If you don’t know where to start when it comes to balancing your hormones, regulating your periods and naturally preventing symptoms of PMS & cramps - this blog is for you.
Too often are women overwhelmed and confused with where to start when it comes to balancing their hormones and I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be complex..
And it doesn’t have to involve making 101 changes all at once.
The key to truly transforming your hormonal & menstrual health for the LONG term is to begin by making small, achievable and sustainable improvements to your daily food & lifestyle habits.
No pills, no extremes, no restrictions, no diets, no giving up the things you love.
It’s your daily food & lifestyle habits that determine how you feel and function throughout the ENTIRE month, including the days on your period - so the best approach is looking at how you can optimize your daily habits!
Remember, healing your hormones is a life-long journey.
It’s not just “eat healthy for a few months” or “put in a year of work and then you’re done”.
It requires consistency, its an every day choice and a long-term partnership with your body.
This is why I’m so passionate about providing education on how to create a hormone-healthy lifestyle versus a 30 day challenge or quick fix.
If I was to start my hormone healing journey all over again these are the top 4 habits I would focus on every day to fast-track my healing.
Habit 1.
Increase magnesium intake.
There is no avoiding that every woman needs more magnesium. Period. I can’t emphasize this enough.
Magnesium insufficiency is the root cause of all sorts of health problems and chronic illnesses, including PMS, cramps, irregular periods, depression, poor sleep, PCOS, infertility, headaches and anxiety.
If you struggle with any type of hormonal condition or symptom you need more magnesium.
Eating magnesium rich foods is important, such as nuts, seeds, grains, beans, seaweed and cacao (dark chocolate) however you cannot get the adequate amounts of magnesium required from food alone.
Why? This is due to nutrient depletion in our soil, stress, certain medications such as hormonal birth control & diuretic drugs, plus excess caffeine, alcohol and sugar consumption - all of which deplete magnesium stores in the body.
Signs of magnesium deficiency are:
Muscle cramps & twitching
Insomnia
Anxiety
Irritability
Constipation
Headaches / migraine
Chronic fatigue
PMS, bloating & breast tenderness
Menstrual cramps
3 steps to get more magnesium daily are:
1. Eat more magnesium rich foods (hot tip: sprinkle2 tbsp of Earth Seeds over your meals & enjoy a Luna's Lover Latte)
2. Top up your magnesium with a few sprays of Moon Boost daily onto your belly whilst you brush your teeth! You can also look into supplementation by talking with your health care practitioner about what may be the best option for you.
3. Remove the magnesium blockers e.g reducing stress and limiting coffee, sugar & alcohol consumption
Make it a daily habit to get more magnesium and over-time as it builds up in your system you’ll notice enormous benefits!
HABIT 2
Eat REGULAR meals & DO NOT skip breakfast.
The people who skip breakfast have the most hormonal issues and menstrual challenges. Yes, this includes intermittent fasting which does not have the same benefits for women as it does shown in studies for men.
Your body needs fuel to kickstart and maintain your metabolism & energy for the day.
Skipping breakfast directly affects two main hormones insulin and cortisol which as a result impact your sex hormone production and regulation.
When you skip a meal, your stress hormone cortisol spikes, which interferes with progesterone production and results in estrogen dominance: hello PMS, fibroids, cysts, breast tenderness, bloating, headaches, and irregular cycles.
Maintaining your blood sugar balance is hands down one of the most important things you can do for balanced hormones and regular, PMS-free periods. Skip breakfast and you’re welcoming blood sugar lows & highs, insulin dys-regulation, increased cortisol levels and inflammation in the body - all root causes of period problems, fertility challenges, difficulty losing weight & conditions such as PCOS.
Balanced hormones & regular periods require balanced meals & regular eating times.
Start with eating breakfast within 30-90 minutes of waking up and make sure to include at least 30 grams of protein, 2 tablespoons of healthy fat and whole food carbohydrates with your meal to keep your blood sugar stable.
Get hormone-healthy recipes & meal creation guides in The Better Period Method.
