Today I’m joined by Dr. Lara Briden, a naturopathic doctor, best-selling author, and internationally recognized expert in women’s hormones for a wide-ranging conversation on cycle health and why ovulation is a vital sign of wellbeing.
We talked about how monthly ovulation creates hormones that support bones, metabolism, and brain function, and what happens when that rhythm is disrupted by stress, restrictive eating, or birth control. Dr. Briden explains why natural estradiol and progesterone are so protective, how they differ from synthetic hormones, and what that means for both younger women and women approaching perimenopause.
She also shares her perspective on missing periods, hypothalamic amenorrhea, and the four functional types of PCOS, along with the growing role of insulin resistance in hormone imbalance. We talk about how to track ovulation, what lab markers to look for, and why restoring cycles is one of the most powerful steps for long-term health.
Chapters
00:49 - Ovulation as a vital sign of female health
02:57 - Impact of hormonal birth control on ovulation and hormones
07:51 - Benefits of natural estrogen and progesterone
09:47 - Perimenopause and importance of hormones in young women
11:49 - Benefits of estradiol and progesterone
17:37 - Dysregulated or missing periods
19:50 - Anovulatory cycles and tracking ovulation
22:50 - Lag time for menstrual cycle disruption and recovery
26:50 - Differentiating between hypothalamic amenorrhea and PCOS
31:18 - Four different types of PCOS
36:25 - Lab markers for insulin resistance
58:53 - Recommendations for managing insulin-resistant PCOS
Dr. Briden socials + website
Website: https://www.larabriden.com/about/
Instagram: @larabriden
Kayla's social + website:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylabarnes/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@femalelongevity
Twitter: https://x.com/femalelongevity
Website: https://www.kaylabarnes.com/
Follow Her Female Protocol: https://www.protocol.kaylabarnes.com/
Become a Member of Kayla's Female Longevity Membership: https://kayla-barnes-lentz.circle.so/checkout/become-a-member
