Hello lovelies,
Today I want to talk to all the ladies (but boys you can stay too and learn a little).
Just a little heads up! We are talking body stuff. Women body stuff.
I love being a woman… really I do but periods and all that comes with them really are the bane of my existence. I get that I needed them to have the two beautiful kids that I have. I am so grateful for that but I just wish they would just fly in and out like fairy dust, instead of a grade 10 hurricane. Not sure if they exist but let’s just say they do.
Apparently 85% of all women suffer from some kind of PMS/PMT but maybe we are just all suffering in silence and letting our families and partners deal with the fall out. I know I feel like hibernating away from the masses for a few days every month when I get my ‘girly time’.
Side note – I started calling it ‘girly time’ as a cute way to remind my family that Godzilla was in the house.
Common things we get to deal with during PMS and menstruation:
Tension
Anxiety
Trouble sleeping
Tiredness and fatigue
Bloating
Fluid retention
Spots
Sore breasts
Headaches
Mood swings
Feeling low/sad
Cramping
Dizziness
Tummy troubles
It all sounds absolutely divine doesn’t it?
Boys, if you are still reading, this is why your partner needs love, patience, foot rubs and chocolate.
Now for those of you who have none of these issues, please know that I don’t envy you or wish that you had what I have to put up with every month. That would be mean and I am not mean. In fact I am happy that the universe has blessed you with such luck and I love that you are one of the 15% that has escaped this challenge – so please go out and do lots of fun and sassy things with that time.
Ok I lost track as I headed off on my floaty cloud of having a non-pain in the butt reproductive system… yes the life of being a woman… I basically was a martyr to periods until 5 years ago when I discovered essential oils. I realized not only could they help me from being a snappy piranha, they could also help me be calm, sleep better and have less physical issues.
A win for me and a win for my ever patient family!
Here below are a few key oils that I love to have on hand and use to help me navigate the hormonal minefield that is my life.
Clarycalm – This needs to be every woman’s handbag. Daily I roll this on the bottoms of my sweet feet to help me balance my emotions and on my abdomen for cramping. It’s super soothing for my body and my personality!
Lavender – It helps with calming, inflammation, relaxing and peaceful sleep. Try a therapeutic bath. Sweet music, candles and 20 mins (minimum) of uninterrupted time (ie no hustling or hassling of the kid, pet or partner variety).Simply enjoy just you with you.
Deep Blue – Using the cream or oil on your lower back or any area of discomfort can be super soothing.
Rose – I am so happy we have this oil now with doTERRA. It’s like the oil of all oils. Gentle badass-ness in a bottle. It can help with cramping and heavy periods when rubbed on the abdomen. It’s also my go to for general self-care and self-love when you need it most. A great one for stress, anxiety as well as helping to improve your mood.
Jasmine – Can I say this? I rub that **** all over! Especially on my abdominal area as it can be helpful with cramping. It’s also good for improving your mood, helping with stress and balancing your hormones. It helps me smell divine and behave a little better too.
Peppermint – I love to rub this on my neck and temples to help with head tension. It’s also a great cooling oil when you are feeling hot and bothered. Add it to water in a spray bottle and spritz all over.
Geranium – It’s good for balancing hormones, circulation, helping with anxiety and inflammation.
Clary Sage – Super calming, helps regulate flow, eases discomfort and cramps.
Ylang Ylang – Great to help uplift and balance your mood, for stress and it’s an anti-inflammatory too.
Slim and Sassy / Smart and Sassy – Pow pow! Take that sugar craving! A drop of this in a large glass of water can do wonders for balancing that sweet tooth that lurks unrelentingly when it’s THAT time trying to trip up your healthy eating regime.
Balance – calming, let go of stress, grounding and a must have oil for every woman, man and child. Temper tantrums be gone.
Added to this list of essential oils above, I have some pearls of wisdom below.
In many cultures our ‘girly time’ is a time of rest and recuperation. It’s the yin in our yang type busy life. We should heed this ancient tradition and lay off being super busy and super active. In fact my acupuncturist banned me from having gym time during these days and told me that if I needed to exercise I should go for a gentle walk. Of course I didn’t argue with her and have definitely seen a shift in how I feel emotionally. Ladies we are allowed to have self-care and self-love but especially when our body is going through such challenges so just press the pause button and everything else can wait.
Drinking lots of water, generally, is a good idea because hydrating is always important but more so when your body is working through things and losing fluids. Adding a drop of lemon essential oil to your large glass of water will help with detox, digestion and bloating. It’s supportive to your liver and kidneys too… just an FYI for those of you reaching for the glass of Chardonay to go with your chocolate bar.
Talking of chocolate try to not go head first into the candy bag, cake tin or ice cream tub. Sugar, although tasty, has no nutritional value whatsoever. Now there are a few reasons we crave the sugar and it’s not just because we feel miserable although lower serotonin can be a cause for that feel good high, so too can a change in our hormones or a change in our body’s response to insulin. So it’s all about moderation here, ladies.
Aromatherapist Lou Meggiato of Mandala Essentials
The fact is we just don’t get the nutrition we need these days just from our food and then we have our girly time and healthy eating goes out of the window. This is one of the reasons I love the LifeLong Vitality Pack supplements because it makes up for my skipped breakfast, my not so healthy lunch, my PMS treats or the fact that I couldn’t find organic at the grocery store!
These supplements help give my cells all the energy and nutrients they need. I add Mito 2 Max to this especially in the winter months to help give me a little more zing in my step because caffeine really isn’t all that.
The Terrazyme and PB Assist I add to help my digestion and my nutrient uptake. Then finally I add the bone nutrient and phytoestrogen complex into the mix to help my bones as I age and keep my hormones in check.
Phew that sounds like a lot but what I have learnt is that anything worth doing, is worth doing well. And if that difference means you feel better then you know it’s worth it. Creating new healthy habits takes a little time and commitment but I know I likely have many more years of ‘girly time’ to contend with so I’m combatting my inner grumpy tired goddess with healthy natural gifts of the earth.
The plus side is that my whole family benefits – as in I’m nicer to be around.
Sending much love to my ladies and much support to their families dealing with them!
Love,
Lou
xo