289: Beyond The Pill With Dr Jolene Brighten

Head to melissaambrosini.com/289 for full episode resources and more inspiring weekly episodes. Many of us were sold the birth control pill as a ‘quick fix’ for a range of different conditions. But did you know that that tiny little pill can also have large consequences for your health? Today’s guest, Dr Jolene Brighten, is on a mission to inform women about the impact hormonal birth control can have on their bodies, brains and moods. And the data-backed insights she shares in this episode might just blow your mind... Dr. Jolene Brighten, NMD, is one of the leading experts in women’s medicine and the emerging science of Post-Birth Control Syndrome, which studies the effects of hormonal birth control on female health. In her best selling book, Beyond the Pill, she shares her clinical protocols aimed at supporting women struggling with symptoms of hormone imbalance, including birth control-related side effects. A trained nutritional biochemist and Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Brighten is the founder and Clinic Director at Rubus Health (an integrative women’s medicine clinic in Portland), a member of the MindBodyGreen Collective, and has been featured in prominent media outlets such as Forbes, Cosmopolitan, ABC news, and the New York Post. The insights Dr Jolene shares in this episode are SO important for women of all ages (and the men who love them and want to understand them better). Seriously — if they taught *this* information at school, we could transform the face of women’s health across the globe, and eliminate so many chronic health issues in the process... So if you want to find out the truth about how the birth control pill impacts your hormones, discover the simple steps you can take to have easier periods, and learn how to reclaim control of your health, fertility and energy levels... this episode is for you. In this episode we chat about: •Her story — from H Pylori, chronic illness and getting bitten by a dog... to where she is today (05:26) •What does the pill REALLY do to your mind and body? (12:32) •How to heal your hormones (even if they’ve been unbalanced for decades) (24:05) •What is seed cycling? (26:16)) •Is stress harming your hormones? Here’s what to do about it. (29:25) •The power of self-talk for radical self-love (35:20) •Finding the natural birth control option that works for you (40:09) •The best way to protect yourself from STDs (and why this is so important) (45:56) •What is the fertility awareness method? (49:03) •Plus so much more!