Alycia is known for teaching others about menstrual cycle awareness, activating the voice, hormone health, and how to connect to the wisdom of the body. She is the creator of Embracing Cycles, a holistic wellness and spiritual development business centered around female health.
Has anyone else been congratulated into "womanhood" with heavy bleeding, painful period cramps, and intense PMS, or was it just me? Either way, I know how frustrating it can be to get a period every month that feels excruciatingly painful and uncomfortable.
The best part (sense my sarcasm) is when you talk to your doctor, teacher, or parent about it, and they tell you, "Well, it's just part of being a woman." This can leave us feeling like we've been cursed to be born into these bodies.
We've been lied to, my friend. We can have better periods! There are plenty of simple adjustments you can make to have an easier period, decrease painful cramps, and keep PMS at bay.
The power of your monthly release
Before getting into ways you can create more peace around your period, I want to mention that your period is like your monthly report card. It’s a reflection of your overall health.
The menstrual cycle as a whole is looked at as the fifth vital sign. You know when you go to the doctor and they check your vitals, (blood pressure, temperature, respiration, and pulse rate)? They are supposed to consider your menstrual cycle because it indicates a lot about your health.
Menstrual cycle recap
Remember this one important detail: your period is not your menstrual cycle; it’s just one of the phases. The menstrual cycle refers to the hormonal changes that occur in the female body each month. On average, the cycle lasts between 25 and 35 days and consists of four phases.
Phase one is menstruation, when you get your actual period. Phase two is the follicular phase, when the eggs start to mature in their follicles. Phase three is the ovulatory phase, when the egg is released from the follicle and awaits fertilization. Phase four is the luteal phase, also known as your premenstrual phase.
The primary purpose of the menstrual cycle is to produce essential hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, which are crucial for overall function. Additionally, the cycle prepares the body for a potential pregnancy.
Here is where you start
Before diving into the natural remedies that can help you have a better period, you first need to pay attention to the following:
Track your period using your calendar or an app (I personally like the app Stardust). Log the first day of your cycle, which will be the first day your period starts, and continue logging each day of your period until it’s over. The entire length of your cycle is from day one of your period to the day before your next period.
Pay attention to how many days your period lasts. A good sign is when your period is 3 to 7 days, no longer and no shorter.
Take note of how your body feels in your luteal phase (your premenstrual phase). Are there any PMS symptoms? If so, what are they? Write them down or take mental notes.
How does your actual period feel? Is there extreme pain to the point you need medication? Do you experience nausea with the pain? Do your emotions feel out of control? Pay close attention here.
You want to make sure that you know what your current state is so that, as you make changes, you have something to look back on and compare it to. This inventory will help you recognize how you’re improving and become familiar with the symptoms you typically experience.
Remedies and lifestyle changes
Simplicity is medicine. Making small tweaks to your diet, lifestyle, and supplementation can create the biggest impact on your health.
Sleep hygiene
This one is probably obvious because we need quality sleep for overall health. You’d be surprised how many people don’t prioritize sleep. It doesn’t matter how many supplements you take, how healthy you eat, or how much you exercise. If you don’t get quality rest, it all falls short.
Sleep is how the body repairs itself. Without enough of it, you won’t fully reach a balanced level of health. This is a foundational step above all else.
High protein breakfast
Before feeling pressured to overhaul your diet, start with breakfast. Eating a high-protein breakfast is one of the best ways to balance your blood sugar and cortisol levels. When either of these is thrown out of balance, it can affect your menstrual cycle, leading to PMS and other period issues.
Have at least 30g of protein for breakfast.
Eat within an hour of waking up.
If you can't eat within an hour of waking up, either have a protein-rich snack before your actual breakfast or have a liquid breakfast consisting of a protein shake.
Make sure to hydrate before eating.
Magnesium
As coined by Dr. Lara Briden, magnesium is a miracle mineral for periods! Most people are deficient in this vital mineral, which plays a role in hundreds of processes in the body.
Magnesium is anti-inflammatory, can help decrease period pain, and assists with PMS. It also can assist with getting better sleep and lowering stress, both of which impact your period.
The kicker is knowing which form of magnesium to take because there are many types. The brand that I suggest is this magnesium bicarbonate in liquid form. This supplement also has the exact ratio of potassium and sodium that the body needs for optimal magnesium absorption.
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Limit caffeine intake
I know this might be hard to read, but if you're struggling with PMS, painful periods, heavy bleeding, bloating, or irregular cycles, you'll want to eliminate caffeine during your luteal phase. Caffeine has been linked to PMS by disrupting estrogen levels, causing them to be either too high or too low, and depleting the body of vital nutrients like magnesium and B vitamins.
Remember above how we spoke about eating high protein at breakfast for blood sugar and cortisol balance? It turns out that caffeine can spike insulin and cortisol which affect female bodies at a greater rate than males. All of this is the perfect recipe for discomfort leading up to and during your period.
Liver support
Love on your liver to have a better period! Your liver has a special role in regulating estrogen in the body. It breaks down estrogen and sends it to the digestive system for elimination through the bowels.
However, if your liver isn't functioning well, it can lead to excess estrogen. This excess may cause heavy bleeding, PMS, and painful period cramping.
5 simple ways to support your liver:
Eat bitter greens like arugula before meals.
Take this liver tincture 2–3 times a day, every day until your period improves.
Use a castor oil pack to support liver detox.
Decrease or eliminate alcohol consumption.
Use clean hygiene and cleaning products.
Eat 30g of protein per meal.
Fiber
After the liver breaks down excess estrogen, it sends it to the digestive system for elimination. If you aren’t having daily bowel movements, the excess estrogen can be reabsorbed into the body, perpetuating the cycle of PMS, heavy bleeding, cramping, fibroids, and other issues. Fiber is a necessary part of this process because it helps with the elimination and regulation of hormones.
Fiber options:
Apples
Pears
Berries
Lentils
Beans
Asparagus
Chicory root
The recommended daily amount of fiber is 30–40g, or even more if you’re dealing with menstrual health issues. If you know you aren’t getting enough fiber, start slow, work your way up, and increase your water intake to assist.
Decrease the overwhelm
If it feels overwhelming to implement the above, I recommend focusing on one at a time and slowly stacking them onto each other. You'll notice that some of them go hand in hand. Before you think you need 20 supplements or pricey lab work, start with the above first.
Be your best advocate
I can't tell you how many times I've gone to the gyno for my painful and heavy periods to only be put from one birth control to the next. Birth control is a band-aid solution to the actual issues causing hormonal imbalance in the body.
The best thing you can do is educate yourself on the menstrual cycle and hormones while paying attention to your menstrual cycle so that you can make better-informed decisions. Remember you will be your own best advocate, so don't be afraid to ask your doctor questions. If they don't want to hear you out and only want to prescribe, prescribe, prescribe, then it may be time to look into functional medicine or working with a menstrual health coach.
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Alycia Camacho, Hormone Health Coach & Spiritual Mentor
Alycia Camacho is a leader in menstrual cycle awareness and teaching others how to live in alignment with their ever-changing nature while also activating the voice. Through her own struggles with her health, self-worth, and menstrual cycle, she is dedicated to supporting others in ways that she wishes she would've received. Alycia is a hormone health coach, a vocal activator, and spiritual mentor. She is the founder and creator of Embracing Cycles LLC a holistic wellness space designed to teach others how to achieve optimal health from the physical to the spiritual.
