Loss of periods..

[lamount03]

so I keep reading around the forums taht a lot of women stop menstruating and that they have read that this is normal. That we aren't supposed to bleed every month, but instead just have a change in cervical mucus... where is this information coming from? Any resources you could share would be greatly appreciated. '


Thanks.

[halikatak]

I have never heard of this. I'd love to see the backup on this.
It's doesn't seem normal or healthy.

[lamount03]

yeah, that's what I thought. I have PCOS and have irregular periods and no one has told me that's anywhere close to normal. ;)

[subbacultcha]

Heh, I've had the opposite. Before I went raw my periods were very irregular and had for the most part stopped, but I was pretty underweight. Now they come every 28 days nearly to the day!

[JennaBoBenna]

A period is a form of detox in my opinion.
When I eat a pure diet, my period cramps are non-existent. I still bleed, but my periods are much happier.
When I'm exposed to harsh chemicals(like last month I was exposed to mass amounts of chemicals from studying cadavers), or are eating bad food, my body fights back during my period and my cramps are unbearable and I have major clumpy blood.
There's an interesting article around here about menstruation and the natural diet, if you do a search you will find it. It's a longgg read, but if you skim, you still get a bunch of info

[Mona]

I have read that kind of information, that comes from a study made by gynecologists. It is on the internet on some waldorfpage, can´t find it right now. But if you search this forum you may find a link to it. This has been discussed a lot of times, :)

[crystalmoon]

Ive had a major shift in my periods. The first few months of high raw with a few 100% raw weeks I had really clotty, thick & dark loss with alot of pain but recently it has become very light, pale in colour & painless. I am not 100% raw for more than a few days at a time at the moment but eat mostly 85% raw by weight. I wonder if it may stop altoghter once I am 100% raw, 100% of the time

[halikatak]

If they become regular or less intense, that seems good.
For them to stop altogether is another story.

Here is an interesting article I found...
http://www.fwhc.org/health/moon.htm


And this is interesting too! Think about all the fiber we're eating! It's starting to make sense.

Regulating Your Cycle
Research has shown that a diet high in fiber and low in fat can cause an irregular menstrual cycle. In one study 210 women, between the ages of 17 and 22 years old, were asked to complete a questionnaire about their eating habits and their menstrual histories. The women who reported having irregular periods also had higher intakes of fiber (both crude and dietary), while the women who ate more saturated fat reported more regular cycles.
Research has suggested that the more fat you consume, the higher your body’s estrogen production will be. Also, fiber helps the body to flush out excess estrogen. The liver pulls estrogen from the bloodstream, through the bile duct and into the intestinal tract, where fiber soaks it up and carries it out of the body with the rest of your waste.
http://www.wdxcyber.com/dietandpms.html

[RowanC]

Some people claim the periods are a form of detox.
Biologically, I just do not believe this is true at all.

Some processes are natural.
Normal periods are one, in my estimation.
They say you are of breeding age.

Heavy periods are a sign of dis-ease and your periods probably will lighten up as you eat raw.

However, if my periods stopped completely, I'd worry about hormone levels, if I was not of a menopausal age.

This is my personal opinion, and I'm aware there are other opposite opinions.

For me, I'd do RESEARCH and look for ACTUAL scientific studies that show menstruation to be "detox" -- and when you do, be very careful and aware about how those studies were conducted, who the control groups were EXACTLY, etc. Scientific studies can be as bogus as the special interest group conducting them!

[lamount03]

yeah I have a hard time believing it is detox too.. wouldn't that suggest that your uterine lining - the place that is to nourish your unborn child - is toxic...
??

[apower2me408]

I have never heard this as being normal. A loss of your period is called amenorrhea, which is caused by low body fat percentage, which is not a good thing. It can lead to osteoperosis and decreased sexual desires, as well as hair loss. Eating enough fat will ensure this does not happen.

I know this from Experience! I was anorexic for about 8 months and this happened to me.

[brydee]

Although i know nothing about this, its hard to know whats normal or not, or im finding it all hard to grasp, i mean how do we know its normal to have a period everything month? Think of animals coming into season, i know we are humans, but..., id read all the studies you can find, hope you find something.
Im reading into it also, i seem to have fine periods then every other month my cramps will be that bad i cant move im jsut about paralysed for 2/3 hours, the only thing i can concentrate on is the pain. *crossedfingers* but since iv been raw i havnt had a bad one since.

[Adagio Breezes]

I agree with apower. Ammenorrhea is NOT healthy. it occurs when your body is not secreting enough estrogen. It is a sign that your body is malnourished and can lead to osteoporosis, and possibly infertility.

Amenorrhea is actually one of the diagnostic criteria for anorexia.

[dread head vegan]

i've heard of this... but i don't think it is healthy. we are suposed to have them. mine are starting to straigten out, because of raw food. (before 80% raw i could go for 6+ months without a period!!!) i now have less cramps though:D i've been 80% raw for about 2 weeks now and got my period within 1 week!!

[magglepie]

I don't know much about what's normal and what's abnormal. I may be a woman, but I'm no scientist. BUT, you would think that NOT menstruating at all would not be good. From what I've heard, menstruation is the female body's way of getting rid of all the stuff that would stay inside were the woman to get pregnant. So, it makes sense that your body would get ride of it. As for cramps. those we can do without ;)

[Ginger]

I believe that bleeding is not normal. Wearing a device to prevent leaking blood everywhere is just not right sounding to me no matter how you put it! Yes you can lose it the unhealthy way and then it is not good but I have heard of women who lost it the healthy way and still ovulate and have children normally. If you eat and live SAD and lose it, yes that is clearly dangerous. When I eat optimally mine is now hardly noticible and I bet if I were to thouroughly detox I would not have to bother with it at all. We shall see.

[Alba]

This is my first post in such a long time!
Long story short: aug 06 I went 100% raw over night and stayed that way for little over a year. In the process I cleared up my skin (if I ate low sugar, meaning no fruits other than berries and sour apples) and lost 18 pounds.
This took me to the pretty low weight of 110 pounds - I'm 176 cm tall so I bet you can imagine that I was pretty skinny.
Too skinny.
By september 2007 I started not feeling so great, I got dizzy from walking up stairs, my lips were pale and my periods had completely stopped!
My parents were worried and I promised I would start eating a little more normal (I added organic eggs, some goat cheese etc).
Then I moved to Paris where I met my boyfriend and started going out much more, to restaurants, clubs etc. I allowed myself to stray from rawfood more and more when I went out and in a way it was really good for me, letting go, losing control ya know - It had all gotten a little excessive.
My periods came back and my sex drive too (BIG Time *wink wink*) the latter might have to do with the complete and utter hotness of my bf, though!
I enjoyed life for nine full months - this being said I reckon I was still 75% raw, never ate sugar, flour, carbs etc. I had a healthy diet, but not a vegan one - at some points not even vegetarian.

.... I had gained around 14 lbs and looked pretty fab.

When I came back I started eating still less rawfood - at one point I even ate a piece of lasagna and I now weigh 130 lbs - this I do not like, my boobs are too big, my ass is too big - and I miss feeling raw and fresh.
So now I've decided to go raw, but from time to time eat a little animal protein just to be on the safe side and not go back to the skeleton-look and no sexdrive, no period days.

Raw is amazing amazing and it helps people in soooo many ways - but I have tried all stages on my own body and honestly - nothing is good in excess. I say eat raw vegan all week - have a plate of scrambled eggs on saturdays.

Hope this helped someone in some way?

Oh - and merry Xmas!!


Love Alba

[rawstrength]

Before raw, I once lost my period when I was anorexic and my body fat levels got too low.
On raw I have regular periods that are light and only last three days. And best of all, I have no cramps!!! My period cramps were horrendous before raw.

Alba - I hope you find a way to eat raw and stay healthy. Being raw doesn't necessarily mean that you will be super skinny. I eat raw and maintain a healthy and normal weight for my body size. I also have quite a bit of muscle tone. Make sure to include lots of sweet fruits and healthy raw fats to keep the weight on while eating raw.

