In this episode, Rachel & Amanda meet and interview Dr. BreAnna Guan, a naturopathic doctor based in Spokane who specializes in women’s health. We talk about hormones, birth experiences, and false comparisons (social media isn’t real life, people!). We also parse through the truth and myth surrounding naturopathic medicine, and the practical applications it has for everyday life.
BreAnna Guan is a licensed naturopathic physician specializing in hormone and women’s health. Through her consulting practice, she has helped hundreds of women naturally transform their health, hormones, and fertility.
Dr. Guan participated in NIH-funded research at Bastyr University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Herbal Sciences, and then her doctorate and the prestigious Founder’s Day Award for exceptional service to her community. She is a past president of the Indiana Association of Naturopathic Physicians. She’s served as a medical consultant for hormone-testing companies, a well-known fertility software app, and a botanical supplement company.
Her writings have been featured in Better Nutrition. She’s most passionate about inspiring her clients to transform their health and find their own thriving.
Dr. Guan lives in Washington State with her husband and four children. Follow her on Instagram and check out her high-visibility ad on the Naturopathic Doctors page of the SBR Directory!
:42 – Intro
5:09 – Background
8:40 – “I realized there was something missing from my coursework and that was health.”
8:51 – Where is the life within medicine or the focus on life and creating life?
11:32 – “I think pediatrics is such a neat opportunity to use more holistic medicines.”
12:38 – Being in a hospital and being at a birth center should not be in opposition.
13:24 – Holistic Intervention
14:22 – Hormone Issues
14:31 – PCOS is the number one hormone imbalance for reproductive-aged women.
15:44 – Importance of Labs
19:25 – “I think that women, no matter what their age, are going through so many stressors and often put their health on the back burners.”
20:10 – Naturopathy
20:54 – “My emphasis is to support the creation of health and to find the underlying issue where health had give awry.”
21:40 – Motivation
24:44 – It’s the day-in/day-out stuff where we really make the progress and we see deeper healing happen.
25:34 – “One of the things I tell people is to focus on supporting their dopamine when they are making a change because it’s their reward pathway.”
27:21 – Media
29:40 – Misconceptions & Myths
29:55 – There is a misconception that in regards to your hormones you have to accept pain or discomfort, and that it is somewhat permanent or the solution is only medical.
33:44 – Fertility
34:31 – How can we use this information that your body is telling you to create lasting change?
35:20 – You don’t want to waste your life feeling bad, and to live at a diminished level of your vibrant self. Why?
36:00 – Birth Control
37:31 – There are studies that show that your preference for a mate is different than when you’re on the (birth control) pill.
39:28 – Dispensary & Quality of Supplements
43:07- Food Changes & Blood Sugar
43:40 – When your blood sugar spikes, insulin increases, and that drives women’s hormones issues.
47:08 – Insulin is one of the most important hormones in our modern world for hormone balance.
47:55- Wrap-up & Favorite Memory
48:50 – When we are at our best, we give that to our children and to the people in our life.
