While prepping a class on iron deficiency for the Menstrual Health Intensive [https://www.camillefreeman.com/menstrualhealth/] that Liane Moccia and I are currently teaching, I stumbled into a rabbit hole: a 1963 BMJ paper linking beeturia - pink or red urine after eating beets - to iron deficiency. Physiology nerds, check out this episode for a quick overview of why iron deficiency might cause red or pink urine in some cases, and why it's more of a clue and less of a clear diagnostic sign. 

What I Cover

 * Beeturia basics

 * A 1963 study in BMJ that identified the relationship between beeturia and iron deficiency

 * The working theory about why iron deficiency might cause red or pink urine

 * Why beeturia isn't diagnostic on its own, but might be worth noticing alongside other signs and symptoms

Key Takeaways

 * Red or pink urine after eating beets does not mean you (or your client) have iron deficiency - it shows up in roughly 2-15% of "normal" people without ID/IDA

 * Beeturia is more common in iron deficiency, especially when untreated

 * The likely mechanism is an "iron hunger": the gut absorbs iron faster, so less is left in the lumen to oxidize and decolorize betanin before it's absorbed

Links and Resources Mentioned

 * Oski, F. A. (1993). Iron deficiency in infancy and childhood [https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejm199307153290308]. New England Journal of Medicine, 329(3), 190–193. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199307153290308

 * Wang, Y., Adekolurejo, O. O., Wang, B., McDermott, K., Do, T., Marshall, L. J., & Boesch, C. (2024). Bioavailability and excretion profile of betacyanins - Variability and correlations between different excretion routes [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37879158/]. Food Chemistry, 437(Pt 1), 137663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.137663

 * Watson, W. C., Luke, R. G., & Inall, J. A. (1963). Beeturia: Its incidence and a clue to its mechanism [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1873115/]. British Medical Journal, 2(5363), 971–973. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.2.5363.971

 * Wiczkowski, W., Romaszko, E., Szawara-Nowak, D., & Piskula, M. K. (2018). The impact of the matrix of red beet products and interindividual variability on betacyanins bioavailability in humans [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29735088/]. Food Research International, 108, 530–538. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2018.04.004

 * Menstrual Health Intensive [https://www.camillefreeman.com/menstrualhealth/] - my class with Liane Moccia, in case you're interested!

The 1963 paper is open access; the others may take some scouting to find full text.

Stay in Touch

If you're not already on my Practitioner Notes newsletter, I send it out every Thursday with things we don't cover here on the podcast. You can sign up at camillefreeman.com [https://camillefreeman.com] or intheclinic.com [https://intheclinic.com]. Thanks so much for the work that you do!

126 | Pink urine, beets, and iron deficiency

Today I'm bringing you an interview with Kimberly Gallagher, co-founder of LearningHerbs.com [https://learningherbs.com] and author of Aphrodisiac: The Herbal Path to Healthy Sexual Fulfillment and Vital Living. If you've been around me for a while, you've probably heard me recommend Learning Herbs. It's an incredibly affordable, rich resource for anybody learning about herbs, whether you're brand new or have years of experience.

What we talk about:

 * Kimberly's new course with Lauren Morgan, Rhythms and Relationships: A Feminine Way into Herbalism [https://www.learningherbs.com/rhythms-and-relationships], and how it came to be

 * Why embodied, relational plant knowledge matters just as much as book learning

 * How the course uses plant sits, dreaming with plants, and ceremony to reconnect you with herbs in a visceral way

 * Why this type of learning helps whether you're an experienced herbalist who's lost your beginner's mind or a nutritionist just starting to bring herbs into your practice

 * The kitchen herbalism component: nourishing infusions, herbal vinegars, pestos, and shrubs

 * Who can join - the course is open to all genders and focuses on lifting up the feminine, intuitive, nurturing aspects of herbalism that our culture often pushes down

 

125 | Reconnecting with Herbs with Kimberly Gallagher

I'm sharing a pricing concept I picked up from the Death, Sex, and Money podcast that struck me as interesting/useful.

Here's what I cover:

 * Pricing by your client's hourly rate. Instead of a traditional sliding scale, what about pricing consults as a multiple of what your client earns per hour (e.g., one hour or two hours of their pay)? For many people, this feels more intuitive and equitable than a fixed dollar amount, and it reframes the exchange as commerce rather than capitalism.

 * The right message at the right time. Sometimes you've heard a concept before, but it doesn't land until the moment is right. (That's how this pricing idea landed for me this week.) The same is true for your clients. Don't underestimate the power of timing when you're sharing clinical recommendations; you may be the person who finally makes it click for them.

 * Revisiting pricing models. If you've been experimenting with accessibility but haven't found a model that fits, this "unit of time" approach might be worth testing.