[oceanluv]

In all the reading I have done, it (or they) say that when you are 100% raw, you might get too thin, at first, but it is like your body is squeezing out all the toxins, and when it is done with that process, you will then gain the weight that is normal for your body. The dizzyness, etc. could also be that you were not getting enough calories. doesn't have to be "protein". Good luck on your raw journey. (and congrats on the hot bf) ;)

[Temperance]

V.355, Issue 9207, 11 March 2000, Pages 922-924
Nuisance or natural and healthy: should monthly menstruation be optional for women?
It is simplicity itself to eliminate menstruation with safe, inexpensive, and widely available oral contraceptive tablets. Yet monthly menses continue to be the standard for women. Why? Any woman can tell you that menstruating is a pain, literally and metaphorically. At a minimum, it is a nuisance that requires planning and expensive sanitary supplies and paracetamol to avoid messy discomfort for about 1 week each month. In many cases, however, menstruation has a far greater impact on the female half of the population. It can debilitate, and it constitutes a significant and largely unacknowledged cost to society, according to a lively and provocative new book by Elsimar Coutinho and Sheldon Segal.1 Menstrual disorders are by far the leading cause of gynaecological morbidity reported in the USA, outnumbering their nearest competitor (adnexal masses) by a factor of three and affecting nearly 2.5 million American womean anually.2 The effects extend beyond individual women to society more generally, including through the workplace.3 Menstrual disorders cost US industry about 8% of its total wage bill. Expenses are particularly concentrated in sectors that employ predominantly women. For example, Texas Instruments found a 25% reduction in the productivity of female workers during the paramenstruum. Most treatments for conditions caused or exacerbated by menstruation are symptomatic, with little attention paid to the underlying cause—ie, the menstrual cycle itself and its hormonal fluctuations. Women are expected to function as usual, with minimal attention paid to managing the physical and mental pain and discomfort. This is surely an anomaly in modern medicine. There can be no other disease or condition that affects so many people on such a regular basis with consequences, at both the individual and societal level, which is not prioritised in some way by health professionals or policy makers.

Is menstruation really natural?
Monthly menstruation for decades on end is not the historical norm. Women in prehistoric times, as estimated by research among contemporary hunter-gathered populations,6 probably had far fewer periods (about 160 ovulations over their lifetime) than modern women. Our foremothers most likely experienced later menarche (around 16 years of age), earlier first births (19.5 years), frequent pregnancies (on average six livebirths), and long periods of breastfeeding between pregnancies, with births at intervals of 3 years. By contrast, the modern woman living in an industrialised country begins menstruating earlier (on average 12.5 years of age for American girls), first gives birth later (24 years), has fewer pregnancies (two or three), scarcely breastfeeds (3 months per birth, with half of American infants never breastfed at all), and undergoes menopause later. She can expect about 450 periods in her life. Current menstrual patterns are in this sense new and unproven as to their health effectss.

Furthermore, there is plenty of modern evidence that amenorrhoea is often healthier than the alternative.7 If a woman is not menstruating, she is probably also avoiding the sharp changes in hormone levels that regulate this bleeding. Measures to eliminate these fluctuations may help some women to avoid those mood and personality changes of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that do not stem from problems with the receptors for these hormones. In addition, diseases directly caused by menstruation such as endometriosis would improve; and catamenial conditions (such as epilepsy and arthritis) would not worsen cyclically. Frequent ovulation and menses also contribute to anaemia, some reproductive cancers and heart disease, as well as other health threats. Anaemia in turn has been shown to hinder learning; similarly endometriosis causes great discomfort, contributing to painful intercourse and infertility among other conditions.

Obviously, our ancestors did not accomplish their long menstruation-free intervals by the artificial use of hormones. But by re-examining the credo that frequent and prolonged menstruation is the “natural” state, it is easier to see menstrual management using oral contraceptives as just another medical therapy, akin to daily and continuous pharmaceutical management of hypertension of benign prostatic hypertrophy for men. Modern medicine is all about the artificial control of conditions that range from the life threatening, debilitating, and uncomfortable to matters of mere taste. Eye glasses, insulin, fluoridated water, and now perhaps Viagra, are just a few examples. The use of hormone replacement thereapy (HRT) is a closely related example. HRT has been widely accepted by women and health professionals and provides undisputed protection against certain conditions. Suppression of menstruation is no different, and in some ways more beneficial. It not only gives relief from menstrual-related disorders to individual women, but it also confers additional health benefits and gains to society.

Cultural biases against “medicalising” menstruation
There is still, however, some way to go before widespread acceptance of the idea that menses should be optional and convenient. Women and health professionals are conditioned to think of monthly menstruation as the holy grail of womahood. Birth control pills themselves, for contraceptive purposes, have now been accepted for many years, but there was a sensitivity among their earliest marketing executives to the psychological importance to women of the monthly bleed. The classic “21/7” schedule of oral contraceptive use was designed to mimic the normal menstrual cycle, even though it was unnecessary (other than perhaps to reassure women poineering this new technology each month that they were not pregnant—something easily handled today with home pregnancy urine dipsticks which can be used as needed). Users of oral contraceptives experience a “withdrawal” bleeding or “pseudo period” for 1 week out of each 28 days, substituting in the minds of many women for menses. This schedule is supposedly easier for doctors to explain and for women to understand.

Actually, the bleeding that oral-contraceptive users experience each month bears little biological resemblance to a menstrual period. Indeed, there is scarcely any builtup uterine lining to be shed for these women. Rather, the bleeding results from a drop in the hormone levels after the 21st day when the woman stops taking active tablets and switches to placebo. Women who use oral contraceptives and feel that they are maintaining a “normal” or “natural” cycle are being duped. There is no evidence of any health benefit to taking the placebo tablets for 1 week each cycle. Women taking oral contraceptives might as well be told that with the exact same health risk-benefit ratio, they could eliminate bleeding completely by discarding the placebo tablets in each pack and using the other tablets continuously. In this vein, even if convincing health-based arguments touting the benefits of true menstruation could be marshalled, the millions of women currently using oral contraceptives to control their fertility are already not menstruating in any medical sense. These women at least should be offered the option of eliminating the useless bleeding and related iron-deficiency anaemia and other drawbacks they experience each month, courtesy of the drug company marketing departments. Such women should not feel alarmed that they are not really menstruating—the few health-based theories supporting true menstruation do not convince; far more evidence points to the protective properties of oral contraceptive use and the advantages of being amenorrhoaeic. As to the most significant populerties of oral contraceptive use and the advantages of being amenorrhoaeic. As to the most significant popular fear—that of monthly shedding as protection against cancer—even true menstrual bleeding involves shedding only the top layer of the endometrim, and not the basal layer where cancer can start.


Criticisms of this view
There are of course some problems with this approach. First, viewing menstruation as “unnecessary” and medically controllable in some way pathologises it for all women, even those for whom it is simply a practical nuisance rather than the cause or correlate of serious health problems. Rather than a natural event with unpredictable and varying consequences, menstruation might be viewed as a “sickness” and women who opted not to suppress their cycles, and therefore to menstruate “naturally”, might face censure. In fact, suppression should be just one option for women.

Second, some may argue that synthetic hormones can never approximate the fine balance created by the body. Indeed, for certain women, particular synthetic hormonal regimens may end up exacerbating the symptoms of PMS or inducing other unwanted side-effects. Being wary of “technological” approaches to achieve a desired “natural” state, however, does not explain why the hormone fluctuations associated with “natural” menstruation are healthful or even benign for most women.

Conclusion
Despite these counterarguments, menstrual control with oral contraceptives could substantially improve women's health and concurrently constitute a gain for society. It may not be for all, but at the very least, health professionals and women should know about the option and its potential benefits. When such a safe, simple, and inexpensive treatment is already so widely available, women should not have to be driven loony by their lunar cycles if they prefer not to bleed each month.

[curlygirl82]

Temperence - where's this article from? Just wondering if it wasnt paid for by a BC manufacturer :)

[Temperance]

Hi

The article is from the Lancet- I believe it is a well-respected medical journal from the UK but correct me if I am wrong.

Temperance

[Vaclare79]

I've noticed that since going RAW my periods are lighter and no cramping as well.. It's great! :)

[fruitandveggies]

So, I'm wondering...why do humans bleed while other mammals don't? I've watched a whole lot of animal documentaries and none of them mentioned the females having bleeding. Is that because they get pregnant every time they are in heat? That's can't be true...so what's up with that?

[GreenVariety]

Personally I got off of birth control because I had been with my husband (boyfriend then) for 2 years and was not concerned about getting pregnant. We would figure it out if I did but we were both super careful and as far as I was concerned there were other ways to manage it. In fact I use Cycle Beads (http://www.cyclebeads.com/) just like I used to use the pill. Don't get me wrong, I did use the pill from 16 - 23.

