Birth control is a hot topic in today’s wellness world to say the least. Chances are you have seen conflicting information about hormonal birth control in terms of how it can impact our hormones and overall health.

In this episode, we bring on Dr. Marieme Mbaye to teach us more about how hormonal contraceptives even work, how the different types function (e.g., Combination pills vs. progestin-only, Oral contraceptives vs. IUDs vs. the ring vs. the rod), the typical impact they have on our body’s hormones, and signs that a birth control method may not be working with your body’s chemistry.

After covering the basics, we get into an exciting discussion around the personalization of birth control. Just like there is no single fix when it comes to the types of foods or exercise that work for all of our bodies, there is also no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to hormonal contraceptives.

Tune in to learn:

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Check out Adyn (https://adyn.com/) for a test that assesses several biomarkers and genes that can help determine which birth control method(s) will work best with your body.

NOTE: Jane, Sabrina, and Pollie are very passionate about advocating that people chose what is best for them when it comes to both contraception and their hormone health management. While getting lost in a social media rabbithole about the pros and cons of hormonal contraceptives can be scary, it is important to remember that birth control’s #1 goal is to prevent pregnancy, and it has fundamentally shifted the way that women have been able to lead their lives as a result. Moreover, for every story one shares about a negative experience on birth control, there is a story about how it improved someone’s quality of life in a multitude of ways. At the end of the day, it’s a personal choice between a patient and their provider.

Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram (@pollie.co).

In this week’s episode of Hormone Zone, Jane and Sabrina have a bone to pick with functional medicine. And that’s not with anything about this care model’s actual approach - they’re both fans - but rather why they think it needs a rebrand.

The two start with discussing the different types of healthcare models that exist today including conventional medicine vs. integrative care, alternative medicine vs. functional medicine, and how “holistic” care fits into it all.

They then get into misconceptions about functional medicine, why it is often branded as an elitist concept that only wealthy folks can afford, and what systemic changes are needed to allow for that rebrand (hello, insurance coverage and physician referrals).

If you are looking to learn more about different healthcare models or curious as to why functional practitioners are so d*mn expensive, you’ll want to tune in to this episode.

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During Jane and Sabrina’s discussion about reiki and acupuncture, they touched on how to look look into the research behind different treatment modalities. If there’s something you’d like to learn more about, searching for peer-reviewed studies is a good starting point for seeing what credible, research-backed findings exist. Since not all of us have access to libraries or databases with these journal articles, you can just Google “Pubmed + [key phrase]” to see what’s out there for yourself.

Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram (@pollie.co).

Gut health is a popular buzzword these days, but why is it important for our hormones and reproductive health? Lucky for you, Jane and Sabrina enjoy talking about poop more than any two coworkers should, and this episode explores all-things relating to gut health and our hormones. In Hormone Zone’s first interview, Jane and Sabrina have a chat about the gut-hormone connection with naturopathic doctor, Pollie advisor, and female hormone specialist Dr. Saru Bala.

Dr. Bala unpacks what “gut health” actually is, why it is such a vital part of our overall health, and signs that something may be off with your gut that is influencing your hormones. Tune in to hear:

Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram (@pollie.co).

About Dr. Bala

Dr. Saru Bala is a licensed naturopathic doctor based in Phoenix, Arizona. She owns her own practice that specializes in women’s hormonal health. You can find her at @drsarubala on Instagram and Tiktok or visit her website at https://www.drsarubala.com/.

Today’s episode dives in to Jane and Sabrina’s unique relationship. The two met nearly a decade ago while on a study abroad trip and started their company, Pollie, in the early days of the pandemic. They discuss who they are outside of work, their compatible sun signs, how their friendship has evolved over the years, and why they started to take the plunge and start Pollie in 2020. They also answer questions that they commonly hear from Pollie’s community as well as their own friends and family.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to start a company with a friend (like, a really close friend), this episode is for you.

PS - The jury is still out on whether the two were better roommates or co-founders, LOL!

Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram (@pollie.co).

Welcome to Hormone Zone! In our first episode, Jane and Sabrina discuss one of their favorite topics: how to advocate for yourself at the doctor. Jane shares her recent struggles with recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), how difficult it has been for her to understand why these monthly infections keep happening, and frustrations with being dismissed by providers about this new issue.

The most wild part, though? Advocating for herself has not become any easier since the last time Jane went through a frustrating health issue. And that was a decade ago!

Tune in to hear more about Jane’s newfound obsession with bladder health, Sabrina’s favorite Pollie survey stats, and their discussion on systemic issues that make it difficult to speak up at the doctor. And, of course, they also discuss specific ways to advocate for yourself at the doctor.

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Curious to learn more about the at-home vaginal and urinary tract tests mentioned in the episode? Check out Evvy’s vaginal microbiome test (https://evvy.com/) and MicroGenDX’s urinary and vaginal tests (https://microgendx.com/) for two options that helped Jane.

Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram (@pollie.co).

Introducing Hormone Zone: a new podcast for menstruating people who want to learn more about their bodies, from the founders of Pollie. Coming soon to Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Learn more about Pollie on our website (www.pollie.co) or Instagram (@pollie.co).