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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
Out of the 100 million women—almost 11 million in the United States alone—who are on the pill, roughly 60 percent take it for non-contraceptive reasons like painful periods, endometriosis, PCOS, and acne. While the birth control pill is widely prescribed as a quick-fix solution to a variety of women’s health conditions, taking it can also result in other more serious and dangerous health consequences. Did you know that women on the pill are more likely to be prescribed an antidepressant? That they are at significantly increased risk for autoimmune disease, heart attack, thyroid and adrenal disorders, and even breast and cervical cancer? That the pill can even cause vaginal dryness, unexplained hair loss, flagging libido, extreme fatigue, and chronic infection. As if women didn’t have enough to worry about, that little pill we’re taking to manage our symptoms is only making things worse. Jolene Brighten, ND, author of the groundbreaking new book BEYOND THE PILL , specializes in treating women’s hormone imbalances caused by the pill and shares her proven 30-day program designed to reverse the myriad of symptoms women experience every day—whether you choose to stay on the pill or not. The first book of its kind to target the birth control pill and the scientifically-proven symptoms associated with taking it, BEYOND THE PILL is an actionable plan for taking control, and will help • Locate the root cause of their hormonal issues, like estrogen dominance, low testosterone, and low progesterone • Discover a pain-free, manageable period free of cramps, acne, stress, or PMS without the harmful side effects that come with the pill • Detox the liver, support the adrenals and thyroid, heal the gut, reverse metabolic mayhem, boost fertility, and enhance mood • Transition into a nutrition and supplement program, with more than 30 hormone-balancing recipes Featuring simple diet and lifestyle interventions, BEYOND THE PILL is the first step to reversing the risky side effects of the pill, finally finding hormonal health, and getting your badass self back.
384 pages, Paperback
Published February 4, 2020
1535 people are currently reading
6464 people want to read
About the author
Jolene Brighten
10 books104 followersJolene Brighten, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Physician with a specialized clinical focus in autoimmune disease and hormonal health.
Dr. Jolene Brighten earned her doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR. She received her BS in Nutrition Science and completed graduate coursework in molecular nutrition at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Dr. Jolene Brighten earned her doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR. She received her BS in Nutrition Science and completed graduate coursework in molecular nutrition at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 438 reviews
March 21, 2019
Beyond the Pill is a quick and equally essential and yet flawed read for all women, particularly those of my generation.
The good: The science in this book is legit. Dr. Brighten sources her materials from actual academic studies and papers. In my experience, if you sneeze wrong in adolescence, you're put on birth control. Information is power, and most doctors prescribe you a medication based on lab values and move on with their day. Dr. Jolene Brighten focuses on women's issues, the pill, and all those pesky hormones, which if they're out of whack can have deleterious effects on how you feel and your overall health. I would have killed for this information when I was in middle school. Who knows how better my health would be if we had questioned the drugs we put in our bodies? Currently, as the mother of a young girl, I can at least educate myself for her sake.
The bad: there is a great deal of pushing for Brighten's brand of supplements and her 30 day meal plan (which is unnecessary -- you could accomplish the whole things with one of those BRATS/elimination diets). Also, when I look at the recommended amount of supplements in these autoimmune "healing" books, I'm overwhelmed. I am not going to pump that many vitamins in a day or spend that much of my money on expensive supplements; all the more power to those of you who might.
The good: The science in this book is legit. Dr. Brighten sources her materials from actual academic studies and papers. In my experience, if you sneeze wrong in adolescence, you're put on birth control. Information is power, and most doctors prescribe you a medication based on lab values and move on with their day. Dr. Jolene Brighten focuses on women's issues, the pill, and all those pesky hormones, which if they're out of whack can have deleterious effects on how you feel and your overall health. I would have killed for this information when I was in middle school. Who knows how better my health would be if we had questioned the drugs we put in our bodies? Currently, as the mother of a young girl, I can at least educate myself for her sake.
The bad: there is a great deal of pushing for Brighten's brand of supplements and her 30 day meal plan (which is unnecessary -- you could accomplish the whole things with one of those BRATS/elimination diets). Also, when I look at the recommended amount of supplements in these autoimmune "healing" books, I'm overwhelmed. I am not going to pump that many vitamins in a day or spend that much of my money on expensive supplements; all the more power to those of you who might.
