Dr. Jolene Brighten is a Functional Medicine Naturopathic Medical Doctor and the founder of Rubus Health, a women’s medicine clinic that specializes in women's hormones. She is recognized as a leading expert in Post-Birth Control Syndrome and the long-term side effects associated with hormonal contraceptives. Dr. Brighten is a best-selling author, speaker and regular contributor to several online publications including MindBodyGreen. She is a medical advisor for one of the first data-driven apps to offer women personalized birth control recommendations. Her most recent release, Beyond the Pill, is the first book of its kind addressing the effects of oral contraceptives on women's health. In this episode, Dr. Jolene Brighten shares more about how she became interested in functional medicine and decided to specialize in women's hormones. She discusses what the birth control pill is doing to women's bodies, how the pill works in the body and affects the body's many systems, and what Post Birth Control Syndrome is. She also discusses the connection between the pill and autoimmunity, how the pill is linked with cancer, and natural ways to address endometriosis and PCOS. Dr. Brighten shares why you shouldn't get pregnant right after coming off the pill, why doctors don't believe in PBCS, how to support your body when quitting the pill, other birth control options, and more. You can find more from Dr. Brighten at drbrighten.com, on Instagram (@drjolenebrighten), and in her new book, Beyond the Pill. For more from Christina, head to her website, christinaricewellness.com, to find her services, blog, programs, and ebooks. If there's a question you'd like answered or a topic you'd like discussed on the podcast, send it in to podcast@christinaricewellness.com! Don’t forget to join the Facebook group, Wellness Realness Podcast Tribe, to meet other podcast listeners! This podcast is sponsored by the Primal Health Coach Institute. Health coaching is on the rise, but not all coaching programs are the same. The Primal Health Coach Institute is a health coach program centered on ancestral health principles, a scientifically-validated wellness plan that mimics that of our primal ancestors and supports our genetic evolutionary blueprint with real-food eating, inspired movement and play, and stress-reduction and balance in all aspects of life. To get your free ebook about how to become a health coach or to learn more about the program, head to primalhealthcoach.com/realness. Ready to enroll? Use the code "COACH200" to get $200 off at signup! Want in on all of the health benefits of mushrooms?! Functional mushrooms like Reishi, Chaga, Cordyceps, and Lion's Mane have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. With Four Sigmatic products, we can now easily take advantage of mushrooms' many health benefits for immunity, energy, longevity, and more. Four Sigmatic makes drinking mushrooms and superfoods delicious and easy with their Mushroom Coffees, Mushroom Superfood Blends, and Mushroom Elixirs! Head to foursigmatic.com/crw to check out all of their products, and use the code "CRW" for 15% off all purchases on their site! If you love desserts but want to avoid the sugar and sweeteners, pick up a copy of Christina's new ebook, #NoSugarNoProblems Part 2! This ebook contains over 30 paleo dessert recipes (most are also vegan) that contain absolutely no sugar or sweeteners - no stevia, xylitol, erythritol, maple syrup, honey, dates, bananas, or other sugar substitutes. Perfect if you're keto, low-carb, on a gut-healing diet, looking to balance your hormones, or trying to break your sugar addiction! Grab your copy at bit.ly/nsnp2 and use the code "wellnessrealness" for 20% off! If you're a woman looking to learn everything about using the Paleo lifestyle to reach your health goals , sign up for Christina's online course, The Paleo Women Lifestyle Program! This course has hours of video lectures, audio lectures, and PDFs that cover nutrition, fitness