Which week are you on in your cycle?
From the monthly archives:
June 2010
Bothered by one or more head-pounding migraines per month? You may inadvertently be triggering more headaches by having an erratic sleep schedule, shorting yourself on sleep and/or sleeping too long, say Missouri State University pain researchers. In their new study, they found that a lack of zzz’s, oversleeping or changing your bedtimes and wake-times (for instance, sleeping in on the weekends) triggers the production of proteins that are linked to activity in the trigeminal nerves—a pathway that runs from the brain stem to head and face and plays a major part in migraines—and proteins involved in the initiation of chronic pain.
The easy fix: Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. And stick to a strict bedtime routine—try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day of the week.
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Banish migraines with 2 natural supplements
As a longtime women’s health journalist, I have the skinny on which supplements are proven in studies to work. Here are the supplements I personally use to combat migraines and which have cut the number of my monthly migraines by half and reduced their intensity. Expect to see results about one month after you start taking them:
* 100 mg. of coenzyme Q10 three times daily: This vitamin-like substance refuels drained energy cells, which is believed to be a migraine trigger.
One to try: Swanson Co-Q10, 100 mg., 100 softgels, $7.89, amazon.com
* 200 mg. of magnesium daily: This key mineral has been shown to stabilize blood vessel walls, minimizing painful migraine expansions and contractions.
One to try: Vitamin Shoppe Magnesium Citrate, 200 mg., 100 tablets, $6.99, amazon.com
[photo: Migraine Chick]
There are now over 780 My Hormones Made Me Do It fans on Facebook! Yay! Ask your friends to join: When we reach 1,000 Facebook fans, ALL fans will be entered into a random drawing and one of you will win an Ovulation Microscope, a handy little gadget that shows you when you’re ovulating. Simply lick the microscope and if you see ferns on the lens after your saliva dries, it means you’re at the end of Week 2 and entering Week 3. Great for knowing where you are in your cycle, especially if you tend to lose track or have irregular cycles! I love this little gadget and have used mine for years.
Become a fan of the My Hormone Made Me Do It Facebook page here!
You probably already know that you talk faster, feel chattier and are far more eloquent on some days than on others. But did you know it’s because of the rise and fall of your monthly hormone cycle? It’s a fact! Estrogen, testosterone and progesterone all affect how fast you speak, how much you like to talk and just how well you say what you want to say. Read on to find out you how to predict what your speech patterns will be like each week of your cycle and learn how to make the best of every week’s hormone-influenced talk type….
Nearly 3,000 women have signed up to receive their free Daily Hormone Horoscope to find out how their hormones affect their mood, energy, libido, crushes, cravings and more every week of their cycle. Have you signed up for your free email subscription yet? And don’t forget to sign up to receive once-a-week roundup of surprising hormone studies and cycle-boosting tips, too! Sign up in one step here!
[photo: pinkthinkgirl]
