The Funk'tional Nutrition Podcast

What if your gut-brain axis isn’t just a “cute concept”… but the thing running the show?Erin is giving you the FULL class from last week’s Funk’tional Nutrition Academy Open House, breaking down how stress, subconscious patterns, and nervous system signaling directly shape digestion. This one’s for my practitioners, but honestly, if your gut isn’t improving, you’re going to want to hear this too.You’ll understand how perception shapes digestion, why healing requires both gut work and nervous system work, and how to start interrupting the loop that keeps symptoms stuck.In this episode:The role of subconscious patterning in shaping your symptom experience, and how those patterns can be changedHow neuroplasticity becomes a tool for gut healing, and why your brain is not stuck in old patternsHow shifting out of a constant “on guard” state can restore motility, enzyme output, and real digestive functionThe “prediction loop” your brain runs after repeated gut symptoms, and how it primes your body to reactHow your brain can misinterpret normal gut sensations as “dangerous”, through visceral hypersensitivityResources mentioned:The Funk’tional Nutrition Academy Open House ends March 24th. Join us for FREE live classes.Applications are now open for Funk’tional Nutrition Academy, our 14 month clinical mentorship + training program.Join the waitlist for Manifest Your Health. Doors open in the spring!Subscribe to Erin’s Substack for a no-nonsense space about health, entrepreneurship, and manifestation.Apply to work with us 1:1 here.FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/403-gut-brain-axis Check out The Funk’tional Nutritionist: Website | InstagramOrganifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK) OneSkin (Use code FUNK for 15% off your first purchase)

So many people bounce between specialists, run every lab under the sun, and still feel stuck in the same symptom loop. What if the problem isn’t missing data, but the way we’re looking at the body in the first place?In this episode, Erin is giving you an exclusive sneak peek inside the Funk’tional Nutrition Academy Open House, where she breaks down her model of intuitive functional medicine.Erin explains why healing requires more than labs and protocols, how nervous system patterns shape our symptoms, and why self-trust might be one of the most overlooked pieces of root cause care.In this episode:Why chronic illness is often a breakdown in communication between body systems instead of a single root causeHow practitioners can help clients rebuild self-trust and reconnect with their body’s healing intelligenceThe surprising role of interoception and how trauma, stress, and conditioning can distort how we interpret signalsErin’s framework for combining lab data, nervous system work, and intuition in root cause careResources mentioned:The Funk’tional Nutrition Academy Open House ends March 24th. Join us for FREE live classes.Applications are now open for Funk’tional Nutrition Academy, our 14 month clinical mentorship + training program.Are you a practitioner? Get your exclusive invitation to the FNA Open House.Subscribe to Erin’s Substack for a no-nonsense space about health, entrepreneurship, and manifestation.Apply to work with us 1:1 here.FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO:https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/402-systems-biologyCheck out The Funk’tional Nutritionist: Website | InstagramOrganifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK)LMNT Electrolyte Replenishing powder (Use code FUNK and get a free sample pack with any purchase!)OneSkin (Use code FUNK for 15% off your first purchase)

The mind and the body are always inextricably connected.Here’s the truth: multiple food sensitivities are rarely about the food alone. And if you’re eating in fight-or-flight, you’re physiologically set up to react before the first bite even hits your stomach.This episode connects gut-immune mechanisms with nervous system reality. Erin walks through what actually drives multiple food sensitivities from the body up and the mind down, and where she gets hot to trot: the expectant state. She explains why fear-based eating can amplify symptoms and how belief alone can shift physiological response.If you’ve been stuck in restriction cycles or reacting to “everything,” this will help you stabilize instead of spiraling.In this episode:The two vitamins that can REALLY help to stabilize the immune system if we are reacting to a lot of foodsDr. Alia Crumb’s milkshake study that proves belief can shift hormone output and hunger signalingHow overactive dendritic cells act like “Pac-Man” in your small intestine and flag too many foods for destructionErin’s recommended pre-meal practices that can shift Secretory IgA levels and improve toleranceResources mentioned:The Funk’tional Nutrition Academy Open House kicks off March 11th. Join us for FREE live classes.Applications are now open for Funk’tional Nutrition Academy, our 14 month clinical mentorship + training program.Order The Gut Panel to uncover the hidden root causes behind your “mystery” symptoms.Join the waitlist for Manifest Your Health. Doors open in the spring!Apply to work with us 1:1 here.FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO:https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/401-food-sensitivitiesCheck out The Funk’tional Nutritionist: Website | InstagramOrganifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK)LMNT Electrolyte Replenishing powder (Use code FUNK and get a free sample pack with any purchase!)OneSkin (Use code FUNK for 15% off your first purchase)

