How I got my cycle back after 4 years

Hey, Kaya here.

You may recognise me as the one behind many of the weekly articles here at Organised. I think we all have our own health rabbit holes, the ones we don’t choose out of curiosity, but out of necessity. The ones we fall into because something in the body isn’t working the way we were told it should. This is mine.

Today, a growing number of young women are living with menstrual cycles that feel increasingly unrecognisable. Irregular ovulation, extremely heavy bleeding, debilitating pain. or the quiet disappearance of a cycle altogether. For me, it showed up as losing my period for a long time. This article is a little more personal than usual, but it’s also grounded in research, physiology, and a long trail of unanswered questions, and I truly hope that some of the things that I learnt will help you too.

Ovulation is one of the most energy demanding events in the female body

To understand why so many women are losing their cycles, we must first understand what ovulation actually requires:

• Sufficient micronutrient reserves (iron, zinc, selenium, copper, iodine, b vitamins)
• Sufficient blood glucose and liver glycogen
• Adequate cholesterol and saturated fat intake
• Robust thyroid output
• Stable nervous system signalling
• A perception of environmental and internal safety

Why so many women are losing their cycles now

We live in a time where the female body is under constant instruction to do more with less. Many of us have grown up:

• Under-eating, often unintentionally
• Following low-fat or fat-fearful diets
• Avoiding sugar while living highly stressful lives
• Over-exercising, especially with high-intensity training
• Living in constant sympathetic (fight-or-flight) activation
• Exposed to unprecedented levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals

Add to this poor sleep, blue light exposure, chronic cold, and the cultural glorification of pushing through, and the body receives a very clear message…this is not a safe time to reproduce.

From an evolutionary perspective, insufficient energy intake, high stress, excessive physical output, and environmental threat are interpreted identically whether they arise from genuine danger or from modern lifestyle choices.  This is not dysfunction. It is survival biology working exactly as designed.

So if I had to heal my cycle again, these are the first places I would start...

1. I would prioritise organ meats, immediately

To be completely honest, the first meaningful shift for me came before organ meats. It started when I moved away from eating almost exclusively lean proteins like chicken and fish, and began eating red meat again. That change alone made a noticeable difference, quickly. It was the first signal that my body had been asking for more than just protein.

Not long after, I discovered organ meats. Looking back now, knowing what I know, I wouldn’t wait. I would start with them from the very beginning.

Organ meats are unparalleled in nutrient density. They contain the highest concentrations of bioavailable vitamins and minerals found in any foods, in forms the body can use with minimal effort. Liver alone provides retinol, heme iron, copper, folate, choline, and B12 in ratios that directly support blood building, hormone production, and nervous system function. These are the exact systems that downregulate when the body perceives famine.

Unlike isolated supplements, these nutrients arrive packaged together, as they always have throughout human history. The body recognises them immediately. Organ meats communicate abundance at a cellular level. They reduce the need for conversion, compensation, and stress signalling. They tell the body that scarcity has passed.

2. I would also include shellfish, even in small amounts

You have probably heard already that seafood, particularly shellfish, plays a quiet but critical role in reproductive health.

Iodine, selenium, and zinc are foundational for thyroid hormone production and conversion. Iodine is required to build thyroid hormone in the first place. Selenium is needed to convert inactive T4 into active T3. Zinc supports receptor sensitivity and hormonal signalling at the cellular level.

This is where many women get stuck. The focus is placed almost entirely on the ovaries, cycle tracking, or “balancing hormones,” while the thyroid system is left underfuelled and unsupported. But the thyroid governs metabolic rate, body temperature, digestion, and energy availability. If metabolic rate is suppressed, the body will not allocate resources toward reproduction.

3. While we're talking about the thyroid

Cold hands and feet. Low body temperature. Needing multiple layers when others are comfortable. Feeling slow, heavy, or foggy. Did you know these are all related to thyroid function?

A suppressed thyroid tells the body that energy is scarce. And when energy is scarce, reproduction is deferred.

This is why staying warm matters far more than most women have been led to believe. Chronic cold exposure, underdressing in winter, iced drinks, cold plunges used indiscriminately, and a general dismissal of comfort all reinforce conservation mode. Progesterone is a warming hormone. Its production raises body temperature and increases metabolic rate. If the body cannot maintain warmth, it will not prioritise progesterone synthesis.

Especially now more than ever, I would be staying cosy. Warm meals. Warm drinks. Warm baths. Adequate clothing. Covering my womb, head, neck and feet at all times. Not only will these prevent a cold, and are deeply enjoyable, but they really will make a difference in how your body perceives safety signals. Cosymaxxing is very important.

