EDUCATION IS EMPOWERMENT

So what's going on biologically that can make us feel so icky right before we bleed?

Some of the challenge is sheer hormonal shifts: just before we bleed, our hormones get to their lowest levels throughout the whole month. So it makes sense that our energy is lower than when are bodies are teaming with hormones. Luteinizing hormone surges before ovulation which contributes to feeling good during that time, and then sharply drops when the period starts. This can lead to fatigue, bloating, headaches and nausea.

It might surprise you to know that every egg in a woman’s body has been developed over a period of 90 days, and the quality of every egg varies due to a number of factors such as the health of the woman and the nutrients derived from her diet and nutrient intake at the time of female egg production. 

There is little medical evidence of biological differences between people who struggle with PMS or PMDD. There is not enough research to know what is going on. However, 80% of women who experience PMDD have experienced some sort of trauma in their life. It is possible unexamined early hurts that have not yet resolved may reappear in emotional struggles as the hormones (estrogen and progesterone) that give us energy and equilibrium decrease in the latter half of the menstrual cycle. 

Heavy menstrual bleeding is estimated to affect up to a third of premenopausal women, and some of these women are at risk of iron deficiency anemia, which can cause symptoms like fatigue. Dr. Jacques Moritz -- Director of Gynecology at Mount Sinai St. Luke's Roosevelt in New York City -- states that some women “lose too much blood, replace about half of it, and then lose too much again the following month."

What are Hormonal Headaches? Menstrual related headaches can often make life feel overwhelming. It's enough that we may have period pain, PMS, bloating and everything else that goes with it. But there's nothing as irritating (and painful) as getting a headache...

On top of filtering out toxins, the liver also metabolizes about 50% of the estrogen in your body. So, when your liver isn’t working to the best of its ability, hormone imbalance can occur. Research has shown that when the liver isn’t effectively metabolizing estrogen, women can experience menstrual problems, breast changes, and infertility.

The expectations of us as adults to be productive and make money can also bring tremendous stress to our sense of worth and can cause seemingly constant worry. Add the cultural expectation that we are "fine" all the time, it's no wonder so many of us are struggling with our mental health!!!!

Classic symptoms are terrible period pain during menstruation and sometimes throughout the month, pain associated with going to the toilet, heavy periods, nausea, constipation, bloating, and diarrhea.

Hormonally speaking, vitex supports the pituitary gland to produce the hormones progesterone and luteinizing hormone which allow for your body to ovulate, have a regular cycle, and avoid symptoms like PMS. Vitex enhances the pituitary gland.

If you chose to use an IUD, depending which one you choose can influence how bad your cramps are, how heavy or light your flow is, and whether or not you’ll get a period at all. If you're considering getting an IUD...

Just about every cell in your body is affected by too much insulin. This link between too much insulin and your sex hormones, is why hormonal imbalances always improve when you eat to stabilize your blood sugar.

Scientists needed to be able to convince women to take "medication" every day when they were not sick (these were the days before EVERYONE was taking their vitamins and supplements etc lol) and to take a pill that stopped their menstrual cycles. Therefore, scientists needed to design a pill that mimicked a women's natural cycle as a solution to convincing them that all was well with their bodies. And that's just what they did.

So which Ova Moon product is best for your needs? We've broken it down to make it super simple for you to navigate.

Ovulation is critical to fertility, but it's not the only indicator of health. A lot happens throughout a cycle to prepare the body for ovulation, and to successfully complete a menstrual cycle, pregnant or not.

For Professor Prior, ovulatory cycles are a “creator of good health.” They’re also an “indicator of good health” because when we’re healthy, ovulation arrives smoothly and regularly. When we’re unhealthy in some way, the lack of ovulation can tell the story." 

How to fight fair the week before your period While it's totally possible that in the days before your period, you feel balanced, energized and totally in control, many of us struggle to communicate well with our closest people when...

🤯 Agreeing to go on an epic adventure or vacation and then realizing you'll be on your period...you're not alone!
😒BEING on an epic trip or vacation and then getting your period...you're not alone!
😩Wanting to be done with your period but it. just. keeps. going...you're not alone!😳Wearing a thick pad and wearing sweatpants and STILL getting blood on your sheets...you're not alone!

Before menstruation starts, the cells that form the lining of the uterus begin to break down during menstruation and release large amounts of inflammatory prostaglandins. These chemicals constrict the blood vessels in the uterus and make the muscle layer contract which can cause painful cramps. The amount of Inflammation in your body determines which kind and how many Prostaglandins are released.

While hormones determine the timing of PMS, they are not actually the underlying cause of these symptoms. Emotional PMS symptoms have much more to do with how glucose (sugar) is metabolized in the brain and how fat is processed in the liver.

 

A boost in estrogen leads to increased libido, while boosted progesterone leads to a lower sex drive. These hormones fluctuate at different points in the cycle.

When blood sugar falls, so does our energy, ability to focus, and mood. Already at this time, our energy is lower due to falling hormone levels, so we want to do everything we can to keep our mood stable in other ways, and balanced blood sugar is #1.