What if the way you feel every month isn’t “just hormones” — but your brain doing exactly what it was designed to do?

For decades, women’s health research has treated female bodies like smaller versions of men’s, leaving critical questions about hormones, birth control, mood, energy, and even attraction unanswered. Brigid sits down with research psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Sarah E. Hill to unpack the science behind your menstrual cycle, hormonal birth control, and why understanding your biology can transform your health.

From blood sugar changes during your luteal phase to the surprising ways birth control may influence attraction, libido, and emotional wellbeing, this episode offers practical insights every woman deserves to know.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

• Why women have historically been underrepresented in medical research
• How hormonal birth control works—and what it does to your brain and body
• The surprising connection between estrogen and energy, libido, confidence, and attraction
• What happens when you stop taking hormonal birth control
• How progesterone affects mood, cravings, gut health, and stress sensitivity
• Why blood sugar and insulin sensitivity change throughout your menstrual cycle
• Nutrition strategies to support hormone health during the second half of your cycle
• The role of walking, stress management, and recovery in supporting healthy ovulation
• The important differences between hormonal birth control and menopausal hormone therapy (HRT)

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Introduction to Functional Nutrition and Women's Health
• 01:23 The Historical Oversight in Women's Medicine
• 06:06 Personal Journey: The Impact of Hormonal Birth Control
• 09:01 Understanding Hormonal Birth Control Mechanisms
• 14:11 The Disconnect in Modern Medicine Regarding Birth Control
• 19:03 Navigating Life After the Pill
• 23:26 Attraction Dynamics: The Pill's Influence on Partner Choice
• 31:26 Men's Attraction to Women: The Role of Hormones
• 37:33 The Invisible Luteal Phase
• 40:09 Understanding the Menstrual Cycle
• 44:57 Symptoms of the Luteal Phase
• 57:07 Nutrition and Insulin Sensitivity
• 01:01:06 Stress and Hormonal Health
• 01:07:05 Hormone Therapy vs. Birth Control
• 01:10:35 Resources and Further Learning

Resources & Links:

+ Watch the full episode on YouTube

+ Dr. Sarah’s Website

+ Dr. Sarah’s Instagram

+ Dr. Sarah’s Podcast (The XX Lab)

+ Join The Being Collective

+ Brigid’s Website

+ Brigid’s Instagram

If this episode helped you better understand your hormones and health, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another woman who deserves to know this information.