Period Chats - A hormone wellness podcast.

Today’s episode of the Period Chats podcast is all about matching your pleasure with your menstrual cycle. We’re chatting with Blaire Horton from Holistic Rendezvous, who is a certified Nutrition Educator, certified Natural Chef, and a Holistic Nutrition Consultant. Blaire shares insights on the effects of hormone level changes on our libido and pleasure. Many people struggle with the topic of pleasure in general, and it may be the case that we don’t take the time to explore the interplay between our moods, interest in sex, and needs in general with our menstrual cycles. This episode will give you tips on a myriad of ways you can find pleasure in each phase of your cycle, so you can work with your natural rhythms instead of being eluded or even frustrated by them. And, it will help shatter whatever taboos may be present for you around the topics of libido, the menstrual cycle, pleasure, and sex. Blaire explains that the follicular phase is like spring and tends to make us more adventurous. Ovulation usually increases sex drive as well as self esteem in general, so we brainstorm how to channel that to our advantage. The early luteal phase is sometimes known as the “romantic” phase, so we talk about what interpersonal interactions look like during that week. Then in the later luteal phase many of us transition into nesting and organizing. Many people get more introverted, and some of us have more negative self-talk compared to other phases, so we share tips for how to get rest and good nutrition during that part of the cycle. We also talk a lot about what self-care looks like, and how it may change throughout the menstrual cycle as well. The main point is that pleasure is personal. It doesn’t necessarily mean sex with a partner, or anything sexual at all. It’s what feels good to you. We hope everyone can have a pleasure routine because it’s an important part of empowerment in our lives. Connect with Blaire: www.holisticrendezvous.com

Today’s topic has been MUCH requested! What’s in your lube, and is it hormone-friendly? This episode is all about lubrication. We’ll learn about what ingredients to avoid, what kind of lubrication is best for what purposes, and we’ll once again ask the existential question: why the hell didn’t they teach us this in health class? Meet the co-founders of Personal Fave, Hannah Hutton and Stephanie Elias, who are here to teach us all the info we need to know about healthy lubrication. A few episodes ago, we talked about the importance of clean, non-endocrine-disrupting ingredients that respect your body’s natural pH levels. Well, that’s exactly what Personal Fave offers in their plant-powered lubrication products that optimize pleasure, confidence and health. We’ll hear about the different types of products they’ve created and all the intentionality that went into their formulas, design, and presentation. We’ll also learn what inspired and motivated them to start their business. In the U.S. there are only about 12 ingredients banned on the personal care ingredient list, compared to hundreds in the E.U. So, many health and beauty products can have parabens, fillers, and unregulated fragrance soups. When those ingredients are in lubricants, it can lead to UTI’s and other health issues. We also talk about fertility and how sperm motility is optimized in a pH-matched lubricant. One of Personal Fave’s products is even mentioned in a study from Texas Tech because it out-performed the leading doctor-recommended lubricant on the market in the category of sperm motility. Then, we all join forces to un-stigmatize the whole subject of lubrication, including stats about usage and benefits. Libido, sex drive and pleasure can look different in every phase of your cycle, plus cervical mucous comes and goes, so having some Personal Fave products on-hand is probably a great idea :) Check them out at: www.personalfav.co Want a refresher on how absorbant the vulva and vagina are?  Check out this episode from a few weeks ago!

Guest Avocado Allie joins to discuss early period experiences, societal pressures on young girls' bodies, navigating shame around menstruation, challenges with sex ed in public schools, and the lack of resources for period health. They also touch on the impact of early menarche on adulthood, including the correlation between Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).

