Balancing Hormones Naturally: Ancient Andean Wisdom Meets Modern Neuroscience (New Plymouth)

An evidence-informed workshop with Dr Corin Storkey

Join Dr Corin Storkey for an empowering workshop on how sacred Peruvian plant medicines—especially maca and ceremonial cacao—can support hormonal balance, stress resilience, and everyday vitality.

Drawing on centuries of Andean tradition and contemporary research, Dr Storkey will explain how these plants act as adaptogens: helping regulate the endocrine system, support the HPA axis, ease stress responses, and restore a greater sense of harmony across the hormonal landscape. He will unpack peer-reviewed studies on maca in menopause, including how it has been investigated as a natural, non-hormonal option for people seeking support during this transition.

You’ll learn about maca’s unique bioactives (including macamides), the neurochemical effects of ceremonial cacao, and practical ways these plants may support energy, mood, menstrual health, menopause, and overall wellbeing.

The session also highlights Seleno Health’s research partnership with the University of Otago. Combining traditional Andean knowledge with neuroscience and biochemical analysis, the team is studying how these plants interact with the endocannabinoid system and broader endocrine pathways—bridging ancestral wisdom with modern science.

Expect cultural context, clear science, and takeaways you can use in daily life. Whether you are navigating hormonal change, looking for natural support, or simply curious about plant medicines, this workshop offers a grounded, holistic perspective on restoring balance from the inside out.

What you will learn

• How maca and ceremonial cacao have been used in Andean tradition to support energy, fertility, mood, and resilience

• What adaptogens are, and how these plants may help regulate the HPA axis and stress response

• The role of maca’s unique compounds—especially macamides—and how they relate to the endocannabinoid system

• What peer-reviewed research says about maca during menopause, including its investigation as a non-hormonal support option

• How ceremonial cacao’s neurochemical profile may influence mood, connection, and everyday vitality

• Why preparation, cultivar (colour/phenotype), and quality matter when choosing maca

• Practical, accessible ways to work with maca and cacao in daily life

• How Seleno Health and the University of Otago are combining indigenous knowledge with laboratory research

10% discount on all Seleno Health products on the night and sampling of delicious cacao and maca drinks.

About the presenter

Dr Corin Storkey is co-founder and co-director of Seleno Health, a New Zealand–based social enterprise working directly with indigenous farming families in Peru to bring ethically sourced medicinal maca and ceremonial cacao to Aotearoa. A medicinal chemist with a PhD from the University of Melbourne and the Heart Research Institute in Sydney, he has more than 20 years’ research experience in antioxidant chemistry, oxidative stress, and cellular protection.

After his own recovery from chronic fatigue, Corin turned toward a more integrative approach to health. He now leads Seleno Health’s maca and cacao research programme, including collaborative work with the University of Otago on the biochemical and endocannabinoid activity of Andean and Amazonian plants. Alongside co-founder Sally Huapaya, he has delivered hundreds of workshops across New Zealand, weaving scientific evidence with respect for the knowledge holders and farming communities who have stewarded these plants for generations.