The next time your doctor orders a progesterone test, ask yourself: “When is the right day to do this test?” Forget “day 21 progesterone.” There’s no reason to test progesterone until you are approximately one week before your period. That will depend on how long your cycle actually is. Here’s what you need to know ... Read more Lara Briden's article The Right Way to Test Progesterone with the Menstrual Cycle appeared first on Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary ..read more

Some basic body literacy: A proper period or menstrual bleed is a bleed at the end of a natural ovulatory cycle. Any other type of bleed is either a pill bleed (a withdrawal bleed from stopping contraceptive drugs) or an anovulatory cycle (a bleed when there has been no ovulation). A menstrual cycle is, therefore, an ... Read more Lara Briden's article Basic Body Literacy appeared first on Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary ..read more

Does hormonal birth control impair metabolic health or cause weight gain? If so, which types are the worst? First of all, most types of hormonal birth control suppress ovulation and, therefore, switch off estradiol and progesterone. That means most types of hormonal birth control switch off the metabolism-enhancing benefits of those natural hormones. In that ... Read more Lara Briden's article Does Birth Control Cause Weight Gain? appeared first on Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary ..read more

Did you know that what’s happening in your gut can affect your periods and hormones? In episode twelve of my podcast and Youtube video, I discuss small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and its role in IBS; how SIBO can drive or worsen endometriosis, insulin resistance, premenstrual mood symptoms, and the fibromyalgia of perimenopause; plus how ... Read more Lara Briden's article How IBS and SIBO Can Affect Periods and Hormones appeared first on Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary ..read more

Why do antihistamines cause weight gain? And how does hormonal birth control affect metabolism? In episode eleven of my podcast and Youtube video, I look at how common medications affect metabolism; why birth control that is androgenic is more likely to cause weight gain; and whether natural progesterone causes weight gain or weight loss. ? ... Read more Lara Briden's article Medications That Cause Weight Gain appeared first on Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary ..read more

The supplement inositol is a superstar for treating polycystic ovary syndrome. It’s also been clinically trialled for weight loss, thyroid disease, anxiety, insomnia, and premenstrual mood symptoms. In episode nine of my podcast/YouTube video, I look at “what is inositol?”, how you can get it from diet, the difference between myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol, and why ... Read more Lara Briden's article Inositol for Mood, Sleep, and PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) appeared first on Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary ..read more

Perimenopause or “second puberty” is the two to ten years before the final period. It’s different from menopause, which is the life phase that begins one year after the final period. Symptoms, if they occur at all, occur mostly during perimenopause and are temporary. The normal age for the final period is anywhere from 45 ... Read more Lara Briden's article Why Perimenopause Is Not About Aging appeared first on Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary ..read more

What do post-pill acne, hair loss, and weight gain all have in common? They can all be the result of a temporary surge in androgens when trying to come off certain types of hormonal birth control. In episode eight of my podcast/YouTube video, I discuss post-pill androgen symptoms including why pills like Yasmin are the ... Read more Lara Briden's article Help for Post-Pill Acne, Hair Loss, and Weight Gain appeared first on Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary ..read more

Are premenstrual mood symptoms caused by progesterone or helped by progesterone? And why do antihistamines give such relief? In episode seven of my podcast/YouTube video, I discuss the irritability, sensitivity, sleep disturbance, and even rage you could experience leading up to your period. And what you can do about it. Also available wherever you get ... Read more Lara Briden's article Top 6 Natural Treatments for Premenstrual Mood Symptoms appeared first on Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary ..read more

There can be a strong hormonal component to abdominal weight gain. And in most people, that hormone is insulin. In episode six of my podcast/YouTube video, I discuss insulin resistance including why you could have insulin resistance even if your blood sugar is normal, the role of mitochondria, and all the ways to lower insulin ... Read more Lara Briden's article The Most Common Cause of Weight Gain appeared first on Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary ..read more