The Luminescence Podcast with Schuyler Grant

Luminescence
  • 5.0 (32)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Luminescence Podcast with Schuyler Grant is a space for science-based, culturally curious, and politically fearless conversations illuminating women’s health.  For decades, science treated women as simply “little men.” No more. Women’s health is complex, but for the 51% of the population with a vagina, understanding it is imperative. Each episode features a roundtable of female health experts to cut through the shame, explain the latest research, and have honest, raw conversations about what we are experiencing, in our bodies and in the world we share.

Episodes

  1. 1D AGO

    The Pill Paradox: A Real Cost–Benefit Conversation About Birth Control

    It’s one of the most revolutionary – and controversial – medical inventions in history: the birth control pill. The pill gave women control over their bodies and their futures, but came with a price few of us were ever told about. This episode explains how the pill actually works, what it does to your natural hormonal rhythm, and why it’s frequently overprescribed. What you’ll learn: • How the pill shuts down natural ovulation and hormone rhythms • Why mood symptoms often show up in the first months • How birth control can affect libido and vaginal health • The connection between the pill, PCOS, acne, and blood sugar • Progesterone vs progestin (important difference) • Breast cancer risk vs ovarian/endometrial protection • What to consider if coming off the pill • How to talk to a teen about informed consent and contraception Featured Guests: • Dr. Jolene Brighten – Naturopathic endocrinologist, author of Is This Normal? and Beyond the Pill • Dr. Mariza Snyder – Functional wellness expert, author of The Perimenopause Revolution • Rosie Acosta – Host of Radically Loved, yoga and meditation teacher Podcast Partners LMNT: Get a free 8-count Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase at ⁠⁠DrinkLMNT.com/TLP⁠⁠ Timeline: Go to  ⁠⁠Timeline.com/LUMI⁠⁠ and get 30% your first order with code ONECOMMUNE30 Foria: Use code LUMINESCENCE for 20% off your first order at ⁠⁠⁠foriawellness.com⁠⁠⁠.

    1h 6m

  2. FEB 10

    Desire, Redefined Why Your Sex Drive Changes: Estrogen, Progesterone, Libido Swings & Perimenopause

    So many of us feel anxious or disconnected from our bodies because we don't understand why our sexual desire fluctuates. This episode breaks down the hormonal dance that drives (and sometimes derails) your sex drive, explaining what happens to your metabolism, mood, and libido through midlife.  We get crystal clear on desire vs arousal vs orgasm, why estrogen is a major driver of fantasy and craving, and why progesterone can make you drier, slower to warm up, and harder to orgasm (you’re not broken, you’re hormonally alive). Then we zoom out to the midlife reality: metabolism shifts, insulin resistance, body changes, stress, sleep… and the underrated longevity superpower that changes everything: connection and community. You'll Learn: • Responsive vs spontaneous desire (both normal) • Why ovulation can feel like “sex brain” • Why the luteal phase can mean dryness + more foreplay • What shifts in perimenopause (metabolism, muscle, belly fat) • Simple blood sugar levers: protein, fiber, walking, sleep • Why body image and stress can tank libido • Why connection might matter more than any supplement • If you’ve ever wondered, “Is something wrong with me?”, this episode is your permission slip: your libido isn’t a personality flaw. It’s biology + life. Featured Guests: • Dr. Jolene Brighten – Naturopathic endocrinologist, author of Is This Normal? and Beyond the Pill • Dr. Mariza Snyder – Functional wellness expert, author of The Perimenopause Revolution • Rosie Acosta – Host of Radically Loved, yoga and meditation teacher Podcast Partners: LMNT: Get a free 8-count Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase at ⁠DrinkLMNT.com/TLP⁠ Timeline: Go to  ⁠Timeline.com/LUMI⁠ and get 30% your first order with code ONECOMMUNE30 Foria: Use code LUMINESCENCE for 20% off your first order at ⁠foriawellness.com⁠.

    51 min

  3. FEB 3

    Vagina Conspiracies: Microbiome, Lubrication, Dreamgasms, and More

    Ever been turned on but dry as the Sahara? Vaginal lubrication doesn't always match desire, and in this episode, Schuyler Grant and her expert panel (Dr. Jolene Brighten, Dr. Marisa Snyder, and Rosie Acosta) explain what our culture – and our doctors – fail to teach us. We break down vaginal health, pH balance, and what is really going on in your body during arousal. You'll Learn: • Arousal non-concordance (your wetness doesn't have to match your desire) • Vaginal pH and why estrogen is basically a farmer for your vagina • What really happens during arousal (spoiler: it takes longer than porn suggests) • Why every vagina needs estrogen (postpartum, perimenopause, menopause) • Vaginal health myths busted (Can tampons get lost? Are tight vaginas better?) • How to know when dryness, itching, or pain needs medical attention • Why vaginal health is connected to your overall wellbeing Can you get pregnant during your period? (Depends.) Are all vaginas pink? (Absolutely not.) Should you be doing 50 Kegels a day? (Please stop.) You'll learn why the “tight vagina” myth is harmful, how semen affects vaginal pH, and why vaginal health changes throughout your life. It’s the vagina education you never got—science-backed, shame-free, and actually useful. Featured Guests: • Dr. Jolene Brighten – Naturopathic endocrinologist, author of Is This Normal? and Beyond the Pill • Dr. Mariza Snyder – Functional wellness expert, author of The Perimenopause Revolution • Rosie Acosta – Host of Radically Loved, yoga and meditation teacher Podcast Partners LMNT: Get a free 8-count Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase at ⁠⁠DrinkLMNT.com/TLP⁠⁠ Timeline: Go to  ⁠⁠Timeline.com/LUMI⁠⁠ and get 30% your first order with code ONECOMMUNE30 Foria: Use code LUMINESCENCE for 20% off your first order at ⁠⁠⁠foriawellness.com⁠⁠⁠.

