On average, a woman will use about 15,000 pads or tampons during her life. Despite the fact that half the population use them on a regular basis, the FDA still doesn’t require manufacturers to disclose the ingredients. Many of them — even some of the ones marketed as “clean” — are regularly found to be filled with hormone-disrupting pesticides & dioxins.

All of those toxins right next to our very absorbent, sensitive vaginal tissue on a regular basis? That can lead to some serious issues.

But that doesn’t mean we have to free bleed — we just have to choose carefully. And in order to choose carefully, we need to understand what the potential risks are & how to watch out for them.

Vitex (also known as chaste berry) is often touted as a hormone-balancing cure-all amongst the insta herbalists & women’s health crowd.

It has a long history of traditional use as a hormone-balancing remedy, and lots of modern research to back it up. I’ve personally had a good experience using it for PMS, and I recommend it to clients in certain circumstances. That said, it’s a powerful medicine & it’s not for everyone. Let’s break it down.

Self-compassion can literally change how we process pain.

When you’re in pain, what thoughts run through your head? Do you start to panic? Spiral into stress? Critique your body? Shame your sensitivity? Chances are, at least one of the above. And it might be making your pain even worse.

But there is an antidote: self-compassion.