If there is one topic that is a taboo pertaining to women’s health, it is our reproductive rights. More specifically, the birth control pill. This is a topic that I have tried to pull guests into in past episodes, but no one quite wants to touch it. Well, there is one person that I knew would be brave enough to go there. Dr. Jolene Brighten’s area of expertise is understanding the hormonal environment of the women she treats and the impacts of their medications, including the birth control pill. Dr. Brighten is a naturopathic doctor that practices on the West Coast of the United States. She has written several books and has made a career of understanding women’s hormonal health. In today’s episode, we talk about the pill, the good and the bad, to give you a balanced and informed approach. We talk about Post Birth Control Syndrome, some of the symptoms you should be watching for if you are on the pill and some natural alternatives if you decide this is not the approach to birth control that you want to take.
Key Takeaways:
[3:12] Dr. Jolene was working in DNA technology when she found naturopathy.
[9:00] Dr. Jolene wrote a book about postpartum healing, as well as several others.
[10:56] Women need more healthcare options.
[12:07] Why did Dr. Jolene decide to self-publish her first book, and go through a publisher the next time?
[14:24] Understanding what drives her has been key to Dr. Jolene’s success.
[16:00] The birth control pill has been instrumental in how women have been able to progress in society.
[20:01] The pill has a dark history.
[22:00] What health issues can be caused by the birth control pill?
[29:17] Is it bad if you’ve been on the pill for a long time?
[35:52] If you aren’t ready to come off the pill, there are some things to watch for.
[41:35] There are natural alternatives to the pill.
[47:40] Health is feeling in alignment with yourself.
[48:25] Take this month’s quiz at Meghanwalker.com/entrepologyquiz.
[48:47] Let’s look at Dr. Jolene’s key performance indicators!
[53:24] Here’s how to follow Dr. Jolene.
[54:13] If you enjoyed our conversation and would like to hear more, please subscribe to The Entrepology Podcast on Stitcher or iTunes. We would also appreciate a review.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Sweetening the Pill, by Holly Grigg-Spall
Tweetables
“I love the patients that conventional medicine calls trouble-makers, I just call them awesome.”
“There is a really dark history to the pill that a lot of people do not know about.”
“Women have complained about depression since the introduction of the pill.”
“You shouldn’t need a study to believe your patients.”
“ You can’t out-diet the pill, and you can’t out-supplement a poor diet or lifestyle.”
“The pill is highly, highly inflammatory.”
MORE ABOUT DR. JOLENE BRIGHTEN
Dr. Jolene Brighten is a functional medicine naturopathic doctor and the founder of Rubus Health—a root-cause women’s medicine clinic where she specializes in the treatment of hormone disorders, including adrenal and thyroid conditions and autoimmune disease. In her patient-centered clinic, Dr. Brighten thrives on navigating the space between conventional and alternative medicine, all while working with patients to help them achieve optimum balance, health, and happiness. She is a best-selling author, certified yoga instructor, daily meditator, urban homesteader, and a mother. You can follow Dr. Brighten on Facebook or learn more by visiting her website.
CONNECT WITH MY GUEST
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/drbrighten
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/drbrighten
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbrighten
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten/
PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.ca/drbrighten/
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