Trust Your Gut With Brie

Flat stomach when you wake up. By 2pm you look 5 months pregnant. Every. Single. Day. 😩
Cut gluten, dairy, sugar — still bloated. BMs once a week, or you’re running to the bathroom. And foods you used to eat with zero issues are now giving you bloating, itching, sinus flares, headaches.
This isn’t random. It’s bacterial — and there’s a test that proves exactly which organisms are behind it →
Swipe to see what a real stool map uncovers, and why “just take this probiotic” was never going to fix it. 👉
As a Functional Health Coach, this is exactly where I come in. A stool map tells us what’s there — my job is turning that data into a plan that actually resolves it. I work the 5R framework with every gut client:
Remove → Replace → Reinoculate → Repair → Rebalance
No guessing, no random supplement stack. Just a sequence built around what your map actually shows. Bridget Terrien
DM “MAP” and let’s find out what’s going on in your gut.
chronicbloating

The pattern is clear:

Muscle wasting. Crepey skin. Uneducated peptide dosing. Starved appetite, Alcohol nightly. Curves traded for a number. Young women who lift are building the very muscle that carries them through menopause — while others are losing it before they even get there.

None of this is random. It’s what happens when weight loss has no strength behind it. GLP’s and peptides are a remarkable tool… let me repeat “TOOL” when under the right conditions and guided by a professional. If you’d like to change the way you’re using your peptides and understand the science 🧬 behind them; I specialize in this and much more.

So here’s my question for you: are you chasing a smaller number, or a stronger body? 👇 Tell me where you’re at — I read every comment. Bridget Terrien

Nobody warns you that perimenopause comes for your muscle AND your bones at the same time.
Estrogen drops → bone density drops → muscle mass drops → and suddenly the workouts that used to work… don’t.
Add GLP-1s into the mix — and yes, I’m a huge advocate for them for many reasons when used correctly — but here’s what most people don’t know: research shows up to 20-40% of the weight lost on GLP-1s can be lean muscle, not just fat. If you’re not strength training while you’re on one, you’re not just losing weight. You’re losing the very tissue that protects your bones and your metabolism as you age.
Protein + resistance training = your GLP-1 insurance policy. Non-negotiable, not optional.
This is why I coach women through this exact transition. Strength training now — GLP-1 or not — is the single best thing you can do to protect yourself from osteoporosis and muscle loss later.
Strong mind. Strong body. No exceptions. 🔥
MuscleMatters Bridget Terrien

Stop Guessing, Start Testing

“If you are bloating from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed—even after just drinking water—hear me out: A probiotic will not fix this. Eating one meal a day will not fix this. Your gut isn’t lacking a generic supplement; it’s lacking a strategy.”

Morning-to-night bloating & nausea
The exhausting flip-flop between constipation and diarrhea
Migraines, stubborn acid reflux, and thinning hair
The Reality Check: These aren’t isolated issues. They are the downstream smoke of an upstream fire in your microbiome.

Tool #1: Visualizing the Battlefield (GI-MAP vs. Biomesight)
Explain how you get answers. You don’t guess; you look at the actual data.
The GI-MAP (PCR Technology): This DNA-based stool test looks at the quantitative presence of specific microbes. It doesn’t just say “you have bacteria”; it measures pathogens, H. pylori, opportunistic overgrowths, and parasites.
Biomesight (Next-Gen Sequencing): Excellent for a granular look at the entire ecosystem—mapping out your probiotic strains, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, and the exact balance of your microbiome phyla.
The Uncovering: These tools allow you to measure Zonulin (the gatekeeper of gut permeability/leaky gut), secretory IgA (immune response), and elastase (pancreatic enzyme output). This is why water causes bloating—the barrier is compromised, and the wrong strains are fermenting everything.

