026: Is Your Thyroid Actually Normal? The Optimal Truth | Ashley Cruz Arata & Kristin Collins

Optimal vs normal thyroid levels is not just a technicality, it is the reason you can have "normal" bloodwork and still feel exhausted, foggy, and stuck in your midlife body. If your hair is thinning, your sleep is wrecked, your weight will not budge, and you are constipated more than you would ever admit out loud, your thyroid and your gut may be the missing piece your last doctor never fully investigated.On this episode of Eat the F*cking Food, Kristin Collins, certified nutrition coach and menopause coaching specialist, sits down with Ashley Cruz Arata, a board certified integrative health practitioner, to break down why a TSH between 0.8 and 6 is technically normal but 1 to 1.5 is where most women actually feel their best.Ashley shares the three day stool testing she uses to catch root cause gut and hormone imbalances, why constipation is one of the most overlooked signs of low thyroid function, and the two limiting beliefs, "I don't have time" and "I'm not ready," that keep women stuck longer than they need to be. Press play and stop settling for normal when optimal is possible.In this episode, you’ll discover:The difference between normal and optimal thyroid lab ranges, including why a TSH of 0.8 to 6 is considered normal but 1 to 1.5 is where most women actually feel their best.Why functional medicine testing goes beyond a basic TSH and T4 panel to look at gut health, nutrient status, and whole body patterns most conventional doctors never test.Why constipation, defined as fewer than one to two complete bowel movements a day, is one of the most overlooked signs of an underactive thyroid.Why Kristin Collins and Ashley Cruz Arata both point to gut health as the piece conventional care skips when women complain of stubborn weight, mood swings, and poor sleep in midlife.Why "I don't have time" and "I'm not ready" are the two limiting beliefs Ashley sees holding women back most, and how to work around both.How daily journaling and scripting in the present tense helped Ashley shift her mindset and health outcomes before she even got her lab results back.We talk about:00:00 Welcome back and the free maintenance calories masterclass01:01 Meet Ashley Cruz Arata, board certified health practitioner02:45 Ashley's burnout, thyroid nodules, and life at Amazon07:14 What functional medicine really means09:30 Two questions to ask before choosing a provider11:41 Why normal thyroid labs are not the same as optimal17:00 Why your gut controls your entire hormone system18:44 What counts as a drama free bowel movement22:40 How to choose the right gut and hormone testing24:50 Journaling and scripting to change your health story28:30 The two limiting beliefs holding women back34:25 Where to find Ashley Cruz Arata and The RevealConnect with AshleyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleycruzarata/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ashleycruzarataWebsite: https://ashleycruzarata.com/Check out the free guide! Normal Isn't Optimal: The Essential Hormone Lab Guide That Shows You What "Normal" Labs are MISSING. ➜ Download here: https://ashleycruzarata.myflodesk.com/normalisntoptimalConnect with meInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinrcollins/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kristin.collinsWebsite: https://kristincollinshealthcoaching.com/#ThyroidHealth #FunctionalMedicine #GutHealth #HormoneBalance #MidlifeWomen #RootCauseHealing #ThyroidLabs #WomensHealthAfter40 #EstrogenDominance #IntegrativeHealth #EatTheFuckingFood #KristinCollins #AshleyCruzArata #HormoneHealth #ThyroidNodules #NormalVsOptimal #GutHormoneConnection #WomensHormones #FunctionalMedicinePractitioner #MenopauseSupport