A little background:
Originally I went off the pill because I didn't have health insurance and had to cover rent. When that no longer was an issue I decided not to go back on it because my bf and I had been doing a wonderful job of managing ourselves and I had a friend who just calendared and used protection during the most fertile days with her hubby. This was still near the beginning of my health journey but one of the first things for me was getting rid of pharmaceuticals. This was a personal choice and the main reason I was comfortable doing it was because I had been with the same partner and intended to stay with him. Had that changed, I am sure I would have started taking oral contraceptives again because I wasn't ready to be a mom! It's now been almost 4 years, my hubby and I have been married for almost 2 and we have continued our routine of managing with cycle beads and calendaring.

Although I used to get horrible PMS(including but not limited to back pains, exhaustion, mood swings) cleaning out my diet has significantly helped. I don't get cramps anymore (attributed to diet) and last month I had my first true raw foodie period :) It was light and clot free! Wonderful!


And back to my point:
Working in a vet clinic for a few years I was definitely exposed to animals the bleed. I can not speak to why they bleed (kibble, vaccines, lifestyle) but they did bleed. I have read (my passion started with animal nutrition) that pets on a raw diet are very clean during heat (they are able to keep themselves clean because it is not an unmanageable amount of blood). I am not sure how founded this is but I have read a lot of information from holistic breeders/pet forums and that was the consensus (on dogs anyway). Cats are very clean animals already. I am sure that is something they stay right on top of. I do know that a lot of show dogs wear diapers during heat (it is ill advised to spay a show dog). They were the ones I was generally exposed to that we not spayed. I worked at a holistic and western mix practice and there were very few that fed a species specific diet. I was the one that talked to most of clients who did feed species specific (I was the only person at the clinic that even fed a home made diet as far as I am aware and I feed raw). I realize this is not scientific data by any means and I am afraid I don't have any sources to back it up but it is what I have observed so I thought I would share.

My current stand on birth control is that it shouldn't be marketed for convince... I also don't feel that it is something that should be part of a long term lifestyle choice. Because it is a pharmaceutical, old stuff is being phased out and new stuff is coming into the market all the time...while I was on birth control Ortho Tri Cyclin was phased out to make room for Ortho Low (or something like that). I also have little faith in the ability of pharmaceutical companies to do any sort of long term testing before unleashing new compounds on the general public under the guise of it being safer and better! That is in fact one of my main concerns. What are the long term effects of man made intervention? We have seen the route it has taken us with food, that's why most of us are here. Do we really want to be the lab animals in an experiment on humanity? JMHO.

I feel that it is important for everyone to make their own decisions for their own reasons. I would not begin to judge anyone for their lifestyle decisions. If being raw has taught me one thing, its that I can not judge anyone for their choices (treat others the way I wish to be treated - even if it doesn't always work that way). And like I said before, if I were to have a different partner I would be darn sure he was just as willing to manage a non contraceptive lifestyle with me before choosing to go off oral contraceptives. Because it is not something you can do on your own. But I would also be sure to express to him my concerns about remaining on birth control long term. There are contradictions.

I am not convinced that periods are exclusively a form of detox but I do think that what we have become accustomed to (the norm) the heavier more inconvenient event that it has become in the eyes of most. I do not find my period inconvenient, especially after last months experience and the lapse of my "symptoms". That is not to say that I would complain if it was virtually unnoticeable. I would however be concerned if it did not exist at all just because of what I am accustomed to personally. I feel like it is part of the natural cycle of things, shedding the old to make room for the new. Sorry this was so long. This is actually something I am pretty passionate about.

Love, Blessings & RAWhugs!!!

[SimplyFabulush]

I have never heard this as being normal. A loss of your period is called amenorrhea, which is caused by low body fat percentage, which is not a good thing. It can lead to osteoperosis and decreased sexual desires, as well as hair loss. Eating enough fat will ensure this does not happen.

I know this from Experience! I was anorexic for about 8 months and this happened to me.

You can't really be anorexic for only 8 months. It's a serious psychological disorder people deal with for years and years. It's not something you decide to do for a few months to lose weight and just quit. Much more depth than that :)

[Irish_Vegan_Girl]

Yes, I have heard of the no period while on raw thing frequently, although would never talk to my doc about it as they don't know a lot about those things, although they claim to. They would tell me it is ill and that anyone like that should eat meat for iron etc... ya - rite!! SO anyway, I believe that when we are pure and eating lots of raw foods period pains naturally decrease and eventually periods can become bloodless. You will still ovulate monthly but not have the detox of the blood. There is a woman who got pregnat this way and had a healthy baby, I will try to find the link.

[Rufassa]

I am not a women but I happen to stumbled apon this topic. Here is an article that seems to address what you are talking about.

They do not mean the "sloughing off of the menses" which is what menstruation is, but "bloody discharge" which is not menstruation even though it accompanies menstruation almost universally in women of childbearing "age" in the modern world.

The article is primarily devoted to "reasons" and hypotheses as to why delayed menarche or menstrual abnormalities are characteristic of ballerinas. If the researchers had been looking on a broader scale they would have researched the subject more and discovered this same syndrome among the following: female tennis players, runners, swimmers, gymnasts, and in fact, all female athletes who exercise regularly and consistently. Further they would have found this syndrome among primitive females in certain areas of the world, most notably among Hunza women and among women who live thoroughly in accord with our biological adaptations per the health system advocated by Life Science!

If the Harvard School researchers had looked even farther, they might have noted that female domesticated dogs and cats often have bloody menstruation whereas their wild relatives do not.

http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/reproductive-problems/ballerina-syndrome-or-medical-ingnorance.html

[circle]

my friend has a female dog who gets her period bad. he started feeding her raw (not raw vegan), and she no longer bled or had diarhea when she bled.

[RawkinOnSunshine]

I disagree that periods are unnatural and a form of detox. I lost my period for extended periods of time (ie 5 or 6 months) when I was severely underweight and suffering from malnutrition. The moment I started eating more nutrient dense foods Auntie Flow came back.

Also intact female dogs get their periods as well. Even without a raw diet, on high quality dog food they are still eating MUCH better (nutritionally speaking) than the majority of North America.

[didi_dancer]

I am twenty and never had a period before in my life. One of the reasons I turned to raw was in hopes of finally getting a period. I went to a lecture and they said just to make sure I was get lemon (aka citrus fruits) and Oil. high quality oil. cold pressed and soaked nuts so that I can absorb you to ahe protien which in turn affects your female hormone gland allowing you to absorb calcium and other minerals important for having a period. hopefully this will work. I am very active so i figure this has something to do with it along with the fact my parents were both late bloomers.

[circle]

if you are very active, and you are 20, and you never had your period, i think that means you have primary amhenorhea or however you spell it. my mom had that, too. she's an athlete. she got her period when she was 17. i think i remember reading that it has something to do with bmi muscle/fat ratio. don't quote me on that, though.

good luck. =)

[ruffsongraw]

interesting thread and great links/articles!
i WISH i didnt get my period. i have been raw for only 9 weeks and am PRAYING that staying raw will decrease it. i am 43. i get hot flashes daily. i added Maca to my daily smoothie about 3 wks ago. my periods are and have always been INSANELY heavy. like i have had to miss work b/c standing up after sitting creates a Niagra Falls situation that no product can contain. i have had to go home to change pants several times. its ridiculous. i dont know if its a form of detox or not. i just wish it would decrease drastically or stop altogether. for about a year i did take BCP's and didnt take the fake ones and i just "skipped" my period. that was wonderful. but i am quite sure not good for me, so i dont take them at all anymore.
some dogs DO bleed and they even sell little diaper/mini pad things for them, but most do keep themselves clean & its not very noticeable. it makes sense that feeding them raw would eliminate or at least decrease any bleeding.
i have often wondered how women dealt with this before the invention of pads and tampons. or if they just stayed pregnant and/or breast feeding all the time and so it wasnt really an issue. i hate it. i think females should get a higher tax deduction than men b/c of all the $ we HAVE to spend on products. haha.
thx for this informative thread!
jen

[Rufassa]

I am twenty and never had a period before in my life. One of the reasons I turned to raw was in hopes of finally getting a period. I went to a lecture and they said just to make sure I was get lemon (aka citrus fruits) and Oil. high quality oil. cold pressed and soaked nuts so that I can absorb you to ahe protien which in turn affects your female hormone gland allowing you to absorb calcium and other minerals important for having a period. hopefully this will work. I am very active so i figure this has something to do with it along with the fact my parents were both late bloomers.

