Your Guide To Supporting PMS

A TCM meets Western science guide to the week before your period — what's actually happening, and what you can do to relieve PMS.

This guide is for you if:

  1. The week before your period feels like a different version of you shows up — bloated, irritable, craving everything in sight — and you want to know why
  2. You want to tell the difference between normal PMS and something that needs more support, like PMDD
  3. You want small, doable shifts, not another supplement cabinet or a total lifestyle overhaul


Use it as a reference for your luteal phase, not a checklist. Take what resonates, leave what doesn't. The most important data point is always you.

Inside the guide:

  • Part 1: What's actually happening in your body the week before your period — TCM and Western science, side by side

  • Part 2: PMS vs. PMDD — and how to tell which one you're dealing with

  • Part 3: Bloating, digestion, mood, cravings & sleep — what's really going on and what helps

  • Part 4: Your daily PMS ritual — one small shift for morning, midday & evening

  • Part 5: How Inner Code's PMS tea supports you through the week before your period

Start Supporting Your PMS Week

Get our free guide to the week before your period and learn simple, food-first ways to feel like yourself again.

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In the meantime, pair your cycle journey with the teas built for it.

Inner Code is a 4-phase tea ritual inspired by traditional Chinese ingredients — designed to support you through each phase with one simple daily habit. No overthinking. No new protocol.

Just ease.

Don't see the guide? Download it now.
Explore Cycle-Synced Teas →
Anna Li, Founder & CEO of Inner Code

Why I made this guide

Hi, I’m Anna — founder of Inner Code.

I made this guide because many women feel ‘off’ not because they’re broken, but because they’ve been taught to treat their bodies the same way all month.

Once you understand what your hormones are doing week to week, you can stop blaming yourself — and start supporting your body with better timing.

That’s why I created Inner Code: a 4-phase tea system designed to make cycle support feel simpler through one daily ritual — one blend per phase, taken consistently as your body shifts.

You don’t need more discipline. You need a rhythm.

Your hormones run in cycles. Your tea should too.

Menstrual

During your period, estrogen and progesterone bottom out and your body drops into repair mode — that's the cold, heavy, crampy feeling you know too well.

Our Flow tea leans on warming herbs like ginger, fennel, and aged mandarin peel to ease cramps, calm bloating, and help you feel grounded while you bleed.

Follicular

As your period ends, estrogen climbs and your energy naturally lifts — your body's fresh-start week.

Our Renew tea pairs goji berries, jujubes, chrysanthemum, and aged mandarin peel to support digestion, hydration, and the steady, rebuilding energy this phase is built for.

Ovulation

Estrogen peaks — and so do you: energy, mood, confidence, and libido all rising. But running hot can bring breakouts and restless digestion.

Our Glow tea blends chrysanthemum, goji berries, and osmanthus to cool inflammation, support clear skin, and keep digestion calm at your peak.

Luteal

Progesterone climbs and PMS moves in — cravings, irritability, bloating, anxiety.

Our Ground tea uses aged mandarin peel, burdock root, and rose to support digestion, ease puffiness, and calm your nervous system in the days before your period.

  • MENSTRUAL/FLOW

  • FOLLICULAR/RENEW

  • OVULATION/GLOW

  • LUTEAL/GROUND

Frequently Asked Questions

Cycle syncing means adjusting your daily habits — food, movement, and rituals — to the four phases of your menstrual cycle.

Inner Code makes it simple with four cycle-synced herbal teas, one for each phase. Instead of drinking the same thing all month, you sip the blend that matches where you are:

Flow during your period, Renew after, Glow around ovulation, and Ground before your period. It's a gentle, caffeine-free way to bring a little more rhythm to your routine.

Start with the blend that matches your current phase. On your period, begin with Flow. Just finished? Start with Renew. Around ovulation, reach for Glow. In the week before your period, use Ground.

If you're unsure, a period-tracking app or your calendar can help you estimate — or simply follow how your body feels. Because the kit is portioned by phase rather than fixed dates, you move through the blends at your own pace.

Yes — Inner Code teas can be enjoyed whether you're cycling naturally or on hormonal birth control.

The blends aren't dependent on ovulation or a natural cycle; they're simply a daily, caffeine-free ritual you can sync to how you feel.

If you're taking medication or have specific concerns, we recommend checking with your healthcare provider first.

Many people with PCOS or endometriosis choose gentle, caffeine-free herbal teas as part of their self-care. Inner Code isn't intended to treat, cure, or manage any medical condition, but the blends are made to be supportive and nourishing when used consistently.

If you're managing a diagnosis or taking medication, we always recommend checking with your healthcare provider first.

If your cycles are irregular, follow the blends based on how your body feels rather than exact calendar days. Irregular cycles are common — especially with stress, hormonal shifts, or lifestyle changes.

Many people use the daily ritual as a gentle way to build more awareness and consistency around their cycle over time, even when it's unpredictable right now.

Inner Code isn't a cure or a quick fix — it's a daily ritual designed to support you through each phase of your cycle. Many people find the routine calming right away, and say that with consistent use their cycle feels more manageable over time.

Everyone's body is different, so experiences vary — the teas work best sipped daily, alongside supportive habits like good sleep, nourishing food, and stress management.