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The Fueled and Free Podcast

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S1 E4: How to Not Hate Your Period

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EPISODE 4 SHOW NOTES

Something I hear often from my community is that many women STRONGLY dislike their period. Our periods can bring many unwanted symptoms like cramps, low energy, negative mood, increased anxiety, and more. Sound familiar? 

Our society’s view on menstrual health doesn’t help either; it tends to be viewed as gross, annoying, and embarrassing, and we don’t want to talk about it. Honestly though, it doesn’t (and shouldn’t) have to be this way!

In today’s episode, I’m talking all about how to not hate your period and what menstrual health actually is.

While having a shorter menstrual cycle is common, it’s not necessary normal. A lighter bleed/flow may seem appealing, but it’s not ideal for fertility and the implantation of an egg.

On the opposite side, a longer cycle and heavier bleed/flow may point to signs of uterine fibroids, endometrial polyps, endometriosis, and even cancer. This may even be indicative of an iron overload (even though you may have been told otherwise).

 

I also answered questions i received from my instagram audience on all things period talk.

• Tips for controlling nausea, anxious feelings and breakouts when your period comes. Your blood sugar is more sensitive right before your period. This can lead to increased anxiety, headaches and nausea. You also may be producing more prostaglandins, which can contribute to these symptoms as well.
• How to navigate period pain (specifically for a 17-year-old female). Learning how to balance blood sugar, eating more protein and less refined sugars and carbs are really key. Long and stressful school schedules can definitely contribute (and not support) these symptoms either. Lastly, a magnesium supplement and drinking an adrenal cocktail at least once per day would be beneficial too.
• Brown spotting before and after your period, and dealing with 2 full weeks of bleeding. This usually means low progesterone and coincides with a shortened luteal phase (this phase ideally be around 12-14 days). Checking into topical progesterone (I actually use this myself during certain parts of the year) may help with this, because some of us just do not produce enough progesterone. I think this can be really helpful for many women (depending on your unique symptoms and situation), and it’s recommended to apply this around the time you’re eating a meal.
  
• Supporting high estrogen and low progesterone naturally. This is the #1 hormone imbalance I’ve seen in so many of the women I work with, because estrogen dominance is SO common. These have to be balanced. Estrogen is an extremely important hormone that does so much for us, but it also gets a bad rap. Progesterone is star hormone during the luteal phase, and it also affects a lot within our bodies. Some common high estrogen/low progesterone symptoms that are often seen are gut dysbiosis/inflammation, high blood sugar and cortisol dysregulation, and toxic load. I would recommend evaluating your ingredients in products you are using daily (plastic can be a huge contributor to high estrogen in women), as well as your overall alcohol consumption (try to reduce that or cut it out all together).
• Tips for heading into perimenopause. This occurs when progesterone starts to dip, and it usually happens to women in their mid-late forties (even though it can happen in your late thirties too). Some things to prioritize during this transition is plenty of self-care and rest (really listen to your body), prioritize minerals like magnesium glycinate, sodium, potassium (adrenal cocktail is very beneficial here), ashwagandha, and progesterone, cut back or completely eliminate alcohol, start lifting weights (if you aren’t already), and prioritize your protein intake.
• A period that is perfectly timed each month, but it comes with a lot of pain. This is more than likely due to low minerals (especially magnesium-so many people are deficient in this), and even possible endometriosis. I would check into possible inflammation in the body (gut issues and infections), your diet/nutrition, etc. (elevated prostaglandins again), stool test (GI map), and check your specific hormone levels. Period pain is very common, but it’s NOT normal.

It really is possible to not hate your period; you can actually view and feel like it’s a superpower, and a key part of your femininity. 

I hope you know that your menstrual cycle doesn’t have to be something to dread or hate and when it gives us major symptoms, it’s often a red flag of deeper dysfunction and inflammation in the body. I hope this information is helpful and gives you some practical ways to support your body!

If you’re interested in diving deeper and taking a very root cause focused approach to your health, enrollment is open for my 6 month program, The Collective. It includes functional lab testing, a very individualized approach to your nutrition, supplements, habits, and more! Go to www.fueledandfree.com for more info.

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

• Connect with me on Instagram @margaretannpowell
• For questions or suggestions about the podcast, send us an email at fueledandfreepodcast@gmail.com
• Woman Code by Alisa Vitti
• Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler 
• Do Less by Kate Northrup
• Dr. Jolene Brighten Beyond the Pill
• Adrenal cocktail recipe
• Desiccated oyster capsules
• Topical progesterone by Ona’s Naturals
• Once a Month book by Dr. Katerina Dalton
• May 2021 study done about perimenopause-Estradiol and Progesterone as Resilience Markers
• Jovi Patch for painful period issues

Lots of Love,

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