menstrual cycle | The Hormone Diva

The Perfect Breakfast for Balancing Hormones

Growing up, my breakfast was almost completely made up of breakfast cereals. But, my mom would only let my sister and I have the “healthy” cereals- Cheerios, Special K, and more. She would let us choose a sugary cereal for special occasions only- Christmas and Birthdays. Fruit Loops and Captain Crunch were my favs. She thought she was giving us the healthy choices on a daily basis- little did I know at the time that ALL breakfast cereals (yep, all of them) are crap. Crap for your health, crap for your hormones.

Maybe you have a similar story of using cereal, toast, bagels, muffins and other flour-based and sweet tasting products as your daily breakfast food. I get it- it’s tasty, it’s fast and really- who gives a fuck? It’s just some fuel to get you going, right?

Or perhaps you’re of the skipping breakfast camp. Too busy in the morning, or eating food first thing makes you want to puke your guts up.

My job is to tell you the truth, and sometimes that means bursting your bubble. Eating a sugary, carb-heavy breakfast, or not eating breakfast at all, is totally unacceptable.

Before you get huffy and close this page, please read on. I know you’ll understand by the end of this article and you’ll have some concrete examples of WHAT is in the perfect breakfast.

Why Your Current Breakfast Strategy Sucks

Breakfast is important. Skipping breakfast or eating a high carbohydrate breakfast like what I’ve mentioned above is seriously detrimental to your hormone balance, weight loss and energy-increasing efforts. Here’s why.

Cortisol, that stress hormone you’ve heard about, is highest first thing in the morning. Part of the reason for this is to get you up and out of bed, regulating your circadian rhythm or sleep-wake cycle. This is totally natural and normal, but problems can arise when a proper breakfast doesn’t follow the getting-out-of-bed.

Cortisol is a hormone that stimulates the formation of new sugars to be released in the bloodstream. Often, cortisol will break down muscle and use your muscles to create the sugar. This is bad news for a couple of reasons. Firstly, you want sexy, lean muscle on your body because it burns more calories at rest than fat does. Second, if you use up all of your muscles, you will become very weak, your bones might be negatively effected and your hormones and nervous system will suffer.

So, when cortisol is high in the morning, it’s important to eat a healthful breakfast to stop it from breaking down muscle to create sugar to keep you going. By eating breakfast, you tell your body you have nutrients and sugars, and can keep your precious muscle.

This is What Happens in Your Body When You Eat a Sugary Breakfast

Let’s say you enjoy having the breakfast cereal Special K for breakfast. Or maybe another cereal, or toast, muffins or bagels. For our purposes, let’s stick with Special K. This cereal is promoted heavily as being a “healthy” breakfast option for women wanting to keep trim, and stay healthy. The main way the people at Special K pass this crap off as “healthy” is because it’s low calorie, and low fat. Neither of which are doing your health or hormones any favours.

When you eat that cold, crunchy cereal first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (or with a BIG coffee, which will intensify all the effects), your body gets a sugar hit. ~~Sorry~~ Not sorry to say that even if the cereal doesn’t actually have “sugar” in the ingredients, the processed nature of it makes it almost indistinguishable from sugar in your body.

So, you get the sugar hit, and there’s no fibre, healthy fats or proteins to slow it down. Even if you have it with whole milk, this is still a mess. Your body receives that sugar rush, and so your blood sugar rises rapidly. In response to this huge lift in blood sugar, your pancreas releases insulin, your blood sugar regulating hormone, to get that sugar out of the blood and into the cells to make energy.

So far, not too bad.

The problem arises when this cereal is more than a one time thing. Eventually, your body will make more and more insulin, and your cells will become desensitized to it. So, you can’t get the sugar in the cell and are left with high sugar and high insulin levels. Eventually, about an hour or two later, your body will crash. Blood sugar levels will dip drastically, as there’s no fat or protein to keep everything stable, and this is where the problems begin.

When that sugar dips, likely you’ll be feeling super hungry, and headed to the vending machine for chocolate, the corner store for a coffee or anything else that’s carb-loaded and sugary you can get your hands on for more quick energy.

Before you reach that ravenous state about an hour or two after breakfast, you’ll likely experience some crazy mood swings. Like WHO the fuck does she think she is, or I can’t BELIEVE hubby hasn’t done the dishes AGAIN after I’ve asked him a million times, or GAH I’m so ugly and fat, I can’t go on anymore.

