The Worst Period

Why oh why - when we’ve already got a case of the January blues is it that those of us who are hit with period problems, menstrual misery, hormonal horror shows -  often get hit the hardest in January?

As with any health related issues - there is never one single thing that contributes to this. In the words of Spike from Notting Hill (the 1999 Rom-com) ‘it’s a combination of factors really’.

Let’s consider some of the leading factors that lead to ‘period problems’

• nutrient deficiencies

• blood sugar imbalances

• digestive distress (the microbiome could be contributing to a lot of issues including painful periods and recurrent infections like thrush and BV)

• hormone haywire (this could be high oestrogen, recirculating oestrogen, low progesterone etc.)

• a dysregulated stress response

Period Problem Pie Chart

So if your December was a lot of mince pies and chocolate for breakfast and not quite the rainbow of fruits and vegetables you normally aim for - that could well contribute to lower levels of nutrients. That is also a recipe for a blood sugar rollercoaster aka blood sugar spikes and subsequent dips. This can lead to mood swings, inconsistent energy and sugar cravings throughout the day

What about if you indulged in a bit more alcohol than you normally would? That can definitely result in lower levels of B vitamins and Magnesium.

If the sprouts and veg were more garnish than the main part of the plate then you could well have been consuming less fibre than normal. Your poor gut bugs have been struggling through against all odds (less fibre, more alcohol, more sugar).

Higher levels of sugar and alcohol can contribute to higher levels of oestrogen circulating in the body - if our oestrogen is high relative to progesterone we can experience exaggerated symptoms of PMS like mood swings, pain and water retention to name a few.

What about stress? We can’t escape it, this time of year can be very stressful. Rushing around trying to find presents for everyone, making time to see everyone - all under the massive umbrella of potential restrictions changing meaning all plans get cancelled - nightmare.

Not to mention the sugar, alcohol and possibly less sleep than normal all contributing to stress in the body - note to self - coffee and mulled wine do not effectively hydrate so you might also have to add dehydration to the list of stressors on the body.

A combination of the above factors can combine into the perfect storm of a horrible January period.

A particularly miserable menstrual January experience for me was when I still worked in an office, I had just eaten lunch and then things took a turn for the worse and I ended up sweating profusely in the bathroom for 45 minutes with hideous cramps before proceeding to throw up the entire contents of my stomach.

I ended up lying partially clothed on the bathroom floor for a while in a vain attempt to cool down. It was horrible.

So how can we counteract the effects of a frivolous festive season and see an improvement in period pain, mood swings, fatigue, nausea and bloating? Here 5 easy to implement recommendations to get started:

• Opt for nutritionally dense foods - richly coloured vegetables and complex carbohydrates (rather than highly processed options that have been stripped of nutrients)

• Ensure that all your meals and snacks have a source of protein and healthy fat to slow down any blood sugar spikes after eating

• Support your microbiome with complex carbohydrates and remember that we should be aiming for 30g of fibre per day #fibreaudit

• Lots of people are aiming for Dry January this year - if that isn’t your style then you can aim to reduce the amount you are drinking - try swapping every other drink for an non-alcoholic or low alcohol alternative

• Commit to 10 minutes per day of a stress lowering activity - a walk in nature, colouring, or listening to a guided meditation

Would you like to get back on track with your hormone health?

Do you need more than just a January tune up?

Book in a call with me so that we can talk through your options on how to work out the best next steps for you.

Hormone Back to Basics - The Rhythm of the Night (Month)

Before we dig into symptoms that you have been told are “hormonal”, PMS or simply part of being a woman it is really helpful to do a very quick back to basics review of the menstrual cycle.

They key players being discussed today are oestrogen and progesterone and the main event of the cycle - OVULATION.

Oestrogen - we have 2 oestrogen surges as part of our monthly cycle - one just before we ovulate and one a few days before our period. This is significant because some of those dreaded cycle symptoms, particularly headaches, migraines and mood swings, can actually be linked to declining levels of oestrogen after a peak.

Progesterone - this is only produced in significant amounts after ovulation - because the follicle that releases the egg then becomes a little progesterone factory. Progesterone is a hormone that can be very calming and support sleep. It does also have it’s downsides and can be linked to the less desirable symptom of constipation.

Cycle Tracking:

Day 1 of your Cycle is the first day of your period - the first day of your proper bleed - spotting before that technically counts as your previous cycle.

The day before your next period is the last day of your cycle.

So if you’re tracking your cycle and counting the days you count from Day 1 up until the day before your next period.

Only 13% of women have the average cycle length of 28 days - according to a study using data from the Natural Cycles app.

The main event of the cycle is ovulation - the assumption that you ovulate on Day 14 of your cycle is based on that average cycle length of 28 days - your cycle is unique to YOU. You normally ovulate between 10 to 14 days before the onset of your period. So you can look at your previous cycles and count back to see when your ovulatory window is. If you have a longer cycle that is 35 days, you are going to ovulate somewhere between Day 21 and Day 25. If your cycle is much shorter - say 23 Days, then you will be ovulating somewhere between Day 9 and Day 13.

We also don’t necessarily ovulate every month - but that’s another post in itself as well.

So when you are noticing symptoms throughout the month - keep a note of what Day of your cycle you are noticing them and you may find that certain symptoms always happen around the same time in your cycle. The more information you have and can share with whoever you are working with (doctor, nutritionist etc) the more targeted the approach can be.

NB For anyone who is on hormonal birth control, you aren’t having a menstrual cycle as the hormonal birth control is disrupting the communication of the hormones in your body (more on this on another day)