Welcome back to the Period Chats podcast. I’m so excited about today’s guest, Talia Bennick! Talia is the founder of Crisp and Crude, a non-alcoholic botanical mock-tails brand. Her amazing drinks are filled with mood-lifting ingredients that also taste delicious, and look chic. Talia went to business school at Yale, where alcohol was a common part of networking and social events. But during her last semester, she began to suffer from alcohol-related migraines. So she started experimenting mixing hemp extract with terpenes, and began to her inventive non-alcoholic drinks with friends. It proved to be a hit. Many of her mock-tails are also CBD-infused, so instead of wreaking havoc on alcohol-intolerant or sensitive systems, these drinks can actually support better health. Her drinks went to production this past August, and they’ve been a fun new part of my personal journey since then. We all have different, nuanced relationships with alcohol, and this can evolve throughout our adult years. Many can mindfully consume, and we talk about what that can look like, but many others abstain for various reasons. Personally, I’ve moved from having a party girl mentality to a greater understanding of my hormones and desire to optimize my health naturally. So I’ve been experimenting with abstaining from alcohol for the past 12 weeks, and plan to continue for the next 12 months. I still plan to hang out with friends and go out, but alcohol causes my anxiety to spike for way too long. So we discuss how to cope with social settings when you’re planning to abstain from drinking, about the pro’s and con’s of sharing our reasons for not drinking, and share some of the reactions we’ve gotten from people over the years. Talia also gives us some good tips on non-alcoholic drinks to order at a bar, to equip us to always feel confident that we fit in and belong. If you want to explore syncing your life with your cycle more intentionally in this area, Talia and I geek out on how to do just that. We discuss the interaction of alcohol with our hormones and brain chemicals, and how liver function comes into play. Talia shares her insight on the advantages of planning some of our personal goals and schedules around our cycles, as well as just our alcohol consumption. Your body can process alcohol more efficiently during the follicular phase (after your period, before ovulation). In the menstrual and luteal phase, you may notice more symptoms after drinking alcohol. This is because estrogen also has to get processed through the liver. People that drink socially tend to get an initial dopamine release, but later suffer a cortisol rebound effect. Talia’s drinks have different plant extracts and botanical terpene blends that can help us relax, like citrus, marigold, and broad spectrum non-TCH CBD. I know you’ll love this conversation with the scientific, creative and very cool Talia Bennick. Check out her drinks at: www.crispandcrude.com. Use code FUNKIT15 to save 15% off your first order! 

Welcome back to the Period Chats Podcast! Today we talk with Madeline Hollern about her experience with egg-freezing. Madeline is the Executive Director and Brand Ambassador at Austin Monthly, and I had the privilege of meeting her at a Free People Movement event where we struck up a conversation about fertility and egg-freezing. Madeline has known for a long time that she wants kids. After a recent break-up, she began to look in to the science behind egg-freezing. Egg-freezing is also known as mature oocyte cryopreservation, and is a method that’s usually used to preserve a person’s ability to become pregnant in the future. Eggs are harvested from the ovaries so they can later be used in the process of in vitro fertilization as needed. I was interested to hear the details of how Madeline’s journey was emotionally, financially (her health insurance didn’t cover any of it) and physically. She shares that in some of these ways it was taxing, but that she would absolutely do it again. First, she was tested for her AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) levels, then given an ultrasound, and eventually given the opportunity to sign up when she was ready. Madeline had a best friend that had just gone through the process, and some chips seemed to be falling in to place, so on 2-22-22 she felt like it was the perfect time to sign up and get started. People born with eggs have a set amount of them for life. They usually release once a month, and things like being on birth control don’t preserve them. While we can support the health of the eggs we have by nutrition and lifestyle, we can’t add to the specific number our bodies have. Ever the journalist, Madeline audio recorded the instructions during her visits to make sure she was doing her self-administration correctly. This included shots in the stomach area twice a day. She also went in for blood testing every 3 days and ultrasounds to check the follicles (eggs) which have to be the right size to be used in the freezing process. Madeline ended up having to go through the preparatory stage twice, because the first time only 2 retrievable eggs were visible in the ultrasounds. The second attempt included pre-treating with estrogen, and the day of the procedure they ended up with 8 eggs. In this episode, we also touch on the topics of bedside manner, the importance of having community and support, and the dedication and schedule diligence it takes to keep up with having your eggs frozen. Madeline shares that she now has more peace of mind knowing she has more options for the future. I’m super thankful for this educational and inspiring conversation! Make sure to follow Madeline on Instagram: @madelinehollern

