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PODCAST

The Period Recovery Podcast

Cynthia Donovan

Welcome to The Period Recovery Podcast, hosted by Cynthia Donovan, Registered Dietitian and Period Recovery expert. This podcast is dedicated to helping women restore their menstrual cycle, balance hormones, and rebuild a healthy relationship with food, body, and exercise.Each week, Cynthia shares science-based education, real client stories, and practical strategies to help you understand why your period may be missing and what it actually takes to get it back naturally. Whether you are dealing

health & fitness nutrition

All Episodes

01:01:53

Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Part 4: I Got My Period Back…...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/10/01

What happens after you get your period back?For years, I thought that getting my period back would be the end of the story.After years of a missing period, fertility struggles, being told I had PCOS, and eventually discovering that hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) was behind my absent cycle, getting my period back felt like the finish line.But it wasn't.This is Part 4 — the final chapter of my hypothalamic amenorrhea story.In this episode, I share what happened after period recovery: becoming a mother,

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01:00:26

My Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Story, Part 3: Motherhood,...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/09/17

This is Part 3 of my personal hypothalamic amenorrhea recovery story.If you haven't listened to Part 1 and Part 2 yet, go back and start there. In those episodes, I share how I lost my period, struggled with infertility, was diagnosed with hypothalamic amenorrhea, and eventually found my way through recovery.In Part 3, I continue the story into motherhood.After years of infertility, I eventually got my period back, became pregnant, and later unexpectedly conceived my second son naturally.But getting

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00:52:15

She Was Told She Had Diminished Ovarian Reserve… But...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/09/03

What if the diagnosis you've been given isn't the whole story?Kayla spent years believing her missing period was caused by stress, work, and travel. After developing an eating disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic, losing a significant amount of weight, restricting her food, and continuing to exercise, her menstrual cycle became increasingly irregular and eventually disappeared.Then doctors told her she had diminished ovarian reserve and was on a trajectory toward early menopause.She was told she

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00:57:49

Life After HA Recovery: Getting Your Period Back,...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/08/20

What happens after you get your period back?Getting a period after hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) can feel like the ultimate finish line. But as Ali discovered, getting your cycle back is just the beginning.Ali is back on The Period Recovery Podcast for her second episode—and this time, she has a very different story to tell. During Ali's first episode, she was navigating HA recovery as a personal trainer and struggling with the identity, anxiety, food rules, exercise expectations, and body image

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00:48:05

The Hidden Eating Disorder in Athletes: Why It Can...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/08/06

What happens when your identity has always been tied to being an athlete?In this deeply meaningful conversation, Cynthia sits down with former Division I tennis player, author, speaker, and eating disorder advocate Betsy Brenner to discuss how years of perfectionism, athlete identity, and a lifetime of "earning" food eventually led to an eating disorder in midlife.Betsy shares how returning to competitive tennis in her 40s reignited old beliefs around body image, discipline, and performance. When

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00:45:21

She Lost Her Period for 14 Years...Then Got Pregnant...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/07/23

Can you recover your period after more than a decade?Cynthia sits down with former client GNic who shares her remarkable journey from losing her menstrual cycle for 14 years to welcoming her miracle baby.As a professional dancer, GNic spent years believing that being smaller meant being more successful. The pressure to maintain a certain body led to years of restrictive eating, excessive exercise, and eventually Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA). Despite visiting multiple doctors, she was repeatedly

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00:43:37

What does the latest research actually say about...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/07/09

In this episode, I welcome back Dr. Chrisandra Shufelt, one of the world's leading researchers in Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, to discuss exciting new findings from the largest HA studies to date.For years, women with missing periods have been told to simply "go on birth control" or have struggled to find answers from healthcare providers. Now, new research is beginning to uncover what HA is really doing to the body—and why recovery matters far beyond fertility.Together, we discuss:• The

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00:49:15

I Had Abs, But I Lost Myself | How HA Recovery...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/06/25

Lauren spent years doing everything she thought was healthy: tracking food, exercising constantly, staying disciplined, and chasing the perfect body.On the outside, she looked like she had it all together.On the inside, she had lost her period, her freedom, and much of the joy in her life.In this episode, Lauren shares her journey through Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA) recovery and the surprising realization that getting her period back required more than simply eating more and exercising less.We

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00:56:28

Hypothalamic Amenorrhea: Why You Can Lose Your Period...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/06/11

Cynthia Donovan sits down with Dr. Jen Gaudiani, physician and author of Sick Enough, to unpack one of the most misunderstood aspects of hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA): you do not need to have an eating disorder to lose your period.Together, they explore how under-nutrition, over-exercise, stress, and biological individuality can disrupt menstrual cycles, even in women who believe they are eating “healthy” and doing everything “right.” Dr. Gaudiani explains the physiology behind hypothalamic

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00:55:20

How I Got My Period Back After Losing It Twice | HA...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/05/28

