PMS

I love my period and so should you. Historically, tribal women used this time of the month to connect with their own bodies on deep levels, as well as with the women around them. They viewed this as a time of not only connection but reflection as well. Practicing self care, spending alone time with themselves, separated from the tribe, being present with their body and the land. Our society is not nearly as keene on these practices, the period has been considered Taboo like many other women’s health related topics. It is portrayed in tampon commercials as a nuisance, and PMS itself as offered pain medications an entire new target market.

But it’s time to change the dialogue. Teach women to celebrate their bodies and recognize that each month you body has the potential to create life. Thats pretty powerful. Rekindle this concept of connection and reflection

What about PMS? The headaches, migraines, cramps, bloating, acne, pain, nausea, moodiness, breast tenderness, fatigue, and the endless list of issues that come with the beautiful time of the month. These have all been normalized to the women’s experience. None of this is normal. You can correct all of these. Birth Control is not the answer to all women’s health concerns and will not solve all your problems. Naturally, we can infer many of these issues have to do with the fluctuating hormones throughout out cycle, but it goes well beyond that. PMS symptoms are a result of the following:

inflammation (infections, food sensitivities, adipose (fat) tissue, toxins, environment, stress, insulin issues)

Gut Microbiome: Beta Glucuronidase. This is a part of our microbiome that helps our body deal with out estrogen. Some people have too much and some people have too little. By manipulation of your gut microbiome we can optimize your levels of Beta Glucuronidase and help eradicate some related PMS symptoms, Pretty cool.

The key sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA ) Additionally looking at the metabolites of our hormones, especially Estrogen, can help us detect your bodies hormonal problems and use targeted short term therapies to correct the normal functioning of your body.

All of these foundational systems are going to effect how you feel during your period. The neat part about being a women is that every month we get a “report card” on our health. This “report card” is your menses. There is so much you can tell about the health and needs of your body based on your periods timing, amount of blood, color of blood, presence of clotting, PMS symptoms etc. Some conditions like PCOS, Endometriosis, and Fibroids can present with more obstacles to treat beyond these foundational steps and but drastic improvement can be achieved with many treatments available . Working with your body, nourishing your body with the proper therapeutic interventions individualized to your bodies needs will lead you to love your period.