What losing my period taught me about hormone health
Living in harmony with your hormones will completely transform how you show up each day. Learn from my mistakes so you can show up as the best version of yourself.
In this post, I’ll cover:
A wake-up call that changed my view on health
6 years later, here’s how I’m living in harmony with my health
Here’s what I learned as I pivoted to a healthier lifestyle
A word of encouragement on living a healthy life
A journal prompt for reflection
A sneak peak on the topic of next week’s blog
A few reading recommendations from other writers
A wake-up call that changed my view on health
Food has an impact on everything - your hormones, energy, mood, productivity, and long-term health. It wasn’t until college that I fully understood this, and unfortunately I had to find out through trial and error.
Heading off to school, the idea of living a healthier lifestyle piqued my interests. I was tired of fast-food and was starting to feel the impact it had on my body: bad period cramps, acne breakouts, bloating, and lack of energy. This led me to begin exploring healthy eating and how I could nourish my body to feel like my best self. I jumped in headfirst, filling up my plate with only fruits and vegetables and filling up my free-time with workout classes and intense workouts at the gym. As this focus on doing more continued to build day after day, I started noticing symptoms I initially wrote off as side effects of change: I had less energy, felt groggy, and was freezing cold all of the time! But the biggest telltale sign that should have been a red flag for me was this: I completely lost my period by sophomore year of college.
At my annual check-up call, I was shocked when my doctor said these words to me:
A woman’s menstrual cycle is one of the main ways our bodies communicate with us about what is happening with our hormones; a missing period is a sign that something is going on with your health.
That was a tough pill to swallow. I thought I was being disciplined and health-conscious, following a few strict pieces of advice I found online. In reality, I was overworking and under-fueling my body. What I thought was wellness was actually burnout in disguise.
Diagnosed with hypothalamic amenorrhea or loss of a menstrual cycle due to stress, lack of nourishment, and over-exercising, I realized this was a real issue. Not to mention, it was nowhere near the goals or desires I had to live a healthy lifestyle. Knowing that I wanted to feel good, be healthy, and one day be a mom, I knew this need to be addressed sooner rather than later.
6 years later, here’s how I’m living in harmony with my health
I learned the hard way that health is not about the extremes.
The whole time, I had been hyper focusing on a few pieces of health and wellness information, doing as much as I could to align with it. This caused me to completely miss many other pieces of the puzzle - rest, hydration, mental health, and connection.
This experience taught me that the secret to a healthy life is the harmonious balance; one that supports both body and mind, giving myself the space and grace to learn and grow, while listening to what my body is telling me.
Here’s what I learned as I pivoted to a healthier lifestyle
Now, over six years later, I am incorporating the harmonious balance of it all through
prioritizing quality sleep, with a wind down routine which includes reading a good book
eating wholesome and nourishing foods, as part of meals and flavors I enjoy1
staying hydrated with water and electrolytes
properly managing stress through journaling, prayer, and down time
spending time outdoors, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air
moving my body through rock climbing, yoga, strength-training, and walking
surrounding myself with community, who is loving and encouraging
Now, I have more energy, mental clarity, a more regulated mood, and a period that is consistent. I feel in touch with my body and that feels good!
What if you redefined what healthy means to you?
Instead of pushing yourself to do it all with perfect discipline, provide your self space and grace as you learn what living a healthy lifestyle looks like in your life.
grace & greens was created to make healthy eating easier. The back story of the name comes from living a healthy life and eating your greens, while giving yourself grace as you learn and grow into a better version of yourself.
What if instead of chasing perfection, you went after continuous improvement day after day?
Your body was made to do amazing, miraculous things, but only when you treat it with the care and love it deserves through the hormone-ious balance. If you’ve been running on empty, pushing yourself too hard, or don’t really know what ‘healthy’ means to you, I encourage you to take a minute and check in with yourself. I’ve included a journal prompt below to help you reflect.
Journal prompt
What does healthy look like and feel like for me right now? Is it aligned with what my body actually needs?
Thank you for reading my story. I hope you are able to learn from my experiences and fill inspired to live more in harmony so you can be the healthiest version of yourself.
Best,
Grace Barker
Details on cycle syncing
After many requests, I’ve shared what I do to stay in rhythm with my cycle through cycle syncing. I share all the recipes, tips & tricks, and methods I use to ensure that I am supporting my body well during the different phases; and I’m excited to share them with you! You can read it here:
Nourish your body and support healthy hormones: A cycle syncing ingredient guide
The impact nourishing foods have on health
If you liked this post, consider checking these out:
How to build an intentional life (lessons learned from a remote village by
Here’s what I would do if I’d start my hormone health journey all over again by
The bare minimum wellness plan for when life is busy (perfection is not the goal) by
Please note that the information provided here is for general knowledge only and should not be considered as personalized nutrition advice. I am not a registered dietitian and cannot provide medical or dietary guidance for specific health conditions. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your diet.*
Loved this Grace! I'm trying to get back into rock climbing these days too, so good for my mental game too!
Thank you for sharing this journey. I missed my period this month, 5 days late, I have never been more than 2 days late and had regular periods ever since. I started walking 10k steps a day for 2 weeks now and pilates and strength training here and there. So I cannot understand why. I guess I wasn’t nourishing my body enough.