I know deep in my heart that a big part that trickled in, has absolutely been my battle with eating disorders coming and going since I was a teenager. When it really started taking over my life again and running the show, I was only about 24 years old..

This was also the time when my body said “NO MORE – I’m reserving what little energy I have left in me to preserve your vital organs and I’m not shedding any blood or allowing your reproductive hormones to work because I need to keep you alive”. And at this low-point in my life, was when I stopped having my periods all together.

I’ll be honest, being so young and not getting your period is pretty ‘handy’.. I also was in no frame of mind to truly consider whether I wanted kids or not – I didn’t have a partner at the time and I felt like I was still a kid myself. So I just went along with it. The not having your period ‘thing’ – I’m a little ashamed to say that, but it’s the truth..

Speaking the words above, I do want to sincerely emphasise the fact that is is not normal to not get your period and it should not be looked at something being ‘handy’ or convenient. We, as women, are so truly blessed with having a monthly cycle with 4 different phases that help us with so many things in life because of a ‘little’ thing called hormones.

Ultimately, hormones control the function of entire organs, affecting such diverse processes as growth and development, reproduction, and sexual characteristics. Hormones also influence the way the body uses and stores energy and control the volume of fluid and the levels of salts and sugar (glucose) in the blood. Very small amounts of hormones can trigger very large responses in the body. Which means, we really need to look after our hormones and make sure they are balanced.

Another thing I’m seeing a lot of is girls and women going on the pill in order to combat acne, period pains or balancing their hormones – can I simply ask you to consider this; you’re filling your body with synthetic hormones and the ‘bleed’ you have once a month is fake.. It’s not real. And this means you’re simply putting a band-aid on your symptoms instead of actually getting to the root-cause of your issue. I started on the pill when I was only 14 years old, but I stopped it when I was 22. I know it’s been a huge cause in some of the issues I face today, and 8 years later I’m still ‘cleaning up’ after these ‘little innocent pills’. I feel incredibly strongly about finding more natural alternatives if you’re after birth-control.

I spent almost 6 years without a period. It would come back once in 2 years and then once again 1,5 years ago.. I’m proud to say that I’ve had 3 regular periods in a row writing this and each of my cycles have been perfect at 30 days. And I cannot tell you how happy I am about this. It means that my body is starting to work again, albeit, my hormones are still very imbalanced. You know why it also came back? Because I started letting go of control of being a certain ‘size’ and gained weight. Yep, my body needed the extra bit to feel safe and for my cycle to come back. It’s not been easy, but damn has it been worth it!

The fact that my hormones are still very imbalanced means that I do suffer with a lot of symptoms, including; ovulation pain, fluid-retention, lower back pain, swelling, bloating, mood swings, period pain and more.. I also find it important to tell you that these symptoms are NOT normal – no matter how much society wants you to believe that ‘PMS’ is part of being a woman, it’s complete BS and it’s simply just your body telling you that something is wrong and you should seriously listen to it.. This means working with a practitioner (holistic & natural, I’d suggest) to figure out why you’re experiencing these symptoms. Again, don’t just pop a birth-control pill and think you’re magically solving the issue.

I know, for me, through blood-works and working with a practitioner, it’s because my body is currently recycling Oestrogen, I have no Progesterone and my gut is still working hard on repairing itself. Gut health and Hormones are directly linked to each other, so be honest with yourself about the state your gut is actually in?

It’s definitely a journey, and not one that will sort itself out tomorrow, but in the mean-time, I’ve had to look into ways in which I can help soothe these painful symptoms whenever they arise, and I’ve listed a few of them below for you:

Water Intake: I know it sounds counterintuitive, but if you, like me, have a lot of swelling and fluid-retention one of the best things you can do as well is up your water intake. Aim to get 2-3 laters a day if you can and watch your salt-intake as well as too much salt & sodium will make your body hold onto more water. Ditch the salt and use spices to make your food more tasty.

Heat-Therapy: Such an old-school trick, but it really works. Especially if you also feel yourself getting constipated from your period or in the lead up to. Use a heat pack on your lower stomach and put your legs up against the wall or on a stool and just chill for 10 minutes. Do this in the morning as you get up and at night before bedtime.

Seed-Cycling: My nutritionist got me on to this and although I already eat all of these seeds, I’m making an effort to do so in accordance with my cycle. Seed cycling is a naturopathic remedy that claims to balance hormones by regulating the hormone oestrogen in the first half of your menstrual cycle and the hormone progesterone in the second half.

You want to eat 1 tablespoon each of freshly ground flax and pumpkin seeds per day for the first 13–14 days of your menstrual cycle, which is known as the follicular phase. During the second half of your cycle (day 15 – period), which is known as the luteal phase, you will have 1 tablespoon each of ground sunflower and sesame seeds per day until the first day of your next period when your cycle starts again (your cycle starts on the first day you bleed).

Natural Pain Remedies: forget about the Panadol (it screws up my gut!), and reach for natural pain relief like Abundant Natural Health’s Topical Magnesium Gel or Spray. This product has a 1000 uses if you get creative. I rub it on my belly when I’m bloated. I use it on my lower stomach when I get period pains. I use it on my lower back when I get lower-back pain from ovulating or when I have my period. I use it on my ankles when I’m holding too much fluid and on my temples when a headache is coming on. The 100% natural magnesium helps to soothe and relax muscles so you can get on with life again, knowing that you’re taking something that is healing your body instead of medicine in which just masks the symptoms.

