Period Chats With Naturopath Maria Harpas

This episode of Outspoken is brought to you by Modibody, the period underwear that gives you better support, better protection, and a better life. This is Outspoken, the podcast is not afraid to say exactly what you're thinking. Our names are Amy Kate and Sophie Torber. We're identical triplets, but we often don't have identical opinions, so sometimes things can get heated. Outspoken covers all things reality TV, influences, entertainment, and issues facing women.

That is so fatch.

Thank you, Thank you for joining us for our special episode all about periods Now. I've been so excited to talk about this all day, and it seems like you guys are really excited to hear about it because we had such a good response on our Facebook and Instagram when we told you guys about this episode. I think it's the most responded to question we've put up. We

We will be.

Joined by Maria Harpers shortly, and she's from Natural Health Medicine. She's a qualified nutritionist and natural path so she'll be able to give some great insight to some of your questions. But we thought we'd start by talking about our own sort of first time periods because we really want to break the stigma, because it's crazy. We were all discussing earlier that when we all first got our periods, it was such an embarrassing.

Topic to talk about.

No one spoke about it, even though you knew everyone at school was going through the same thing. It was this weird thing where like all your mums knew you had your period and they would talk about it. But there is no way I would have said anything to my best friend about it. But at the same time, I think, well, it was somewhat embarrassing. Part of you also wanted to get your period to feel like part of the group as well, because I go well for

Get my period.

I can tell you from being the one that seems to always go through this stuff first, so I was the first one to get my period. All you're the oldest sister technically, yes, but it was such a shock because even though we did sex air and all that sort of stuff, and Mum tried to have the awkward chats with us, I when I got it didn't even

Do you know what though, I don't even.

Think that looked like a normal period, like maybe your first periods, because it was just yeah, everywhere, Yeah it was.

And of course I was wearing white shorts so well.

I remember at the time because we did go on a swimming holiday, and you know, seeing Kate use a pad for the first time, just how young I was that I assumed that she had to wear a pad for the rest of her life. I thought the period continued, and that just shows how young you are when these sort of life changing events happened for you. Well, I had no idea what was going on, And the funniest part was Mum took me up to the stewardess and I was so mortified. She's like, my daughter's just got

Quite early to get your period.

Well with my period, my first period, I remember I got it just before I was meant to be going to a sleepover to friend's house. Sorry to interject, but it's always got something to do with swimming or sleeping over, because it's you know, those things that are hard when you have your first period.

But that's the thing.

When you do have a sleepover when you're younger and you first get your period, it's mortifying because you're like, oh, where do I.

Put the pads? Or you don't want your friends to see it in.

Your bag and I don't know if anyone else, but it's always really heavy when you're young. I remember going at a sleepover and literally just it sounds great, but just holding onto the pad the whole night because I was mortified. If I bled onto my pajamas or onto the sleeping bag. It was just I couldn't sleep at all from fear. Get You've got to get into your

You're like, yours doesn't sound that traumatic.

Well, it kind of was traumatic because I was meant to be going over to my best friends and you guys were coming to Alicia's house.

And I remember Mom called up and I was like, please don't tell Alicia's mum.

That's why we can'ts Like, of course she did.

She wrung.

She's like, oh, sorry, Amy's got a period.

I was like so mortified that, to be honestly, she would know, and as a mum I probably did the exact same thing. I would be so honored as well. I mean, I can understand why Mom did that. Now, what about you, Sophie, I know yours involved swimming. Yeah, well, I think mine was about a year after you got yours. A bit of background info is that Kate and I used to wear the same hairstyle when we were eleven and twelve and basically was probably right up to.

Like you's were plat very sad.

But it was really funny because even in photos, like, even though we're the same age, Kate was always more developed than me. Kate always had boobs, but I had nothing. Look when you say I had boobs, I think that's a pretty generous small boobs. We used to said Kate a car of a I mean, I made her a car that was shaped like a bra, and.

I remember they were so mean.

I literally, my boobs are probably the same size as they were back then.

I was waiting for them to grow in and that was kind of you.