Hi everyone! Welcome back to the Period Chats Podcast. Today we’re talking with Jessica Nazareth, a holistic sex coach who is also in training to become a naturopathic doctor. Today’s topic is vaginal health, and Jess is literally the perfect expert to enlighten us about this important aspect of wellness. She started her undergrad in health sciences, and soon delved into holistic medicine. Jess grew up familiar with nutrition and traditional Chinese medicine because her family of origin utilized its principles in their own lives. So when she was diagnosed with PCOS, she found these practices helpful in balancing her own hormones and successfully managing the condition. Jess has been studying biomedical sciences in Toronto, and her passion for sharing her extensive knowledge, empowering others and treating each individual from the root cause is so refreshing. Her focus on reproductive health and vaginal and sexual wellness has led her to develop her own courses on the topics. As we all know, sex ed sucked. And on top of that, many medical and health care professionals still lack training in vaginal and sexual wellness. Jessica and I believe that holistic and naturopathic medicine can contribute some much-needed insight and wisdom to the medical field, and all of our wellness journeys. One thing that has slowed down awareness about - and love for - our bodies is the shame that society has historically placed on the topics of vaginal health and sexual wellness. At one point Lysol was even recommended to people with vaginas to use in order to prevent their partner from leaving them (excuse me?!?) and, also problematically, to change natural bodily odor with its ammonium hydroxide and synthetic fragrance. Yikes. But in the Period Chats community, we know that vaginal health includes our own natural self-cleaning eco-system, and that the vulva even changes and evolves because of time, hormones, and other factors. In preparation for this episode, we got TONS of questions around discharge, mucous, vaginal health, appearance, cyclical changes, and bacterial balance (flora). Jessica explains the difference between discharge and mucous, and how it all works. Plus she addresses the existence of “cross talk” with our blood stream (very cool). We touch on allergies and immune considerations, and how chemicals can be easily absorbed through the skin in this area. We also address questions about menstrual cups, the over-marketing of wipes, and reconsidering some habits and routines to support our bodies. Moral of the story: our vaginas aren’t flawed, they have reasons for everything they do, and we can celebrate our awesome bodies. I can’t wait to have Jess back on another episode soon; she is a wealth of fascinating and helpful info. Check out Jess’s free resource about mindset and pleasure: jessicanazareth.com/the-pleasure-mindset-guide/ Follow her on instagram: @jessicaanazareth

Dr. Amanda Olson, a pelvic floor specialist, discusses the importance of pelvic floor health and common dysfunctions. Topics include pelvic floor anatomy, causes of dysfunction, and solutions like pelvic floor therapy and tools by Intimate Rose. The podcast educates on pelvic floor issues in both genders and addresses misconceptions about therapy.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains topics that may be triggering including sexual assault Welcome back to the Period Chats Podcast! Today we’re talking about all things relationships, sex, and being a cyclical person. Our guest is my friend Catherine Drysdale, a sex and relationship coach who teaches about pleasure, intimacy, communication, and enhancing love. Catherine explains her journey with PCOS, pain, being mis-diagnosed for years, taking progesterone-based birth control, having IUD struggles, and finally getting her hormones tested (her progesterone and testosterone were high). She’s been off birth control for 8 years and managing her symptoms successfully through diet, proper exercise for her body, and seed cycling. We also talk about sex education reform, and how people’s views on sex are shaped by their early education. Many states don’t even require sex ed to be medically accurate, and a lot of education curriculum and videos are basically abstinence-based scare tactics. It’s so inspiring to hear how Catherine is working to change this, and her passion for implementing more emotionally intelligent and well-rounded education for kids. We also talk about the journey of learning to be more present during sexual experiences, creating good communication with our partners, and taking the time to heal from the past. She explains the spectrum of “consensual” and what it takes to cultivate fully consensual relationships. And, she shares where to begin to heal if you’ve had experiences that were not fully consensual. Catherine shares about the sexual assault she experienced in her college years, how it felt to be invalidated while taking the right steps to report the crime (even with physical proof, and arrest and detainment of her abusers, her school denied the fact that it was rape), and what has helped her heal from the trauma and depression that resulted after this injustice. I’m so inspired and amazed as I look at Catherine’s journey and how even the shitty experiences we have to work through can become part of how we help the world, use our voices, and let others know that what they feel is real and right. Read the Vice article: https://www.vice.com/en/article/z34gj5/sexual-tension-relationships-desire-mutual Follow Catherine on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamcatherinedrysdale

