Just this past weekend, I was having a mild bout of illness due to the fact that at 44 years old, I have officially entered perimenopause. Some may say I still look young, but biologically speaking, it’s a whole different ball of wax.
To be honest, I have always struggled with my femininity. Not only have I physically suffered from debilitating menstrual cycles since I started having them at age 12, but even more so my femininity has caused problems throughout my life. Women were often jealous of my appearance, and when I was single, men often felt threatened by both my sexual confidence and freedom.
Now the femininity that I never settled on is starting to disappear. It’s inevitable as we get older, but it’s a bitter pill to swallow.
Reading about the symptoms of menopause (which is caused by a decrease in the production of estrogen in the body and is a precursor to menopause), I have been reading about the symptoms of menopause, which is caused by a decrease in the production of estrogen in the body and is a precursor to menopause. These include irregularities, weight gain, and worsening of symptoms. Tears streamed down my cheeks: PMS, loss of sex drive, just to name a few. I love my hair, my sleep, my sex life, and I don’t want to lose or hate any of it.
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Coincidentally, a few days later a friend contacted me about Elix. Elix is a new startup launching today and is the first hormonal health brand to leverage technology to personalize science-backed herbal treatments to address women’s health issues. . The timing was a synchronized sign from the universe that my cry was heard.
Elix was founded by founder and CEO Lulu Ge, a former college classmate, and co-founder and chief healing officer Nicole Gratte, DAOM, LAc, DiplOM, Ph.D. It was built on the principle that it is a vital sign that provides clues. women’s health. The brand features 12 to 19 organically extracted herbs that are clinically proven to regulate menstrual cycles and treat PMS by targeting and correcting users’ specific hormonal imbalances. Cycle Balance, a customizable formula, is brought to market today.
One of only 1% in her field, Dr. Glathe holds a PhD in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is also a board-certified, NCCAOM-certified acupuncturist and herbalist. Dr. Grate, who specializes in women’s health, has treated hundreds of patients seeking relief from debilitating pain and discomfort caused by hormonal imbalances.
Ge holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in social-organizational psychology from Columbia University. She was born in China’s Hunan province, where her grandfather ran a local hospital. Although she has always been exposed to the teachings of Chinese medicine, it wasn’t until she stopped taking hormonal birth control three years ago that she returned to her ancestral roots, which ultimately led her to start Elix. have become.
Elix founder Lulu Ge (left) and Dr. Nicole Glathe (right)
“I went through a roulette wheel of debilitating menstrual symptoms,” Gee tells me. “The search for a holistic, side-effect-free solution led me back to my generational roots in herbal medicine.” Ms. Gee is trying to cure her own hormonal imbalances and the side effects of taking hormonal drugs. Through my travels, I learned firsthand that there is a huge gap in women’s access to hormone care.
“Only 4% of all healthcare R&D funds women’s issues,” Ge tells me firmly. “After completing two years of research and development and submitting over 2,000 health assessments in beta testing and pilots, we are committed to destigmatizing the conversation around menstrual health and supporting balance for millions of women. With this vision in mind, we are very excited to make Elix publicly available today.” ”
When I asked Ge why this number was so shockingly low, she replied: Most of the top executives in the healthcare industry are men, and most of them have higher ROI in the “other” category than women’s needs, she said. Some refer to women’s issues as a “niche” or a “lifestyle”, demonstrating the industry’s deeply outdated thinking and dangerous disregard for the wider impact of these life-destroying conditions. ”
When looking at statistics like these, it is impossible to ignore the glaring gender disparity in healthcare. As a woman, I can’t help but get angry when I hear comments that our health problems have nothing to do with money.
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“Until a few decades ago, women were actually excluded from medical research, and there is a long and horrific history of our pain being ignored or misdiagnosed by the male-dominated medical community,” Ge said. states. “In fact, up until the 1970s, more than 90% of gynecologists were men, and while many were excellent doctors, it was more difficult to advocate for the issue without first-hand experience. We need more diversity in gender, race, background, and experience to transform health care.”
When asked about how Chinese medicine views and deals with women’s health issues, Ms. Grate said, “Like Western medicine, the menstrual cycle is divided into four phases, corresponding to the hemorrhagic phase, follicular phase, ovulation phase, and luteal phase.” These stages are always taken into account when prescribing herbs, so that the specific hormonal process at that particular point can be addressed.This of Eastern wisdom and Western science. Combination is also the foundation of Elix.”