But I remember we had those fake eggs part of our kitchen, little kitchen set, and you used to put them in your shirt. It was so may we digressed from my first period. Do you know what I'm going to interject. The funniest part of that was Karma was a bitch because Mum and Mom didn't get you guys a bra until like year nine, so.

You were, oh my god, I know.

And that's probably where the resentment towards you was coming from. Perhaps anyway, getting into getting into my first period story. It was a week long aquatics kind of not camp, but a week long aquatic session at the end of year seven. And I remember, for some reason, I don't know why, Year seven class was watching the Wiggles, but we were watching the Wiggles and I remember having these intense stabbing pains in my stomach and we were supposed

Po oh my gosh.

I have such bad memories from that year eight swimming can of It was so embarrassing because not only you might have your period, but getting into bath in front of people when you're going through puberty is really tough. Well, I think also I reflecting on when you are young and you do get your first period, the most confusing thing is that you get your period, and obviously.

You're supposed to get it monthly, but because.

It is so new to you, you don't actually get it on a regular basis. And I remember that year we went away on holiday, some Melbourne road trip, and I was too embarrassed to tell Mum I had my period. So the whole trip I was just trying to sneak pads that were brought for Kate and Amy, and then some days I would just have nothing like and I remember Mom I had. I ended up crying at the end of the trip telling her that I had my period, and She's like, I was wondering where there were undies

It was troubling me.

The whole trip, Like you know, when you feel like you've got something hanging over your head, Like I remember feeling so alone even to embarrass to talk about it with you guys. So I mean, I suppose it's good that we are having discussions like this. So maybe young girls feel happier to speak about it because it is.

Such a natural thing.

Yeah, it's so funny to think about the fact that we were all the same age sisters tell each other everything, but couldn't talk about that, and even to tell your own mum, Like I remember, I had to go for some reason. I got into this face where I would go and be like when I got my period. I would say, Mom, I've got my period. So she'd obviously

Wow, why didn't I have a book?

I didn't hear that.

It wasn't a little book.

It was just a little card that had like the dates. And actually, this this should just be a whole puberty discussion, because I remember Mom would buy us this like roll on deodorant, and I remember it said on the directions it's like don't use after shaving.

And I went up to Mom and I said, Mom, these are for boys.

It's talking about shaving, but obviously.

It meant shaving under her arm.

We twelve thirteen, do you guys remember, Sorry, this is so sad and it's embarrassing that we're putting this out there. But I remember I'm lying on the couch with Mum and I remember she used to like smell under her arms and then she was like, oh.

Yes, it's probably time to day using some deodorant.

I remember in terms of deodorant that Mum would buy us. Yeah, the Mum brand deodor on to everyone in y eight had the cool the spray on, like this impulse whatever.

Yeah.

I remember we really wanted links, but I think, well, oh sorry, Nwasovi's got links in my head. We really want an impulse, But I think it was expensive and you just spray it and it goes, Oh god, I got the worst locker in you ate, because mine was on the bottom, and the girl who was in the middle, she would constantly be sitting trying to get my stuff out, and she'd just grab her Impulse and literally spray it

Yeah, it was overpowering.

Well, now that Kate, Sophie and I have shared some of our period stories, we'd actually really love to hear yours. So if you want to go into our Facebook community, which has outspoken the podcast community, we're going to put a question up there about when did you first get your period and what actually happened, and we'd love if you guys could share it, because, to be honest, it's quite funny to look back on.

Oh.

I think it's so funny. And what I love is that there seems to be a lot of common themes around periods and swiminkan alls and sleepover. So I'd love to hear the interesting ways other people got their first period, even any stories that are funny involving periods, because I know at high school.

It was such a big thing.

I don't know who designs the high school dresses, but they're usually very light and not very thick, so because they're quite cheap to bish and it was just horrible because there was a girl at our school who she was called up the front to write on the board and the poor girl had a big blood patch on the back of her dress and someone's like, what's that?

I think one of the boys.

Said that, and she's like, oh, I just cut the top of my leg, and looking back.

