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.

What I didn’t expect would be the enormous feedback and messages from girls and women telling me that they are going through the exact same thing which really took me by surprise!

What took me even more by surprise was what they told me:

1. ‘My doctor told me to go back on the pill otherwise I won’t ever have a regular period again. The pill will ‘kickstart’ my body’
2. ‘I haven’t had my period for 1, 2, 3, 4 even 5 years – is it normal? I don’t know what to do’.

I was lost for words when I actually read – black on white – from a women who’d been told by her GP that she needed to go back on birth-control in order to get her period back.. ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

I want to state this very clearly – I AM NOT A DOCTOR OR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL – so the opinions and words are those of my own and only what I have tried on my own body, worked with my own team of professional & holistic doctors on..

“What do you think happens when you’re on the pill? The monthly cycle is the best text message from your body that your hormones are in-sync. Progesterone and estrogen in-balance? Check. Other hormones in-sync? Check. Hypothalamus sending the right signals? Check. Since you don’t experience a “real” period on the pill, you are missing the signs that everything is – or isn’t working correctly. Coming off the pill, your body is left in the dark. It has no idea what to do, and no one is telling it how to work or how to react.”

If you think that going on the pill to get your menstruation-cycle back to normal is a good idea,  I’d say, try something different. I personally don’t believe the way to solve a problem with our bodies, is to pump it full of drugs, hormones and medicines – do you?

I also want you to know that you’re not alone. I was baffled at how many woman are suffering from amenorrhea (no menstrual cycle). And yet; no one is talking about it?

I want you to know that it’s not normal for women to not have a menstrual cycle – so if you don’t have one, please do seek help and consultation from professionals – I always encourage you to see a holistic doctor or naturopath that’ll help you in the natural way, however the choice that you feel comfortable with, should be the one you go with.

My story:

I started on the pill when I was only 14 years old. I suppose my mum wanted me to be safe as I was sexually active from a young age. It also helped my acne (yay!).. And I got to skip my periods and never, ever have them (double-yay!).. So I thought..

Fast forward to when I was 22 years old and I stopped taking the pill all-together – why? I can’t tell you the exact reason, but I believe something in me started to become aware of my body and health (sort of) and gravitated towards living a more natural lifestyle.. I also became vegan after coming out of my treatment-cycle.. But then it took overhand.. And I found myself starting to battle disordered eating.

I was so anorexic and scared of eating, along with over-exercising, that I dropped to only 37kg’s. Do you think my body cares about producing enough hormones and sending signals to my brain for my body to menstruate and using up that small amount of energy, when my body is slowly starving do death? Yeah, I think not..

For a few years I didn’t think too much about it, because I was skinny (yay! read; NAY!), and I could fit into 12-year old kids-jeans (yay! Read; DOUBLE NAY!), but when I started my 26th year around the sun I started to seriously look at my body and wanting to overcome my eating disorder and be happy. I wanted my period back, I wanted my life back and I wanted to be able to have kids in the future – or at least have the choice myself to decide and not my body deciding for me.

So what did I do? Well, a lot of things. And I can’t tell you exactly what it was that triggered my menstrual cycle as I think it was a multitude of things, but I can give you a list of things I focused on:

PS: Always go see your GP and get checked up to see that there isn’t a medical reason to your absent menstrual cycle i.e. PCOS etc.

1. Gaining Weight:

It doesn’t matter how you’ll turn or twist it; the matter of the fact is that if you’re underweight, you will most likely not get your period, until you’re at a healthy weight again. Your body is far too busy trying to survive and use energy on making your heart beat and pump blood through your body.

When a person with anorexia or bulimia restricts or purges the food they eat, their body may become malnourished; this often results in significantly low levels of hormones necessary for menstruation, and stop menstruation altogether.

I’ve gained quite a bit of weight, and especially around my hips, thighs and tummy which definitely looks like I’m finally starting to become a woman (at the age of almost 29), possibly signalling to my body that I’m ready to have kids?

2. Eating Healthy:

Of course, with anorexia and bulimia comes that you must start to eat again. And not just anything. Focusing on healthy meals and natural whole foods are vital for our bodies to work properly and to produce the vitamins & minerals that our brains (and menstruations) need so badly.

I’ve focused on mainly a plant-based diet with additions of fish that my body can easily digest. I’ve also got digestive-issues, so meat and chicken is too harsh for my body to work through (this isn’t to say you can’t have it – but I love a vegetarian-based diet).