March 17, 2019
I really wanted to like this book so much, I even pre-ordered it. I found the flow of the book to be all over the place and hard to read. Full of fear mongering messaging and quizzes that are so general they are dangerous. There was definitely some useful information in this book but if you want to read an amazing book on this topic I highly recommend skipping straight to Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden.
August 28, 2022
After being on the BC pill since I was 15, I finally have made the decision to come off. I realize the implications this will have on my body and how I will feel the next couple months only because of reading this and many other informative books.
If you are on it or thinking of getting on/off, then I highly recommend this read as it is very helpful in navigating what you can do if you chose to stay on or off.
If you are on it or thinking of getting on/off, then I highly recommend this read as it is very helpful in navigating what you can do if you chose to stay on or off.
October 10, 2021
I am grateful for this book, I am grateful that woman are beginning to speak out and share the damage birth control has done to their bodies, I am grateful we can heal.
If I'd put my emotions aside when reading this I would have been able to fly through, the information was fascinating and easy to get through. Most times I opened the book I felt hopeful for my own healing, but then would shift into anger that we are doing this to ourselves. I'm sure some people would call this woman a quack. Oh well. Conventional western medicine is mostly still denying the ramifications of birth control. She's trying. She often discusses a topic, such as the rise of benign liver tumors found on women, and is clear that while there is a correlation timing wise, we don't know 100% the causation is bc. If you have taken or are taking bc please read this! She maps out a possible road to recovery. If you took bc and have found you have less energy, digestion issues, absent or unhealthy ovulation, mood shifts etc, know that there is better out there for you and that you can heal! For whatever reason you were put on bc, there is another option. Bc is merely a bandaid, when pulled off you will find over that the wound merely festered.
How I rate books:
5 Stars= I absolutely loved it, felt very moved. Extraordinary. I rarely give this rating.
4 Stars=
3 Stars= I enjoyed it but wasn't wowed. My most common rating
2 Stars=Meh
1 Stars= The kind of book that I feel shouldn't have been published bc it might discourage some from becoming readers.
If I'd put my emotions aside when reading this I would have been able to fly through, the information was fascinating and easy to get through. Most times I opened the book I felt hopeful for my own healing, but then would shift into anger that we are doing this to ourselves. I'm sure some people would call this woman a quack. Oh well. Conventional western medicine is mostly still denying the ramifications of birth control. She's trying. She often discusses a topic, such as the rise of benign liver tumors found on women, and is clear that while there is a correlation timing wise, we don't know 100% the causation is bc. If you have taken or are taking bc please read this! She maps out a possible road to recovery. If you took bc and have found you have less energy, digestion issues, absent or unhealthy ovulation, mood shifts etc, know that there is better out there for you and that you can heal! For whatever reason you were put on bc, there is another option. Bc is merely a bandaid, when pulled off you will find over that the wound merely festered.
How I rate books:
5 Stars= I absolutely loved it, felt very moved. Extraordinary. I rarely give this rating.
4 Stars=
3 Stars= I enjoyed it but wasn't wowed. My most common rating
2 Stars=Meh
1 Stars= The kind of book that I feel shouldn't have been published bc it might discourage some from becoming readers.
June 8, 2021
This book was recommended to me 8 months ago by my physical therapist, but I was hesitant to read something with "30-day program" in the title tbh. After reading some of the reviews here, I figured maybe I could get something out of the first half and ignore the author's sales pitch of her own supplement line at the end. But that did not happen.
First, I just couldn't get over the author's "casual" tone of voice. To me, it came off as a little too try-hard ("Don't worry, I'm one of the *COOL* doctors ;)"). But maybe if you're a person who feels that doctors never listen to you, that could be comforting. To me it was offputting.
Another red flag was the fact that she didn't cite her sources throughout the book. Her sources are organized in the back alphabetically by chapter, but I felt like she purposely did it that way so she could make sweeping claims that "sound" correct and you'd take them as correct unless you already know better or unless you actually went through her sources in the back one-by-one to see how she came to a particular conclusion. It was hard to pick out which claims to trust, especially when I got to the part about "maintaining your cosmic connection and syncing your cycle to moon phases" by going outside and "pulling down the moon into your pelvis" lmao. I went to her references in the back to see what sources she may have used for that part, but wasn't surprised to find that she completely skipped that chapter in her sources. I suppose I'm just not her target audience.