It's just so cruel.

I do remember we were talking about this with our boyfriends and we said something about how you would tie your jumper around your waist if you had your period, and I remember Dale was like, is that why that reminds you Back in the day at school when I had my period, I would get a pad and you know, you'd have to put it in your school pocket, and at our school, you weren't allowed to carry a bagg around. Yeah.

Yeah, so you had to put it in your pocket.

And I'm sorry, but that looks so obviously because I had to, and they were just like and for some reason, I don't know why, but I was always so paranoid. There'd be some sort of instance where people someone would be like, turn out your pockets, and I would be mortified that I had pads in there.

So I remember I had this little bag, I had this wallet who bear a wallet that I.

Used to shove them into and just in case, because then I wouldn't.

Have to reveal what was in my pocket.

I remember at school when you'd have to go and change your pad at recess or lunch, and because you didn't want to be heard, you try and tear the the what is it called the pad?

No, the what is it?

The sticky bit?

You try and tear it off so lightly so that no one could hear.

And it cracked me up one day. I cracked up one day moving the toilet roll.

Yeah, it cracked up because I was in there and I was trying to be so quiet, and then some girl just got into the next cube because I was just like, just.

Puts us straight off. I needed that confidence.

It's funny though, you talk about how you don't want anyone to see you with a pad or a tampon, because I'm still like that at work. So I remember I needed to use one, and I had one in my bag, and I like put my hand in there and then sort of pulled my sleeve and like pulled it up my sleeve. How weird is that that so many of us have our periods, yet we still hide it even when we're adults. Now that you've heard our stories,

No problem, everyone is.

So excited to have you back on the show, and we've had so many questions being sent in all about periods, so it seems like everyone wants to talk about it, so we might get into our first question. So, once you get off the pill, what are some tips to regulating your cycle.

Well, look, for some women, obviously, that just happens very quickly and they start getting a bleed quite quickly and it regulates normally. So initially it's just waiting to see for the first month or so how that falls, and then it is irregular.

There's actually herbs that we can use to.

Try to assist with that becoming regular again. And it also depends how long women have been on the pill for as well, So you know, some women don't remember like they've started the pill quite early, and so when they come off it, it's quite a few years down the track, so they don't really remember what their periods were like beforehand naturally and what.

They were doing.

So yeah, and of course we always use diet as well to just start to help, but initially it's just to see what is.

Normal for that person, how that falls.

So if you have been on the pill from a very young age, say over ten years, Is it going to take you a longer time to actually get your period back?

Yeah, So it is different from women to women, but it can, and I think more so because we don't know what their normal cycle was like like before. They don't always know, so it can. It really just depends on the woman how long that's going to take to get back to normal. I've had women where it's taken ages to get back to normal, you know, up to six months, and then others within a month it starts

So, if someone has gotten off the pill and they haven't been to a natural path and they're struggling to get their period back, do you think that would be a good option, you know, for someone to go and come into you or someone else to see what they can do.

Absolutely absolutely, because if it's not normal normalizing quite quickly, I would definitely be looking at trying to.

Do things to help that.

And there's different vitamins as well that we look at essential fats. You know, is there enough fruit and veging take in the diet. So we're definitely the people for that. I think naturopaths are really you know, zoned in not helping normalized periods.

And this question is kind of along the same lines. But does being on the pill for over ten years does it have any effect on your fertility?

I wouldn't be able to say yes it does.

Again, you know, some women have problems, But do we know whether the pill caused that or not.

We don't know.

I don't think we could definitely say that that's a problem. I think we definitely know that there's risks from being on the.

Pill and that may change certain.

Things in the body, and could that affect fertility? Not sure, not sure, Yeah, but there's definitely risks from being on the pill, and I don't know that they are always people are always made aware of those risks. For instance, I found a study been showing that inflammatory bower disease could be one risk for people that are susceptible from being on the pill. There's also the risk of stroke for women. Obviously women that have got high blood pressure. There's smokers.

Case that means that they're at a higher risk than other women.

