Marching Into Wellness: Jenn on Navigating Your Monthly Flow

This month some of our beloved team members at Cambridge Naturals will be sharing their own personal wellness stories - from navigating a menstrual cycle to finding a life changing skin care regimen to discovering supplements they can’t live without. March may have arrived sooner than we were ready for, but we will be marching our way into wellness nonetheless.

First, Jenn shares how she found peace with her period. We are truly living in the early days of the 'Golden Age of Menstruation' - now more then ever we have open dialogue around periods and clean, effective products to support us during that time. From cramps and mood swings, to cravings and fatigue, read on for expert tips and learn what she does throughout her cycle to find balance in the throws of sometimes drastic hormonal change.

Via pinterest.com from 1952. Luckily a few things have changed!

Getting your period can be a beautiful and magical thing, at least that’s what most tampon commercials would lead you to believe. But for some, like me, it can seem more like that scene from Carrie (you know the one).

I get all the typical PMS symptoms to what seems like a monstrous degree: bloating, cramps, I eat everything around me, I cry, and I can get a tad mean. I know I’m not alone so I thought I’d share some tips and tricks on how to make that time of the month a little more bearable.

I’m vegetarian and very iron deficient, so bleeding for 5-7 days per month can take a large toll on my energy levels. To combat this loss of iron I do a few extra things. First, I take MegaFood Blood Builder and drink an iron rich tea blend (recipe included at the end). I do both of these things (almost) everyday.  On the days leading up to my period I tend to be very achy and crampy. At home I pretty much live with my heated Grandpa's Garden Bunny Wrap attached to me. But when I have to be in public, walking around with a small heated bunny isn’t exactly “socially acceptable” so I take Herbalist and Alchemist Full Moon tincture. It’s a great blend of anti-spasmodic herbs that quell my cramps, and the only thing I found that really works.

On the days of my actual period, I use a menstrual cup, which has changed my life. If you’ve been wanting to try one but are hesitant - just do it, you will not regret it! We carry a few different brands - Diva Cup, Lunette and Glad Rags. I use to dread finding a bathroom during the day to take out my tampon or change my pad wrapping it in endless toilet paper before throwing into the trash. Now I just have to take out the cup twice a day, once when I wake up and again before I go to sleep. On the last couple days (when it’s more of a light spotting rather than a full on flow) I like to use a cloth pad from Glad Rags. I choose to use reusable items because I saw how much waste my monthly cycle was creating and wanted to do something about it - but I understand that getting that up close and personal with your blood isn’t for everyone. Cloth rags are easy to wash and save you cash in the long run!

Once my period finishes I’m able to put all these things in a little bag and stick it in my sock drawer until next month. I hope in talking about this I can help bring a normalization to talking about periods, since half the adult population gets one every month!

Iron Rich Tea Blend

In a bowl mix equal parts:

• Nettle
• Rosehips
• Holy Basil Vanna
• Red Clover
• Red Raspberry Leaf

Steep in boiled water for 15 minutes, filter and serve.

Thank you so much for sharing your wellness story with us, Jenn! All of the products mentioned in the posts are sold at Cambridge Naturals and, as always, we’re happy to help anyone navigate their female health needs in the store and answer any further questions you may have. Feel free to leave a comment below with any of your own tips and tricks!

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This blog post — Marching Into Wellness: Jenn on Navigating Your Monthly Flow — is for general health information only. This Web site is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Users of this Web site should not rely on information provided on this Web site for their own health problems. Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed to your own physician or other healthcare provider.

Featuring: Holy Sponge!

This blog post was written by Caitlin, our Assistant Body Care Lead and an intrepid product tester! Read below to learn more about Holy Sponge! and what a Menstruation Activist is. 

I remember the first time I tried using a tampon - it was terrifying. I felt like I was taking a foreign object and entering a foreign place. Over a short period of time (no pun intended), I got used to using tampons, and they easily found a way into my monthly routine. To me, there was nothing friendly about a tampon, and pads just simply were not appealing. Now that I have grown well into my womanhood and learned to love my body and my monthly cycle, I have also learned to love the power of choice as a female consumer! Enter: the Holy Sponge!

The Holy Sponge! was created by Janeen Singer, a self-proclaimed menstrual activist who wanted to provide women with safe, earth-friendly alternatives to toxic, commercial menstrual products. Although a sponge may seem intimidating at first, you might find yourself surprised by the soft, silky body of the sponge. Before inserting, the sponge should be run under warm water to soften making for easier and more gentle insertion than a dry, cotton tampon.

The Holy Sponge lasts for 3-6 cycles and is fully compostable - making this both a great economic and eco-conscious consumer option. For someone who doesn’t even like to carry a wallet, nevermind a purse, the Holy Sponge is a true savior! No purses, bags, or backpacks required to accompany you on your next trip to the bathroom making the sponge an extremely discreet way to experience your monthly cycle.

Janeen and her team have put great care and energy into creating Moon Ritual Kits which come with a set of 2 professionally and sustainably harvested sponges, an easy-to-read illustrated guide for care and use, a small vial of organic tea tree oil for disinfecting, responsibly harvested dried herbs for a bath or cleansing ritual, and a cotton carrying bag. The Holy Sponge team is also quite accommodating and will gladly disinfect your sponges with peroxide instead of tea tree oil if you happen to have an allergy, sensitivity, or preference.

If you are interested in trying the sponge, you will be investing in an educational exploration of your body. I am now even more amazed at what my body is capable of and how easy the sponge is to use - once it’s in, you can hardly tell it’s there!

You can learn more about Janeen and the Holy Sponge at http://www.holysponge.net/