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This week, Nourish’d Obs hosted its first conscious event – “Optimising gut health for hormonal balance” and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Run by the fabulous Beatrice and Nicola Rabkin, the mother/daughter duo behind Hormonal Harmony, the sold-out evening was aimed at raising women’s awareness of their moon cycle, gut health and hormonal balance. If you weren’t able to make it, don’t worry, because in this post we summarize their main points and add some sneaky recommendations of our own. The essential take-home of the talk was that if you heal your gut, your body will naturally balance your hormones. So here are Hormonal Harmony’s five top tips for great gut health: Eat Mindfully: By eating mindfully, we naturally become more conscious of how food is affecting us, both during and after the meal. By slowing down and tuning into our senses while eating, we tend to eat less and can learn which foods to avoid and what our body really loves. Eat Nutritionally Dense Foods: For our guts to get all of the essential minerals, amino-acids and prebiotics they need, it is essential that we eat a wide variety of highly nutritious foods. Some recommendations are veggie broths, curries, herbal teas, massive salads, dark leafy greens and turmeric. (Fermented foods are especially good as they are pre-digested and full of probiotics). Organic is the Way to Go: Organic foods have far more micro-nutrients than conventional produce, but more importantly, they’re free of all the poisonous pesticides, fungicides and chemical fertilizers that can play havoc with our digestive health. Fat is Back: Although some may scream at the notion of a high-fat diet, polyunsaturated fats such as nut oils, hemp seeds and avocado oil are essential for proper nutrient absorption, decreasing inflammation and promoting the growth of healthy gut bacteria. Use Gut-Healing Supplements: Aloe-vera, fennel, ginger, liquorice root and slippery elm are all fantastic for soothing an angry gut. Moving with the Moon: Although all of this information can be helpful, there is no teacher quite like our own bodies and women can learn so much about hormonal health by tuning in to our moon-cycle and consciously looking at period blood. One of the best ways to do this, while also saving the environment, is by using a moon cup. Nourish’d spoke to one of our customers and a fellow Obs resident about her moon cup journey: “After using a moon cup for almost one year I’ve found my relationship with my cycle has completely changed. I used to use tampons and remember this feeling of discomfort and sometimes disgust, like my period was something I had to suffer through every month. By using a moon cup I have been able to form a deep and loving relationship with my moon cycle, as I am actually able to see my own blood and celebrate it, my ability to give life. I’ve also been able to witness how the foods I eat affect my cycle and what I should eat to adjust and heal” – Hanna We hope this post has helped shed some light on the mysterious role of the gut and the moon in the delicate hormonal alchemy your body is always working to balance. By eating consciously and through listening to your own body and moon cycle it is possible to create the inner equilibrium you have always dreamed of. Here are some Nourish’d book recommendations if you feel like furthering your knowledge of hormonal harmony: The Natural Health Bible for Women – Marilyn Glenville PhD Period Repair Manual – Lara Briden Cooking for Hormone Balance – Magdalena Wszelaki The Hormone Cure – Sara Gottfried M.D. Wild Feminine – Tami Lynn Kent Taking Charge of Your Fertility – Toni Weschler M.P.H. Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine – Tori Hudson N.D.