Criticism aside, I think this book is an *okay* primer on the dangers of hormonal birth control that I do believe women should be made aware of. But honestly, I learned way more about hormones, birth control, and working with my cycle by reading Lyle McDonald's "The Women's Book: Vol 1 - A Guide to Nutrition, Fat Loss and Muscle Gain." I recommend any woman or trainer/nutritionist of women to read it. While it is a book written through the lens of nutrition and fitness, there is quite a bit of information about women's cycles and birth control that even Brighten's target audience would get more out of imo.
First, I just couldn't get over the author's "casual" tone of voice. To me, it came off as a little too try-hard ("Don't worry, I'm one of the *COOL* doctors ;)"). But maybe if you're a person who feels that doctors never listen to you, that could be comforting. To me it was offputting.
Another red flag was the fact that she didn't cite her sources throughout the book. Her sources are organized in the back alphabetically by chapter, but I felt like she purposely did it that way so she could make sweeping claims that "sound" correct and you'd take them as correct unless you already know better or unless you actually went through her sources in the back one-by-one to see how she came to a particular conclusion. It was hard to pick out which claims to trust, especially when I got to the part about "maintaining your cosmic connection and syncing your cycle to moon phases" by going outside and "pulling down the moon into your pelvis" lmao. I went to her references in the back to see what sources she may have used for that part, but wasn't surprised to find that she completely skipped that chapter in her sources. I suppose I'm just not her target audience.
Criticism aside, I think this book is an *okay* primer on the dangers of hormonal birth control that I do believe women should be made aware of. But honestly, I learned way more about hormones, birth control, and working with my cycle by reading Lyle McDonald's "The Women's Book: Vol 1 - A Guide to Nutrition, Fat Loss and Muscle Gain." I recommend any woman or trainer/nutritionist of women to read it. While it is a book written through the lens of nutrition and fitness, there is quite a bit of information about women's cycles and birth control that even Brighten's target audience would get more out of imo.
August 1, 2021
Yeah I’m gonna have to give this one a hard nope. Dr. Brighten wants to cure you of your PBCS (Post Birth Control Syndrome) in exchange for an eating disorder. I got into the fifth chapter (3 hours in on my audio book) before I finally had to call it quits.
Your liver does not need a detox. The condemnation of everything from the type of oil you eat with, to suggesting abstaining COMPLETELY from multiple food groups, is a huge red flag. Most importantly, she fails to recognize the PRIVILEGE in her meal plan and suggestions. It is typically only an upper middle-class white person who can afford to purchase 6 cups a day worth of fresh vegetables, eat all organically sourced food (which is partially a hoax), buy fancy cooking oils, and avoid gluten, dairy, and sugar for months at a time when her foods are less readily available and much more expensive.
Again, why are we fixing this with food??? STOP STOP STOP it! This is not helpful. Food can have a minimal, but I mean MINIMAL effect on your overall health. I was totally digging her chapters on supplements, until I realized her cocktail of suggestions would literally cost hundreds of dollars a month. Then she terrified her readers with dangerous threats about the chemicals in
the makeup we wear, the cleaners we use, and the materials our house is made of. Again, she is not necessarily WRONG in these assertions, but it is so extreme that she is essentially creating so much panic in women that they have no choice but to rely completely on her 30 day detox plan, throw out EVERYTHING they cook with and eat with, and start over. How is she so blind to the privilege that comes with what she is demanding??
Basically the only non-harmful thing was her chapter all about the cycle and explaining each of the hormones and their purpose. I also am fully convinced that the birth control pill is terribly flawed and dangerous for most women. Again, it is necessary in society; and I’m grateful that I have the privilege to CHOOSE to not take it, now that I’m informed.
I am incredibly disappointed; having just been diagnosed with PCOS I was interested in her natural approaches and have been following her on Instagram for some time. But it is way too food-centric, unsustainable, and inaccessible for the majority of women in America who suffer this.
Your liver does not need a detox. The condemnation of everything from the type of oil you eat with, to suggesting abstaining COMPLETELY from multiple food groups, is a huge red flag. Most importantly, she fails to recognize the PRIVILEGE in her meal plan and suggestions. It is typically only an upper middle-class white person who can afford to purchase 6 cups a day worth of fresh vegetables, eat all organically sourced food (which is partially a hoax), buy fancy cooking oils, and avoid gluten, dairy, and sugar for months at a time when her foods are less readily available and much more expensive.
