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In today's Women Series episode, Tahnee chats with Dr. Lara Briden who is on a mission to empower women to reclaim their menstrual cycles. Dr. Lara refers to women's monthly cycles as their monthly report card and how ovulation is a vital sign of health. The ladies discuss how ovulation is so much more than just making a baby. Even though PMS and infertility are normalised in the Western world, Dr. Lara breaks it down that these symptoms are not healthy nor necessary. Hormonal birth control options are discussed and the ladies dive into the difference between PCOS and hypothalamic amenorrhea. To help empower women gaining confidence and knowledge about their cycles Dr. Lara shares methods to track ovulation and tips on dietary lifestyles to feel vital and healthy as a woman.

The ladies discuss:

• Without ovulation, there is technically no cycle.
• Did you know a regular cycle occurs every 21-35 days?
• When you are on the Pill, you will not produce fertile mucous.
• Hormonal birth control essentially induces a menopausal state.
• Fertile mucous looks like raw egg-white and is a sign of estrogen.
• It takes 12 years (TWELVE!) for a female's hormonal systems to fully mature.
• How a vegan diet can pose severe challenges for women's hormone health.
• PCOS sufferers often experience anovulatory cycles (a bleed, without ovulation).
• Tips to track ovulation include cervical mucous and basal body temperatures.
• A blood test looking at progesterone is risky as progesterone fluctuates throughout the cycle.
• The idea that the Pill supports fertility is a myth; it shrinks the ovaries and may bring on menopause earlier.
• Younger girls can often successfully treat period issues with anti-inflammatory foods and being dairy-free.

Who is Dr. Lara Briden?

Dr. Lara Briden is a naturopathic doctor and the period revolutionary—leading the change to better periods. Informed by a strong science background and more than twenty years with patients, Lara is a passionate communicator about women's health and alternatives to hormonal birth control. Her book Period Repair Manual is a manifesto of natural treatment for better hormones and better periods and provides practical solutions using nutrition, supplements, and natural hormones. Now in its second edition, the book has been an underground sensation and has worked to quietly change the lives of tens of thousands of women.

Resources:

Dr. Lara's website 

Dr. Lara's Instagram

The Right Way to Test Progesterone

Dr. Lara's book - The Period Repair Manual

Danish study looking at the Pill and depression