On Health for Women

The PCOS gut connection is a surprising new approach to a complex condition that Despite the fact that 1 in 10 women experience PCOS, the medical model has little to offer beyond or instead of prescription medications - which can help but aren’t ‘answers.’ One significant root cause that research is revealing is the connection between the microbiome and PCOS. In fact, gut health may play a much bi...

Do you have high estrogen levels? The term “estrogen dominance” gets tossed around a lot in the wellness and functional medicine worlds. It’s a common blanket explanation for many common – and even sometimes more serious – hormone-related issues. But what you’ve heard about estrogen dominance may not be entirely accurate, has some dubious historical underpinnings, and often oversimplifies what’s r...

Have you noticed a change in your menstrual cycle this past year or lately and wondered if it’s just you? In short, it’s not. From longer or shorter cycles, to more cramps and heavy bleeding to heightened PMS symptoms, a substantial number of women are reporting changes in their usual menstrual cycle patterns. And many are trying to understand and adapt, wondering what’s causing their cycles to su...

At some point in your life, it's likely that you’ve noticed a connection between your digestive system and your hormones, probably in the form of annoying or uncomfortable premenstrual bloating, or the loose stools so many women experience like clockwork just before their period starts. But have you ever considered that acne, period pain, PMS, PCOS, endometriosis, or fibroids could be related to n...

After being hospitalized due to postpartum complications, Brandi Frazier knew that something had to be done to help women. If she had not advocated for herself throughout her pregnancy and postpartum, she could have lost her life, a fate that has befallen to a shocking number of other African-American mothers. From these experiences she created Bee Empowered Mama, an organization that provides onl...

Heavy periods. At least 50% of women struggle with them enough to, well, absolutely skip wearing white pants during that time of the month, and for 1 in 6 women, they’re severe enough to significant impact quality of life – from disruptive, frequent trips to the bathroom to change pads or tampons, to serious at-work period accidents, to staying home from work social engagements, and...

Endometriosis. If you've been suffering with it silently, as so many women are, you know how much it can impact your life. In this podcast I share some of the science-backed herbs and supplements I use in my medical practice for helping my patients address the symptoms and associated underlying causes of endometriosis, including inflammation and immune dysregulation in endometrium-like tissue. Whi...

While acne is something we tend to think of as making our teenager’s lives miserable – and for many young women it certainly does – it also plagues many women well into their adult lives. Moderate to severe acne can really take a toll on you emotionally and mentally. It causes women to skip school or work, pass on social occasions, cancel dates, and feel horribly self-conscious. And it can lead to...

I invite you into an entirely new way of understanding your cycles and hormones – as your inner-hormone GPS – and to learn to tap into your innate body wisdom. Knowing the language of your cycles is not only empowering and really interesting, your menstrual cycle is your 6th Vital Sign and can tell you a tremendous amount about your hormonal and overall health. Listen to this episode to explore wo...

If you’re pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant any time in the next year, preparing your body for a healthy pregnancy and nourishing your growing baby are probably top of mind. Along with eating as well as you can to optimize your fertility and pregnancy health, this is the time many women consider whether or not they should be taking a prenatal vitamin and which one of the many options to...

In today’s very special Birth Circle episode of Natural MD Radio I sit down with multi-time-NYT best-selling author, Oprah Super Soul Sunday guest, and dear friend Gabby Bernstein to talk about her experience with Postpartum anxiety. After a 3 year journey to conception, followed by a beautiful birth - that I was very blessed to attend - Gabby found herself paralyzed with postpartum anxiety: not e...

Some of us find our path in life early, whether due to adversity, chance, or some fire in the soul. For me, food activism was my entry point into all the I now do as a midwife, herbalist, and MD, as well as a mom and a human. My guest today also got a fire in her soul that has also shaped her work early on in her life, and helped her to become the remarkable food activist she is today, Leah Pennim...

