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Dr. Lara Briden is a Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in the area of hormonal health. She practices at the Sensible-Alternative Hormone Clinic in Sydney Australia. She is the founder of larabriden.com and her blog provides a wealth of information on topics including hormonal health, the birth control pill, PCOS, thyroid health, and period related health concerns. Dr. Briden studied Evolutionary Biology at the University of Calgary and went on to graduate from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM). Her love of science and the natural world has informed the way that she practices medicine. In her own words:
The body wants to be healthy. So often, the best thing that we can do for health is to remove the obstacles that get in its way. – Dr. Lara Briden
Topics discussed in this episode
- The myth that the pill balances hormones and fixes period problems
- Why Dr. Briden considers the pill to be a type of chemical castration
- How the hormone levels of women who are taking hormonal birth control are similar to the hormone levels of women who are going through menopause
- Why the most common side effects of the pill may not be what you think they are
- What are some of the causes of menstrual irregularities?
- The role that insulin and insulin resistance plays in PCOS
- What is estrogen dominance and what role does it play in menstrual irregularities?
- Why detoxifying right after going off the pill may not be the best approach
- Can issues like acne, heavy periods, PCOS and other menstrual irregularities be treated naturally?
- How can women work towards improving their hormonal health naturally?
Connect with Dr. Lara Briden!
You can connect with Dr. Briden on her website larabriden.com, via email: [email protected] and on Facebook and Twitter:
Resources
- Lara Briden’s Healthy Hormone Blog
- Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden
- Natural Treatment for Very Heavy Periods – Lara’s Blog
- Treatment for 4 types of PCOS. Treat the cause – Lara’s Blog
- Reverse Insulin Resistance in 4 Easy Steps – Lara’s Blog
- Insight into Acne. Dairy, sugar, and mTOR – Lara’s Blog
- The PMS solution: 3 steps to Hormonal Resilience – Lara’s Blog
- 9 Tips to help Hormone Balance – Wellness Mama
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)
Thanks Lisa for these wonderful podcasts. I was intrigued by Dr. Briden’s comment about the birth control pill worsening a woman’s insulin resistance. I quick web search got me to these blog posts which reiterate what Dr. Briden said: http://menstruationresearch.org/2012/10/03/could-use-of-the-pill-be-linked-to-insulin-resistance/ and http://kellybroganmd.com/article/that-naughty-little-pill-birth-control/. And Kelly Brogan’s also mentions another point that I think is important, which is that using the pill not only can decrease libido in the short-term but also seems to have a long-term effect on SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) which means you may never get your full libido back.
Hi Anna! Thank you for sharing those links! It’s such a scary thought that the pill can cause permanent damage to our libido. So glad you’re enjoying the show 🙂
Hi there Lisa. I have a question/confusion/need for clarification. In this episode Lara mentions on several occasions that all contraceptive pill are estrogen and send our bodies into a continuous estrogen dominant state. What about the mini-pill (progestin only birth control). How does this pill fit into the whole conversation. Thank you for and info or resources you might have to share.
Hi Adriana, progestin only interferes with ovulation and inhibits mucus production. Either way it works by suppressing your natural hormones. When on combined pills your natural estrogen is low (to menopausal levels), and you have high synthetic estrogen due to the pill. The more important consideration is the negative effect on your natural hormones. Does this help?
Hi! New here 🙂 and been binging your episodes in order and I’ve been noticing that some of these are not on Spotify, is there a reason? Or it’s ok to still listen and take in everything that’s said? Just not sure if it’s removed because of any updates in the method or research or some inaccuracies that have been discovered. Thanks!