Or is your body trying to communicate that there's inflammation and high cortisol levels? As a Holistic Nutritionist who specializes in women's hormonal health, I'm going to let you know!
Before working with me, I always hear women say "I have this issue _____ but I don't think it's related to my hormones". Or "I don't need to be tracking my cycle because I don't want to have babies right now".
First, hormones are involved in almost every aspect of our bodies! So while you think your health issue doesn't have anything to do with hormones, 9/10x that's the root of it! Second, your cycle is not just for pregnancy!! It's literally the schedule of how our hormones operate, so we need to track it and know what's going on.
Ps. if you're a woman(especially if you're of menstruating age) and you're working with a coach, a practitioner or specialist for your health or weight loss goals and they haven't mentioned and educated you on how the hormonal schedule of your cycle works and how it's inked to your symptoms, then RUN!! Kidding! But also, your hormonal schedule as a woman(ie. which hormones go up and down and at which times in the month) is the basis of how every function in your body works as a woman, and it's completely different from how a man's body works, therefore the same advice won't work for both!
I recently asked my instagram community
to share the symptoms they experience every month(or even the ones that the girlfriends are getting together and venting about). And before we get into what the most common concerns were for women, there's something I want to shout from the rooftops always: just because something is common and so many of us experience it, it doesn't make it normal! In fact, the pain and cramps that come with our periods for so many of us has never been normal(as much as the medical community tries to make it seem like it is) because any type of pain is a signal and a major indicator that something is wrong and your body is trying to get your attention!
Now that we cleared that up, let's get into it:
"I have shorter than 28 day cycles"
This one usually comes with a whole slew of other annoying symptoms too: feeling "puffy" in your face and belly, lower than usual energy levels/tired all the time, stubborn weight(even if you eat healthy and workout), mood swings and anxiety. These symptoms tell me your cortisol levels(stress hormone) is running too high most of the time, and it's affecting the hormonal balance of your luteal phase(the second half of your cycle). When cortisol is spiking too often, pretty much all of the body's attention goes to that(becuase the body thinks there's a real threat or attack!). So you may have been told your estrogren, progesterone or other hormone is off, causing these symptoms, and that can be true as well. But typically the root of it all is high cortisol.
Tip on cortisol imbalance: I've personally had all of these symptoms and more, so I get it! If you want to learn what I did nutritionally to naturally balance cortisol levels and get rid of these symptoms for myself and my clients, check out some of my past blog posts on here, or follow me on instagram where I share more on my journey!
"I have heavy bleeding every month with debilitating cramps"!
Like I said before, just because something is common, it doesn't mean it's normal! Having one or both of these is a huge indicator of inflammation in the body and uterus. Something I would recommend is focusing on a diet that's loaded with leafy greens, a good amount of healthy fats and at least 20-30g of protein in each meal. This does NOT mean you're cutting carbs out all together!! This simply means that you're switching the proportion of your macro nutrients to be less inflammatory and more blood sugar + cortisol balancing in the long run.
"I get the worst migraines during ovulation and/or on my period"
Luckily for everyone who listed this as their symptom, I used to get these types of migraines, so I started researching(because every type of pain is telling us something), and I consider myself a "migraine whisperer" of sorts now! The short answer is that these migraines are caused by an imbalance in one or more hormones. The longer answer, and the best way to fix these types of migraines is to start learning about the phases of your cycle, and how to give your body the right proportion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates at each phase(yes! Women need to be eating different proportions of nutrients at the 4 distinct parts of the cycle for hormonal balance). Luckily for you again, I'm a huge fan of this topic in my practice, so follow me on my instagram(@healthybymarjan) or ask me about my Feeding your Feminine Guide if you want to know more.
"I always have spotting for 1-2 days before my period. Is this normal"?
I don't know who needs to hear this, but this was never normal even though I know so many women experience this! This symptom can lead to fertility issues and usually indicates an estrogen/progesterone imbalance in the luteal phase(the second half of your cycle). High cortisol and inflammation could be causing this, but both of these can be addressed and balanced with the right nutrition.
"Mood swings, low energy, anxiety before my period, help!!"
To a certain degree, these symptoms are actually considered normal the week before our periods. This is because hormonal levels are starting to drop, and energy levels usually go with it. If you're feeling like you're absolutely dead to the world, you have to drag yourself out of bed in the mornings, and you need to skip all your workouts in your luteal phase, then we need to talk! It is NOT normal to be so exhausted before your period that you're not able to enjoy life!
Additionally, looking at the body holistically, your uterus is getting ready to shed and release layers of tissue. So it's not considered abnormal for the body to release pent up emotions and thoughts we haven't processed throughout the month. Try implementing a regular journal writing, schedule times in your week where you have quiet, alone time, or any other way you can get things out before they build up and release all during the week before your period.
This is what I want you to take away
While most of these are not considered normal, all of these symptoms can be fixed with the right nutrition and lifestyle changes. I've seen it many times in my practice(of over 7 years!). This is because hormones are made of nutrients(ie. food). So when we figure out the right food your body needs, then the hormones fall back in to balance, and the communication or symptom goes away.
I'm always accepting new clients in my virtual 1:1 coaching, Feeding your Feminine. This is where I truly help you to get to the root cause of your health concerns, and heal the symptoms so you can live your life however you want to! Payment plans are available for all clients, and insurance receipts are provided if requested.
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