Top Tips For Honoring Your Body During Your Menstrual Cycle

Yes, I'm going there. As I've gotten older, I've learned not to shy away from the real talk when it comes to our bodies because this is a reality for all of us (women) at one point or another.

I believe the more open and honest we are about these things, the less taboo we make them. This is a part of our experience as women and we should feel comfortable honoring our bodies during this time both before, during and after.

For years we were taught to be ashamed and "discreet" about the things we experience and in my opinion, minimizing our experiences and our symptoms of menstruation does our body a disservice.

Instead, I'm going to share some of my favorite tips for how to lesson some of the symptoms

and make your experience each month a happier one!

First on the list is SLEEP. I know for me personally, I typically feel like I've had all the energy syphoned out of me about a week before I get my period. It literally feels like those crazy witches from Hocus Pocus came around and rather than sucking up my soul, sucking up every ounce of energy I have left.

All I want to do is sleep. So I do. I know with the demands of work, kids, and your business if you're also building your own like I am, there feels like never enough time. However, by NOT going to bed earlier, you're actually making it worse for yourself trying to balance all of these things running on fumes. Couple that with cramps, headache and body aches, and it's a recipe for utter burnout.

If it's not possible for you to get to bed any earlier, I recommend you become a master at the power nap. Set a timer for 20 minutes and just allow yourself to close your eyes, be distraction-free and rest. I put my phone on Do Not Disturb. Even if you don't fall asleep at first (this can take some practice) you can still give yourself that little reset.

If you've ever heard that sleep deprived people are actually worse drivers than someone who is drunk, it's true. Our bodies NEED rest. Think of your body like the incredible machine that it is. When your computer or your phone start to overheat or malfunction what's the first thing you should always do? Shut it off and turn it back on. Your body is no different. Your body is a series of smaller machines working together to function everyday activities. Couple that with the hormones running haywire throughout your gut during menstruation and it could be a recipe for disaster if you're not giving your body that reset and reboot time it requires.

Next on the list: Your Nutrition. What kind of nutrition coach would I be if I told you that your food has nothing to do with the severity of your symptoms?! We truly are what we eat. The food we consume is one giant chemical reaction from the second we put it to our mouths, to it's final journal through our intestines. You get where I'm going with this, right? Anyways, the food we eat can actually help lessen the symptoms (bloating, cramps, headaches, backaches, mood swings) during our periods.

• Eat fruits and vegetables high in Iron to replace what is depleted when you're shedding that uterine wall lining during your period. Some of us bleed a lot. Some of us may only spot or have light bleeding. Either way, it's not a bad idea to take an iron supplement the week leading up to your period. Eating strawberries, mango, pineapple, etc, are all great options to not only satisfy the sweet tooth, but these foods also help hormone production.
  

• Hormones are actually produced in our gut! Believe it or not, serotonin, cortisol, and a handful of other hormones like ghrelin, are produced in our second brain-aka the gut. What you eat has a direct correlation to how well these hormones are able to produce and respond. Too much or too little of any one of these hormones could have sever consequences on your cravings, the quality of your sleep, and thus your energy levels. The worst for me is waking up after a full night of sleep and feeling like I haven’t slept at all!
  

• Limit caffeine consumption. Caffeine is actually said to make stress and anxiety worse for many people as it elevates cortisol and epinephrine both during activity and at rest. Couple that with hormones running wild through our bodies during our period and too much caffeine can potentially make your symptoms worse. 6 oz of coffee is said to be the industry standard. However most places serve 12 oz as their “small” when you order out. Also keep in mind that doesn’t even take into consideration the amount of added sugar found in most coffee and soft drinks.

Now I get it- I am a creature of habit just like the rest of you. I drink my pre-workout almost everything morning, and coffee is what keeps me going when I'm chasing two toddlers all day. I still do my best to limit my caffeine intake before and during my cycle because I feel the effects of the caffeine crash that much more come 2pm (enter the power-nap!)

Enjoy the chocolate but go for DARK chocolate. This kind typically contains the biggest percentage of actual raw cacao (from the bean) that contains the health benefits such as brain-boosting antioxidants. When you start getting into the milk and white chocolates, you’ll find more caramel colorings, artificial dyes and flavorings and stabilizers. Chemicals are something we want to steer clear of any day, but especially when our bodies are so much more susceptible during our menstrual cycles. Dairy itself can actually cause your skin to break out even more which you'll also find a higher concentration of in both milk and white chocolates. Dark chocolate, depending on the kind you buy, typically has very little if any, dairy at all. I really enjoy the HU Chocolate brand, which can be found at Whole Foods or amazon. The orange vanilla cashew butter and hazelnut flavors are my favorite! I also use the Enjoy Life chips for baking as they are vegan (dairy-free) as well.

• Make sure you are drinking a ton of water! On any normal day, we should be consuming at least half our body weight in ounces of water. When we are menstruating, we lose significantly more fluid through not only our blood, but through increased urinating and fecal matter as well. Yes, “period poops” are indeed a real thing for many women thanks to a decrease in the progesterone hormone which increases gut motility, aka more frequent bathroom visits! Read more on that here: https://www.humnutrition.com/blog/what-are-period-poops/

Move your body in some way shape or form. This might seem like the last thing that you want to do, I get it. However, just introducing some movement will loosen up those aches and pains and the increased blood flow and endorphins will elevate your mood. Stick to lower impact such as barre, yoga, some light stretching or even just get out for a walk! I’m a home workout gal myself so having the option to just press play from home without worrying about dressing to impress makes it easier too. Theres a ton of resources on YouTube, etc to find a 15-20 minute workout to suite your needs.

Enforce your boundaries socially and otherwise. Say “No” to anything that feels like too much. You don’t need to give a reason or an excuse. “No” is a complete sentence. If a night of Netflix and chill is just what the doc ordered, do it! If some yoga, a bath, followed by a good book in bed are calling you, relax sis! Ain’t nobody trying to squeeze into a tight outfit and deplete our bodies even more being out when we just want to be home. Plus not only does alcohol dehydrate you, but the added sugars in the majority of drinks you find at bars and restaurants effect your sleep quality and increase bloating and irritabillity.

Setting and enforcing these boundaries also goes for accepting more tasks at work or with friends. Don’t over-agree to things especially if you’re a people-pleaser prone to taking it all on. They will figure it out! You take care of you. When you are feeling good and able to do more, go for it. But remember its okay for you to take a step back and allow others to help and support you as well!

As women, we sometimes feel this innate draw of wanting to do it all and be it all. I know I especially pride myself on my productivity. Use the things I’ve outlined above to help you feel less down and out when you do have things that need to get done, while also getting the most from your periods of rest.

Have a great week friends! Be on the look out for a link to snag my recipe E-Book shortly! You’ll find lots of yummy period-approved treats that won’t ruin your progress.