The Period Brain

Do you feel like you’re riding a premenstrual roller coaster every month that leaves you feeling hungry, tired, angry, sad, and unsexy? Leading researcher and women’s hormone expert Dr. Sarah E. Hill explains why we feel so universally icky before our periods— and what to do about it. The problem isn’t that women are hormonal; the problem is that the second half of the menstrual cycle—the luteal phase, when the hormone progesterone rises and estrogen decreases—has been systematically ignored by science and medicine. Progesterone is at the heart of every feeling we associate with PMS: it affects our daily sleep and calorie needs (hello, cravings!); whom we’re attracted to; our sex drive; and—as every woman can attest—our mood. Because the luteal phase is understudied, every bit of health, diet, and relationship advice you’ve followed is based on that first, estrogen-glow half of the month or, worse, was designed for men. The rules that work for us in the first two weeks of the cycle don’t always fit in the second, causing most of us to spend half the month following advice that is completely at odds with the way our bodies work at this time. It’s no wonder we feel awful! Dr. Hill demystifies how our bodies work, so you can work with your hormones to: ·     Sidestep PMS “cravings” by eating more –you burn up to 11% extra calories in the luteal phase! ·     Exercise in a way that’s invigorating instead of draining. ·     Understand your sex drive, and why sex has different meaning across the month. ·     Quit bad habits more easily thanks to progesterone’s addiction-busting properties. ·     Navigate motivational and energy dips without added stress. ·     Incorporate anti-inflammatory foods and habits to naturally ease PMS. The Period Brain is a science-tested roadmap to understanding PMS and PMDD. It’s time we demand a better month, every month – and usher in a new era in women’s health. Period.

Sarah E. Hill, Ph.D., is the author of This is Your Brain on Birth Control and an award-winning researcher who has spent most of her 20+ year career studying women, relationships, and health. In addition to having established an award-winning health and relationships lab at TCU, she has published nearly 100 academic research articles, is a sought-after public speaker, and sits on the scientific advisory boards for women’s health companies such as Flo and 28 Wellness. Her research is regularly covered by national media, such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, and many others, and is regularly published in highly prestigious journals, including Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Psychoneuroendocrinology, Psychological Science, and Health Psychology.