Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate-Maca Banana Bread
Every time the luteal phase of my cycle comes around, I’m seeking chocolate, carbohydrates, sugar and snacks that are easy to grab and go.
For this version, I added in maca and do not regret that decision. It adds such a nice nutty, earthy flavor alongside health benefits.
Cinnamon’s warming qualities can be supportive for movement of energy throughout the body, helping to alleviate cramping and shorten the duration of pain associated with menstrual cramps.
Chinese Dietary Therapy Meets Western Herbalism: Spring Cleansing
Chinese dietary therapy and Western herbalism together offer a resilient, seasonally attuned approach to spring cleansing: Chinese dietary therapy emphasizes gentle detoxification through cooling, yin-nourishing foods like fresh greens, mung beans, and light broths to support the liver’s transition after winter, while Western herbalism brings complementary allies like bitter greens, dandelion root, nettle, and milk thistle, to stimulate digestion, lymphatic flow, and hepatic clearance; combined, these traditions prioritize gradual, nourishing shifts (warm teas of ginger and dandelion in the morning, steamed vegetables and whole grains at midday, minimal refined sugars and heavy fats) that reinforce immune resilience, emotional balance, and steady energy rather than aggressive purging, making spring cleansing sustainable and supportive for body, mind, and seasonal rhythm.