Last Updated on June 29, 2026
Sipping a moontime smoothie during your period is a simple way to support your body and honor this special time of the month. It’s made with nourishing ingredients that help ease cramping, balance hormones, and boost energy & mood.
Raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus & related species; I use Rubus niveus, which grows wild near my home) is a uterine tonic that has long been a cherished herb for women’s health. It is nutrient rich, providing calcium, iron, potassium, as well as vitamins B, C & E. Its astringent properties make it an ally for easing heavy periods. It contains a constituent called fragrine which helps it to relax the uterus and may be helpful for relieving menstrual cramping (Gladstar, 1993).
Bananas contain magnesium and vitamin B6, a combination of nutrients that has been shown to be beneficial for easing various PMS symptoms, menstrual pain, and mood swings, irritability, or anxiety related to hormonal fluctuations (De Souza et al., 2004; Fathizadeh et al., 2010).
Cacao (Theobroma cacao) is rich in flavonoids, magnesium, copper, magnesium, calcium, and iron. These nutrients help to regulate the menstrual cycle and ease period cramps and pain (Verma & Kadam, 2019).
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a nutrient dense adaptogen that supports healthy hormonal balance (López-Fando et al., 2004), which can promote healthy menstrual cycles and help reduce PMS symptoms and period pain.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) may relieve menstrual cramps. It’s warming, stimulating action can be helpful for delayed periods and painful menstruation caused by stagnation in the pelvic area (de la Foret, 2022).
Coconut oil promotes feelings of satiation, which can help to alleviate food cravings that can be common during menstruation. It also promotes the absorption of vitamins A,D,E & K. When consumed in moderation, healthy fats like coconut oil balance energy levels, blood sugar, and hormones. (Brighten, 2019; Romm, 2021).
Ingredients:
- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 6 raspberry tea ice cubes
- 1 Tbsp cacao
- 1 Tbsp maca
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp coconut oil
- pinch of pink salt
- honey, to taste (optional)
Directions:
First, make the raspberry leaf tea ice cubes. Brew a strong raspberry leaf tea and let it cool. Then pour it into an ice cube tray and pop it in the freezer until completely frozen. You can make a lot of cubes ahead of time and store them in a labeled freezer bag.
When you’re ready to make a smoothie, add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
This smoothie is not very sweet, which I prefer, but you may like to add a bit of honey to balance out the bitterness of the cacao.
References
Brighten, J. (2019). Beyond the Pill: A 30-Day Program to Balance Your Hormones, Reclaim Your Body, and Reverse the Dangerous Side Effects of the Birth Control Pill. HarperCollins.
de la Forêt, R. (2022). Health Benefits of Ginger. https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/health-benefits-of-ginger.html
De Souza, M.C., Walker, A.F., Robinson, P.A. and Bolland, K. (2004). A Synergistic Effect of a Daily Supplement for 1 Month of 200 mg Magnesium plus 50 mg Vitamin B6 for the Relief of Anxiety-Related Premenstrual Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Crossover Study. Journal of Women’s Health and Gender Based Medicine, 9(2). https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/152460900318623
Fathizadeh, N., Ebrahimi, E., Valiani, M., Tavakoli, N., and Yar, M.H. (2010). Evaluating the effect of magnesium and magnesium plus vitamin B6 supplement on the severity of premenstrual syndrome. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 15 (Suppl1): 401–405. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3208934/#ref5
Gladstar, R. (1993). Herbal Healing for Women. Atria.
López-Fando, A., Gómez-Serranillos, M.P., Iglesias, I., Lock, O., Upamayta, U.P., and Carretero, M.E. (2004) Lepidium peruvianum chacon restores homeostasis impaired by restraint stress. Phytotherapy Research, 18(6):471-4. doi: 10.1002/ptr.1455.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15287072/
Romm, A. (2021) Hormone Intelligence: The Complete Guide to Calming Hormone Chaos and Restoring Your Body’s Natural Blueprint for Well-Being. HarperOne.
Verma, A. and Kadam, A. (2019). Does Dark Chocolate Relieve Menstrual Pain in Adult
Women?: A Study Among Indian Population. International Journal of Physiology, 7(4), 16-21. https://ijop.net/index.php/ijop/article/download/48/39/72
