I’ve made this prediction before and I’m going to make it again this year: You’re likely to have a really rotten period in January (and probably in February and March, too).If you’ve already gotten your period and you’re thinking How did she know?!?!, well, I can’t see the future. But I CAN see the past, and if your holiday was anything like mine it was full of joy, connection, and good memories, but yours may also have been crammed with stress, travel, disrupted sleep, and more sugary foods and alcoholic beverages than usual. Oh, and it probably left you with very little time for your normal self-care routines, like regular workouts and getting the essential micronutrients that keep your hormones happy. All that travel, stress, and sugar increases the chances that your body won’t make enough progesterone during the luteal phase of your cycle in the coming month(s). Less progesterone means more estrogen in the body relative to progesterone and it is that imbalance — more estrogen with less progesterone to balance it — that strands you with all the stereotypical symptoms of PMS. The same holiday trio of travel, stress, and sugar can delay ovulation in the new year, too. A lot of women worry they’re pregnant after the holidays because their period arrives days late!
Why Hormone Health is EXTRA Important in January
You can’t go back and redo the holidays. But you can take steps now to get your period back on track. And now is the time of year when you really want to optimize your hormonal health. If a hormonal imbalance has you feeling less-than-stellar, you won’t have the energy or interest in reaching any other health and wellness goals you’ve set for the new year. In other words, if your PMS is worse than ever in the first quarter of 2019, you’re more likely to rely on old, comfortable, and unhealthy habits to get you through. And any health and wellness resolutions you made for 2019 are less likely to happen!That’s why addressing hormonal imbalances and solving your PMS is the most important step you can take right now when it comes to living healthier in the new year. Being in optimal hormonal health now means that you are more likely, and more able, to reach your other health and wellness goals all year long.
How to Have a Pleasant Period This Month
Ready to escape a horrible January (and February and March) period? Here’s what I recommend:Make sure you’re getting the right micronutrients. I’ve been researching the menstrual cycle and hormones for close to two decades and I’ve learned that there are specific micronutrients women need to optimize hormone health. Holiday stress and high doses of sugar and alcohol during November and December can deplete these nutrients. These micronutrients are magnesium, vitamin D3, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids and if you aren’t getting enough of these micronutrients in your diet, I recommend taking a supplement. Micronutrient support is one of the best lines of defense against a terrible January period. Do a healthy, short detox. I also recommend doing a four-day hormone detox after the holidays. It’s a quick food program to help clear your system of all the holiday treats that tasted so good going in but are causing hormonal trouble now. I recommend doing this detox right after your last period. Get my complete four-day detox plan for free here. Curb sugar cravings with your food choices. When you finish the detox, prioritize eating complex carbohydrates, cruciferous vegetables, clean sources of protein, and healthy fats to help you with sugar cravings that may have developed over the holidays. If you’ve noticed that your sugar cravings really spiked during the holidays, consider making one or two days each week grain free this month. On those days, emphasize healthy fats like coconut oil, pastured eggs, and avocados, and drink bone broth. Take a fiber supplement to help sweep out the last of the processed flour and sugar. Add a healing juice to your daily routine. I’m not a fan of juice-only cleanses, but adding one healing juice to your daily food plan can turbo-charge your hormone-recovery efforts. Combine a handful of spinach, 1 carrot, 2 stalks of celery, half a bunch of cilantro, one-third a bunch of parsley, half a lemon with rind, half a green apple in a blender or juicer.Prioritize sleep. Try to get back on a regular sleep schedule, where you go to bed around the same time and wake up around the same time each day. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!
Need more Hormone Help?
If you’re needing some health upgrading, it’s time you started you looking into what’s going on with your hormones.I’ve designed a 4-day hormone detox and evaluation to help you understand exactly what’s out of whack and how you can start getting back to balance so that your hormones no longer have to suffer.Click here to get your FREE detox and evaluation.
