Hormone Zone

Jane Sagui and Sabrina Mason

Hormone Zone is a podcast for menstruating people who want to learn more about their bodies. Hosts Jane Sagui and Sabrina Mason are here to talk about the TMI topics that people want to learn more about. Friends for a decade and now the co-founders of female health startup Pollie, no topic is off limits for Jane, Sabrina, and their periodic guests. From poop to periods to f*cked up stuff in healthcare, we’re here for it. Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram (@pollie.co).

  1. 21/03/2023

    How naturopathic medicine and acupuncture can help our hormones feat. Dr. Lana Butner (@drlanawellness)

    In today's episode, Jane sits down with naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist Dr. Lana Butner to learn about naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, and our hormones.  Dr. Lana owns her own practice and helps people with chronic conditions and unexplained symptoms identify the root cause of their health issue. She helps her patients with gut health, hormone and fertility issues like PCOS, and more. If you have been struggling with a health issue and are curious about exploring how naturopathic medicine or acupuncture could help you, this episode is for you.  Tune in to learn: What is naturopathic medicine? What is the credentialing process like for providers? How does naturopathic medicine differ from functional medicine? What does the process of working with a naturopathic doctor typically look like?  How can acupuncture help our fertility? Are food sensitivity tests worth the hype? Full-fat dairy for menstruating people: yay or nay? Why are thyroid imbalances oftentimes misdiagnosed as PCOS? What are tips for knowing if a specific acupuncturist will be good for fertility issues? What are tips for PCOS nutrition for someone who was just diagnosed? --- If you would like to learn more about Dr. Lana or work with her, check out her website (https://www.drlanawellness.com/). You can find her on Instagram and Tiktok at @drlanawellness. Use the code POLLIE15 for 15% off Dr. Lana's new PCOS Recipe Booklet and DRLANA2WEEKS for 2 weeks free of Pollie's PCOS Program (just search "Pollie" and apply the code at checkout in the App Store or Google Play Store). Labs to ask for if you are concerned about your thyroid health (hint: TSH is oftentimes not enough!)  TSH Free T3 and T4 Reverse T3 and T4 Thyroid antibodies Looking for an acupuncturist to work with? Look for the following  NCCAOM-accredited (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine)  A Diplomate of Acupuncture is an acupuncturist who is certified by the NCCAOM. It is a considerable professional achievement to earn the designation Diplomate of Acupuncture (NCCAOM). Look for certifications in specialty areas related to fertility and / or female health Check out referrals from reproductive endocrinologists (REIs), fertility clinics, and/or OBGYNs in your area   Be aware of dry needling, this is not acupuncture! It can be helpful for physical therapy-related purposes but there is little regulation / credentialing for this type of work.  --- Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram and Tiktok (@pollie.co).

    39 min

  2. 14/02/2023

    The dark side of wellness feat. Clara Nosek, RD (@yourdietitianbff)

    In today's episode, Jane sits down with Clara Nosek, RD (@yourdietitianbff) to talk about the downsides of the wellness and nutrition industries. Clara is a registered dietitian who moonlights as an educator and content creator in the anti-diet and wellness accountability space. Her content goes much deeper than her hilarious wellness and diet culture memes, though. She provides digestible and science-backed education to help people better understand the ways that wellness culture can oftentimes reflect and perpetuate discriminatory systems in our society, and she uses research and history to explain the problematic parts of this industry. If you've been thinking about whether wellness or diet culture has gone too far and may be negatively impact your life, this episode is a good jumping point to start more deeply reflecting on how external influences and massive systems have played a role. It's also a great listen for those who work in the wellness or nutrition space and want to make sure they are staying accountable, acknowledging their specific privileges and biases, and practicing with their clients (or educating their platforms) in a way that is inclusive, aware, and not unintentionally harmful to certain communities. Tune in to learn: What is wellness culture, and how and why can it be so toxic? How have capitalism, white supremacy, ableism, and other societal systems impacted the way wellness culture has developed? If you feel like wellness culture is impacting you in a negative way, what are tangible steps you can take to start re-assessing your relationship and consumption of its content, products, and services? What are ways you can still participate in parts of wellness culture that bring you joy and make your mind and body feel good without enabling a system that you want to change? Is that even possible?  What are helpful resources for examining how wellness culture has impacted you and your own wellbeing, as well as others in your community? You can find Clara @yourdietitianbff on Instagram and Tiktok as well as her website (https://www.claranosek.com/).  SHOW NOTES Clara's recommended resources (in this order!) include: The Gospel of Wellness (Rina Raphael) McMindfulness (Ronald E. Purser) Cult-ish (Amanda Montell) The Sum of Us (Heather McGhee) Hood Feminism (Mikki Kendall) The two anti-diet dietitians / creators Jane calls out are: Lisa Hayim (@lisahayim on Instagram) Robyn Nohling (@thereallife_rd on Instagram) Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram and Tiktok (@pollie.co).

