Do you struggle with your menstrual cycle, feeling bloated, have severe cramps that have you doubled over in pain, headaches, mood swings, anxiety, sore breasts, suffer from endometriosis or polycystic ovaries and find yourself dreading that ‘time of the month’? Or are you heading into peri-menopause or menopause and feeling aches and pains, brain fog and difficulty concentrating, insomnia, hot flashes, night sweats, low mood and anxiety, reduced sex drive and vaginal dryness?

What lies at the bottom of all these symptoms…....fluctuating hormones. The two main hormones in a woman’s cycle are oestrogen and progesterone and when they are in balance and working synergistically, you should experience no discomfort leading up to and around menstruation, you should just have a bleed. That is normal. The trouble is that this is not the case for the majority of women.

Symptoms are not random, they are your body’s inner guidance system trying to communicate with you and get your attention. The same applies to premenstrual syndrome and issues in perimenopause and menopause. If you ignore your body’s attempts to communicate when you experience PMS, by the time you get to perimenopause, the body will have to ramp things up to get your attention, which can lead to more intense symptoms and difficulties.

So start practicing now, if you experience PMS, ask yourself what you need that you may not be getting. Tune into yourself and see if you can start understanding your symptoms and what they are trying to tell you. If you are in perimenopause or menopause, what do you think your body is trying to tell you. Have you been giving out too much and not allowing enough time for yourself to rediscover who you are at this stage in your life. Has this been a pattern throughout your life?

Getting back to the symptoms, there is a tendency to have too much oestrogen in the body causing oestrogen dominance, which causes the premenstrual symptoms and lower levels of oestrogen and progesterone, which causes the menopausal symptoms.

The best place to start is your diet when you are trying to improve your health and treat specific symptoms. Make sure you are eating plenty of vegetables and fruits, which contain fibre and vitamins and minerals. Fibre is needed to get rid of excess oestrogen, which will help ease premenstrual symptoms. Focus on eating simple wholefoods, including complex carbohydrates such as root vegetables, legumes such as beans, chickpeas, lentils, nuts and seeds, and plenty of colour. Try and avoid or cut back on animal protein, dairy products, alcohol, sugar and processed or junk foods as these foods release prostaglandins, which will make your symptoms worse. Drink plenty of water at least a couple litres to help your body function optimally and detoxify. If you struggle to stick to a healthy diet, then at least try these suggestions a week before your symptoms usually start.

Phytonutrients are found in plants and have been shown to have beneficial effects on PMS and menopausal symptoms. So following a well balanced diet will help you to get all the nutrients you need to help your body function well. Some hormone balancing herbs include:

• Black Cohosh (don’t use if pregnant, have hormone sensitive conditions or have chronic disease)

• Dong Quai is antispasmodic so will help with cramps and back pain and helps to replenish blood after your period (don’t take during your period).

• Vitex Agnus Castus (Chasteberry) is a natural progesterone, which can be used in your luteal phase. Helps relieve breast tenderness and cramping. It’s good for the skin too.

• Dandelion (natural diuretic) and supports the liver

• Milk Thistle (cleanses the liver and helps it metabolise excess oestrogen)

• Lemonbalm is soothing and helps with anxiety and insomnia. It also reduces bloating and fluid retention.

• Peppermint and Valerian help stabilise mood swings and calm the nervous system

• Wild Yam contains natural progesterone and is effective in alleviating cramps, headache, depression, moodswings, irritability and insomnia.

• Feverfew helps with migraines

• Maca helps to balance hormones so may help to ease PMS

Phytoestrogens are adaptogenic, meaning their effect will differ depending on what your body needs. If you have too much oestrogen for example, the herb will help stabilise production and if you don’t have enough oestrogen, it will help to stimulate production. As there is no one size fits all as we are all unique, you may have to try different dosages and times of using them to see what works for you. If you have a hormone sensitive condition or are taking HRT, please consult your doctor before trying these herbs.

• Black Cohosh helps alleviate menopausal symptoms

• Maca helps to balance hormones and has been found to ease menopausal discomfort

• Soy (Tofu, tempeh, miso) use organic or fermented

• Vitex Agnus Castus (Chasteberry) helps to boost progesterone levels

• Pueraria Murifica helps relieve menopausal symptoms and has protective effects

• Dong Quai relieves hot flashes, vaginal dryness and depression

Phytonutrients are a great natural alternative to help balance your hormones. They may take some time to take effect, so tune in and monitor how you feel to determine if they are working for you and if you need to try something different. If you feel you could do with more help in selecting the right combination, it may be worthwhile finding a Herbalist to help you.

What do you find helps to relieve your PMS or menopausal symptoms?

I would love to hear from you, let me know what symptoms are coming up for you and whether you have tried using any natural remedies to help.

With love,