What Causes Vaginal Dryness

Vaginal Dryness and the Vaginal Flora

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Gut-Hormone Connection, Perimenopause/ Menopause, Sexual Health

Vaginal dryness is a women’s health symptom that often goes overlooked. Women may feel uncomfortable discussing dryness with their partner or provider and suffer in silence. Or they may believe vaginal dryness to be a normal part of being a woman or getting older.  If you are experiencing vaginal dryness, you are not alone. It is widespread, affecting up to …

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 …

best herbs for menopause

The Best Herbs for Menopause

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Perimenopause/ Menopause

Entering the season of menopause can bring up so many different emotions for a woman. It’s a time of immense change that can mean a new chapter of freedom and wisdom. Unfortunately, the symptoms associated with menopause can seriously impact how a woman experiences this shift, ranging from bothersome to completely debilitating. Menopause means you’ve not had a menstrual period …

progesterone weight gain

Does Progesterone Cause Weight Gain?

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Menstrual Cycle, Perimenopause/ Menopause, Period Problems

Hormones. It’s easy to blame them for everything, from mood swings to food cravings to those extra pounds that don’t quite make sense. While weight fluctuation can be totally normal and healthy, truly unexplained weight gain can point to a hormone imbalance and might be your body’s way of asking for extra help. If weight loss is a goal, it’s …

best perimenopause supplements

15 Perimenopause Supplements for Happy Hormones

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Balancing Your Hormones, Libido, Perimenopause/ Menopause

Perimenopause is a time of hormonal decline as the body prepares to stop ovulating and shift into menopause. While ideas of shifting hormones may feel you with a sense of dread, there are many nutrition, lifestyle, and perimenopause supplements that can help you maintain your energy, mood, and overall well being.  Perimenopause can be a confusing time in a woman’s …

perimenopause signs

Perimenopause Symptoms and Treatment

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Perimenopause/ Menopause

You’ve probably heard of menopause, which officially occurs the year after you completely stop having a period. There’s a transition period before menopause that a lot of women experience called perimenopause. This is a time when perimenopause symptoms start to crop up even though you feel like you’re much too young for that nonsense. While some women have a completely …