Women’s Wellness Guide: Gut Health, Hormone Balance & the Best Magnesium for Energy
You’ve cut out gluten. You bought the magnesium tablets. You’ve tried tracking your cycle with Flo, Clue and Natural Cycles. It’s still a cost of living crisis for 3 years. Somehow your monthly salary is still going on adult acne products because your jawline won’t stop breaking out.
You know something feels off but you can’t put your finger on it and neither can the doctors you’ve been to. You’re still bloated, tired, or moody and sometimes all three at once.
It’s not just you. It’s not your fault.
Modern wellness advice tells women to drink more water, do more yoga, and just lower your cortisol levels. Cute. But what if the real reason you feel off isn’t that you’re lazy or broken, it’s that your body is stuck in survival mode?
I had always been a follower of wellness trends, trying anything new that came to the market in the effort to optimise my health. When I realised that I was often following advice for men which was harmful to my female body, it made me realise how much of the industry for geared up for male wellness and can have the opposite effect on women. When I worked with a nutritionist I finally found out what my body needed and I felt empowered to make the right wellness choices. I want to be able to give this service to as many women as possible.
This guide unpacks the real root causes of fatigue, bloating, and mood swings. We’ll explore the connection between gut health, hormones, and energy, and how small, strategic changes (The NOA Way) can help you feel like you again.
What Does Women’s Wellness Actually Mean?
If you’ve ever Googled “what does women’s wellness include?” and been met with vague answers about bubble baths, candles and green smoothies, you’re not alone.
True women’s wellness isn’t fluff; it’s about your body working as it should.
Real wellness for women means:
Consistent energy from morning to evening (no 3pm crashes)
Emotional steadiness (not just “less anxious”, but actually balanced)
Symptom-free cycles, with no surprise spotting or mood swings
Bloat-free eating that doesn’t leave you scared of carbs
Deep, uninterrupted sleep and waking up clear-headed
At NOA, our version of wellness looks like:
For me, women's wellness is personal. We are beautifully complex and every woman will have different needs depending on their life stage, history and goals. Women’s wellness can be emotional, women have felt unheard for years which is one of the reasons I created NOA - to allow women to be listened to.
For our nutritionist Megan’s definition is:
“Not being held back by your physical or mental health. I speak to so many women who struggle to get out of bed due to their bad periods, won’t date because of their skin or don’t want to go for meals out with their loved ones because of their relationship with food. Being well is being able to live life to the fullest and feeling your best whilst doing it. And that doesn’t mean being perfect! But it does mean that you have the energy and motivation try your best and show up for yourself.”
Your Body’s Group Chat: Gut, Hormones & the Nervous System
You’re probably used to treating symptoms one at a time.
Anxiety? Therapy.
Bloating? Cut out carbs.
Fatigue? Get more sleep.
But your body doesn’t compartmentalise issues. It works like a group chat, and when one friend is spiraling, the rest jump right in with the blue ticks.
Meet your internal wellness ecosystem:
1. Hormones: The Notification Overload Nobody’s Reading
Your hormones are like notifications: always pinging, adjusting, responding. But when stress is high, sleep is patchy, and meals are chaotic, the messages get scrambled.
You might feel:
PMS mood swings that hijack your week
Ovulation crashes that make you self-doubt
Restless sleep or 3am wakeups
Cravings that feel more emotional than physical
What’s behind it:
Cortisol running the show (your stress hormone)
Blood sugar crashes = energy and mood dips
Low progesterone = poor sleep + big feels
Oestrogen not clearing properly = more symptoms before your period
2. Gut Health: The Organised One Who Actually Books the Group Trip
She’s the reason things happen. While everyone else is flaking or spiralling, your gut’s doing the admin — digesting meals, absorbing nutrients, clearing out hormones, and keeping inflammation in check.
But if she’s overworked or under-resourced? The whole trip (aka your mood, skin, and cycle) falls apart.
