Infertility can be one of the most painful challenges a person faces, yet it’s often the body’s way of signaling that something deeper is out of balance. Could the struggle to conceive be pointing to hidden metabolic issues, hormone imbalances, or stress patterns that have been building for years?

Tracy Harrison looks at infertility through the lens of functional medicine and shares how five common but often overlooked imbalances can quietly undermine fertility. She talks about the early signs of insulin resistance that can interfere with ovulation, the impact of estrogen dominance driven by poor detoxification and everyday exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and the surprising ways gut health shapes reproductive outcomes. Tracy also examines how toxic load, oxidative stress, adrenal function, and subclinical thyroid issues can create an environment where conception and full-term pregnancy are harder to achieve.

For practitioners, this episode is a reminder to step back and consider the whole picture. Are we catching the subtle signs before they become bigger problems? Are we helping patients address the underlying conditions that set the stage for lasting reproductive health? Tracy offers insight and direction for identifying the true root causes and guiding patients toward solutions that support both conception and long-term well-being.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Infertility as a Multisystem Dysfunction

01:16 Insulin Resistance and Blood Sugar Imbalance

07:05 Estrogen Dominance and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

13:12 Gut Health’s Role in Fertility

17:01 Toxicity and Miscarriage Risk

22:29 Adrenal Thyroid Imbalance and Chronic Stress

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