Side Benefits Nutrition

Side Benefits Nutrition By encouraging a nutrient-dense, whole-food lifestyle, Nutritional Therapy balances the systems.

02/26/2026

Estrogen regulates your cycle, brain, metabolism, mood + sleep. But most of the “hormone symptoms” menstruators experience throughout life aren’t about extremes—they’re about imbalances. Here’s what to know⤵️⤵️

You can experience a state of excess estrogen (even with normal labs) if:
⬇️ Progesterone is low (common if you’re in your 40s)
🐢 Liver detox is sluggish (common, for many reasons)
🦠 Gut health is off (elevated beta-glucuronidase recirculates estrogen)

Low estrogen is common (esp. as estrogen fluctuates in midlife) and can look like:
↠ Light or missing periods
↠ Brain fog
↠ Low libido
↠ Night sweats/hot flushes
↠ Anxiety
↠ Skin + vaginal dryness
↠ Joint pain

Unopposed/excess estrogen is common even when you’re still cycling and can look like:
↠ Heavy or clotty periods
↠ Breast tenderness
↠ PMS mood swings
↠ Jawline breakouts
↠ Mid to late-cycle bloating
↠ Fibroids or endometriosis

Estrogen is a hormone with system-wide importance. Proper nourishment, blood sugar stability, environmental toxins, cortisol, gut health, and detox pathways all impact it’s production + metabolism + elimination

In perimenopause, fluctuations + declines are real. So I use ’s BiEst cream during lower-estrogen stretches that bring night sweats, mood shifts, and sleep disruption. One pump to clean, dry skin daily (inner thighs, arms, or abdomen), paired with their oral progesterone in the evening, keeps things steadier

👉Comment ⭐️ESTROGEN⭐️ for the link and use code ✨SIDEBENEFITS✨ to save on all of Raena Health’s products

Meals I’ve been eating lately to support my blood sugar, minerals, fiber-intake + supply enough protein to actually keep...
02/23/2026

Meals I’ve been eating lately to support my blood sugar, minerals, fiber-intake + supply enough protein to actually keep me full…

These are the kinds of meals that quietly support digestion, hormones, energy, and inflammation—without requiring perfection or overthinking

A few guiding principles behind what’s on my plate lately ⤵️

Simplicity wins :: Whole, minimally processed foods are more nourishing

Gut-first choices :: Fiber-rich fruits + vegetables, fermented foods, high-quality proteins, and healthy fats create the environment your cells need to thrive

Lower the noise :: Inflammation often comes from repeat exposure to foods your body doesn’t love. Rotating foods + removing common triggers (gluten, dairy, soy, corn, ultra-processed foods, excess sugar) can help you feel lighter and less…puffy

Calm > stimulate :: Fatty fish, leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, ginger, turmeric—these foods help quiet inflammation instead of fueling it

Support comes in liquid form too :: Choose digestive supporting sips like bone broth, herbal teas, and add other soothing additions to water (like aloe vera)

Your body doesn’t need extremes. It needs consistency, nourishment, and foods that work with it (yes, even when dining out)🍽️

👉If you want more simple, hormone- and gut-supportive meal ideas, comment ✨NOURISH✨ and I’ll send you my free Meal Guide📲

02/20/2026

As a functional nutritionist based in LA, these three topics keep popping up lately in the news and with clients + friends⤵️

🩸Blood sugar + GLP-1s
Yes, GLP-1 meds can lower A1c and help with weight. But they are not magic and they are not side-effect free. I’m seeing nausea, muscle loss, low appetite that tanks protein intake, and then weight + blood sugar creeping back once the medication stops. If digestion, stress, sleep, and strength aren’t addressed, the foundation is still shaky

💤 Sleep is struggling
2–4am wakeups. Sluggish mornings. For women 40+, low progesterone and dysregulated cortisol are common drivers. Screens, alcohol, late meals, and under-eating protein don’t help. Sleeping crappy? You might benefits from a customized sleep stack and a better strategy

☠️ Glyphosate
Widely sprayed on wheat, soy, garbanzo beans, grapes, hops and more. You won’t ever be able to avoid it completely, but you can lower exposure: organic when possible, avoid gluten, oats, hummus, most beer, non-organic wine, and support your gut microbiome…don’t let your gut bacteria—and overall health—be collateral damage in a very big agricultural system. Protect yourself (especially since the government won’t)

➡ ➡ If you want smarter, root-cause breakdowns, comment ✨GUIDE✨to join my newsletter

➡ ➡ ➡ And if midlife is kicking your ass lately—blood sugar swings, poor sleep, mood shifts, stubborn weight — comment ✨READY✨ and I’ll send you the link to check out Make Menopause Sexy (HALF OFF WITH CODE: LOVE50)

No BS hormone habits that are worth the hype⤵️⤵️⤵️Simple habits are where it’s at…because they shape physiology if you d...
02/19/2026

No BS hormone habits that are worth the hype⤵️⤵️⤵️

Simple habits are where it’s at…because they shape physiology if you do them consistently

↠ Mineral sufficiency
↠ Muscle preservation
↠ Glucose stability
↠ Nervous system regulation
↠ Sleep integrity
↠ Precision hormone support

These are the foundational levers that maintain optimally functioning systems🙌🏽

And if you are in peri/menopause and ready to understand how these systems integrate—from labs to lifestyle to bioidentical hormone strategy—my self-paced online course MAKE MENOPAUSE SEXY was designed for exactly that [comment ✨READY✨to check it out and use code LOVE50]

👉🏼👉🏼If you want the why, the how, and the exact functional nutrition framework I use with 1:1 clients: comment ✨GUT✨

👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼Or comment ✨GUIDE✨and I’ll DM you my FREE hormone healing guide for women 35+

This is where the glow actually begins❤️‍🔥

🌹Roses are red. Violets are blue…If your body feels different lately…you might be in perimenopause too❤️‍🔥↠ Night sweats...
02/14/2026

🌹Roses are red. Violets are blue…

If your body feels different lately…you might be in perimenopause too❤️‍🔥

↠ Night sweats after one glass of wine
↠ 2am heart racing
↠ Irritability that’s not “you”
↠ Brain fog. Belly changes. Random, weird symptoms

You’re not crazy. And you’re definitely not broken!