Tool #2: Connecting the Dots with Bloodwork
This is where you bridge the gut to the rest of the body. When the medical system tells them their CBC is “fine,” you look at functional ranges to track inflammation and hormonal deregulation:
Inflammatory Markers: High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) and Homocysteine. If the gut is leaky, LPS (lipopolysaccharides) enter the bloodstream, triggering systemic inflammation that drives migraines and joint pain.
The Thyroid & Nutrient Connection: Tracking Ferritin, Vitamin D, and B12. If the gut is compromised, malabsorption kicks in—leading directly to thinning hair and crushing fatigue.
Metabolic & Hormonal Markers: Fasting Insulin and HbA1c. Gut dysbiosis drives ink

Tool #3 Beyond the Surface: Decoding Your DNA
He

“If you are bloating from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed—even after just drinking water—hear me out: A probiotic will not fix this. Eating one meal a day will not fix this. Your gut isn’t lacking a generic supplement; it’s lacking a strategy.”

Morning-to-night bloating & nausea
The exhausting flip-flop between constipation and diarrhea
Migraines, stubborn acid reflux, and thinning hair
The Reality Check: These aren’t isolated issues. They are the downstream smoke of an upstream fire in your microbiome.

#1: Visualizing the Battlefield (GI-MAP vs. Biomesight)
You don’t guess; you look at the actual data.
The GI-MAP: This DNA-based stool test looks at the quantitative presence of specific microbes. It doesn’t just say “you have bacteria”; it measures pathogens, H. pylori, opportunistic overgrowths, and parasites.
Biomesight (Next-Gen Sequencing): Excellent for a granular look at the entire ecosystem—mapping out your probiotic strains, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, and the exact balance of your microbiome phyla.
These tools allow you to measure Zonulin (the gatekeeper of gut permeability/leaky gut), secretory IgA (immune response), and elastase (pancreatic enzyme output). This is why water causes bloating—the barrier is compromised, and the wrong strains are fermenting everything.

#2: Connecting the Dots with Bloodwork
This is where you bridge the gut to the rest of the body. When the medical system tells them their CBC is “fine,” you look at functional ranges to track inflammation and hormonal deregulation:
Inflammatory Markers: High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) and Homocysteine. If the gut is leaky, LPS (lipopolysaccharides) enter the bloodstream, triggering systemic inflammation that drives migraines and joint pain.

The Thyroid & Nutrient Connection: Tracking Ferritin, Vitamin D, and B12. If the gut is compromised, malabsorption kicks in—leading directly to thinning hair and crushing fatigue.
Metabolic & Hormonal Markers: Fasting Insulin and HbA1c. Gut dysbiosis drives insulin resistance, which alters cortisol patterns and s*x hormones, leaving clients stuck in a chronic state of low energy.

The Strategy: Kill, Clear, and Rebalance

#3 Beyond the Surface: Decoding Your DNA
Headline: Your DNA Is Not a Diagnosis. It’s an Instruction Manual.
We don’t analyze genetics to tell you that you are “doomed” by your ancestry. We analyze your DNA to understand how your body handles inflammation, processes hormones, and responds to nutrients right now.

🧬Understanding your genetics (like the MTHFR gene and others) allows us to prevent future complications before they become chronic conditions. This is the ultimate preventative strategy.

A comprehensive protocol doesn’t mean taking 20 random pills; it’s a phased approach:

1. Remove & Kill: Utilizing targeted, biofilm-disrupting botanicals to break down the protective shields of opportunistic bacteria, H. pylori, or yeast without nuking the entire system.
2. Support & Clear: Actively supporting motility, liver detoxification, and bile flow so the body can actually flush out the die-off toxins (preventing nausea and symptom flare-ups).
3. Rebuild & Rebalance: Only after clearing the weeds do you plant the seeds—using specific prebiotic fibers and targeted probiotic strains based on their unique test results to repair the mucosal lining and tighten those gut junctions.

The conventional medical system is built for acute care. If you don’t have a disease state yet, you get sent home with an acid blocker or told it’s ‘just IBS.’

I don’t look at your body in isolated parts. As a functional health coach, my job is to connect the dots between your microbiome, your bloodwork, and your symptoms so we can stop managing your dysfunction and start restoring your health.”

If you want to claim your health back.. DM me and let’s set up a consultation to reclaim your life 🫶🏻

Hi I’m Brie Functional Health Coach that specializes in Gut Dysbiosis, specialized testing, peptide coaching, Hormones, weightloss resistance, nutrition and training. Where Dr’s have provided the bare minimum leaving you lost, confused, inflamed and frustrated... I get to the root of the problem causing your symptoms. After a thorough consultation I’II create a comprehensive plan to finally get you the results you’ve been waiting for. Trust Your Gut; it’s never wrong and I’m here to listen 🫶🏻Bridget Terrien

The Problem Nobody’s Talking About
PCOS is one of the most under-diagnosed and mismanaged conditions in young women today. If your daughter has been told “just go on birth control” — there’s more to the story.

