THAT Time of the Month (Why you need a period)

 Do you REALLY need a period? What good does it do? Read on for the inside scoop…

That time of the month?

EVERY woman on this planet knows what that phrase means:

• Chocolate
• An excuse to be crabby
• In need of EXTRA understanding
• Don’t wear white pants
• An excuse to get out of a speeding ticket
• And, oh yeah, your

Period. Period. Period.

It was a funny, awkward word to say when you were a 12-year-old girl, but today, it’s just the “nature of the beast”…a monthly-ish occurrence that you even can schedule into your own calendar (“there’s an App for that”) with Period Tracker.

At least most women can schedule it into their calendar.

A small percentage of women (3-4%) have ‘secondary amenorrhea’ (loss of period not due to pregnancy for 3+ months); and an even larger amount (30%–that’s 3 out of 10 women) report irregular periods (some months ya got it, some months you don’t).

The causes for “loss of period” or irregular periods are as varied as the number of shoes in your closet (i.e. a lot), but some common culprits include:

• Stress
• Intense exercise and training
• Thyroid dysfunction/irregularity
• Weight loss/ Lowered body fat
• Malnutrition
• The pill (birth control)
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
• Age (especially pre-teens/teens as the body is still trying to figure out the cycle)
• Autoimmune diseases, like celiac
• Pre-mature menopause
• And infection/illness

Any of these ring a bell?

Abnormal periods got you down occasion?

It’s important to note here that a “normal period” does not necessarily mean “every 28 days”. In fact, just as every BODY is different, every body’s cycle looks a little different too, and your full menstruation cycle may last anywhere from 21 to 36 days. The most vital thing to determine is what is “normal” for you. If you’re regular (regardless of what that regularity looks like) is actually perfectly normal for many women.

(And moreover, if you DO occasionally happen to miss your period or have a ‘weird cycle’ one month or two, it’s not necessarily an indicator that you are NOT healthy at all—it could indicate something stressful is going on in your life—like a move or breakup or job change; you are training harder, such as during the CrossFit Open season or marathon training; or perhaps your body is finding a new routine—amidst a new medication, diet change, or schedule shift).

However, while regularly missing out on “that time of the month” may actually seem quite liberating (No tampons?! No PMS?! No crazy cravings or mood swings?! Score!!)…

Most docs will tell you that: “Missing your period is generally NOT healthy.”

 

BUT WHY?

What are the “down sides” really to missing your period or not having your period for a time?

And, if you do have irregular periods (not due to pregnancy), is it really all that bad?

Check out the facts:

• Straight A’s. Your period is a monthly health report card. Simply put: As a woman of menstruating age (i.e. pre-menopause), there’s no getting around the fact that a regular period indicates your body is in a happier place (internal homeostasis, adequate healthy body fat, balanced stress levels). While a period by no means indicates your health is perfect it is one barometer (of MANY) that suggests your internal processes (i.e. hormones) are at least functioning.
• Bone health. When or if you miss your periods—frequently, bone health takes a hit. Absence of periods for more than one year can cause loss of bone density and increase the risk of stress fractures during sports. It can also increase the risk of osteoporosis later in life.

• “I saw the sign.” Missing your period randomly could be a sign that you have a disease or illness—hormone or non-hormone related. Thyroid disorders and Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) come to mind. It could also indicate that you have a cyst (like an ovarian cyst, not necessarily PCOS)—something that would require medical attention to investigate and discover.
• Mood booster. As much as periods get a ‘bad rep’ for being causative of mood swings and crazy emotional patterns, when you miss your period (frequently), you can actually end up feeling pretty…flat (i.e. not vibrant, ‘like yourself’, lively, energetic). Hormones are hugely responsible for our emotions and moods (both good and bad). When we are periodless, we can also feel somewhat lifeless.
• Increased (internal) stress. You’ve probably heard the ‘buzz word’: adrenal glands before. Your adrenal glands are hormone regulators responsible for maintaining and promoting balance and appropriate stress/stress response in your body. When our periods are out of whack though, chances are your adrenals are out of whack as well. “Cortisol’ is the ‘fight or flight’ hormone your adrenals are specifically responsible for releasing and remitting—however, with dysfunctional estrogen/testosterone balance as well during an irregular period, cortisol levels are generally hyper or hypo-functioning (over or under functioning) as well, leaving your body, well…stressed. In order to cope with stress, the LAST THING your body wants to do is bring on the stress (or potential) for babymaking. Even if you don’t want a baby right now…internal stress ultimately leaves our bodies ‘all wound up’ (resulting in impaired recovery from exercise; low energy; impaired digestion; foggy brain function; etc.).

