The Happy Hormone Guide Read online

  ONE OTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT TO NOTE IS THAT THE PILL CAN ALTER YOUR NATURAL CHOICE IN A MATE.

  It’s true (primarily of heterosexual relationships): the pill can affect the type of man a woman is attracted to. The initial attraction to a male is all about pheromones and body odor. In a man’s body scent lies hidden clues about his major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes, which play an important role in immune system vigilance. Studies suggest that women prefer the scent of males whose MHC genes are genetically different or opposite of their own, a preference that most likely evolved to help offspring survive because couples with different MHC genes are less likely to be related. This means a lower chance of miscarriage, and their children are born with more varied MHC profiles and stronger immune systems. The problem is that the pill disrupts natural pheromones that guide you toward a genetically suitable mate. Studies have also shown men find women on the pill less attractive than those not on the pill due to copulins, which are cyclical pheromones specific to the vagina (when you are most fertile in the ovulatory phase) that draw sexual interest from men.

  One study suggests that women on the pill undergo a shift in preference toward men who share similar MHC genes. Female subjects were more likely to rate the scent of a genetically similar man (via shirts worn by the men) as pleasant and desirable after they went on the pill, as compared to before. Scientists believe the hormonal changes that mimic pregnancy while on the pill draw women toward nurturing relatives, more so than a mate. Going off the pill while in a relationship may create some turmoil because you may not feel as sexually attracted to your partner as you once did while on the pill if he has a similar MHC-profile. You may even feel the urge to look elsewhere for a male with a MHC-profile different than yours. These findings are fascinating to me—that a tiny pill can influence sex, love, and marriage in more ways than one.

  Your Period: The 5th Vital Sign

  When you have a regular period, it serves as a monthly report card for what’s happening in your body. For women, menstruation is our fifth vital sign. Here’s what a natural period does for us:

  PROVIDES HEALTH CLUES: Without a natural period or cycle, you may miss the chance to address any imbalances or issues early on. Clues can be anything from the color of your period blood (see this page), cramps, irregular periods, a cycle that is too short or too long, breast tenderness, painful periods, acne, mood swings, fatigue, weight gain, depression, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and more. It’s your body’s way of telling you that it may not be balanced to its fullest extent. You will not experience these clues while on hormonal birth control.

  NATURALLY CLEANSING: Menstrual bleeding acts as a natural cleansing and waste removal process by releasing bacteria and discharging excess iron. Bleeding can also act as an emotional release and time to let go of anything or any thoughts that no longer serve you.

  AWAKENS LIBIDO: Oh, hello! Have we met before? During a natural cycle and leading up to ovulation, you will notice an increase in arousal and be naturally in the mood for sex (whether you want a baby or not). Not to mention, regular ovulation is associated with improved breast, bone, and heart health.

  LONGEVITY: Your natural period slows the aging process. Women age more slowly than men because of iron lost during menstruation, which also lowers your risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s.

  QUITTING THE PILL AND STARTING THE HAPPY HORMONE METHOD

  There is no right or wrong way to come off the pill, but you have a couple of options. Keep in mind that everyone reacts differently. Unfortunately, stopping can bring back symptoms you had before you started the pill, along with new symptoms from your body trying to readjust without relying on synthetic hormones to do all the work. Your ovaries have been in hibernation and need to wake up.

  Because of this, it’s important to manage your expectations post-pill. Don’t feel discouraged—the symptoms are temporary until your hormones sort themselves out with nutrition and lifestyle support. The adjustment period is inevitable and unavoidable so better to get it over with (at least in my opinion) because many rewards lie ahead.

  I highly recommend starting the Happy Hormone Method 2-3 months before going off the pill. This will help you clean up your diet, reduce inflammation, heal your microbiome, eliminate endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and lay the foundation for your body to replenish lost micronutrient stores that you need to readjust and begin making your hormones again. Stopping the pill this way will help lessen the negative post-pill symptoms. You may not get your period back for a few months (it took mine six months to come back) but start by tracking any symptoms. You may experience PMS, temporary weight gain, hair loss, and post-pill acne (sometimes it’s worse than before the pill), but in time and by sticking to this plan, symptoms should subside in a few months. Trust me; I’ve been there (except I didn’t have a plan to guide me).

  Think of the process as a chance to connect with your body, evaluate how it is reacting without the pill, notice how your real periods feel after having been asleep for so long, and open up the mind-body lines of communication. You can now see, feel and hear what’s going on internally.

  For a naturopathic method to help balance your cycle, facilitate the return of a period, and alleviate PMS symptoms, please refer to “Seed Cycling”.

  Hormone-Based IUD’s

  A hormone-based IUD releases synthetic progestin in the uterus to thicken cervical mucus, preventing the survival of sperm and therefore, preventing pregnancy. While the amounts of synthetic hormones in these devices are far less than in oral contraceptives, ovulation and menstruation can still suppress, and the IUD interferes with natural hormone ratios. Any synthetic hormone you put in the body will come with side effects—it’s as simple as that. A 2016 study revealed that the hormone-based IUD holds a higher risk of depression than the pill, which is something to consider.