It’s been EIGHT years of The Funk’tional Nutrition Podcast and 400 episodes of consistency. If you’re waiting to “feel ready”, certified enough, niche enough, confident enough, and your nervous system is fried from comparison and perfectionism… this solo AMA from Erin is for you.Erin is getting deep in the trenches about how the podcast started, the pivots along the way, identity shifts, primary parenting, what it’s really like to work alongside her husband, and the uncomfortable truths about building a values-driven business over time.This episode is jam-packed with reminders that perfection is not a prerequisite for growth. Keep showing up, put in the reps, and have the willingness to “go ugly” early.In this episode:The platform Erin not-so-secretly is launching as a “no-niche” spaceWhy going “ugly early” builds clinical confidence faster than over-preparing ever willWhat actually changes when you move from solopreneur to leading a salaried team with benefits and 401KsThe behind-the-scenes tension of growing a podcast in a celebrity-dominated industryHow Erin and her husband Scott navigated parenting and redefining who carries the financial loadResources mentioned:The Funk’tional Nutrition Academy Open House kicks off March 11th. Join us for FREE live classes.Applications are now open for Funk’tional Nutrition Academy, our 14 month clinical mentorship + training program.Are you a practitioner? Get your exclusive invitation to the FNA Open House.Subscribe to Erin’s Substack for a no-nonsense & no-niche space about health, entrepreneurship, and manifestation.Erin also references these episodes:Episode 399: How To Stand Out as a Functional Medicine Clinician in an “Oversaturated” MarketEpisode 325: How To Get Hired as a Functional Medicine PractitionerEpisode 307: Starting a Business From ScratchEpisode 279: How Do I Get Clients?Apply to work with us 1:1 here.FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/400-erin-holt-ama Check out The Funk’tional Nutritionist: Website | InstagramOrganifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK) LMNT Electrolyte Replenishing powder (Use code FUNK and get a free sample pack with any purchase!) OneSkin (Use code FUNK for 15% off your first purchase)

Everyone says the functional medicine space is “oversaturated.” But what are we actually seeing? And what qualities make up a fantastic clinician?Erin is offering a peek behind the curtain into her most rigorous practitioner hiring process yet, including what consistently showed up in applications, and all the sneaky clinical skill gaps she and Rachel Heintz, MS, RDN see that are holding practitioners back.She shares why nutrition foundations matter (but aren’t enough on their own), what real lab discernment looks like in complex cases, and why immune dysregulation requires a full-bodied approach.If you want to deliver care with more nuance, confidence, and a deeper systems biology lens, this is exactly why the Funk’tional Nutrition Academy (FNA) exists. Open enrollment starts March 1st!In this episode:The biggest clinical skill gaps Erin and Rachel consistently see in practitioner applicationsWhat lab discernment really looks like and how to decide what you need before moving forwardThe role mentorship plays in building confidence and shining a flashlight without punching above your clinical weightWhat happens when you niche too early and grow inside a more unsustainable clinical siloThe clinical support you’ll get inside of FNA, and why you should apply for the spring cohortResources mentioned:Are you a practitioner? Get your exclusive invitation to the FNA Open House.Applications are now open for Funk’tional Nutrition Academy, our 14 month clinical mentorship + training program.4-Day Autoimmune Practitioner Intensive Training Apply to work with us 1:1 here!FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO:https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/399-fna-practitionersCheck out The Funk’tional Nutritionist: Website | InstagramOrganifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK)OneSkin (Use code FUNK for 15% off your first purchase)

If you’ve ever felt like your nervous system is constantly jacked up and running on pressure, urgency, and adrenaline, this episode is a vulnerable deep dive into why that happens.Erin is taking you inside what nervous system re-patterning and brain rewiring actually look like through the lens of a deadline-driven season where pushing harder led to getting sick and realizing she couldn’t keep forcing her way through anymore.She explores how predictive patterns form, why hustle can “work” while still keeping your body stuck in fight-or-flight, and why true healing often requires writing yourself a permission slip.In this episode:The moment Erin realized she was teaching regulation from a completely FRIED nervous systemHow subconscious “predictive patterns” lock you into stress and the same symptoms on repeatThe comment Erin’s integrator made that exposed how much pressure she was putting on herselfThe uncomfortable choice Erin made that FINALLY interrupted the pattern and changed everythingResources mentioned:Join the waitlist for Manifest Your Health. Doors open in the spring!Applications are now open for Funk’tional Nutrition Academy, our 14 month clinical mentorship + training program.Apply to work with us 1:1 here.FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/398-nervous-system Check out The Funk’tional Nutritionist: Website | InstagramOrganifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK) LMNT Electrolyte Replenishing powder (Use code FUNK and get a free sample pack with any purchase!) OneSkin (Use code FUNK for 15% off your first purchase)Qualia Stem Cell (get up to 50% off and an extra 15% off your first purchase with link + code FUNKS)Bon Charge (Use code FUNK to save 15%)

