What we're talking about in this episode Signs and symptoms that you can use as diagnostic indicators and feedback Lifestyle changes that can make a big difference in getting your period back on track Learn why suffering and struggling during your period is not normal Dive into what birth control is really doing inside of your body at every age The importance of destigmatizing the shame surrounding our menstrual cycle   Episode Summary Kirsten Karchmer is a health tech pioneer, women’s health expert and founder and CEO of Brazen, a company dedicated to the women’s health revolution and eradicating the stigma surrounding your menstrual cycle.  After being confronted with the facts on just how many women are suffering from PMS, endometriosis and other menstrual cycle-related symptoms, Kirsten decided to put her foot down and help other women use their cycle as an instrument of advantage rather than shame. In her new book, Seeing Red, Kirsten works to create a framework to help you start to do your own detective work and improve your symptoms on your own. Instead of masking your symptoms with a prescription pad, Kirsten is here today to provide you with integrative ways to heal your body naturally and get to the root cause of your symptoms to find out the real inefficiencies happening in your system. Through behavioral, diet and lifestyle changes, you can gain the support you need to have access to the life that you want and make exponential changes in your menstrual, pelvic and endometrial pain.  If you are a young woman looking to better understand what is happening inside of your body, a menstruating adult hoping to increase your fertility, or a mom desiring to guide the young women in her life down the right path, Kirsten is here to provide you the necessary road-map for success. Are you ready to do the work and gain the understanding you need to make lifestyle changes and support your menstrual cycle? Share what you learned about the interconnectedness of our systems in the comments on the episode page!   Quotes “We have been conditioned since the beginning of time that your menstrual cycle is a curse, when in fact it is this really valuable biomarker that we are missing the opportunity if we don’t pay attention to it.” (12:40) “What we learned from this experience is that every single piece that I mentioned before is related to the other pieces, which is related to your overall health. Both your present health, your future health, and your future fertility.” (18:08) “While PMS and cramping are incredibly common, just because something is common, does not make it normal.” (22:07) “At Brazen that is our mission, to build solutions and educational platforms for people with periods, such that we can help them unleash from whatever is limiting them from having whatever they want in a way that they don’t need us anymore and they have the resources to go help someone else.” (30:28) “I think that knowledge is power, and it is the place where when we can get other people and women excited about, ‘wow we have been lied to for a really long time, and that’s okay, but we have to change it now’. We have to speak loudly and we have to tell everyone so that we can change the conversation.” (36:47)   Resources Mentioned Seeing Red by Kirsten Karchmer Forever Brazen Website Follow Forever Brazen on Facebook | Instagram  Kirsten Karchmer Website Follow Kirsten on Facebook Get Dr. Mariza’s Detox Blends Cheat Sheet Here   Other Resources: Check out the full show notes page Keep up with everything Dr. Mariza Follow Dr. Mariza on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube