Endometriosis is a complex inflammatory disease in which tissue that is similar to the kind that lines the uterus, grows outside the uterus. More on this here.  There is an important connection between histamine and endometriosis.  What are histamines?⁠ Chemicals that are stored in immune cells known as Mast Cells.⁠ When Mast Cells are triggered, they release histamine, which helps regulate the immune response.⁠ In people with endometriosis, mast cells are present in much higher quantities in the endometriotic tissue, than in healthy tissue of those who don’t have endometriosis.⁠ En ..read more

Do you partake in “dry January”, a popular month for sobriety?  Are you sober or sober curious?  Alcohol negatively impacts our hormone health. It just does, that’s the hard truth!  Simply put, our liver and gut health are essential for balanced thriving sex hormones. When our organs are working overtime to clear out toxins (yes, alcohol), they become overburdened, leading to issues with our detoxification pathways and symptoms of estrogen dominance.   Whether it’s a new year’s intention to reduce or eliminate alcohol in general, or you just want to take a breather fro ..read more

I am truly a beach girl at heart. Gimme the sunshine and sand! In this article I want to shed some (sun)light (sorry couldn’t help myself) on a topic that often brings up mixed messages: sun exposure!  This is a nuanced conversation. While the sun provides us with a vital nutrient our bodies need (vitamin D – y’all know this), it is equally important to prioritize sun protection and the use of sunscreen.  It just needs to be the right sunscreen!  I will get into that in a moment, but first, let’s talk about… The power of sunlight and vitamin D Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin ..read more

What is Adenomyosis? Adenomyosis is a condition in which tissue similar to that of the uterine lining (the endometrium) grows into the muscular wall of the uterus, known as the myometrium.⁠ This causes the uterine walls to thicken & become enlarged. ⁠Think of it like a thick sponge lining the uterine cavity. ⁠ The affected tissue thickens and sheds in accordance with menstrual cycle hormone fluctuations, which leads to extremely heavy bleeding and cramping.⁠ ⁠ Adenomyosis occurs in about 20% of women with endometriosis and in about 47% of those with uterine fibroids, making for some prett ..read more

Have you ever had a vaginal infection?  Have you ever felt confused about what’s going on “down there” or what the heck to do about it?  Oof. Trust me, I’ve been there.  While vagina problems aren’t #periodproblems per se, they are very much linked to the menstrual cycle, so they’re important to talk about. In case you’re currently as confused as I used to be about all this, I thought I’d break it down for you.  The most common types of infections are yeast infections & bacterial vaginosis. ⁠ What is a yeast infection?  Candida Vaginitis (CV) aka a yeast infection ..read more

What is Magnesium? Magnesium is a mineral, electrolyte & essential cofactor in hundreds of biochemical reactions in our bodies. ⁣It’s essential for everything from maintaining healthy blood pressure and blood sugar,  to optimal immune system and mitochondrial function.  I like to call it the “relaxation mineral”, because it helps us chill out and relaxes our muscles!  It is naturally found in many foods, in particular, dark leafy greens, seaweed, salmon, chicken, beef, milk, almonds, avocado, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and dark chocolate.  Unfortunately for all of us, i ..read more

Coffee definitely impacts your cycle. But why? To what extent? Do the effects vary depending on the person?  I hope to clear up all these questions for you today.  Let’s start here… What is caffeine and how does it affect your body?  Caffeine is a xanthine alkaloid found naturally in coffee beans, tea, kola nuts, Yerba mate, guarana berries, and cacao beans.  Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system–we’ll get to that in a moment! When you have a cup of coffee, you cue a hormonal cascade.   First, the brain makes a substance called adenosine, which is used i ..read more

Sleep is absolutely essential when it comes to menstrual health and your overall health. Honestly girl, if you’re not sleeping well everything else you’re doing to support your health won’t be as effective (or effective at all!).  Sleep is #1 and that’s why I want to share some helpful tips and some of my favorite products to get you dreaming. The process of sleep The body manages sleep through the circadian rhythm, a biological rhythm that has distinct times for wakefulness and sleep. There are a group of cells in the hypothalamus called the Master Clock. These cells regulate sleep, hung ..read more

Tempdrop What is it? A simple way to track your ovulation – wear the Tempdrop on your upper arm during your sleep and allow it to do the hard work for you. Get personalized insights about your fertility with its intelligent algorithms so that you can track your body’s biomarkers, know your cycle, and understand your body. If you opt for the premium version, Tempdrop offers additional health insights including sleep data! Click here to get your very own Tempdrop – 10% off with code NICOLEJARDIM Daysy What is it? The Daysy (and it’s accompanying app) is a fertility monitor that will t ..read more

Your period will evolve from the time you start menstruating throughout the course of your life.⁠ Yep, your period grows and changes with you! ⁠ ⁠MENSTRUAL LIFE CYCLE PART 1: PUBERTY⁠ Let’s start by talking about the biology of puberty, and what’s going on leading up to the first period (called menarche). ⁠ ⁠ Have you ever heard of kisspeptin? Kisspeptin is like the gatekeeper of puberty. ⁠ ⁠ It is the main regulator of the pulsatile secretions of GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone).⁠ ⁠ So basically kisspeptin is the boss of GnRH!⁠ ⁠ It plays a role in kicking this entire operation off bec ..read more