Andrea Ballenthin Nutrition

Home
United States
Woodbury, MN
Andrea Ballenthin Nutrition

I am a licensed clinical nutritionist who specializes in digestive disorders and hormone imbalances. To schedule appointments https://www.andreaballenthin.com

11/02/2026

This cauliflower, pumpkin & lentil soup is packed with nourishing ingredients that support your gut health while still being comforting and delicious.

Directions:
Sauté cauliflower and shallots 5 minuets in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add spices, lentils, pumpkin and broth. Cook about 20 minutes until cauliflower and lentils are soft.

Transfer to a blender and mix until smooth. Add soup back to your pot and add milk, or plant based milk. I personally like coconut milk. Cook until warm and serve. Topping options: Pumpkin seeds
Dried cranberries
Fresh thyme.

Here’s why I love this combination:

🎃 Pumpkin: Provides fiber to support digestive regularity, plus beta-carotene that your body converts into vitamin A to support your intestinal lining.

🥣 Lentils: Provide plant-based protein and fiber that can help nourish beneficial gut bacteria.

🥦 Cauliflower: Adds fiber and beneficial plant compounds to support a diverse, nutrient-rich diet.

🧡 A variety of plant foods: Different plant foods provide different fibers and phytonutrients, helping you nourish your gut microbiome through dietary diversity.

Save this recipe for your next cozy fall dinner! 🍂

10/30/2026

Shop local 10th St. Farm & Market in Afton for fresh organic produce, honey and bread

10/30/2026

We talk a lot about reducing inflammation, but there's another piece of the puzzle that deserves more attention: inflammation resolution.

Your body is designed to turn off the inflammatory response once it's done its job. This process relies on specialized compounds called resolvins, protectins, and maresins, which are made from omega-3 fatty acids.

In other words, your body doesn't just need the tools to initiate an immune response. It also needs the tools to appropriately resolve it.

And this is where nutrition and lifestyle come in.

A few things I would prioritize when supporting a healthy inflammatory response:

• Omega-3 fatty acids: EPA and DHA provide the building blocks for specialized pro-resolving mediators. Think wild-caught salmon, sardines, and quality omega-3 sources.

• A healthier balance of dietary fats: Prioritize whole-food fat sources and omega-3-rich foods while reducing reliance on ultra-processed foods and industrial seed oils.

• Gut microbiome diversity: Fiber, colorful plants, and polyphenols help support a diverse microbiome and healthy immune signaling.

• Sleep and movement: Both play important roles in regulating inflammatory pathways.

• Addressing root causes: Persistent gut infections, metabolic dysfunction, environmental exposures, and other ongoing triggers may contribute to chronic inflammatory signaling.

The goal isn't to chase every inflammatory marker or add another supplement to your routine.

It's to understand WHY inflammation may be elevated and give your body the nutritional and lifestyle support it needs to regulate that response.

Because supporting inflammation resolution is just as important as addressing inflammation itself.

Comment GUT to receive my free Gut Health Guide to help you get started.

10/22/2026

Lifting weights does more than build muscle, it helps protect your brain, too.

We often talk about resistance training for building muscle, improving body composition, and supporting bone health… but what if it could also play a role in protecting your brain as you age?

A 2023 review explored the potential connection between resistance exercise and Alzheimer's disease, including several interesting areas:

✨ Cognitive function: Resistance training may support memory and thinking skills.

✨ Brain inflammation: Exercise may influence inflammatory pathways involved in brain health.

✨ Brain-protective factors: Researchers are exploring how signals released during exercise may support the health and function of brain cells.

✨ Healthy aging: Strength training helps preserve muscle, maintain physical function, and support metabolic health as we age.

Here's the important part: while the research is promising, we can't say that lifting weights definitively prevents Alzheimer's disease. More research is needed to understand its specific effects on dementia risk in humans.

But we already know that resistance training has significant benefits for women's long-term health, making it a habit worth prioritizing.

You don't need to spend hours in the gym. Start with two strength-training sessions per week and build from there. 💪

Train for more than how you look today. Train for how you want to feel, move, and live as you age.

Save this as your reminder to prioritize strength training!

📚 Source: Azevedo et al. (2023), The Effects of Resistance Exercise on Cognitive Function, Amyloidogenesis, and Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's Disease.

10/15/2026

We talk a lot about pumpkin spice this time of year, but what about the gut health benefits of real pumpkin?

