How Plants Changed My Life

After one year of marriage I wanted to get off of birth control pills to start to get my body healthy naturally in preparation for trying to conceive in the next few years. The one concern I had was the fact that I initially started taking birth control pills in medical school, not to prevent pregnancy, but to manage horrendous periods. As an adolescent my periods were very heavy and painful. I ate anti-inflammatory medications like candy and stocked up on super pads and heating patches. My periods left me anemic and weak. It’s a bad sign when your allergist is the one to recommend that you start birth control pills. He’s actually the person who prescribed my first pack of pills. Being on the pill helped tremendously, I wondered why I had waited so long.

While in OB/GYN residency training, I found out that you could avoid periods all together by taking the active pills continuously. This was what I was doing until the fall of my first year of marriage. My husband had never known me to have a period or PMS for that matter. I knew I needed a natural solution to correct my menstural cycles. In my research I learned of the benefits of a whole foods plant based diet to support a healthy menstrual cycle. I avoided dairy, eggs and all meats in the beginning. I also avoided caffeine, which is a feat for an OB/GYN. I had to cook a lot more since I limited processed foods, even making my own nut milks and salad dressings. I benefitted greatly from Heather Crosby’s book Yum Universe and set meal plans. By eating a nutrient dense, naturally anti-inflammatory diet my transition off of the pills was seamless. I had minimal cramping and barely any indication that I was about to start my cycle. Concurrently, I did a fertility cleanse to support my body in detoxing from all the years of hormones. Since I hadn’t had normal cycles for years, I started tracking my cycles using a fertility thermometer to help me get a sense of when my period was due. This was also part of our method of natural family planning. I was pleased to find that I was ovulating regularly.

In addition to experiencing the benefits of healthy menstrual cycles, I was pleased to discover other ways in which this lifestyle change impacted my health. Read more...

About Kathryn Azelia Hale, MD, MPH, FACOG

Dr. Hale is a board certified OB-GYN who specializes in guiding her Cherokee Women’s Health Specialists patients through nutrition and lifestyle changes using a holistic approach to help them balance their hormones. She also blogs at Abundant Health Life.