Steph Gates Nutrition

Photo dump of vacation eats👇

Healing my digestion and my relationship with food taught me that health and enjoyment can coexist.

And honestly, that’s what I want for my clients too. This is what it’s all about. 💜

Thought this deserved a permanent spot in my feed. We just returned from our 20th anniversary trip and I had 3 new test results waiting….one of them being my own latest HTMA (hair tissue mineral analysis).

I’m really proud of this newest test because of how hard I’ve been working to prioritize my own health during a very stressful 15 months. Good and not so great kinds of stress.

I even started recently asking “maybe this really is perimenopause?”

And while that absolutely can be part of the picture, it won’t matter if you don’t start looking at + addressing your mineral levels.

My thyroid function was also tanking and a lot of it was because my body wasn’t using thyroid hormone correctly. We don’t fix that by adding medication.

I will never stop advocating for the work I do, especially when it comes to looking at your mineral levels. I’ve witnessed too many great benefits in these past four+ years.

Yes, it takes effort. It takes time. But man, time is going to pass anyways. You’ve literally got nothing to lose. I’m here and I can help you. Send me a message when you’re ready.

Years ago, I learned how to stop giving so much power to a single meal.

One meal is not going to make or break your health. Especially when you’re traveling.

I used to approach restaurant meals completely differently. Because I didn’t eat out often, I’d tell myself this was my chance to have all the things I normally wouldn’t eat at home.

The appetizer.
The fries.
The dessert.
The extra treats afterward.

And there’s nothing inherently wrong with those foods. I still enjoy them from time to time.

But healing my relationship with food changed the way I think about meals like this.

Instead of asking: “How much can I fit in?”

I started asking: “What would actually sound good and help me feel good?”

Tonight that looked like fish, rice, and vegetables for dinner. And ice cream afterward with Josh.

Not because I’m trying to be “good.” Not because I’m earning dessert. But because all foods can coexist.

A healthy relationship with food means you don’t have to choose between enjoying your life and supporting your health. And this is absolutely something I work on with all of my 1:1 clients.

I’ve actually been drinking this daily for the past three months and my gut is loving it!

Every morning I fill this cup about 3/4 full with plain kefir. It’s full of probiotics, the beneficial bacteria your gut needs to thrive. Not only for good digestion, but for healthy hormones, metabolism…everything!

I then fill the rest with orange juice. Before you freak out about the “sugar”, it’s not that much juice. This provides my body with a boost of potassium and vitamin C. Which is really helpful for not only thyroid health, but also our adrenals (your stress management system).

I include this little concoction with my breakfast that is well balanced with protein, healthy fats and fiber. The kefir also provides a little extra protein as well.

This is one of my favorite ways to support my digestion & gut health that doesn’t involve any supplements.

She’s been struggling with a lot of symptoms over the past several weeks before she hired me.
Very hormone driven
Lots of stress related

It stuck with me after she asked that last night, “what if we don’t find anything?”

That fear is so valid.

So many women go to the doctor because they don’t feel like themselves anymore, only to be told that everything looks normal.

You’re just stressed.
Have you tried eating less?
Are you sure you’re exercising enough?
🙄

And after hearing that enough times, it becomes this exhausting cycle where you start questioning yourself.

You feel frustrated and defeated. It’s like you’re stuck living in a body that you don’t recognize anymore.

Here’s what I told her & it’s important that you know this too:

We will find answers.

Not because I’m chasing symptoms or trying to diagnose anything through labs. That’s not the goal.

What I’m looking at is:
👉WHY is your body struggling right now?
👉WHY are these symptoms happening?
👉WHY don’t you feel like yourself anymore?

When I look at testing, I’m not simply asking: “Is this normal or not?”

I’m asking:
✨What is your body needing right now?
✨What stressors are affecting it?
✨What nutrient imbalances are showing up?
✨What lifestyle factors could be contributing?

And when it comes to bloodwork, I look through a more functional lens rather than just a traditional one.

Because most “normal” lab ranges are based on a population that is already unwell.

I’m looking at:
✅How do we support your body into a more optimal state?
✅How do we help your body feel safe enough to heal?
✅How do we address what’s actually driving the dysfunction?

You see how it’s so different from what you’ve tried before?

You don’t have to continue navigating all of this on your own.

This is my job. This is what my clients hire me for.

We look at the full picture:
💜 Digestion
💜 Minerals
💜 Stress
💜 Hormones
💜 Lifestyle
💜 Nutrition
💜 Nervous system support
💜 Functional testing

Not just to manage symptoms temporarily, but to understand what your body has been trying to communicate all along.

And I can help you, too. 🤍

https://p.bttr.to/3seOIwa