Period Fix: Using Herbal Remedies and Natural Medicine to Optimize Your Periods and to Reduce Symptoms of PMS, Heavy Periods, Painful Periods, PCOS, ... and More
Women’s period health has long been shrouded in mystery and let’s be a lack of funding and resources. But there are many more options for optimizing your menstrual health than you may know and many of these start with food, nutrients, and safe herbal supplements as natural medicine.
Topics in this period book
PMS, PCOS, heavy periods, painful periods, uterine fibroidsNatural options for special conditions like Mittelschmerz, endometriosis, and menstrual migrainesHormone balance diet for women’s health, and when and how to seek helpPerimenopause and menopausal strategies400+ National Library of Medicine references30+ hormone-healing recipes and numerous herbal uses for womenThis book is my life’s passion because like many of you, I have struggled with my periods and their consequences for most of my life. I will share with you what has worked for me, how I had to find the answers the hard way, the science to back these solutions up, and how the current Medical-Industrial complex doesn’t always acknowledge these safe and natural options.
Heidi Moretti, MS, RD has a 25-year career as a tenacious nutritionist, researcher, and bestselling author that fights the ongoing dogmatic practices that exclude natural medicines. Her goal in life as an author is to disseminate nutrition and natural medicine research that is rarely seen and discussed by mainstream media or conventional medicine practitioners.
I read this book cover to cover, which I cannot say for all the nutrition books I've tried to read. I think it's good start for many women, but I don't think it will be the one thing that finally solves someone's period issues.
PROS: 1. Research Citations. Each chapter includes dozens of citations. This helps readers feel confident that information is backed by science. Readers can also use these citations to do further research, if interested. 2. Easy to Read. The book is written for regular people, not healthcare professionals. When medical or scientific terms are used, they are explained. There's also a glossary. 3. Relatable. It's a book about fixing period issues by a woman who has fixed issues with her own period. 4. Covers a lot. The book not only addresses multiple period-related issues, including PCOS, uterine fibroids, & PMS, but also perimenopause & menopause. Nutritionally, it talks about both nutrients in food as well as herbal supplements. The author even provides recipes & example meal plans to help you make dietary changes.
CONS: 1. This will probably not be the only resource you need to solve your periods. The author recommends you work with a practitioner to get labwork & find the right supplement dosages for you. Although I understand the reasoning, it's not always easy to find knowledgeable practitioners in the field of period nutrition. So, you may be left experimenting or doing additional research on your own. 2. Occasionally inaccurate or incomplete information. The book incorrectly states that plant milks do not contain much protein, but 1 cup of soymilk & 1 cup of pea milk both contain as much protein as 1 cup of cow's milk (8 grams). I also noticed information was sometimes missing that could have been included. For example, the section on vegetarian sources of omega-3s doesn't mention algae. 3. Not enough citations. Although the book has dozens of citations per chapter, I actually found myself wanting more. Sometimes, the author made a health claim about a nutrient but did not include a citation to support it.
Some Good, A Lot of Outdated Contradictory Misinformation ...
The author sites a lot of sources, but she also has a habit of making claims without siting any sources, so I'd end up needing to Google certain claims to either find them true or totally false. A few of the sources she sites didn't actually support the claims she was trying to make, so it felt kinda disingenuous of her to use sources that when you actually read them, have very little to do with the claims she's making. There were also some examples of cherry-picking sources, where she would site 1 or 2 studies supporting a claim, but when doing further research, I found a plethera of other sources debunking/contradicting those claims. I am honestly a bit shocked that the author is supposedly a longtime practicing dietition, because she seems to believe in a lot of outdated dietary myths, and many of her recommendations go directly against majority consensus in the field of dietetics. She also makes a lot of contradictory claims. For example, she at one point claims that phytoestrogens are harmful to hormone health, and even promote cancer (citing the fact that places where soy consumption has been historically high, are now recently seeing increases in cancer rates (one study literally says this is likely due to a shift towards a more western dietary pattern, not soy consumption itself)), later, she has an entire section about how wonderful phytoestrogens are for hormone balancing. She doesn't mention anything about mammalian estrogen found in dairy products, but she does simultaneously claim that it's basically impossible to get enough calcium without consuming dairy milk, yet also recommends avoiding dairy since its a trigger food for most people. No mention of other healthy sources of calcium like leafy greens or plant-based milks, nuts, seeds, etc. The author has a blatent bias against plant-based diets, and believes in long debunked myths such as that plant foods are full of harmful "anti-nutrients". She obsessively recommends that women either eat or suppliment beef liver daily (this is probably the most repeated recommendation throughout the entire book), for no reason other then it acts like a multivitamin ... Why not just take a multivitamin? Or eat a more varied/balanced diet? She even admits that there are toxicity risks to eating liver regularly but says you can avoid those risks by taking even more supplements. She recommends taking a LOT of suppliments ... Suppliements to balance out the other suppliments she recommends taking ... She does name-drop some specific brands, but I could not confirm whether she was affiliated with selling any of those suppliments, or if they were just honest recommendations.