As you go through your day, now on this blood sugar roller coaster, you’ll be cravings carbs and sugars, having crazy, embarrassing mood swings and feeling like a zombie without a brain as you move from one thing to the next.

And guess what happens when your insulin and sugar are chronically out of whack?

FAT storage.

Yep, insulin turns into a fat storage hormone instead of a blood-sugar regulating hormone when there’s a lot of it, and when your body has become desensitized to it’s blood-sugar regulating abilities.

And you know where the fat goes?

Your BELLY.

So what’s the moral of this story? Eat breakfast.

And make it a good one.

Three Parts to a Hormone Balancing Breakfast

There are three parts to any hormone-balancing breakfast. As you create breakfasts for your own life, be sure to include all three parts, and you’ll know with confidence you’ve created a healthy breakfast for yourself.

Protein

Protein is the first thing a hormone-balancing breakfast should have. Protein as you’ve learned above helps to build and maintain lean muscle, which is super important for your hormones. Protein helps to slow the blood sugar spike with a meal, as it digests more slowly than carbs. Also, if you notice low energy, weak nails, poor skin quality and hair thinning, you may not be getting enough protein, or you might not be absorbing it well.

How much: Aim for 20-30g at least of protein with each meal.

Sources: (Choose organic and/or grass-fed sources) Chicken, Turkey, Lamb, Bison, Beef, Salmon, Cod, Herring, Mackerel, Sardines, all other fish, Crab, Oysters, all other seafood, Protein Powder (non-dairy), Collagen Hydrolysate Protein Powder (like Great Lakes), Nuts and Seeds like hemp and chia, Legumes like chickpeas, black beans and lentils

Fat

Fat is the #1 most important macronutrient you need in your breakfast (and all meals). Did you know that FAT (specifically cholesterol) is used to make ALL steroid hormones? That’s right, you use fat to create estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol and other hormones. Also, each of the billions of cells in your body has a membrane made mostly of fat. If you don’t get enough, your cells won’t function well and your hormones will be bat-shit crazy.

Fat is also the slowest digesting marconutrient, and it stimulates some digestive processes as well. This means that fat will drastically reduce the sugar spike of any meal you eat.

However, the TYPE of fat you eat matters. Don’t take this as permission to go to the local McDonald’s and grab a huge burger and milkshake because there’s fat in it. That just doesn’t cut it.

Including healthy sources of fats, and removing rancid fats like vegetable oils, fried foods and packaged foods which are loaded with inflammatory trans fats are a good place to start.

How much: Aim for 1-2 tbsp (at least!!) of ADDED fats to each meal

Sources: Coconut meat, milk and oil, Avocados and their oil, hemp seeds and oil, chia seeds, all other nuts/seeds and their oils or butters, pastured lard, grass-fed butter, organic ghee (clarified butter), extra virgin olive oil, fats naturally occurring in meats like chicken skin, MCT oil

Fibre

Fibre is the final component of a good hormone-balancing breakfast. Fibre is also the only nutrient I would say is optional some of the time. If you have bowel issues, the fibre is NOT optional. Fibre of course comes from plant foods that also provide us with carbohydrates. Please note that I do not consider carbs to be the enemy, and in fact believe that a long-term extremely low carb diet is detrimental to your hormone healing.

Fibre, like protein and fat, helps to slow the blood sugar spike when we eat. It also helps us to excrete excess hormones that have been metabolized through the liver and come out in our poop. Fibre helps to keep our digestive system clean by gently “brushing” the sides of our intestines and keeping everything moving properly. Fibre also helps to feed good bacteria in our gut.

How much: Aim for 35g to 45g as a daily total. If you are trying to conceive or have ovulation difficulties, shoot for the lower end.

Sources: All fruits and veggies, especially leafy greens (kale, collards, chard, spinach), broccoli, cabbage, apples, pears, berries, brussels sprouts, avocados, lentils, black beans, flax, chia and hemp seeds, all other nuts and seeds, gluten-free whole grains like quinoa and millet

Hormone-Balancing Breakfast Examples

Here are a few breakfast ideas to use as examples.

