We’ve come full circle on the reproductive system.  If you’ve been following along, you’ll remember back in the spring we started with the anatomy of the uterus, and the first phase of the cycle: the follicular phase.  We’re back to that phase, but this time we’re going to talk about menses – your period or time of bleeding or “monthly” or whatever it is that you call this time of completion and renewal.

Menses is a word that comes from the Latin word, meaning, “month.”  The word, period, comes from the Greek words, peri and hodos, meaning, “around,” eventually turning into the Latin word, perodus, meaning “recurring.”  This gives a little insight as to why we use some of these words.  Since we’ve already discussed a lot of the clinical and hormonal aspects of this phase in the June 2024 letter, we’re going to focus more on how your period indicates balanced health.

If you recall, Day 1 of your cycle is the first day of full bleeding during your period, which is also the completion of your cycle.  This is your report card, so to speak, on the health of your whole reproductive cycle.  You may have had signs and symptoms prior to now, but you’ll get a full picture when this begins, how it progresses… or if it doesn’t.

God created the entire universe to work succinctly together – and humans were given a very important task of being the caretakers over all the rest of the living creations – a task that nourishes our whole body through being in nature, eating the nourishing foods, and moving through these peaceful places.  This creation can cause our reproductive cycle to thrive. If we accept this responsibility, we can use the created stars and moon, each in their specific place, as a timekeeper.  A normal moon cycle is 29.5 days and a healthy balanced reproductive cycle should follow this cycle as well.  But in our modern world, across all cultures, this becomes more challenging.

BALANCED PERIOD BIOMARKERS

• A healthy balanced optimal cycle is close to a moon cycle from the first day of bleeding to the last day before bleeding with ovulation near the full moon and menses near the new moon.
• The first day of a cycle is counted as the first full day of full bleeding and bleeding should last between 3 to 7 days.
• No spotting or bleeding between cycles. (Although, technically, "normal" is considered less than three days of spotting in the days just before your period starts, but none mid-cycle).
• Total blood loss for the whole week should be between 1 to 2 oz (or 6 to 10 tsp), which is changing approximately 1 to 2 regular pads over 24-hours or less than one menstrual cup in the whole week.
• Bleeding should have a light flow with a maple syrup-like consistency. Minimal, if any, clotting with no clots larger than a grape.  Flow should also not be watery.
• Blood should be close to a deep cherry or cardinal red color – not dark, purple, or brown – and not pink or translucent.
• You may have minor cramping on the first or second day and feel a desire to be restful and nurtured. However, you should be able to function without debilitating pain, discomfort, or mood swings.
• No foul or strong odors should be present.

Tracking your cycle is one of the best ways to examine your whole-body health.  Some of these biomarkers simply indicate that we had a rough month or are experiencing a temporary imbalance.  Some biomarkers can point to nutritional deficiencies, sleep and stress imbalances, hormonal imbalances, or environmental toxins.  If any one of these period biomarkers are imbalanced, it’s time to look deeper.  If you notice imbalances with multiple periods, even if the rest of your cycle seems balanced, get assessed.

Start with your basic nutrition and supplements.  We live in a time where it is almost impossible to get all the nutrients we need from food alone, even with a nutrient-dense diet.  Keep track of your symptoms throughout your cycle, and note the biomarkers of your period.  Charting this for two to three months can give you a good picture of what is happening regularly.  Also keep in mind your life phase.  While many of you may be in the beginning of your childbearing years, some of you are at the end of your childbearing years and will start to see normal shifting patterns as fertility wanes.  If you make any significant dietary, lifestyle, or supplement changes, you may need to be consistent with those changes for three months before you start noticing changes in your cycle, and period health.

If symptoms don’t improve or become worse, get tested.  There is a plethora of options for lab testing, some we’ve been discussing in the past months.  If you’d like more suggestions, reach out!