Use CAROLINE15 for 15% off your purchase with ANH.

Movement: Have you ever heard of the Infradian Rhythm? If not, then I urge you to look it up. The Infradian Rhythm is a cycle that lasts for longer than a 24-hour period and studies are starting to show that, we women, should actually have different routines based on our 4 different cycle phases in a month. This also means that women should strongly consider having different training routines depending on what cycle they’re in. For example, you might be well equipped to do early morning cardio or high intensity workouts during your ovulation cycle but you should incorporate more yin-practices like yoga or slow-paced pilates when in your menstrual cycle and preferably later in the morning or afternoon.

It is completely possible to balance your hormones out with a natural approach and to live without pain.
But we do have to make an effort to get to that place and there’s never been a better time to start than now.

The post GREAT NEWS; An Update On My Hormones & Period. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.

One of the most important things I found in my recovery from an eating disorder is to have a well-established morning-routine that is so strong it’ll take a lot for you to deviate from it.

Why is that? Well, we as human beings are creatures of habit. In particular, our brains are incredibly complex evolved machines. Our brains govern basic processes such as breathing and eating. Basic needs, right? But, as we’ve continued to evolve over millions of years, we’ve taught ourselves many habits,  because we’ve just taught ourselves to do them without even thinking about it. Which is fine when it comes to eating, breathing, sleeping and so on.. But, with creating habits, and in this day & age, also comes the creation of what we’d perhaps label less of good habits that doesn’t necessarily add to our growth and evolvement.

In a way, Eating Disorders can also be labelled as a habit. We’re continuously teaching ourselves the habit of food restriction, food intake, binge patterns, exercise regimes and so on.. But they’re not serving us when they go to the extreme, in fact they’re harming us, and just like that, we’ve developed a habit also known as an eating disorder.

Now, if we continue to fuel that habit, day in and day out, well, then it sticks. As “they” say; it takes 21 days to create a new habit. So, it takes time. And in my opinion, sometimes a lot longer, depending on the severity of your habit-patterns and how long it’s taken you to get into a destructive habit..

What we want, is to substitute that ‘less serving’ habit with a positive habit, so we don’t feel like we’re simply removing things from our lives, but we’re actually bettering it with positive impacts.

So, how do we do it?

Well, first of all; you’ve got to decide that you want to change. No one can do it for you, and that’s the honest truth. If you don’t want it badly enough, then chances are you won’t be able to keep up this routine.

But, if you are ready to give it a go, then try to stick with it for at least three weeks. What’s the worst thing that can happen? You can always go back to your old ways if you don’t like the new one.

This is how I split it up:

• Mindfullness
• Movement
• Connection
• Nourishment
• Clarity

I’m going to give you an example of how my morning runs so that you can get a feel for how a morning could look like, but please keep in mind that we are all individuals, so establishing a routine for you that makes you feel good is the most important thing. Remember you are doing this for you, not for anyone else.

My Morning Routine:

1. Mindfullness: I wake up around 6.15am and start my 20 minute Morning Meditation. Afterwards I sit for a few minutes and find gratitude for the day ahead.
2. Movement: I head to an exercise class at 7am whether it’d be HIIT, Yoga, Pilates or just a long walk to get my blood flowing, wake up my body and produce those crucial Happy-Hormones (Serotonin) that will help keep me positive for the day ahead.
3. Connection: After my morning training, I’ll walk down to the beach with a cup of tea, listen to a podcast on a subject that I want to work on whether it’d be love, personal growth, career, spiritual or something completely different. I make sure that I connect with myself, I connect with other humans whether it’s just nodding and smiling or actually stopping for a quick chat, and then I connect with nature & the ocean when I dive in.
4. Nourishment: When I’m back from the beach, I’ll sit down for a few moments and pull my journal out. In my journal I’ll note down 4-5 things that I’m grateful for along with what I want to work on (spiritually) on that day. Afterwards, I’ll reflect on my words, memorise them and head to the kitchen to cook myself a nourishing breakfast that’ll help keep me full for a few hours and help to rebuild my body after so mange years of damage. I’ll also say my prayers before eating and bless my food with love.
5. Clarity: After all these steps, I feel like I can step into my day with more clarity and ease. I feel level-headed, my anxiety has been managed, I feel light, nourished, ready to take on the day and I feel like my dreams have a clear space to bounce around in. I get excited for the day ahead and what challenges and wins may come at me, but most of all, I feel ready for all of them

Your day may look completely different. You can use the points above to help you plot in what your actions and steps are under mindfullness, movement, connection, nourishment and clarity. But, I would love to urge you to take up a meditation practice. Even if you’ve never done it before, please try it. There are many breathing exercises and guided meditations out there, and best of all? You can’t do it wrong. Any type of stillness and inwards reflection will be beneficial to you, because you’re teaching yourself to be okay with sitting through your emotions. It’ll also teach you that we are not our emotions, and they’re simply a wave that’ll soon wash over you and leave your body and mind again.

My morning practice is non-negotiable. It’s what sets me up to be the best version of myself, and to be able to tackle my continual growth on the back of a very long and hard eating disorder, and even if I had the choice to feel the same without it, I’d never choose it, because it makes me feel alive and connected to myself like never before.

I hope you can use this guidance to help improve your own quality of life – slowly but steadily.

Sending all my love, Anna xx

The post The Importance of a Morning Routine If You’re Going Through or Recovering From an Eating Disorder appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.