What happens when you finally get your period back… only to lose it again?In this deeply honest conversation, Cynthia sits down with Audrey to talk about her experience with hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA), exercise obsession, food rigidity, perfectionism, and the identity crisis that can happen during recovery.Audrey shares how calorie counting, overexercise, and chasing the “healthy girl” image slowly disconnected her from herself — and why getting her cycle back required so much more than simply

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00:41:12

How to Support a Woman Recovering from Hypothalamic...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/05/14

If someone you love is recovering from hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA), period loss, or disordered eating, this episode is for you. Cynthia Donovan shares what women in HA recovery wish their partners, parents, family, and friends understood about weight gain, food fears, exercise loss, fertility struggles, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm during recovery.In this episode:What NOT to say to someone recovering their periodWhy comments like “you’re eating enough” can hurt recoveryHow HA recovery impacts

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48:16

She Thought IVF Was Her Only Option | Julia's Period...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/04/17

In this episode of The Period Recovery Podcast, Cynthia talks with Julia about her journey through hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA), being told IVF was likely her next step, and how she got her period back naturally before going on to become a mom. Julia shares what life looked like when she was over-exercising, under-fueling, and being praised for looking “healthy” while her period was missing. She opens up about the fear of body changes, the pressure to keep up her identity around fitness, and ...

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43:07

How Overthinking Can Delay Period Recovery | HA...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/04/02

If you feel like you are doing everything “right” in period recovery but still do not have your period back, this episode is for you. In today’s episode, I am talking about something so many women experience during hypothalamic amenorrhea recovery but rarely say out loud: living in your head during recovery. Maybe you are eating more, resting more, cutting back on exercise, and trying so hard to follow all the “rules” of HA recovery… but mentally, you are exhausted. You are constantly checkin...

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38:44

How to Dress a Changing Body During Missing Period...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/03/19

What do you wear when your body is changing in missing period recovery? In this conversation, Cynthia Donovan and Nicole Garfunkel talk about the part of hypothalamic amenorrhea recovery that no one really prepares you for: getting dressed in a changing body. From cleaning out your closet to shopping for clothes that actually fit, to handling summer clothes, swimsuits, and body image triggers, this episode is a real and practical conversation for women in period recovery. Inside this ep...

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55:59

Fertility Treatments vs. Root Causes: Hormones,...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/03/05

In this episode, Cynthia Donovan, period nutritionist and women’s health advocate, sits down with Laura Ligos, RDN, a registered dietitian with 14 years of experience in women’s health, fertility, and hormonal health. Together, they unpack the reality many women face when navigating fertility treatments like IVF and IUI — including dismissal by healthcare providers, rushed timelines, and a lack of focus on nutrition and lifestyle foundations. If you’ve ever felt unheard in your fertility jour...

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57:41

“I Was Told It Was Normal” — D1 Swimmer, 10 Years on...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/02/19

In this episode of The Period Recovery Podcast, I’m sitting down with Sarah, a registered dietitian and former D1 swimmer, to talk about what it looks like when you “technically never really had a period,” get placed on birth control as a teenager, and then come off the pill years later… only to realize your body still isn’t ovulating. Sarah shares what it was like being told “it’s normal” because she was lean, athletic, and stressed, how intense training and under-fueling quietly shaped her ...

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34:22

Why You’re Still Missing Your Period Even Though...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/02/05

Have you been eating more, resting more, doing all the “right” things for period recovery and still feel anxious, stuck, or mentally exhausted? You’re not crazy. And you’re not alone. In this episode of The Period Recovery Podcast, Cynthia Donovan, registered dietitian and period recovery expert, speaks directly to the woman who feels like she traded one obsession for another from food and exercise to constant overthinking about getting her period back. We explore: Why period recovery c...

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51:31

The Overlooked Cause of a Missing Period: Diet...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/01/22

Cynthia and Leslie discuss body image, diet culture, and the importance of body trust and diversity. They explore the journey of intuitive eating, the generational influences on body image, and the necessity of setting boundaries in a culture that often promotes unhealthy ideals. The discussion emphasizes the significance of accepting your new normal, self-compassion, values-based living, and the need to navigate social pressures while fostering a healthy relationship with food and body. Ch...

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50:49

Why Slowing Down Feels So Hard (And Why Your Body...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2026/01/08

For our first episode of the year Cynthia has invited Caitie Corradino to discuss the importance of slowing down in life, particularly in relation to body image and self-care, even though it is very uncomfortable. Caitie compares slowing down in this way to what it might feel like to sit in fire. This is a very painful thing to overcome. They explore the challenges of making time for oneself, the emotional aspects of slowing down, and the role of healing practitioners in supporting this journ...

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46:21

Missing Periods for Active Women: Gemma's Story of...

The Period Recovery Podcast ·

2025/12/26

You don't have to DIY period recovery. In this podcast episode, Gemma Atkinson shares the journey of regaining her period, discussing the challenges she faced over 10+ years, the importance of support, and the transformative power of self-acceptance. She reflects on how her life has changed since embracing a more flexible and nourishing approach to health, emphasizing the significance of rest, community, and letting go of control. Gemma's story serves as an inspiration for others navigating s...

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