Feeling Puffy & Inflammation

When Your Body Feels “Off,” Inflammation Is Often the Quiet Culprit

Imagine your body as a house.
A cozy, well loved, lived in home with good bones and plenty of potential.

Now imagine a tiny spark in the basement.
Nothing dramatic. No flames shooting through the roof. Just a slow, smoldering burn that never fully goes out.

At first, you do not notice it.
Maybe things just feel a little… warm.
A little off.

But over time, that low grade burn starts affecting everything in the house.
The wiring. The plumbing. The airflow. The temperature.
Eventually, you are dealing with flickering lights, creaky floors, musty smells, and rooms that never feel comfortable no matter how often you adjust the thermostat.

This is chronic inflammation.

Not dramatic. Not obvious.
But always affecting the systems that help you feel well.

And just like a house fire that smolders quietly, chronic inflammation spreads into places you would never expect… your gut, thyroid, skin, hormones, mood, energy, metabolism, and even your hunger cues.

Your symptoms are not random.
They are the smoke signals.


Familiar Symptoms That Can Signal Underlying Inflammation

🔥 Fatigue
Chronic inflammation interferes with mitochondrial ATP production, so your cells cannot make the energy you need.

🥴 Bloating
Inflammation weakens the gut lining and disrupts digestive enzymes, which leads to gas, distension, and discomfort.

🤕 Headaches
Inflammation affects blood flow, histamine clearance, and blood sugar regulation.

😡 Mood Swings
Inflammation disrupts neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, making emotional regulation harder.

🩷 Skin Issues
Inflammation alters your detox pathways and immune function, which shows up externally as breakouts or rashes.

💨 Digestive Troubles
Inflammation slows motility, disrupts bile flow, and impacts stomach acid levels.

🦴 Joint Pain
Inflammatory cytokines irritate joints and connective tissues.

⚖️ Weight Fluctuations
Inflammation interferes with thyroid conversion, leptin, insulin signaling, and metabolic rate.

❄️ Cold Sensitivity
Inflammation often decreases active thyroid hormone (T3), which lowers your internal thermostat.

🍭 Food Cravings
Inflammation disrupts hunger hormones like leptin and ghrelin, making cravings feel impossible to ignore.

👉 These symptoms are not coincidences. They are communication.


Understanding What Your Body Is Trying To Tell You

When you have tried everything from cutting food groups to adding supplements yet you still feel exhausted, bloated, foggy, or inflamed, it is not because you are failing.
It is because your body is compensating.

Inflammation is a physiological response to imbalance.
Your body is trying to protect you.

The real question is this:
What created the fire in the first place?

And how do we put it out gently and sustainably?


The BRAIN Method: Your Roadmap Back To Balance

Our signature framework restores balance to the systems most affected by inflammation. These pillars are grounded in nutritional biochemistry and functional physiology, and they help you rebuild from the inside out.

Blood Sugar Balance

Unstable blood sugar elevates cortisol and inflammatory cytokines. Stabilizing meals helps calm inflammation, support your thyroid, and improve energy.

Regulate Inflammation

We identify inflammatory triggers like food sensitivities, stress, nutrient depletion, hidden infections, or gut imbalances. Then we use nutrition and lifestyle strategies to calm the fire.

Adrenal Resiliency

Your stress hormones impact thyroid activation, neurotransmitters, digestion, and blood sugar. Supporting adrenal function helps your body shift out of survival mode.

Intestinal Support

Your gut regulates immune balance, hormone detox, nutrient absorption, and T4 to T3 conversion. When we support microbiome diversity and gut lining repair, inflammation naturally drops.

Nutrient Repletion

Your cells need zinc, selenium, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, antioxidants, and amino acids to run metabolism, hormones, and energy pathways. Deficiencies create inflammation. Repletion is foundational.


