Hey there,
You ever notice how things get weird around the full moon?
Maybe you’re tossing in bed, stress-eating peanut butter straight from the jar, or just feeling... off. A little puffy. A little more irritable. Like your body’s been hijacked by something tiny, irrational, and oddly hungry.
Surprise: it might not be just your mood.
There’s a theory—folklore to some, gospel to others—that when the moon is full, parasites in your body get a little wilder too.
We know. Sounds like a TikTok fever dream. But let’s dig in.
The Lunar Parasite Theory
Ancient cultures noticed patterns long before we had microscopes. And they weren’t wrong: the moon does mess with biology. Just ask the ocean.
Some practitioners of herbal medicine and functional health believe that parasites—those microscopic freeloaders that live in your gut, blood, or organs—get more active during a full moon. Why? Because:
Melatonin drops during full moons (affecting our immune system)
Serotonin spikes (which many parasites love to feed on)
And if that weren’t enough, they seem to sync with circadian rhythms and lunar cycles, like the rest of nature
The result?
Bloating. Brain fog. Sugar cravings. Itchy skin. Bad dreams. Mood swings. The sudden urge to deep-clean your pantry at 3am.
Bug Wisdom
Nature works in cycles. So do you.
Sometimes when things surface—emotionally or physically—it’s not chaos. It’s timing.
A full moon doesn’t cause problems. It reveals them.
So what if we used that rhythm to our advantage?
Use full moons to check in with your gut (literally and figuratively)
Support your body with antiparasitic herbs like wormwood, black walnut, and clove (always check with a practitioner)
Track your moods, cravings, and sleep during moon cycles—you might notice patterns
Ditch the shame around being “moody” or “sensitive.” Sensitivity is just awareness with better reception.
We’ll leave you with this:
The moon doesn’t make you crazy.
But it might make your hitchhikers louder.
P.S. If parasites aren’t the only thing draining you lately—HR folks, we see you. This newsletter’s your moonlight:
HR is lonely. It doesn’t have to be.
The best HR advice comes from those in the trenches. That’s what this is: real-world HR insights delivered in a newsletter from Hebba Youssef, a Chief People Officer who’s been there. Practical, real strategies with a dash of humor. Because HR shouldn’t be thankless—and you shouldn’t be alone in it.
Until next week,
Gabi & Bea