  NON-HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL METHODS

  The most important thing to remember as you consider this option is that you can only get pregnant 3-5 days of the month, during your fertile ovulation window.

  Are you still sold on the fact that every time you have sex, you have a chance of getting pregnant? This false statement has been hammered into our brains since our first sex ed class and is entirely fear-based. The reality is, you can only get pregnant during your ovulation window when fertile mucus is present. Now, this gets complicated if you don’t know your cycle, when you’re ovulating, what type of cervical mucus to look for, or if you experience ovulation spotting (can be confused with a period but is unlikely), but it’s easy to learn.

  FERTILITY AWARENESS METHOD

  This is what I use with the BBT method below. The Fertility Awareness Method is a natural, hormone-free method of birth control that involves learning to interpret fertile signs to know which days you are actually fertile. If you are trying to avoid pregnancy and you abstain from unprotected sex on the days you could possibly get pregnant, your chances of getting pregnant are slim to none. This is why, when the Fertility Awareness Method is used correctly, it is 99.4% effective. Start with the MyFLO tracker app (or your favorite tracking app; see this page for app recommendations) and begin to learn your cycle.

  The MyFLO tracker app is pretty spot-on for me, as long as I’m checking in every day and entering my signs, symptoms, and periods. When you know you’re ovulating (and don’t want to get pregnant), practice safe sex and use a condom with spermicide, or avoid sex completely during the days before and after ovulation. Fertile mucus can keep sperm nourished and alive in your vagina for 3-5 days, so plan accordingly. There are plenty of fertile signs like cervical mucus, basal body temperature, and a few others that I talk about in the Ovulation chapter.

  THE BBT METHOD (BASAL BODY TEMPERATURE)

  The BBT method is most reliable when combined with the Fertility Awareness Method above. When used together, the two methods can have a success r
ate as high as 98 percent. This method is another way to pinpoint the day of ovulation so that you can avoid sex for the few days before and after peak ovulation days. It involves taking your basal body temperature (which means your temperature upon first waking every morning, before sitting up or doing anything) with an accurate “basal” thermometer (which is more precise than a regular thermometer). After ovulation takes place, a rise in temperature occurs for at least three consecutive days. You’ll note this each month. This helps you figure out exactly when you’re ovulating and recognize your fertility patterns.

  You can use a basic digital basal thermometer (available online or at any drugstore), or a device like the Daysy which determines your fertile days and ovulation by recording, analyzing, and storing your temperature and menstrual cycle data over time. It will alert you on the days when intercourse may lead to pregnancy, including the day you ovulate and five days before ovulation.

  Please see this page for a more detailed description of the BBT method.

  MALE CONDOMS

  Yes, condoms! When used correctly, condoms are 98% effective (just as effective as the pill) at preventing pregnancy. But people aren’t perfect, and sometimes they aren’t used correctly, which lowers their effective rate to 85%. For extra precaution, use condoms with spermicide, but only when you’re ovulating.

  COPPER IUD (NON-HORMONAL)

  If you want an IUD, it’s better to avoid the synthetic hormones and get the copper, hormone-free IUD. It releases a small amount of copper into the uterus to prevent sperm from fertilizing eggs. Sperm doesn’t like copper, so this device makes it almost impossible for them to reach the egg.

  This is an excellent option for many women because it doesn’t suppress ovulation and you’ll still experience real periods which means you can track each cycle phase, monitor your menstrual health, and reap the benefits of a natural cycle. It’s over 99% effective for preventing pregnancy and lasts 12 years. There are some possible side effects to keep in mind. At the onset of use, it can cause heavy menstrual bleeding that usually subsides. Other possible side effects include heavier periods, cramping, pain during insertion, discomfort during sex, and spotting between periods.

  FEMCAP

  This is a reusable, latex-free cervical cap that is similar to a diaphragm but smaller. Shaped like a little sailor’s cap, it fits around your cervix and can be left in for up to 48 hours for worry-free pregnancy prevention. The Femcap is over 92% effective and can be used in conjunction with a contraceptive gel (like ContraGel). Femcap comes in three different sizes. In the U.S., it must be fitted and prescribed by a doctor but is also available in some countries without a prescription.

  CAYA DIAPHRAGM

  Caya is a new one-size-fits-most reusable diaphragm that was designed to fit the female anatomy. It’s made of silicone rather than latex and does not need to be fitted by your doctor. It’s as safe as the original diaphragm but should always be used with a water-based contraceptive gel or spermicide such as ContraGel and should be left in after intercourse for at least 6 hours. It does require a prescription but can be filled by Caya directly through mail-order or at your local pharmacy.

  AS I’M SURE YOU’VE COME TO REALIZE, THERE are many layers and facets to your wellness journey. It is ever-changing as you learn, grow, and adapt. Food can act as healing medicine to naturally support and harmonize hormones, or it can act as a highly addictive and inflammatory drug. Either way, it’s no secret that what you eat influences hormone function, how you look and feel, and your overall health.