You might feel:
Bloating after normal meals
Skin flaring up on your jawline
Constipation or urgent poos before your period
A general sense of “ugh” in your body
What’s behind it:
Low stomach acid = poor breakdown + nutrient gaps
Not enough good gut bugs = bloating, gas, inflammation
Oestrogen not clearing = hormonal symptoms
Chronic stress = gut lining breakdown (hello, leaky gut)
3. Nervous System: The Vibe Regulator Who Cancels Plans When It’s All Too Much
She doesn’t say much, but everyone feels it. If she’s calm, the group flows. If she’s spiralling? Tension, gut issues, fatigue.
You might feel:
Tense, even when “nothing’s wrong”
Tired-but-wired at night
Emotional floods around your cycle
Anxiety that shows up physically (heart racing, gut clenching, shallow breath)
What’s behind it:
Too much fight-or-flight, not enough rest-and-digest
Unprocessed stress stored in the body
Caffeine and cortisol fuelling burnout
No buffer time between work, workouts, and obligations
Why Most Solutions Don’t Work (and What Does)
You’ve probably tried:
Cutting carbs (then craving toast at 11pm)
Doing Barry’s or F45 five times a week
Adding mystery powders from TikTok to your smoothies
Surviving on oat lattes from Blank Street
And yet... your body is screaming and waving a big red flag.
The kind you used to ignore on first dates (or maybe still do - look, we don’t judge here!). Bloated, burnt out, breaking out, or just not quite right. Or maybe you assumed being burnt out was normal as a tired working mum. Now you know deep down that something's off, but you can't quite put your finger on it.
Here’s the truth: your body doesn’t need to be fixed. It needs to be held (by you) and supported with the kind of care, clarity, and science that actually works. No guesswork.
Let’s go system by system - gut, hormones, blood sugar, stress - and finally stop ignoring the signs.
Gut Health: How to Beat the Bloat and Fuel Your Mood
Common signs your gut needs attention:
Bloating that worsens during your cycle
Gas, constipation or loose stools
Reactions to common foods (dairy, gluten, eggs)
Feeling overly full or heavy after meals
3 gut-supporting swaps to try:
Here are three simple (but powerful) ways to reduce bloating and boost digestion, starting today:
1. Start your day with bitter foods
Add rocket, lemon water, or a splash of apple cider vinegar before meals. These naturally stimulate stomach acid and digestive enzymes, helpful if you often feel heavy or gassy after eating.
Try: NOA approved recommendation
2. Add fermented foods
Sauerkraut, kefir, miso and kimchi aren’t just a trendy purchase from your local farmer’s market, they’re packed with beneficial bacteria that support microbial diversity. If you’ve been on antibiotics (or your diet’s been more Deliveroo than diverse), consider adding a gut health probiotic.
Try: NOA approved recommendation:
3. Boost your fibre variety
Gut health isn’t just about more fibre, it’s about different fibre. Aim for 30+ plant types per week to nourish your microbiome. Oats, chia seeds, lentils, berries, leeks, garlic, and flaxseed all count (yes, herbs do too).
Hormone Balance 101: How to Tackle PMS, PMDD Symptoms & Mood Swings Naturally
Common hormone imbalance signs:
Mood swings, weepiness or rage pre-period
Bloating after ovulation
Spotting or irregular periods
Hair thinning, breakouts, or breast tenderness
Root causes often include:
Low progesterone (due to stress or under-eating)
Oestrogen dominance (from poor detox)
Blood sugar rollercoasters
Low micronutrients (like magnesium, B6, zinc)
Megan added: Nervous system dysfunction (due to chronic stress)
3 ways to support hormonal balance:
1. Stabilise blood sugar
Ditch the coffee-only breakfasts. Start with protein + fat + fibre. Think eggs + sourdough + avocado. Add cinnamon to oats.
2. Try targeted hormone balance supplements
Top picks:
DIM supplement – helps clear excess oestrogen
Magnesium glycinate – one of the best magnesium supplements for PMS, anxiety, and sleep. Especially helpful for PMDD symptoms.