Inflammation 101: A Simple Breakdown With Real Biochemistry

Inflammation is not just “swelling.” It is your immune system releasing chemical messengers called cytokines.
Short term, this is great.
Long term, these cytokines:

  • Damage the gut lining
  • Lower thyroid conversion
  • Increase reverse T3
  • Interrupt hormone signaling
  • Alter neurotransmitter production
  • Disrupt insulin sensitivity
  • Reduce mitochondrial ATP production

This is why inflammation feels like everything is going wrong at once.

It is not you.
It is the chemistry.

And chemistry can be changed.


Your Path Back To Balance

Together, we will:

  • Identify what is driving inflammation
  • Reduce internal stress signals
  • Stabilize blood sugar
  • Rebuild your gut lining
  • Nourish your microbiome
  • Replete depleted nutrients
  • Restore thyroid activation
  • Support mitochondria
  • Bring your hormones back into balance

This is not a quick fix.
It is a full body reset that honors how your physiology actually works.


You Can Feel Like Yourself Again

Imagine…

Waking up energized.
Thinking clearly.
Digesting comfortably.
Having predictable cycles.
Feeling emotionally steady.
Seeing your inflammation weight shift naturally.
Trusting your body again.

This is the outcome of working with your biology, not against it.

👉 Apply to work with us today and take the first step toward feeling like yourself again.


Inflammation and Hormone Balance FAQ

Why does inflammation cause so many different symptoms?

Chronic inflammation disrupts thyroid hormone conversion, gut barrier function, neurotransmitter balance, mitochondrial ATP production, and blood sugar regulation. Because these systems control energy, digestion, mood, and metabolism, symptoms show up everywhere at once.

How do I know if inflammation is affecting my thyroid?

Signs include fatigue, constipation, weight changes, cold sensitivity, hair shedding, and brain fog. Inflammation raises reverse T3, blocks thyroid receptors, and reduces nutrient absorption. Even if TSH is normal, inflammation can suppress active thyroid function.

Can nutrition alone reduce inflammation?

Nutrition is powerful, but chronic inflammation typically involves blood sugar imbalance, stress physiology, gut health, and nutrient deficiencies. This is why the BRAIN Method addresses all five pillars instead of focusing on food alone.

Which nutrients help calm inflammation?

Magnesium, zinc, selenium, B vitamins, omega 3s, vitamin D, antioxidants like polyphenols, and amino acids found in protein all play key roles in reducing inflammation and supporting thyroid and hormone function.

How long until I start feeling better?

Many clients notice improvements in digestion, energy, and mood within a few weeks of balancing blood sugar and replenishing key nutrients. More complex inflammation patterns often take several months to fully correct.

What makes your approach different?

Instead of chasing symptoms, we identify the root drivers of inflammation and support the entire metabolic ecosystem. This includes the thyroid, gut, adrenals, nutrient status, and blood sugar. This whole body approach is why clients see lasting results instead of temporary relief.

Who do you work with?

We support women experiencing thyroid issues, Hashimoto’s, chronic inflammation, bloating, fatigue, mood swings, weight shifts, irregular cycles, and symptoms that remain despite “normal” lab work. If you feel unseen or dismissed, we can help.

Meet Nicole Fennel Functional Dietitian

Hey There, I'm Nicole!

Nicole Fennell is a functional nutrition Dietitian—and a fellow Hashimoto’s patient—who understands firsthand the challenges of living with thyroid hormone imbalances and immune system dysfunction. Her approach to managing chronic disease and stubborn symptoms focuses on building the body up with enjoyable and realistic nourishment rather than breaking it down with restrictive, unrealistic, short-term diets.

With a real-food philosophy, Nicole emphasizes the power of nutrition, movement, and peace of mind in both disease prevention and long-term health. Outside of her work, she loves staying active with her husband and three kids, lifting weights, practicing yoga, walking, cooking, enjoying good food, and spending time outdoors.
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Whether you’re dealing with exhaustion that never ends, a Hashimoto's diagnosis, thyroid issues, hormone imbalances, painful PMS, or stubborn acne that just won’t quit—please know you’re not alone. At Chews Food Wisely, we’re all about connecting the dots between your never ending list of symptoms and personalized nutrition solutions that last.

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