Hey Hey,
Whether you're a dude reading this to better understand the period of the women in your life or you yourself are a lady with a period this post is for you!
In case you didn't know; men and women are not the same, especially when it comes to hormones! The male hormone cycle takes place over the course of 24 hours, whereas the female hormone cycle is much more complex and takes about 28 days. We will have another post about this soon :)
Fun fact of the day: I used to get CRIPPLING periods. I mean 7+ days of heavy flow and extreme cramps. One day I was teaching preschool summer camp and I was in so much pain that I laid down on the floor during the kids lunch and then went home (don't worry I left them supervised). That being said, I thought this was more or less "normal". Most people I talk to have nausea surrounding their period or crippling cramps like mine so I guess this is just how periods are going to be right? WRONG. Believe it or not - periods do not have to be painful (I'm serious - I went from popping whatever pain killers to dampen the pain to not even needing anything).
Just because period cramps are common does not mean they are supposed to be a normal part of one's period. A healthy menstrual phase should be about 3-7 days of bleeding with minimal pain if any. While our culture isn't particularly fond of rest - this is a great time of the month to rest and reflect. Let your body do it's jam and try not to guilt yourself for lacking peak performance
Sooooooo what do we do about it? Well there's the bandage approach of painkillers but that never changed my circumstances. What did make a difference was a mini overhaul of my lifestyle. Overwhelming? Maybe. Worth it? Absolutely. It's part of why we want to offer wellness coaching as part of TWthrive - so you don't have to navigate that alone :) However, I'm not just looking to sell us to ya - there's a few things you can change today that cost very little. One of those is eating carrot salad a few times a week! I'll include the recipe below but basically it helps your body detox excess amounts of estrogen that can be a common cause for cramps. Another step you can take is balancing your blood sugar throughout the days. This means eating balanced meals at similar times each day. In these meals make sure to prioritize animal protein, carbohydrates, and fats. If you need help getting started we have a cookbook with straight forward meals and more fun nutrition facts. The last two suggestions I have for you is to get outside each day and go for a walk as well as get 8 hours of sleep on a consistent schedule. Each of these things will help any individual lead a healthier lifestyle because they provide the body with a sense of safety and therefore aid in stress regulation
Hope this helps! Feel free to post any questions or thoughts in the comments below! Do you or someone you know have bad cramps during the period stage? Give this post a share :)
link to cookbook: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1368307616/nourish-to-flourish-cookbook
Author: Charity Behage
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