Working with plant medicine throughout your menstrual cycle is a wonderful way to honor your body’s rhythms and support hormonal balance.
A menstrual cycle has four phases: menstruation, pre-ovulation, ovulation, and premenstruation. (Read more about the 4 Seasons of the Menstrual Cycle and self-care recommendations for each phase in this post of mine.)
Your hormones fluctuate throughout your menstrual cycle, following their own specific pattern during each of the four phases. You can work with herbs that support your changing hormone levels during each week of your cycle to maintain hormonal balance and help relieve menstrual-associated symptoms like hormonal acne, period pain, PMS, fatigue, and mood swings.
Plant Allies for Your Menstrual Cycle
Week 1 (Menstruation)
Day 1 of menstrual bleeding starts off the first phase. During this week, you want to support your body with blood-building, iron- and mineral-rich herbs like Raspberry leaf, Nettle leaf, Dandelion root, and Yellow Dock root.
This herbal iron syrup with Yellow Dock and Dandelion root can support your body’s iron stores, especially if you tend towards heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding.
Here’s a simple herbal tea recipe to nourish your body during week 1 of your menstrual cycle:
Ingredients:
– 1 tsp Nettle leaf
– 1 tsp Raspberry leaf
– 1/2 tsp Rose petals
Directions: Add dried herbs to a tea infuser and steep for 5-10 minutes.
Week 2 (Pre-ovulation)
During this week, your estrogen levels start to rise significantly. Support your body’s naturally rising estrogen levels with estrogenic plants, such as Red Clover blossoms, Alfalfa, Hops, and Shatavari.
I love this Shatavari latte recipe for supporting your hormone balance during week 2:
Ingredients:
– 1 cup coconut milk
– 1 tsp Shatavari powder
– 1 tsp honey
– Splash of rose water (or a dash of rose petal powder)
– Dash of cardamom powder
Directions:
– Warm up coconut milk on the stovetop.
– Add all ingredients to the milk and blend well.
– Serve warm with a sprinkle of cardamom on top.
Week 3 (Ovulation and Post-ovulation)
Following ovulation, your progesterone production gets a huge boost and your basal body temperature goes up. Support optimal progesterone levels with warming spices like Turmeric, Ginger, and Cinnamon.
Adaptogens can be useful to incorporate during this time if you know you’re prone to premenstrual symptoms. I commonly recommend Holy Basil, especially if anxiety or tension are present.
Here’s a progesterone-supporting herbal tea recipe:
Ingredients:
– 2 tsp Holy basil
– 1/2 tsp dried Ginger (or 1/4 tsp fresh, chopped)
Directions: Steep herbs in a mug for 5-10 minutes. Strain and enjoy!
Week 4 (Pre-menstruation)
Leading up to the onset of menstruation, hormone levels start to drop this week. This is the time that symptoms of hormonal imbalances are more likely to show up.
Support your liver with hepatic herbs that optimize liver function and hormone metabolism, like Burdock root and Dandelion root, to maintain hormonal balance and prevent premenstrual acne.
This may be the best week to avoid coffee if you’re prone to premenstrual mood swings, anxiety, or fatigue. Substitute my simple herbal “coffee” recipe below!
Ingredients:
– 1 tsp roasted (or unroasted) Burdock root
– 1 tsp roasted Dandelion root
– 1 tsp roasted Chicory root
Directions:
– Add herbs to a pot filled with 2-3 cups of water.
– Simmer for 10-15 minutes on the stovetop, then strain the herbs.
– Add creamer or anything else you’d regularly add to coffee beverages, and enjoy!
Plant medicine can be a powerful way to balance your hormones, align your cycles to a regular rhythm, and alleviate hormone-associated conditions like acne.
If you want to balance your hormones and you’re interested in learning which herbs would work best for you individually, let’s work together!
Disclaimer: Some of the links to herbal products in this article are affiliate links. I make a small commission off of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for helping to support my small business!
