If you’re a young woman and your period has decided to take a summer vacation (or if it’s been gone for longer than that), you might be panicking. Where did it go? What does it mean that it’s gone? How can I get it back? You might be especially concerned if you hope to have kids one day, though that isn’t the only reason to take missing or problematic periods seriously. Ovulation, which is necessary for menstruation (bleeding), is an essential part of a healthy hormone cycle and a key indicator of a woman’s overall health. The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists has called on clinicians to think of the menstrual cycle as a vital sign, like blood pressure and temperature.Plus, the symptoms that come along with light, irregular, or missing periods are uncomfortable at best and quality-of-life diminishing at worst. That’s because missing or otherwise wonky periods are almost always accompanied by hormone imbalances, which can give rise to acne, weight loss resistance, bloating, headaches, and mood swings.If this is happening to you, you’re not alone. Missing or irregular periods are common. They happen to a lot of young women, many of whom I’ve counseled in my practice—some of whom have missed periods for months and even years. (I worked with one woman whose period had been missing for 13 years, though by following the FLO protocol she got her period back within three months!)In today’s post, I’m going to outline the root causes of missing periods in young women and, most importantly, I’m going to give you three essential first steps on the journey to getting your period back.
Textbook Causes of Missing Periods
There are “textbook” reasons that periods go missing, including pregnancy, breastfeeding, and, of course, menopause. There’s also engaging in intense exercise everyday, which many women may not know is interfering with their regular menstrual cycle. It’s the same with being underweight. A condition called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), in which cysts grow on your ovaries can also be a root cause for young women. One of the top triggers for missing periods is coming off hormonal birth control. Stopping the Pill doesn’t guarantee that your period will come zipping back. In fact, without making a concentrated effort through food and lifestyle modifications, many women who quit the Pill do not start bleeding again for months or years.
Hidden Causes of Missing Periods
That brings us to the less talked about (but no less real) causes of missing or irregular periods, including stress. Chronic stress raises cortisol and messes up blood sugar, which disrupts ovulation. Studies also show that women with stressful jobs are at double the risk for anovulation (not ovulating) and menstrual cycle variability. Other research shows that women with high levels of stress around the time of ovulation have a harder time getting pregnant. The other common but often overlooked cause of period problems? Blood sugar dysregulation. Imbalanced blood sugar is associated with infertility, and diabetes drugs like metformin are often prescribed to women with PCOS to trigger ovulation. If you are considering taking metformin for PCOS or infertility, I strongly recommend regulating your blood sugar levels with the FLO protocol and prepping your body for a healthy pregnancy ahead of time. You may discover you don’t need the drugs. (It’s also worth noting that, for many of the women I’ve worked with, Metformin hasn’t worked at all.)
So What’s A Woman With a Missing Period To Do?
Following the full FLO Protocol is important for any woman with a missing or irregular period. The FLO Protocol supports you through the hormone-balancing food and lifestyle strategies that bring proper hormone signaling back online. But there are some powerful first steps you can take today to start bleeding again. Here are my top three strategies for bringing your period back:1. Engage in extreme self-care. That’s right, your new goal is to think of yourself as an Olympic athlete in the sport of relaxing, because the more stress you face externally, the more you need to be intentional about quieting your internal stress response. If you’ve been meaning to get back to your Yoga or Pilates class, do it today. Make sure you schedule dedicated non-work time—write it into your planner if you have to!—and engage in leisure activities you love. If some of the stressors in your life are modifiable, consider making changes that would make life less stressful.2. Balance your blood sugar. The single best (and side effect-free!) way to address blood sugar problems is with food. Emphasize healthy complex (and non-gluten) carbs, eat enough healthy, high-quality fats and proteins, and make sure you front-load non-starchy vegetables in all colors of the rainbow. One great tip for keeping blood sugar steady all day is to eat a low-glycemic breakfast within 90 minutes of waking up. And remember: sugar hides out in a lot of processed foods—even ones you wouldn’t expect. So read labels carefully, and stick to whole foods when you can.3. Fight the urge to be a night owl.Hormones are hugely affected by sleep—or, more specifically, by lack thereof. The 24-hour circadian cycle has a direct influence on, and is directly influenced by, our bodies master hormones. When we’re short on sleep, it’s almost impossible to get our hormones balanced. So make sleep a priority tonight (and every night!).Bringing your period back online is something you can do with nutrition and lifestyle modifications. I’ve seen women who haven’t had periods in years engage the FLO Protocol and start bleeding in three to four months. With the right lifestyle and nutrition changes, this could become your story, too!Love and Ovaries,AlisaGood things come in threes:
I want to hear from you!
First, have you tried Cycle Syncing?Second, has your period gone missing or become very light or irregular?Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on socialmedia?
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