Part 1: Gina's Wellness Journey

Balancing Hormones with Herbal Remedies

I am usually the behind the scenes partner for my mom (Maria) and her incredible business, but in the coming weeks I am excited to share a part of my wellness journey and how my mom's herbal remedies have made a huge impact on my life. So let's dive in!

GETTING REGULATED

In 2022, I embarked on a serious journey to figure out my hormonal health. At the time, I was a 29 year old woman who had taken hormonal birth control (the pill) since I was 15 years old.  I was a hormonal teenage girl, diagnosed with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and was prescribed oral contraception (OC) to help regulate my mood swings primarily depression.  Several years passed and I remained on the OC because I really thought it was helping me manage my period, moods, and premenstrual symptoms (PMS). My cycles came and went without incident.  I was on a schedule that allowed me to have a period every 3 months.

I tried getting off of the pill when I was in college, but found out that hormonal acne and I weren’t friends. I never had acne in the past, so my newly developed adult cystic acne had me jumping back on the pill to continue regulating my hormones and keep my skin “healthy.”

I continued to trust that hormonal birth control was the best thing for me and that I didn’t need to change a thing.  In my mid-20s, I started digging deeper into the overuse and prescriptive abuse of the pill for women. I began on this journey of embracing holistic wellness and I had a deep desire to understand my body more, including my hormonal cycle. As a teenager or young 20 year old, I could care less about my cycle… I was not looking to have a baby anytime soon nor did I want to deal with acne or a monthly “period” so it was easy for me to stay on the pill. 

As I began edging closer to 30, I felt determined to get off any and all unnecessary medications that I was prescribed for many years… I let my healthcare provider know that I was weaning off certain medications and began the journey of “re-learning” my cycles. It took about a year to slowly wean off each medication and determine how my body reacted. 

CUE IN HERBAL REMEDIES

Around the time that I was getting off of the pill, my mother had become a clinical herbalist and she had formulated two specific herbal tinctures that are designed to balance hormones and regulate cycles. Attempting to get off of the pill after about 15 years of use was NOT easy and each attempt led to some strange and unwelcome side-effects. But if you add in the right herbal formulations - this was a GAME CHANGER! 

I started taking our Hormone Balance tincture for about 3-4 months every day. Hormone Balance was designed to just as the name suggests – Re-regulate a person’s hormones that may have been disrupted by external environmental factors. Hormone Balance helped me manage my hormone dump after getting off of the pill and assisted my body in recalibrating itself naturally. My acne occurrences decreased and started to only flare right before my period started (which is normal!). 

While taking Hormone Balance, I also started using our Aunt Flo tincture as a second herbal tincture my mom formulated for period symptoms and regularity. Having a period that lasts for 7 or more days was not fun and this is one reason I was happy to try another tincture for regulation control. Aunt Flo was probably the most fast acting tincture I have taken to date – Immediately my cycle began syncing up to be within 32-28 days and after a few months of daily use, I was on point at 28 days. Not only was I on track, I had drastically decreased my PMS symptoms of fatigue, bloating, irritability, cramping, acne, and migraines before and during my period. If it wasn’t for my cycle tracking app, I wouldn’t have  known when my period was even going to start prior to Aunt Flo. 

Now, that’s every woman’s dream! Once my hormones were regulated and my cycle normalized for my body, I did not find it necessary to continue taking Hormone Balance and focused solely on taking Aunt Flo daily. Aunt Flo managed my cycle time to 3-5 days every 28 days. After about 3 months I felt I knew my body well and felt confident I was headed in the right direction for hormone health.  I stopped having a rollercoaster of emotions or PMS symptoms better than I felt when I was on OC.

I would not have been able to confidently and healthily get off the pill without the tinctures formulated by my mom and sold at Garden Root Remedy!

This hormone transformation gave me the confidence I needed to fully know my body and be ready for my next season of life as a wife and future mother. Next, I am going to share about my pregnancy journey and which herbal remedies have been my go-to products!

Be Well & Take Care!

Gina Nasta Mende

Business Development, GRR Herbalist in Training

"Rooted in Nature, Blooming with Wellness."

Published On: April 1, 2025

_____________________________

**FDA warning: This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 **Always check with your doctor before using a new product or supplement if you have any questions or concerns about how a product may affect your current health, medications, pregnancy, or breastfeeding.