Keto for Women

Keto for Women: The Risks, Benefits, and How It Impacts Hormones

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Balancing Your Hormones, Food, Perimenopause/ Menopause, Thyroid, What to Eat

Questions about the keto diet fill my inbox and DMs daily, so it’s time to get the facts straight. The ketogenic (keto) diet is a high-fat, very-low-carb diet that shifts the body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where the body uses fat instead of carbs for energy. If you follow the research, the health benefits of keto are pretty …

How Hormones Affect the Brain

Do Hormones Affect Brain Health?

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Balancing Your Hormones, Brain Health

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about hormones? If you’re like most people, it’s probably your period or reproduction. But did you know that hormones have a significant impact on your brain? Sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are involved with brain development even before birth and play a role in memory, mood, and …

Estrogen Positive Breast Cancer

Estrogen and Breast Cancer: What’s the Relationship?

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Estrogen Dominance, Sex Hormones

Breast cancer isn’t exactly a topic any of us wants to discuss, but we need to. It’s so common that about 1 out of every 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. With these numbers, it’s no surprise that many of us have been directly impacted by the diagnosis.  It also means we have …

Immune System Hormones

Immune System Hormone Guide: How Your Hormone Health Affects Your Immune System

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Balancing Your Hormones

Your immune system is your body’s natural defense system, protecting your health against disease and infections. It’s a tough job, and with everything in the news, most of us are eager to boost our immunity however we can. A quick search will reveal hundreds of tips to eat right, exercise more, and sleep better to get your immune system working …

Addison’s Disease

The Effects of Addison’s Disease on Your Period

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Autoimmune Disease, Menstrual Cycle, Period

Addison’s disease is a rare autoimmune condition that causes damage to the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands play a critical role in hormones like cortisol and aldosterone necessary for everyday functions.  Addison’s is also called adrenal insufficiency or adrenal failure, but it’s important not to confuse this diagnosis with HPA axis dysregulation, or what some people call adrenal fatigue. HPA …

Is Histamine a Hormone

Estrogen and Histamine

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Balancing Your Hormones

Your body feels its best when your hormones are in balance with each other. Too much or too little can throw everything off. As a result, I talk a lot about the importance of hormone balance, especially with estrogen and progesterone, but today I want to dive into the less commonly talked about but significant connection between estrogen and histamine. …

ADHD in Women

ADHD and Hormones

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Balancing Your Hormones

ADHD in adult women has increased dramatically over the last couple of years. Sometimes the diagnosis is missed when a woman is young, and she’s diagnosed later in life. Other times ADHD is misdiagnosed as anxiety, depression, PMS. Or symptoms are simply overlooked because ADHD presents differently in women compared with men.  In addition, symptoms of ADHD in women might …

gratitude for hormone health

What Are the Benefits of Gratitude for Your Hormones and Health?

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Balancing Your Hormones, Brain Health

Did you know that there is immense power in gratitude and being kind to ourselves? Yep, it’s true! There are numerous health benefits that come from being thankful and treating ourselves with compassion and respect. Mindset is everything. It’s the secret sauce that helps people heal. I know many of you will be rolling your eyes at this point; skeptics …

Licorice Root

The Benefits of Licorice Root for Women

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Adrenal

Modern studies are finding more evidence for the many traditional uses of licorice root, especially for women’s health. This versatile anti-inflammatory plant can benefit digestive issues, hormone health, and skin health as well as helping ease problems with menstruation and menopause.