4. I would stop fearing fat

In fact, I would do the opposite. I would actively load up on it. Butter. Bone marrow. Slow-simmered bone broth. Collagen-rich cuts of meat with skin, connective tissue, and fat still intact.

For so many women, fat fear sits quietly beneath years of dietary choices, often inherited from low-fat messaging, calorie control, or the belief that leanness equals health. But reproductive physiology tells a very different story. Hormones are built from fat. Cholesterol is the raw material for progesterone, estrogen, and cortisol alike. Without sufficient dietary fat, the body simply does not have the substrate required to produce and regulate these hormones effectively.

Collagenous cuts and broths also play a unique role. They provide glycine, proline, and glutamine, amino acids that support liver detoxification, gut lining repair, and nervous system regulation. Glycine in particular has a calming effect on the brain and supports deeper sleep, another non-negotiable for hormonal recovery.

5. I would read into the work of Dr Gabor Maté

You can eat the most nutrient-dense diet imaginable and still remain stuck in a physiological state that tells the body it is not safe. And as we know, safety is the prerequisite for ovulation.

Dr Gabor Maté’s work centres on something we rarely connect to reproductive health, the long-term physiological cost of chronic stress, emotional suppression, and unresolved trauma.

Not stress in the abstract sense, but stress as it is experienced and stored in the body.

His central thesis is this: the body does not forget what the mind has learned to tolerate. When emotional needs go unmet, when boundaries are repeatedly overridden, when vigilance becomes a personality trait rather than a temporary state, the nervous system adapts. And that adaptation becomes biology.

• The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, which governs our stress response, is in constant communication with the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian (HPO) axis, which governs reproduction.
• These systems do not operate independently. When the brain perceives ongoing threat, emotional or environmental, it diverts resources toward survival.
• Cortisol rises. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone is suppressed. Luteinising hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone follow. Ovulation quietly steps aside. 
  

This is why so many women do “everything right” on paper and still struggle. Dr Maté speaks often about how many high-functioning, capable, outwardly successful women live in a near-constant state of internal pressure. Perfectionism. People-pleasing. Over-responsibility. An inability to rest without guilt. These traits are socially rewarded, but biologically costly, and of course not easy to instantly switch off.

Many women also find that this loss of safety does not arise in isolation, but within the context of a specific relationship. It is not uncommon to trace the disappearance of a cycle back to a particular dynamic. When a relationship requires constant monitoring, emotional suppression, or self-abandonment to remain intact, the nervous system stays activated. The body remains on alert. And again, a body on alert does not ovulate.

It's important to note how safe we feel with the people closest to us. Whether we can relax in their presence. Whether our boundaries are respected. Whether our nervous system can downshift, or whether it remains braced.

6. I would stop training like my body was expendable

High-intensity training elevates cortisol, increases glucose demand, and amplifies the same survival pathways already activated by emotional or psychological strain. In a well resourced, well rested body, this can be adaptive. But in a body already perceiving stress, it compounds the problem rather than resolving it. So especially during periods when I was already stretched thin, intense work demands, emotional upheaval, relational strain, or internal pressure, I would no longer ask my body to prove its resilience through force.

I would ensure that any movement I chose left my body feeling freer and more relaxed afterwards, not tighter or more depleted. I would focus on practices that actively release tension already being held such as somatic yoga, slow fascial work, slow deliberate mobility and any exercises spent outside in nature.

7. I would reduce endocrine noise in my environment

Synthetic fragrances, harsh detergents, plastic food storage, and synthetic fabrics introduce constant low level endocrine noise. The body must process and clear these compounds using the very same systems required for hormone production, regulation, and clearance.

So I would simplify. Unscented laundry detergent. Fewer products on my skin. Skipping “fragrance” altogether, even when it’s marketed as clean or natural. 

This may sound like a complete overhaul, but in practice it’s often the opposite. Simplifying has saved me money, not cost me more. One simple example, I no longer buy conventional laundry detergent at all. I use baking soda. No fragrance, no additives and it costs under £1. The same has happened with skincare. I’ve swapped an entire multi-step routine for beef tallow. One product, deeply nourishing, biologically familiar to the skin, and free from the long ingredient lists that quietly tax the liver and endocrine system.

