenge.com
▶️ Take the FREE Metabolic Reset Quiz:
TheMetabolicResetQuiz.com
🌐 Work with Dr. Leona:
TalkToDrLeona.com
💬 Let’s Connect:
📸 Instagram | 📘 Facebook | 🎥 YouTube | 💼 LinkedIn | 🐦 X | 🌐 Website
 
THE HEAL DEAL
I'm making a deal with you to help you remove the physical, chemical, and emotional barriers holding you back from healing.
All I need from you is to feel, deal, and heal.
Those are the terms. That is The Heal Deal.
 
If you enjoyed today’s episode, seal the deal to heal by leaving a review and sharing this episode with someone who needs it.
Thank you for listening! Until next time, stop chasing symptoms and start healing your metabolism.
Take care.
 
—Dr. Leona AllenHost, The Heal Deal PodcastFounder, Freedom Health SystemsAuthor: A Journey to Healing | Freedom in Chains | Shop & Savor
🛑 Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen, especially if you are taking medication or managing a chronic condition.

Do you feel like you’re chasing individual symptoms, stubborn weight, fatigue, brain fog, or joint pain, without ever finding the root cause? If your mind isn't right, nothing else follows. In this episode of The Heal Deal Podcast, Dr. Leona Allen explains why your symptoms are not random, but connected signals from a system that is asking for your attention.
We define Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X), the alarming reality that 88% of American adults are metabolically unhealthy, and why the modern food environment is making it harder than ever to stay well. You’ll learn the 5 warning signs of metabolic dysfunction and the three-phase system, REset, REbuild, and REclaim, to finally stop managing symptoms and start healing your metabolism.
🎧 LISTEN NOW to discover:
✅ The Truth About Metabolic Syndrome: What it is, how to know if you have it, and why it’s a spectrum.✅ Symptoms vs. Systems: Why you don't lose weight to get healthy, you get healthy to lose weight.✅ The 5 Warning Signs: Stubborn weight, fatigue, sugar cravings, hormonal imbalances, and chronic joint pain.✅ Hidden Metabolic Clues: The connection between PCOS, fatty liver, skin tags, and erectile dysfunction.✅ Glucose, Insulin, and Inflammation: The chemistry of how your body actually creates energy.✅ The 3-Phase Healing System: How to REset, REbuild, and REclaim your health in the right order.✅ 3 Steps to Start This Week: Simple, actionable habits to begin your metabolic reset today.
🔗 Resources & Next Steps:
▶️ Join The Metabolic Reset Challenge:
TheMetabolicResetChallenge.com
▶️ Take the FREE Metabolic Reset Quiz:
TheMetabolicResetQuiz.com
🌐 Work with Dr. Leona:
TalkToDrLeona.com
💬 Let’s Connect:
📸 Instagram | 📘 Facebook | 🎥 YouTube | 💼 LinkedIn | 🐦 X | 🌐 Website
 
THE HEAL DEAL
I'm making a deal with you to help you remove the physical, chemical, and emotional barriers holding you back from healing.
All I need from you is to feel, deal, and heal.
Those are the terms. That is The Heal Deal.
 
If you enjoyed today’s episode, seal the deal to heal by leaving a review and sharing this episode with someone who needs it.
Thank you for listening! Until next time, stop chasing symptoms and start healing your metabolism.
Take care.
 
—Dr. Leona AllenHost, The Heal Deal PodcastFounder, Freedom Health SystemsAuthor: A Journey to Healing | Freedom in Chains | Shop & Savor
🛑 Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen, especially if you are taking medication or managing a chronic condition.

Do you struggle with White Coat Syndrome? If your blood pressure is high at the doctor's office but normal at home, you're not alone. In this episode of The Heal Deal Podcast, Dr. Leona Allen breaks down White Coat Syndrome from the history of the white coat to the autonomic nervous system response that spikes your readings the moment a physician walks in.
 