First of all, have you checked to see if you are ovulating? If you are then there is no need to continue with attempts to get your cycle because you already have it. If you aren’t then you may need to seek a qualified practitioner (I suggest Naturopath or TCM, Not a MD). If you don’t know how to tell then look up NFP; many people, including my wife and I, use this to prevent and/or achieve pregnancy by identifying signs your body gives in regards to your fertility. A great book on this is Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler (http://www.ovusoft.com/).

[Rufassa]

I disagree that periods are unnatural and a form of detox. I lost my period for extended periods of time (ie 5 or 6 months) when I was severely underweight and suffering from malnutrition. The moment I started eating more nutrient dense foods Auntie Flow came back.


They do not mean the "sloughing off of the menses" which is what menstruation is, but "bloody discharge" which is not menstruation even though it accompanies menstruation almost universally in women of childbearing "age" in the modern world.

This is saying that, although they often correlate, your bloody discharge is not the same as having a cycle. Theoretically you can ovulate and discharge you menses without ever seeing blood. This doesn’t mean that you won’t have a cycle it just means that you want have a bloody discharge. And this would be an indicator of great health.

BUT, if you put your body under too much stress, like your malnutrition example, then your body will stop ovulating all together and that is a sign of very poor health. BIG DIFFERENCE

I have heard multiple cases of raw foodiest with no, or minimal, discharge and I don’t think it is because they have cleaned there diet up too much and now have health issues. The best thing to consider here might be weather you ovulate every month which can be determined by tracking your basal temperature and/or cervical mucus. If you are ovulating then your body is doing what it is suppose to do, if you are not then you need to find out why but not having a bloody discharge is probably not an issue if you know that your cycle is otherwise normal.


Also intact female dogs get their periods as well. Even without a raw diet, on high quality dog food they are still eating MUCH better (nutritionally speaking) than the majority of North America.


If the Harvard School researchers had looked even farther, they might have noted that female domesticated dogs and cats often have bloody menstruation whereas their wild relatives do not.

Realize that Dogs that eat dog food, regardless of the quality, are not eating their optimal diet and would be similar to humans on the SAD. Dogs are carnivorous yet even the best quality dog foods are filled with (if not based in) corn, plus they have been processed, cooked, and many preservatives and other chemicals are added. The best quality dog food would be equivalent to adding salads to your baked chicken dinners (best of the worst). Now, if you are telling me that you know someone that feeds their dog fresh raw meet and the dog still bleeds then I may have to reconsider my position. But Wolves and wild dogs don’t bleed, why do you thin that is?

Remember that domestic animals are also the only others that share our chronic diseases so it is not surprising that they share our bloody discharges as well.

[ruffsongraw]

not trying to hijack, but...the best kibble dog foods ARE meat based now and many are grain free (GO! Now! evo, Endurance, Innova) BUT yes, still cooked/processed. raw meat, preferaby with bones IS better & natural.
i dont know anyone who is feeding exclusively raw meat AND it would have to be organic--in order to see if those intact females would bleed on their heat cycles.
very interesting!!

jen

[Rufassa]

not trying to hijack, but...the best kibble dog foods ARE meat based now and many are grain free (GO! Now! evo, Endurance, Innova) BUT yes, still cooked/processed...

I stand slightly corrected. Yes, there is a dog food that doesn’t contain corn but the EVO® Large Bites Dry Dog Food, that you consider as the best, does contain:
Potatoes, Egg, Apples, Tomatoes, Carrots, Garlic, Alfalfa Sprouts, Dried Chicory Root, Natural Flavors, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins, Cottage Cheese, Minerals, Ascorbic Acid, Direct-Fed Microbials, Vitamin E Supplement, Lecithin and Rosemary Extract.
As well as some processed meats such as:
Chicken Fat, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Herring Meal

So, although its main two ingredients are Turkey and chicken we realize that it is cooked and therefore no more a dog’s natural food than a hot dog is ours.

This is why I would say a dog that is not eating fresh killed game, or maybe organic meats, is not proof as to how nature normally functions. I actually see this as proof that it could be some form of detoxification for both a woman and a female dogs.

[ruffsongraw]

again, not to hijack, while you are right about raw being best for dogs too, the ingreds you listed are very much part of an "opportunistic carnivore" diet, which is what dogs are. cats are TRUE carnivores, dogs will, even in nature, eat MANY things besides flesh alone. but of course, not processed food. and only a couple of the brands of food i mentioned (evo is not "the best" IMO, but ONE of the best) have organic meat (maybe none do anymore. i sell only several of the brands above, none of which contain corn).

i would love to know tho, if its a form of detox in humnas OR in dogs. but only feeding 100% organic raw meat from day one would tell you for sure. and some dogs are so fastidiously clean that you might not know even if they were beleeding.

i would also love to find out that yes it is detoxing, b/c then it might mean that mine would ease up eventually some day!!! : }

arent there any nurse mid-wives or homeopaths on here that might know??

jen

[Veronica01]

This is my first month going raw and im on my period and it's the first time i have NEVER felt cramps or discomfort. I'm quite happy. I think that periods help your body detox and the heavier they are the more toxic you are. A friend of mine eats tons of wheat and cheese and she can't function for the first 3 days she's on her period, she has to lay down and is constantly crying.
I find that i am very light and cramp free right now. I would hope that going raw gets rid of my periods!

[ruffsongraw]

now THAT"S more motivation! Thx Veronica01!!
goodluck!

[RawkinOnSunshine]

Very fair points, however there are a fair number of high quality dog foods that are crap free so to say. As in the one I feed my dog - no corn, holistic, etc. Yeah, not NEARLY as good as BARF but still better than fried chicken and fried potato and then fried ice cream for dessert...

Wild canines don't have periods? I didn't give a ton of thought to that. Can you cite a source? I'll look it up as well, but in that case I'm on the fence with this. And hoping mind will go away ;)

[circle]

dogs are carnivores.

you can tell by their teeth, paws, and digestive tracts. it is made for flesh and bones.

[Rufassa]

In fact, menstruation as most of us experience it is neither natural nor healthy. Ovulation does not depend on it. And it can be changed very much for the better - even to the extent of not experiencing it at all yet remaining healthy and fertile. How this can be done has been known and written about by health practitioners for centuries, and practiced just as long by women willing to make the simple but significant lifestyle changes involved.

So why haven’t most of us heard about this before?

It is because the lifestyle improvements involved, although simple, are quite a change from most modern women’s habits of living and eating. No drugs or even nutritional supplements are required, but what is essential is the adoption of what health writer Leslie Kenton calls a “high raw way of eating”.

...

Why do women menstruate - and what’s “normal” about it? During the days before a woman ovulates, the lining of the womb - the endometrium - thickens in preparation for a possible conception. If the egg released at ovulation passes through the womb unfertilized, the thickened endometrial tissues are not needed - and in a truly healthy woman, as in animals in their wild state, those tissues are mostly reabsorbed. What remains is expelled over a short period of time as a slight mucus discharge (2:28-29; 15:227).

