Painful Periods & Hormone Imbalance? Natural Solutions Every Woman Needs to Know

May 16

Why Painful Periods Aren’t “Normal”—And What Your Body’s Trying to Tell You

Let me guess—you’ve been told period pain is just part of being a woman. Doctors often shrug it off. Friends commiserate over bloating, cramps, and hair-trigger emotions. At some point along the way, most women just accept monthly pain as “normal.”

Painful cycles aren’t normal. And if your period is regularly keeping you home from work, skipping workouts, or canceling plans, it’s time to tune in—because your body is trying to get your attention.

Your menstrual cycle is like your fifth vital sign. It gives us a window into your health and what’s going on beneath the surface. The truth is, your cycle reflects everything your body’s been navigating — stress, sleep, blood sugar, toxin exposure, nutrient levels — you name it. And painful, irregular cycles are often your body waving a giant red flag that something is off.

Let’s break down some of the most common reasons I see painful periods in my clinic—and what you can start doing about it.

1. Estrogen Dominance

First up: hormones. Estrogen dominance is everywhere these days. And no, it doesn’t always mean you have too much estrogen. It means estrogen is high relative to progesterone. That imbalance can wreak havoc on your cycle.

Our modern world sets us up for this—poor liver function (hello, toxin overload), gut imbalances, and constant exposure to endocrine disruptors like plastics and chemicals. Your liver is responsible for clearing out used-up estrogen, but when it’s busy dealing with everything else? That’s where trouble starts

Common symptoms:

Heavy, painful periods
Breast tenderness
Mood swings
Bloating
Acne
Anxiety

Pro tip: Address Xenoestrogen’s and drugs/alcohol intake to help you liver and eat lots of fiber to bind as many toxins as possible. Your hormones will thank you!

2. Chronic Stress + Blood Sugar Imbalances

Here’s a big one most women don’t realize: Skipping meals, waiting until you’re hangry, or eating mostly refined carbs? Every single one of these is a major stressor on your body—and that kind of ongoing strain shows up as imbalance hormones and uncomfortable monthly cycles.

Stress burns through micronutrients your body needs to make hormones. It also depletes progesterone (which you need to ovulate) and dysregulates cortisol—your stress hormone. Over time, this throws your cycle way out of whack.

Common symptoms:

Late periods or spotting
Mood swings
Short luteal phase
Missed ovulation
Headaches before your period
Intense sugar cravings

Pro tip: Prioritize protein, eat regularly, and swap processed foods for whole, nutrient-dense meals. Your hormones will thank you!

3. Nutrient Deficiencies (Especially Minerals!)

If I could scream this from the rooftops, I would: Your hormones cannot function without minerals. Magnesium, zinc, calcium, potassium—they’re non-negotiable.

Magnesium helps you manage stress and reduces PMS. Zinc supports ovulation and immune function. Calcium? It’s key for muscle contraction—yes, even your uterus. And potassium is crucial for thyroid health, blood sugar regulation, and preventing that mid-cycle bloat.

Common symptoms:

Fatigue
Irregular cycles
Spotting
Hair thinning
Brain fog

Pro tip: Pumpkin seeds …

4. Thyroid Function

Your thyroid is like the CEO of your metabolism—setting the pace for your entire body, including your menstrual cycle.

Many women are walking around with suboptimal thyroid function, but because thyroid issues tend to develop over time, they have no idea. Most women realize that thyroid issues can cause slow metabolism, but deficiencies in iodine, selenium, or potassium can quietly impact your thyroid—and in turn, your cycle.

Common symptoms:

Longer cycles
Cold hands and feet
Fatigue
Hair thinning or loss
Weight gain
Constipation

Pro tip: Comprehensive thyroid panel with: TSH, T3 free and total, T4 free and total, reverse T3, thyroid peroxidase (TPO), and anti-thyroglubulin (TG). Test your Minerals as they are crucial for your cells to open their gates and allow thyroid hormone to ENTER and actually do it’s job.

The good news is that medical professionals have started to expand the scale for “normal” thyroid function. Lots of women notice symptoms but aren’t able to get treatment because their sluggish thyroids were considered within the normal range. Since changes to the medical industry take a long time, though, it’s still worth doing what you can to care for your thyroid through nutrition and other lifestyle choices.

5. Gut Health

Your gut isn’t just about digestion—it’s a major player in hormone balance. A healthy gut helps metabolize estrogen, supports immune function, and keeps inflammation down.

Low fiber, antibiotic use, processed foods, and chronic stress all disrupt your gut microbiome—and yes, that shows up in your period.

Common symptoms:

Bloating
PMS
Heavy bleeding
Acne

Pro tip: eat your vegetables, supplement fiber if needed, chia and falx seeds can you give you a big bang for your buck.

6. Caffeine + Alcohol Overload

I know…no one wants to hear this one. But too much caffeine spikes cortisol and can delay ovulation. Alcohol forces your liver to focus on detoxing booze instead of hormones, leading to mood swings, fatigue, and—you guessed it—rough cycles.

Pro tip: B complex can do wonders for energy levels – edit the rest of this.

Here’s the Good News: You Can Turn This Around

Your period symptoms didn’t show up overnight, and they won’t disappear overnight either. But I promise—I see women feeling better in just 2-3 months once they start supporting their body in the right way.

Most irregular or painful periods come back to a few key things: stress, blood sugar imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, and poor gut or thyroid function. Tuning those up through nutrition, supplements, and lifestyle changes can make a massive difference.

Most women can benefit from adding more hormone-friendly foods and supplements to their diets. Things like:

Fiber (feeds your good gut bacteria and helps your liver detox)
Choline
B vitamins
Sulfur-rich foods (think broccoli, Brussels sprouts, garlic)

But many of these factors are highly personal. Your best results will come from a customized plan for making you feel better all month.

If you’re ready to get to the root cause of your painful cycles—not just slap a Band-Aid on the symptoms—let’s talk. You deserve a cycle that works with your body, not against it.

Book a discovery call and let’s get you feeling like yourself again.