Most people are told their elevated office reading is either nothing to worry about or a reason to start medication, without anyone confirming which one is actually true. White coat hypertension is real, measurable, and documented. But it is also frequently misunderstood, and for many, it reflects something deeper than just a nervous response.
Dr. Leona also walks through the 4 blood pressure patterns: sustained hypertension, white coat hypertension, the white coat effect, and masked hypertension and explains why the same person can receive four completely different labels depending on where and when they are measured.
🎧 LISTEN NOW to discover:
✅ The 4 Blood Pressure Patterns: Why one reading is never the whole story.
✅ The History of the White Coat: A PR campaign that changed medical authority.
✅ Fight or Flight at the Doctor: The AHA study that measured the "physician effect."
✅ Is White Coat Hypertension Dangerous?: What the PAMELA study reveals about long-term risk.
✅ Metabolic Signals: How stress, cortisol, and insulin resistance impact your numbers.
✅ Accurate Monitoring Protocol: How to use a home cuff and when to request an ABPM.
✅ Patient Advocacy: Specific questions to ask your provider if you feel rushed or dismissed.
🔗 Resources & Next Steps:
▶️ Take the Metabolic Reset Quiz:TheMetabolicResetQuiz.com
🌐 Work with Dr. Leona: 
TalkToDrLeona.com
💬 Let’s Connect:
📸 Instagram | 📘 Facebook | 🎥 YouTube | 💼 LinkedIn | 🐦 X | 🌐 Website
 
THE HEAL DEAL
I'm making a deal with you to help you remove the physical, chemical, and emotional barriers holding you back from healing.
All I need from you is to feel, deal, and heal.
Those are the terms—that is The Heal Deal.
 
If you enjoyed today’s episode, seal the deal to heal by leaving a review and sharing this episode with someone who needs it.
Thank you for listening! Until next time, stop chasing symptoms and start healing your metabolism.
Take care.
 
—Dr. Leona AllenHost, The Heal Deal PodcastFounder, Freedom Health SystemsAuthor: A Journey to Healing | Freedom in Chains | Shop & Savor
🛑 Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen, especially if you are taking medication or managing a chronic condition.

What if your cravings aren't a willpower problem, but your body asking for specific nutrients it isn't getting?
In this episode of The Heal Deal Podcast, Dr. Leona Allen sits down with Ini Isangedighi, aka The Naija Goddess, board-certified holistic nutritionist, certified herbalist, chef, and founder of the Nourish by Naija Method™ to break down why cravings are signals, not commands, and how to use food as medicine to heal your metabolism, rewire your taste buds, and actually enjoy eating healthy.
The truth is, most people are fighting their cravings instead of listening to them. When your body craves chocolate, it is asking for magnesium. When it craves salt, it is asking for electrolytes. When it craves fried foods, it is asking for omega-3 fatty acids. And when it craves sugar, it is often asking for chromium, or responding to food that has been engineered to be addictive by design. Ini explains what the food industry doesn't want you to know: fat, salt, and sugar combined together in one food does not exist in nature. It is engineered. And it is not a willpower problem.
Dr. Leona and Ini also cover how declining estrogen during perimenopause and menopause affects insulin sensitivity, taste perception, and cravings and Ini's signature flavor profile approach, which teaches you to cook food that is healing AND delicious by working with the flavor profiles your taste buds already love.
If you have ever felt out of control around food, struggled to stay consistent because healthy eating feels bland and boring, or wondered why your cravings feel impossible to ignore, this conversation will change how you think about food, flavor, and what your body is actually asking for.
🎧 LISTEN NOW to discover:
✅ Craving Decoder: Chocolate, Salt, Sugar, Fried Foods: What Your Body Is Actually Asking For✅ Engineered Addiction: Why Ultra-Processed Foods Are Designed to Override Your Biology✅ Menopause, Estrogen, and Cravings: How Hormone Shifts Change Your Relationship With Food✅ Flavor Profiles, Not Seasoning: The System That Makes Healthy Food Taste Amazing✅ New Taste Buds Every 2–3 Weeks: Why It's Never Too Late to Rewire What You Crave✅ Bitter and Sour Flavors: What They Do for Your Liver, Digestion, and Metabolism✅ Grocery Upgrades: Hemp Seeds, Ancient Grains, and High-Protein Lupini Pasta✅ Meal Prep for Perimenopause: 30 Plant Compounds for Gut Health and Metabolic Balance
🔗 Resources & Next Steps:
🛒 Grab the Food Shopping Guide: HealthyShoppingHabits.com
🎁 Get Ini's Flavor Starter Guide: TheNaijaGoddess.com
📖 Ini's Book: Nourish By Naija
🌐 Connect with Ini: TheNaijaGoddess.com
💬 Let’s Connect:
📸 Instagram | 📘 Facebook | 🎥 YouTube | 💼 LinkedIn | 🐦 X | 🌐 Website
 
THE HEAL DEAL
I'm making a deal with you to help you remove the physical, chemical, and emotional barriers holding you back from healing.
All I need from you is to feel, deal, and heal.
Those are the terms—that is The Heal Deal.
 
