Uncharted: The Science Behind Women's Health

A thyroid test can fall within the reference range even when someone continues to experience fatigue, brain fog, changes in mood or energy, or other persistent symptoms. That can leave patients and clinicians wondering what the results do and don’t show, as well as what to explore next.

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, host Dr. Lara Zakaria talks with Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton, a naturopathic physician and Chief Medical Officer at Precision Analytical. They discuss what TSH measures, what other thyroid markers can show, how stress physiology may affect thyroid signaling and hormone conversion, and what the cortisol awakening response can tell clinicians about the body’s response to stress.

Part 2 continues the discussion with a closer look at cortisol assessment and the relationship between stress physiology and thyroid health.

In this episode:

• What TSH measures and how to interpret it alongside a person’s symptoms
• What free T4, free T3, reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies measure
• How stress physiology may affect thyroid signaling and hormone conversion
• What the cortisol awakening response is and how Jaclyn uses it in her clinical work

Chapter markers:

• (01:16) - Dr. Jaclyn’s path to women’s health
• (03:36) - What TSH alone can miss about thyroid function
• (06:24) - What a broader thyroid panel can include
• (09:03) - How stress and the HPA axis affect thyroid function
• (11:14) - What cortisol testing can reveal alongside thyroid labs
• (12:55) - What the cortisol awakening response measures

What does it really mean to “heal your gut,” and how is gut health connected to thyroid function?

In this episode of Uncharted, host Dr. Lara Zakaria talks with registered dietitian and functional medicine practitioner Alisha Knicely about the two-way relationship between gut and thyroid health.

Drawing from both her clinical work and her personal experience with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, Alisha explains how thyroid function can affect digestion, motility, stomach acid, and nutrient absorption, and how digestive health may influence thyroid health in return.

In this episode:

• The difference between Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism
• How low thyroid function may affect digestion, motility, stomach acid, and nutrient absorption
• Why thyroid medication may improve lab results without resolving every symptom
• How under-eating may work against healing
• Practical ways to support digestion through healthy meal habits and nutrient-dense foods
• When targeted supplements may be considered as part of an individualized plan

Relevant resources:

• Understanding Thyroid Autoimmunity
• The Thyroid Plateau: Why Symptoms Linger Despite Medication and “Normal” Labs

Chapter markers:

• (01:15) - Alisha’s Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism diagnosis
• (04:24) - Hashimoto’s vs. hypothyroidism
• (07:00) - How first-hand experience changed Alisha’s patient approach
• (08:17) - Explanation of the gut-thyroid connection
• (12:00) - Lifestyle changes that can help with thyroid and gut health
• (14:14) - Dietary patterns to try and avoid
• (15:46) - Approach to targeted supplementation

Why do so many women with “normal” thyroid labs still feel exhausted, foggy, and unlike themselves?

In the first episode of Uncharted, host Dr. Lara Zakaria talks with Corey Schuler, PhD, FNP-C, APHN-BC, CNS, about the Energy Allocation System (EAS): an emerging framework for understanding how the body produces, distributes, and prioritizes energy over time.

Together, they explore why symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, disrupted sleep, and weight changes may persist even when standard thyroid labs fall within conventional reference ranges—and how clinicians and patients can use this perspective to ask better questions and look more closely at the full picture.

This conversation introduces the thinking behind EAS and lays the foundation for Uncharted’s first season on women’s thyroid health.

In this episode:

• What the Energy Allocation System is—and why it was developed
• How the body’s stress-response, thyroid, and reproductive systems may interact over time
• Why persistent symptoms can occur even when thyroid labs are within conventional ranges
• Why TSH is important, but may not always tell the whole clinical story
• How clinicians and patients can begin applying EAS and its questions

Relevant resources:

• Energy Allocation System

Chapter markers:

• (02:15) - Dr. Corey’s background and journey
• (03:04) - The Energy Allocation System (EAS) in simple terms
• (04:41) - Why the EAS was created
• (06:51) - Why the EAS has resonated
• (07:45) - Hypothetical situation using the EAS lens
• (12:10) - How EAS changes our understanding of thyroid health
• (15:59) - How to implement EAS in practice today

Uncharted is a new podcast from Allergy Research Group (ARG) for practitioners and anyone curious about the science of women’s health. In each episode, host Dr. Lara Zakaria sits down with a clinician, researcher or women’s health expert to unpack one question, connect the dots and make the conversation useful in practice and everyday life. The focus for Season 1 is women’s thyroid health. We hope you join us.

Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.