Note that PRO = protein, FAT = fat, and FIB = fibre

2 eggs (PRO, FAT), cooked in 1 tbsp coconut oil (FAT), served with 1 cup kale (FIB) sauteed in 1 tbsp coconut oil (FAT)
Smoothie: 1 serving protein powder (PRO), 1 cup non-dairy milk, 1 tbsp cashew butter (FAT), handful swiss chard (FIB), 1/3 cup berries (FIB), and 2 tsp coconut oil (FAT)
Porridge: see recipe below

Hormone-Balancing Breakfast Recipe

Pumpkin Porridge

2016-09-05 10:03:30

Serves 1

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Ingredients

1 tbsp. ghee or butter (FAT)
3 tbsp. ground hemp seeds (FAT, PRO, FIB)
1 tbsp. ground cashews (FAT, PRO)
1 tbsp. cashew butter or almond butter (FAT, PRO)
1/3 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) (FIB)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 to 4 tbsp. nondairy milk of choice
stevia to taste (optional)
1 tbsp. pumpkin seeds (optional, for topping)

Instructions

Heat ghee in a small pot over low heat.
Add everything else, using as much non-dairy milk as necessary to get your desired consistency.
Cook gently over low heat until everything is heated through.
Top with pumpkin seeds if using.

By Robyn Srigley - The Hormone Diva

The Hormone Diva http://thehormonediva.com/

What is Insulin Resistance and Do You Have It?

Maybe this story sounds familiar to you. Growing up, I wasn’t necessarily overweight but more on the borderline, gaining and losing the same 10-20 pounds over and over. I grew up on a diet of McDonald’s, fruit juice and sugary snacks. I had constant mood swings and tons of fatigue, right up into adulthood. I would experience extreme mood swings, anxiety and irritability between meals- even if I had just eaten an hour or two prior!

When I did reach that snack or meal time, I would end up feeling super foggy, bloated and exhausted after a meal. Often I was overeating because I was ALWAYS hungry- not peckish or just plain bored- HUNGRY. Like, if I didn’t get something in my belly right this second, I would be shaky, jittery and flipping out on someone.

Of course, I later learned that these symptoms were part of insulin resistance- a big time factor in the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) that I experienced. Not only did it play into how I felt like what I’ve described above, but it also caused irregular, painful menstrual cycles in addition to excess hair growth (moustache, anyone?), head hair loss and cystic acne (I thought puberty ended in my teens!).

Insulin resistance may not be familiar to you, but I’m willing to bet it’s a large part of the symptoms and hormonal imbalances you’re experiencing, and here’s why.

What Is Insulin Resistance

To understand insulin resistance and it’s impact on our hormonal and general health, we first need to understand insulin and blood sugar control in our bodies- this isn’t just for people with diabetes!

Firstly, insulin is the major hormone in balancing our blood sugar. When we eat a food that has carbs, our body breaks it down into simple sugars or glucose through digestion. All of our cells need glucose for energy, and food is where we get the majority of the glucose. Once glucose has been released into the blood, the pancreas will produce insulin. Insulin then comes to the rescue and helps the glucose get into the body cells by “unlocking” the cell door. Once the majority of glucose has been brought into the cells, blood glucose levels will decline, and this is a good thing.

Now, here’s what goes on in insulin resistance. For various reasons (like a diet high in carbs, long-term stress, and others) many women experience high blood glucose levels. So, the pancreas will create more and more insulin to get all that excess glucose into the cells. The problem starts when the “key” that insulin has to the cells stops working- like your body hired a locksmith behind insulin’s back.

This causes levels of blood glucose to stay high, and insulin stays high as well.

Additionally, your pancreas may become tired after producing SO MUCH insulin for so long, and may drastically reduce or stop producing insulin altogether. Any one of these issues is bad news for your health and hormones.

Causes

So why would this be happening to you? Well, there is no ‘one’ cause, or right answer. Research is still trying to figure it out.

Here are a few idea of what comes into play when insulin resistance occurs:

Poor Diet

If your food mostly comes from a restaurant, bag, box or carton, you can bet diet is playing a role in symptoms. All of these types of foods are generally very high in carbohydrates- especially the refined types like sugars, flours and their products. This puts a lot of glucose in the blood, causing your body to create more and more insulin, potentially leading to insulin resistance eventually. Clinically, every woman I’ve ever consulted with who ate this way had insulin resistance problems.

Additionally, doctored fats like trans fats found in fried foods and the majority of those bagged and boxed foods impairs glucose sensitivity, adding to the problem.

Lastly, poor diets are often low in nutrients. Not eating enough fresh produce, healthy fats and clean proteins leaves the body devoid of many insulin-sensitizing nutrients like omega3s, vitamin D, B vitamins and Magnesium.

