Got cramps? What You Eat Matters

How and what we eat can have a major effect on our menstrual symptoms. There are holistic approaches to menstrual wellness that assist women to take charge of their periods!

There are two types of period pain;

Primary Dysmenorrhea - Typical pain in the uterus that most women experience

Secondary Dysmenorrhea - Caused by more serious issues like endometriosis, uterine fibroids, adenomyosis or even complications from an IUD.

Women feel like their period issues are so unique to them, and actually we're all having similar issues. Some of the symptoms are a little different but at the root of it there are usually just a few hormonal imbalances, and they manifest differently for different people. What's happening with your estrogen-progesterone, testosterone and thyroid hormones is important. It's important to understand the why and the how, so be sure to ask your doctor many questions. We can be trusted with our own healthcare.

The first place to start with your hormones is with your diet. The foods that we eat are creating chemical reactions, which then balance or unbalance our hormones. Take a look at your sugar and alcohol intake, because more than anything else, those are such huge contributors to inflammation. Ovaries are the most sensitive parts of the body to inflammation. (They also have the most mitochondria of anywhere in our bodies.)

Our poor little ovaries, they're doing a really big job, and so reducing that inflammatory response is a huge contributor to pain relief and period issues. You also need to consider your liver health (liver is detoxing hormones and toxins). 80 percent of Americans have some sort of gut health issue nowadays, and with the impact that has on your immune system, it can only exaggerate any inflammation caused issues. Gut flora is involved in the reassimilation of estrogen in our blood.

Glyphosate is everywhere in our food and water. It's not just a herbicide, but an anti-microbial that's wiping out people's gut flora. With the weaker gut flora, opportunistic pathogens sneak in and cause hormone disruption.

Menstrual pain is so common that it's been normalized without an understanding that it's being caused by these simple lifestyle factors that have been swept under the rug. We've been told for so long that it's completely outside our power, but we're finally putting control back into women's hands by eating right!