Would you like to feel more empowered about your health and hormones?
Tracking your cycle is a great place to start!
The insights you will gain include
- Cycle length and regularity
- Symptoms associated with hormonal changes
- Ovulation and fertile days - essential to know for conception or contraception!
- Duration of period and flow
- Temperature charting (which can also be an indicator of thyroid health)
Knowing this information can give you a great insight into your hormonal and overall health.
Tracking your cycle is a great option for contraception. Many women feel the the Pill is their main option for contraception, however tracking and condoms can be effective without the side effects of medication.
Many women are taking a medication every day to prevent falling pregnant, which is only possible a few days a month. Using the Pill shuts down your natural ovulation, which is essential for women's health, not just for pregnancy. While it's great to have contraception options, they shouldn't be to the detriment of women's health.
If you are making changes to your diet and lifestyle, or taking supplements to correct a hormonal imbalance, a period tracking app can be a convenient way to track improvements over time.
Some period tracking apps to check out include
- Period Tracker Lite
- Clue
- Kindara
Another device that has given me a feeling of more freedom is using a menstrual cup! I love that it reduces waste and is so convenient, and requires less changing than pads or tampons. You're also not exposing yourself to chemicals found in non-organic sanitary products. I wish I had known about these cups sooner!
More on the Pill -
If you have been prescribed the Pill for a hormonal condition, the underlying issue will not be fixed by the Pill - it will merely be masking symptoms. There are other effective treatments to help regulate your hormones including herbs and nutrients, depending on the imbalance and your symptoms. Many diet and lifestyle factors can influence our hormones, especially stress and chemicals -particularly those chemicals in plastics and body care products.
If you currently take the Pill, a good quality B vitamin complex and probiotic are essential as the Pill has been shown to deplete B vitamins (essential for energy, mood and hormones) and disrupt gut bacteria (essential for immunity, digestion, mood and hormones).
Our hormones have such a huge influence over our mood and health, so becoming more aware and in-tune with how your body feels each month and tracking your cycle can really help you to take control of your health. Whether you want to have children or not, ovulation and balanced hormones are essential for optimal health and disease prevention.
If you'd like to learn more about your hormones or would like to restore hormone balance I'd love to help you.
Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances, anxiety and fatigue. The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype. You can contact Marion here.