FROM OUR FIRST periods, most of us learned to simply “tough it out” and deal with health symptoms that we were either too embarrassed to talk about or that our community was simply ill-equipped to address.

Many of us have had little to no education on our own menstrual health.

Periods can say a lot about our overall health, and things like cramps, fatigue, or mood swings, are actually your body’s way of crying out for help. Despite how universally common these debilitating symptoms seem to be, modern period health advocates argue that many women should experience their cycle symptom free and understand their cycle’s important role in assessing the body’s ongoing health.

Thankfully, there has been a groundswell in modern women’s health advocates over the last few years who are putting an end to the unnecessary suffering within period health. Through better education, and matching so many women with the resources and holistic health solutions they need, women’s health advocates are slowly changing the narrative around this crucial issue.

Since so few of us are well-educated on the topic, let’s dive right into some facts that could surprise you:

+ Did you know: The menstrual cycle is now considered the “fifth vital sign.” The American Council of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) has determined that the cycle is as important a health indicator as changes in body temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure.

+ According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects 90% of females. That’s 80 million people in the U.S. alone and more than 700 million world-wide.

+ In 2021, Elix created a report based on the assessments of over 90,000 users who took the Elix Online Health Assessments. The data reveals that debilitating symptoms such as pain, heavy bleeding, mood swings, fatigue, bloating, acne and digestive issues are common for people with periods.

“90% of women have our lives disrupted by menstrual symptoms every month. Women mask the pain with drugs, alter our hormones with synthetic birth control, or cancel our plans and suffer in silence.
None of this is normal.”

– Elix founder, Lulu Ge

Elix is the first platform to deliver personalized, clinically proven, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formulas to support chronic care for menstrual and hormone health. Here’s how:

Take the Quiz

To discover your body’s unique pattern, you’ll answer 50-60 questions about your menstrual and overall health through Elix’s online Health Assessment HERE.

The 10-minute assessment was created by their medical board of doctors and nutritionists based on 246 clinical trials. The Health Assessment helps identify disharmony in the body and will help users understand the root cause of their symptoms. It results in a personalized blend of medicinal herbs in the form of a daily tincture to holistically treat underlying imbalances.

93% of users report experiencing an improvement in pain and symptoms within the first 3 months!

“Our community members include an extremely diverse swath of people with periods ages 16-52 with up to 20 different types of symptoms: most often including cramps, migraines, anxiety, hormonal acne, mood swings, fatigue, bloating, irregular cycles, heavy bleeding, clotting, back pain, breast tenderness, and more,” Lulu shared with us.

“37% of our community originally experienced monthly life-disrupting symptoms due to chronic conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis, PMDD, uterine fibroids, and more. Society’s current tendency is to “suffer” in silence, but these stories of hope from our community members are what drives our team every single day.”

“One of our earliest community members, Alexa, is an artist and used to miss out on commissions and assignments because her periods left her unable to work. With Elix, we are proud that she is able to feel like her creative self and do her best work every day of the month.”

Take the assessment that over 150,000 people have completed. According to Elix, healing at the root can take time, and 93% of Elix users begin to feel an improvement after month one. TAKE THE ASSESSMENT

More On Traditional Chinese Medicine + Your Menstrual Cycle

Your menstrual symptoms might seem unrelated, but according to Chinese Medicine, they all link back to a pattern of disharmony within your body.

The TCM approach differs from Western medicine, which often focuses on treating one symptom at a time. Not only does this not address the underlying causes, it can often generate side effects that require their own treatment—resulting in an endless game of medical whack-a-mole.

Hot tip: You’ll also submit a photo of your tongue with your assessment. This is a Traditional Chinese Medicine norm and reveals the imbalances causing your symptoms and assists in understanding the best herbal treatment for healing them!

The Elix Health Assessment is key to helping people learn more about the connectedness of their menstrual symptoms and enables a holistic, and tailored approach to chronic care with all natural herbs to help us heal naturally.

The two herbs that are most commonly found in Elix’s personalized menstrual and hormone health formulas are:

Angelica Sinensis, a type of ginseng that has been proven to balance hormones, relieve menstrual symptoms, and contain apoptogenic properties. Angelica Sinensis helps support the movement of Qi (vital energy) and blood, which helps mitigate the pain felt during a menstrual cycle.

Corydalis, a powerful herb known for its effect on pain and inflammation. In TCM, Corydalis is considered a strong “blood mover” and is used for a variety of pain conditions. People with painful periods, cramps, blood clots and blood stagnation might see these herbs recommended for them as they help improve blood flow, reduce clots and alleviate pain.

Take the Elix Health Assessment

Take the Health Assessment and then shop your personalized Cycle Balance formula for 15% off a 3-month bundle. The best way to see if holistic healing works is to try it for yourself, which is why Elix has a “3 Month Happiness Guarantee.” Use code CHALKBOARD15 at checkout for 15% off today.

This story is brought to you in partnership with Elix. From time to time, TCM editors choose to partner with brands we believe in to bring our readers special offers. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The Chalkboard Mag and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. All material on The Chalkboard Mag is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programs.