Dr. Susan Fox

Metabolic Health and Hormone Balance: A Functional Approach to Fertility

July 13, 20256 min read

Fertility struggles can start with irregular periods, unexpected weight gain, constant fatigue, or just not feeling quite like yourself. While we often focus on reproductive hormones, the real story may involve your liver, thyroid, and metabolic health.

In this episode of Health Youniversity, we sat down with Sara Banta, a certified supplement professional and founder of Accelerated Health Products. She offers a novel perspective highlighting metabolic drivers behind hormonal imbalance and talks about how restoring internal balance can reignite the body’s natural rhythm and fertility potential.

The Metabolism-Hormone Connection

When you think of fertility, you probably think of ovaries or estrogen. But your reproductive system doesn’t work in isolation. It's deeply connected to your metabolic health — how your body turns food into energy, handles insulin, and clears out waste.

Insulin resistance, a hallmark of poor metabolic health, plays a major role in PCOS and other hormone-related issues. When cells stop responding to insulin, blood sugar rises, fat builds up around organs, and hormone signals get scrambled. This can be the cause of  irregular periods, anovulation, and elevated testosterone.

The Role of Iodine in Reproductive and Metabolic Health

Iodine is best known for supporting thyroid health, but its impact goes far beyond that. It’s a crucial mineral for hormone production, metabolism, and detoxification. In a world full of fluoride, bromide, and chlorine, iodine helps push those harmful halogens out of your cells.

In reproductive health, Iodine supports:

  • Thyroid Hormone Production: Iodine is essential for the synthesis of thyroid hormones, which directly regulate ovulation, menstrual cycles, and reproductive rhythm.

  • Detoxification: Iodine supports the liver in metabolizing and clearing excess estrogen, helping balance hormones and reduce toxic buildup.

  • Breast and Ovarian Tissue Health: Adequate iodine prevents fibrocystic changes in breast tissue and supports ovarian function, with deficiency linked to cyst formation and other reproductive imbalances.


Today, many women are iodine-deficient without knowing it. Soil depletion and processed foods make it hard to get enough. Supplementing with high-quality iodine can help reset your hormone and metabolic balance.

How Liver Function Affects Fertility and Hormones

In both traditional and functional medicine, the liver is considered the body’s command center for hormone regulation. It processes estrogen, breaks down toxins, regulates cholesterol, and stores nutrients. When it gets overloaded, hormonal symptoms tend to show up first.

Common signs of liver stress include:

  • Heavy or painful periods

  • Acne or hormonal breakouts

  • Bloating or slow digestion

  • Mood swings and fatigue

  • Weight gain or difficulty losing weight

Everyday stressors, from toxins to medications,  put pressure on your liver. Without proper support, hormone clearance slows, inflammation rises, and metabolic function becomes impaired — creating a cascade of symptoms that impact fertility.

Liver Support Strategies for Hormonal Balance

Supporting your liver doesn’t require extreme interventions — but it does require gentle, consistent care to relieve the toxic load.  This, in turn, optimizes hormone regulation, detoxification, and energy production. Think of it as less about "flushing out toxins" and more about creating the internal conditions that allow your body to thrive.

To begin supporting your liver through manageable and effective strategies, consider the following recommendations:

  • Whole, Organic Foods: Prioritize nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods that reduce the liver's detox burden. 

  • Targeted Liver Herbs: Botanicals like milk thistle, skullcap, and pao pereira are known to stimulate liver enzyme production, improve bile flow, and support cellular regeneration.

  • Avoiding Sulfur-Heavy Supplements: For sensitive individuals, high-sulfur or oxalate-based supplements may exacerbate inflammation or impair detox pathways. 

  • Topical Therapies: Castor oil packs, especially when combined with iodine, help reduce liver inflammation, improve lymphatic circulation, and stimulate natural detoxification without stressing the digestive system.

Thyroid Function and Fertility

The thyroid plays a central role in fertility by regulating metabolism, hormone production, and the body's internal energy balance. When functioning properly, it ensures that reproductive hormones are released in the right amounts at the right time — making ovulation, menstruation, and conception possible. But when the thyroid slows down, so does the entire hormonal rhythm.

Thyroid dysfunction often goes undetected because conventional testing fails to capture the full picture. While TSH levels may appear "normal," many women still experience persistent symptoms that indicate underlying imbalance:

  • Fatigue and brain fog

  • Cold intolerance

  • Constipation

  • Thinning hair and brittle nails

  • Irregular or heavy cycles

  • Depression or anxiety

Holistic Approach to Hormone Healing

Healing hormones is not about isolating one organ. It’s about reconnecting the entire system — digestion, detoxification, metabolism, nervous system, and endocrine function. A functional approach recognizes that true hormone healing comes from supporting the whole body — not just isolated symptoms or lab numbers.