    56 min

  3. 30/01/2023

    Why do people mix up PCOS and endometriosis?

    PCOS and endometriosis both impact at least 10% of women and people that menstruate, and are largely known as being fertility-related conditions. But despite being quite different disorders, they are sometimes confused with one another. Why is that? In today’s episode, Jane and Sabrina dive into what PCOS and endometriosis both are, how they are diagnosed, and what makes them similar vs. different. Perhaps the most commonly-shared symptom of PCOS and endometriosis is infertility and irregular menstrual cycles. However, PCOS tends to be “irregular” in that people get fewer cycles per year than average, whereas endometriosis tends to be “irregular” in that it can make people’s periods incredibly heavy and painful (although, heavy and painful periods are also a symptom for many people with PCOS!). PCOS and endometriosis are complex conditions and sit at the intersection of several bodily systems. PCOS, for example, is a hormone imbalance at its core but is also a metabolic and / or inflammatory condition for some people. Endometriosis is generally characterized as an inflammation condition but can be worsened by hormone imbalances. Both have been linked to genetic factors as well. Whether you have PCOS or endometriosis, are trying to support someone in your life who does, or just want to expand your knowledge about women’s health, this episode is a quick deep dive into why it is important to distinguish the two conditions. — SHOW NOTES Study that suggests PCOS may increase endometriosis by 9x: https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/100/3/911/2839432 Other studies (e.g., https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.5301/je.5000181?journalCode=peva&) show there is a likely link between the two conditions — Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram and Tiktok (@pollie.co).

    20 min

  4. 16/01/2023

    Can I get pregnant if I have PCOS?

    PCOS is known as being the leading cause of infertility, and it does have a reproductive health impact for a majority of people who have it. One of the diagnostic criteria for PCOS is having irregular or absent ovulation, after all, and if you are not ovulating (or are not ovulating consistently) getting pregnant will indeed be more difficult. That said, a PCOS diagnosis is not an infertility sentence. While you will not be able to get pregnant in any given month that you don’t ovulate, spontaneous ovulation is possible even in unmanaged PCOS. And the good news is that managing your PCOS with lifestyle and medication can make ovulation even more likely. In fact, over 60% of people with PCOS can achieve ovulation with lifestyle changes alone. And adding in fertility treatments like clomid, IUIs, and IVF is also a helpful tool if that is desired and financially feasible. Whether you were diagnosed with PCOS yesterday or a decade ago, if you are looking for a crash course on what this means for your family formation journey, this episode is for you. ------------ Study referenced about how lifestyle changes can encourage ovulation for 60% of people with PCOS: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26401593/ This deserves its own episode, but if fertility treatment is not covered by your employer or health insurance it can be a steep out of pocket expense. We are fans of Future Family as a financing option: https://www.futurefamily.com/ivf ------------ Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram and Tiktok (@pollie.co).

    8 min

  5. 02/01/2023

    Are ovarian cysts and PCOS the same thing?

    Hormone Zone is back after our break! We’ll be starting a new bite-sized format mixed with specialist interviews. Today’s discussion gets into a question we hear a lot: are ovarian cysts the same thing as polycystic ovaries or PCOS? While the two certainly sound similar, they are actually quite different. Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs in or surrounding the ovary. They affect 8-18% of pre and postmenopausal women. While they oftentimes cause no discomfort or symptoms, they can sometimes become twisted or burst open which can be painful and dangerous. There are different types of cysts such as follicular cysts, corpus luteum cysts. Polycystic ovaries, on the other hand, refer to a state of your ovaries having an abnormally-high number of follicles surrounding them. They do not cause any harm or pain and are not dangerous. And as one final clarification point: having polycystic ovaries does not automatically mean that you have PCOS! They are commonly seen with PCOS, but can also be due to another hormone imbalance or just be a “normal” variant of your own body. They must be accompanied by high androgen levels (detected through lab work) and / or irregular or absent ovulation (detected through irregular menstrual cycles) to be diagnosed as PCOS. If you have any questions or have a topic you would like us to discuss in a future episode. — SHOW NOTES Pollie’s advisor Dr. Pooja Mahtani has a great blog article covering this topic: https://poojamahtaniwellness.com/polycystic-ovaries-vs-pcos-whats-the-difference/ https://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/womens-health/ovarian-cysts/ — Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram and Tiktok (@pollie.co).