Sedentary Lifestyle

As much as we hate to believe it, exercise has a profound impact on our health and on insulin sensitivity. Regular movement and exercise helps our bodies to use up excess blood glucose (for energy), reducing the amount of insulin required in the body. Second, the right exercise in general helps the body to be sensitized to the effects of our insulin hormone.

Genetics

Some research has pointed to genetics or heredity playing a part in insulin resistance. If you have a family history of diabetes, obesity, high triglycerides, cancer and heart disease- it is possible these factors may happen to you later in life. Genetics is funny business though, because not everyone with a family history gets whatever the disease is. Our environment has a large impact on what genes turn “active” and which don’t, which is why most things are still in our control.

Main Symptoms

There’s a host of symptoms involved in insulin resistance, but I’ve only listed a few major ones here.

Getting “Hangry” (mood swings, irritability in between meals)
Family or personal history of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or high triglycerides
Weight gain, especially in the belly (the dreaded belly fat!!)
PCOS
Tiredness after a meal
General fatigue or exhaustion
Poor menstrual cycle health
Infertility

Insulin Resistance and Your Hormones

Who gives a hoot about insulin resistance when dealing with reproductive hormone imbalances? We all should!

Firstly because insulin itself is a hormone- and how well or unwell insulin functions will determine the health of your other hormones- like cortisol and estrogen.

Cortisol

Cortisol is our main stress hormone. When we experience a stressful situation or live in long-term stress, our body releases cortisol to help us. It does this as part of the ‘fight or flight’ response. This response was initially for real, life-threatening events, like a large animal predator coming after us, in the early human days. Currently, the fight or flight response is chronically activated as we experience non-life threatening stresses like fights with spouses and long commutes, which our bodies read as emergencies. During this response, cortisol tells places of glucose storage (like the liver) to release glucose into the blood for energy. This extra glucose causes insulin to be released. The longer this cycle goes on the more vicious it gets, and the more likely insulin resistance will occur.

Reproductive Hormones Like Estrogen and Testosterone

Insulin is one of the “major” hormones, and insulin resistance makes it almost impossible for your body to balance its “minor” hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone to name a few) until your insulin metabolism is balanced first. To put it simply, if you have hot flashes, weight gain or painful periods and you are insulin resistant, it’s going to be nearly impossible to heal them without first healing the insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance impairs the body’s ability to ovulate, so making some women struggle with irregular or absent periods, and infertility. It does this by creating excess LH, a hormone normally involved in ovulation, that when chronically high actually prevents ovulation from occurring. No ovulation = no period.

Insulin resistance also impairs the ovaries’ ability to create reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone- both important for health cycles and hormonal balance throughout the lifespan.

This ovarian and insulin imbalance could contribute to the creation of more testosterone, causing symptoms like cystic acne, excess facial hair (hirsutism) and head hair loss (androgenic alopecia). This is the main reason that women with PCOS experience these symptoms, plus irregular or absent periods.

In regards to other conditions like Endometriosis and Fibroids- the insulin resistance could contribute to to estrogen dominance, in part because progesterone ends up so low. This could contribute to the pain women with endo experience, as well as the weight gain that often accompanies it.

The first thing I do with any private client is work on balancing their blood sugar and insulin. Often this in and of itself will effect profound changes in their symptoms and overall hormonal health. I highly recommend any women do the same, for happy hormones and optimal health.

Sacred Lunar Rhythms

Guest Post by Lydia Jarjoura.

I often get asked what a woman’s menstrual cycle has to do with the Moon. So I start by explaining the message of the Lunar Rhythms. This celestial body holds the most sacred cycle within; a cycle that is not unlike a woman’s internal rhythm. Many of us have noticed the pull of a bright, Full Moon during a cloudless night. We have all seen her morph into a silver crescent of light as the month goes on. But what most of us aren’t taught, is that these distinct phases of the Moon’s cycle greatly affect our own psyches, our energy, even our dreams.

Civilization’s way of tracking time was born out of the lunar rhythms that have always taken place in the atmosphere above us. The origins of the word, Moon, come from the word month and menses both in Old English and Greek. This is where we get the words month, menstruation, menarch, and many more words with “me”- to measure.

There was a time, before our mothers and our grandmothers and perhaps even their mothers, where all life and time was governed by the Moon cycle. Before artificial light, hormone disrupting diets (ex. processed foods) and the rise of hormonal birth control, most all women would experience their period on the New Moon and would ovulate at the Full Moon. This cycle is our default setting and it’s only been until fairly recently that we have disrupted our own biology.

