what your cycle can tell you about your health

Before learning about the incredibly insightful nature of my monthly cycle, I regarded it as an inconvenient part of being a female. Rather than tune into the symptoms that would come and go each month, I would tune out and avoid them as much as I could [thinking: eventually these will go away…right?]. When they got WAY too inconvenient, I ultimately turned to oral contraceptives to eliminate these symptoms completely. And it worked. Not only did I not have the aches, pains and moodiness that accompanied my monthly flow, I now felt absolutely nothing – not even a minor cramp. I was healed!

What I didn’t know at the time was that the oral contraceptives weren’t actually healing my hormone imbalance. This was still very much going on deep down. Instead, the pill was acting as a muzzle, silencing the warning cries my body was trying to tell me through my monthly cycle.

For both cycling and non-cycling [menopausal] females, the symptoms we experience each month tell volumes about the health of our fertility + hormone balance. Tuning into these symptoms can give insight into what is going on behind the veil of our gorgeous bodies. 

If you are struggling with any of the following, consider it a cry for help from your internal command center that your hormones are out of sync with one another:

• breast tenderness

• heavy cycles

• cyclic acne

• hair loss / thinning

• moodiness, anxiety or depression near cycle

• sugar cravings near cycle

• irregular cycles [outside of the typical 28-36 day cycle]

• insomnia

• cyclic migraines

• vaginal dryness

• decreased libido

• dry or thinning skin

• hot flashes or night sweats

• feeling disconnected or lonely despite not much changing

• uterine fibroids

• PCOS

• endometriosis

To dive deeper into what could be at the root of your hormone imbalance symptoms:

1. Start tracking your symptoms in accordance with your monthly cycle. This can be as simple as identifying your most common pain points, writing them down on a chart and marking an “X” on the days these symptoms pop up. Tracking is a free tool that can give loads of information on patterns, trends and frequency of symptoms, and is always the best first place to start.

2. Consider testing your hormones with an in-depth hormone panel. We love the DUTCH for its comprehensive information on hormone levels, the breakdown products of these hormones, and the nutrients involved in hormone production + detoxification. It has healed so many of our clients!

If you are using oral contraceptives, there is absolutely no pressure to come off of them. Rather, consider the symptoms you were experiencing prior to starting birth control. The imbalances that caused these symptoms are likely still underneath the surface and can be supported proactively. 

To support your hormones and regain balance once again:

1. Support your hormones through food + lifestyle. This is much more personalized than simply moving your body and building a balanced plate. Consider working 1:1 with a practitioner you trust to create a unique plan that works for you.

2. Consider joining out our online membership, The Table, where we dive deep into the ROOT causes of hormone imbalance and how to eat + live in accordance with your monthly cycle + symptoms. 

When I finally came off of the pill, my cyclical breast tenderness, moodiness, sugar cravings, ovulation pain, headaches, and insomnia came back in full force. This time, though, I listened. I tuned in and began supporting my body with foods, herbs and routines that have completely transformed my hormonal wellness. What is your monthly cycle trying to tell you?