Starting a gut healing protocol sounds straightforward until symptoms flare, digestion slows, or your skin freaks out. Do you protocol harder? Do you completely stop? Or is there a middle ground?In this episode, Erin and TFN Practitioner Nicole Antes are breaking down what die-off (aka a Herxheimer reaction) actually is, why it can feel downright gnarly, and how to tell the difference between a normal detox response and a sign your body needs more support.You’ll learn about the most common die-off symptoms and why mineral status matters much more than you realize.In this episode:Why hydration can make detox symptoms worse if your mineral status isn’t addressed firstThe difference between normal die-off and a sign your body is asking you to slow way downHow constipation amplifies skin flares, fatigue, and brain fog during gut protocolsThe overlooked role of bile flow and liver support in clearing toxins When binders are a powerful tool, AND when they’re the wrong move that adds more stress to your systemResources mentioned:Episode 393: 5 Things You Need to Know Before Starting a Gut Healing ProtocolApply to work with us 1:1 here!Applications are now open for Funk’tional Nutrition Academy, our 14 month clinical mentorship + training program. Join the waitlist for Manifest Your Health.Order The Gut Panel.FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/397-herxheimer-reaction Check out The Funk’tional Nutritionist: Website | InstagramOrganifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK) OneSkin (Use code FUNK for 15% off your first purchase)Qualia Stem Cell (get up to 50% off and an extra 15% off your first purchase with link + code FUNKS)Bon Charge (25% discount through the end of December)

Constant stimulation and social media algorithms are draining our life force every single day and keeping us stuck in cycles of nonstop scrolling and reactivity. So what does that mean for your energy, your focus, and your creativity? And how do we interrupt that pattern?You’ll learn how boredom (yes, boredom!) is one of the most unglamorous, but powerful tools for resetting your nervous system, sparking creativity, and reclaiming your energy. Erin is also sharing the EXACT experiments she’s playing with right now, from morning phone boundaries to intentional mind-wandering, and how small shifts in attention can open up a totally different way of moving through your day.In this episode:How social media and doomscrolling hijacks your dopamine and trains your brain to be reactiveWhy constantly “optimizing” your health or habits can backfire when your nervous system is overloadedHow daydreaming and being bored on purpose can give you a creative edgeThe worst thing you can do when you wake up in the morning, and how to interrupt the patternWhat types of accounts Erin has been intentionally unfollowing on social mediaResources mentioned:Applications are now open for Funk’tional Nutrition Academy, our 14 month clinical mentorship + training program.Apply to work with us 1:1 here!Join the waitlist for Manifest Your HealthErin’s two favorite books on creativity: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and The Creative Act by Rick Rubin.FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/396-energy Check out The Funk’tional Nutritionist: Website | InstagramOrganifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK) LMNT Electrolyte Replenishing powder (Use code FUNK and get a free sample pack with any purchase!) OneSkin (Use code FUNK for 15% off your first purchase)Qualia Stem Cell (get up to 50% off and an extra 15% off your first purchase with link + code FUNKS)Bon Charge (Use code FUNK to save 15%)

If your “normal” winter cold has a habit of spiraling into a full-blown sinus or ear infection, this episode is your prevention wake-up call so you can stop the cycle. Erin is sharing her favorite strategies that are simple and unglamorous, but will keep things moving. You’ll learn why dry air is not your friend (hello winter and airplanes!), how a humidifier can help keep mucus thin, and why nasal a neti pot or even just saline spray is one of the easiest ways to physically rinse out irritants and pathogens. Erin also offers an important PSA on humidifiers you won’t want to miss.In this episode:Why dry air can slow your sinuses’ natural clearing system and let pathogens linger longerThe nightly habit Erin forgot to do, and why it matters so much for keeping mucus thin and drainage movingNeti pot vs. saline spray and how each option can help physically remove viruses, bacteria, allergens, and pollutantsThe “helpful but can backfire” list of add-ons to consider when you’re prone to infections after a coldThe humidifier warning most people miss and the quick way to spot when humidity is getting too highResources mentioned:Erin’s Honeywell Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier and Miro HumidifierDigital HygrometerApply to work with us 1:1 here!Applications are now open for Funk’tional Nutrition Academy, our 14 month clinical mentorship + training program.Join the waitlist for Manifest Your Health.Order The Gut Panel.FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/395-sinus-health Check out The Funk’tional Nutritionist: Website | InstagramOrganifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK) OneSkin (Use code FUNK for 15% off your first purchase)Qualia Stem Cell (get up to 50% off and an extra 15% off your first purchase with link + code FUNKS)Bon Charge