Because women would bleed together each month on the New Moon, this was considered the beginning of the month, and the beginning of their cycle. The Menstrual phase (New Moon) is the beginning of the 4 week cycle that brings with it distinct energetic and physical changes throughout the month. After the Menstrual/New Moon phase, the light starts to grow fuller as it moves into the Waxing phase. In a woman’s body, this is called the Follicular phase. From here, the Moon grows to its full brightness, in the Full moon or Ovulatory stage. After this peak of energy, it begins to Wane, moving into the Luteal phase.

Each of these phases brings about a specific energetic element and learning to go with the flow of your own cycle allows you to embrace those energies. I always encourage women, before they begin tracking the cycles of the Moon, to track their own cycle. This can be done by keeping a period calendar; begin on the first day of bleeding and write Day 1 on your calendar, on the date that you began bleeding. At the end of each day, jot down any physical or emotional energies you experienced like happy, sad, angry. Or you could do a smiley (or sad) face to notate how you felt overall each day. After a few months of tracking, you’ll notice a rhythm to your moods and your physical changes within. Begin to note what phase the Moon is in when you start bleeding (you can do a quick Google search for the specific day to find out the Moon’s phase). Many women find that they bleed around the New Moon or the Full Moon phase.

It used to be said that a woman who bled around the Full Moon were the wisdom keepers and the leaders of the community. Women who bleed around the New Moon are the Mothers and their body’s act as a mirror to the Earth’s natural fertile cycle. Over the course of a year, your cycle will shift and your bleeding time will move to a different phase. Take note of where your bleeding lands in the cycle and see if that is being reflected in your current life. If your period lands around the Full Moon, are you finding more time to be creative, to start new projects or to tap into some ancient wisdom? When you bleed around the New Moon, are you nurturing yourself and others? Are you giving birth to something new in your life? It’s amazingly empowering to have a full awareness of your body’s changes, both physical and emotional, as you harness the power of your own Moon cycle.

Just remember, many cultures did and still do, regard a woman’s menstrual cycle as the most sacred gift and a way to reach a higher realm of consciousness. Your body is a blessing and by learning to Reclaim our Cycles, we can tap into the gifts that it provides.

Note from Robyn: Lydia has graciously provided me with a special discount for her brilliant ebook, Moon Sessions: Reclaim Your Cycles. A guide for reclaiming your body’s cycles, regaining your health, and renewing your spirit. I’d like to share it with you! Enjoy 10% off the Moon Sessions ebook with coupon code RENEW at checkout. Grab the ebook here.

Lunar Nourishment is a wellness platform rooted in ritual and the rhythms of the Moon. Twin sisters Lydia and Marlena Jarjoura provide education, ritual tools, gemstone jewelry and more to empower women to embrace their natural cycles. Our bodies are a vessel for healing and strength; Lunar Nourishment provides support to help women (and men!) nourish Mind, Body and Spirit in a holistic and healthy way. Are you ready to live authentically and embrace the spirit within? You can connect with Lydia and her sister on her Website, Facebook and Instagram.

Article Image Credit: www.lunarnourishment.com

Exciting Natural Alternatives to Hormonal Birth Control

Guest Post with Amy Sedgwick.

Robyn: Welcome Amy! As you are already aware, I’ve been a big fan and supporter of Red Tent Sisters for a long time now and couldn’t be more excited to share you with my tribe! What led you to becoming a top expert in the holistic fertility and contraception field?

Amy: Like so many other people in the holistic health field, my work was born out of a personal experience (several in fact!) that led me to natural birth control and healing of my decade-long menstrual problems. In 2005 I experienced side effects from hormonal contraception that caused me to produce an excess amount of breastmilk. My daughter was only a few months old at the time and the milk was coming out so quickly that she was choking every time she tried to nurse. So for the first time in my adult life I was forced to explore non-hormonal forms of contraception. I discovered the Justisse Method of Fertility Management, and not only did it provide me with effective, natural contraception but I also began healing menstrual pain and irregularities that I had been suffering with since my early teens. I was so astounded at the ways my physical, mental and emotional health were changing that I decided I wanted to share this gift with others. I enrolled in a training program to become a Fertility Awareness Educator when my daughter was just ten months old. Since then I have been teaching, lecturing and advocating about the benefits of Fertility Awareness Education for both contraception and conception.