It's all about the amount of estrogen. So you know, different pills have got different amounts of estrogen in them, so that's a factor two. And I think if you can get a pill that has the least amount of estrogen to do the job you want, and that's an ideal scenario. And there's also you know, the pill has

For our mood and our skin and our immune systems.

So yeah, well that's pretty scary because I think we spoke, yeah, in the last podcast, we mentioned that so many women are actually unaware of all of those side effects.

Yeah, that's right.

And a lot of.

Women they do initially go on the pill to help their skin. So if for example, a woman is wanting to get off the pill after hearing.

Some of these negative side.

Effects, what would one way, what's one thing they could do? I suppose to counterap the effects, you know, if their skin does return to how it was previously.

Yeah, look, I definitely what we do is because obviously, you know, no one wants.

To have bad skin or acrone.

Right, so we try to mitigate you know, coming off the pill and then going and being back where we

But it's also.

About how well our liver detoxification phases work, particularly phase two has to work really well to help clear the estrogens as well. So you know, it's a bigger picture than just looking at one component of that.

And once we get.

All of that working really well, then of course we have much better skin.

It affects things.

And is it sort of a case to case basis in terms of I'm assuming that bad skin can be caused by hormonal imbalances.

Or that type of thing.

Is that why it's important to go to in naturopaths because everyone is individual?

Yeah, that's right, Like you can you can do some things initially, you know, you know, at.

The start and go, okay, let me improve my.

Diet, let me reduce processed foods and increase you know, vegetables and things, right, and then you can go, well.

What does that give me? Do I get? Has that improved things? Or hasn't it?

And then if that hasn't that's when you need more detailed work looking at those underlying biochemical markers because we all have susceptibilities and we don't really know what they are. I mean, sometimes we get an idea of what our susceptibilities are by looking at family history you know, what does mum and dad have, what do grandparents have?

Or our siblings.

But other than that, people often don't know some of the drivers that are happy that you can't see. So you know, the testing really reveals that, and it's really invaluable.

And that's why so much of my practice focuses.

Around checking that because the numbers don't lie.

And so it also helps us track progress.

So then we've got, you know, a couple of things.

We've got symptoms to look at, but we've also got the markers that we can see and.

Go yet they're going in the right direction, but we still have to go further or actually, no, they're good now, So that's.

The benefit of doing that.

Yeah, and again, you know, and skin's not just about the hormones. It might just be food intolerances that we've talked about before that might be causing skin issues, abowes not doing what they should be doing.

So there's sort of different things there. Yeah.

Coming up after the break, Maria answers your questions about what food you should avoid during your period and what she thinks about the Marina.

But first, a word from today's.

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Five hundred to eight hundred years to break down. The Incredible label also champions body positivity. The line is inclusive of all bodies and showcases real content from customers. Outspoken listeners can receive ten percent of their order at the checkout using the discount code outspoken terms and conditions do apply. Now, this question came up quite a lot, so we thought we'd ask it, is, why do we put on weight and get bloated around our period?

Oh?

Sure, Well, it's mainly the hormonal fluctuations that occur at that time with progesterone and estrogen. And it's also we tend to hold a bit of fluid, so there's some fluid retention at that time, and the bleed itself, you know, there's a big exodus of flood that happens at that time. So it's all these things happening that cause us to

And helping them doing.

Things like making sure you're drinking enough water and unprocessed foods at that time really helps.

That's really funny because I feel like when a lot of people have their period, they feel like it's an excuse to eat bad food like takeaway chocolate. What are some things that we should be eating to make us feel better during that time?

So, yeah, and I think I always wonder whether that's sort of just a cultural norm you know that everybody goes to and yeah, it's easy to get caught in that in that, so really there was you know, there's quite a few studies that show that low fruit and veg intake can negatively affect our period and cause period pain, and fish oil can help as well improve the pain.

You know.

We also give cocuma, which is the active constituent that's in chimrick, which probably most people have heard of, so we can give that in high doses, you know, during the bleed, and that can really help pain.

If you're getting a lot of.