    12 min

  6. 13/09/2022

    Ending the PCOS stigma

    Since September is PCOS Awareness Month, Jane and Sabrina are tackling one of their favorite topics: stigma and PCOS. PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) impacts at least 10% of menstruating people. Common symptoms like irregular periods and subsequent infertility, weight gain, acne, female-pattern hair loss, hirsutism, and mental health conditions are all very stigmatized in today’s culture. For that reason, many people with PCOS may struggle with internal, external, or anticipated stigma. In today’s episode, Sabrina and Jane start off with Jane’s own experience with PCOS before getting into the research behind stigma and chronic conditions. Tune in to hear more about: How and why Jane internalized feelings of being “defective” because of her PCOS diagnosis (note: PCOS does not make you defective; but society tells us it does!)  How Jane’s feelings about PCOS have shifted throughout the years and what has helped her confront the shame and embarrassment she felt about symptoms How internalized stigma still shows up with health-related issues in Jane’s life Internalized vs. experienced stigma vs. anticipated stigma: What they are, how they contribute to lower quality of life and worse health outcomes, and how various forms of privilege play a role The importance of re-framing your condition, sharing your story, educating yourself, holding healthcare providers accountable, and other tips when it comes to confronting, reducing, and even eliminating feelings of shame and embarrassment from PCOS and other chronic health issues STUDIES The Impact of Stigma in Healthcare on People Living with Chronic Illnesses Barriers to routine gynecological cancer screening for White and African-American obese women: Study findings demonstrate that people with stigmatized conditions (e.g., higher BMI) tend to delay care. This study found that a higher BMI resulted in significantly lower rates of female preventative care like pap tests, pelvic examinations, and mammograms. 90% of the women in the study had health insurance (and these conditions are covered by insurance) suggesting that the main causes of delaying or not receiving preventative care was related to disrespectful treatment and negative attitudes of providers (experienced stigma) and internalized stigma (embarrassment about weight). OTHER EPISODES General PCOS podcast Hormone Zone episode --- Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram (@pollie.co).

    43 min

  7. 31/08/2022

    Are plant-based diets good for our hormones? Feat. Dr. Dylan Cutler

    In today’s episode, Sabrina and Jane are joined by Pollie advisor, OBGYN PhD, and health educator Dr. Dylan Cutler to talk all about plant-based (and vegan) diets and PCOS. While plant-based eating is often brushed aside in the world of hormonal health due to a focus on low glycemic or even borderline keto diets, there are many benefits to adding more vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes to your diet - even if you decide to not commit 100% to being vegan or vegetarian. In fact, if we focus on whole foods, plant-based eating is a pretty stellar way to make sure we are getting plenty of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants throughout the course of the day, all of which are known to support balanced hormones. Tune in to this episode to hear: What does “plant-based” even mean? How does it compare to being vegan? How does plant-based eating compare to other ways of eating that are often recommended for female hormones and PCOS? What benefits does research show over other lifestyles such as keto and Mediterranean diets? What does research say about how eating plant-based impacts our hormones? Is there any research behind plant-based / vegan diets and PCOS? What are tips for anyone who is considering adopting a vegan or more plant-based lifestyle? Are there any signs to watch out for in terms of nutrient deficiencies? What are signs that something may be a food intolerance or food allergy vs. just getting used to eating more plant-based (Read: Adjusting to higher levels of fiber)? FOOD SENSITIVITY TESTS At-home food sensitivity and allergy tests are popular, but their efficacy can be a controversial topic. Sensitivity testing, for example, can often come up as “sensitive” to foods that you eat frequently but do not actually have an adverse reaction to. Be sure to speak with your physician if you are concerned about a serious food allergy or if you are considering making any lifestyle changes (e.g., eliminating certain foods / food groups) based on results from one of these tests. Everlywell and myLAB Box are two examples of at-home food sensitivity testing. Labcorp and Quest have food allergy panels, and now Everlywell has an at-home food allergy test option. Follow Dr. Cutler at @dr.dylancutler on Instagram! Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram (@pollie.co).

    41 min

  8. 16/08/2022

    Who’s better, Dr. Reddit or Dr. Google?

    In today’s episode Jane and Sabrina talk about online health communities, with most of the conversation centered on Reddit. With 1 in 10 people (and growing) going to social media for health information and over 1 billion health questions searched on Google every day, this topic is an important one, especially when it comes to parsing out misinformation. They discuss whether content on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok is ever legit (hint: it depends), how to tell if specific community platforms for chronic conditions, and Jane’s obsession with Reddit UTI groups. The conversation concludes with weighing the benefits of health-related subreddits as well as their limitations, as well as what Jane and Sabrina think community platforms should have to monitor any misinformation (and we need a better tool than Facebook automatically censoring any mention of the word “vagina,” sigh) while also fostering organic engagement. Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram (@pollie.co).

    47 min
See All (16)

Trailer

About

Hormone Zone is a podcast for menstruating people who want to learn more about their bodies. Hosts Jane Sagui and Sabrina Mason are here to talk about the TMI topics that people want to learn more about. Friends for a decade and now the co-founders of female health startup Pollie, no topic is off limits for Jane, Sabrina, and their periodic guests. From poop to periods to f*cked up stuff in healthcare, we’re here for it. Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram (@pollie.co).

Information

  • Creator
    Jane Sagui and Sabrina Mason
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2023
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jane Sagui and Sabrina Mason
  • Show Website
    Hormone Zone