The majority of women in modern cultures however, experience instead a copious disabling monthly bleeding - that neither their wild primate cousins nor humans living close to nature do (2:30; 15:232). Insightful doctors have long been aware that nature did not intend the ovulation cycle to be accompanied by cramping, nervous tension, or any of the long list of symptoms we’ve come to associate with “having a period” - let alone by the days of bloody flow we now accept as “normal”, but which they rightly call a hemorrhage:

“…menstruation…is a harmful hemorrhage involving the loss of vital fluid…. [The] conclusions of those [gynecologists] who have studied the subject are that, primarily and fundamentally, menstruation is a hemorrhage. NO authority on earth can successfully maintain that a hemorrhage is natural and normal, no matter in what part of the body it occurs.” (2:24)

“Hemorrhage is NOT a condition of health…. It is a pathological state and is always harmful and sometimes dangerous. Hemorrhage in the uterus is no more normal than is hemorrhage in the brain or lungs. It is less dangerous only because the uterus is less vital to the immediate welfare of the body.” (2:24)

It has also been long observed that not only do some apparently healthy women, even in our culture, never menstruate, but that non-menstruating women can be fertile and have healthy children. That is, ovulation does not require menstruation (2:28; 15:225). Natural Hygiene teacher Herbert Shelton noted this in his patients:

“I personally know one woman who is the mother of five children and she has never menstruated in her life. I know another who menstruated during her adolescent period, married a man who had changed his way of living to a truly natural life style, she joined him in his health regime and became a fine specimen of health and ceased menstruating. Thereafter she had three children, all delivered naturally and painlessly and never menstruated again in her life.” (2:28)

Menstruation as we know it IS common, so common it is “the norm”, and in that sense alone “normal”. But it certainly is not healthy - or necessary.

http://againstscience.com/2008/12/31/menstruation-an-amendable-illness-as-the-religions-said/

[iwuvmydoggy]

interesting thread and great links/articles!
i WISH i didnt get my period. i have been raw for only 9 weeks and am PRAYING that staying raw will decrease it. i am 43. i get hot flashes daily. i added Maca to my daily smoothie about 3 wks ago. my periods are and have always been INSANELY heavy. like i have had to miss work b/c standing up after sitting creates a Niagra Falls situation that no product can contain. i have had to go home to change pants several times. its ridiculous. i dont know if its a form of detox or not. i just wish it would decrease drastically or stop altogether. for about a year i did take BCP's and didnt take the fake ones and i just "skipped" my period. that was wonderful. but i am quite sure not good for me, so i dont take them at all anymore.
some dogs DO bleed and they even sell little diaper/mini pad things for them, but most do keep themselves clean & its not very noticeable. it makes sense that feeding them raw would eliminate or at least decrease any bleeding.
i have often wondered how women dealt with this before the invention of pads and tampons. or if they just stayed pregnant and/or breast feeding all the time and so it wasnt really an issue. i hate it. i think females should get a higher tax deduction than men b/c of all the $ we HAVE to spend on products. haha.
thx for this informative thread!
jen

My situation is similar.. When I was doing the SAD, my periods stopped for up to 6 mos at a time (that happened twice, but sometimes I didn't get periods for 2-3 months).. And they have always been pretty heavy. As soon as I went Vegetarian, my period came back within a matter of a couple days, but was very thick & clotty & heavy (which makes sense after reading a lot of people's posts on this thread)... At this point, I am just looking forward to having less heavy, less clumpy periods. If I can get to where I don't bleed at all, then I will be exceedingly happy! But I would still be happy with less blood & less clotting.. It's so messy and just disgusting. :/ And, it is freaky. I'm happy to have my period at all right now, I just wish it wasn't the way it is! lol I will just look forward to them getting better. :D

Rufassa, that article makes a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing it! That would definitely be the ideal.. Being healthy & fertile & not bleeding. I'd like more information about that!!!!!!!!! And how to achieve that!

I would also like to mention, since I haven't seen it mentioned before... If you are OVER weight, you can lose your periods, too. I think that's what happened to me.. And even though I am obviously not the shining example of perfect health (not even close! not yet anyway!), I feel better having my period than I did not having it.. As I mentioned before, I would love to get to the point where I didn't bleed at all, but still be healthy, so anyone with info on the subject, feel free to email it to me. :)

[rawstrength]

It's so messy and just disgusting. :/ And, it is freaky.

It is normal to have clots in your period. Totally normal and healthy, not freaky or scary. Remember that your period is not blood. It is a thick uterine lining that nourishes a fertilized egg.

All of us women need to end period bashing and period hate for once and for all. Getting your period is a beautiful thing! It is part of the natural cycle of life! It is a sign of your female vitality. Love it. Celebrate the rich red life-force of it. Don't be grossed out by your period ;) .

[rawbabymama]

...
All of us women need to end period bashing and period hate for once and for all. Getting your period is a beautiful thing! It is part of the natural cycle of life! It is a sign of your female vitality. Love it. Celebrate the rich red life-force of it. Don't be grossed out by your period ;) .

I am really sleepy, but this basically covered what I wanted to say. Awesome statement, rawstrength!

Eating poorly can cause hormonal imbalances which mess up your period. Before I went raw the first time, I used to bleed heavily for 8-10 days, twice a month in hot weather, and be in horrible pain. After being 100% raw for a few months, my period was every 24-26 days, w/mittelschmerz exactly midpoint, and was 3-4 days in length & about 2 days of a light flow of bright red blood with absolutely no bloating, cramping, or other symptoms. That was lovely.

After I had my son, thanks to breastfeeding, I didn't get my period again until he was 23 months old. Woohoo!

And, for making one's period much more enjoyable, besides eating 100% raw, Diva cup, yay!

Best Wishes,

Michele

[rainbows]

I have come across this and I guess it makes sense what you put into your body will affect what comes out of it, and if it means lighter periods, why didnt someone tell me about raw food years ago.......

Have any of you tried the mooncup???

[rawbabymama]

I have come across this and I guess it makes sense what you put into your body will affect what comes out of it, and if it means lighter periods, why didnt someone tell me about raw food years ago.......

Have any of you tried the mooncup???

The Diva cup is like the mooncup. I love it, absolute freedom compared to pads & tampons.

[Little Green]

What is the Diva cup and mooncup?

On my journey of raw, I have found that my periods have started to occur regularly, very lightly, and virtually cramp/pain free. Before going raw my periods were very irregular. As in, none for up to 7 months. Raw food has cleared my mind and body and is miraculous in every way.:)

[Psypomp]

I'm just starting out with the raw diet.. hopefully, the stressful menstrual symptoms will disappear!

A menstrual cup is a cup that is inserted into the vagina and collects the fluid during your period. It's a bit messier than tampons and pads, because you're coming in close contact with the blood to empty the cup out, but some people prefer it due to environmental reasons and comfort.

I feel lame for saying this, but I've never actually been able to use one! My hymen's still intact and it's always been impossible for me to insert it. That's one drawback-- your opening needs to be wide enough for the cup to actually fit.. insertion might be uncomfortable otherwise.

[rawbabymama]

You have to fold the cups double to get them in, but I will agree they are large. I ordered the larger size because I had a child, but I should have gone with smaller. I think they should consider making a "maiden" size - you would have to change it more often, but it would be worth it.

I don't consider the cups messy. I put my Diva cup in during my shower in the morning, then remove/wash/reinsert during my next shower. On the heavy days, I do need to change it every 4 hours, which I do on the toilet. I rarely have any contact with the blood itself. I then just rinse the cup, wipe myself and reinsert, no big deal.

Much more gross was dealing with tampons w/their nasty little strings, or pads with the fermenting...the cups keep the blood from oxidizing; it is in its natural state and therefore has little odor. I have always been lucky enough to smell like pineapples or grapefruit during that time, but many women are self conscious about their odor and would benefit from this aspect of using the cup.

It is also nice to feel all self righteous about not polluting the earth with feminine hygiene products. I couldn't wear tampons after I had my son, because I would get toxic shock within a couple hours, so the cup offered an alternative to pads. Also, you can wear the cup even on very light or no-flow days, just in case (which is really helpful if one's period likes to play peekaboo). The cost is wonderful - $30 bucks, one time. :D

[Psypomp]

Much more gross was dealing with tampons w/their nasty little strings, or pads with the fermenting...Sorry, I had to laugh at that... pads are so disgusting.
I agree with you on the smaller size idea, also. Even when it's folded up, the cup is pretty big.

[Irish_Vegan_Girl]

Either way, being on my period makes me nauseous:eek:, but since going more raw, it's been a lot better, although my periods are now pretty irregular, I'm all with the "periods are a form of detox", so maybe I don't need so much detox?

On another note, I got the Diva cup last week, haven't had a chance to use it although it looks a fair size for size 1. Can't wait to finish up all those nasty disposables... :)

[Springtime]

this is a very interesting topic. Although it scares me that some loose their period when going raw, the idea that the blood and the ovulation are two separate things is really interesting.

I have never had a heavy/clotted peroid, and it useually lasts 3-4 days, very little blood, but i get terrible pain. i have perscription drugs for it, and the pain really knocks me out for at least one day. the pain is indescribable, and if raw takes that away, i'm gonna be raw forever and ever.
Well, i'm just gonna wait and see, really...

Oh and i have to join in the chorus and say Moon cup/Diva cup is the way to go! Amazing, risk free, environmental friendly, easy, comfortable - a blessing!

