Did the title catch you? ;-)
Many people know about my struggles with hormonal imbalances and a little bit of my story.
For those who don't know, I'll touch on it a little here in this post. Starting in Junior High, I had the worst periods. I wish I was being dramatic when I say that, but my periods would literally take me out. I had the most painful cramps that would bring me to tears every month. I medicated myself on painkillers and that still wouldn't work for me. I basically would have to be miserable and do nothing for a week.
I was put on medication in High School that was supposed to bring me into balance. Sadly, it escalated the issues and added never ending hunger. Literally. Those who do know me, know I can hold my own when eating. But this hunger was one I was never full on and I was getting migraines as well. All of those issues, I never dealt with before. So now I was miserable on my period, a hunger machine all the time, and my head would kill me too. Frustrated and sad, I was taken off everything and was told it would day have to fix itself when I'm older. I basically had to accept that my periods were going to continue to be bad and painful.
Fast forward to college and they were still getting worse. I had horrible acne that would never go away. In fact, I would break out 3 weeks out of the month and have amazing clear skin the week of my period. That is definitely not normal! The cramps severity worsened as well. I remember one time specifically, I was showering in my dorm and literally was on the ground in the shower. I was crying and throwing up from the pain. That time of the month became so bad that I couldn't even go to work.
I did everything I was supposed do. I cut out soy, cut out sugar, cut out caffeine, started to exercise more, but none of that helped my hormones.
I studied multiple supplements while picking the brains of those who would come in for trainings at my job. I was trying to find a solution to a life that I shouldn't have to accept. It was suggested by a few people to try Vitex Aka Chaste Tree.
A little bit of herby info about Vitex (Latin: Vitex Agnus Castus, Chinese: Man Jing Zi) promotes a healthy hormone cycle. It is traditionally used in Western Herbalism and not commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The berries are used from the tree and are slightly spicy. It's energies tend to be neutral and bitter tasting.
I decided to give Vitex a try since at this point, my options were looking pretty slim. I started taking Vitex and after some time, I started noticing differences. My skin began to clear up and slowly my periods were becoming manageable. I started to work during my periods and started having a little bit more normal routines. They say every single person finds their "herb". There is always that one plant or herb that you just connect with. If you haven't, I encourage you to start looking. For me, I found Vitex due to personally seeing the results for myself. I became connected with it and I have a thankfulness for it.
My heart for Lunalei is connected to Vitex and my story of struggle to find healing. I saw how plants can help change a life. Vitex isn't for everyone, in fact I know some people who didn't do well with it. Every plant is different for every person. It is pretty cool all the things the Earth grows for us. I always wanted to see Vitex in person and I finally got to recently! I won't lie and say it wasn't emotional, because for me I felt connected. It's pretty cool to see a plant you love and personally experienced in person. There are studies on how talking and playing music to plants and probiotics changes the way they grow. They find the bacteria in probiotics grow better to positive music and thankful moods. Crazy because they find the same thing with plants! A ethic in herbalism is to always thank the plant when harvesting and when making remedies to be in good energy. I applied that and thanked Vitex that day. I thanked it for changing my story and developing my heart for Lunalei.
I've learned in my journey that if you are seeking healing, never give up and healing isn't perfect. Do I still have bad months? Totally. But I look at the progress of where I was. Being healed doesn't equal no issues, but a commitment to move forward despite of them. Don't accept bad days as being normal, you deserve better. Go and pursue your healing.
Pōmaika`i, Blessings,
Leilani Nelson (Founder of LunaLei)
Any statements or claims about the possible health benefits conferred by any foods or supplements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease. Always consult a doctor when taking herbs/supplements and be under medical supervision.
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