A lot of the most helpful info were things that are very easy to look up online, such as that things like magnisium, turmeric, ginger, cramp bark, and raspberry leaf can help with cramps, or that eating lots of antioxidants can lower inflammation, fiber helps flush out excess hormones, making sure you are not deficient in nutrients is helpful, etc. I did enjoy learning about how certain compounds in broccoli can help flush excess estrogen out of the body, and there were a few other helpful findings that I was able to verify were true through multiple sources. If anything, this book was a good reminder to check sources and cross reference!!
One other HUGE issue I had with this book, is that the author admits she didn't even figure out how to manage any of her negative period symptoms until she reached perimenopause age. Huh? So basically this author didn't solve any of her period issues, just wrote a book claiming to have all this amazing info and experience on the topic AFTER her normal menstruation years had already passed and her hormones were already changing to prepare for menopause. Many people either experience improvements, or sometimes worsening of period symptoms during perimenopause, so there's absolutely no way to know whether the suppliments/dietary changes she recommends actually made a difference for her, or if it was all just part of her natural hormone changes as she approached menopause age.
As someone who reads a lot about nutrition, herbalism, and has now read a few other books on menstruation, I'd say there are absolutely better books out there on all these topics. If you do read this book, also take time to read the sources she sites, and please take extra care to fact check everything else.
As a health optimisation consultant and a man deeply committed to empowering others with achievable health solutions, I found Heidi Moretti's Period Fix to be a fantastic resource. Period Fix provides an in-depth, research-backed exploration of menstrual health that fills a critical gap in both conventional and holistic medicine with Heidi's recounting of her personal journey creating a genuine, relatable and inspiring foundation for her advice. What found most useful in Period Fix is its comprehensive approach which differs from standard health guides (that often only treat the symptoms), and dives dives into the underlying factors that impact hormonal health, such as gut health, nutrition, and lifestyle. As someone who loves an evidence based approach, I was impressed by the inclusion of over 400 offering scientifically supported strategies that range from dietary changes and herbal remedies to the responsible use of bio-identical hormones and even medical cannabis. As a consultant, I often encounter women who feel disillusioned with conventional treatment plans that fail to address their concerns comprehensively. This book provides a refreshing alternative, offering practical advice on everything from meal planning to selecting high-quality supplements, along with some delicious recipes designed to support hormone balance. The detailed shopping and supplement guides are invaluable, making it easy to implement these strategies immediately. Heidi's dedication to empowering women through natural medicine is evident on every page, making this book not only informative but truly motivating. It bridges the often-overlooked gap between conventional approaches and natural healing in a clear and engaging manner. I believe Period Fix is an essential read for any woman seeking to take control of her hormonal health—and for health professionals looking to broaden their understanding and provide better support. It’s a resource I will confidently recommend to my clients, friends and family as a tool to empower their wellbeing!
I've lived with severe Endometriosis for 4 decades. When I discovered that turmeric supplements beat the handfuls of painkillers that no longer seemed to work, I became a believer in natural medicine. It's an underrated area that few women discover until medical professionals have exhausted their drugs list.
Heidi's book empowers women to help themselves. It's full of a wealth of knowledge, while easy to read. I was surprised just how many of the herbs I had never heard of. So it's a great book to go researching new keywords. Also, there are lots of recipes to try out.
My one small criticism would be that as someone with severe Endometriosis, I couldn't have imagined my treatment without artificial hormones or surgery to remove the enormous lesions of Endo inside me. However, I feel my body would have preferred more natural medicine options.
As a dietitian specializing in fertility and prenatal nutrition, I am passionate about our menstrual cycle being our fifth vital sign, regardless of our fertility goals. It is NOT normal for our menstrual cycles to be irregular or painful despite what you might have heard! This book is easy to read, engages the reader and offers practical alternatives to conventional treatments, including dietary adjustments and herbal supplements. This book should be on the bookshelves of those who are born with a uterus and the people who love them!
A holistic approach that works wonders: So many people out there pushing pharmaceuticals, which provide only transient relief. Worse yet, popping pills causes a host of new problems to contend with. In this fantastic guide, Heidi explores a better alternative. So many women are suffering needlessly from menstrual related problems, from migraines to fibroids. I strongly recommend putting in the time to read this book. Your investment will pay a lifetime of dividends
Heidi does an amazing job breaking down the issues of hormones and effects on women's health and period issues. She provides direct recommendations on how alleviate period/hormonal issues and how to prevent further symptoms. The book is also very easy to read and engaging. I have tried reading other books on this subject and have not been able to continue reading them, but this book will keep you engaged and provides clear easy to understand information.