Real Answers. No Generic Advice.
Evidence-based articles on gut health, hormones, PCOS, thyroid, and intuitive eating — written by Jacquelyn Hackett, MS, RDN.
Why Your Thyroid Labs Are Normal But You Feel Terrible
TSH in range doesn't mean your thyroid is optimized. Here's what functional thyroid testing looks at that standard panels completely miss.
PCOS Is Not Just a Period Problem — It Starts in the Gut
Most PCOS protocols focus on the hormones. But if your gut isn't producing and metabolizing hormones correctly, no amount of hormone support will hold.
Why Your IBS Might Actually Be SIBO
IBS is one of the most commonly given diagnoses in gastroenterology — and one of the least investigated. Here's what's actually worth looking at.
The Hidden Link Between Disordered Eating and Gut Health
After more than eight years of working at the intersection of eating disorders and digestive health, I can tell you this with certainty: the gut and the mind are not separate systems. They are one conversation and when that conversation goes sideways, everything suffers. A little piece of my own story I don't just talk about this from a clinical standpoint. I lived it. In college, I was an honors student taking 21 units, all while figuring out how to balance making new friends, partying and...
Peptides 101: What They Are, Why Everyone's Talking About Them and My Honest Take as a Dietitian
If I had a dollar for every time a client asked me about peptides in the last two years, I'd have funded my own clinical trial by now. The word is everywhere and the range of claims attached to it is staggering. So let's slow down, look at the actual science, and separate what's genuinely exciting from what's marketing magic. First Things First: What Even Is a Peptide? Peptides aren't exotic or new. Your body makes them constantly. A peptide is simply a short chain of amino acids, the same...
Your Gut Doesn’t Take a Vacation: A Dietitian’s Guide to Eating Well While You Travel
My Story: My Europe Trip Starts With Getting My Gut Ready As I pack for my upcoming trip abroad I am reminded of something most people forget to pack - travel supplements. As a registered dietitian, I get asked all the time: “Jackie, how do you eat healthy when you travel?” Honestly, I used to struggle with this too. My first few international trips left me bloated, sluggish, and constipated and that’s not exactly the vibe when you’re trying to enjoy a new city. So over the years, I’ve built...
Your Gut Won't Heal in a Dysregulated Nervous System
You've done the elimination diet. Dropped gluten, dairy, maybe even nightshades. You're taking the "right" probiotics, drinking bone broth, and timing your meals perfectly. And yet the bloating is still there. The unpredictable bathroom trips. That heavy, uncomfortable feeling after eating foods that should be completely fine. What gives? Here's what nobody told you: your gut can't heal when your nervous system is stuck in survival mode. You can eat the cleanest diet on the planet, but if...
Starting a GLP 1 Medication Here is Exactly How Your Diet Needs to Change
Thinking About a GLP-1? Read This First. It seems like everyone and their mother is on a GLP-1 right now. The food lines at Coachella were at their shortest ever and it begs the question- are that many people on a GLP-1 and not eating at events now? GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide have completely changed the conversation around weight loss. For a lot of women I work with, they finally feel relief with things like less food noise, fewer cravings, and the scale starts moving...
April is IBS Awareness Month But Let’s Talk About What IBS Actually Means
Over the years, I’ve worked with a lot of people who’ve been told the same thing: “It’s just IBS.” And while that label can be helpful in ruling out more serious conditions… It often leaves people stuck. IBS is not an actual diagnosis- it is a labeling of symptoms and in my opinion a cop out when your GI doctor or PCP don’t know what’s going on Symptoms we often see with IBS: bloating gas constipation or diarrhea abdominal discomfort But it doesn’t tell us WHY those symptoms are happening in...
Spring Meal Prep You Actually Want to Eat
Hi I don’t know about you, but the moment spring starts peeking in, the energy starts to shift. Suddenly I want color on my plate again. I want freshness, crunch, citrus and herbs. Everything that was nice and heavy and comforting during winter just doesn’t hit the same anymore. So instead of forcing yourself into another week of bland meal prep, this is your sign to refresh it. Food that looks good, tastes good, and actually makes you feel lighter and more energized is a win, win, win. And...
Spring Detox: What Actually Supports Your Liver and What’s Just Clever Marketing
March again. Every year around this time, my inbox starts sounding the same. “Should I do a juice cleanse?”“I feel heavy, bloated, low energy… Do I need a detox?”“My skin’s acting up, liver issue?” And I get it. Spring has this reset energy . You suddenly feel like opening windows, cleaning your home… and naturally, your body becomes part of that conversation. But here’s the part I’ve learned after 8+ years of practice:Your body is already detoxing you. Every single day!! The real question is...
Why So Many Women With PCOS Feel Stuck, Even When They’re Doing Everything Right
Hey, I’m writing this after a long day of consults and there’s something that keeps coming up in conversation after conversation. So many women with PCOS sit across from me and say, in one way or another, “I feel like I’ve tried everything… but nothing really works.” And I understand exactly why they feel that way. By the time most women reach out for support, they’ve already been told what they “should” be doing. They’ve heard that they need to balance their hormones, fix their insulin, lose...