As a functional nutritionist, I love finding simple ways to add more variety and nourishment to everyday meals and pumpkin is an underrated option!

Here's why it's worth adding to your grocery cart:

🎃 Fiber for digestive regularity: Pumpkin contributes fiber, which helps support healthy bowel movements.

🎃 Gut microbiome support: Certain fibers can be used by gut bacteria, helping support a healthy intestinal environment.

🎃 Beta-carotene for your gut lining: Your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, a nutrient essential for maintaining healthy intestinal tissue and immune function.

🎃 Antioxidants: Pumpkin provides carotenoids that help protect your cells from oxidative stress.

🎃 Nutrient-dense nutrition: It's an easy way to add more plant variety to meals.

And don't forget the pumpkin seeds! They're a source of magnesium, zinc, protein, and healthy fats.

My favorite way to use pumpkin? Add plain pumpkin puree to oatmeal, soups, sauces, or smoothies. You don't need a complicated recipe to make your meals more nourishing.

Make pumpkin a staple in our kitchens, not just a seasonal coffee order. 🤎

Save this for your next grocery trip!

10/13/2026

Are you struggling with hair loss? Before you spend money on another biotin supplement, let’s look at the bigger picture. 👇🏼

Biotin deficiency is relatively rare, and hair loss can be linked to so much more than one nutrient.

As a nutritionist, here are some of the things I’d want to investigate:

✨ Iron status: Low iron stores can contribute to increased shedding.

✨ Protein + overall calorie intake: Undereating can disrupt your hair growth cycle.

✨ Other nutrients: B12, zinc, vitamin D and other micronutrients may play a role.

✨ Gut health: Poor nutrient absorption can contribute to deficiencies, even when you’re eating a nutrient-rich diet.

✨ Hormones: Thyroid dysfunction, postpartum changes, perimenopause and androgen-related conditions can all impact hair growth.

The goal isn’t to take every hair growth supplement on the market. It’s to figure out WHY you’re experiencing hair loss so you can address the underlying factors.

🤍 Want to dig deeper? Sign up for my email newsletter to get my full Hair Loss Root Cause Checklist so you can start identifying the potential factors contributing to your hair loss.

🔗 Sign up through the link in my bio!

10/07/2026

One of my favorite ways to support a diverse gut microbiome is by adding polyphenol rich foods. These are naturally occurring compounds found in colorful foods like berries, grapes, and apples.

Polyphenols act as accidents and support beneficial, gut bacteria growth. This can lead to improve microbial diversity and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.

Add berries here, breakfast, apples with your lunch and grapes as a snack or in a salad.

Think variety + color + consistency

10/01/2026

What’s a favorite healthy lunch, or your go to? This one’s pretty easy and perfect for meal prep for lunches all week.

Chicken
Roasted sweet potatoes
Pumpkin seeds
Apples
Celery
Feta
Greens

Dressing recipe
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple c***r vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Garlic powder to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

09/29/2026

If you've been told to "just take an iron supplement" every time your ferritin comes back low, this is for you.

Low iron isn't always caused by not eating enough iron.

In fact, if your iron levels keep dropping despite supplements, it's often a sign that there's a deeper issue that needs to be addressed.

Some of the most common root causes I see include:
✨ Poor iron absorption due to low stomach acid or gut inflammation
✨ SIBO or other digestive conditions or infections affecting nutrient absorption
✨ Heavy menstrual bleeding or ongoing blood loss
✨ Chronic inflammation increasing hepcidin, making it harder to absorb and use iron
✨ Nutrient deficiencies that impact iron metabolism, like vitamin C, copper, folate, or B12

Iron supplements absolutely have their place, but if you don't address why your iron is low, you're often stuck in the cycle of taking supplements, feeling a little better, and watching your levels drop again.

Your body is always giving you clues. The goal isn't just to replace nutrients, it's to understand what's preventing them from staying where they need to be.

Have you struggled with low iron that keeps coming back? Let me know in the comments!

If you're ready to uncover the root cause of your low iron and finally get a personalized plan, book a discovery call through the link in my bio. 🤍

09/29/2026

This was last night in Scottsdale after a long rainy day. The sun always comes out and sometimes a little more.

Address

Woodbury, MN

Website

https://www.andreaballenthin.com/, https://linktr.ee/AndreaBallenthin, https://shopmy.us/shop/andreaballenthin?Section_i

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Andrea Ballenthin Nutrition posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.