Headaches 

If you suffer from headaches or migraines, especially premenstrually, this can be due to an imbalance in estrogen and progesterone and/or compromised liver detoxification pathways. This simply means your liver isn't able to efficiently process the substances your body no longer needs. Tension can also lead to headaches - holding your body tightly can affect blood flow.

To support your body, amp up your intake of anti-inflammatory fats from foods like oily fish and walnuts. To address the cause of your premenstrual headaches, balancing sex hormones and modulating your response to their natural fluctuations through your cycle is key - and this is where herbs can really make a difference. Cycle Essentials contains paeonia and licorice, two beautiful herbs that help to re-establish healthy sex hormone balance. They also have anti-inflammatory properties which is great for your sore head! 

Increased appetite 

For many women, in the days before their period arrives, it can feel like no matter how much they eat, it's never enough to satisfy their ravenous appetite. During this time, they may also crave sugar or find that they are predisposed to emotional eating.

This change in appetite can be due to sex hormone imbalances. Low progesterone can affect our mood (progesterone is an anti-anxiety agent and an antidepressant), and for many women, a low emotional state can lead to emotional eating. An excessive production of insulin can also interact with our sex hormone balance and can drive changes in our appetite and cravings. This is one of the processes linked to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). 

If this sounds like you, then you may like to increase your intake of nourishing fats as these will keep you satiated for longer and help you to avoid the blood sugar rollercoaster that comes with consuming sugar. Cycle Essentials acts to re-establish healthy sex hormone balance as well as modulating the stress response. 

Abdominal pain 

Cramps and abdominal pain in the lead up to or during your period can be painfully debilitating. They can be due to menstrual blood clots, which is often related to too much estrogen. It's the passing of these clots that contributes to the pain. 

The best way to bring high levels of estrogen back to an optimal level is by supporting the liver to process any old forms of estrogen that may be cycling around our body, and by increasing your progesterone levels to help even out the delicate dance between estrogen and progesterone that occurs in your body each month. It can also be beneficial to make sure you are getting enough magnesium as this nutrient will help to relax your muscles and work to reduce the severity of the cramping. 

In the Bio Blends range, both Cycle Essentials and Liver Love work with your body to assist these processes - the herbs in Cycle Essentials support great progesterone production and help to relieve painful menstruation, and Liver Love supports your liver to detoxify any old forms of estrogen the body no longer requires. Cycle Essentials can also be wonderfully supportive for women with endometriosis. 

Acne 

If you experience acne or pimples with your period, particularly if they appear around your jawline, it can indicate an imbalance in your estrogen and progesterone levels. It can also be due to elevated androgens, which tends to affect women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). 

In addition to balancing sex hormones, usually the liver and digestion also need additional support as they are involved in the detoxification and elimination of our sex hormones and other problematic substances. Our skin is simply another pathway for elimination. 

In the Bio Blends range, both Cycle Essentials and Liver Love work with your body to help prevent hormonal acne. The herbs in Cycle Essentials work synergistically to modulate sex hormones, and have been shown to regulate ovarian production of androgens, while Liver Love supports your liver to detoxify any old forms of estrogen that your body no longer requires. 

Breast pain 

Swollen or sore breasts in the lead up to menstruation can indicate excess estrogen and/or low progesterone.

You may like to look at the things in your life that are causing you stress and what you can do to reduce these stressors, as our body's natural stress response hinders adrenalproduction of progesterone. Even just a busy life with no downtime can activate our stress response. The combination of food and herbs Dr Libby chose to use in Cycle Essentials provide your body with additional support to rebalance your progesterone and estrogen levels. Liver Love also works wonderfully alongside Cycle Essentials to support estrogen detoxification and elimination. 

Mood changes 

Mood changes with your period can leave you feeling like you swing from feeling happy, to sad, to angry - all in the space of what feels like about three seconds. The causes of such drastic mood changes are often a combination of low progesterone, high estrogen and high cortisol, a stress hormone. 

To support your body, mind and soul, embrace restorative practices such as diaphragmatic breathing, yoga, tai chi and meditation - stress reduction is essential to support optimal adrenal production of progesterone. Eliminating caffeine can also be hugely beneficial - try eliminating this for two menstrual cycles to see how it affects you. 

Cycle Essentials can provide additional support as it helps with optimal production of progesterone, which has powerful anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects, and the herbal ingredients also work together to support the adrenal glands, which produce many hormones, including stress and sex hormones.

Fluid retention 

It is not possible to gain three kilos of body fat in a day, yet for those women who suffer from fluid retention it can certainly feel like that is the case. If you experience fluid retention around your period this can be due to many factors, including poor progesterone production, sluggish lymphatic flow, mineral deficiencies or a congested liver. 

To support your body to restore balance from fluid retention you want to make sure you are making enough progesterone as this hormone acts as a diuretic (among many other functions), assisting your body to eliminate the excess fluid. The combination of food and herbs in Cycle Essentials will work with your body to produce optimal levels of progesterone. To stimulate your lymphatic flow, daily walks, diaphragmatic breathing or bouncing on a trampoline can be helpful and be sure to increase your intake of leafy greens - both to amp up your mineral intake and support your liver.