Again, why are we fixing this with food??? STOP STOP STOP it! This is not helpful. Food can have a minimal, but I mean MINIMAL effect on your overall health. I was totally digging her chapters on supplements, until I realized her cocktail of suggestions would literally cost hundreds of dollars a month. Then she terrified her readers with dangerous threats about the chemicals in
the makeup we wear, the cleaners we use, and the materials our house is made of. Again, she is not necessarily WRONG in these assertions, but it is so extreme that she is essentially creating so much panic in women that they have no choice but to rely completely on her 30 day detox plan, throw out EVERYTHING they cook with and eat with, and start over. How is she so blind to the privilege that comes with what she is demanding??
Basically the only non-harmful thing was her chapter all about the cycle and explaining each of the hormones and their purpose. I also am fully convinced that the birth control pill is terribly flawed and dangerous for most women. Again, it is necessary in society; and I’m grateful that I have the privilege to CHOOSE to not take it, now that I’m informed.
I am incredibly disappointed; having just been diagnosed with PCOS I was interested in her natural approaches and have been following her on Instagram for some time. But it is way too food-centric, unsustainable, and inaccessible for the majority of women in America who suffer this.
October 7, 2019
Super insightful and helpful! Many have disliked her more “conversational” tone in this book (ie. “Long-ass time”), but honestly it makes me laugh and feel like I’m having a real, informal conversation with a medical professional—finally! I’m not about to spend a ton of money on Brighten’s supplements and meal plan, but this book has given me so much information, and my symptoms are starting to make sense. If my doctor had originally told me the long term effects of years of birth control, I might have gone a different route! Must-read for anyone interested in using, currently on, or getting off BC. It’s a big YIKES 😬
June 20, 2019
A cautious 4 stars.
I picked this one up because I wanted validation. I've battled a few issues that have seemed to stem from my time on BC. I say that because my bias should probably be taken into account.
That being said, articles or books that don't use Chicago-style citations bother me. I see your citations but I want them linked to the specific information that you have cited because sometimes the number of cited facts and citations don't match up and it could be double-cited but do I know??? No, I don't, because you didn't use the best style. :)
Anyway, it was an insightful book. I feel like I know tons of people on the pill that don't have these side-effects. But, at the same time, I can't really negate my own experience. My own depression, years of thyroid, skin, weight, and gall bladder problems all seemed to happen after my battle with the pill. Don't get me wrong, though. I'm pretty sure that the pill saved my life. But I don't think I should have taken it for as long as I did.
And, while you might not agree with me on all accounts, I think we should all agree that we have a right to demand better. And, perhaps, make men care/create men that care?
see this
I picked this one up because I wanted validation. I've battled a few issues that have seemed to stem from my time on BC. I say that because my bias should probably be taken into account.
That being said, articles or books that don't use Chicago-style citations bother me. I see your citations but I want them linked to the specific information that you have cited because sometimes the number of cited facts and citations don't match up and it could be double-cited but do I know??? No, I don't, because you didn't use the best style. :)
Anyway, it was an insightful book. I feel like I know tons of people on the pill that don't have these side-effects. But, at the same time, I can't really negate my own experience. My own depression, years of thyroid, skin, weight, and gall bladder problems all seemed to happen after my battle with the pill. Don't get me wrong, though. I'm pretty sure that the pill saved my life. But I don't think I should have taken it for as long as I did.
And, while you might not agree with me on all accounts, I think we should all agree that we have a right to demand better. And, perhaps, make men care/create men that care?
see this
December 15, 2019
I've read this book because I'm also in the process of ditching the pill, and I wanted to be well informed about the scientific side of the question. What can I say? Even if the book overall has a good idea behind (indeed the recent studies point to the new aspects of the pill damage to the gut health and therefore, mental health), it should be taken with a BIG grain of salt.
I had immediate red flags when 1) seeing that all the statements do not have a clear reference to the study (there is a list of references at the end but you cannot check what is the concrete basis of each statement), and that alone should already be a very warning sign, 2) the advice to take a big bunch of supplements based on "Hormone quiz" and other very approximate assumptions is very concerning too. Supplements should be taken with a big care and only after appropriate medical tests. 3) The general "tone" of the book is way too much subjective and authoritarian - "pill=evil", which also gives me food for doubts.
Nevertheless, if you are reading the book properly filtering and questioning every piece of information, you still going to learn something new and have a take-away lesson.