HABIT 3
Drink your coffee AFTER a meal, never on an empty stomach.
Are you drinking coffee on an empty stomach before breakfast?
It’s time to improve that habit for your hormones as well!
I always get asked, “is coffee bad for hormones?”
But the problem isn’t with coffee itself, it’s the way we are consuming it.
Science suggests that drinking coffee *after* instead of before breakfast is best for our glucose levels, and will also help to reduce the spike in cortisol!
So put a balanced meal in your stomach, including the carbs, protein & fat and wait 20 minutes before reaching for your coffee. You’ll not only support your body's metabolism of caffeine and experience more stable consistent energy throughout the day, but you’ll also support your circadian rhythm & sleep quality too!
HABIT 4
Build Your Resilience To Stress.
Notice how I didn’t simply just say, “reduce your stress levels” - like it’s that easy, right?
The reality is life is inevitably going to be stressful at times and stress can be unavoidable.
So it’s not about cutting all the stress in your life out, it's about building your RESILIENCE to stress.
This is so essential because stress is one of the most common yet overlooked causes of hormonal imbalances, missing & irregular periods, poor sleep, infertility and PMS...
Now, there are great tools to reduce your stress such as daily meditation, breathwork, mindfulness & journaling which I recommend; but a way to provide your body with that extra support in building stress resilience is by consuming adaptogenic herbs.
There is a reason you hear so many health experts talking about adaptogenic herbs - because they effective plants and mushrooms that work to help your body respond to stress, anxiety, fatigue and overall wellbeing.
Anyone living in today’s modern world should take advantage of the power of adaptogenic herbs and the tremendous support they provide for your adrenals & nervous system.
You can add them to smoothies, tea, your coffee or any drink daily.
I personally consume adaptogens daily & have done so for nearly 8 years now, as they have become part of my lifestyle.
Adaptogens have impacted my health so positively I was inspired to create our Moonbox Luna's Latte range.
Quality, purity & the sourcing of adaptogenic herbs matters ALOT and impacts the efficacy - which is why we use only the highest quality in our Luna's Lattes.
You can love on your adrenals with adaptogens like ashawagandha, reishi & maca below...
Luna’s Lover cacao latte is great for stress, sleep and anxiety.
Luna’s Matcha latte is the best coffee alternative if you’re struggling with hormonal imbalances and need to give coffee a break for a while, whilst you rebalance.
Luna’s Gold turmeric latte is particularly for moods, energy & preventing PMS and period pain.
Consuming one serving of a Luna’s Latte a day is a hormone-healthy habit that will provide your body with essential adrenal nourishment helping you better manage your stress levels, anxiety and improve sleep bringing you closer towards your health goals.
The state of your hormonal health & severity of menstrual symptoms is a reflection of your past and current habits.
Start with these 4 simple habits & you'll start to feel better within one cycle.
- Get more Magnesium.
- Eat breakfast & regular meals throughout the day.
- If you drink coffee, never on an empty stomach.
- Consume adaptogenic herbs.
These habits are a great place to start and will compound over time for you; but the bigger process to fixing your periods is getting to the root cause of your symptoms and looking at: what do we do to really support your cycle?
That’s what I cover in The Better Period Method.
Remember - you are designed to feel good.
Symptoms are indication that your hormones are not performing effectively.
Long term not addressing PMS & irregularities is a significant health risk & need to be taken seriously.
The most effective way to reclaim your health is to start with making achievable, small improvements to your daily habits that are permanent and not a fad.
Making changes to your food & lifestyle can be overwhelming..
Staying consistent can be hard..
But education is what makes it easier.
So, before reaching for hormonal birth control, a supplement or pill - real change begins by addressing your food & lifestyle habits.
So many people say to me, “but Nikki, I know how to live a healthy life and eat clean”.. yet they are STILL struggling with their periods, energy & mood...
Why is this? It's because there is a space between what you know and the action you’re taking.
Where are you sitting?
Empower yourself to take action by checking out The Better Period Method as the perfect place to start to reclaiming your hormonal health & LIVING your most vibrant, energised, vital life.
