Yes, there IS another way! Many of my clients were put on the birth control pill as a teenager because they had heavy or painful periods. Was this the case for you? It’s an amazingly common solution to the issue and at the time often does the trick. The unfortunate part is that when you go off the pill, all the awful menstrual problems from those teenage years, like acne, irregular cycles, cramps and heavy periods can sometimes come right back.
It’s true, if the cause of the heavy periods was never addressed, there is a good chance it’s still hanging around all these years later. I wasn’t put on the pill as a solution, but I suffered with this issue for years before resolving it with what I’m sharing with you today.
The 3 Most Common Culprits Behind Heavy, Painful Periods are:
- Hormone imbalances – usually low progesterone, adrenal fatigue or thyroid issues.
- Inflammation – this causes pain in your uterus.
- An overburdened liver – caused by food sensitivities, digestive issues, exposure to toxins in food and the environment, and the emotion of anger.
4 Things You Can Do:
- Reduce dairy and animal fats, especially 2 weeks before your cycle – these fats promote inflammation in your uterus that can cause heavy or painful periods. Plus, dairy and animal fats accumulate environmental toxins called “xenoestrogens” that can act like hormones in your body. This further complicates the problem. As well as reducing intake of dairy before your cycle, I recommend choosing organic, grass-fed dairy and meats. These contain less pesticides (i.e. xenoestrogens) and their fats are less likely to produce an inflammatory effect in your body.
- Reduce sugar and simple carbs, especially 2 weeks before your cycle – sweets and simple carbohydrates like white pasta, bread, baked goods and soda cause a your body to release huge amounts of the hormone insulin. High levels of insulin also trigger inflammation (and pain) in your uterus. One more reason to love complex carbohydrates! Making choices that avoid insulin spikes will help spare you from all the cramping and pain. Some great options for complex carbohydrates are brown rice, quinoi, bread that is full of nuts and seeds, chia seeds and lots and lots of vegetables.
- Heal your digestion – everything absorbed by your digestive tract goes straight to your liver. Then, the liver has the huge responsibility of sifting through all of this stuff and choosing what to keep, and what to send straight back out before it can enter the rest of your body. This organ also just so happens to play a huge role in hormone metabolism, and hormone imbalance is one of the top causes of heavy or painful periods. If you have bloating, cramps, loose stools or are constipated, you are DEFINITELY overburdening your liver! Healing your digestion helps lighten your liver’s load, and in the end helps lighten your periods.
- Release Your Anger – anger is the main emotion associated with the liver. If you have a hard time expressing your anger, suppress it, or tend to be a workaholic type or perfectionist, you may be creating stagnation in your liver and one of the common symptoms of this is heavy periods.
These are some of the first things I address with my clients who suffer from heavy or painful periods, but there is of course so much more to it. Each of you is unique and so is the reason why you have this symptom.
I created The Vitality Health Programs specifically for women who suffer from all types of hormone imbalances and reproductive issues. As a Vitality Health Program client, we work closely together to make sure your body gets personalized support in terms of nutrition, herbs and supplements, and I offer you consistent guidance and support to make incredible changes for yourself.
All the best,
Dr. Viv