Firstly, I improved my diet – paying especial attention to Vitamin E, Omega 3 fatty acids, and calcium. Secondly, I made an effort to learn natural calming and soothing techniques, such as yogic breathing and meditation. Finally, I tried to learn to recognise when my moods were on the turn, and I was becoming depressed or irritable as a result of my hormones.
Helen Grayson
Female reproductive health is something that has been shamefully neglected in medicine for centuries. Assumptions were made, and nobody bothered to check on their accuracy, so women have been subjected to a range of completely useless treatments based upon incorrect ‘knowledge’ of the female reproductive (and menstrual) systems. It’s only recently that we’ve begun to rectify this situation, but it’s a very slow process. Indeed, despite having known pretty much everything that there is to know about the penis and testes (internally and externally) for centuries, we only discovered the full extent of the clitoris in 2009 [1] – this despite having had the capacity to look into the matter for decades prior to this. In such an environment, it is perhaps not surprising that women who go to the doctor with menstrual problems often meet with an inadequate response. Too often we are sent away with the supposed ‘catch-all’ solution for period issues – the combined contraceptive pill. In my capacity as a naturopath I have had many women come to me complaining that their doctor will consider no other treatment for their problems other than the pill, and that this not only does nothing for their actual issue, but has a number of unwanted side effects [2] which they hate. In an environment which sees many doctors unwilling to properly investigate female menstrual problems, and unwilling to listen to the sufferers, it seems we women must take things into our own hands. Here, therefore, are a few tips for keeping your menstrual cycle ticking over healthily.
Hormones
Something which many women find more trying than even period pains are the hormonal mood swings which accompany periods. I myself suffer from premenstrual dysphoric disorder [3], which renders my pre-period mood swings intense and debilitating. When this was diagnosed by a doctor, I was prescribed the contraceptive pill – which only made things a lot worse, as the pill itself can cause considerable mood swings and emotional problems [4]. In the end, I kicked the pills and decided to try more natural forms of mood control. Firstly, I improved my diet – paying especial attention to Vitamin E, Omega 3 fatty acids, and calcium. Secondly, I made an effort to learn natural calming and soothing techniques, such as yogic breathing and meditation. Finally, I tried to learn to recognise when my moods were on the turn, and I was becoming depressed or irritable as a result of my hormones. Now, the dietary improvements have significantly reduced my mood swings and, when I do feel a hormonal moment coming on, I have the tools to calm myself and re-ground my emotions. Although the pill may work for some, I’ve personally found this to be a more effective method of premenstrual mood-levelling.
Pains
Period pains occur for a variety of reasons, but the most common is muscle contractions which affect the supply of oxygen to the uterus and its surrounding tissues. If you don’t want to take the contraceptive pill (which can actually alleviate period pains reasonably effectively), then there are other, more natural ways of relieving menstrual cramps. For a start, fill your diet with plenty of magnesium-rich foods such as spinach and kale. Magnesium is a powerful muscle relaxant [5], which will help your periods to flow more smoothly, and hopefully prevent your uterine muscles from clenching tight and spasming painfully. It also helps if you undertake some gentle exercise. I appreciate that this is often the last thing you want to do when you’re sluggish, in pain, and feeling like a big bag of blood – but something gentle, relaxing, but active really can help the pain of cramps to go away. Not only will it encourage clenched muscles to release, but it will send a surge of endorphins to your brain – killing pain the natural way.
Bloating
Murphy’s Law dictates that classy parties and bikini vacations will ALWAYS occur just as you get the menstrual or premenstrual bloat. If you’re sensitive about your weight, the dreaded bloat can be a serious blow to confidence – some women can gain as much as ten pounds in retained water during or before their period [6]. Luckily, the bloat is actually fairly easy to beat. When you know you’re getting close to your period, cut out junk food. Salty foods encourage you to retain water anyway, let alone at a time when your body is going all-out to hoard fluids. Cutting down on salt should reduce the bloat significantly. Perhaps counterintuitively, drinking lots of water can also help if you’re retaining water. Not only does it encourage your body to start flushing water through your system and out, but it convinces it that there’s really no need to retain any water – there’s plenty coming in anyway!
[1] Robbie Gonzalez, “Until 2009, the human clitoris was an absolute mystery”, i09, Jan 2012
[2] Medical News Today, “10 Most Common Birth Control Pill Side Effects”
[3] PsychGuides, “Living With: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder”
[4] Lamiat Sabin, “Contraceptive pill ‘can affect emotions by changing structure of brain’”, The Independent, Apr 2015
[5] Mark Hyman, “Meet The Most Powerful Relaxation Mineral Available”, Elephant, Journal, Jul 2014
[6] Amber Herring, “Why You Gain Weight on Your Period”, Shape, Mar 2015
GUEST ARTICLE BY: Helen Grayson
Helen Grayson
Helen Grayson initially worked as a volunteer for a number of mental health charities at the start of her career, before training to become a counsellor. After taking a sabbatical to have her family she decided to become a writer. She continues her voluntary work, and combines it with penning articles on the topics she feels passionately about.
