PMS Explained and Made Better: The Period Brain with Sarah Hill, PhD
Why do our moods shift so dramatically across the month? What’s really happening in our brains during the luteal phase of our cycle? And could understanding our hormones actually make us feel better?
In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine sits down with evolutionary psychologist and author Sarah E. Hill, PhD to talk about the fascinating link between hormones, brain function, and overall health.
They explore how deeply our cycles shape our energy, emotions, and resilience—and why this understanding is long overdue. Dr. Hill brings her groundbreaking insights from her books This Is Your Brain on Birth Control and The Period Brain to explain how estrogen and progesterone guide us through distinct physiological “seasons.”
She and Dr. Shahine discuss PMS, PMDD, and why women have two primary sex hormones when men only have one. With empathy, curiosity, and humor, they trace the science, the evolutionary logic, and the societal biases that have kept women’s hormonal health misunderstood for generations.
This episode invites you to stop fighting your biology and start partnering with it because understanding your cycle is one of the bravest, smartest things you can do for your health.
In this episode you’ll hear:
[1:56] Why PMS exists
[6:13] A simple, clear breakdown of the menstrual cycle
[9:48] The roles of estrogen & progesterone
[13:05] The Brain–explained
[24:23] A little more about progesterone
[30:37] The link between progesterone and autoimmune disease
[38:21] Is your PMS actually PMDD?
[40:50] The five pillars of hormone health: sleep, nutrition, movement, stress management, and social support
[44:13] Some surprising research
[46:02] Stress and ovulation
[51:55] Hormone “balancing” is a myth
[57:17] Practical, and hopeful, lifestyle shifts
[1:12:19] Conclusion & final thoughts
Resources mentioned:
floatingkitchen.net/roasted-cauliflower-tacos-with-chipotle-cream
Dr. Shahine’s Weekly Newsletter on Fertility News and Recommendations
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