    58 min

  4. JAN 27

    Sex Between Your Ears: Hormones, Mood, and Sex Drive

    Ever wonder why your sex drive vanishes, your brain turns to mush, or you want to rage-quit your entire life for no reason? Blame your hormones, or, more specifically, how estrogen and progesterone run your brain. In this episode, Schuyler Grant and her expert panel (Dr. Jolene Brighten, Dr. Marisa Snyder, and Rosie Acosta) break down why it can feel like your brain is actively betraying you, particularly in perimenopause. What you'll learn: • Estrogen and progesterone are brain hormones (not just “lady parts” hormones) • The hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis explained in plain language • Why perimenopause brings brain fog, mood swings, anxiety, and vanishing libido • The menstrual cycle phases and how hormones shift throughout • What's happening to your serotonin, dopamine, and GABA levels • Why 80% of perimenopause symptoms happen in your brain • A simple breathing technique to calm your nervous system Here's the thing: for decades, doctors thought women's hormones only affected reproduction. Turns out, estrogen and progesterone control your brain, bones, heart, metabolism, gut health, and basically everything. When they start declining in your mid-to-late thirties, your brain goes through a massive remodeling. No wonder you feel like you're losing your mind. This episode helps you understand what's actually happening and how to take back control. Featured Guests: • Dr. Jolene Brighten – Naturopathic endocrinologist, author of Is This Normal? and Beyond the Pill • Dr. Mariza Snyder – Functional wellness expert, author of The Perimenopause Revolution • Rosie Acosta – Host of Radically Loved, yoga and meditation teacher Podcast Partners LMNT: Get a free 8-count Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase at ⁠⁠DrinkLMNT.com/TLP⁠⁠ Timeline: Go to  ⁠⁠Timeline.com/LUMI⁠⁠ and get 30% your first order with code ONECOMMUNE30 Foria: Use code LUMINESCENCE for 20% off your first order at ⁠⁠⁠foriawellness.com⁠⁠⁠.

    1h 1m

  5. JAN 20

    The Orgasm Gap: Why Women Orgasm Less (and What to Do About It)

    The clitoral conspiracy is real. This episode explains why women orgasm way less than men in heterosexual relationships (just 65% compared to 95%) and what you can do about it. Schuyler Grant and her expert panel (Dr. Jolene Brighten, Dr. Marisa Snyder, and Rosie Acosta) get real about female anatomy, sexual pleasure, and the cultural myths keeping women from experiencing orgasm. What you'll learn: • Clitoral anatomy explained (your clitoris is way bigger than you think—seriously, Google it) • Why female orgasm rates are so low in heterosexual relationships • The difference between sexual arousal and sexual desire • Why penetration-focused sex isn't creating orgasms for most women • How to improve intimacy and sexual satisfaction • Practical tools for better sex and closing the orgasm gap Here's a fun fact: the clitoris was discovered in 460 BCE, then men decided to just...forget about it for a few thousand years. Most medical textbooks still barely cover female sexual anatomy. This episode offers you some of the sex education you never got—science-based info about women's sexual health, minus the shame, plus honest conversation about what sexual pleasure actually looks like. Featured Guests: • Dr. Jolene Brighten – Naturopathic endocrinologist, author of Is This Normal? and Beyond the Pill • Dr. Mariza Snyder – Functional wellness expert, author of The Perimenopause Revolution • Rosie Acosta – Host of Radically Loved, yoga and meditation teacher Podcast Partners LMNT: Get a free 8-count Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase at ⁠DrinkLMNT.com/TLP⁠ Timeline: Go to  ⁠Timeline.com/LUMI⁠ and get 30% your first order with code ONECOMMUNE30 Foria: Use code LUMINESCENCE for 20% off your first order at ⁠⁠foriawellness.com⁠⁠.

    46 min

  6. SEASON 1, EPISODE 1 TRAILER

    Trailer: Sex, Hormones & Intimacy

    Host Schuyler Grant and a roundtable of women's health experts cut through the shame and get real about sex hormones and intimacy. From the orgasm gap to hormonal birth control, from stress and cortisol to testosterone therapy, Season 1 tackles the questions women have been asking in whispers—with science, honesty, and zero judgment. This season, host Schuyler Grant joins forces with Dr. Jolene Brighten, Dr. Marisa Snyder, and Rosie Acosta to close the knowledge gap on the three pillars of female vitality:  Sex, Hormones, and Intimacy.

    2 min

Trailer

5
out of 5
32 Ratings

About

The Luminescence Podcast with Schuyler Grant is a space for science-based, culturally curious, and politically fearless conversations illuminating women’s health.  For decades, science treated women as simply “little men.” No more. Women’s health is complex, but for the 51% of the population with a vagina, understanding it is imperative. Each episode features a roundtable of female health experts to cut through the shame, explain the latest research, and have honest, raw conversations about what we are experiencing, in our bodies and in the world we share.

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