Ladies! Today I want to break down some PMS basics. The first thing you need to know is that your period is an important indicator of your overall health. My clients are often amazed after working with me for 1-2 months when they start to have pain-free, mood swing-free cycles! A lot of times they are actually confused and think something may be wrong. I have to assure them that this is what normal looks like!
For many women PMS symptoms return month after month causing fluid retention, nervousness, reactivity, and even depression during the two weeks prior. In addition to water retention and mood changes, you may experience exhaustion, sweet cravings, outbreaks of acne, indigestion, and muscle aches. And of course cramping can be added on to all of these unsavory symptoms making it necessary to shut down work and life as you know it. I’ve had clients who before working with me had the horrifying experience of being hospitalized due to excessive bleeding and cramping.
The menstrual cycle is more than just the period. In fact, the period is just the first phase of the cycle. The menstrual cycle is actually made up of two cycles that interact and overlap—one happening in the ovaries and one in the uterus. The ovarian cycle consists of the follicular phase, ovulation, and luteal phase whereas the uterine cycle is divided into menstruation, proliferative phase, and secretory phase. The brain, ovaries, and uterus work together and communicate through hormones to keep the cycle going. A menstrual cycle starts with the first day of the period and ends with the start of the next period. Very key to understand because everything you do from day 1 until the next period, diet and lifestyle wise, can drastically influence your symptoms.
Here’s the good news: there are natural ways to cope and even triumph over Aunt Flow, and you can learn about them in my new Hormone Balancing Academy. If you, or a woman you know, is ready to have pain-free and mood swing-free cycles, sign up for a call with our team via this link. -XO