If this sounds familiar, your hormones may be out of whack. You may have thought it was part of the game, but we've got good news for you - take care of your gut flora and you'll see many of these symptoms diminish, or better yet - disappear completely.

Your gut and your cycle

What do you actually know about your gut? Maybe not that much, but if you know how important they are for your health and wellbeing, you look at your stool differently.

Your gut is home to a whole host of microorganisms, especially bacteria. Fortunately, most bacteria are good (or at least that's the goal).

When your gut is in balance, everything works well. And your gut is again important for your hormones, which are again the protagonists of the best movie ever: A healthy cycle.

That is how it works:

With every meal, your intestines work hard. They convert your food, absorb nutrients, process toxins and produce hormones. These hormones, especially estrogen, are key to a healthy cycle. Estrogen is the most important female hormone because it affects: