Christie Brooks, Functional Medicine Dietitian

02/14/2026

Need a step-by-step FRESH START or HEALTH REBOOT? Let’s start with metabolism!

There’s so much more we can add to the list for our 7 Day Metabolism Reset!

For one, we are not exactly what we eat, but in fact, we are what we digest and absorb. Let that sink in.

❤️

02/12/2026

Cortisol drives up insulin resistance, which halts weight loss and eventually brings on weight gain.

Ps. Research has always shown that we need 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep, but the latest research shows that women who are under stress need at least eight hours of sleep.

02/07/2026

02/06/2026

When cortisol is chronically high, the body trends more acidic (via increased lactic acid, CO₂ retention, protein breakdown, mineral loss). To buffer that acidity and protect blood pH, the body quietly sacrifices a few things. Here’s who takes the hit 👇

1. Mineral reserves (biggest sacrifice)

The body steals alkaline minerals to neutralize acid:
• Magnesium
• Calcium
• Potassium
• Sodium

Where they come from:
• 🦴 Bones & teeth → calcium loss
• 💪 Muscle tissue → magnesium & potassium
• 💧 Adrenals & kidneys → sodium wasting

👉🏻 Long-term results:
bone loss, muscle weakness, cramps, palpitations, anxiety, poor sleep

2. Muscle tissue

Cortisol = catabolic.

The body breaks down muscle protein → amino acids → used as buffers and for gluconeogenesis.
👉🏻 Consequences:
• Sarcopenia
• Slower metabolism
• Insulin resistance
• Weak core & joint instability

This is why high-stress people can “work out hard” and still feel softer or inflamed.

3. Connective tissue & joints

Acidosis degrades collagen cross-linking.
👉🏻 Shows up as:
• Joint pain
• Tendon irritation
• Fascia tightness
• Slow injury recovery

4. Gut lining & digestive capacity

Acid stress + cortisol:
• Reduces stomach acid paradoxically
• Thins mucus layer
• Pulls minerals needed for digestive enzymes

👉🏻Result:
• Poor protein digestion
• Bloating
• Dysbiosis
• Increased gut permeability

So yes—stress alone can drive “leaky gut” without food triggers.

5. Kidneys

The kidneys work overtime excreting hydrogen ions and conserving bicarbonate.

👉🏻Chronic burden =:
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Fatigue
• Poor blood pressure regulation
• Reduced detox efficiency

6. Nervous system resilience

Acidosis shifts the nervous system toward sympathetic dominance.

Symptoms:
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Noise/light sensitivity
• Poor vagal tone

Which… circles back to higher cortisol 😵‍💫

🥦🫑🌶️🥒🥝🍑🫑🥦🥬🍆🍍🧅🥔🥕
What the body “pays” to stay alkaline

To keep blood pH stable, the body sacrifices:
• 🦴 Bones
• 💪 Muscle
• ⚡ Minerals
• 🧠 Nervous system calm
• 🧬 Gut integrity

Functional Medicine Pearl:
You cannot alkalize a stressed body with food alone.

Until cortisol comes down:
• Minerals won’t stick
• Supplements won’t land
• Detox won’t move
• Healing feels “stuck”

Alkalinity is a nervous-system state, not just a dietary one.

This is why I ALWAYS address the nervous system/stress/cortisol/acidic foods (even coffee) with my clients. This step is essential to ensure I’m providing the highest standard of care.
Not addressing this would be a disservice to my clients.
-Christie

Holistic Health Collective
309 East Race Ave
Searcy, Arkansas

02/04/2026

02/01/2026

01/31/2026

You are not exactly what you eat, but instead, you are what you “digest and absorb.”

Let that sink in.

This is why we always start with gut health along with addressing the nervous system in the initial stages of functional medicine treatments.
-Christie Brooks, AFMC, FM, RD

01/31/2026

🔥 Hot take: A “normal” TSH does not mean your thyroid is working.

Meet Reverse T3 — the metabolic brake your body pulls when it’s under stress.

Reverse T3 is an inactive thyroid hormone that blocks active T3 at the cell, slowing metabolism even when labs look “fine.”

🚨 Elevated Reverse T3 is commonly driven by:
• Chronic stress & high cortisol
• Inflammation (gut, immune, infections)
• Poor T4 → T3 conversion
• Undereating, overtraining, or dieting too hard
• Adrenal–thyroid dysregulation

Translation 👇
You can have normal TSH, normal T4, even normal T3… and still have suppressed metabolism, fatigue, brain fog, and weight resistance.

Functional Medicine doesn’t ask “Is thyroid hormone present?”
We ask 👉 “Is it actually working inside the cell?”

🧠 If symptoms don’t match labs, it’s time to look deeper.

-Holistic Health Collective & Searcy Walk-In Lab Quest Draw Site

RootCause

01/29/2026