I had immediate red flags when 1) seeing that all the statements do not have a clear reference to the study (there is a list of references at the end but you cannot check what is the concrete basis of each statement), and that alone should already be a very warning sign, 2) the advice to take a big bunch of supplements based on "Hormone quiz" and other very approximate assumptions is very concerning too. Supplements should be taken with a big care and only after appropriate medical tests. 3) The general "tone" of the book is way too much subjective and authoritarian - "pill=evil", which also gives me food for doubts.
Nevertheless, if you are reading the book properly filtering and questioning every piece of information, you still going to learn something new and have a take-away lesson.
January 8, 2025
4.5 stars
So eye opening and honestly life changing. It really validated everything I've been feeling. I recommend every woman read this at some point. It's insane the damage a tiny little pill can do to your body. Im so nervous to get off mine, I've relied on it so long but excited to see who I am without it and become the healthiest version of myself. (Not excited for the acne though 😭 if you see me in real life with a face full of acne mind your business lol)
Only knocked off half a star because she does a lot of self promotion. I didn't have a huge issue with it, I get it lol but something to be aware about.
Also I'm not anti pill so I don't need a lecture lmfao it can definitely help certain women. It was great for me until it wasn't.
So eye opening and honestly life changing. It really validated everything I've been feeling. I recommend every woman read this at some point. It's insane the damage a tiny little pill can do to your body. Im so nervous to get off mine, I've relied on it so long but excited to see who I am without it and become the healthiest version of myself. (Not excited for the acne though 😭 if you see me in real life with a face full of acne mind your business lol)
Only knocked off half a star because she does a lot of self promotion. I didn't have a huge issue with it, I get it lol but something to be aware about.
Also I'm not anti pill so I don't need a lecture lmfao it can definitely help certain women. It was great for me until it wasn't.
September 10, 2019
I don’t write reviews as often as I should, but I feel it’s very important that I add a few notes after reading some of this book’s reviews. Imagine reading a Nicholas Sparks book and then reading the reviews - there are some 1, 2, and 3 star reviews of people mostly critiquing the fact that they weren’t expecting a love story. You would say “well... what were you expecting?!”
Likewise, the poor reviews are based on the fact that the author refers to her products and her 30 day program frequently. But it’s literally on the cover of the book - the book is clearly about her 30 day program. OF COURSE it’s going to be a highlight of the book. It’s the thesis, if you will. I believe that many readers are simply not the audience for this book or not reading it properly.
I decided to read it after I read “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” (also highly recommend). I just came off of the BC pill after being on it for 15 years and I’m trying to learn as much as I can. Since I’m not having health issues coming off of the pill right now, much of the book isn’t relevant to me (yet). But it’s still a fantastic book jam packed with research. Moreover, the author breaks down the research in a way that’s easy to digest for those of us who don’t speak science.
If you are having health issues after coming off the pill, you should read the whole thing - you are absolutely the audience. If you are interested in learning how birth control affects women, you should still read this - maybe not cover to cover, but check out the index and see what’s relevant to you. I believe this book should serve as mostly a reference guide on an as-needed basis.
All in all, I think this is a great book. Check it out.
Likewise, the poor reviews are based on the fact that the author refers to her products and her 30 day program frequently. But it’s literally on the cover of the book - the book is clearly about her 30 day program. OF COURSE it’s going to be a highlight of the book. It’s the thesis, if you will. I believe that many readers are simply not the audience for this book or not reading it properly.
I decided to read it after I read “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” (also highly recommend). I just came off of the BC pill after being on it for 15 years and I’m trying to learn as much as I can. Since I’m not having health issues coming off of the pill right now, much of the book isn’t relevant to me (yet). But it’s still a fantastic book jam packed with research. Moreover, the author breaks down the research in a way that’s easy to digest for those of us who don’t speak science.
If you are having health issues after coming off the pill, you should read the whole thing - you are absolutely the audience. If you are interested in learning how birth control affects women, you should still read this - maybe not cover to cover, but check out the index and see what’s relevant to you. I believe this book should serve as mostly a reference guide on an as-needed basis.
All in all, I think this is a great book. Check it out.
February 18, 2021
Very informative book. Basically everything your doctor never told you about the havoc hormonal birth control wreaks on your body and about how to get to the root cause of symptoms that birth control is typically prescribed to "treat" (mask) or that appear after going off hormonal birth control.
