Urinary Incontinence Treatment, Pelvic Pain & the Problem with Just Doing Kegels | Dr. Diana Mendez
Ever been told that leaking pee when you laugh, sneeze, or jump is just part of being a woman—especially after having kids? What if I told you that’s not only false, but that your workouts, posture, or even the way you breathe could be making it worse? In this episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, I sit down with pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Diana Mendez to break down the real reasons behind urinary incontinence, painful sex, prolapse, and so many misunderstood symptoms tied to pelvic floor dysfunction. This episode is a game-changer for anyone who’s ever been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or handed a prescription for Kegels without a proper evaluation.
If you’ve ever searched for urinary incontinence treatment and been told to “just do Kegels,” you’re going to want to hit play immediately—because there’s a lot more to the story. Whether you’ve had babies or not, this conversation will help you reconnect with your body, understand how stress and trauma live in your pelvic floor, and take back control of your bladder, your sex life, and your confidence.
👉 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more expert-led conversations to help you take back your health.
This Episode is brought to you by:
Chorus: http://chorusforlife.com/drbrighten and receive 10 percent off your order or subscription
Dr. Brighten Essentials: https://drbrightenessentials.com use code POD15 for 15% off
Sunlighten Infrared Saunas: use the code drbrighten to save up to $1,400 on your sauna purchase. https://get.sunlighten.com/drbrighten
Support our sponsors and help keep this show free and packed with amazing guests!
🔗 Links mentioned in this episode
Dr. Diana Mendez Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapelvix/
Therapelvix: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3g5TdgbfT1nSCESw9
Book: Is This Normal? by Dr. Jolene Brighten https://amzn.to/3wvdgWy
Guided Body Scan Meditation
👇 Let us know in the comments if you’ve ever been told to “just do Kegels”—and how that worked out for you.
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1:44:43
Mouth Breathing, ADHD & the Cavity Conspiracy: What Your Dentist Isn’t Telling You | Dr. Staci Whitman
Is your child’s ADHD, anxiety, or picky eating actually caused by mouth breathing? And what does fluoride in your water really do to your brain? In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Staci Whitman—founder of NoPo Kids Dentistry and global leader in functional pediatric oral health—joins me to expose the hidden links between oral health, airway issues, the microbiome, and behavior.
👉 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more expert-led conversations to help you take back your health.
This episode is brought to you by:
Dr. Brighten Essentials https://drbrightenessentials.com use code POD15 for 15% off
Fygg https://fygg.sjv.io/ragbBv use code DRBRIGHTEN for 15% off of their products (both one-time and subscription)
Support our sponsors and help keep this show free and packed with amazing guests!
🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
🦷Website: Dr. Staci Whitman’s Practice & Resources
🎧Dr. Elisa Song’s episode: https://drbrighten.com/podcasts/child-gut-health/
🎧Dr. Victoria Sampson’s episode: https://drbrighten.com/podcasts/shocking-truth-about-gum-disease/
📘 Book: “Sleep Wrecked Kids” by Sharon Moore https://amzn.to/44rDhET
📘 Book: “Breath” by James Nestor https://amzn.to/4luQXoJ
🧪Research Paper: National Toxicology Program report on fluoride and neurotoxicity: https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/whatwestudy/assessments/noncancer/completed/fluoride
🔬Association Between Maternal Fluoride Exposure During Pregnancy and IQ Scores in Offspring in Canada: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2748634
🧪Fluoride Exposure and Children’s IQ Scores - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2828425
🛒Product: MyoTape for kids https://www.myotape.com
🛒Functional Tools:
- Myo Munchie https://myomunchee.com/
- Cordless Waterpik https://www.waterpik.com/
🔬Water fluoridation for the prevention of dental caries (Cochrane Review): https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010856.pub3/full#CD010856-abs-0001
🔬Time to Reassess Systemic Fluoride Exposure, Again (JAMA): https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2828429
🦷American Academy of Oral Systemic Health: https://www.aaosh.org/
🦷International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology: https://iaomt.org/
🦷Holistic Dental Association: https://holisticdental.org/
🦷American Academy of Physiological Medicine & Dentistry: https://aapmd.org/
🌬️The Breath Institute: https://thebreatheinstitute.com/
🔬Institute for Functional Dentistry: https://functionaldentistry.com/
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1:33:30
Should You Consider HRT? How to Know If It's Time & What to Ask Your Doctor
You’re doing everything right—eating well, exercising, managing stress—and yet you still feel exhausted, inflamed, and like your body’s working against you. If the weight won’t budge, sleep is elusive, and your mood feels unfamiliar, this episode will open your eyes to a whole new way of understanding what’s happening in your body.
In this second part of our perimenopause deep dive, we’re pulling back the curtain on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)—not as a last resort, but as a proactive, personalized tool to support your brain, metabolism, sleep, and overall vitality. If you've ever felt dismissed, confused, or even afraid of HRT, this science-backed episode will help you make an empowered, informed decision.
If you missed the first episode, Perimenopause? How to Lose Weight (without starving yourself), you’ll definitely want to listen in to make sure you’re getting the complete picture of how nutrition, lifestyle, and HRT fit together. Once in menopause, these compliment each other and many people make the mistake of thinking that HRT will be enough on its own.