[rainbows]

i have read stuff about this and it makes sense that what we put in will affect what comes out, less menses im sure most women would be happy about!!

[rainbows]

i just realised i already replied to this post, my brain at the moment, blame the babies!!!

[Cerellia]

This took me to the pretty low weight of 110 pounds - I'm 176 cm tall so I bet you can imagine that I was pretty skinny.
Too skinny.

Although some people keep saying that eating raw will allways automatically lead to perferct weight and body shape, I really want to emphasise that you must watch what and how much you are eating on raw. Fatty fruits (avocado, coconut, olives...) and sweet fruits are defenetly necessary to cover the demand of calories.



I also agree that just missing the bleeding and missing the ovolation (and consequently also the mens) are two different things. You can find out if you have ovolation circles by measuring the temperature and observing the cervical mucus.
Missing ovolations are certainly a bad thing, but just missing bleeding while you still have normal circles, must be great.

[asecretchord]

Coming from a recovered anorexic's standpoint, missing your period may mean that you're not eating enough too.

[meow]

In my experience, my period becomes very light, pain free and very quick when I start eating high raw. When I'm eating 95+% raw it goes away completely but I do still believe I ovulate b/c I'll feel very mild PMS symptoms (like getting a pimple or 2, or breast tenderness) each month but not actually get a period. It's pretty awesome in my opinion. When I'm eating raw I feel amazing as I'm sure you all do- so what could be wrong with that? Raw foods is our natural diet. I have also noticed that if I slip and eat cooked vegan foods for a weekend, I'll get a period that month.

As for animals, domestic animals do bleed. I work at an animal shelter and the intact females in heat typically bleed for a couple days once a month and many of them become more temperamental than usual. Wild animals do not experience bleeding and I believe they only go into heat a few times a year rather than every month. Wild animals are eating the food nature intended them to eat and living natural lives. Domestic animals are eating man-made, processed, fake foods- no matter how high quality some pet foods may be, a feral dog or cat would not find bags of kibble and cans of food running around outside to hunt! And just like humans who eat processed fake unnatural food, our pets are often afflicted with human diseases- and the same goes for zoo animals eating man-made diets. I have never heard of a wild animal dying of cancer. Yet every single day at work I hear about a dog or cat with cancer, kidney failure, liver disease and a slew of other illnesses that previously only affected people...to me it is proof that you really are what you eat.

[Cerellia]

I have a normal BMI, I'm not skinny and I still have a very feminin body shape. I eat as much as I want (and that can be a lot) and don't save on fats which I manly take in form of avocados, coconuts and some seeds. (Just in case somebody wants to explain the reduced period by undernourishment).
I have allways had heavy periods from the age of eleven onwards. They were also very long with seven to forteen days. At least, they were never really painful. At 18, I was taking the pill for a year. My periods did not get lighter but suddenly, I also started to get cramps and stomack aches (not as bad as some other girls I know, but still).
I'm on raw vegan food for two month, now. The last period was heavy as usual. Already ten days later I could observe an ovolation (I was not secure about it because it did not fit into the calendar schedule, so I continued using condoms). On tuesday, I noticed a discharg of mucus with a little bit of light blood, nothing more. I did not even need a tampon.
I have heard that the period can vanish on raw food and that it seems to be one of the most debated topics weather this is a good or a bad thing. I just did not think that it would happen so early.
I'd love if it continues like that. The only thing that worries me is that my cycles have become irregular (only 20 days cycle) but I hope this is going to even out.

[LilacLavender]

My cycle went from short cycles with long periods to long cycles with short ones...without the cramps. Definitely attributing that to raw.

[kdobell]

I dealt with anorexia for several years and my doctors told me that it was really unhealthy when I lost my period. I just recently got it back (Yay!) after not having one for over 2 years and I'm feeling a lot healthier. I do know that not having a period can cause bone density loss because I now have early stages of osteoporosis in my spine and I'm only 17.

[SweetTangerine]

Should I be worried that I haven't had a period since June 29th? I have only been raw for about a month so I would think it is to early to be clean enough to not have one. My periods have been irregular before and I know I am not pregnant. I also had my usual PMS issues a few weeks ago... just no period to follow.

[margoss]

Mine is very light now. The last regular one I had was after the first month of raw & increase exercise. I still have the body aches/symptoms, it's just very light. I am 46 & it's been decreasing the last few yrs to 2-3 days & light.

[rawmiss]

I always heard that the reason that women live longer than men is that there is dextoxing that happens during the period. That's why everything changes after menopause, our monthly trash bin no longer gets emptied.

[Rose J.]

I think this is a very interesting idea...it kinda makes sense, but it's not something that would have occurred to me! It kinda puts a different perspective on it.

[margoss]

I shared this with one of my guy friends. His reply was to be careful with this diet bc he's concerned about me. Bleeding is 'cleaning out your body. You need bleed real good for several days & have cramps. That's normal'. I sent him some sites I was reading. Waiting for his reply.

[holistica]

so I keep reading around the forums taht a lot of women stop menstruating and that they have read that this is normal. That we aren't supposed to bleed every month, but instead just have a change in cervical mucus... where is this information coming from? Any resources you could share would be greatly appreciated. '


Thanks.

Anyone read this article: Periods, They May Be "Normal," But Are They Healthy? (http://debbietookrawforlife.blogspot.com/2009/04/periods-they-may-be-normal-but-are-they.html)

[Lunar*Fey]

Personally, I don't agree with the idea that we aren't meant to have periods. Not too long ago, I wouldn't have made such a statement. But through my own experiences I have found this to be untrue, at least, as I said, in my own experience.
I know many girls who lost their periods due to very low weight or due to not consuming adequate nutrients and dietary fat. One of these girls was raw vegan. She lost her period and felt very unhealthy. Her hormones were not functioning properly and she experienced fairly rapid bone deterioration. Her hair thinned, she had little interest in boys, etc. All resulting, at least partially, from hormonal imbalances. Her parents forced her to start eating cooked foods again and she still did not get her period back after a year and a half of an average teenage cooked food diet (SAD vegetarian). She did not feel healthy at all but gained weight (not a bad thing at all in her case). Then she went raw again and after a half a year got her period back! She finally felt healthier and her bone density increased after a year of having her period. She got her period back once she switched to raw foods and still has it as a raw foodist.

Similarly, I didn't get my period until about 7 months ago and I only got it after I had been raw a while and really felt a lot healthier after getting my period.

In addition, when I am eating really well and getting adequate vitamin intake and variety, including enough healthy fats, my period tends to be comfortable and cleansing. When I am not eating as well in such respects I become bloated and experience painful, uncomfortable periods.

[Amii]

I studied anorexia nervosa very in-depth during my A-level Psychology, and loss of periods is in fact the 4th diagnostic criteria to meet anorexia - specifically, if you have missed more than 3 periods in a row, you have amenorrhea.
And I've only heard of this happening to people who have extremely low body fat or some kind of hormonal problem. To me, that would suggest losing your period is anything BUT natural.

I know I wouldn't want to lose my period. We all complain about the inconvenience it causes and say we'd much rather do without it, but I think what we really mean is we would prefer a painless, light period rather than none at all. Or maybe that's just me?!

^ holistica, I have read that article. I think what they were saying did make sense, although I still don't accept their theory...

[Rufassa]

...and loss of periods [visable proof of their menstrual cycle] is in fact the 4th diagnostic criteria to meet anorexia... To me, that would suggest losing your periods [entire menstrual cycle] is anything BUT natural.

It seems likely that many of the people who have recently chimed in may not have read earlier post. The point wasn’t that a menstrual cycle was unnatural, only the discomfort and bloody discharge that accompanies them in most modern women. If you define period as one’s complete menstrual cycle, including ovulation, then I think everyone here agrees with you, in saying that that’s not what you want, but this is not what has been being debated. Did these women continue to ovulate when they lost their periods; would these women you referenced still be considered sick if they could otherwise prove that they were ovulating regularly?


... although they often correlate, your bloody discharge is not the same as having a cycle. Theoretically you can ovulate and discharge you menses without ever seeing blood. This doesn’t mean that you won’t have a cycle it just means that you want have a bloody discharge. And this would be an indicator of great health. BUT, if you put your body under too much stress, like your malnutrition (or anorexia) example, then your body will stop ovulating all together and that is a sign of very poor health. BIG DIFFERENCE

Question to Amii and Lunar, can you see the difference between healthy menstrual cycles that include ovulation though void of pain and blood discharges and a woman’s body that completely shuts down reproductive function due to stress; or do you consider these one in the same.