Robyn: You talk a lot about problems hormonal birth control. What’s the big deal with taking these pills, patches, shots and IUDs?

Amy: As I see it there are four main problems with hormonal contraception. The first is that they put a very heavy hormonal load on the body which causes a number of problems – including increased risk for breast cancer, nutrient depletions, higher rates of Crohn’s Disease and various other health problems. The second is that it masks many pre-existing hormonal conditions, which means that important endocrine imbalances go untreated for years and sometimes decades. For example, the pill is regularly prescribed for women with PCOS, heavy periods, absent periods, and painful periods. These are all signs of underlying hormonal disturbances and sometimes inflammation and autoimmune conditions as well. Without regular periods as a “barometer” of our well-being, it can be easy to overlook serious health problems that require attention. Thirdly, hormonal contraception gets excreted by our bodies into the water systems. Research is showing a feminizing effect on our aquatic ecosystems as a result of hormonal contraception in the water. Lastly, I believe hormonal contraception disconnects us from the profound energy and wisdom of our wombs. This is a big topic, but suffice it to say that many women feel disconnected from their bodies, their sexuality and their partners as a result of having artificial cycles.

Robyn: For women who don’t want to get pregnant, and are scared to stop the medical contraception, what should she do first?

Amy: Contraception is a very personal choice – there is no “perfect” option. Every method has pros and cons so it’s about finding the method that fits a woman’s particular needs, values, and lifestyle. That said, I think a lot of women rule out FAM because they worry it will be too complicated or they don’t trust that it will work. So my suggestion is that women start learning to chart while using another form of contraception. She won’t see the same signs of fertility (women who are on hormonal contraception don’t actually ovulate), but it can help demystify the process to make it less daunting. Furthermore, getting into the habit of charting will make it easier if she does decide to use FAM for contraception in the future.

Robyn: What exactly is the Justisse Method of Fertility Awareness?

Amy: The Justisse Method of Fertility Awareness is an approach to teaching FAM (Fertility Awareness Methods). FAM is a set of skills that usually includes a combination of mucus checking (as this indicates a fertile vaginal environment for sperm survival), morning temperature taking (referred to as BBT) and cervical checks. The Justisse Method is a particular approach to teaching those skills. It is secular (unlike some of the large organizations that teach FAM from a Catholic perspective) as well as pro-choice and pro-woman. We support women in their reproductive freedoms and encourage them to make the best choices for them around their sexual and reproductive health. Justisse is the only secular organization worldwide that has its own system of charting, and also trains Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioners and Educators.

Robyn: It sounds a lot like the rhythm method. How effective is FAM compared with this outdated method?

Amy: Being confused with the rhythm method is FAM’s greatest challenge. The rhythm method is what we call in the field “a retrospective method” meaning it takes past cycles and tries to use it to predict future cycles. A lot of apps on the market do something similar. FAM is different in that there is no prediction at all. We make daily decisions about our contraception based on empirical markers of our fertility. These markers are grounded in research on human physiology. Research consistently shows that when taught and applied correctly, FAM is 99.4% effective in preventing pregnancy.

Robyn: What other insights (besides contraception or fertility signs) may a woman discover when she uses FAM?

Amy: There are so many it is hard to know where to begin! In the first few months of charting a woman may discover things about her digestion. Certain types of mucus tend to indicate inflammation which can occur when we have a sensitivity or an allergy to a particular food or something in our environment. My clients and I have also discovered thyroid problems, nutrient deficiencies, and adrenal fatigue through charting. On the emotional side women typically discover there is a cyclicity to their energy, libido, mood and sense of introversion or extroversion. I think through charting we all become more aware of the things that affect us and how to recognize what we truly need in any given moment.

Robyn: Any final advice for women looking to change to natural birth control?

Amy: Trust your intuition. And don’t be afraid to challenge authority. Most physicians don’t understand what FAM is or how it works, so you will likely have to advocate for yourself if you want to make the switch. Don’t let your inner authority be overrun by the voice of “experts” who claim to know better. You are your own best expert on your body.

Kim and Amy are the real sisters behind Red Tent Sisters. Amy is passionate about teaching women how to manage their fertility naturally, and Kim loves to help women feel sexually empowered. They offerclasses, private coaching, a blog, and a YouTube channel. They also have an online, eco-friendly shop called ecosex.ca. They’ve been featured in every major Canadian news outlet, including The Globe & Mail, The Toronto Star and Maclean’s. For more on their philosophy and offerings check out their About Us video.

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