221: Menstrual Cycle

Menstrual Cycle 

Menstrual cycle and how to balance our hormones is something every woman should know. Studies show that balanced hormones are also connected to our mental health and longevity. So my guest today, Nicole Jardim will teach us exactly how to take care of ourselves especially during our menstrual cycle.

Great Childhood

Nicole Jardim says she had a great childhood. But when she was 11 years old, her dad suddenly passed away. It turned her world upside down.

Around 14 or 15 years old, Nicole Jardim had no idea why she suddenly developed significant period problems. Her mom experienced the same thing until her 20s, so she didn't think her menstrual cycle was amiss.

Heavy Periods

Nicole Jardim recalls that one of her major menstrual problems was having heavy periods. Then suddenly her menstrual cycle would halt and come only every three to four months. She continued this way for the next four years during her teenage years.

There were times that it would give her terrible cramps and unable to go to school. Finally, at around 18 years old, she decided to go to an ob-gyn doctor to discuss her menstrual cycle problem. That doctor recommended that Nicole Jardim start taking birth control pills because that was the solution in conventional medicine.

Effects Of Taking Birth Control Pills

Upon taking birth control pills, the menstrual pain subsided and Nicole Jardim's periods only lasted around two days. Gone are the days of heavy menstrual periods.

But Nicole Jardim’s hormones swung from one end of the spectrum to the other. It turned out she was estrogen-dominant and had low levels of sex hormones. It was like at pre-menopausal level by the time Nicole Jardim went off the pill in her early 20s.

“By that time, I was having serious health problems. I had serious gut issues, and my hair was falling. Then I had melasma all over my face and experienced UTIs and yeast infections,” recalls Nicole Jardim.

Seeing An Acupuncturist

Because of her numerous health issues, Nicole Jardim ended up seeing an acupuncturist. After an initial consultation, the acupuncturist told her that the birth control pills caused all her menstrual cycle problems.

Eventually, she got off the pill, and her health did improve. Nicole Jardim finally realized she wanted to learn more about women's health and understand more about the female body.

Institute For Integrative Nutrition

During her period of research, Nicole Jardim discovered the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN). However, they were only doing live courses in New York City at the time. And with Nicole Jardim living in Florida, it initially seemed impossible for her to enroll.

After meeting a friend who was a graduate of IIN and teaching Holistic Nutrition, Nicole Jardim finally decided to move to New York City to go to the school. Luckily, he husband was supportive of her decision. Hence, Nicole Jardim attended her first class in 2010.

Later on, after her apprenticeship, Nicole Jardim realized that she genuinely wanted to pursue a career in women's health. It became a life mission for her to help women cope with their health issues, especially about menstrual periods.

There's More To Nutrition

“One thing I learned is how food is connected to our hormones and our period,” said Nicole Jardim.

Apparently, there is so much to learn about food and nutrition. I've had a few medical doctors on the show who said they pay so much for their education, such that they are made to think they are taught everything there is to know about healing, health, and nutrition.

And in over eight years of education, they only have one class on nutrition. Hence, they think that is all they need to know about the subject.

Current State Of Women's Health

Nicole Jardim thinks that one of the most significant problems of women is they are right now under an unprecedented amount of physical, emotional, psychological stress. Apparently, we're at a breaking point already. So we have to figure out some way to live in the world as it is right now.

“When we're in the state of chronic overstimulation, what happens is, our brains are being hijacked. And what that looks like is we have issues like blood sugar roller coaster, food sensitivity or gut inflammation,” said Nicole Jardim. “We end up in this chronic state of fight or flight. Our bodies are constantly in the alarm mode.”

Bioidentical Hormones

When it comes to having hormones that are regulated or imbalanced, Nicole Jardim thinks that you have first to figure out the root cause. One way is looking into the food you are eating. You also have to figure out your chronic overstimulation.

“There's a lot of different factors that you have to address before jumping into a hormone replacement therapy,” said Nicole Jardim.

Some of you may have heard of Dr. John Lee. He was the pioneer of bioidentical progesterone. His work is outstanding. Regarding bone density, he was able to reverse osteoporosis with bioidentical progesterone. Unfortunately, he already passed away from a heart attack in 2003.

Success Stories

Nicole Jardim has earned a lot of praise from clients who have all benefited from her programs to improve their reproductive health and fixed their hormone issues. Some women suffering from infertility and PCOS have identified the root cause of their health problem after signing up for Nicole Jardim's Fix Your Period Course.

“Every woman who comes to me doesn't have a clue about what is going on with her body. She doesn't understand what ovulation is or why she gets her period and so many other things,” reveals Nicole Jardim. “It's a serious problem. So I first have women understand their bodies and the phases of their menstrual cycle.”

Changing Diets

I know you've heard it again and again. Diet makes a big difference in improving health. Nicole Jardim says it can be overwhelming, but the secret is to take baby steps towards changing your diet.

“Think about all the green vegetables in the world, and choose a few of them that you love. And start to have that every day of your diet,” advises Nicole Jardim. “So many women did that and had amazing changes.”

These vegetables are critical to women's health because they contain compounds that help reduce estrogen dominance. They help your body produce estrogen better. Nicole Jardim says two to three cups of vegetables a day is an ideal amount. Some vegetables include kale, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and broccoli, etc.

Nicole Jardim also advises watching our fat intakes and consume coconut oil, coconut butter, animal proteins, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds. Consequently, Nicole Jardim says when we're not giving out body enough nutrients, we will be unable to ovulate consistently.

Do try out Nicole Jardim's recipe for pumpkin seeds and flax. Take one tablespoon of each, put it into a smoothie, salad, soup or breakfast food. You can also grind up the seeds before ingesting it. You can also use sunflower seeds.

Changing Lifestyle

Nicole Jardim also suggests creating a routine at night by limiting phone use and watching TV. It is also advisable to restrict the use of the computer. Using essential oils also helps.

“What you need to be doing is winding down and optimize our sleep. That will drastically change how we function and how resilient we are to stresses in our life,” Nicole Jardim said.

Nicole Jardim is a Certified Women’s Health + Functional Nutrition Coach with a specialty in hormonal and reproductive health. In 2010, she trained at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a health coach.

Shortly after that, Nicole Jardim completed a 3-month apprenticeship at a women’s holistic health center in New York City. She then did a 1-year training program with Dr. Sara Gottfried, MD (author of The Hormone Cure & The Hormone Reset Diet).

Nicole Jardim followed that up with an additional 1-year women’s health and nutrition coaching certification program with the Integrative Women’s Health Institute. In 2016, she completed a 1-year training program with the Kresser Institute for Functional and Evolutionary Medicine. And finally, she is pursuing her national certification to become a licensed health coach.

Get Connected With Nicole Jardim!

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Recommended Readings by Nicole Jardim

Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom by Dr. Christiane Northrup

The Period Repair Manual by Dr. Lara Briden

Recommended Links:

Dr. John Lee Website

Dr. John Lee on Progesterone

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