Our periods reveal so much about your hormones and general health. Periods are so much more than the end process of your monthly cycle when the uterine lining is being cleared with some blood.
Periods are now officially recognised as your body’s 6th vital sign by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists. Vital signs are how we screen the body – we check temperature, blood pressure, the pulse, respiratory rate and pain. When we approach menstruation as the 6th vital sign, we acknowledge that periods are also a way our bodies show us what’s going on.
When I talk to my teenage clients about their first periods, I ask them if there is any pain, if the bleeding is heavy or light, if there are any visible clots, how long the periods last, and if they experience any premenstrual symptoms such as breast tenderness, migraines, increased acne or low mood.
The timing of the first periods also matters. If a girl is 11 or younger, it may indicate high estrogen – this is increasingly common with young girls being exposed to estrogen in their environment, mainly from plastics (water bottles, food packaging) and even cosmetics.
Periods should be symptom free – regular and not uncomfortable.
Pain free periods are possible and should be normal for all girls. Pain may be caused by nutritional deficiencies such as magnesium and also by inflammation which is often caused by eating dairy and sugar. What I see in my practice is that most women do not get enough magnesium from their diet which is one reason for which period pains are now so common. Pain may indicate a condition called endometriosis, or adenomyosis, and should be looked into especially if it persists throughout the cycle. Another reason for low magnesium is the general overwhelm and stress that many girls experience in their daily lives – stress depletes magnesium and other minerals. Optimal digestive function is also important as we need enough stomach acid and enzymes to digest and absorb nutrients from the food we eat.
You cannot improve your periods without changing the diet and lifestyle; food is the most powerful and basic tool we have. So many women have period issues because we live in a way that is just not optimal for our health. Sometimes, making simple dietary and lifestyle tweaks such as improving sleep can be all that was needed. I also discuss over-exercising, stress and lack of body fat with my clients as these have an effect on menstrual cycle.
Irregular cycles affect at least 1 in 5 young women and may be caused by PCOS when ovulation doesn’t always happen.
Short cycles occur less than 25 days apart may also indicate infrequent ovulation and possibly high unopposed estrogen
When periods occur 35 days or more apart this may indicate low estrogen, stress or PCOS.
Skipped periods may be due to stress, international travel, thyroid issues or undereating and becoming underweight.
Knowing also what to eat throughout the cycle can help balance hormones and periods. We have different nutritional and emotional needs at different times of our cycle – this I teach all my cycling clients. The key word here is ‘cycle’ – as women, we are not meant to be doing the same things every day, and this includes how we exercise and what we eat. Women metabolise foods differently depending on where there are in their cycle, and even in sport we are more prone to injury if we do more intense exercise just before the period when levels of estrogen are lower. Unfortunately, in our culture and schools, young women are encouraged to be the same every day, perform superbly on every day of the cycle and variations are usually discouraged.
As a very general guideline, rest as much as possible on the first day or two of your period. If you have work or school, make sure you don’t overschedule and at least plan something relaxing and comforting. Emotionally and energetically, this is the time for retrospection, looking within. In many non western cultures it is known that menstruating women are able to access their intuition and wisdom – after their periods women are consulted on important decisions that will affect their entire community – where to move the grazing animals, or what strategies should their tribe adopt. Connection to yourself is the vehicle for wellness. Physically, menstruation is the time when your body is detoxing, needs rest and more nourishing, easy to digest, foods such as warm stews and steamed vegs. Schedule your main social events, parties and sports for the time of ovulation – not only this is the time when you are most outwardly focused, but also when you literally become a superwoman in your life. If you are not sure when you ovulate it may help to begin observing both your cervical fluid – this should become stretchy, and changes in your body temperature. You may also feel more attractive at this time.
I know it’s very tempting to mask menstrual symptoms with the pill, but it does just that – it masks symptoms, while the real cause for these symptoms continues simmering in the background, leading to further nutritional deficiencies and issues. Don’t accept the pill as the solution! Addressing the reasons for your symptoms now will enable you to move into womanhood with balanced hormones and healthy periods. I always suggest girls and women view their period symptoms as an opportunity to improve their entire health.
Emotions and expectations also play a part. When I used to teach menstruation workshops in Bali I learnt that so many women receive negative ideas about periods from older females when growing up. In this way, your periods will also reveal more about the emotional and spiritual health so If this is you, I suggest reframing how you view menstruation. Talk to those women who are happy with their cycles, read more about how you may support your hormones, consider a consultation with a holistic health practitioner – this is the area where nutritional therapy and naturopathy can be very helpful.
And remember that common doesn’t mean normal. Your body always will do its best to be well.
I hope this article has inspired you to know that solutions are possible and to seek them.
My consultations are online; please drop me a line to book your initial consultation. It doesn’t matter when in the world you are.
With health
Magda
