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The temperatures are cooling down, the days are getting shorter, and school is back in session. Fall is upon us, and with it, comes a brand new routine. Often times, autumn is the beginning of busier schedules, cluttered calendars and ever-growing to-do lists. During this time of year, it’s all too easy to let self-care fall by the wayside.

In the midst of all of this activity, your period can become one more thing to be dealt with or checked off a to-do list. In fact, it’s common to try to work through or ignore your period altogether! As grown women and mothers of teenage daughters, it is so important that we take the time to establish healthy and manageable routines to effectively nourish our body and minds all the time – but especially during our menstrual cycles.

Self-care (just like periods!) can get a bad wrap for being inconvenient or impractical in the midst of school, work, and other obligations. The fact is, that couldn’t be further from the truth! We’ve rounded up our favorite techniques for taking care of our bodies during our periods. And since they’re all relatively quick and simple, each of these can easily fit into your back-to-school routine! Can you say, win-win?

Here are our top nine tips for managing menstrual discomfort during this season: READ MORE… »

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By Dr. Allegra Hart, ND

 

Is your energy all over the place? Do you never know what to expect- tons of energy or no energy at all? Do you think you should be 100%-on at all times?

Energy just doesn’t work like that. We all have a finite amount of energy and time. The best we can do is to use our energy wisely.

The first thing we need to be aware of is energy-suckers. These are things that take energy from you but don’t give you anything in return. READ MORE… »

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By Robyn Srigley, BA, PTS, CNP, NNCP

Mood-Swings-in-Women
My hubby didn’t wash the dishes. That jerk cut me off in traffic. The dog ate my homework. All (seemingly) logical reasons for a little emotional swing. But what happens when these mood swings are ALL. THE. TIME? Simply- your relationships, activities and well-being end up in the toilet like yesterday’s dinner.

 

What Causes Mood Swings

 

High Estrogen/Low Progesterone
Estrogen and progesterone are the two main sex hormones in the female body. They have an extremely delicate balance that is easily thrown off by environment, diet, lifestyle and emotional factors- to name a few. For many women, the chronic symptoms of mood swings, depression, bloating and general PMS come from an imbalance in these two hormones. Estrogen becomes dominant as stress steals your body’s ability to make progesterone. Estrogen will take up residence in your fat cells because that’s a WAY cushier home than being excreted through your urine and bowels. Progesterone keeps you feeling calm, centred and peaceful- so if you don’t feel this way, you may have an imbalance! READ MORE… »

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Be Prepared. Period, an online retailer of feminine hygiene products, has introduced a new all natural loose leaf tea that helps women alleviate menstrual cramps using all natural ingredients.

MARYSVILLE, WASHINGTON

As many as 70 percent of all women experience menstrual cramps at least occasionally during their monthly menstrual cycles, and for 10 percent of these women, the discomfort caused by cramps is frequent and severe enough to interfere with daily life.

Women looking for menstrual cramp relief have a number of medicinal options to choose from, including oral contraceptives and over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Still, many women are hesitant to rely on prescription or OTC menstrual cramp relief products due to the high risk of side effects associated with the long-term use of medications. READ MORE… »

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By Dr Zeenobiyah McGowan Ph.D.

What are uterine fibroids

What are Fibroids?

A diagnosis of uterine fibroids can be a scary thing, but it does not necessarily mean what you think. Fibroids are tumors, but they are almost always non-cancerous. Ninety-seven percent of the time, they do not even have an impact on fertility. It is a common problem that affects many women. They are most likely to be found in your childbearing years (20s and 30s) but they can be diagnosed at any time. It is, however, rare for this diagnosis to take place after menopause.

READ MORE… »

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By Mache Seibel, MD

5-Symptoms-of-peri-MenopausAm I in perimenopause? When does it happen? How will I know? How long will it last?

 

These are questions I’m asked all the time by women who can’t imagine it’s possible. Not now! Not at my age! Or am I already in menopause?

