In my teens and 20s I had irregular periods that would be on time for months in a row and then disappear for months on end, only to return monthly for no apparent reason! I saw medical doctors, had blood tests and ultrasounds –nothing was found and I was told, “everything looked normal”.

Naturally, when I started naturopathic medical school, female hormones and menstrual cycles were of personal interest. I created a regimen for myself using herbs and nutrition to support my hormones but it wasn’t until I fully embraced a 100% plant based diet, got serious about stress management and made sleep a priority in my life that I was able to have regular, monthly periods in my 30s and 40s. Until…

On the eve of my 40th birthday, I was driving home from my office late at night and exhausted. I was excited because my boyfriend, Joe, was taking me on a surprise trip for my birthday but so exhausted that all I could think was, “when we get back from this trip I am going to plan a sabbatical, I need a break”.

Alas, this thought was too late!

My trip was followed by months of reoccurring infections, hair loss, insomnia and eventually my regular monthly cycles I had worked so hard for started to get wonky. This experience of “burn out” was a wake up call for me that forced me to re-evaluate my lifestyle and work-life balance as well as my nutrition and supplement regimen. Knowing the close relationships between stress, insomnia and my hormones, I dove deeper into the causes of my stress and how to manage my triggers daily.

Ironically, this exploration led me to not only heal myself again but also led me to create the type of medical practice I have today – helping women who feel their bodies (and minds) are in chaos because of hormonal transitions and the constant stress of our modern lives!