If you haven't heard this enough from me, your period is not supposed to be painful! Somewhere along the way, most of us believed the lie that horrible cramps come along with being a woman. More accurately, it's just a sign that you are an inflamed woman! Your body has double the amount of pain reducing prostaglandins than cramp creating prostaglandins. This means we have the systems in place to keep cramps at bay, naturally. BUT when inflammation is too high or our body isn’t nourished or balanced, excessive or debilitating cramps can ensue.

To begin supporting your hormones, let’s look at increasing these two powerhouses to decrease cramping!

OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS: this is one of the most anti inflammatory nutrients we have, promoting hormone balance, brain health, mental health, and you guessed it, decreasing menstrual cramps!

Foods high in Omega 3 Fatty Acids: FISH (tuna, mackerel, sardines, salmon, etc), walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, macadamia nuts, etc...

MAGNESIUM: this mineral is involved in over 600 biochemical reaction in the body. Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer, anti inflammatory agent, increased brain function and mood, yada yada yada!

Foods high in Magnesium: Oats, bananas, dark chocolate, leafy greens, beans, avocados, etc...

This is a starting point, but even ramping up these two bad boys will help your next cycle!

Recipes to try 

1. Raspberry Leaf Tea (you can buy this in store) is incredible for preventing and decreasing PMS.

Dr. Diana Ramos, an OB/GYN and co-chair of the National Preconception Health and Health Care Initiative, says that many herbalists have dubbed raspberry leaf tea “the women’s herb.” The combination of Fragarine, an alkaloid in raspberries, and tannins, a naturally occurring polyphenol often found in wine, are known for treating PMS symptoms, particularly cramping, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. “Fragarine is known to help tone and tighten muscles in the pelvic region, thereby assisting with the cramps caused by spasms of these muscles,” Dr. Ramos says. Meanwhile, tannins are believed to strengthen the uterus, mitigating heavy and irregular bleeding during the menstrual cycle. This tea is also high in magnesium and calcium which can decrease muscle spasms.

This works wonders for me and clients, give it a try in your own life!

2. Meet THE raw carrot salad that helps SO MANY CLIENTS with their digestive and estrogen dominance symptoms!

This is based on Endocrine Psychologist Dr. Peat’s findings that raw carrots bind to excess estrogen and help detoxify it out of the body. These are anti fungal and anti microbial, supporting the liver to move along excess estrogen and endotoxins. (Fun fact did you know the liver is responsible for 70% of hormonal conversion?💃🏻)

Enjoy this addition to your snack as often as you can for healthier hormones and digestion!

•1-2 medium carrots, I like them ribboned 

•1 tsp olive/coconut oil

•1 tsp apple cider vinegar

•sea salt

These ingredients work together for better absorption & added minerals. At the end of the day, one food will likely help, not heal hormonal imbalances. If you are working on your hormones, I would encourage you to work with a KYPO Coach to change your food and lifestyle to balance your body and restore your vitality.