If you’ve been taking in alllll the health, wellness, business, and self-improvement advice, this episode is your permission slip to start curating your own intentional “board of directors.” These are the people who will help you steer the ship and hold the line for your vision when you want to default into old patterns.You’ll learn Erin’s journaling exercise for filtering your influential inner circle into four categories: candle blower-outers, the safety police, light protectors, and expanders, so you can quickly spot who’s fueling your growth and who might be holding you back.Erin also shares how she chooses truth-tellers and experts for her own board (some she knows, some she pays, some don’t even know her!), plus practical ways to “meet” with your board regularly.Even if you are not a CEO of a company, you are the CEO of your LIFE, and the right board can help you stop playing small and start moving forward.In this episode:How Erin runs a regular “board meeting” with herself to evaluate decisions, track growth, and stay aligned with the life she’s intentionally buildingHow to identify the “candle blower-outers” who feel subtle, but consistently dim your ambition and confidenceWhy the “safety police” mean well, but can still keep you tethered to what’s familiar instead of what you wantThe difference between “light protectors” who love you and true expanders who prove your next level is possibleHow asking “where is my ship pointed right now?” can immediately reveal which voices deserve decision-making powerResources mentioned:Applications are now open for Funk’tional Nutrition Academy, our 14 month clinical mentorship + training program.Apply to work with us 1:1 here!Join the waitlist for Manifest Your HealthFOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO:https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/394-board-of-directorsCheck out The Funk’tional Nutritionist: Website | InstagramOrganifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK)LMNT Electrolyte Replenishing powder (Use code FUNK and get a free sample pack with any purchase!)OneSkin (Use code FUNK for 15% off your first purchase)Qualia Stem Cell (get up to 50% off and an extra 15% off your first purchase with link + code FUNKS)Bon Charge (Use code FUNK to save 15%)

We’re bringing it back to the gut! If you’ve ever started a gut protocol and thought, “Why do I feel worse?” or “Why did this work… and then completely fall apart?” this episode is for you. Erin is sharing what a gut protocol is, why going straight into antimicrobial “kill” mode can backfire, and how ignoring the body’s internal environment can lead to flare-ups and stalled healing.You’ll also learn Erin’s five step B.L.A.S.T framework to make your gut protocol results stick: think Bowels, Liver, Adrenals, Secretory IgA, and Trauma.Your nervous system has EVERYTHING to do with gut results, and a more supportive, whole-body approach helps the body do what it already knows how to do: heal.In this episode:Why jumping straight into antimicrobials is a red flag and can overload your systemWhat Erin’s sudden wine reactions, hives, and crushing headaches reveal about histamine and gut imbalanceHow constipation and sluggish detox pathways can turn a healing protocol into nonstop reactions and flare-upsWhy chronic stress hormones sabotage gut immunity, digestion, and your ability to clear infectionsHow unresolved trauma and a dysregulated nervous system can keep the body stuck in survival modeResources mentioned:Apply to work with us 1:1 here!Applications are now open for Funk’tional Nutrition Academy, our 14 month clinical mentorship + training program.Join the waitlist for Manifest Your Health.Order The Gut Panel.Listen to the TFN client case study episode with Meg O’Neill.FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/393-gut-healing-protocol Check out The Funk’tional Nutritionist: Website | InstagramOrganifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK) OneSkin (Use code FUNK for 15% off your first purchase)Qualia Stem Cell (get up to 50% off and an extra 15% off your first purchase with link + code FUNKS)Bon Charge