Referenced:

 * Death, Sex, and Money [https://slate.com/podcasts/death-sex-money/2026/09/pay-what-you-want-business-model-works] podcast episode on pay-what-you-want pricing

 * Previous In the Clinic with Camille episodes on pricing: pay from the heart [https://www.intheclinic.com/53-the-pay-from-the-heart-pricing-model/] (ep 53) and putting prices on your website [https://www.intheclinic.com/should-you-put-prices-on-your-website/] (ep 118)

I'm heading out to teach my Deep Dive class on omega-3 fatty acids [https://academy.camillefreeman.com/courses/omega-3s] right after recording this, so it's a quick one. Have an amazing week!

124 | Pricing by the Client's Hourly Rate: A Sliding-Scale Variant

I'm joined in this episode by my colleague and co-teacher, registered herbalist and fertility specialist Liane Moccia, to talk more about the responses to the question, "Are you ovulating?" 

We cover what signs to look for, how to interpret tracking data (cervical fluid, LH strips, temperature), and why ovulation is a vital marker of hormonal and overall health even when someone isn’t trying to conceive.

We also discuss practical intake phrasing, common misunderstandings, and introduce our Menstrual Health Intensive: a physiology-focused course with live teaching and case observation groups for clinicians who want to support clients experiencing menstrual health concerns.

Key Takeaways

 * Many clients have never been taught to recognize ovulatory signs/symptoms

 * Cervical fluid is a reliable, free marker of rising estradiol, though some clients may mistake it for infection

 * Having a baseline understanding of ovulation before perimenopause makes later changes easier to interpret and may reduce the need for expensive testing

 * Clear, specific wording on intake forms prevents misinterpretation

 * The luteal phase length and confirmed ovulation timing help us place premenstrual symptoms accurately on the timeline

Links referenced in this episode:

 * Liane's website: https://lianemoccia.com/ 
 * Liane's book, The Herbal Fertility Handbook: https://lianemoccia.com/book/ 
 * Menstrual Health Intensive: https://www.camillefreeman.com/menstrualhealth/ 

 

123 | Why Ovulation Matters with Liane Moccia

Let's talk about a "normal" menstrual cycle. What counts as "normal," how can we spot concerning signs, and when does it make sense to consider medical referral or further testing? We'll dive into this and more in this brief episode. For more information and clinical strategies to support clients around menstrual health, join the upcoming Menstrual Health Intensive [https://www.camillefreeman.com/menstrualhealth/]. 

Key Takeaways

 * Bleeding longer than 8 days warrants referral for possible clotting issues, fibroids, or other concerns

 * Heavy menstrual flow is often subjective, but if it interferes with daily life or causes soaking through protection, refer for assessment

 * A stable luteal phase is a good sign; significant variation may indicate something else is going on

 * Many clients were never taught basic cervical fluid physiology - this is valuable clinical information to share

Reference

Bahamondes, L., & Ali, M. (2015). Recent advances in managing and understanding menstrual disorders [https://europepmc.org/article/pmc/4371378]. F1000Prime Reports, 7, 33. https://doi.org/10.12703/P7-33

Upcoming

Liane Moccia and I are launching an 8-week Menstrual Health Intensive for Practitioners [https://www.camillefreeman.com/menstrualhealth/] starting September 15, 2026 (you can join later!). Review the sales page and join us if you're interested in more education on this topic. 20 NPCE available. 

122 |  The "Normal" Menstrual Cycle: When to Refer and When to Support

A Mindful Eating Metaphor

It might help to think about this in terms of mindful eating. When you feel the urge to sign up for something, stop and ask: is my practice actually hungry for this?

 * If you've decided newsletters are your main marketing focus and you're specifically hunting for newsletter training - amazing. Dive in.

 * If you're just responding to a sale email, a fear of missing out, or a vague sense that you "should" know more? Take a step back. You might find the urge is actually about avoiding visibility work, not about needing to know this information right now.

The "Someday" List

When I'm tempted by a program but my business isn't actually hungry for it right now, I keep a running document with the link, price, and details. About 80% of the time, I realize that I don't need or want to do the program right now. It's a "nice to have eventually" versus a "I need to implement this right away and I think this course will help." Programs and classes are almost always offered again later.

A Suggestion

Before you sign up for anything this fall, ask yourself:

 * Is this a hunger in my business right now?

 * Am I going to implement what I learn, or just collect more information?

 * Am I using learning as a way to avoid the harder work of being seen?

We want synergy between what we're taking in and what we're putting out. Make sure there's a balance between the two.

Links and Resources

 * Submit a question for a future episode at intheclinic.com [https://intheclinic.com]

 * Sign up for my weekly Practitioner Notes newsletter at intheclinic.com [https://intheclinic.com] or camillefreeman.com [https://camillefreeman.com]

 * Find all episodes and show notes at intheclinic.com [https://intheclinic.com]

About Me

I'm Camille Freeman, DCN, RH, and I host In the Clinic with Camille, a podcast for herbalists and nutritionists building and growing their private practices. I've been in clinical practice since 2003 with a focus on fertility, pregnancy, and menstrual health.

121 | Is your business "hungry" for that course?

I've gotten several questions lately about whether or not I recommend Substack to clinicians who want to start a newsletter to help promote their clinical practices. TLDR: it's  not the best tool for the job. 