This book does have the same problem as most books of its genre, which is that it recommends lots of different supplements, which add up to a huge expense. However, I don't see this as a huge problem, because now you are armed with the information and can make an informed decision about what to do, including what tests to ask your doctor about.
This book does have the same problem as most books of its genre, which is that it recommends lots of different supplements, which add up to a huge expense. However, I don't see this as a huge problem, because now you are armed with the information and can make an informed decision about what to do, including what tests to ask your doctor about.
February 4, 2019
This book is so much more than just about birth control. It gives you protocols for staying healthy while you are on the pill. Or if like me you’re at the age you need to come off the pill how to best support your hormone balance. There is info on thyroid issues, gut health, acne, the lowdown on hormones and so much more. It gives you the tools to take back control of your health. I’m buying copies for friends and my own doctor. It’s that good. Get yours today. Dr Brighten is amazing!!
January 15, 2021
Read bc I was asked about it by one of my patients. As a medical professional, I feel the book is extremely biased and misleading. The author is clearly trying to sell her supplements via fear mongering.
June 11, 2024
Extremely educational. I wish someone told me before I got on birth control the effects it has on your body. I was on BC for 10 years. I experienced multiple symptoms once I decided to get off. A friend of mine recommend I read this book. Let me tell you, it’s jam packed with information easy to understand.
Of course, Dr. Brighten recommends a bunch of her products hence it’s HER 30 day program. But don’t let that deter you from the information at hand. She starts off with discussing the problem with the pill. She explains the effects of synthetic hormones, why it’s damaging to body, and how it affects our body. She explains causes to symptoms we may experience and some remedies to help. She gives us quizzes to get a baseline of where we might be and even suggests the tests to do at your doctors for further analysis. At the end of the book, she has her 30 day meal plan and recipes.
The overall structure of the book is to educate you with the knowledge of your body. The book provides you with tools to help you. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to gain an understanding of their body and heal their bodies.
Of course, Dr. Brighten recommends a bunch of her products hence it’s HER 30 day program. But don’t let that deter you from the information at hand. She starts off with discussing the problem with the pill. She explains the effects of synthetic hormones, why it’s damaging to body, and how it affects our body. She explains causes to symptoms we may experience and some remedies to help. She gives us quizzes to get a baseline of where we might be and even suggests the tests to do at your doctors for further analysis. At the end of the book, she has her 30 day meal plan and recipes.
The overall structure of the book is to educate you with the knowledge of your body. The book provides you with tools to help you. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to gain an understanding of their body and heal their bodies.
January 25, 2024
another one of Katie’s old textbooks. 1 star for the recipes I’ll probably try. 1 star because the author’s from Portland.
May 8, 2019
Wow! I have some answers after struggling for 2 years (and counting) to achieve health. I recommend ALL women to read this book - young women contemplating starting hormonal birth control; moms of teenage girls who are struggling with painful periods and other nuisance period symptoms; women who want to come off the pill; women who are off the pill and not feeling well or struggling with infertility. Dr. Brighten has so much insight backed up by science, personal experience, and clinical experience. I wish I never made the choice to start hormonal birth control but I am feeling 100% better than I was 2 years ago and I have answers on how to continue to support my body in the healing process. Thank you to Dr. Loken for helping me start my healing journey and recommending this book to aid in continued healing. Thank you, Dr. Brighten, for sharing this with the world. I'm looking forward to my 30 day program.
February 9, 2021
I wasn't sure if I was gonna put this one on goodreads but uhh why not. This book was the most helpful thing I've read re: the pill, getting off the pill, what it actually does to your body, and the author acknowledges many of the concerns I've had dismissed by doctors in the past. She strays a bit into 'woo woo' territory at times but honestly I didn't even mind it. This book would have benefitted tremendously from chicago-style citations to bolster her scientific claims and she could have toned down the peddling of her supplement line. All in all, a worthwhile read though.
November 20, 2020
Incredibly helpful, a must read for anyone who wants to understand their hormones better. Only downside was the constant reference to her programme - it felt like Dr Brighten mentioned it in every other paragraph! In addition, I would have preferred if there had been footnotes referencing the studies relevant to each point she made. I would have preferred a new edition with detailed notes!
January 25, 2025
I really liked this book! It was really informative, and helped open the world of possibilities when it comes to healing your own body. It opens the conversation of being more picky when it comes to prescriptions.. your body is capable of healing itself when properly nourished.
