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Geraldine Matus, Amy's mentor and the Director of  Justisse Healthworks for Women has a useful analogy for the vagina. She refers to it as a "delicate colony" with a diverse group of citizens who are easily upset when guests arrive unexpectedly - particularly unwelcome guests. These "unexpected guests" can come in the form of ingredients in your lube, spermicide, laundry soap or menstrual products. They can even come in the form of unfamiliar bacteria on a new sexual partner. Any one of these unexpected guests can lead to disruption in the normal order of things (think "too many cooks and not enough dishwashers")  - causing chaos and what's known as "dysbiosis" - a disruption in the balance of bacteria in the body, in this case specifically in the vagina. You may already be familiar with the effects of dysbiosis in the gut - that feeling of being bloated after eating too much bread, sugar, or alcohol. When dysbiosis occurs in the vagina it can present as a yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis (B.V.) or - for those of you who are familiar with monitoring your vaginal secretions for birth control -  non-peak mucus falling outside of your fertile window.

So, the question is, what can we do about it?

In our inaugural episode of Red Tent Sisters, the Podcast, we interview sisters Soraya and Farah Janmohamed, experts on bacterial, vaginal and gut health, about how we can treat these conditions naturally and effectively, and also prevent them from starting in the first place.

In this podcast, Soraya and Farah of OptiBac Probiotics, share with us:

1. Common lifestyle factors that can contribute to yeast infections and other forms of vaginal dysbiosis

2. Why conventional treatments may exacerbate symptoms

3. An explanation of probiotics and how they can be used both therapeutically and preventatively in the treatment of yeast infections and B.V.

4. What to look for when choosing a probiotic (not all probiotics are created equal!)

5. What the research says about treatments for yeast infections and B.V.

Click below to stream the interview (22 min. long) or click "download" to save the podcast for future listening. And for more great tips about women and probiotics, check out this great fact sheet Soraya and Farah have on their website.

Have a friend who might benefit from this info? Click the "Share" button below to post to your favourite social media channel.

 

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Kim & Amy Sedgwick love to discuss sex, periods, and all the other things we’re not supposed to talk about. The co-founders of Red Tent Sisters and ecosex.ca, they’ve been featured in every major Canadian news outlet and have become a trusted resource for women seeking natural (effective!) birth control, a more joyful sex life, and an empowered journey to motherhood.

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