If you achieved ALL of your 2026 goals, how would you feel? How would it change your life? This episode is going to flip everything you think you know about intention setting, and why it matters.Instead of focusing on rigid goals or relying on willpower, Erin explains how aligning your 2026 intentions with who you want to become can naturally shape your choices around food, health, and daily habits.It’s normal for discomfort, uncertainty, and old urges to creep in when you’re on the cusp of making big changes, but this is evidence that it’s working! You’ll also learn all about EFT (or tapping) as a tool to calm the nervous system, plus Erin’s most supportive frameworks you can return to long after the new year energy fades.In this episode:Why your brain hunts for evidence that your “I am…” story is true, and how that keeps recreating the same food patternsThe fork in the road moment that makes people quit in week two, and why feeling confused can mean the change is workingHow to use future-self decision making so you stop waiting to feel ready before you actThe reason analytical, detail-focused people can get stuck in nutrition change, and how to be a needle-moverA guided EFT tapping approach to loosen “I can’t” beliefs and replace them with capability, worthiness, and trustResources mentioned:Apply to work with us 1:1 here!Join the waitlist for Manifest Your HealthFOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO:https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/392-intention-settingCheck out The Funk’tional Nutritionist: Website | InstagramOrganifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK)LMNT Electrolyte Replenishing powder (Use code FUNK and get a free sample pack with any purchase!)OneSkin (Use code FUNK for 15% off your first purchase)Qualia Stem Cell (get up to 50% off and an extra 15% off your first purchase with link + code FUNKS)Bon Charge (Use code FUNK to save 15%)

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by how slow healing can be, or caught yourself searching for ONE answer that will finally explain everything, this episode is for you. Erin is sitting down with TFN client Meg O’Neill to explore what happened when she learned how patience, mindset, and functional testing work together over time.Together, they unpack Meg’s client case, including recurring infections, acid reflux, blood sugar instability, and elevated liver markers – and why none of those symptoms told the full story on their own! Erin digs into why testing matters, what “under the hood” data can uncover about gut bacteria and gluten reactions, and how to stop missing root causes by assuming hormones are always the culprit.Meg also shares the small, but meaningful changes that helped her build momentum on her health journey, including removing dairy and gluten.In this episode:How Meg’s current season of life changed the kinds of health and work habits she was willing to sustainWhy putting labels on your health (like blaming all your symptoms on perimenopause) can delay real answersHow functional testing played a critical role in Meg’s care and helped move her beyond guessing or trial-and-errorThe data behind low Secretory IgA and low beneficial bacteria, and what it means when you’re constantly getting sickThe small shifts Meg focused on to improve her energy and digestion without overhauling her entire lifeResources mentioned:Apply to work with us 1:1 here!Join the waitlist for Manifest Your Health.Meg is a social media strategist and content creator who helps women show up authentically online. Connect with her on Instagram and TikTok.FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/391-meg-oneill Check out The Funk’tional Nutritionist: Website | InstagramOrganifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK) OneSkin (Use code FUNK for 15% off your first purchase)Qualia Stem Cell (get up to 50% off and an extra 15% off your first purchase with link + code FUNKS)Bon Charge (25% discount through the end of December)

If you’ve ever felt stuck cycling between food rules, emotional eating, and guilt, this conversation offers a completely different perspective. Erin and holistic nutritionist Ali Shapiro are talking about eating disorders, cultural norms, GLP-1s, self sabotage, and why food struggles are actually about unmet emotional needs. Ali explains how many people unknowingly stay trapped in black-and-white thinking around food (swinging between restrictive diets and “anything goes” eating),  while missing the deeper drivers behind these patterns.You’ll learn how to recognize common emotional triggers that drive eating behaviors, including burnout, anxiety, self-doubt, and loneliness, and why food can soothe these feelings without ever truly resolving them. In this episode:How food can become a stand-in for unmet needs around safety, belonging, and emotional connectionWhy food can “soothe but not satisfy,” creating an addictive loop that keeps people stuckThe four MAJOR emotional triggers behind eating struggles and how each one drives different eating patternsHow black-and-white diet thinking (i.e. “good vs. bad foods”) keeps people locked in restriction-rebound cyclesWhat it means to move toward body-led eating and how to trust your internal cues instead of outsourcing decisions to diets, trends, and expertsResources mentioned:Truce With FoodFind Your Food StageAli’s Podcast, InsatiableFOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/390-ali-shapiro  Check out The Funk’tional Nutritionist: Website | InstagramOrganifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK) LMNT Electrolyte Replenishing powder (Use code FUNK and get a free sample pack with any purchase!) OneSkin (Use code FUNK for 15% off your first purchase)Qualia Stem Cell (get up to 50% off and an extra 15% off your first purchase with link + code FUNKS)Bon Charge (Use code FUNK to save 15%)