Ep 20: Everything You Need To Know About Coming Off Birth Control Part 2/2 (ft. Elena Colombe, functional nutrition coach)

The Anti-Macro Podcast

The topic of coming off birth control is trending right now as women are learning more about how hormonal birth control has the potential to impose negative effects on our bodies particularly with long term use but also many women need to go through the process of coming off hormonal birth control so they can venture into their pregnancy journey. What I’ve noticed is that in the functional health space, coaches are talking about post birth control syndrome yet medical providers are not educating women about this at all. To have this conversation, I’ve brought my friend and fellow functional health coach Elena on to talk about all things birth control. There was so much for us to cover and a few important tangents along the way, so this will be a two part episode with the second part being released next week. On this week’s episode, we’re going to discuss how birth control works, what is post birth control syndrome, and what steps you can take to prepare your body for the removal of exogenous hormones and returning to your natural cycle. Let’s dive in.

What is covered within this episode:

• How to support your hormones and cycle after you’ve come off birth control
• How to assess your digestive health post-birth control
• The impact of various behaviors and vices on our wellness and hormones
• Working towards fertility for your current or future family planning
• Considerations for women with PCOS

Apps referenced for cycle tracking:

• Natural Cycles
• Clue
• Apple Health

Tools referenced for tracking basal body temperature + more

• Oura ring (https://ouraring.com/)
• Bluetooth basal body temperature thermometer
• LH strips (for testing levels of Luteinizing Hormone)

Out of Pocket Labs

• https://www.lifeextension.com/
• https://dutchtest.com/

Lab Values to Request From Your Provider:

• CBC (Complete Blood Count)
• Insulin, Fasting Glucose, and A1C
• Lipids (Cholesterol): Total Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, Triglycerides
• Hormones: Free and Total Testosterone, Estradiol, Progesterone, SHBG, DHEA-S, Cortisol, LH, FSH
• Thyroid: TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3

*Be sure to consult your physician and insurance to get estimated costs for labs prior to ensure you're fully informed of your financial responsibility ahead of time. Both Elena and I are available for interpreting lab work.

Resources for coaches looking to learn more about functional health:

• Sam Miller Science Functional Nutrition and Metabolism School (@sammillerscience, @metabolismschool)
• Jason Theobald @scoobyprep1_ifbbpro

Connect with Elena

IG @elena.m.fit

Podcast: What The Funk, available on all major platforms