  The Happy Hormone Method celebrates feeding your body an abundance of fresh, high-vibrational, delicious, and seasonal plant foods containing nutrients that your cells can utilize. This means foods found in nature in their original, untouched form. They’re unprocessed, free of chemicals and preservatives, and contain nothing artificial. These life-giving foods make up the infrastructure of a plant-based lifestyle and include an array of fresh vegetables, leafy greens, ripe fruits, gluten-free grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. The colors you see in fresh produce represent vitamins unique to that fruit or vegetable, which is why eating a rainbow of plant foods ensures you are getting a variety of essential vitamins and minerals.

  When you add in more of the right foods, there’s less room in your diet for processed junk. Whole foods are full of fiber (essential for regular digestion/elimination, as mentioned earlier), water, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, which allow us to feel satiated and full. Eating this way greatly reduces your risk for chronic diseases. Research suggests that eating a plant-based diet may reduce the risk for certain types of cancer and heart disease. It may help slow or prevent cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease in older adults and can reduce the risk of developing diabetes while improving blood sugar control. Those who adopt a plant-based diet also tend to have smaller carbon footprints by helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions, land used for factory farming, and destruction of topsoil, while helping to conserve water and slow deforestation.

  Amazing changes are happening in the wellness realm, and a plant-based lifestyle is becoming more popular every day with grocery stores and restaurants offering products and menus that cater to plant-based diets. Doctors and health professionals have started writing “prescriptions” for more plants and fewer animal products because your cells thrive on alkalizing plant foods. A whole food, plant-based diet is also a powerful weight loss tool as it eliminates fast food, refined sugar, and refined grains.

  Environmental Impact—Some Facts:

  Eating one less burger each week is equivalent to taking your car off the road for 320 miles or line-drying your clothes half of the time.

  If a family of four skips meat and cheese one day each week, it’s equivalent to your car off the road for five weeks or reducing everyone’s daily showers by three minutes.

  If a family of four skips steak once a week, it’s equivalent to taking your car off the road for nearly three months.

  If everyone in the U.S. removed meat or cheese from their diet just one day a week, it would be equivalent to driving 91 billion fewer miles or taking 7.6 million cars off the road.

  EAT FOR YOUR CYCLE

  We often get stuck in a routine when it comes to eating because it’s convenient. We stick with what we know and like and end up eating the same foods week after week. Then we get bored or stressed out and throw in the towel. We order takeout more than we’d like or turn to processed meals because they’re easy until we feel like being healthy again. And the cycle continues. Does that sound familiar? The problem with routine ways of eating is that your food can lack a variety of micronutrients necessary to fuel the functionality of your endocrine system and support hormone balance throughout each phase. You can even develop food sensitivities from regularly eating the same things.

  Honestly, the food component of the Happy Hormone Method took months for me to grasp because I was very used to my way of eating. I remember feeling scared to branch out of my food bubble because I thought I was healthy, to begin with. Why do I have to change what I’m doing? How am I going to coordinate this every month? How am I going to remember what foods to eat and when? Then I thought about my debilitating PMS symptoms and terrible acne and fatigue and realized that whatever method I was following wasn’t working for my hormones so trying something new was worth a shot. What did I have to lose?

  Your body moves through four phases every single month, and the Happy Hormone Method will teach you how to eat (and live) in each phase to optimize your life and overall health.

  Eating cyclically for your monthly cycle means switching up the types of foods you are consuming to optimize bodily functions at different times of the month. Eating this way ensures you consume a variety of necessary micronutrients and natural fiber from plants throughout the whole month. Every vegetable, fruit, legume, nut, and seed offers unique vitamins and minerals that can help your body flow through each phase with fe
wer symptoms and more energy to work on healing and restoration.

  Once I fully committed to eating cyclically, I slowly created a new normal, and it made so much more sense than my prior eating habits. Sure, my old routine may have been “healthy,” but it wasn’t hormonally supportive. At first, it took some time to figure it all out. But this is precisely why I wrote The Happy Hormone Guide. I have it all mapped out for you in Part 2 of this book to make the transition as smooth and easy as possible.

  This plan caters to women and aligns with what the body needs each week. Living this way keeps things exciting, ensures I’m eating a variety of foods, and prevents food boredom while also being comfortingly predictable.

  IMPORTANCE OF BUYING ORGANIC PRODUCE—WHEN YOU CAN

  Choosing organic produce is the best way to avoid endocrine-disrupting pesticides, toxic residue, GMO seed crops, and farming chemicals on your food. While eating a plant-based diet means you don’t have to worry about hormones in meat or dairy products, it’s important to consider the fruits and veggies you consume. I’m a huge believer in you get what you pay for, and if you aren’t paying for it now, your health may pay for it later. While buying organic is more expensive, you are paying for the special care organic farmers place on protecting the environment. Organic farming practices prioritize health for the entire ecosystem, from healthy soil and crops, healthy animals, and a healthy environment for our planet.