Lara Briden's Podcast - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Making friends with your luteal phase Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

There's a lot going on in the luteal phase, but treating premenstrual mood symptoms might be simpler than you think.

In this episode, Lara discusses common drivers of hormonal mood symptoms, such as high histamine, high prolactin, and a higher requirement for sodium.

Links:

Irregular periods: Is it PCOS, hypothalamic suppression, or something else? Dec 19, 2025

Show notes

If you’ve struggled with irregular periods, you might have noticed it can be a little tricky to figure out exactly what’s going on—and, therefore, exactly what you need to do to get your period back.

In this episode, Lara discusses:

the two most common explanations for irregular periods,
how to tell them apart, and
how hypothalamic amenorrhea is frequently misdiagnosed as PCOS.

Links:

Prof Jerilynn Prior's paper about hypothalamic suppression
PCOS cannot be diagnosed by ultrasound
Cyclic progesterone therapy for PCOS
Lara's metabolism book

The hidden story of endometriosis: Pain, lesions, and the microbiome May 27, 2025

Show notes

If you’ve been diagnosed with endometriosis, the big question is: What type of lesions?
In this episode, Lara challenges long-held assumptions to explore:

the three types of endometriosis lesions,
emerging evidence that superficial lesions may not explain pain or other symptoms,
alternative explanations for pelvic pain and infertility, including pelvic congestion, immune dysfunction, and gut microbiome imbalance, and
an update on the bacterial contamination hypothesis.

Links:

Decoding hypoglycemia: Is it insulin resistance or dysautonomia? Nov 20, 2024

Show notes

Is your low blood sugar a symptom of insulin resistance or mild dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system?
In this episode, Lara returns to the topic of hypoglycemia to discuss:

the difference between insulin resistance and dysautonomia,
why unstable blood sugar does not automatically mean insulin resistance, and
her concerns about continuous glucose monitoring.

Links:

Dr Andrew Maxwell's presentation about dysautonomia, hypermobility, and mast cell activation.

Hypoglycemia in young women: The science behind "hangry" Jul 10, 2024

Show notes

Symptoms of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar include light-headedness, headaches, and anxiety. Hypoglycemia can even feel like panic attacks.
In this episode, Lara discusses:

why young women are more prone to hypoglycemia,
the importance of the autonomic nervous system and a "blunted glucagon response," and
what you can do to feel better.

Links:

Food addiction and other causes of abnormally high hunger Apr 19, 2024

Show notes

Do you feel hungry all the time? Abnormally hungry? If so, it’s worth trying to figure out why. Potential drivers of abnormally high hunger include insulin resistance, gut and microbiome issues, low blood sugar, and food addiction—just to name a few.
In this episode, Lara explores food addiction and some of the controversy around the term. She also discusses the next best steps on the road to recovery.
Links:

Lara's new book about metabolic health
Poll: Addiction to highly processed food among older adults
Dr. Jen Unwin's Resource page

What's the story with dairy and periods problems? Jan 23, 2024

Show notes

For some women, stopping normal dairy products can relieve period symptoms. But why?
In this episode, Lara discusses:

the inflammatory effects of A1 casein
how a mast cell histamine response can drive period problems such as premenstrual mood symptoms, heavy bleeding, and pain.

Links:

How IBS and SIBO can affect periods and hormones Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

Did you know that what’s happening in your gut can affect your periods and hormones?
In this episode, Lara discusses:

small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and its role in IBS,
how SIBO can drive or worsen endometriosis, insulin resistance, premenstrual mood symptoms, and the fibromyalgia of perimenopause, plus
how to treat SIBO.

Links:

Medications that cause weight gain Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

Why do antihistamines cause weight gain? And how does hormonal birth control affect metabolism?
In this episode, Lara looks at:

how common medications affect metabolism
why birth control that is *androgenic* is more likely to cause weight gain, and
whether natural progesterone is more likely to cause weight gain or weight loss.

Links:

Does your chronotype affect your ability to lose weight? Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

Are you a morning person or an evening person? And could that affect your ability to lose weight?
In this episode, Lara looks at chronotype, which is your individual disposition to be awake or asleep at certain times. And how that might affect your overall health and metabolism.

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