If you enjoyed today’s episode, seal the deal to heal by leaving a review and sharing this episode with someone who needs it.
Thank you for listening! Until next time, stop chasing symptoms and start healing your metabolism.
Take care.
 
—Dr. Leona AllenHost, The Heal Deal PodcastFounder, Freedom Health SystemsAuthor: A Journey to Healing | Freedom in Chains | Shop & Savor
🛑 Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen, especially if you are taking medication or managing a chronic condition.

What if your perimenopausal symptoms aren't random, and the right test could finally show you why?
In this episode of The Heal Deal Podcast, Dr. Leona Allen sits down with Dr. Kelly Ruef, a naturopathic doctor and clinical educator at DUTCH (Dried Urine Testing for Comprehensive Hormones), to break down what comprehensive hormone testing actually reveals and how women in perimenopause, menopause, on HRT, or navigating life after a hysterectomy can use that information to build a truly personalized plan.
DUTCH urine testing goes beyond measuring hormone levels. It tracks how your body metabolizes estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and androgens across an entire cycle, not just a single moment. The pathways your body uses to process these hormones can reveal information about inflammation, weight loss resistance, sleep quality, and even breast cancer risk that a standard panel will not show. Two women can have the same estrogen level and be metabolizing it in completely different ways and only comprehensive testing can tell you which one you are.
Dr. Ruef also covers how DUTCH testing works alongside HRT to monitor estrogen metabolism pathways, how cycle mapping helps post-hysterectomy women understand whether they are still cycling, and the lifestyle strategies, from cruciferous vegetables to adaptogens, that follow directly from your individual results.
Whether you are in perimenopause, menopause, navigating hormone therapy, or life after a hysterectomy, this conversation will change how you think about your hormones and your options. You will walk away knowing what comprehensive hormone testing measures, what to ask your provider, and how to use your results to create a real treatment plan built around you.
🎧 LISTEN NOW to discover:
✅ What DUTCH Testing Is and How Urine Hormone Testing Captures What Blood Work Can't✅ Cycle Mapping: Tracking Your Estrogen and Progesterone Patterns Across Your Entire Cycle✅ High Estrogen vs. Low Estrogen Symptoms — and What Each Is Telling You✅ Why Estrogen and Progesterone Must Be Read in Relationship to Each Other — Not in Isolation✅ How to Monitor HRT Safely Using DUTCH Estrogen Metabolism Pathway Testing✅ Hormone Testing After Hysterectomy — With or Without Your Ovaries✅ The Estrogen Metabolite Pathway Linked to Breast Cancer Risk — and How to Redirect It Through Diet and Lifestyle✅ Cortisol Patterns, Gut Markers, and the Personalized Strategies That Follow From Your Results
🔗 Resources & Next Steps:
▶️ Take the Metabolic Reset Quiz:TheMetabolicResetQuiz.com
🔬 Interested in DUTCH testing? It requires a licensed practitioner to order. Book a call to speak with Dr. Leona to discuss your best options → TalkToDrLeona.com
💬 Let’s Connect:
📸 Instagram | 📘 Facebook | 🎥 YouTube | 💼 LinkedIn | 🐦 X | 🌐 Website
 
THE HEAL DEAL
I'm making a deal with you to help you remove the physical, chemical, and emotional barriers holding you back from healing.
All I need from you is to feel, deal, and heal.
Those are the terms—that is The Heal Deal.
 
If you enjoyed today’s episode, seal the deal to heal by leaving a review and sharing this episode with someone who needs it.
Thank you for listening! Until next time, stop chasing symptoms and start healing your metabolism.
Take care.
 
—Dr. Leona AllenHost, The Heal Deal PodcastFounder, Freedom Health SystemsAuthor: A Journey to Healing | Freedom in Chains | Shop & Savor
🛑 Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen, especially if you are taking medication or managing a chronic condition.