I also liked the various recipes at the end, and all of the information on supplements. I took a ton of notes as I read, and I feel a lot more educated, prepared, and like I have some direction, and some hope for my symptoms.
I did find the vast amount of supplements mentioned a little overwhelming, but at the same I was so glad that many of what she mentioned was merely natural herbs in tinctures and teas. Healing is more simple than we think. 🤷🏻♀️
At the end of the day, the message is clear: properly nourish your body, listen to it, and don’t let your doctor gaslight you. This really shines a light on just how bad it is in public healthcare trying to get answers about your reproductive cycle.
I remember asking once a couple of years about issues I had with my cycle, and my doctor said “honestly, with periods, anything goes.” Which basically taught me, as a young woman, that I should just live with whatever my cycle throws at me.
Now I know my cycle isn’t against me at all! My symptoms were always just trying to tell me what was wrong, so I could fix it.
I laughed many times (sadly) throughout the book when Dr Brighten said, “talk to your doctor about___” or “ask your doctor for testing on____” knowing full well my doctor would probably ignore me and prescribe me another box of hormonal birth control. I wish I could have a doctor in person like Dr Brighten.
Anyway, Ted Talk is over. I recommend this book.
It can be a bit frightening, I will warn, she may lean a bit far in terms of fear-mongering in some chapters. I felt at one point that we’re dead on the pill, and we’re dead if we try to get off the pill. Of course, I know that isn’t true.. but go into it without being afraid if you choose to read this!
I also liked the various recipes at the end, and all of the information on supplements. I took a ton of notes as I read, and I feel a lot more educated, prepared, and like I have some direction, and some hope for my symptoms.
I did find the vast amount of supplements mentioned a little overwhelming, but at the same I was so glad that many of what she mentioned was merely natural herbs in tinctures and teas. Healing is more simple than we think. 🤷🏻♀️
At the end of the day, the message is clear: properly nourish your body, listen to it, and don’t let your doctor gaslight you. This really shines a light on just how bad it is in public healthcare trying to get answers about your reproductive cycle.
I remember asking once a couple of years about issues I had with my cycle, and my doctor said “honestly, with periods, anything goes.” Which basically taught me, as a young woman, that I should just live with whatever my cycle throws at me.
Now I know my cycle isn’t against me at all! My symptoms were always just trying to tell me what was wrong, so I could fix it.
I laughed many times (sadly) throughout the book when Dr Brighten said, “talk to your doctor about___” or “ask your doctor for testing on____” knowing full well my doctor would probably ignore me and prescribe me another box of hormonal birth control. I wish I could have a doctor in person like Dr Brighten.
Anyway, Ted Talk is over. I recommend this book.
It can be a bit frightening, I will warn, she may lean a bit far in terms of fear-mongering in some chapters. I felt at one point that we’re dead on the pill, and we’re dead if we try to get off the pill. Of course, I know that isn’t true.. but go into it without being afraid if you choose to read this!
April 1, 2024
If you're looking for a book that discusses the potentially problematic effects of long-term hormonal birth control, this is the book for you. I appreciate that Dr. Brighten isn't anti-birth control and that she emphasizes that you have to ultimately choose what works best for you and your current needs. She doesn't demonize modern medicine or women who choose hormonal birth control. Dr. Brighten is trying to further educate women so they can make the best choice for themselves; hormonal birth control or not.
Dr. Brighten's writing style made picking up the book easy; she drops humor in at just the right times. This book was easy to read cover-to-cover; however, you could definitely jump between chapters if you weren't interested in all of the topics.
At times I did get a tad bit sick of reading the words "30-Day Brighten Program." But regardless of if you actually pursue Dr. Brighten's Program the first three-fourths of the book is informative and well worth the read.
Dr. Brighten's writing style made picking up the book easy; she drops humor in at just the right times. This book was easy to read cover-to-cover; however, you could definitely jump between chapters if you weren't interested in all of the topics.
At times I did get a tad bit sick of reading the words "30-Day Brighten Program." But regardless of if you actually pursue Dr. Brighten's Program the first three-fourths of the book is informative and well worth the read.
January 29, 2024
I wish I would have read this book yearssss ago. However, I’m so grateful that I did read it now. It’s filled with important information that I think every woman should have access to — it definitely was an eye-opener for me. It could be a little overwhelming at times with all of the changes the author recommends, but it helped me to feel educated about my future decisions. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about their health / hormones, etc.