I also take a number of vitamins & minerals which I truly believe has helped to add that bit extra that my body can’t get from or won’t absorb from the food I eat. Read about that here.

3. Exercising:

I’ve heard some people say that you shouldn’t do strenuous or hard exercise when your period is lacking, which I completely understand, because sometimes we put our bodies under more stress which again inhibits our menstrual cycle even further.

However, I have been exercising (hard) and done numerous different exercise-forms like Pilates, HIIT, Circuit, Strength, Barre and Yoga. And its felt good on my body to move and get it going again. But it links back to the eating bit. In order to have the strength to move my body, I must eat. And when I started eating, I started being able to move. And by moving, I started producing more serotonin – that’s the happy-hormone – and by producing more happy-hormones, I started to be happier and more living of myself..

Do you see where I am going with this? It’s all intertwined, but I truly believe that moving your body (without starving it) because it’s healthy and you love it, can only help on the road to getting your menstrual-cycle back.

4. Acupuncture:

I’ve talked a lot about acupuncture before (read here) and how it’s been one of the tools that’ve helped me both mentally and physically.

Mitch (my friend and acupuncturist) has really helped with my stress and anxiety-levels which has been a huge factor in letting my body rest and give way to flowing freely again.

When our bodies are in a state of stress and anxiety 24/7, it leaves no room for the brain to function and focus on other parts of our bodies because it’s so busy protecting itself and dealing with the adrenalin in our bodies.

Laying down (at least) once a week with a few needles to help me de-stress has helped me tremendously and I can only recommend and praise acupuncture for all of its healing effects and benefits.

5. Stop Stressing:

I can’t stress this enough (pun intended), but you have to chill out! The constant worrying about, if and when your period will return is just causing more damage to your already stressed body. You’ve got to have patience – as hard as it may sound.

Take up a practice like meditation to help you de-stress and get your thoughts in check. Even take up things like knitting, walking, solving crosswords – whatever it is that takes you away from the constant thoughts regarding your body and its capabilities (or incapabilities) will work wonders for you.

If you’re a real stress-head look to natural remedies like essential oils & herbs that can help with stress & anxiety.

6. SLEEP:

I used to be the type of person that could survive on 5-6 hours of sleep.. I still can, but I’ve found that I function so much better (at a lower stress-level) if I get a full 8 hours of shut-eye every night.

If sleep is cut short, the body doesn’t have time to complete all of the phases needed for muscle repair, memory consolidation and release of hormones to regulate a multitude of bodyli functions and appetite. Then we wake up less prepared to concentrate, make decisions, or engage fully in work or other activities.

Sleep is there to help us rewind and relax after a long and stressful day where our bodies have gone through multiple stages of stress and a few fight or flight moments (no doubt).

Use the sleep. Honour it. Honour yourself and the rest you need in order to function.

7. Herb Up:

.. and by that, I mean – embrace Chinese Medicine and the wondrous world of medicinal herbs. I’m lucky that my friend and acupuncturist also works with Chinese Medicine, so it’s  a two-in-one when I go and see him.

Chinese Medicine and Medicinal Herbs is nothing to scoff at. The herbs (ground or fresh) are incredibly potent and strong – in flavour, smell and effect. And there are some real focused and targeted herbs that the ancient Chinese have used to treat the likes of infertility and amenorrhea.

Some good herbs that may help bring on menstruation include:

• Black Cohosh Root
• Dong Quai Root (promotes blood flow to the pelvis)
• Motherwort
• White Peony (helps to build blood and increase circulation to reproductive organs)

8. Be Kind To Yourself:

If there’s only one thing you do or take away from this article, then let it be this: BE KIND TO YOURSELF. Please…

Our un-kindness to ourselves promote eating disorders, depression, anxiety and so much more. It promotes no menstrual cycles, malnutrition and so much more. Just be kind..

Don’t waste your life feeling like you need to look like a Victoria’s Secret Model to matter or to look good, don’t waste your life saying no to dinner-invitations because you’re on a diet, don’t waste your life saying tomorrow I’ll make changes.. Make those changes today. Stop living your life the way you think you have to. And start enjoying life the way you WANT TO.

Love yourself. Be kind. Be modest. Be humble. Have patience.

Al of my love, Anna x

The post HOW I GOT MY PERIOD BACK.. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.