Sleep Is a Metabolic Tool Not Just a Luxury
Sleep Awareness Week rolls around every March, and it always reminds me how often sleep is treated like a luxury instead of something the body genuinely depends on. People will carefully plan their workouts, track their protein, buy supplements, and still treat sleep like the one habit that can be sacrificed. Stay up a little later. Answer a few more emails. Watch one more episode. And yet metabolically, sleep is doing far more behind the scenes than most people realize. As a Registered...
March Reset: The Simple Nutrition Shifts That Actually Change Your Health
There’s something about March that feels different when it comes to health. January tends to arrive with a burst of motivation and a long list of things people feel they should change about themselves. February often becomes a month of trying to keep up with that energy while life slowly settles back into its usual. But by the time March comes around, I notice something shift in the conversations I have with patients. People aren’t looking for dramatic overhauls anymore. They’re not asking...
Ayurveda Is One of the Most Misunderstood Parts of Fertility Care
When people hear the word Ayurveda, it often comes with strong assumptions. Unscientific.Too alternative.Just herbs and oils.Not relevant if you’re working with an OB-GYN or fertility clinic. I actually believe most people don’t really know what Ayurveda involves, especially when it comes to fertility and preconception. Over the past few years, as I’ve dug into both the traditional principles and the modern research, I’ve been consistently surprised by how practical and foundational it really...
Chocolate, Hormones, and Cravings: What Your Body Is Actually Asking For
When I think back on my nutrition career, I can confidently say I’ve had phases. There was my ‘everything must be organic era. My ‘protein in everything era' And yes… My chocolate is the enemy era And if I’m being honest? Chocolate cravings were absolutely my gateway into dieting harder. I used to believe that if I just controlled sugar enough, avoided it long enough or had enough discipline, the cravings would disappear. Spoiler: they didn’t. They got louder. Making peace with chocolate and...
Love Your Hormones: The Most Underrated Form of Self-Care
Valentine’s Day usually arrives wrapped in chocolate boxes, dinner reservations, and promises of “self-care” that look like candles and skincare routines. And while I have nothing against any of that, after more than eight years of working with women navigating fatigue, PMS, bloating, acne, and irregular cycles, I see self-care differently now. Real self-care begins much earlier and much deeper. It begins the moment you decide to listen to your body instead of overriding it. Because PMS that...
The Lab Tests Your Doctor Never Orders But They Explain Your Inflammation, Gut Symptoms, and Stubborn Weight Gain
Written from the perspective of a Registered Dietitian with 8+ years of clinical experience The internet is overflowing with advice about fatigue, bloating, hormone imbalance, inflammation, and weight gain. Take this supplementCut these foodsHeal your hormonesFix your gut And yet, so many people are still stuck. What I see most often in practice is not a lack of effort.It ’s a lack of clarity . People come in frustrated because they’ve already done the “right” things. They’ve cleaned up...
Diet Soda, New Guidelines, and Why You Don’t Need to Panic
If you’ve seen the recent headlines suggesting the government wants Americans to cut back on diet soda, you’re not alone if your first reaction was confusion. For years, diet soda was positioned as the “better” choice. Then came concerns about sugar. Now, attention has shifted to artificial sweeteners. And once again, many people are left wondering: Am I supposed to stop drinking this now? As a registered dietitian who helps people heal their relationship with food, I want to gently...
The Nutrient Deficiencies That Quietly Worsen Thyroid Symptoms
If you’re living with a thyroid condition and still feeling tired, foggy, cold, bloated, or just not quite yourself, it can feel confusing and discouraging. Many people assume that once their labs fall into the “normal” range, their symptoms should resolve. But thyroid health is rarely that simple. The thyroid is deeply connected to nutrient status, gut health, liver function, and immune balance. When key nutrients are missing or poorly absorbed, thyroid hormones may not be produced,...
Your Thyroid Labs Are “Normal” — So Why Do You Still Feel Unwell?
“But my reports say everything is normal…” If I had a dollar for every woman who sat across from me and said this—with tears, frustration, or sheer exhaustion—I’d probably retire early. You finally gather the energy to see a doctor. You get your thyroid labs done. The results come back stamped NORMAL. And yet… You’re still tired no matter how much you sleep Your weight won’t budge despite “doing everything right” Your hair is thinning, digestion is off, moods are unpredictable You just don’t...
Your Nervous System Sets the Tone for Your Health All Year
If you’re bloated, tired, craving sugar, not sleeping well, or struggling to stay motivated, it might not be what you’re eating or how you’re working out. It may be your nervous system . Your nervous system controls how your body responds to stress, how well you digest food, how stable your blood sugar is, and whether your body prioritizes healing or survival. When it’s stuck in stress mode, health goals feel harder than they should. Here’s how stress, safety, digestion, cravings, and...
New Year 2026: Reset the Mindset, Not Your Entire Life
Every January, the internet explodes with extreme30-day challengesNo-carb promises‘New year, new you’ energy that quietly implies the old you wasn’t good enough And by mid-February?Most people feel tired, behind, and somehow convinced they “failed” again Let’s pause right here Because 2026 doesn’t need a reinvention It needs a reset At Hackett Health, we don’t believe in starting overWe believe in starting sustainably The Problem Isn’t Motivation. It’s the Plan. If you’ve tried: Cutting...
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