Perimenopause can start years before your period disappears—and most women are completely uninformed + unprepared ✨

You don’t need to “white knuckle” your way through it. You need a smart strategy⤵️⤵️⤵️

👉🏼Comment ✨READY✨ to get Make Menopause Sexy for 50% off with code LOVE50 and learn how to support your body intelligently, confidently, and without guesswork🙌🏽

This is your sign!

When you have health goals—or ongoing symptoms—it’s hard to know what actually needs to change😩More supplements?Differen...
02/06/2026

When you have health goals—or ongoing symptoms—it’s hard to know what actually needs to change😩

More supplements?
Different foods?
A stricter routine?

📍This is where most people get stuck

When you work with me, I don’t hand you a generic “eat this” list or a one-size-fits-all protocol. I look at you—your symptoms, habits, history, labs, and lifestyle—and build a plan that works with your body, not against it

Because when everything is personalized, things start to click⤵️⤵️

→ digestion improves
→ weight begins to shift
→ energy comes back
→ brain fog lifts
→ confidence is gained

What it looks like to work together:

✦ Discovery Call — a free 15-minute call to make sure we’re aligned (comment 👉🏼GUT)
✦ Onboarding — deep dive on symptoms, goals + health history
✦ 90-Minute Initial Session — strategy + early shifts while labs are processing
✦ Functional Lab Testing — GI-MAP 💩 + MRT food sensitivities to uncover root causes
✦ Support Sessions (x4) — refining what’s working, adjusting what’s not, and making it all fit your real life
✦ Ongoing access — text, email + messenger support along the way

I specialize in working with men + women dealing with stubborn weight, digestive distress, hormone imbalances, and gut-driven symptoms that won’t resolve on their own✨

If you’re ready to stop experimenting on yourself and start getting real answers⤵️⤵️

👉🏼👉🏼Comment ✨GUT✨ and let’s begin with a quick chat

Wellness truths most people avoid⤵️⤵️⤵️Health goals don’t fail because you’ve lost motivation. They fail because your fo...
02/06/2026

Wellness truths most people avoid⤵️⤵️⤵️

Health goals don’t fail because you’ve lost motivation. They fail because your foundational habits aren’t solid enough to carry you when motivation disappears🎯

→ Boring daily routines beat short-lived trends
→ Foundations beat “hacks”
→ Doing less—done well—beats doing everything all-at-once

…sometimes having optimal wellness goals can feel uncomfy in this cushy, fast-paced, comfort food-loving modern world we live in

So if any of this felt a little too real, you’re in the right place. Keep going! It’s worth it.

👉🏼Comment ⭐️GUIDE⭐️ for my FREE hormone guide or comment ⭐️GUT⭐️ to set up a FREE chat with a functional nutritionist who will create a customized plan just for you 🤗

🍴Save this for real-life meal inspo🍴I like to keep food simple—but ALWAYS intentional. Because when your goal is optimal...
02/03/2026

🍴Save this for real-life meal inspo🍴

I like to keep food simple—but ALWAYS intentional. Because when your goal is optimal health, what you eat should nourish the body, not challenge it

These are the kinds of meals that quietly support digestion, hormones, energy, and inflammation—without requiring perfection or overthinking

A few guiding principles behind what’s on my plate lately ⤵️

Simplicity wins :: Whole, minimally processed foods are more nourishing

Gut-first choices :: Fiber-rich fruits + vegetables, fermented foods, high-quality proteins, and healthy fats create the environment your cells need to thrive

Lower the noise :: Inflammation often comes from repeat exposure to foods your body doesn’t love. Rotating foods + removing common triggers (gluten, dairy, soy, corn, ultra-processed foods, excess sugar) can help you feel lighter and less…puffy

Calm > stimulate :: Fatty fish, leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, ginger, turmeric—these foods help quiet inflammation instead of fueling it

Support comes in liquid form too :: Choose digestive supporting sips like one broth, herbal teas, and add other soothing additions to water (like aloe vera)

Your body doesn’t need extremes. It needs consistency, nourishment, and foods that work with it (yes, even when dining out)

If you want more simple, hormone- and gut-supportive meal ideas, comment ✨NOURISH✨ and I’ll send you my free Meal Guide

Side benefits included ✨

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Eat Better. Feel Better.

Hi! I’m Christina Shadle an NTA-certified Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP) based in Los Angeles, CA. I specialize in empowering my clients to get in the kitchen and fuel their health with real food and heal through simple lifestyle changes. I also have a degree in communication with concentrated studies in speech from California State University, Chico and am a recovering Type-A public relations professional with a whole host of irritable bowel issues myself. Outside of office hours and wellness research, you can usually find me taking a yoga or pilates class, attending concerts, or traveling with friends.

I work with clients locally and virtually all over the globe and am also the co-creator of Mindful Munchies, a munchie-making blog dedicated to empowering those who “don’t have time to cook” get in the kitchen and discover how simple it is to prepare healthy swaps to cure the junk food cravings that often derail our health.

As your FNTP…


  • I discover the root causes of your symptoms and work to help balance your foundations using nutrition and lifestyle recommendations.