Where Conventional Care Falls Short
Most teens leave their doctor’s office with a prescription and zero answers. Bloodwork gets stamped “normal” when it’s sitting at the edge of range. TSH is the only thyroid marker run. Insulin resistance gets missed entirely. And birth control gets handed out like it’s a cure — when it’s just a cover-up.

What a Real PCOS Panel Looks Like
Functional medicine tests the full picture: thyroid (TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, antibodies), fasting insulin + HOMA-IR, timed s*x hormones, adrenal markers, inflammation (hs-CRP, homocysteine), and gut + nutrient status. Normal and optimal are NOT the same thing.

Insulin Resistance Is the Root
Up to 70% of women with PCOS have insulin resistance — even at a healthy weight. Elevated insulin drives the ovaries to overproduce androgens, which disrupts ovulation, triggers acne, causes hair loss, and wrecks cycle regularity. Fasting glucose can look fine while fasting insulin is already elevated. This is why we calculate HOMA-IR.

Your Thyroid Is Not an Afterthought
PCOS and thyroid dysfunction go hand in hand. A TSH of 3.9 gets called “normal” — but functionally, we want it between 1.0–2.0. We look at Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, and antibodies. And before we talk medication, we feed the thyroid: iodine, selenium, zinc, tyrosine.

The Functional Approach
We don’t mask — we resolve. That means

50 is looming… 🙈 and I’m ready to meet it in the absolute best shape of my life. From the inside out. 🚀
In exactly 9 months, I hit the half-century mark. But let’s be completely real: looking like this at 49 has very little to do with traditional "dieting" and everything to do with clinical, high-discipline functional health.
As a functional health coach and trainer, I don't train or eat for aesthetics anymore. I train for cellular optimization, metabolic longevity, and deep internal health. The physical definition you see on the outside is simply a side effect of a balanced ecosystem on the inside.
If you want to maintain peak performance and a lean composition as you age, it takes a highly intentional, 3-pillar approach:
🧠 1. THE MENTAL: Overcoming the Clock
Consistency isn’t a feeling; it’s an identity. When the alarm goes off at 4:00 AM, motivation isn't what gets me out of bed—it’s alignment with my goals. It takes a relentless mental standard to reject the narrative that aging means slowing down, losing muscle, or settling for lower energy. You have to decide that your health span will match your lifespan.
💪 2. THE PHYSICAL: Strategic Resistance
You cannot shrink yourself into a strong, vibrant physique at 50. Building and preserving muscle mass is the ultimate insurance policy for your metabolism and longevity. I don't burn myself out with endless, cortisol-spiking cardio. I lift with intent, protect my lean mass, and give my body a reason to keep its metabolic fire burning hot.
🧬 3. THE INTERNAL: The Gut-Brain-Skin Axis
This is where the magic happens. True definition doesn’t come from starving; it comes from absorbing. If your gut is inflamed, your systemic inflammation is high, your cortisol is spiked, and your deep cellular health is compromised—your body will fiercely hold onto fat and break down muscle.
I prioritize practitioner-grade, targeted cellular support.
I map out my protocols using hard data—tracking my recovery metrics and managing systemic inflammation.
I leverage a rich, low-glycemic, anti-inflammatory dietary framework that fuels my brain and preserves my lean tissue without crashing my thyroid or sending my stress hormones through the roof.
The Takeaway:
Stop guessing, stop starving, and stop treating your body like an enemy to be beaten into submission. When you heal your gut, lower internal inflammation, support your cells, and pair it with heavy, disciplined lifting—your body rewards you.
I’m entering my 50s stronger, sharper, and healthier than I was a decade ago. If you’re ready to stop listening to the “FADS” and start listening to the actual clinical science of your body, let’s build a functional strategy that lasts.
Who says 50 can't be your absolute peak? Let's get to work. 🔑