I would be especially mindful of what sits closest to my body for the longest periods of time. Synthetic underwear. Tight leggings. Plastic-derived fabrics worn daily and sweated in. These aren’t inert materials. Heat and friction increase absorption, and the pelvic area is rich in blood supply and lymphatic drainage. If ovulation is already fragile, this constant exposure matters more than we like to admit. I would choose natural fibres wherever possible, not as an aesthetic preference, but as a way to lower the hormonal load my body has to manage every day.

I would also rethink food storage and preparation. Moving away from plastic containers, plastic wrap, and reheating food in plastic. Choosing glass, ceramic, stainless steel, and cast iron instead. 

These changes are not dramatic in isolation. But hormonally, they are cumulative. The endocrine system responds to patterns, not single exposures. And when the goal is to restore ovulation, reducing constant low-grade interference can be just as important as adding the “right” nutrients.

8. I would enjoy frequent baths and sauna

As you can probably tell by now, I am very in favour of warmth. And that’s because it is profoundly regulating for both the nervous system and the menstrual cycle.

Baths, in particular, are one of the simplest ways to support hormonal balance. To make them even more healing, I would add baking soda or magnesium. Baking soda baths can help lower inflammaiton and help neutralise acidity in the body. Magnesium baths, using Epsom salts or magnesium chloride flakes, are deeply calming for the nervous system, help relax muscles, and support sleep. Magnesium is also a key mineral for progesterone production and stress hormone regulation, making this an especially supportive practice when cycles are fragile or absent.

Sauna can also be supportive, when used wisely. Sweating is one of the body’s key detoxification pathways, particularly for clearing estrogen metabolites and certain endocrine-disrupting compounds that are excreted through sweat. For women carrying a higher estrogen load, gentle, intentional sweating can be an important part of rebalancing. That said, sauna is still a stressor. Heat increases heart rate and metabolic demand, and when used too frequently, especially daily, it can be perceived by the body as another form of pressure rather than support, so I would ensure that this is a practice only done a few times a week rather than every day.

9. I would watch the sunrise and sunset (or in the winter, replicate it with red light therapy)

Light is one of the strongest regulators of the endocrine system. Morning light sets the circadian clock, anchors cortisol to the early part of the day, and signals to the body that it is safe to be awake, active, and metabolically engaged. Evening light, especially the soft, fading light of sunset, tells the nervous system that the day is closing and that it is time to downshift.

In the warmer months, this is simple. Go outside. Let your eyes take in the light. In winter, when daylight is scarce or schedules make this harder, I would yes still get outside at these times, however also replicate the signal with red light in the mornings and evenings. You do not need an expensive panel or a biohacking setup. Simple red incandescent bulbs or red “heat lamp” style chicken lights work perfectly well. In the evenings, I would dim the house. Screens off where possible. Warm candlelight or red light instead of overheads, the goal is simply the absence of blue light.

Circadian alignment is one of the most under appreciated pieces of hormonal health. And like most of the work in healing a cycle, it is not about doing more, but about returning to signals the body already knows how to follow.

And perhaps most importantly, I would allow my body ease

This is the part that is hardest to hear, especially for women who are ambitious, capable, productive, and deeply invested in doing things well. The women who read the research. Who optimise their food. Who track their habits. Who are disciplined, driven, and intentional about their health. Ironically, these are often the very women most affected by menstrual dysfunction.

This is where it get's so frustrating. You're doing everything “right” and feeling increasingly frustrated when their cycle doesn’t respond accordingly. But sometimes, the very act of micromanaging health is the stressor. Worrying about every seed oil. Avoiding social situations for fear of food choices. Distancing yourself from friends, spontaneity, and pleasure in the name of discipline. Living in a constant state of vigilance, even when it’s labelled as self-care.

If I were healing my cycle again, I would give myself permission to enjoy indulgences without guilt. To eat meals for pleasure as well as nourishment. To say yes to dinners, desserts, slow mornings, and unproductive afternoons. To let health support life, rather than replace it. Ease is not laziness. Pleasure is not regression. And softness is not a threat to vitality. For the female body, they are often prerequisites.

And I want to say this clearly, because it matters. There is hope. For a long time, I was genuinely afraid that I wouldn’t be able to have children. That fear sits quietly in many women, even if it’s rarely spoken aloud. And yet, here I am, six months pregnant. Please remember this, a healthy cycle is not something your body resists. It is the state your body is always moving toward. Your physiology is not working against you, it is working tirelessly in your favour, adapting, conserving, and protecting until conditions feel safe enough again.

If you are reading this in the midst of frustration, fear, or doubt, know that healing can happen more quickly than you imagine when your body is given the right conditions.