Zinc and magnesium – boost progesterone and skin health
B6 and Vitex - boost progesterone and reduce PMS.
Try: NOA approved recommendation:
3. Support liver detox
Your liver helps process hormones. Support it with:
Cruciferous veg (broccoli, cabbage, rocket)
Dandelion or nettle tea
Avoiding alcohol pre-period
Try: NOA approved recommendation:
Energy, Fatigue & NMN: How to Stop Running on Empty Naturally
Fatigue isn’t laziness. It’s often a signal your body is undernourished, overstimulated, or in burnout mode.
Signs your energy systems are struggling:
You crash mid-afternoon
Sleep doesn’t feel restorative
You need coffee to function
You feel “wired but tired” at night
3 ways to naturally boost energy:
1. Balance your plate
Include carbs, protein, and healthy fats at every meal. Your hormones and brain need fuel.
Try:
Roast salmon + sweet potato + leafy greens
Smoothies with protein + berries + flaxseed
2. Fix your iron + B vitamin status
Iron and B12 are crucial for energy. If your periods are heavy or you eat plant-based, you might benefit from:
Liquid iron supplement
B-complex or beef liver capsules
Try: NOA approved recommendation:
We always recommend testing your iron before supplementing (this is included in our blood test within The Empower Plan).
3. Optimise magnesium and mitochondrial support
Supplements like:
TMG supplement – supports methylation and energy metabolism
NAD+ or NMN – cellular repair
Better You magnesium spray – helps with sleep and recovery
Lifestyle Shifts That Supercharge the Basics
You can’t out-supplement a high-stress life. Here are simple, powerful shifts that sync with your natural rhythm:
10–15 mins of morning sun: resets your cortisol clock
Walking after meals: supports digestion and balances blood sugar (bonus: it’s the easiest mood lift).
One hour phone-free before bed: Your nervous system needs wind-down time, not 3 hours of doomscrolling.
Cycle syncing your movement: Swap HIIT for Pilates or walks during your luteal phase to support progesterone.
And don’t underestimate rest as a healing tool. Fatigue isn't a flaw to fix, it's often a sign that your body needs more nourishment, not more hustle.
You’re Not Broken. You’re Burnt Out And There’s a Way Back.
If you’re bloated, breaking out, and wondering why your energy crashes like a bad first date, you’re not alone. And you’re not doing anything wrong.
The women in our Empower Plan community say the same thing: “I’ve tried everything. Nothing works.” And then … we look deeper – at blood sugar, gut function, hormone trends, nutrient gaps – and the pieces click into place.
I was always researching and reading about what women actually need. I would then get super frustrated seeing the myths populated on social media or influencers pushing their routines as the holy grail. All this does is set women up for failure. Our genetic makeup, our bodies, our goals are so unique that we need different things to thrive. We also want women to know how their bodies work and start listening to whispers rather than ignoring them as normal.
Wellness isn’t about discipline. It’s about data, nourishment, and daily choices that work with your body, not against it.
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start feeling like you again, The Empower Plan is built for this. Built for you.
FAQs: Real Questions Women Are Asking About Bloating, Hormones & Magnesium
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Magnesium glycinate is often considered the best magnesium supplement for PMS, anxiety, and low energy. It’s gentle on digestion, supports sleep and mood, and helps reduce PMDD symptoms when taken consistently — especially in the second half of your cycle.
Want more support? We include magnesium guidance in The Empower Plan.
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PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) goes beyond moodiness — it often involves intense emotional symptoms like rage, anxiety, or despair that disrupt your relationships, work or sense of self. If your symptoms peak 7–10 days before your period and disappear shortly after it starts, PMDD could be worth exploring.
You’re not imagining it. Learn more about your personal symptoms in The Empower Plan.
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Both help, but in different ways.
Magnesium supports muscle relaxation, nervous system calm, and blood sugar regulation.
NMN supplements work at a cellular level to boost mitochondrial energy and repair - ideal for deep fatigue or burnout.
Many women benefit from using both, especially when stress and sleep are out of sync.