I’d love to share some common sense ideas with you on how you can raise your family as an eco-warrior in this podcast. It’s not as hard as you think, it doesn't have to be expensive, I know these options are not cheap, and can be hard to budget for, but what's really convincing, is that the results can be significant. We can’t simply wait for policy makers, industry leaders, or the government to c...

In this episode of the Birth Circle I get to sit down with new mama Dr. Jessica Clemons to talk about racial and reproductive justice, and how her experience as a black med student and black pregnant woman impacted her journey to bring her baby boy into this world at home this past April. Dr. Jess, MD, is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist, from Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University NYU...

Join me for a dynamic conversation with Abby Epstein and Ricki Lake about their new documentary - The Business of Birth Control. Looking at the complex relationship of hormonal contraception to women’s health and liberation, their film features the stories of activists, doctors and scientists who are blowing the whistle on how hormonal birth control affects the mind and body. The film revisits the...

The Birth Circle is a place where we can reclaim the power of support, encouragement, and inspiration – as well as touching into our common sisterhood – through shared stories. The stories of transformation you'll find in this series are here to provide you with insight, inspiration, wisdom, and support. In this episode. Emily Baldoni, actor, entrepreneur, @weareamma co-founder, and mama, shares h...

Magnesium is the most abundant mineral in the body – and it has a role in hundreds of functions. However, many women in the US are low in this important mineral – and you might be feeling the impact. The good news is that increasing your dietary magnesium and taking a daily supplement can quickly reverse symptoms and optimize your mood, sleep, menstrual cycles, daily elimination, and more! It's al...

I am very excited to introduce you to a new series in the Natural MD Radio that is dedicated to reinvigorating this tradition and the power that comes from continuing to share our stories - welcome to the Birth Circle. The Birth Circle is a place where we can reclaim the power of support, encouragement, and inspiration – as well as touching into our common sisterhood – through shared stories. Thes...

If it’s taking longer than you thought it would to get pregnant, or if you’ve been told you have a fertility problem, or even if you have a ton of friends who have faced fertility challenges, you might be freaking out a little – or chances are, even a lot. But please don't lose hope or confidence in your body; there’s a lot you can do to supercharge your fertility – and the most powerful place to...

In this episode I'm going to teach you all about how the function or dysfunction of your thyroid can be a factor in the function or disfunction of your periods, including whether they are regular, how long, heavy, whether you skip them, and whether you’re ovulating - and how PCOS, ovarian cysts, and more factor in. And of course, I’ll tell you what you can do with 5 steps to take control of your t...

Women are too often told by doctors that our hormone-related symptoms are not significant; that they’re just “normal,” or that they are over-reacting – in other words, that it’s all in their heads. But hormonal headaches are not just ‘all in your head.’ Migraines are actually described in the medical literature as one of the most common, disabling gynecologic conditions, and menstruation...

What do you do if testing shows you have Group B Strep (GBS) in pregnancy and are facing the decision about using antibiotics in labor as preventative treatment. Many women are unsure which is the greater risk – take the chance on your baby developing a GBS infection if you don't do the antibiotics, or take an antibiotic that can impact your baby's microbiome. This episode answers the numerou...

If that time of the month and period pain gets you curled up in a ball, or stretched out on your sofa binge-watching Netflix hugged up with your best friend at the moment - your hot water bottle - listen to this episode. This may be an herbal medicine that you too will find fascinating, and perhaps one that brings you some relief when you need it. For an accompanying article and show notes go to a...

My guest today, Shafia Monroe, has been “Birthing CHANGE” all her life. A renowned midwife, doula trainer, motivational speaker, and cultural competency trainer. Shafia, has been appropriately called the “Queen Mother of the Midwife Movement” for her pioneer midwifery work. Besides her work as a home birth midwife for over 35 years, Shafia has devoted herself to improving birth outcomes in Af...

When you’re pregnant, there’s no shortage of happy chatter about becoming a mom, nor shortage of options for childbirth education classes. However, there’s very little that prepares us either emotionally or physically for something that remains a hushed topic, and yet which 1 in 4 women will experience: miscarriage. In other articles, I’ll walk you through the physical and emotional nuances of mis...