Clean Foods by Rebecca

Your menstrual cycle is a powerful tool that can provide insights as to what is going on inside your body. Painful menstrual cramps are a common, yet not normal symptom – your monthly cycle should actually have little to no symptoms! And we of course need to make sure that you are having a monthly cycle. It is important to get checked out by a gynecologist to rule out conditions such as PCOS and endometriosis. Unfortunately, as a nurse I see many adolescent girls taking birth control or pain relievers such as ibuprofen around the clock, which can have serious side effects. According to Taylor Dukes, the majority of women experience pain and PMS symptoms every month because the majority of women have some type of imbalance in their bodies. This may be due to nutrient deficiencies, poor detox pathways, or estrogen dominance from using conventional beauty or household products (see my articles on Endocrine Disruptors and Living in order to reduce the toxin load on your body). My hope is to provide you with healthier alternatives to pain management or eliminate the need for harmful medications in the first place. Taking a holistic approach means that we need to find the root cause of the irregular cycle or painful periods, a condition called dysmenorrhea. That all being said, there are some simple and effective solutions you can try out before taking pain killers or birth control.

Diet

What you are eating and drinking has a profound effect on the menstrual cycle. It is amazing what removing a few inflammatory foods from your diet can do to alleviate menstrual symptoms. If you can cut out or lower your intake of dairy, sugar, processed foods, and gluten for the week prior to your period, you may not even notice any symptoms at all. Dairy actually blocks the absorption of iron, which intensifies cramping & bleeding. There are also some key foods to incorporate at certain times in your cycle that will assist your body’s natural process. During the luteal phase, days 15-28 of your cycle, you should be eating foods such as sweet potatoes, cauliflower, dark leafy greens, beans, onions, sesame and sunflower seeds in order to boost your levels of zinc, magnesium, B6, and calcium. You will also want to slow down on your workouts and relax more in the few days before and during your period, which will improve your cycle. Yoga and walking are extremely beneficial during this time.

Now, once you start your menstrual cycle, you are going to want to eat warm anti-inflammatory foods that increase your iron levels. This includes wild-caught salmon, grass-fed meat, kelp, mushrooms, root veggies, beets, ground flaxseed, and pumpkin seeds, according to Taylor Dukes Wellness. As always, avoid processed foods that often contain inflammatory oils and other harmful ingredients. Also, don’t overdo it on the caffeine. One cup is fine, but any more than that can actually make menstruation symptoms worse and even stunt brain development during the teenage years. Be cautious with energy drinks – avoid more than 120mg of caffeine in a serving (less if caffeine sensitive) and avoid harmful ingredients that are often in these drinks, such as inflammatory sugar or sucralose. Trash Panda is a great app for understanding ingredient lists. Regulating blood sugar is extremely important during the luteal and menstruation phase, so eliminate or reduce your intake of bread, pasta, pastries, sugar laden yogurt or condiments, soda, fruit-only smoothies, fruit juice, or many packaged processed foods (see my article on Sugar Detox for more information on how to do this). You can think of this as an interesting experiment and see if changing your diet for a few days can improve your symptoms.

Why birth control is not the best option…

Oral contraceptives have been prescribed for years to alleviate the negative symptoms of menstruation. Not only is birth control just masking the symptoms and failing to address the root cause, but it is also harmful for the body. It is not natural to suppress the body’s innate cycle. The pill does not allow your body to ovulate and the “bleed pills” cause you to have a synthetic bleeding, which is not a natural period at all. According to Reproductive Health Practitioner, Lisa Hendrickson, by altering the body’s menstruation cycle you are suppressing hormones and the many regulatory functions they have on the body – such as altering gut health, brain function, infection protection, nutrient absorption, blood sugar balance, muscle gain, thyroid and breast tissue, bone and cardiovascular health, reducing inflammation, immune function, and even altering which partner you are attracted to! By taking the pill, you are masking what this powerful feedback system is trying to tell you. Painful periods are a sign of inflammation or dysfunction in your body. So, if your physician tells you oral contraceptives are perfectly safe, I advise you to do your research and see if this band-aid fix is truly acceptable for you.

Using safe menstrual products

Hormone health can be drastically improved by using safer feminine products each month. According to non-toxic living expert Marilee Nelson, conventional maxi pads are typically made up of cotton, rayon and a lot of endocrine-disrupting plastic, which can leach chemicals like BPA, BPS, BPB ³ phthalates and hundreds of other dangerous toxins directly onto the skin.  It is also important to avoid any fragranced personal care items, as we know how harmful fragrances are to the body. If you are using conventional tampons, you are putting all the pesticides that are sprayed on cotton and rayon directly into your body. And unfortunately, cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in America. Studies have shown that xeno-estrogens that mimic hormones are absorbed vaginally at 10–80 times the rate that the same dose would be absorbed orally. In addition, BPA found in tampon plastic applicators and sanitary napkins has been linked to PCOS development. Although some of these products may cost a little more, they are an investment in your health – keeping you out of the hospital suffering from disease down the road.

So you may be asking, what products can I trust?! There are several safe options to help you through your period. Period panties are often laden with unsafe materials, but the Rosaseven brand is not only safer for you, but also planet-friendly. High-quality menstrual cups, such as Lola, Organicup, or The Keeper Cup are a great option for your body and the planet as well. Natracare is a safe brand that has 100% organic cotton tampons and pads (many of their maxipads are a bit too bulky for my preference). Natracare also has great pantiliners for your lighter days. Lola and Cora also have non-toxic, 100% organic, and very user-friendly pads and tampons.

Natural remedies

Now that we know what to avoid in order to improve our cycle, we will dive into what we can try to alleviate any residual symptoms. Placing a heating pad for 10-15 minutes followed by a cold pack alleviates cramping and pain by relaxing the muscles of the uterus and the cold releases some blood flow out of the pelvis and into the extremities. Primally Pure makes an all-natural Cycle Soothing Spray that goes on topically to the abdomen and has been shown to be effective in reducing menstrual symptoms. Boswellia is another great natural remedy for pain. It works by reducing inflammation and swelling and has been used for thousands of years. Boswellia serrata extract, or Frankincense oil, is so powerful that it’s considered comparable to NSAID pain relievers. In a double-blind PubMed study, females that were given boswellia/turmeric/sesame seed supplements exhibited remarkable menstrual pain relief as compared to the placebo. There is also research showing the efficacy of dill supplementation. A PubMed study proved that taking 1,000mg of dill powder prior to menstruation was as effective as common NSAIDs in reducing the pain severity in primary dysmenorrhea. In addition, make sure you are properly hydrated to ease symptoms. In addition to increasing your filtered water intake, there are several beneficial teas, such as crampbark, red raspberry leaf or chamomile tea. And lastly, a hot Epsom salt bath does wonders for easing cramps by increasing your magnesium levels and soothing muscle tone.

Now that you know painful or irregular periods are not a normal part of womanhood, you can be your own health advocate to determine the root cause. Often it may be due to nutrient imbalances, digestive and gut dysfunction, blood sugar imbalances, or toxins. By eating a clean, whole food diet focusing on protein, fiber, and complex carbs and eliminating toxins in your environment, you will address the inflammation going on that makes you want to stay in bed all week. And don’t forget you can help clean up your environment by scanning your personal products on the Switch Natural app. Think of your period as a fifth vital sign – giving you important insight into your body and empowering you to figure out just how to heal from within.