You may know the mean age of menopause in the United States is 51 years. But did you know that 1 in 10,000 women go into menopause before age 20; 1 in 1000 go into menopause before age 30; 1 in 100 before age 40 and 1 in 10 before age 45? Perimenopause is that up to 10-year window of transition when symptoms begin to occur.

Just like the word perimeter means around an area, perimenopause means the timeframe around menopause. If you think back to puberty, there was a transition when menstrual cycles were irregular, mood swings were common, sleep was a challenge, and your body began to go through changes that made you wonder if it was still you.

Similar types of things happen in perimenopause. Both mind and body change, at first gradually and eventually at a much faster and more noticeable rate. Here are 5 of the symptoms you are likely to notice and a little bit about them: READ MORE… »

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What is Endometriosis?

It is a hormonal and immune disease affecting girls as young as eight and women of all ages.  The name comes from the word, endometrium, which is the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus and builds up and sheds each month in the menstrual cycle.  In “endo” tissue like the endometrium is found outside the uterus in other areas of the body, most commonly in the abdomen. Endometriosis Awareness

 

What are the symptoms?

Common symptoms include pain with periods; pain with intercourse, urination, or with a bowel movement; and infertility.

 

Period Pain is Not Normal!

That’s right!  It is not normal to be in pain during your period.  If pain during a menstrual period cannot be relieved by over-the-counter pain medication and a heating pad, then endometriosis should be suspected.  It is important to be diagnosed as soon as possible, as earlier diagnosis and treatment may reduce the progression and severity of the disease.

READ MORE… »

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By Robyn Srigley, BA, PTS, CNP, NNCP

my period is a pain in the boobBig or small, round or droopy– breasts are a part of our lives every day! Whether we wish they were bigger or smaller or perkier, they are here to stay and we should love them with all we’ve got! It’s pretty common knowledge that most women at some point feel PMS symptoms (up to 90%). One of the major symptoms is breast pain or tenderness.

This is something I’ve ALWAYS suffered with. Some cycles, it would be just a little discomfort or swelling, and sometimes I’ve had cycles where I can hardly move or breathe without pain. For me, it was part of my PCOS, a hormonal imbalance that plagues women with severe PMS, among other things. So how can we kick this pain in the boob to the curb?

 

CAUSES
There could be many causes of breast pain in relation to PMS. I’m going to talk briefly about the top 3 causes. Take a gander and see where YOU fit in! READ MORE… »

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By Robyn Srigley, BA, PTS, CNP, NNCP

natural remedies for menstrual cramps IV

Midol, Tylenol, Advil and Pamprin- which one are you using for menstrual cramp relief? We have all experienced cramps when Aunt Flo comes around. Our cramps can leave us feeling exhausted, nauseous, dizzy and sick. They can have us doubled over in pain and lying on the couch with a heating pad. And sometimes, not heating pad nor pill will help.

Those over-the-counter Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatories (NSAIDS) can be a quick fix to grab from the medicine cabinet when the pain becomes too much. BUT- did you know that use of NSAIDs is linked to disease? Make an informed choice and find the best menstrual cramps remedy for you.

NSAIDS and Their Risks
Millions of people are using NSAIDs for pain management. Whether it be over-the-counter or prescription, everyone’s got some in their medicine cabinet. They seem harmless- pop a couple, get relief pretty quickly. But use of these little painkillers is on the rise- and poses some serious health risks. Read on and think twice before grabbing a bottle when you have menstrual cramps.

1. Miscarriage
A study has shown that the use of non-aspirin NSAIDs in early pregnancy more than doubles your risk of miscarriage. And this is with any type or dosage of the popular painkillers. And don’t think you’re out of the water once you’re in the third trimester of pregnancy- use of NSAIDs during this time increases the risk of heart problems for the baby, as well as prolonging labour in the Mum. READ MORE… »

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If you know us at Be Prepared. Period., you know we are always trying to make menstrual education more fun. To go along with the Know Your Flow article we shared last week, we also created this fun infographic as a quick reference.

Period talk and period education is something we continually promote. If you’d like to join us as we encourage ladies, of all ages, to learn more about their menstrual health, we invite you to share this graphic on your site – just copy the code below. READ MORE… »

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