A few years back, Trisha Locher and I interviewed our personal midwife from over 25 years ago. Not only is she still practicing, she is regarded as the top midwife in Oklahoma. One question we asked her was how we could help educate our young college women so they are better prepared for pregnancy. Her response was golden:
“Learning how to learn is important. Don’t start with the hard work [the labor]—start with how your body functions. Get to know your body—your anatomy and the functions of your body. Then learn about the reproductive system—what your cycles are like and when you ovulate. You have to understand your menstrual cycles and know there will be emotional ups and downs—that some things are hard but they serve a purpose. Then build on that knowledge.”
In The Missing Dimension in Sex, Herbert W. Armstrong wrote, “When we come to consider the human body from the mind of God—we see it, not as something shameful and evil, but as something wonderful, to be understood with clean and healthy minds, in awe of the handiwork of the great Designer. For this is what God beheld, when He had formed it, and pronounced ‘very good.’”
It is easy to view the menstrual cycle in a negative light. For many women, periods are not pleasant. You might suffer from cramps or feel bloated and uncomfortable. It might be an emotional roller coaster. At best, it’s inconvenient. But it was specifically designed and created by God for a purpose—a beautiful purpose! We wouldn’t be here if not for that cycle.
Appreciating our God-given cycle for its attributes of reproduction is obvious, but there is actually much more to glean regarding our general health. Taking the time to learn about the womanly cycle is worth every effort for many reasons.
Our Monthly ‘Check-up’
If you were to get a physical taken at a doctor’s office, they would likely check your “vitals”: your heart rate, body temperature, respiratory rate and blood pressure.
Women are blessed with another monthly feedback tool. The menstrual cycle is so central to health that a growing number of health professionals are now calling the menstrual cycle the fifth vital sign. Whether positive or negative, menstrual symptoms are a way our body communicates with us. It’s like a monthly report card. It is a wonderful tool to determine the state of many aspects of our health. And it does this at all stages of our reproductive life.
In the book Real Food for Fertility, authors Lily Nichols and Lisa Hendrickson-Jack write, “Think of your cycle as your body’s gps—an indicator of your hormonal and ovarian health and your body’s readiness for pregnancy. A healthy menstrual cycle is a reflection of hormonal balance, adequate nutrient stores, egg quality, blood sugar balance and so much more.”
Interest in the health of one’s cycle may be piqued if conception is a goal. But how many of us use our cycle as a tool to guide our health journey through all stages of life?
‘Common’ doesn’t mean Normal
Most women assume that premenstrual syndrome (pms) is just part of the monthly period—perhaps even God-given because of the “curse of Eve.” Common pms symptoms include moodiness, depression, bloating, water retention, constipation, diarrhea, spotting, hot flashes, acne, headaches, painful pelvic cramps and breast tenderness. Boston Children’s Hospital says as many as 75 percent of girls and women experience pms, though severity varies.
Just because unpleasant symptoms are common does not mean they are normal. God created us to thrive in health! (3 John 2). Given nutrient-dense, properly balanced diet, restorative sleep, habitual exercise, daily sun and fresh air, proper elimination and gut health, bodily alignment and positive mental attitude, the body was created to produce balanced hormones and healthy monthly cycles.
A period should not be a miserable experience. You may not hum along with exactly the same energy and vitality as at other times of the month (one must listen to one’s body through this cleansing process), but it should not be something we fear. We should not need pain killers. And it should not put a strain on all our relationships.
“Though common, moderate to severe pain with menstruation is not normal or healthy,” Hendrickson-Jack writes. “Pain that requires the use of painkillers—or is so severe that you’re unable to go about your normal daily activities—is a universal sign that something is wrong” (The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles and Optimize Your Fertility).
“Knowing whether the volume of your period bleeding is normal is important because it can alert you if there’s something wrong,” she writes. “If, for instance, you find that you soak through your supersized pads or tampons every hour for the first two days of your cycle and you didn’t realize that was outside of the normal range, you could be missing out on an extremely important clue about your health status” (ibid).
As great as it may seem to have super light periods that only last two to three days, this is not a true bleed and could mean that there is dysfunction somewhere in the body. If you have light-pink bleeds, you may not have a high enough density of red blood cells to make healthy blood. This could stem from being anemic, poor diet or poor digestion (not absorbing nutrients). It is important to understand that too little blood can be as much an indicator of an underlying issue as too much blood.
Your cycle can give you a plethora of clues, and each woman needs to take responsibility to educate herself in the details. There might be chronic shortcomings in your health. There may be clues from just a stressful last month or two. But it can be helpful to pay attention; in some cases, major trials could be avoided if adjustments were made sooner rather than later.
For example, the dominant ovarian hormones, estrogen and progesterone, impact far more than just reproduction. Estrogen stimulates cell growth, which is good, but excess cell growth can lead to malfunctions like cancer and endometriosis. Progesterone balances and guides the effects of estrogen by stimulating normal cell development, regulating cell differentiation, and promoting cell maturation. Both hormones work together and were created to balance one another to bring perfect health. Unbalanced hormones can wreak havoc, eventually leading to issues such as cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and infertility. These chronic diseases don’t happen overnight or even in a month. Ignoring monthly unpleasantries and signs can contribute to major trials years down the road. Why not course-correct now?
Common Causes of Irregular Cycles, Painful Periods
Most menstrual unpleasantness results from hormone imbalances. These imbalances can result from stress, lack of sleep, poor diet, lack of nutrients (sometimes specific nutrients that are especially needed at certain times during the month), too much coffee, a sluggish liver and more. There are numerous triggers, all of which are important to learn about and take inventory of, repent of, and change course. Here are four common areas that can lead to unpleasant symptoms.
