Beyond the Pill: A 30-Day Program to Balance Your Hormones, Reclaim Your Body, and Reverse the Dangerous Side Effects of the Birth Control Pill

What started as a frustrating conversation with my pharmacist and their inability to refill a prescription, turned into me ditching birth control, and reading up on research so I could ditch it "the right way", if the right way even existed. Through my reading, I found lots of recommendations for this book. The author was on BC herself for a very long time and faced many different hormonal symptoms during and after taking BC. The book essentially walks you through your menstrual cycle, what your hormones are doing at various stages, what the various symptoms of hormonal imbalances are, and how to heal these imbalances (and their associated symptoms) naturally through diet, exercise, mindfulness, and supplement use. Dr. Brighten is very empowering for all women and provides a lot of information such as certain blood work panels to request from your doctor if they are making you feel like all of your whacko symptoms are somehow "normal" or "just part of being a woman".This book is one big "stfu and listen to me moment" and I think many women can relate to some if not most of the experiences and symptoms described.I have read some critiques about the book because, in the supplement section, the author does promote her own brand of supplements. I think this is a cheap complaint because before she does this, she provides a ton of information on various supplements and what they will do to support your body as you come off from birth control and you are in NO WAY forced to buy her supplements. I completed her 30-day program and I did not buy a single product of hers. That being said, it took more time on my part to find comparable products, within my price range, that filled all the nutritional gaps I was looking for. If you're the type of person who needs things made as easy as possible and you don't want to spend hours of your day reading research and product hunting then it's incredibly helpful that you can simply buy her products and have everything you need. And hers are no more expensive than any of the products at a grocery store. ALSO, this author has an impressive education, she has spent decades of her life focusing her research on women's health, she healed her own hormonal imbalances and many of her clients in her own practice, now she's gone on to write a comprehensive guide on how to do the same for women at home AND shes managed to formulate her own brand of supplements that fit into her practice and provide her clients with EXACTLY what they need to heal their body.... why would she NOT promote her OWN products in HER book that SHE wrote?? Lol the audacity of people to criticize that need to sit down.I have loved the information in this book. I found it very informative and empowering. It comforted me during a time of huge change in my life and my health. I feel like it prepared me for what to expect out of my body and reassured me that many other women are going through the same things as me. The 30-day protocol seems restrictive but it was SO much easier than I could have ever expected and I saw immediate results. Within the month, I had my first natural period off the pill, no pain, no weird PMS symptoms, my skin has cleared, my digestion has regulated, and I am sleeping better. I have zero regrets and am so grateful to have found this resource. Thank you Dr. Brighten.

I got Dr. Brighten's book two weeks ago, and I haven't finished yet, but so far I love it so much, I thought I'd leave a review anyway, and hopefully help other women make the decision to buy it.I've been taking the pill for almost 4 years, and about 2 years ago I developed IBS (the mixed type). I'd never had digestive issues before and for years I blamed it on my international move and the stress associated with it (even though I'd moved internationally before and it never happened).My IBS kept getting worse and worse, even though I tried to eat healthy, so one day it occurred to me, what if this is caused by the pill? I did some research and someone recommended Dr. Brighten's book. As soon as I read the description here on Amazon I was hooked. I bought the book that same day!I've been following her tips and recipes for 10 days and I already feel so much better!! I've incorporated a lot of new healthy ingredients to my diet (some of which I'd never heard about before!), and they've had such an obvious effect on me. My IBS is so much better already! I have no pain, and I have lost 6 pounds in 10 days (another side effect of the pill is overweight).I'm getting off the pill today, and I have no idea what the transition is going to be like. I'm honestly quite nervous about the possibility of getting post-birth control syndrome. But with Dr. Brighten's book I feel supported and in good hands.This book is a must-read for every woman who is, has been or is considering to get on the pill. It is PACKED with scientific information about what hormonal contraception does to our bodies. Dr. Brighten is a biochemist, so she knows her stuff. In her book, she talks about all those things that we women notice in our bodies but other doctors tell us we're crazy or "it's all in our head". Dr. Brighten tells you exactly how your body works and why you are not crazy: the pill does indeed affect our bodies and mood negatively.This book is not against the pill. Its goal is informing women of what we're facing when we decide taking it, so we can make informed decisions. This is information you won't find anywhere else, because mainstream doctors don't know it, have no idea, and keep prescribing the pill for issues that have a much easier and natural solution (hint: diet, lifestyle, supplements).It's a crime that we women are not informed about better, less-dangerous alternatives to hormonal birth control. Dr. Brighten's book is essential for anyone who wants to know how their bodies work and what to do to detox from the pill, including how to stop suffering post birth control syndrome and other women health issues.The book is packed with information, tips and recipes. So far, it's been only 10 days and I can already feel the difference. I follow Dr. Brighten on IG and FB, and everything she shares is great, so I encourage you to buy this book AND to follow her on social media too.- - - - - - - -I'll update this review if I change my opinion (not likely) or I have something else to add.

First off: I never write reviews. I ONLY write them for products I feel are life changing and this is one of them. When I tell you that this book has not only changed my life, but has validated YEARS of feeling unseen by doctors (including women's health specialists) I mean it.I wept multiple times in the first 50 pages simply because of the way that Dr. Joelene has taken all the fragmented pieces I've collected over the years and beautifully and simply laid it all out to understand. This book is approachable, with actionable (realistic and affordable) solutions for a variety of women at many different stages of healing and understanding the hormones that literally rule our worlds.I ordered several books on balancing hormones and everyone had "their take" on it- but nobody and I mean NOBODY lays it out in the way that Dr. Jolene has.I want to carry this book around and shove it in the face of every single doctor who has told me that my crippling migraines (that I've had since I was a small kid) are "just genetic" and there isn't much I can do other than to take MAJORLY addictive and destructive pain meds, all while I've been clearly communicating that I prefer herbal and food solutions first before turning to synthetic/ invasive solutions.I cannot say enough about this book. If you're considering getting off the pill, are still on the pill and feeling lost or you've NEVER even taken the pill but are dealing with any symptoms of hormonal imbalance (acne, bloating, mood swings, heavy peroids, cramping, etc) THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.