Healing My Hormonal Imbalance
HEALING MY HORMONAL IMBALANCE THROUGH A HOLISTIC APPROACH
All my life I’ve suffered from excruciatingly painful periods, PMS, abdominal pain (endometriosis), and an irregular cycle.
One doctor after another would send me home without an explanation and a prescription for stronger painkillers.
At one point things got so bad that I was forced to search for alternatives, which finally motivated me to seek out information about what was going on in my body and become an expert on the female cycle.
I’ve now had over 2 years of pain-free, regular cycles - a reality I never thought was possible.
So many women suffer from hormone related issues, if you’re one of them, I hope sharing this serves you. You are not alone.
If you want individualised support to implement positive change in your life, I offer 1:1 coaching sessions and unique containers for healing. Please get in touch and let’s create a plan together.
With much love,
Emma
Here are the headlines I want you to know:
• Please never accept any of this as something you need to live with. Heavy bleeding, painful periods, PMS, and irregular menstruation are symptoms of an underlying imbalance, which means healing is possible for you.
• So what pushes the body out of balance? Usually, a combination of stressors on our biology such as poor sleep, too much caffeine, trauma, suppressed emotions, leading to a dysregulated nervous system (and adrenal insufficiency, gut dysbiosis, inflammation, etc).
• Here’s the key part: Your body is intelligent and it will find its way back to balance if you create the right conditions for healing to happen.
• What to do next: Below I’ve listed some holistic interventions covering body literacy, diet, and lifestyle that create conditions for healing. Start exploring and see how your body responds.
• Lead words for your healing journey: Patience + Trust + Gentleness.
Go slow and steady to create a strong, warm, loving home within yourself.
HOLISTIC INTERVENTIONS
Interventions that will support you to create the right conditions for your body to heal and return to a state of balance.
#1: UNDERSTANDING YOUR CYCLE
This section focuses on body literacy. Understanding your body and your cycle is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. This knowledge will help you tune into the wisdom of your amazing body and guide you for the rest of your life.
Cycle Tracking (if you are in your bleeding years)
App: Flo Period & Cycles Tracker
Cycle journal Integrated Health Charting (I did cycle journaling for 3-4 months and it offered lots of valuable body wisdom. Now I just use the app.)
Books, Pods & Profiles
‘Woman Code’ or ‘In the Flo’ by Vitti
‘Peri-menopause Power’ or ‘Period Power’ by Hill
Fertility Friday by Lisa Hendrickson-Jack
@floliving , @fertilityfriday
Journaling suggestion
Recall the moment you first got your period. How was it? Was there shame, sadness, or maybe excitement? How we experienced our first bleed (known as menarche) is often a representation of our relationship to our cycle today. Is this true for you?
#2: EATING TO SUPPORT BALANCED HORMONES
What we eat (and when) becomes the building blocks for our hormones. Healthy hormone production is supported by eating regular meals with enough protein, balancing glucose levels, and reducing inflammation.
Eating regularly (3 meals per day, breakfast is key!).
Including sufficient protein (Grass-Fed Organic Meat, Fish, Chicken, Legumes, Cheese). Sadly, a fully vegetarian diet isn’t ideal for our hormones.
Avoiding caffeine (especially pre-menstruation/luteal phase). Caffeine is a stimulant that can cause adrenal fatigue and in turn, undermines the body’s capacity to produce the right level of hormones.
Consuming more healthy fats (Avocado, Olive Oil, Nuts & Seeds).
Having a savoury breakfast (e.g. eggs and avo) to avoid glucose spikes.
Switching sweets for dark chocolate.
Eating pre-biotic foods for gut health (Bananas, Asparagus, etc.)
Taking supplements (in particular if you feel you might not be getting enough through your food): D + B Vitamins (B5,B6,B12), Magnesium, Maca, Probiotics.
Reducing inflammatory foods (gluten, processed foods, sugar, + eating slower).
#3: LIFESTYLE
When it comes to lifestyle interventions the focus is on nervous system regulation, because a body in constant stress cannot re-balance. Find the things that allow you to unwind + release suppressed emotions in order to create more flow.
• Focus on light workouts + strength training (yoga, pilates, brisk walks, weights), avoid high intensity and cardio.
• Practice kind and understanding self-talk. Like a kind parent would speak to a child. (Compassion activates the learning centre in the brain, self-criticism shuts it down.)
• Connect with nature through park/forest walks or gazing up at a tree and taking in its beauty.
• Journal your emotions (set a timer to 15 minutes and just write your heart out).
• Put on your favourite tune and dance (Sober!). Or stand for 4 minutes and shake the body and move it the way it wants to be moved. Shaking releases the nervous system.
• Practice Mindfulness / sign up for an instructor-led mindfulness meditation course Look up MBCT or take a course with me.
• Try 3 minutes of deep breathing / calming breathwork in the morning. If you want breathwork practices, get in touch!
• Explore therapies like Acupuncture and Somatic Experiencing (for unresolved traumatic experiences and emotional suppression - reach out so I can point you in the direction of a good practitioner).