Pain all the time with your periods consistently, then and you change some of these things.

You change the diet and you do add more.

Fruit vege, and you lower your process foods, and you take some fish oil at that period, and even some Chinese herbs are shown to really help. If that's not improving things, then you have to sort of think that there might be an underlying issue like endometriosis for instance, and so then that should be followed up and checked.

Well, that's what one of our listeners asked. She said that she gets intense period pain on the first two days of her period, to the point where she can barely function. Would that be a case of maybe she needs to seek some medical help.

Yeah, I think, you know, you can do a cup because to diagnose endometriosis you have to have a laparoscopy, which you know, which is quite an invasive operation. So I think the first thing is to change the diet to make sure magnesium levels are good, zinc levels B six, vitamin B six because.

They show to really help the hormones.

So you make sure those things are good. And then if things are still not improving, then yes, then it's like, okay, that needs to be further investigated.

And I do that a lot with women.

I don't let them continue on with period pain that's not resolving.

With normal dietary changes, you know, or might.

Be resolving, but it's still very They're very susceptible, you know, the the you know, the minute they're not completely strict with what they're doing.

Yeah, it needs further investigations for sure.

Yeah, and I should we shouldn't be tolerating bad period pains.

Yeah, sort of on the same lines, because I feel like growing up we have this misconception that periods should be painful. So just how painful should your period actually be? And when is it time to perhaps go and seek help from a naturopath or doctor if the pain is getting too much.

I suppose some women will always feel a little bit that their periods going, but we get women to the point where they don't even know they're getting a period.

Wow.

I think if you're not getting regular, painless periods, that it requires investigations. It really does, and especially you know you want to pick things up early if later on down the track you want to have kids. You know, it's good to sort of know some of these things that might be going on, because that can really save.

Years and years of heartache, because.

Investigations for infertility take a long time. You know, first they you know you're trying for a while, for a year or so. You know, you might change diet and you need to give that some time, and then you might change other things. So a lot of times those more invasive investigations aren't down done till a lot of time has passed. So I think using your period and kind of going, yeah, we want that to be regular

They help skin, they help mood, they help.

You know, we're looking at the body holistically and we're tidying things up.

They help energy levels. So I think it's a really good place to start.

Well, there's been a lot of talk about, I suppose the disadvantages of using the pill, and a few of our listeners have said that they have the Marina implant but they're finding One of our listeners said she's had it for seven months, but she still gets two heavy periods a month.

Is that normal?

I don't think so two heavy periods a month is No, that's not normal, And I would be definitely going back to the adopt of the endocrinologist or gynecologist to see, you know, what's going on there, because you know, the marina secretes progesterone and so that basically balances estrogen. So to be getting too heavy periods, I would say is quite unusual and needs further investigation for sure.

Would you say that the Marina implant is a better alternative to the pill in your opinion.

Well, look, it's progesterone and it's more localized. So I think I'm not a fan of any hormonal intervention because it's changing what.

The body's doing.

But I mean, we have to be realistic, don't we. You know, we want as women, we want to do we still want to be comfortable, and we still.

Want to have good life and you know, and have good.

Contraception methods and things. So would I say it's not I don't think the marine if I might be wrong, but I don't think it's you recommended as for younger women as often as the pill is, And I don't know if that's just we have to investigate that further.

Why that is. I know there's the many pill that is.

Only progester own as well, but we're not sure that the many pill does.

All the jobs that a normal pill does.

So you know, that's you've got to check with doctors around that. But certainly I think it's it's a good thing. You know, it's the estrogen that does probably does more of the has more of the side effects, but it's also the estrogen that helps in certain areas that you know, that's why women are going on it. So yeah, it's a bit of a catch twenty two I think. Yeah, definitely that woman getting too heavy periods is knowing those sorts of things aren't normal.

Missing periods is not normal.

Always encourage women to make sure, even if they're on the pill, to be getting those bleeds. It's what the body is designed to be doing. Yeah, so when you're not.

I've got a lot of young women that think it's okay not to that they haven't gotten.

