Regulate your Period, Naturally

Your menstrual cycle is a great indication of what is going on with your body and health. You might see your period as a nuisance, particularly if it is painful and heavy. You might not be interested in the reasons to regulate you period, maybe you’re even glad when you realise it is MIA, very light and irregular.  

However, irregular or absent periods really can tell you a great deal about what’s happening on the inside. If you are planning on having a baby in the future, then a regular menstrual cycle will be ideal. Even if that isn’t on the cards for you just yet, having a regular period can save you getting caught short, as well as showing you’re healthy from the inside out.

Your period will be defined as irregular if you miss periods, or the time between periods varies each month. 

Here are a few natural ways to regulate your period, without going on the pill.

Manage stress 

Stress is a real hormone disruptor. If you are living a particularly stressful life, either at home, work or both, then you might notice your period becomes quite irregular. This is due to the stress hormone cortisol. If you have too much cortisol then your body believes you are too stressed to carry a baby, which is the reason for your menstrual cycle. 

Maybe it thinks you are running away from a saber tooth tiger, but really you’re chasing deadlines and have a boss breathing down your neck.

A great way to manage stress to regulate your period is meditation. Taking a few minutes every day to focus on your breathing and nothing else really can do wonders. 

Eat fats to regulate your period

Fat isn’t the enemy, partially for us ladies. Our reproductive system requires fats to function properly. I don’t mean big bars of Dairy Milk and share size Doritos… but healthy fats. Fats such as omega-3 and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which both support ovulation and hormones. 

Eating a healthy dose of fats daily can really help to regulate your period.

Watch your exercise 

Too much exercise is a bad thing? Surely not? Well actually, excessive exercise can play havoc with your menstrual cycle. HIIT class after spin class after Bootcamp will raise your cortisol levels. As we learned in the first point, having a stressed body isn’t good for the menstrual cycle. 

Not only that, exercising too much and eating too little will cause your body to shut down unnecessary systems, in order to keep you going. This can mean that the reproductive system shuts down temporarily. It is called athletic amenorrhoea.

To avoid this and regulate your period you need to make sure you have a healthy body fat percentage which depending on your age should be between 21 and 36%.

Get enough sleep 

Late nights and early starts can also play a part in irregular periods. A lack of sleep has been found to have an effect on the secretion of reproductive hormones. Not having a good sleep also impacts ovulation as it lowers levels of FSH and prolactin and increases estradiol levels.

Final thoughts 

Download a period tracking app on your phone, or use your paper diary. This way you will be able to see how the changes you are making to your lifestyle help to regulate your period. 

CBD oil may be of use with some of the above, including getting healthy fats, sleeping better and managing stress. The cannabinoid is used by many women to help balance hormones and manage period symptoms. If you’re interested in CBD for period pain, read our short post about how it can help.

Remember, we are CBD experts, not health professionals. If you are concerned about your period, talk to the doc.