Welcome back to the Period Chats Podcast! Today we get to hear from Sandi Kronick, the CEO of Happy Dirt. Based in Durham, Happy Dirt is an organic wholesale and distribution company. Ever since Sandi started it in 2004, they’ve been supporting local farmers who grow organic food. They do this by building up infrastructures like trucking and marketing, so that farmers can focus on their soil, and crops, and build a future for themselves and their families. So many questions have come my way about organic food, so today you’ve come to the right place; we’re about to learn SO MUCH from Sandi. The term “Organic” is legally regulated through the federal government. In the food and agriculture space, this single word means that a farm is adhering to hundred of pages of regulatory work that includes disallowing most synthetic products, as well as disallowed non-synthetic products in growing their crops (they still may use natural pesticides like garlic). The National Organic Standards Board oversees this and shows zero tolerance for things like harmful conventional pesticides and GMO’s, so consumers can rest assured that organic food has been through the relevant inspections. They also have a commitment to wholistic practices like crop rotation. Some people think that organic and conventional foods are the same, and that the label is kinda BS… and maybe cheaper price motivates this convenient belief! I used to be one of those people - but it turns out I felt better when I switched to organic, and it also turns out there’s science behind why. Our bodies don’t process certain synthetic pesticides well. Plus, many of the conventional pesticides that farmers are allowed to use in the U.S. can kill our off our gut microbiomes. We all know Preventative health is more efficient and less stressful than having to treat illnesses that could have been prevented upstream. So, as more and more data accumulates on the matter, a growing number of doctors believe that eating organic is a worthwhile preventative health measure. We talk about how Sandi’s company contributes to the world of organics, cares about maintaining consumer trust, and ensures that the principles of organic farming stay intact. We also talk about regenerative farming, which is a different but related thing to organic farming, and how some farms are doing both. Currently, there isn’t a certification program for regenerative farming, or a set definition yet, but that may be coming soon. Sandi reminds us why it’s important to go to our local farmer’s markets, and how not everyone there is an organic farmer but they’re all still heroes. She suggests some questions might be helpful to ask while there. Most states have an umbrella non-profit that connects citizens to farmers and farmers markets, so make sure you check for your state’s local food finder. I LOVED hearing about all the work that goes into organic food, and I know we’ll all feel more connected to our food and our bodies after this episode! Learn More Happy Dirt’s https://happydirt.com/

On this episode of the Period Chats Podcast, documentary film maker Shelby Hadden joins us to talk about her wildly wonderful, impactful documentary: Tightly Wound. Based on an essay she published in Bust Magazine, the animated short film chronicles her experiences with vaginismus and pelvic floor pain. After a kickstarter shout-out in Cosmo, an article in Media Wire and much more, the film has 4 million views and has been all over the world. Shelby and I talk about how sharing your story publicly can be so many different things. It can be freeing and liberating to share, super helpful to others to hear, and a powerful influence on culture - but it can simultaneously be intimidating and unpredictable to post your life’s details on the internet. She explains that creating the film was a coming out type of experience for her, because there were many family members and friends who still didn’t know about her health journey. Shelby shares how she couldn’t use a tampon as an adolescent, but didn’t find pelvic floor physical therapy (the treatment that has helped her the most) until age 21. She then found herself at the forefront of a decade-long rise in awareness on the topic, in a culture that’s moving from young women like her taking 7 years plus to get an accurate diagnosis, to an internet-connected world where pelvic floor physical therapists are posting on Tik Tok and Instagram helping people learn the basics about the disorder. Shelby tells us what the process looked like to create the film, and what her network, team and community looked like during the process. It’s so beautiful that people with vaginismus and other pelvic floor issues can now point to this well-made film and say to their family, friends, or potential romantic partners, “This is what I have.” Insurance doesn’t always cover pelvic floor therapy, and there are different rules in different states about referrals and the number of sessions that may get approved, but Shelby leaves us with this wise advice: don’t give up finding the great treatment that you deserve. We talk about other treatments such as Botox, which some people have had results with for vaginismus, and of course a good therapist should be part of your team as well. I’m thankful for this conversation and for a chance to disarm the shame and secrecy some people feel in their experiences. Whatever your hopes are with regards to pelvic floor dysfunction of any kind, they are completely valid; none of those things are wrong to want and feel, so don’t give up fighting for your desires and goals. Read Shelby’s article: https://bust.com/sex/18462-vaginismus-essay.html Check out the film: https://www.tightlywoundfilm.com