This Episode is Brought To You by:
Dr. Brighten Essentials: https://drbrightenessentials.com use code POD15 for 15% off
Natural Cycles: https://naturalcycles.app/DrBrighten use code DrBrighten to get 15% off an annual subscription plus a free Bluetooth thermometer.
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
- Free Download: Perimenopause Weight Loss Action Plan: http://drbrighten.com/plan
- Perimenopause 101 – Foundational episode on what’s happening to your hormones: https://drbrt.in/AERxT2
- Dr. Brighten Essentials: Metabolic Reset Kit: https://drbrightenessentials.com/products/metabolic-reset-kit
- Dr. Carrie Jones on GABA & Progesterone (podcast episode): https://drbrt.in/ByveEr
- Adrenal Calm by Dr. Brighten Essentials – L-theanine, passionflower & phosphatidylserine to support stress and sleep: https://drbrightenessentials.com/products/adrenal-calm
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22:50
Perimenopause? How to Lose Weight (without starving yourself)
If you’re cutting calories, pushing harder at the gym, and still watching the scale creep up, you’re not alone—and you’re not doing anything wrong. Perimenopause changes everything, especially how your body holds onto weight. In this episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, we’re breaking down exactly what’s happening behind the scenes with your hormones, why traditional weight loss advice falls flat, and what to do instead if you want to see real results—without wrecking your metabolism.
This isn’t about restriction. It’s about working with your hormones, not against them. We’ll walk through the science-backed nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle strategies that actually support fat loss, muscle gain, and a healthier metabolism in perimenopause—so you can feel like yourself again.
This episode is part 1 of a 2 part series. The first episode focuses on nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle change. In episode 2, you’ll find hormone replacement therapy (HRT) specific info. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the second episode in the series!
This episode is brought to you by:
🛍️ Shop Dr. Brighten Essentials Supplements https://drbrightenessentials.com/ SAVE 15% by using the code POD15
Natural Cycles: https://naturalcycles.app/DrBrighten use code DrBrighten to get 15% off an annual subscription plus a free Bluetooth thermometer.
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
- Dr. Navaz Habib on Inflammation (podcast episode): https://drbrt.in/UyoQEu
- Dr. Brighten’s Adrenal Calm Supplement (with L-theanine, passionflower, and phosphatidylserine): https://drbrightenessentials.com/products/adrenal-calm
- Dr. Brighten Essential’s Metabolic Reset Kit: https://drbrightenessentials.com/products/metabolic-reset-kit
- Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplement: https://drbrightenessentials.com/products/omega-plus
- “Is This Normal?” by Dr. Jolene Brighten (book): https://amzn.to/3wvdgWy
- Episode: Gut Health & Estrogen in Perimenopause (coming soon—subscribe to be notified)
- ADHD, Sleep, and Hormones—Why Perimenopause Makes it Harder (podcast episode) https://drbrt.in/e29sl1
This is the episode that will finally help you understand why your weight is shifting—and what to do about it that actually works.
If you found this episode helpful, I have a small favor to ask—leaving a quick review might not seem like much, but in the podcasting world, it makes a huge difference. Your review helps boost the show’s visibility so more people—especially women—can find this life-changing information. It also helps center women’s voices in conversations about women’s health, where we’ve been overlooked for far too long. So thank you for taking a moment to support the show—you’re helping make sure more women feel seen, heard, and empowered.
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53:45
Why Good Stress Might Save Your Life | Jeff Krasno
What if stress isn’t the enemy—but the cure? In this episode, Jeff Krasno shares how he reversed type 2 diabetes, lost 60 pounds, and transformed his life at 50 by leveraging good stress. From cold plunges to tough conversations, he breaks down the science-backed strategies that build resilience, balance hormones, and boost metabolic health.
Whether you're burned out, inflamed, or just tired of feeling off—this episode is your blueprint for powerful, lasting change.
This episode is brought to you by:
Dr. Brighten Essentials: https://drbrightenessentials.com use code POD15 for 15% off – Supporting parents and families with tools that work.
Sunlighten Infrared Saunas: use the code drbrighten to save up to $1,400 on your sauna purchase. https://get.sunlighten.com/drbrighten
LMNT: https://DrinkLMNT.com/Brighten receive your exclusive gift with purchase – Helping you support your child’s development with science-backed products.
Your support of our sponsors helps keep this show free and accessible to everyone—and ends the gatekeeping of quality health info. Thank you!
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
- Jeff’s book: Good Stress by Jeff Krasno https://amzn.to/3E5kXGZ
- Commune: https://www.onecommune.com
- Jeff’s podcast: Commune with Jeff Krasno
- Rhonda Patrick’s research on sauna and cardiovascular health: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34363927/
- Article on butyrate and ADHD: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-87546-y
- David Sinclair’s research on resveratrol: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12939617/
- Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat info: https://bigboldhealth.com
- Beyond the Pill by Dr. Jolene Brighten https://amzn.to/3becjT7
- Learn more about ADHD and Women’s Hormones: https://drbrighten.com/sync/
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Dr. Jolene Brighten, a best-selling author, naturopathic endocrinologist, and women’s health expert, hosts The Dr. Brighten Show—a podcast dedicated to igniting transformative conversations in women’s health. Through candid interviews with leading experts, innovators, and thought-leaders, this show brings you groundbreaking research, personal stories, and practical tools to help you confidently navigate your body and hormones. It’s a fun, engaging, and insightful journey designed to empower you with tangible, science-backed insights—so you can live your best, most vibrant life.