May 26, 2024
Of course, I’ll be back to make any necessary updates after I follow this 30 day program, but I think it has a lot of really great information to help prepare you for getting off birth control. I think it’s partially very useful to know how to support your body, but equally as useful to know what might happen and understand how you can seek treatment before you’re just freaking out.
June 22, 2024
I learned so much from this book. It was worth the read to better understand my body’s needs and gain tips to integrate into my daily life.
November 13, 2023
DNF. All I’ll say is MTHFR👎🏼
December 6, 2019
It's nice to have symptoms validated after they've been brushed off or shrugged at by doctors. This book acknowledges a very real issue in healthcare - that we don't know enough about our bodies, and we are often prescribed things in a sort of guess-and-check way instead of with real understanding of our symptoms. This book does call out the medical field for things like that.
It also cites research... However, none of the research is directly linked to anything she says. She doesn't use footnotes or other in-text citations; she just has a list of references at the end. I've seen other science-based books with equally conversational tones that made great use of footnotes without it being distracting or too formal. She needs direct links between her claims and her sources.
The most problematic part is that she claims to not be anti-pill, yet she blames nearly every unexplained female health issue on the pill. And this is without scientific backing. She notes correlation and let's the reader connect the dots. We all should have learned somewhere along the way that correlation does not mean causation, but she is making that assumption through her exposé on the pill. Yes, it can cause issues, and yes, we deserve to know all the possible outcomes of using a medication, but her attitude and her reasoning are flawed. If she wants to demonize the pill, fine, but she shouldn't be doing that under the guise of freedom of information and then turning around to recommend her supplements and the rhythm method as the best option. She presents a false dilemma and takes advantage of her readers.
It also cites research... However, none of the research is directly linked to anything she says. She doesn't use footnotes or other in-text citations; she just has a list of references at the end. I've seen other science-based books with equally conversational tones that made great use of footnotes without it being distracting or too formal. She needs direct links between her claims and her sources.
The most problematic part is that she claims to not be anti-pill, yet she blames nearly every unexplained female health issue on the pill. And this is without scientific backing. She notes correlation and let's the reader connect the dots. We all should have learned somewhere along the way that correlation does not mean causation, but she is making that assumption through her exposé on the pill. Yes, it can cause issues, and yes, we deserve to know all the possible outcomes of using a medication, but her attitude and her reasoning are flawed. If she wants to demonize the pill, fine, but she shouldn't be doing that under the guise of freedom of information and then turning around to recommend her supplements and the rhythm method as the best option. She presents a false dilemma and takes advantage of her readers.
March 9, 2023
doing my part to normalize reproductive healthcare by logging and reviewing this book… anyway… there’s a lot of good research in this book but it’s unfortunately mixed with a lot of pseudoscience (you can’t really “detoxify” your liver) and shilling her massive range of supplements & what is basically whole30. i think overall this book is more helpful than detrimental because it’s important to raise awareness of how under-covered hormonal side effects are and how damaging they can be, but it just reinforces how hard it is to find books on this topic that don’t have some kind of commercial angle. 2.5/5
January 7, 2020
Only came here to be whiney, i’m not proud of it either. Currently trying to read this as I just came off the pill a few weeks ago, and I LOVED the pill. I’m just trying out life without it as a science experiment. Reading this book though is causing me physical pain because it’s so low key angry about the pill. She says multiple times that she enjoyed it up until she didn’t, and now she just sounds so biased. PERSONALLY I have such a hard time reading peoples opinions on things, entirely because I don’t care. Obviously my own fault for picking the book up, i’ll
probably read the parts that are relevant to my situation but otherwise 10/10 would not recommend to a friend LOL
probably read the parts that are relevant to my situation but otherwise 10/10 would not recommend to a friend LOL
March 1, 2019
I learned a lot about hormones and the nutrients that are necessary to keep them working. The author covers a lot of scary stuff that my doctors never told me. But that doesn't mean I'm going to give up my pills anytime soon.
It also kinda bugged me that the author kept promoting her own brand of supplements. It felt like she was trying to sell me her products.
It also kinda bugged me that the author kept promoting her own brand of supplements. It felt like she was trying to sell me her products.
August 2, 2019
This information is incredible! I was involved in an online book club reading this book, and the conversations we had surrounding this book were informative and insightful. The female body is amazing.
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