What if fertility isn’t something you prepare for when you want a baby… but something you’ve been building your entire life?

In this episode of The Psyche Behind the Physique, I’m joined by Dr. Carolyn Nygaard, naturopathic doctor and midwife, to break down the real drivers of fertility, pregnancy health, and early childhood development — through a functional, root-cause lens.

We dive into how autoimmunity, inflammation, environmental toxins (like microplastics), and nervous system health all play a role in conception, pregnancy outcomes, and even the long-term health of your child.

This conversation is for the woman who wants to feel informed, empowered, and proactive about her health — whether she’s preparing for pregnancy or simply wanting to better understand her body.

🧠 IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why fertility is built years before conception
• Autoimmunity + inflammation’s role in fertility
• Microplastics + hormone disruption
• Preconception health (for both partners)
• Nervous system + stress impact on pregnancy

Fertility is not random — it’s a reflection of your internal environment. Your body must feel safe to reproduce. And the choices you make today can influence not just your health… but the health of your future children.

🎙️If this episode resonated with you, and you’re wanting personalized support with hormones, gut health, inflammation, or a fertility-safe training and nutrition plan — my team and I would love to walk alongside you. We work with women at every stage — from athletes to those healing their cycles, preparing for pregnancy, or rebuilding after burnout.

🎯 Join MPowered Coaching Collective for lifestyle & contest prep — where physique goals meet functional health and community.

📲 DM @madsmichiefitness with your biggest takeaway or topic requests and connect with Dr Ngyaard here

In this episode, I sit down with Kierin Hopping, a HYROX Worlds Pro and Boston Marathon qualifier, for an honest conversation about what it really looks like to train at a high level as a woman.

We talk about the shift from aesthetic goals to performance goals, how Kierin’s relationship with food changed after bodybuilding, what it means to fuel for endurance and hybrid performance, and why having a menstrual cycle is one of the clearest signs that your body feels safe and supported.

This episode also dives into the side of athleticism that people don’t talk about enough: overtraining, imperfect recovery, the mental load of discipline, and the reality that even elite athletes are still learning how to balance performance with health.

We cover:

• the transition from bodybuilding to marathon running and HYROX
• healing a disordered relationship with food through performance-based goals
• under-fueling, low energy availability, and menstrual health
• balancing aesthetic goals with athletic goals
• signs your training load is outpacing your recovery
• what beginner athletes get wrong about HYROX
• why progress does not require perfection

This is such an important episode for female athletes, high achievers, and women who want to train hard without losing themselves in the process.

🎙️ If you’ve ever felt like you had to have your training, recovery, body composition, or nutrition perfectly dialed in before you could succeed, this conversation will challenge that belief in the best way.

If this episode resonated with you and you’re ready to build a healthier relationship with your body, your hormones, and your goals, my team and I would love to support you.

🎯 Join MPowered Coaching Collective for lifestyle & contest prep — where physique goals meet functional health and community.

📲 DM @madsmichiefitness with your biggest takeaway or topic requests and connect with Kierin here

In this episode of The Psyche Behind the Physique, host Maddy Michielssen sits down with naturopathic physician and founder of Naturopathic by Design, Dr. Corina Dunlap, for an honest and deeply educational conversation about what healing actually looks like when we stop chasing quick fixes and start addressing root causes.

After experiencing her own breaking point with chronic infections, digestive pain, hair loss, and debilitating fatigue, Dr. Dunlap discovered the transformative power of naturopathic medicine — a moment that reshaped both her health and her career. Today, she works with women across the country helping them reconnect physiology, nervous system safety, environment, and lifestyle as part of sustainable healing.

Together, Maddy and Dr. Dunlap unpack what naturopathic medicine truly is — beyond common misconceptions — and how it works alongside conventional medicine rather than against it.

In this episode, we explore:

• The difference between naturopathic and allopathic medicine — and where each excels

• Nervous system regulation, the HPA and HPO axis, and why stress physiology drives hormone dysfunction in women

• Female energy, play, nature, and connection as legitimate biological medicine

• Functional diagnostic testing including DUTCH hormone testing, GI Mapping, micronutrient panels, mold testing, mineral analysis, and food sensitivities

• How functional testing complements traditional bloodwork

• When prescriptions are necessary — and when root cause work matters most

• Supplements women actually benefit from (and the ones often overused)

• Whether there are conditions naturopathic medicine cannot address alone

🎙️ If you’ve ever felt dismissed, stuck between medical systems, or unsure where to start when your body stops responding the way it used to — this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and science-backed perspective.

If this episode resonated with you and you’re ready to build a healthier relationship with your body, your hormones, and your goals, my team and I would love to support you.

🎯 Join MPowered Coaching Collective for lifestyle & contest prep — where physique goals meet functional health and community.

📲 DM @madsmichiefitness with your biggest takeaway or topic requests and connect with Dr. Dunlap here