Hormones, HRT, and why you're not broken | Dr Lara Briden

Dr Lara Briden is back, and for good reason. The naturopathic doctor, evolutionary biologist, and bestselling author of Period Repair Manual, Hormone Repair Manual, and The Metabolism Reset is the only guest to appear on Grey Areas three times, and this kōrero might be her best yet. In this episode, Petra and Lara dig into what it means to have a female body, and why that's not the complicated, messy sidebar medicine has long made it out to be. Lara makes a compelling case that female physiology is arguably advantageous. Cyclic hormones are health-building, ovulation is powerful, and perimenopause, far from being a deficiency state, is a season women's bodies are designed to go through (and be able to thrive on the other side). This conversation goes beyond biology. Lara and Petra wrestle honestly with the perimenopause narrative that's taken hold on social media: how the welcome opening of the conversation has, in some cases, tipped into fear. Women who feel fine are now wondering if something is wrong with them. Women who aren't yet symptomatic are afraid of what's coming. Lara is direct: fear is not a wise guide. They also get into the underdiagnosed but highly reversible problem of insulin resistance, what it actually is, how to spot it on a standard blood test, and why it matters more for women's long-term heart and brain health than most GPs are telling us.  Plus: the case for magnesium, the overlooked role of iron deficiency in perimenopause symptoms, why oxytocin might be one of the most underrated health tools available, and a very practical PSA about condoms. This is a conversation for every woman who has ever stood in the supplement aisle feeling overwhelmed, or scrolled through health content and come away feeling worse. The road home is home, and Lara's message, as always, is that you're probably more okay than you think. Lara's books Period Repair Manual, Hormone Repair Manual, and The Metabolism Reset are available now. Find her at larabriden.com. Support the show: greyareas.nz/support  Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices