Joys of Womanhood II - How to start normalizing your cycle [EN]

This is a not-so-technical post about how we can actively start to normalize our cycle and, as a consequence, our general health. Some of these are specific to women, but most are valid also for men. 

There are small things we can start doing differently every day in order to, for example, lower PMS symptoms, make our periods more regular, and/or eventually getting ready for a future pregnancy with diminished risks.

The covered topics will be as follows:

• Eliminate endocrine disruptors;
• Nutritional reset;
• Physical exercise;
• Stress management;
• Specific natural treatments.

These are also known as "the basis of cure".

(Note: The Nutritional Reset will be talked about on the Fertility Module)

1- Endocrine disruptors

These are agents which interfere with synthesis, transport, connection, action or elimination of natural hormones in our organism, and which affect our development, behavior and/or reproduction, amongst others.

Meaning: External agents that are responsible for destabilising our cycles.

The pill as an endocrine disruptor

The biggest one is, of course. the pill. Obviously, that's precisely its objective. The pill is known for having impact on our energy, memory and concentration, motor coordination, thyroid functions, sleep, metabolism, immunity system, and more. 

Below is some data that I wish I had before I decided to take the pill, which I did when I was 16 years old. Maybe I would've taken it anyway, maybe not - But I do believe this should've been passed on to me.

• The pill is known for lowering our libido (even after the pill), lower our ovaries' sizes until 50%, reducing our clitoris' size (which also never grow back to their original sizes) and is linked to depression, anxiety and nutritional deficiencies.
• Our levels of SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globuline) go up (sometimes 4 times higher) and they never go down even after we stop taking the pill. These levels are associated to a higher risk or blood coagulation;
• The pill is also associated to infertility, heighten risk of ovarian breast and liver cancer.

Obviously, for most of women quitting the pill is not a real option. The pill is effective, easy to use and for in some cases, cheap.

But if you are in a healthy relationship (or none at all), maybe you can consider changing to a more healthy option which will not be as damageable to your hormones. On another hand, this all depends on which pill you are taking. I was always on a "light" pill since I was never taking it to treat disorders, only as a contraceptive.

But either way, there are always more cons than pros when it comes to taking the pill.

An interesting information about the "possible" male pill is that some testing was made some years ago regarding a male oral contraception. Here is an article about this. It basically says that, after being tested in 320 men, due to a minority of men having reported side effects like mood swings, acne, one severe depression and one that tried to commit suicide, the study was dropped. 

So yes, you can bet there has been a lot of "eye rolling" about these side effects, since women have had these effects for years! 

In fact, when in clinical trials for the first pill, side effects were very apparent: 17%  of the women in the first cohort had significantly unpleasant side effects, including dizziness and nausea, as well as headaches and vomiting. Additionally, the doctor in charge regarded the complaints from the women as hypochondria. The drug however, was still approved.

Of course, we've come a long way from here - I just find it fascinating to see the differences between respecting the female and the male body. 

The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen is a list of the 12 most hormonal-disrupting chemicals, selected by the EWG (Environmental Working Group). Below are some ways we can avoid them and their negative associated effects:

1. Food-related measures:

• Lower your consumption of fish and meat;
• Try to always buy "roots" from biological sources: Onions, garlic, leek, onions, strawberries, sweet potatoes, etc.;
• Avoid milk and derivates; 
• Avoid food in plastic containers, buy fresh and wash your fruit and vegetables thoroughly; 
• Never use plastic in the microwave; 
• Filter your water;
• Cook and keep food in: Glass, ceramics, titanium, steel;
• Throw out: Aluminum, Teflon;
• Use glass bottles for day-today;
• Always buy your "fats" with glass container (eg: olive oil).

1. Non-food related
• Bio/natural home products and cosmetics;
• Plants inside the house (they offer us some protection against volatile ingredients in our environment);
• Reusable menstrual cups/pads;
• Use natural fibers clothing.

2- Nervous system reset

(Note: Book Recommendation: Why Zebras don't get ulcers.)

Why is stress management particularly important to women? 

In general, our organisms reacts to stress as a fight, flee or freeze. So when we are putting under severe stress the natural responses are:  Inhibitions of functions: Digestion, sleep and reproduction. In a woman's case, the hypothalamus "decides" it's not a good time to get pregnant, and blocks the ovulation.

Another very important ingredient in our nervous system is Sleep.

So in order to improve our "Sleep Hygiene", here are some "rules" we can apply every night, 2 hours before sleep:

• Shut all screens off (always turn everything off and then read a book);
• Have a light, early dinner;
• Have a relaxing before-bed routine;
• Heavier exercise during the day only;
• Make your room as dark as possible, temperature 16º-20ºC, airy;
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine.

3- Physical exercise

You should be aware that you too much exercise can also be a danger to your hormones - But only if you are considering participating in a triathlon, marathon or efforts of those dimensions. In these cases you should make sure your nutrition and supplementation are in line with your efforts and try to always stay vigilant and aware.

 

When it comes to physical exercise you can feel that your cycle affects your effort and your general performance - That is absolutely normal. So here are some short tips to help you respect you cycle and give it what it needs.

I personally really like this topic because I feel it when I'm running and weightlifting and this information helped me stop feeling bad when I couldn't meet a PR or run at a certain pace.

When your are menstruating (~days 1-5):

Your hormone levels drop and we will naturally feel more fatigued and have more cravings due to your dropping iron levels. Make sure to eat food more rich in iron to compensate your levels. Also add some healthy fats, nut and seeds which contain magnesium. Listen to your body and take it easy. Do either light cardio/light weightlifting, or restorative yoga.

During your Follicular Phase (~days 5-14):

Hormone levels are rising, this is a great time to exercise. Take care of your digestion and inflammation with probiotics. Go strong on your strength training and everything related to muscle gain in this period, but make sure to do a lot of stretching and mobility preparation.

Ovulation (If you can pinpoint it! Usually ~day 14)

This is the best time to go for your PRs since your progesterone is low and your oestrogen is high. Your energy is at its peak. Go for full body training and give it your best.

During your Luteal Phase (~days 15-28)

Here is the time to start taking care of your self again. As you're nearing the end of your cycle, use fibres to reduce craving, reduce processed foods and sugars. You may struggle to hit your previous PRs, which is totally normal. Similarly to your menstruation phase, listen to your body and increase yoga and mobility exercises, especially reaching your Pre-menstrual phase.

But most of all: If your workouts are not pleasurable to you, at least at some level, then your body will perceive them as stress. And it may rebel against it. 

So whatever you do... Don't forget to enjoy it!

4- Specific natural treatments

You should always consult a specific doctor to be advised of natural supplements to help you with sleep, or any menstrual disfunctions you may have. 

Note: In case you have a case of post-pill syndrome, you should make sure to take some supplements of: B Vitamin group, Vitamin C, A, E, Zinc, Selenium and Magnesium. You can also take "agnus-castus" / "Anho-casto" supplement in case your menstruation doesn't come back in 6 months, and take some dandellion tea to help with your liver detox. Always make sure to consult a doctor or a professional practitioner.

We've reached the end of our second post! I hope you are learning as much as me. 

I know, this is a lot of information, so take it slowly and also, with a grain of salt - Of course you will not make radical changes in your lifestyle from one day to the next, but at least you can start thinking about things differently, with another point of view, and maybe be more critical about your environment, thinking twice about the food your ingesting, cosmetics your skin is absorbing, and the stress you are inflicting on your body. 

And maybe today, or tomorrow, you take a small step towards a healthier life.

And that will be quite enough.

I hope you've enjoyed your reading so far!

The next post will focus Fertility Awareness Methods, or Natural Family Planning - Stay tuned!

This article is meant to gather quite the extensive knowledge of the SIM course into a digestible way so that I can maybe provide some insight and knowledge to friends and curious women. Even though I have made some research and additional readings to write these articles, I credit it all to our amazing teachers in the course. They are the true women warriors. I’m just passing the word along.

The course is coordinated by Antonella Vignati, an amazing teacher and professional. I recommend her if you are looking for a trained professional in any health issues related to fertility, cycles, or even generic health - If you are ready to make some significant life changes.

I also really recommend this course to any woman, at any age — As women I believe we deserve to have all the information available to us, so that we can make the right choices for us, and for our body.