Stress: Pregnenolone is the hormone at the top of the hierarchy of hormones. It is what makes all other sex hormones. A certain amount of stress is healthy and good, particularly with a positive mental outlook. But in high-stress situations, more pregnenolone than normal is diverted to make cortisol. This leaves less pregnenolone to make the other sex hormones. In other words, long stretches of high stress can lead to abnormally low levels of estrogen or progesterone.
Coffee: Caffeine causes the liver to hold on to estrogen, which can lead to estrogen dominance. It also stimulates cortisol production (in some more than others), which may negatively impact progesterone or estrogen levels. Lisa Hendrickson-Jack writes, “[C]onsider removing [caffeine] or reducing your consumption for a full cycle to see how your body responds. Our clients often report improvements in their appetites, sleep quality, luteal phase lengths, pms symptoms and energy levels within weeks of reducing or eliminating caffeine. Some women need to remove caffeine entirely for a period of time to normalize their menstrual cycles.”
Poor diet: There are many cycle-supportive nutrients to seek out in a nutrient-dense diet: zinc, iron, B12, choline and iodine, to name a few. To function as God created us to, we need nutrient-dense diets—and in this day and age, we have to work at it. Avoid processed and refined products. Load up on nutrient-dense foods like grass-fed, pasture-raised or wild-caught animal products, including organ meats. Balance those proteins and fats with fruits, vegetables and other whole, properly prepared foods. Go after it!
Many popular dietary trends encourage women to follow restrictive diets for rapid weight loss (often under consuming protein and fats and overconsuming carbohydrates). This approach rarely supports menstrual cycle health. The woman’s body prepares for a potential pregnancy every month, whether she wants to get pregnant or not; however, her body prioritizes short-term survival over reproduction. “This is precisely why menstrual irregularities, hormonal imbalances and other challenges with fertility are common in women with eating disorders or food insecurity; their bodies simply don’t have the resources to spare for a baby if they happen to get pregnant, so the body instead chooses to suppress ovulation and conserve energy” (Real Food for Fertility). This is why intermittent fasting must be approached with caution. When it comes to supporting the menstrual cycle, consistently eating enough nutrient-dense food is paramount.
Protein and healthy fats are crucial to maintaining a regular healthy cycle. Protein is made of chains of amino acids—many of which have fundamental roles in the processes of fertilization, implantation, fetal growth and development, and more. If you tend to crave protein at certain times of the month, listen to your body and nourish! For women who have pms or pcos (polycystic ovarian syndrome), eating enough protein is particularly important, as it aids in stabilizing blood sugar levels. Healthy fats like palm oil, pure olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts and seeds provide nourishment and stabilize blood sugar; however, animal products contain cholesterol, which is the foundational building block for sex hormones. Cholesterol is found only in healthy animal products like grass-fed butter, cream, cheese, meat, poultry, fish and pasture-raised eggs. It is essential for proper ovarian function. Healthy and balanced hormones must include these healthy fats. At the same time, it is all-important to strive to avoid processed seed oils. Among many other harmful effects, seed oils rich in omega-6 fatty acids provide the building blocks for pro-inflammatory prostaglandins. These contribute significantly to painful periods.
Hormone-disrupting chemicals: These are commonly found in plastics, pesticides, cosmetics, toiletries, processed foods, environmental pollution and more. We can’t escape them, living in Satan’s world, but we can work to weed them out as much as possible. In this regard, take note: External and internal genitalia are made of much thinner, more delicate skin than the rest of the body. The vagina, in particular, is a highly vascularized mucosal membrane, loaded with blood and lymphatic vessels. It is highly absorptive. Most menstrual pads and tampons contain toxic metals, phthalates, vocs, pfas (“forever chemicals”), and dozens of other harmful compounds that have cumulative effects on female issues and general health. It is worth the research to use less-offensive products.
What a blessing our monthly report card can be. Use it to build a healthier and stronger tool for God’s Work.
Signs of a healthy menstrual cycle
Little to no spotting prior to starting
3–5 days of bleeding (preferably more than 3 but no longer than 7)
Not excessively heavy (going through a pad or super tampon in less than 2 hours)
Little to no low abdominal cramping before and during
Little to no low back pain before or during
Very few to no clots or pieces of tissue in the menstrual blood
Crimson red in color (not brown, dark red, bright red or purplish)
No stopping and starting of the flow
Cycle length from 24 to 35 days, with an average length of 29 days
Period abnormalities and their possible causes
Heavy bleeding—high estrogen (particularly in relation to progesterone), high levels of inflammation, or possibly conditions like endometriosis or uterine fibroids
Light flow—low estrogen, poor detox, poor thyroid function, adrenal stress, nutrient depletion
Mid-cycle spotting—sudden drop of estrogen before ovulation, most common in perimenopause
Brownish blood—old blood, slow-moving blood, poor circulation, tight pelvic floor restricting blood flow
Large clots (over an inch in diameter)—could be caused by endometriosis, uterine fibroids or PCOS
Healthy lifestyle changes for a healthier cycle
Mineral balance: Especially focus on adequate potassium for PMS-related symptoms.
Avoid polyunsaturated fats (seed oils): These drive up inflammation and cause more painful periods.
Let your body bleed: Encourage flow rather than inhibiting it with tampons or menstrual cups.
Regular elimination: Prioritize daily healthy bowel movements as this is your body’s main way to detox excess estrogen.
Manage cortisol: Listen to your body, especially around your period, and rest as needed.
Balance blood sugar: Blood sugar regulation is key for managing hormonal imbalances, especially for conditions like pcos.
Connect with nature via grounding and morning sunlight: Morning sunlight helps regulate hormones; grounding reduces inflammation in the body.
Clean up your diet and environment: Hormone-disrupting chemicals are commonly found in plastics, pesticides, cosmetics and toiletries, processed foods, environmental pollution and more.