I was miserable.⠀
It didn’t look like it.
But I was.⠀
I felt like a zombie.⠀
I couldn’t think straight, I had no energy, and I had so much brain fog.⠀
I couldn’t focus on what I was doing let alone work.
I was anxious and irritable.⠀
I did not feel like myself. ⠀
And I’m now looking back I’m realizing how unhappy I was.
You know what alllll of the symptoms were caused by?⠀
Hormonal birth control.⠀
So a couple weeks ago I stopped taking it and IMMEDIATELY felt like myself again. The next day I literally didn’t have any of these symptoms.
I was AMAZED (and a little shocked)!!
I can think straight, am no longer anxious, and feel ALIVE.⠀
I feel HAPPY again! ⠀
I wanted to get back to where I was several years ago… Happy. Content. Loving life.
And I have!
I’ve spent this summer healing my body. I’ve been learning about hormones and all things gut health (the two are very connected) for about a year now. This summer I put a lot of what I’ve learned into action!
Here are a few of the things I’ve been doing to heal my body:
- Fueling my body with superfoods.
When are hormones are damaged our gut is damaged and vice versa. In order to heal from the damage the medication left, I needed to fuel my gut with foods that would heal my gut.
I have been eating a variety of vegetables, whole grains, maca powder, chia seeds, and more to heal my body. I’ve also been drinking matcha every day, not only because it makes my gut and hormones happy but it tastes really good 😉.
I’ve been very intentional to eat ENOUGH, and not less.
- Sweating.
Hormonal birth control puts fake hormones into our body instead of letting our body produce natural hormones. So in order to eliminate the fake hormones, you have to detox them from the body.
Sweating is one way to do that! I actually have noticed that I sweat more easily now that I am off hormonal birth control.
I make sure to sweat every day (except my rest day) with my workouts and walking the dogs (thank you summer heat 👏).
Another great option is utilizing a sauna. Unfortunately I don’t live near one so this wasn’t an option for me, but can be very helpful with detoxing.
3. Resting.
Did you know our body repairs itself when we sleep (or rest)? So giving our gut and hormones a break to let them repair and detox the is very necessary!
I am thankful for a short break from work while I detoxed, but this could be done with a full schedule as well. If I had been working while detoxing I would still have:
- prioritized extra sleep (at least 9 hours per night)
- had strict boundaries with work hours
- said no when needed
Honestly I find resting difficult and this is something I have been working on. It’s a work in progress!
This is why it is SO important to listen to our bodies. 💜
Don’t dismiss symptoms when you don’t feel good. Lean into it and find support. ⠀
I’m thankful for learning from some amazing mentors and coaches!
I’m now using Natural Cycles to track my cycle and know when I’m fertile (did you know you can only get pregnant 5 days per month??). You can get 20% off with this link!
If you struggle with any of these symptoms, they are likely hormone and gut related. Find a coach or functional medicine doctor to help you make a plan to heal your symptoms.⠀
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*There are certain precautions to take coming off of birth control. Don’t just stop without having knowledge of reactions.*⠀
**I am not a medical doctor, just sharing my experience.**
