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The Period Party Podcast · EP. 322 · February 9, 2024

Navigating War Zones and Wellness

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podcast guest

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Vashti Kanahele is an author and functional medicine practitioner passionate about exploring diverse cultures and embracing immersive experiences. Her triumph over Lyme disease and complex chronic illness fuels her determination to empower others on their healing journeys. Having lived in Baghdad, Beirut, Phnom Penh, Lagos, and Curacao, Vashti’s experiences have shaped her holistic approach to health and wellness.

In this episode, Vashti takes us deep into her experiences in Iraq during the mid-2000s and her journey through her diagnoses of Lyme, EBV, and Hashimoto’s, leading her to a career change and an embrace of functional medicine. We talked about the stress of living in a war zone, the importance of community, stress management, and mental health care, how her experiences shaped her approach to wellness and her work, and so much more. Her experiences shape a holistic approach to wellness, inspiring us all to seek the root causes of our health struggles. Enjoy the episode!

Episode Highlights

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Resources Mentioned

Fix Your Period

How Fix Your Period Supports Hormonal Mental Health

Mood disruption, anxiety, and depression are among the most common — and least acknowledged — symptoms of hormonal imbalance. Fix Your Period helps you understand and address the hormonal root causes.

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Mood & Cycle Tracking

Track anxiety, mood, irritability, and emotional patterns throughout your cycle — identifying whether they follow a hormonal pattern (particularly in the luteal phase).

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Hormone Health Assessment

Take Nicole's free Hormone Health Assessment and get personalised results that reveal whether your mood symptoms follow a hormonal pattern — a key first step toward addressing the root cause.

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PMS & PMDD Protocols

Fix Your Period Premium includes Nicole's PMS and mood-focused protocols covering progesterone support, blood sugar balance, and nervous system regulation.

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Hormone-Mood Education

Nicole's signature Period Pillars cover the relationship between progesterone, estrogen, cortisol, and mood — explaining why hormonal fluctuations cause the mental health symptoms so many women experience.

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Nicole.AI

Fix Your Period Premium includes Nicole.AI — trained on Nicole's methodology — giving you personalised guidance on addressing the hormonal drivers of your mood symptoms.

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Personalised Protocol

Fix Your Period Premium unlocks your personalised protocol from your assessment results — a targeted starting point for addressing the hormonal imbalances behind your mood and anxiety symptoms.

Explore the App — It's Free to Start

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from this episode — and how Fix Your Period can help.

Why do hormones affect mood?
Estrogen and progesterone both directly influence neurotransmitter production and sensitivity. Estrogen boosts serotonin activity, while progesterone's metabolite allopregnanolone has calming, GABA-agonist effects. When these hormones fluctuate or decline — particularly in the luteal phase — mood, anxiety, and emotional regulation are directly affected.
What is the difference between PMS and PMDD?
PMS involves mood, physical, and behavioural symptoms in the luteal phase (the two weeks before menstruation) that are bothersome but manageable. PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) involves severe mood symptoms — including debilitating depression, rage, or anxiety — that significantly impair daily functioning. Both are driven by hormonal fluctuations, particularly low progesterone and estrogen withdrawal.
What hormonal imbalances cause anxiety?
Low progesterone is one of the most common causes of hormonally-driven anxiety — progesterone has direct calming effects on the nervous system. Elevated cortisol, blood sugar instability, thyroid dysfunction, and estrogen dominance can also all contribute to anxiety symptoms.
Is there an app to help with hormonal mood symptoms?
Yes. Fix Your Period's free assessment identifies whether your mood symptoms follow a hormonal pattern. Fix Your Period Premium unlocks Nicole's PMS and PMDD protocols, Period Pillars education on the hormone-mood connection, and Nicole.AI for personalised support.
Can lifestyle changes help with hormonal depression and anxiety?
Yes — particularly when mood symptoms follow a cyclical pattern linked to hormonal fluctuations. Targeted interventions including blood sugar stabilisation, progesterone support, magnesium and B6 supplementation, and stress management have strong evidence for improving hormonally-driven mood symptoms.
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