About
Meet Liat
Hi! I’m Liat Buckman, A Real Food Women’s Health Dietitian, and I have been through quite the journey with healing my hormones over the last decade.
I grew up as a gym enthusiast, deeply immersed in an intense ballet training regimen, paired with an equally rigid approach to food. Discipline was ingrained in me—it was the foundation of my education as a ballerina. My appearance was tied to my performance, and maintaining a certain look felt essential to dancing well. While I’ve always been passionate about healthy eating, my perspective back then was far from balanced. “Healthy” meant having two salads a day, minimal protein, avoiding red meat entirely, and relying heavily on vegetarian and vegan alternatives. If I ate anything remotely “carby,” I’d push myself to work it off at the gym that night—this was after already tackling ballet class and soccer practice.
Years of eating that way took a toll, and by the time I was 15, I still hadn’t gotten my period (no surprise there). When it finally arrived, it came with a vengeance. My periods were debilitating—I’d miss one or two days of school each month because the pain and discomfort were unbearable. I didn’t feel like myself. My PMS was intense, I struggled with constant anxiety, persistent stomach issues, and low energy. When my mom sought help from doctors, their only suggestion was hormonal birth control. Thankfully, my mom refused to accept that as the only solution. So, I endured the misery every month until I got married at 23. At that point, I decided to try birth control, but I quickly stopped when I realized it made me feel even worse.
It wasn’t until I had my first baby that I fully recognized how unbalanced my hormonal health really was. I struggled with a very traumatic low milk supply while nursing my daughter, constant anxiety and fatigue, and an overwhelming sense of stress that seemed to permeate everything.
When I had my second daughter, I faced chronic low milk supply again. After researching on my own, I went to an endocrinologist, hoping for answers. Instead, I was told my labs were normal, and because I was ‘young and skinny’ there wasn’t anything wrong. He offered no solutions and no direction, leaving me feeling completely unseen and unheard.
By the time my second daughter turned one, I decided to pursue a degree in nutrition sciences. However, as I progressed in my studies, I felt frustrated by how generic and one-size-fits-all the approach to nutrition seemed. Clinical nutrition appeared focused only on managing advanced disease, not on preventing or addressing root causes. I knew I wanted to practice differently.
During this time, I was trying to conceive my third child. I was 1.5 years into my degree and following what I thought was the “healthiest” lifestyle—limiting red meat and saturated fats, focusing on plant-based proteins, running 3–4 times a week, and doing CrossFit. But for the first time, I couldn’t get pregnant. A fertility specialist reassured me everything looked normal, but each passing month only increased my stress and frustration.
Determined to find answers, I delved deeper into my struggles with low milk supply and infertility. I couldn’t accept “normal range” lab results as the final word—I knew there had to be an underlying cause. My research revealed that hormonal imbalances often go unnoticed when they fall within “normal” but not optimal ranges. I also discovered the profound impact of real food eating, which focuses on truly nourishing the body rather than just cutting carbs, counting calories, or over-exercising.
Through continuing education and conversations with colleagues, I revisited the basics of biochemistry—and it was transformative. I realized that even after adopting a nutrient-rich diet, chronic stress was preventing my body from effectively absorbing those nutrients at a cellular level.
I also discovered I was slightly insulin resistant, even though my labs fell within the “normal range.” Over the years, my HbA1c and fasting glucose had been trending upward, but no doctor flagged it as a concern. I realized this underlying issue was likely the root cause of my ongoing low milk supply.
Another thing I realized was that my body operated under the impression that it was in a state of starvation, perpetually trapped in a fight-or-flight response. This meant it wasn’t prioritizing hormone production, hence the lack of milk and the fertility issues. I took it upon myself to understand the sources of stress within my body and focused on minimizing these stressors as much as possible.
While I needed to implement significant nutritional changes—like increasing my food intake, particularly carbs and animal proteins—I also uncovered hidden stressors in my life. Despite multiple lab tests from my doctor indicating that everything was ‘normal,’ I eventually turned to functional testing. This revealed nutrient deficiencies and even a leaky gut. It’s no surprise that my body struggled to heal itself.
Within 3 months of implementing these changes, I fell pregnant with my third daughter. And my milk supply was the best it ever was this time around.
My journey has been both lengthy and intricate. I transitioned from being preoccupied with my weight, and painful menstrual cycles to concentrating on my energy levels, blood sugar regulation, sleep quality, digestion, workout recovery, ovulation, body temperature, and many other straightforward aspects that can be measured daily.
By understanding how your body operates and what it requires for optimal functioning, you can empower yourself to achieve lasting hormonal balance. I hope to assist you in reaching this goal as we work together!
