Myths about womanhood - Did you know these things?

Myths about womanhood -
Did you already know these things?

By Hanne

Last year I wrote a 3-part series of blog articles about being a woman and the myths of womanhood. Myths about womanhood were a topic at an online health summit here in Finland last week, as one lecture was all about circle awareness. That inspired me to bring the topic up again and update my own experiences on the topic a bit.

Myths about womanhood -
Did you already know these things?

From a young age, we have been taught to feel ashamed of our bodies instead of feeling empowered. We are taught that the feminine cycle is a curse that we should hide or with which we should learn to live rather than realizing how unique our cycles and bodies really are.

You might also be interested in this: A month as a woman: How to balance hormonal functions?

Hormones affect everything, even outside of our menstrual rhythm; mood, creativity, energy levels, and so much more.

Our hormonal cycle is not sufficiently taken into account in functional medicine and biohacking or medical research discussions. Often it is even be ignored entirely.

Myth 1: PMS is part of Menstruation

We have learned to live in the belief that PMS symptoms are typical. The truth, however, is that they are not. You don’t have to suffer every single month and especially not settle for your “destiny.”

Truth: PMS symptoms only occur when estrogen and progesterone are imbalanced during the luteal phase (= 10-14 days phase before your period). You can read more about the different phases here.

That hormonal imbalance can be overcome by anything other than diet. It means minimizing coffee, sugar, dairy products, and dieting.

The National Institutes of Health BioCycle study says that the longer PMS symptoms are ignored and left untreated, the greater the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and dementia after menopause.

When you live respecting your cycle, eating the right foods, and picking up your energy levels, your PMS symptoms will go away.

For about two years, my diet has entirely eliminated ALL the discomfort associated with my cycle.

Myth 2: Menstrual cramps are Unavoidable

More than half of all women of childbearing age say they have some degree of menstrual pain for one or two days. Have you ever thought that you must experience pain or that you are cursed to have these painful episodes in your life as a woman? You may have heard that you have to get used to it, and it won’t last long, and so have you.

Truth: You don’t have to suffer from pain.
Your body produces one type of prostaglandin hormone (PgE2), which causes uterine contractions, and too much of the hormone can lead to pain. But did you know that your body also produces two other prostaglandin hormones (PgE1 and PgE3) that are antispasmodic? These two natural hormones are your body’s “painkillers,” and they give your body twice the ability to relieve pain than cause it. How? You guessed it by including the right kind of foods that fit this stage of the hormonal cycle and support hormonal health.

Tips on circle supporting diet you can read here.

Myth 3: Using birth control pills helps you regulating your cycle

Most women still believe that they are still menstruating even if they are taking birth control pills. After all, during a week’s break, a kind of bleeding follows each month.

Truth: What you experience with the pill is not actual menstrual bleeding.
It is actually a period of leakage that has no physiological resemblance to the natural periods.

This kind of pill bleed was a marketing “effect” at the beginning of the history of birth control pills. Women were disturbed by the idea that they did not have menstruation.

For menstruation to appear, you must ovulate; but birth control pills prevent a critical phase in this cycle. Without ovulation, you are in a static low hormonal phase, and therefore you cannot menstruate. It is good to know that synthetic contraception also does not correct hormonal imbalances; It just suppresses your regular hormonal activity and allows you to continue doing so for years or decades without addressing the root causes of your symptoms. In turn, it will have a significant impact on your health in the long run.

Myth 4: You don't have to be menstruating

You might have heard the argument that women today have no reason to menstruate and that we would actually be much more efficient and healthy if we did.

Truth: As great as it is to understand and become aware of how cleverly our body’s natural cycle can be suppressed that doesn’t mean we should.

Remember that nature is infinitely intelligent, and our cycle is a gift that protects our health. Menstruation is the fifth vital function, just as important as heart rate, body temperature, breathing, and blood pressure.

Ovulation and, with it, menstruation play an essential role in protecting our health in the coming decades. They protect us from osteoporosis, breast cancer, and dementia.

Myth 5: Even if your period is painful there is not much that you can do

When you get the flu, do you just let it go and be on your body, or do you promote your healing by some means? We often believe that something in our lives is involved, like painful menstruation, and we do nothing about it.

Truth: You can take action, change your hormonal reality, and thus improve your hormonal balance and health.

Just like you do in case you have flu. You do not have to put up with painful periods. Food, exercise, supplements, and time management are the key to better hormonal balance, and you can see the result already during your next cycle.

Your body, Your diet

In the third article in the series of blog articles, I wrote about diet, and that trend diets are only sometimes suitable for your cycle.

Trend diets, e.g., intermittent fasting, are not recommended to extend the 12/12 rhythm. I have been on a 12/12 intermittent fast for a long time and decided to test how my body reacts to the 8/16 rhythm, despite the fact that it is not recommended. However, my rhythm of life allows this, and I wouldn’t try something similar if I were, for example, in paid work, and my daily rhythm wasn’t as regular what comes to rest as it is now. By regularity, I mean that I get at least 8 hours of sleep every night and the day is precisely the same from week to month, which is one less stressor for my body.

In my case, the 8/16 rhythm has worked very well so far, and as long as it feels good, I intend to continue it.

What is good to consider is how stressed your body is in your everyday life. If your work rhythm is hectic, the 8/16 rhythm can be one more stress factor, and thus it can negatively affect your cycle through your hormonal activity.

Are you already aware of the different stages of your cycle and these myths of womanhood? And do you live your life respecting it and your body?

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Hi, I'm Hanne

I am a yoga instructor and personal trainer dedicated to holistic wellbeing and natural living. On my blog, I share insights and practical tips to help you find balance and harmony in your life.