"Sir, your wife is suffering from hormonal imbalance, which is why she is getting irregular periods", said the doctor to me last night. We are in the third year of marriage and are planning to start a family soon. And we wanted to make sure that pregnancy is healthy. Hormonal imbalance, as the term says, is a condition that arises when there is too much or too little of a hormone in the bloodstream. Our doctor suggested us to some medical tests like blood tests, sonography and infertility test before we begin our preconception advice.

I called up my maa who lives in another city this morning and explained to her my wife's health condition. She immediately said, "Doctors toh kuch na kuch bolte rehte hai. Beti is quite normal and I will suggest some home remedies to treat hormonal imbalance. I am not saying don't take doctor's consultation but try these superfoods that we women used to try in olden days to cure menstrual and fertility-related issues." Hearing my maa's golden words has put my tension at ease and here I am sharing the list of her superfoods below:

• Gondh Laddu:
  Gondh mixed with nuts, raisins and ghee is ideally given to a woman after childbirth because it has health benefits of increasing immunity and production of milk. Gondh is said to be rich in protein and calcium and can be consumed before pregnancy to treat excessive bleeding and tiredness in women.
• Garden Cress Seeds:
  Garden cress seeds are high in folate and iron and have many vitamins and proteins. Its leaves are good to treat hormonal issues and irregular periods. Women can eat its seeds directly or make a laddu and kheer with a lot of milk and ghee.
• Fenugreek Seeds:
  Fenugreek seeds are high in nutrients and antioxidants. They are known to treat period-related problems such as reducing menstrual cramps, soothing upset stomach and digestion issues. They can also help to reduce fat mass and balance cholesterol. Making a fenugreek seeds laddu or using it as a tadka on the vegetables are the healthy ways to consume methi seeds.

I and my wife spoke at length to understand our health issues and we figured out that the months she had irregular periods were the times when she was highly stressed in her life due to professional commitments and family issues. Stress can also trigger hormones to act in a weird way and adversely impact overall health. I suggested her these natural ways to reduce her stress levels till we get the next consultation from the doctor:

• Meditation:
  I asked her to start her day with a 10-minute meditation of relaxing and breathing exercises. It can make her feel wonderful from within and believe in the positive energy.
• My Maid Gets A 1-Day Weekly Off:
  I encouraged my wife to clean the rooms in the morning or night time once every week as it is a good physical activity to stretch legs and hands. Also, my maid can enjoy a 1-day weekly off from this month onwards. In return, I promised my wife to hug her as many times she wants me to as cuddling acts as a huge stress-reliever.

Medically reviewed by Rishabh Verma, RP