A period for a while just naturally like they start losing their period. But that's not that's definitely a problem, and it's the body is under a lot of stress and it doesn't have enough resources. So you know, all those things need investigating if the periods aren't normal.

So kind of along the same lines, one of our listeners says that her period has been missing for six months. What are some things that she can try and do to get her period back?

Yeah, so, yeah, which is what we're saying.

So yes, definitely, if you're missing for six months, the first couple of things to check is has any activity changed in terms of exercise? Okay, so it's a frequent thing that can happen to athletes because they're over exercising, so the body's under more stress and it's.

Not and so they lose the period.

So the first thing is to look at those things, so more nutrients might be required, particularly or if they're losing a lot of weight, so they're going underweight. So then you know, women that are anorexic, so that's the extreme of that, lose their period. So checking those things to make sure, you know, healthy BMI is maintained, so healthy weight is maintained. Also making sure that there's not been a significant drop in protein or good fats and essential fats.

Because that will also.

You know, stop a period, so you know, the body just goes we don't need to do that job.

We need these resources.

And nutrients for other things, so we'll just stop the period.

Someone has also asked, is blood clotting and dizziness normal or what does that mean when you get that when you have your period?

Yeah, that's so again, I think blood plotting sort of has we have to look, you know, is that an ongoing issue? Then we might want to check how well the body is detoxifer kate detoxifying.

We can we use herbs that.

Can really help change that, but we always start with diet, right, because even with herbs, we don't want to just be reliant on those. But some women are more susceptible to this, so changing diet can really help that and.

Herbs.

Now with dizziness and headaches, the likely culprit there, which is so common and women don't realize, is when we have a bleed, we're losing iron, right, and so if we've got a female, you know, females that are women that are already borderline low in iron, what happens is they get their period and from them to you know, at least a week after the bleed, there's been such a loss in iron that iron and even anemia for some women they go into causes headaches, dizziness, fatigue, So.

That's where the problems are.

And it's not unusual when I'm checking people's iron levels to want to know where in the cycle they are, because if iron is checked just before the period, that's the highest.

Amount of iron a woman's going to have, and if.

It's checked just after the bleed, that's the lowest amount of iron a woman's going to have. And comparing those so that we know how to improve that ongoing lead is really important because then we sort of go, well, you might not need iron during the month, but you just might need it when you're having your bleed, okay, or you might need to have.

More red meat during that during you know, the bleed.

So they're really good strategies and it does resolve the dizziness, headaches, and fatigue.

That's great.

If you're a vegetarian, would you say that taking a sort of either a liquid iron supplement or a tablet would be a good idea as well if you are getting a bit dizzy around your period.

Yes, So for vegans and vegetarians, I like to even though we know, yes, obviously red meat has got.

The highest source of iron and they're not eating that. I still like to check the individual because some women, you know, when I was a vegetarian, vegan, I never had a problem with my iron levels, which is you know, a little bit, you know, not as usual. So we still want to check the individual to go, is this your problem? You know, is this where that's a problem. So I do the same checks for vegans and vegetarians.

Yeah, and that's so interesting because I suppose sometimes people feel a bit down and depressed when they've got their period, so maybe it is just the fact that they're low in iron.

Yeah, that's right.

And that's why I love, you know, I love having some of these measures that are really scientifically proven, because then it's very easy for us to work.

With and it's not our heads it's kind of going, Oh, it's just me. I'm just grumpy at that time the month.

You know, it's nicer to know, well, yeah, my beach, my iron's low.

And isn't it true that we were discussing this yesterday, But isn't it true that you're not really meant.

To experience moodiness?

You know how people have got oh you know, they say they turn into a different persons when they've got their period. Is that something that should be sort of alarm bells going if that happens to you.

Oh, well, look, I don't not necessarily alarm bells, but obviously someone that is susceptible to.

Mood being up and down. You know, the last thing that they want is to have a.

