Please Welcome the Collective’s Hormone Expert, Lauren Naderi

Hi friends! I’m a certified holistic nutritionist (CNP) in my early 30s, currently living in Toronto with my husband Nick and our mini poodle pup, Peach. My health journey has been anything but smooth and linear, but it’s taught me alot about myself and has led me down this path of healing and helping others. So really, I owe it big time.

Growing up, I was aware of my body and self-conscious the way that any young teen is, but it wasn’t until university that I became deeply disconnected from it. The weight gain that came along with a first year of drinking excessively and eating fast food caused me to run in the other direction as fast as I could. I jumped from diet to diet, restricted certain foods and binged on others that were stamped as “low cal” (read: processed and pumped with fake sugar) and constantly compared myself on a looped track of negative self talk. But the real red flag was when I lost my period; the monthly report card that lets a woman know whether her body is thriving or crying for help. Sadly, I was just a girl that was lost, scared, anxious, nutrient-depleted and at this point, dealing pretty wicked cramping. I went to doctor after doctor, waited in ultrasound waiting rooms and blood labs, until the condition was ultimately diagnosed as PCOS. Huh? Was that reversible? I was more confused and scared than ever.