In this episode, I spell out why I don't think herbalists and nutritionists are well-served by using Substack as a way to promote a private practice. 

Essentially, it all boils down to: 

 1. It's not designed for promoting services, classes, workshops, etc. and it shows. 
 2. It's free, which is great, but you do pay in other ways - for example, in control over you readers' experience. 
 3. Support is basically nonexistent. 

I go into a few other reasons in the show, but these are the big ones.

Go ahead and use an email service provider that's designed for the type of promotion we do when we write a newsletter. I use MailerLite, but there are tons of great options with similar features. 

For more on writing newsletters, check out my book: Write Better Newsletters: Grow your 1:1 practice with newsletters people actually want to read [https://www.writebetterletters.com]. 

And/or join my newsletter for practitioners [https://www.camillefreeman.com] to get a new note from me every Thursday. 

Thanks for being here!

- Camille

120 | Substack for Clinicians: Why I don't recommend it

A behind-the-scenes update on a change I've been making at Bloom & Grow: after years of offering my freebies as open downloads, I'm now requiring an email address to access them. I wanted to share my full (evolving) thinking in case it gives you permission to change your mind on something in your own practice.

Key Points & Timestamps:

 * 00:00 - Welcome and intro

 * 00:18 - The backstory

 * 01:10 - Why I've had a change of heart

 * 01:35 - People don't click on web search results anymore, apparently

 * 02:24 - Web traffic is down overall

 * 02:53 - AI roadblocks

 * 03:52 - Freebie set up

 * 04:53 - Keeping an eye on results

 * 05:13 - New website navigation

 * 06:07 - It's okay to change your mind

Resources Mentioned:

 * My freebies page: camillefreeman.com/freebies [https://camillefreeman.com/freebies]

 * My book: Write Better Newsletters: Grow your 1:1 Practice with Emails People Actually Want to Read [https://www.writebetterletters.com]

 * My weekly practitioner notes: sign up at camillefreeman.com [https://camillefreeman.com] (or grab a freebie and join the list at the same time)

If you want to check out the new setup, head to the freebies page; some are still in transition, so you might see a mix of old and new setups. If there's something in your own practice that doesn't feel in alignment anymore, I hope this gives you a little wiggle room to change it. You can always change it back 🖤

119 | Why I changed my mind about freebies

I got a great question from Cora about whether I recommend that practitioners put their prices on their websites. Short answer: yes, I think it makes sense to publish your prices. In this episode I walk through why I feel strongly about this, what can happen when you don't share prices upfront, and how transparency frees up time and makes discovery calls more meaningful. 

Links and Resources

 * Sign up for my weekly Practitioner Notes newsletter at camillefreeman.com [https://camillefreeman.com]

 * Submit a question for the podcast at intheclinic.com [https://intheclinic.com]

 * Find all episodes and show notes at intheclinic.com [https://intheclinic.com]

About Me

I'm Camille Freeman, DCN, RH, and I host In the Clinic with Camille, a podcast for herbalists and nutritionists in private practice. I've been in clinical practice since 2003 with a focus on fertility, pregnancy, and menstrual health, and I love sharing the business and clinical lessons I've learned along the way.

118 | Should you put prices on your website?

I got a question in a recent Q&A call about wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) cream and progesterone. A client felt the cream was helping raise their progesterone, but the practitioner had questions about whether that was realistically happening. So what's the deal? I share a few thoughts on why a client might be noticing a difference and things to be on the lookout for as an herbalist or nutritionist if your client is using wild yam cream. 

Key Takeaways

 * Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) contains diosgenin, which can be converted to progesterone in a laboratory setting, but the human body does not have the enzymes to make that conversion.

 * If a wild yam cream seems to be helping with progesterone-related symptoms, the cream may actually contain progesterone (check the active ingredient label - some do).

 * Lower-quality or less transparent products can sometimes contain undisclosed ingredients or contaminants, including hormones, so it's worth investigating the brand and looking for third-party testing.

 * The placebo effect is a thing and may be at play here.

 * Wild yam does contain phytoestrogens, and while topical absorption levels are unclear, this is a more physiologically plausible mechanism than progesterone conversion.

 * Progesterone blood levels are pulsatile (they fluctuate roughly every 45-60 minutes), so a single lab draw in the luteal phase should not be interpreted as evidence of "low progesterone" without proper clinical context.

Links and Resources Mentioned

 * Sign up for Camille's weekly Practitioner Notes newsletter at camillefreeman.com [https://camillefreeman.com]

 * Submit a question for the podcast at intheclinic.com [https://intheclinic.com]

 * Find all episodes and show notes at intheclinic.com [https://intheclinic.com]

About Camille

Camille Freeman, DCN, RH, is the founder of Bloom and Grow, offering continuing education and community resources for herbalists and nutritionists in clinical practice. She has been in practice since 2003 with a focus on fertility, pregnancy, and menstrual health.

117 | Does wild yam cream increase progesterone?

Camille Freeman (@cfsage) · Zencastr

Camille Freeman (@cfsage)

Short clinical tidbits for practitioners with clinical herbalist and nutritionist Camille Freeman.