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The Period Party Podcast · EP. 257 · April 19, 2024

Is This Normal

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podcast guest

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Dr. Jolene Brighten is a hormone expert, nutrition scientist, and thought leader in women’s medicine. She is board certified in naturopathic endocrinology and trained in clinical sexology. Dr. Brighten is the author of Is This Normal, a non-judgemental guide to creating hormone balance, eliminating unwanted symptoms, and building the sexual desire you crave. A fierce patient advocate dedicated to uncovering the root cause of hormonal imbalances, Dr. Brighten empowers women worldwide to take control of their health and hormones through her website and social media channels. Dr. Brighten is an international speaker, clinical educator, and medical advisor within the tech community.

Throughout our conversation, we explore some of the fundamental questions about female anatomy and libido that often go unanswered. From understanding the difference between the vagina and the vulva to debunking common myths about masturbation and orgasms, Dr. Brighten sheds light on topics that are crucial for every woman’s health and well-being.

We dig deep into sex drive, what’s normal and what’s not, why some women have higher sex drives than others, whether women just generally have a lower sex drive than men, how our cycles affect our sex drives, and how we can improve low libido. Enjoy the episode!

Episode Highlights

Resources Mentioned

Fix Your Period

How Fix Your Period Connects Blood Sugar Balance to Hormonal Health

Blood sugar dysregulation is one of the most common and most overlooked drivers of hormonal imbalances. Fix Your Period helps you track the connection and take targeted action.

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Symptom Tracking

Track energy crashes, intense cravings, mood swings, and cycle irregularities — the patterns that reveal blood sugar's impact on your hormones.

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Hormone Health Assessment

Take Nicole's free Hormone Health Assessment and get personalised results that highlight the symptom clusters most associated with insulin resistance and blood sugar dysregulation.

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Blood Sugar Protocols

Fix Your Period Premium includes Nicole's comprehensive blood sugar balancing protocols — covering dietary approaches, targeted supplements like inositol and berberine, and movement strategies.

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Metabolic-Hormonal Education

Nicole's signature Period Pillars cover how insulin resistance drives androgen excess, suppresses ovulation, and worsens PMOS (formerly PCOS), PMS, and weight-related hormonal issues.

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Nicole.AI

Fix Your Period Premium includes Nicole.AI — trained on Nicole's methodology — giving you personalised answers to your questions about blood sugar balance and hormonal health.

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Personalised Protocol

Fix Your Period Premium unlocks your personalised protocol from your assessment results — a targeted starting point for addressing the metabolic drivers behind your hormonal symptoms.

Explore the App — It's Free to Start

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from this episode — and how Fix Your Period can help.

How does blood sugar affect hormones?
Chronically elevated insulin signals the ovaries to produce more androgens, which disrupts ovulation and drives symptoms like acne, hair loss, and irregular cycles. Blood sugar instability also stresses the adrenal glands (raising cortisol), depletes progesterone, and drives inflammation — all of which worsen period problems.
What are signs that blood sugar is affecting my period?
Signs include intense sugar or carb cravings (especially before your period), energy crashes, difficulty losing weight, irregular cycles, acne, increased hair loss, mood swings, and waking at 2–3am. These often reflect the blood sugar-hormone connection.
What is inositol and how does it help with hormonal health?
Inositol — particularly the combination of myo-inositol and d-chiro-inositol — is a compound that improves insulin sensitivity and reduces androgen production in the ovaries. It is one of the most researched natural interventions for PMOS (formerly PCOS) and insulin resistance-driven hormonal imbalances.
Is there an app that helps with blood sugar and hormonal health?
Yes. Fix Your Period's free assessment identifies blood sugar-driven hormonal patterns. Fix Your Period Premium unlocks Nicole's comprehensive blood sugar balancing protocols, Period Pillars education on the metabolic-hormonal connection, and Nicole.AI for personalised support.
What are the dietary foundations of blood sugar balance for hormonal health?
Nicole's approach centres on: eating protein at every meal, including fibre-rich vegetables, prioritising healthy fats, avoiding ultra-processed foods and refined carbohydrates, and timing meals to prevent extended fasting periods — all of which stabilise insulin and support healthy hormonal function.
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