How To Get Period Relief, According to This Viral Expert

If I could wave a magic wand and give one gift to all women everywhere, it would be period relief (well, and equal pay, reproductive rights, and ending all sexual harassment to name a few big ones, but that’s another article for another day). People who experience periods have experienced debilitating cramps and depressing mood swings. They also have to deal with hormonal breakouts, nonexistent sexual drive, uncomfortable bloat, and diagnoses such as endometriosis. According to the Office on Women’s Health, over 90% of women have premenstrual symptoms. Even worse, we’ve been told that it’s totally normal, we’re being dramatic, or to just shut up and take a “magic” pill that will put a Band-Aid on the problem. *Raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimized by your cycle.*

Enter: Alisa Vitti. Vitti is a women’s hormone expert, bestselling author, and creator of an empire centered on helping women heal period symptoms and improve issues like fertility, sex drive, and more. In other words, she’s the hormone queen and your new best friend. She teaches the approach that while period symptoms are common, they are not normal—you can (and should!) heal your body so you’re not suffering every month. “You can take charge of your hormonal health and reduce symptoms naturally so they are not ruining your life anymore,” she said.

For someone like me who stayed home from junior high and high school every month due to unbearable cramps, has been told for over a decade by health care professionals that I just had to “deal with it,” and has tried various prescriptions from every type of birth control to prescription pain killers that just made me disconnected from my body, finding Vitti’s work felt like divine intervention. Her bestselling book is a great resource for information about cycle syncing and healing period symptoms. WomanCodeDownload the MyFlo app, view her TED Talk and continue reading for all the tips Vitti gave to me when she was chatting with me about how to end your period pains forever. 

What causes period symptoms?

You already know that any symptoms related to the cycle are not normal, even though they are quite common. Why do we feel bloated, cramps, or PMS? Vitti explained that All symptoms—including hormonal acne, breast tenderness, food cravings, mood swings, fatigue, irregular periods, low libido, PCOS, and infertility—are all signs of a hormonal imbalance, which is caused by diet and lifestyle factors. “Period symptoms are caused by diet choices, micronutrient deficiencies, eating bad fats, restricting calories, and/or doing the same workout every day,” Vitti said. In other words, we can look to our cycles for insight on what’s going on with our bodies.

Vitti actually considers the menstrual period the fifth vital sign. “It’s just as important as taking your temperature or blood pressure and just as serious when you have abnormal readings,” she said. Paying attention to your cycle-related symptoms is important not only to feel better about your period, but also to get vital information about your body’s health. I used to hate my period. Now I view it as my greatest superpower. My cycle gives me critical insight and information that I can use to keep my body healthy. Vitti suggests that you heal your body once and for all! improving your cycle symptoms.

5 ways to treat period symptoms

1. Get your hormones checked

Of course, the first step is to know what you’re working with and gain insight. Vitti advised that you seek out your doctor to have blood work done to determine hormone levels, thyroid levels, vitamin D3 levels, and other factors. These can provide important insight into hormonal imbalances which can help guide a specific plan. For example, heavy periods and bloating could be due to estrogen dominance. Or excess testosterone could cause hormonal acne and other symptoms. Balanced hormones will solve the problem and not mask it. You must first understand what needs to balance. 

2. Pay attention to what you do with your sex drive

If your fifth vital signs is your menstrual cycles, your sex drive will be like your fifth vital indicator 2.0. While there’s no “perfect” libido or ideal level of sex drive for everyone, feeling “in the mood” is an important tool we can look at to keep the body healthy. In other words, it’s time we stop thinking about sex as something we do for a relationship—it’s a crucial part of our wellness and overall physical health. Vitti explained that your sex drive is cyclical, meaning it varies based on which phase of the cycle you’re in; it’s normal to go through weeks where your sex drive is high and weeks where your sex drive is low. But if you’re experiencing low libido most of the time, it’s probably a hormonal imbalance due to stress, micronutrient depletion, or being on birth control. 

3. Your lifestyle and your cycle can be synchronized

For women with a period, your hormones may be imbalanced simply because your diet, exercise, and lifestyle are not in sync with your natural infradian rhythm (AKA most of us—there’s a widespread cultural norm that we are supposed to repeat the same rituals every 24 hours, like the same workday schedule or the same workout). Good news! You can balance your hormones with a sync to your cycle.

“Your infradian rhythm, which we experience over our monthly cycle, causes changes in our metabolism, brain, stress, and other systems. If you are not supporting it properly, you’ll be disrupting your period, and it will also increase stress levels, disrupt blood sugar, and make weight management extremely difficult,” Vitti explained. The Cycle Syncing Method acknowledges that the body is not the same through every four phases of our menstrual cycle; we have different caloric, nutrient, and fitness needs, depending on which phase we’re in. 

For example, if you’re trying to force your body into an extreme HIIT workout while in the menstrual or luteal phase, the body may respond with hormonal imbalance because it needs gentle movement like light yoga, walks, and stretching. Likewise, if you’re not getting enough calories because the body needs more than in the previous phase (according to Vitti, we need approximately 279 more calories per day in the luteal phase), the body can respond with hormonal imbalance as well. More information here WhatThe Cycle Syncing Method explains how each phase of the cycle affects the body’s needs. One key takeaway is to rethink your diet, workout routine, and even your daily schedule. It is important to align our routines with our bodies, and not vice versa.

4. Get involved in gut health

Gut health is directly linked to your reproductive system. As Vitti explained, bowel movements are how the body gets rid of the estrogen it doesn’t need to keep the hormones of the body balanced. If you’re not having consistent bowel movements or you have certain microbiome imbalances that are affecting gut health, the body may have a difficult time getting rid of excess estrogen, causing an estrogen dominance and hormonal imbalance in the body. “Microbiome imbalances can lead to excess estrogen that can make heavy bleeding and other symptoms worse,” Vitti explained. You should be focusing on your gut health and eating high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, etc.If you experience gut-related symptoms, such as chronic constipation or IBS, talk to your doctor.

5. Talk to your doctor about your plan for birth control

Only you know what’s best for your body, but picking the birth control that’s right for you can be confusing, isolating, and frustrating. If you’re like me and wondering how to sync your cycle while you’re on a method that gives you an artificial or non-existent period (like the pill), bad news: You can’t. “You cannot sync with your cycle if you are on a birth control pill, as it shuts off your ability to have a cycle,” Vitti explained.

If you’re on the pill to manage cramps, irregularity, or acne, just know it’s like putting a Band-Aid over the problem and might even be preventing you from Fixing the problem since it’s stopping your natural cycle. “Birth control does not fix your period problems, so it’s important to learn about all of your options before committing to a course of treatment,” Vitti recommended. Between NuvaRing, shots, IUDs, the patch, and pills, the method that’s best for you is extremely personal—what’s right for your best friend, or even your gynecologist, may not be right for you. Talk to your doctor to discuss a symptom management plan and birth control plan that suits your lifestyle, health goals, reproductive planning, and preferences.