"Herbs, Plants and Period Pain" with Cath Lee, Lar Lee and Matt Crane

In this episode we interview Cath Lee, Lar Lee and Matt Crane - founders of Semaine Health, "a health and wellness company that takes women’s pain seriously". Cath and Lar, twin sisters, describe their personal journey with endometriosis and years of period pain. Together with Matt (Lar's husband), they started experimenting with trying natural plant-based ingredients, vitamins and supplements, to help alleviate pain, decrease inflammation, improve digestion and mood, while also doing research on existing evidence. This research and experimentation ultimately lead them to creating a plant-based supplement and starting a company called Semaine Health. The supplement has 9 clearly listed ingredients and Matt describes how they play a role in supporting a healthy body during period time - for example magnesium, Vitamin D, or curcumin. Lar and Cath share their passion for building a community, where talking about women's health, including period pain and menopause is normal. Tune in to learn more about their story!Catherine Lee was born and raised in Maryland in the suburbs of D.C. She graduated from Agnes Scott College and got her MPA at Georgia State. For 15 years she did economic development for the cities of Decatur and Chamblee, Georgia. In 2019, Catherine, her twin sister and brother-in-law, created Semaine Health, a womxn’s wellness company that creates all-natural, science-backed solutions to common problems like period pain, hormone imbalances and UTIs. Semaine products are currently sold online, Thrive Market and at Target stores nationwide. Catherine lives in Decatur, GA with her rescue dog, is an ENFJ and loves to talk all things about womxn’s health.Lauren Lee calls Atlanta home, but originally hails from the metro DC area. She graduated magna cum laude from Agnes Scott College and launched her 15 year career in graphic design, art design and creative leadership. Lauren worked for award winning agencies both in the US and UK, and pursuing her travel dreams around the world. In 2019 she cofounded Semaine Health Co., a plant-based supplement company that supports and finds solutions for women at every stage of her life, from her first period through menopause (and every UTI in between). Lauren uses her creative background to help women feel empowered about their health and health choices, and is passionate about making the wellness space more equitable and inclusive.Matthew Crane completed his BS and MS at Case Western Reserve University. He completed his PhD in Bioengineering at Georgia Tech, where his work was highlighted by The New York Times, The Scientist and Nature Methods. Matthew completed postdoctoral research at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Washington. He joined the University of Washington School of Medicine faculty before leaving in 2019 to help start Semaine Health. He is passionate about designing natural products that take a rigorous and clinical approach to help address common but neglected problems. Check out Semain Health website to learn more!This podcast is brought to you by Emory Lifestyle Medicine & Wellness. To learn more about our work, please visithttps://bit.ly/EmoryLM