For those unfamiliar, Chinese medicine has a rich history dating back 5,000 years, and although there are several schools of Chinese herbalism, they seem to be converging when it comes to women’s health. is. Personalization is a key requirement of Chinese medicine. It is about creating the right treatment for the individual at the right time to achieve optimal health.
“In addition to diagnosing Western-defined diseases such as dysmenorrhea, TCM doctors use a technique called pattern diagnosis,” explains Grate. “The syndrome is determined based on the patient’s signs and symptoms, physical condition, disease state, and constitution. Then, herbal medicine is prescribed for treatment. There are herbs that alleviate the primary symptoms, but the If the cause is not addressed, those symptoms can easily return monthly.”
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Elix provides customized herbal blends to women based on an online patient intake form. The questions answered and symptoms reported during the online health exam are used to identify patterns and root causes, which then determine the best herbal prescription.
“Our herbs are sourced from China and Great Britain, traditionally known for their highest purity and potency, having been organically and wild-harvested in specific remote terrains and mountainsides for thousands of years. We source from rural areas in Asia,” Gee told me. Ask where they source their herbs from. “To ensure exceptional quality, we source everything organically and triple test every supplier and every batch of herbs for purity and potency. We go through a very long and thorough quality monitoring process. We plan to obtain organic certification soon.”
The last line of the intake uploads a photo of the tongue, which may seem strange to those not familiar with Chinese medicine.
“The tongue is the only internal organ that can be seen without a scalpel,” explains Grathe. “While the tongue may not look like an organ in the traditional sense, it is 100% pure muscle that is fed directly by blood and nerves, much like the cells that line the digestive tract. It has cells that regenerate every 10 days. Looking at it gives us clues about what’s going on in other organs and in the general internal environment.” Medicine uses the color, moisture, shape, and strength of the tongue to determine its health.
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“Erics is fundamentally a technology company that allows us to put her needs at the forefront,” she said in response to my question if they were a technology company. , Mr. Gee replied: “The way we democratize access to personalized herbal remedies would not be possible without modern technology, data science and analytics, and we are confident that technology will improve this precious herbal medicine and improve the value of women’s health.” We believe this is an important tool for improving how we meet overlooked needs in the world.”
Technology has also allowed the brand to create feedback loops that do not currently exist among herbal and nutraceutical providers. This is something that is needed even more throughout modern medicine.
Ge continues. “We believe in measuring what our customer wants to improve and continually improving how we meet her needs. We also created follow-up health assessments to monitor and track progress and obtain feedback that will be used in future product development.”
PMS is more common in young women, Ge told me. “We actually confirmed in Beta that PMS is a very prominent and overlooked problem for women in their 30s and into their 40s. Especially after giving birth, our bodies as they try to adapt to the ‘new normal.’
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Grate added: “Later in life, we also seem to learn to ‘cope’ with our cycles in different ways. This includes a variety of methods, from denying pain to prove one’s strength to society telling us that pain is normal. Accept this as truth. ”
Especially when it comes to perimenopause and postpartum, Dr. Grate continues: “Dramatic changes in hormones, and therefore cycles, occur. This is a time when our bodies are in desperate need of nutritional and balance support, and that’s where herbal medicine can help.”
The brand has already begun research and development of future formulas to support other stages of women’s lives. “We are also looking at ways to partner with other service providers and clinics,” she said Ge. “We know that these herbs work best in conjunction with behavioral and lifestyle changes, and to achieve the most transformative health benefits, we need active, holistic I believe we should take this approach.”
When asked what women can expect from the brand in the future, Gee replied: “Our broader vision for Elix is to be your trusted friend and advisor for scientifically-backed herbal remedies, from your first period to your last hot flash and everything in between.”
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Elix community members will also soon have access to exclusive events and content, empowering them to be their own best advocates in life and in the clinic. Ge added: “We are already planning an exciting lineup of events across the country for 2020 and will continue to add new partners with a shared holistic health intention for pop-ups and experiences. ” he continues.
My blend arrived during my period, so I haven’t tried it yet. But perimenopause is so much fun, that “Flo” is scheduled to be back in town in the next 14-18 days, at which point I’ll be back in town for about 6 days before he’s given his custom 2x a day. Take the Elix blend of. I’m looking forward to seeing how it works and what changes it will make.