This whole-body healing approach becomes actionable when translated into everyday habits and routines:

  • Diet: Focus on whole, organic foods that reduce inflammation and support detox pathways. Avoid processed ingredients like seed oils, refined sugar, and additives that burden hormonal and metabolic health.

  • Lifestyle: Incorporate daily stress-regulating practices such as breathwork, meditation, or restorative movement to support blood sugar balance, ovulation, and overall hormone signaling.

  • Environmental exposure: Minimize exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals found in plastics, pesticides, non-stick cookware, and fluoride. 

  • Movement: Regular, low-impact exercise such as walking, Pilates, or resistance training enhances insulin sensitivity and stimulates hormonal communication.

  • Hydration: Use mineral-rich, unrefined salts to support adrenal function, optimize hydration, and promote detoxification through electrolyte balance.

  • Emotional resilience: Creating a sense of emotional safety to support hormonal and digestive health. 

Supplements for Hormone Balance and Metabolic Support

Supplements are not a shortcut — they are strategic tools to restore what's missing or overwhelmed in the body. Here are three core supplements often used to support hormone and metabolic recovery:

  • Acceleradine Iodine: A monoatomic iodine that bypasses common absorption issues, supports the thyroid, ovary, and immune health, and helps detox halogens.

  • Accelerated Liver Care: A 13-herb blend free of fillers, oxalates, and sulfur, designed to gently restore detox capacity.

  • Accelerated Ancient Salt: Rich in 62 minerals, this salt supports cellular hydration, blood sugar stability, and adrenal function.

You can find these products here

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Start your 28-day Gentle Detox with this free masterclass: https://susanfox1.easywebinar.live/gentle-detox

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Sara Banta is a Certified Dietary Supplement Professional and holistic health educator who helps people take back control of their health through natural, science-backed solutions. With a grounded approach rooted in functional nutrition and cellular healing, she supports lasting transformation by focusing on what the body truly needs to thrive.

Website URL. https://acceleratedhealthproducts.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acceleratedhealthproducts/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AcceleratedHealthSaraBanta



Medical Disclaimer:

By listening to the Health Youniversity podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition for yourself or others. Consult your healthcare provider for any medical issues you may have. This entire disclaimer also pertains to any guests or contributors to any Health Youniversity podcast.

 

I am a women’s health expert with a specialty in working with women and couples navigating fertility challenges for more than 20 years. I look forward to helping you realize your dream of family. I’m also a mother, a sister, a friend.  I live in beautiful Northern California, where the nature of Mt. Tamalpais, the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay are my backyard.

Traditional Chinese Medicine discovered me in 1978, when I was struggling with digestive complaints that flummoxed medical doctors. It wasn’t until I received my first acupuncture treatment and herbal prescription that I connected my medical condition to grief over loss of a loved one; that the stress of holding in such huge emotions was literally tying me up in knots, and I was finally able to heal.

Discovering the powerful links between the physical, the mental, the emotional, the spiritual, and the environmental shifted my understanding of health and wellness forever. 

For more than 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of learning and implementing Whole Systems Traditional Chinese Medicine to understand the root causes of health conditions and realize optimal health and well-being.

I am a strong believer in the importance of health education, for knowledge is power when you have the tools for effective self care.

Dr. Susan Fox

I am a women’s health expert with a specialty in working with women and couples navigating fertility challenges for more than 20 years. I look forward to helping you realize your dream of family. I’m also a mother, a sister, a friend. I live in beautiful Northern California, where the nature of Mt. Tamalpais, the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay are my backyard. Traditional Chinese Medicine discovered me in 1978, when I was struggling with digestive complaints that flummoxed medical doctors. It wasn’t until I received my first acupuncture treatment and herbal prescription that I connected my medical condition to grief over loss of a loved one; that the stress of holding in such huge emotions was literally tying me up in knots, and I was finally able to heal. Discovering the powerful links between the physical, the mental, the emotional, the spiritual, and the environmental shifted my understanding of health and wellness forever. For more than 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of learning and implementing Whole Systems Traditional Chinese Medicine to understand the root causes of health conditions and realize optimal health and well-being. I am a strong believer in the importance of health education, for knowledge is power when you have the tools for effective self care.

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