Week or even two weeks of every month where their mood is even worse. You know, that's not a very nice way to live. And you know, for sure you want to I think moodiness generally, you know, we want to get that buyer can, right, So you're not dealing with that on top of your own ability to deal with things from a psychological perspective, right, Because there's always stresses as long as humans are going to be alive, that's going to be happening, So it's.

Nice if that's under control. And yeah, I.

Think it's things that can be resolved, and it's things that we really help people with. And I don't think that is addressed medically at all. It's not considered nor addressed unless it's the sort of ongoing problem. And you know, again I'm biased, but I think diet and lifestyle stuff, nutrients and herbs should be the first thing that we're looking at to resolve because it just helps us our well being overall generally and helps prevent things in the future too.

Are there dangers associated with using tampons and pads because I'm assuming they've got chemicals in them.

Yeah, and I think there's been links to deaths using tampons and you know, and you know there's chemicals in there, and it's also related to women keeping the tampons in for too long.

But you can move to organic cotton tampons, which are better. You can do things like when.

You're home, not use tampons, use pads instead, and these new eco friendly things that are out now, cups and different undecent that can be used.

I think there's.

Little strategy you can do so that, yeah, it's it's healthier and safer.

So one listener wanted to know, if she chooses not to have kids, is it okay for her to stay on the pill until she reaches menopause.

Well, look, you know you can, of course, you know, and doctors and that they'll leave you on the pill forever. There's no problem medically with that. I think it goes back to looking at the risks and going, well, what does my body do when I'm on the pill? Is my cortisol affected? Is my copper affected? Is zinc negatively affected? Am I prepared to have be susceptible to some of these risks that are out there that we talked about before?

And am I susceptible?

Because obviously if you're a smoker, and even there was it was smokers, people with high pertend, women with hypertension which is high blood pressure, and women that get migraines with aura have a higher risk of strong from the pill. So it's sort of going, yeah, what am I prepared to do and what am I not prepared to risk?

Is really the call that all.

Women have to make on that and how might it be affecting if women are really, really unwell in lots of mood problems, lots of fatigue problems, and they're not resolving with some of the first line steps.

That we do.

I often ask them to reconsider some of these things, and the pills one of them, to go, well, you know, should we have a period of time offer just to see that there might be something that it's doing that's not working for you.

That's some really good advice. Our last question is is period pain linked to stress and anxiety at all? Because this listener she said she's had the marina in for about a year and she hasn't had any pain, but she's had a really stressful week at work and she's had the period pain return.

Okay, well, look, stress might be a trigger.

I mean, we blame stress for everything, right, because I do think it affects a lot of things in the body. And we know that, you know, the sympathetic nervous system gets affected when we're stressed and our quartersol levels, so there is you know, touchy feely things that stress does that.

We know of, and it does.

It has been shown that it might trigger prostaglandins, which are these are compounds that are involved in sort of modulating our inflammatory markers.

They also contribute to the uterine tension.

And contract contracting and relaxing the smooth muscles, so that that's sort of how stress could.

Be related and could just push you over the edge to then yeah, then have pain and problems. So yeah, it's interesting how it works.

Yeah, oh definitely. Well, thank you so much for answering all the questions. It's been so insightful, so really appreciate your time. If people do want to find out more, we'll obviously leave all the links to natural health medicine in our show notes. But this is a national podcast. Are people able to get you on Zoom as well?

Or is it just laid based people.

No, No, we do worldwide.

Actually I've got some clients o' seeds too, so yeah, no problem at all.

Well, thank you so much for listening to our special episode on periods.

If you did enjoy it, we'd love if you could leave.

Us a review on the Apple Podcast because it really does help promote our podcast to others, and we've got an exciting competition for outspoken listeners. You can head to our Instagram and enter a competition to win one hundred dollars out youa from Bodybody, and our Instagram address is Outspoken Underscore the Underscore Podcast, and a big thank you again to Maria Harpus from Natural Health Medicine for joining us today.

If you do want to find.

Out more about Maria and what she does, go onto Instagram and follow Natural Underscore Health to Score Medicine on Instagram. We've also left all her details below if you do want to contact her, so there in the show notes