Earlier Sources:
http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/reproductive-problems/ballerina-syndrome-or-medical-ingnorance.html
http://againstscience.com/2008/12/31/menstruation-an-amendable-illness-as-the-religions-said/

[EternityRider]

This is from the unforgettable testimony of Teresa Mitchell. She was an Arnold Ehret disciple. Ehret's "Mucusless Diet Healing System" was a forerunner to the raw food movement. I do not take any particular position on menstrual cycles. I don't believe everything I read, but the partial testimony (below) is amazing, and I believe it.

Teresa - cure of several health problems

Teresa Mitchell gives her testimonial in Rational Fasting by Professor Arnold Ehret. Teresa was born in Hungary and came to the United States, after World War One.

In the United States she had everything in abundance, milk, meat and pastries. Soon Teresa became unhealthy and problems forced her to see the doctor. The doctor believed that her problems were due to the big changes in her eating habits.

Has she carried on feeling bad, she started reading books on diet and vegetarian diets were the ones that interested her the most.

Gradually she applied the diet suggestions to her eating habits and the results were gratifying. She gave up her reading glasses after she had been using them for three years. She joined a Hiking Club and learned to enjoy climbing mountains and spending the day close to Nature’s secrets.

Teresa found out of a book called the Mucusless Diet Healing System, written by Prof. Arnold Ehret. She went on the transition diet for a few months and felt remarkable results. The healing process was a miracle. Two years went by and she remained on the diet as well as on the breathing exercises recommended on the book.

Finally it was time to take a big step for complete healing. Many doubts arose, Teresa was afraid to make such a big change. After speaking to other people who were also interested in health diets, she found out that none of them had taken the diet until the end. She was also told that she would be sick and that isolation would take place, as nobody would understand her.

After a lot of thought she finally decided to take the diet until the end, which was extremely difficult as the only jobs she could find were in restaurants. When people found out at her work she was looked as a freak, but she remained on the diet to the end.

She lost considerable weight. Yet there were many indications of general improvement in her health giving her strength to carry on. Her skin became firm and smooth, her eyes became brighter and a new feeling of exhilaration took place. Her voice became much clearer. She did not miss any day of her work and found strength to perform all her duties. After nine months on a strict diet Teresa felt wonderful. People usually remarked on her natural and spontaneous smile.

One night after a supper of grapes, she was awakened by a sensation of fullness in her throat. She threw up a sticky clear substance. After, she felt a new sense of well-being.

During this period of cleaning and elimination she was never fatigued, her rest was complete and when she awoke she felt an indescribable clear-headedness. Thinking was becoming increasingly easier, concentration had become more acute, and neither noises nor confusion could distract her thinking. Many daily temptations had to be overcome, such as the desire for foods, but she learned to say no. Her menstrual periods only occurred at six-month intervals, and when they did come, she felt no nervous reaction or pain. Their duration was very short.

It was her looks, her general appearance, which showed the greatest improvement. Despite a loss of weight, she did not look skinny. She had a slender body, her face was gently rounded and her skin was like a baby. She felt happy and a glow of radiance seemed to emanate from her, since people continually remarked about it. She felt complete calmness and confidence.

At the age of fifty three Teresa could do all her housework and she felt fine and wonderful, without any feeling of pain or illness.

Teresa truly believed that more and more people will make the change to the [raw] diet. She thought this was a wonderful diet where all five senses become keener and the feeling is fantastic. It was difficult for her to see people overeating and the misery they lived in, due to their diet.

[Saloarraply]

there are several things you can do to boost your metabolism, but ultimately genetics will decide what will happen. I think age may cause some problems with weight loss/gain in terms of metabolism, but it all comes down to your diet. If you have a bad diet then you will have a problem losing weight.

[Nikita]

I've been about 98% raw for 2 weeks now, and I've missed my period this week. I'm about 5 days late now. At first I thought it was coming, because I experienced some mild cramping which usually indicates for me that it's going to start within a day or 2, but so far nothing, and the symptoms went away.

It seems like losing your period (bleeding) can be considered normal on a raw diet, but it seems a little early to be losing mine. Has anyone else experienced this? I plan to see the doctor this weekend about it (pregnancy test and whatnot) but I know from experience that the typical western doctor isn't helpful from a nutritional standpoint.

Also, I haven't experienced any severe weight loss (if any), and I'm eating enough fat for sure. I'm also not exercising heavily. I'm concerned because I've always been very regular until this point. Could it just be the 'shock' on my body from being raw so suddenly?

Anyone have anything to say about this?

[Amii]

^ Hmm, you know what after reading your post I just realised something... after I started upping my percentage of raw I started to have shorter periods (longer cycles, but the bleeding reduced from 7 days to about 5). I started to get what you're getting, the cramping when it's due but no period. This month I was about 2 weeks late so I did a pregnancy test about 4 days ago because I wsa freaking out about it but my period did come in the end. More cramping then usual though which I'm not happy about!

[kileyc]

has anyone had a problem with polycystic ovary syndrome relating to their periods and raw food?

[ReneeH]

I thought this thread was interesting because I acually skipped my last period that was due on January 2nd. Now, it's almost time for my next one in a couple of days... (4 weeks late...) and I have ZERO symptoms...though I stopped having PMS months ago when I got more serious about RAW... I was reluctant to tell anyone (why, I don't know), but reading this thread was comforting... I'm definitely NOT pregnant, but since my last FAST a week ago, my body feels "different"... Not sure what's going on.... :confused:

[Amii]

I actually think that's good news Renee! Not that you're late but that you had no symptoms, congrats :D

[Raw.N.It.Out]

I found this thread to be quite useful & lot's of very good discussions!! :) I find myself leaning towards what Ruffas (did I get that right?) has said. That we can still ovulate every month & not bleed. Which would be nice. We all need to find out I guess what works for our bodies, if either we are ill & not bleeding/ovulating.


I have never heard this as being normal. A loss of your period is called amenorrhea, which is caused by low body fat percentage, which is not a good thing. It can lead to osteoperosis and decreased sexual desires, as well as hair loss. Eating enough fat will ensure this does not happen.

I know this from Experience! I was anorexic for about 8 months and this happened to me.

I am curious about this, & need to look further into this for myself, since I am now only currently struggling with some of these things. Time for another check up!


I dealt with anorexia for several years and my doctors told me that it was really unhealthy when I lost my period. I just recently got it back (Yay!) after not having one for over 2 years and I'm feeling a lot healthier. I do know that not having a period can cause bone density loss because I now have early stages of osteoporosis in my spine and I'm only 17.

How is one tested for this, the osteoporosis?


after I started upping my percentage of raw I started to have shorter periods (longer cycles, but the bleeding reduced from 7 days to about 5). I started to get what you're getting, the cramping when it's due but no period. This month I was about 2 weeks late so I did a pregnancy test about 4 days ago because I wsa freaking out about it but my period did come in the end. More cramping then usual though which I'm not happy about!


I am having something unusual happening the last couple of weeks. I have been having aches in my lower back & pelvis region along with my normal chocolate cravings & I swear I felt like I had my T.O.M. for a couple of days, yet no blood. No spotting. I am not even 100% Raw. I am NOT pregnant. I have just stopped taking the PILL a little over a month ago, after my last T.O.M. & usually I would have it again with not going back onto it. Yet I have not. I will wait this out a little bit more, & see what happens. I still need to make a Doctor's appointment. I am going to become higher Raw in the next couple of weeks here. I don't ever plan on going back on the pill again. I did it for acne.

[EatDanceLive]

Just to give this question my two cents, I have to say that NOTHING has made my period lighter and more regular than the raw diet has (and I now feel ZERO systems like bloating, PMS, cramps, anymore... sometimes I even forget I'm on it! This is contrast to be being literally bed-ridden for the first 1-2 days of my period since I was 12).

I did skip a period and that had an irregular one right after I made the shift to raw foods (also when I went vegan), but I think that was just my body getting used to what was going on... big dietary changes tend to do that!

Hope you've gotten the advice you need from all of these answers :)

[Shels]

So, I waded through this thread faithfully for a while, but after a lot of debate without a lot of answers I figured I'd go ahead and post my own questions - I'm sorry if they're redundant.