• Energy drain. Piggybacking off the enhanced mood affects a regular period provides your body, a regular period also is also an energy booster—while a missed period is an energy depleter.

• Libido. Hormones are responsible for our “love connection”—this you know. When our periods are out of sync or non-existent, our sex hormones are definitely not in “drive”mode. This is obviously as nature intended, because more than likely, when your period is out of sync, your body is not innately in a place to want to ‘make a baby’ or house a baby (your body is trying to find balance and take care first and foremost of you).
• Leaky gut. The gut is the epi-center of all processes in your body. When there is breakdown in your gut—and the assimilation of nutrients you eat—your body is unable to deliver the necessary nutrition, vitamins, minerals, etc. to the rest of your body. Leaky gut, low stomach acid, sluggish breakdown of foods, frequent bloating, gas, and constipation, and more can all lead to irregular periods (since your hormones and cells are NOT absorbing and getting all the good stuff they need to function optimally). The root cause? Your diet. An unbalanced diet (low protein, low carb, low fat, irregular meals, undereating, even over-eating, etc.), or a diet laced with gut-irritating foods (such as lots of ‘whole grains’, processed dairy, artificial sweeteners, sugar, alcohol, packaged snacks, ‘junk food’) can be a sucker-punch to your hormones as a whole, and indicator that your gut is NOT healthy.

…Just to name a few of the “down sides” of missing your period.

What do I do? 

If your missed periods hit the three-month mark (i.e. when missed periods are officially dubbed amenorrhea), make an appointment with a healthcare professional you trust (be it a nutrition therapist, functional medicine doc or your gyno).

Several missed periods in a row can be a sign of decreased estrogen levels, and some sort of dysfunction going on (be it stress, gut health, PCOS, overtraining, nutritional deficiencies, etc.).

This professional should help you to at least begin to do some digging in order to get to your root cause.

…ONE more question, before you end the conversation, Dr. Lauryn…If I don’t have my period right now CAN I still have a baby?

Maybe you don’t want to get pregnant right now, or you are not even married or contemplating the stork’s arrival tomorrow…BUT, what if, one day, you do want to get pregnant?…

Will your irregular or missing period really impact your chances of fertility?

Of course a regular period is a higher indicator of fertility than a missing one…BUT NOT ALL HOPE IS LOST.

In fact, despite regular menstruation (bleeding) or not, your body CAN still, very well, be ovulating (meaning your body is still going through the cycle of egg-release and hormonal cycling of your estrogen levels in particular).

It may just NOT have the opportunity to FULLY express itself through bleeding due to the fact that it is…more stressed out or trying to find balance again.

In other words: Yes, you CAN still have the chance and opportunity for fertility and pregnancy without a ‘regular period.’

A couple ways to tell if you MAY still be ovulating (without a regular period) include:

• Salivary Hormone Panel. I often conduct these with my local and distance clients to determine what exactly their hormones are up to throughout the day.
• A Cervical Mucus Test. Your mucus changes at different points in your cycle. As picturesque as it sounds, your mucus goes from dry, to thick and creamy, to clear and watery, to stretchy like egg whites, then reverses back until it’s dry again. The stretchy, egg-white mucus occurs during ovulation. You can confirm ovulation by using an over-the-counter ovulation test, such as these BFP test strips here and here. Fertility monitors like the OvaCue monitor, can accurately predict ovulation up to 7 days in advance. You can purchase a monitor here. There’s also a mobile version of the monitor that allows you to track your fertility directly on your smart phone.
• Temperature Check. Take your body temp using a a basic body thermometer. Your temperature jumps up by about 1/2 to 1 degree during ovulation.

Got questions?

Wonder if your period is “normal” or want to problem solve how to get it back, if not?

Let’s connect. I offer a 30-minute free consult for first time Thrive clients, and would love to discuss what a personalized Thrive Life Blueprint could look like for you to help you reach your health and lifestyle goals—body, mind and soul. Shoot me an email by filling out my contact form here.