It is easy to blame the heat, the busy schedules, the travel, the kids being home from school, or the endless summer activities filling the calendar. And sometimes those things absolutely contribute. But from an East Asian Medicine perspective, there may be another layer to the story.

If you feel like you become a completely different person before and during your period every month, that is worth paying attention to. Let’s remove the old derogatory statements like “you’re too emotional,” and “this is just part of being a woman, why can’t you handle it?” and replace them with the truth, your body is providing you with important information.

You likely have heard the term PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), as it has been the standard diagnosis for one of the most common hormonal conditions affecting women; however, many of those affected never felt like this diagnosis really fit them.