First off, have any of you stopped menstruating permanently since going raw? (I went veg in January, and then gradually raw since then). I have yet to menstruate since then.
(The only other time this has ever happened to me was from malnutrition when I was fifteen, but it came back after a few months).

If so, have you had any detrimental side effects? (Except for lack of libido, I'm well aware of that one by now :mad:).

Also, I have lots of hair loss. Everyone seems to think that this is because of a fat deficiency, but I assure you I eat lots of raw fats - probably too many - and even some that aren't entirely raw (cheese, chocolate).
What other deficiency might be at fault besides fat?

P.S.
Does anyone happen to know what the test is for premature menopause?

[drolemil]

Just to give this question my two cents, I have to say that NOTHING has made my period lighter and more regular than the raw diet has (and I now feel ZERO systems like bloating, PMS, cramps, anymore... sometimes I even forget I'm on it! This is contrast to be being literally bed-ridden for the first 1-2 days of my period since I was 12).

I did skip a period and that had an irregular one right after I made the shift to raw foods (also when I went vegan), but I think that was just my body getting used to what was going on... big dietary changes tend to do that!

Hope you've gotten the advice you need from all of these answers :)

Ditto. :)
Exactly everything you said is the same for me, except instead of being bed-ridden I would just have intense cramping...

[christinajade]

Shels, maybe not enough greens in your diet? How much leafy greens are you having and what kinds?

[Shels]

I generally have spinach and romaine in salads, kale and parsley in my smoothies, and I make lettuce wraps out of red leaf lettuce. I have at least one of those three things per day. . .

[FunkyDora]

wow, shels, I'm glad for your post. I too have not had my period since going 95% raw for a year now and I have had a lot of hair loss, which is frankly freaking me out. I just had my blood checked and everything looks normal, iron normal, vitamin B normal, thyroid normal. the only thing that is ow according to medical standards is my white blood cell count, which I am not worried about too much. Just mostly my hair worries me. if there's Anyone who has had this similar experience and recovered from it, please et me know how you recovered from hair loss? thanks!

[Shels]

wow, shels, I'm glad for your post. I too have not had my period since going 95% raw for a year now and I have had a lot of hair loss, which is frankly freaking me out. I just had my blood checked and everything looks normal, iron normal, vitamin B normal, thyroid normal. the only thing that is ow according to medical standards is my white blood cell count, which I am not worried about too much. Just mostly my hair worries me. if there's Anyone who has had this similar experience and recovered from it, please et me know how you recovered from hair loss? thanks!

Hi Dora. =]
My hair loss slowed and stopped after a few months, so it's no longer an issue for me. I didn't do anything specific to cause that, I think it was just a part of my transition to raw food. I still haven't gotten my period back (it's been about a year now), but I also had blood work and everything was fine - except wbc and vitamin b levels. Best of luck!

[PaigeAdele]

I thought this thread was interesting because I acually skipped my last period that was due on January 2nd. Now, it's almost time for my next one in a couple of days... (4 weeks late...) and I have ZERO symptoms...though I stopped having PMS months ago when I got more serious about RAW... I was reluctant to tell anyone (why, I don't know), but reading this thread was comforting... I'm definitely NOT pregnant, but since my last FAST a week ago, my body feels "different"... Not sure what's going on.... :confused:

Same here! It came though. My body was readjusting it seems to eating more raw foods (went from about 50% to 90%). I had no symptoms of getting a period and when it finally came it was short and sweet.

[KaleMama]

Great thread and information! :)

This is my 6th month being 100% raw and I have noticed a HUGE change in my menstrual cycle. My cycle before raw was horrible and very painful and extremely heavy. I mean HEAVY. After going Raw it just has gotten better and better to a point where I hardly get symptoms and pain. This is month #6 and my cycle for the 1st time in my life is late (8 days). No, I'm definitely not pregnant either. Last month, I did a 15day juice feast while I was on my cycle so maybe that had something to do with it?! I do seem to be ovulating this month because I did get the occasional pimple and my breast are plump. LOL We'll see how things go from here but I am relieved to see all this wonderful information. Thank you!


:throwhearts:

[DandelionPuff]

I lost my period early last year, the last "normal" one I had was in january, but I had one in february that lasted maybe a day and was hardly anything.

I did develop orthorexia that Summer before, and had lost 40 pounds rather quickly. I was working out 5-6 times a week, burning 400-700 calories each time, and eating maybe 800-1,200 calories everyday. And I thought I was being super healthy... >.<
By may, I had realized what I was doing to my body, and upped my calorie intake to 1,300-1,800. Still not enough... 2 months later, I was vegan, and told myself I would only stick to it if I got better.

That was a year ago, and, of course, I still have some eatind disorder thoughts, but it's getting better all the time.

I've gained 15 pounds back, and now weigh 145 at 5'8. A healthy weight. I'm pretty sure I eat enough fats, and they're always healthy sources- olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados...
But I still haven't gotten my period.

I've read on other places that periods aren't natural, and I think that women who get really bad cramps, PMS, heavy bleeding, or other things are a symptom of poor diet. Bleeding is not menstruation, but a side effect of it that you may get or you may not..

But I'm still worried about my body. I've been upping my raw food intake, and it's getting more all the time as the weather gets warmer, so hopefully it'll do something. (Although, last summer I was eating a lot of raw food, but it didn't help!)

[Marg]

Hello Everyone!

Shels and Dora -

I'm so glad to finally hear of others who do not have bloody menstrual cycles. I haven't had one in about a year and 4 months. I've been thinking I should get my hormones checked to make sure everything is ok, but haven't done so yet... I also haven't done any tests to see if I'm ovulating, but I will definitely look into that.

I don't believe my lack of periods is due to malnourishment. I'm 5' 4" and around 115 to 120 lbs (haven't weighed myself in a while, but my clothes still fit :) ), I do intense exercise a few times a week and yoga and lots of walking other days, I'm very happy, have low stress and I'm in an awesome relationship. On top of that, I definitely eat enough food (90%+ raw and 80 to 90% organic), which consists of tons of greens, veggies, healthy fats, and a good amount of fruit. I've been vegetarian since I was 16 (now 22) and mainly high-raw for about 2 years.

I started eating high-raw in 2010 and with the sudden change in diet and high stress lifestyle, and probably buring more calories than consuming, I dropped about 10 lbs and my period started to become less frequent and lighter. This weight slowly went back up to around 117 and my period eventually disappeared. In December 2010 I was very stresed out with loads of school work and was getting probably a third of the amount of sleep I should have been and started eating all kinds of crap food (fast food, highly processed garbage, but still vegetarian) out of convenience. My hair started falling out like crazy and in January 2011 I got my period again, after about 8 months of not having it (I believe this was my body's way of getting rid of all the toxins I consumed in the previous month). I started eating clean again my periods stopped after that one period in January. I did a few pregnancy tests in 2011 becuase I wasn't getting my period but they all came back negative so I just gave up on those. I figure I'll probably feel other symptoms if I become pregnant.

I'd like to believe I still ovulate even though there is no bleeding. I will still get slight chocolate cravings and hightened libido every few weeks - two signs that I would always get right before I got my "normal" period...but the effects are not nearly as extreme as they used to be. I will follow up once I get my hormones checked and find out for sure if I'm ovulating.

Dora - Maybe your hair loss will lessen with time? Have you had your hormone levels checked?

[Zoefzoef]

I might not be replying in the right thread, but I was looking for some info about menstrual reactions to going raw.
I considered myself pretty healthy and used to have a very regular cycle with pains etc, but mostly tolerable. I have been raw for 3 weeks now and all of a sudden I am 1,5 week early and the bleeding is pretty heavy (although less discomfort than usual).
Is this a normal reaction in the beginning of raw?
I dont think shorter or irregular cycles are a sign of health....

back to the original post. I have some friends who said that the daily practice of Hot Yoga combined with a raw diet made their bleedings completely disappear. They said that they still knew and felt exactly where they were in their cycle. And they figured that they felt healthy all over and didnt have a reason to be worried. They also said that when they either stopped their yoga practice for a while or stopped 100% raw, their bleedings returned.
At the time it reminded me of some things I heard and read about professional athletes; to me it sounded like it was a reaction of the body being in some kind of hyper/over functioning mode.