Good morning friends!
Yesterday was a long and busy day for me. And as dinner time rolled around I was craving a lentil burger. Looked over our few burger recipes and picked our lentil sweet potato brussel sprout burger as the one to make!
*warning – for our guy readers, you may want to skip this post
Burgers hit the spot for me!
A simple salad topped with my lentil sweet potato burgers! I really enjoy putting burgers on top of my salads to ‘jazz’ them up some since I have salads all the time.
Now for another topic that we have discussed many times here on the blog and have given a few updates on how we are doing…hormones!
An issue we are still struggling with each month. It has been about 2 years from being off birth control and still do not feel we are ‘normal’ yet. And what do I mean by normal? Well we still do not have a regular period cycle yet, it comes about every other month for us at different times of the month. Michelle and I are also deal with breakouts mainly on our chin and jawline, which those areas supposedly are related to hormonal problems.
We still try to follow some of our natural ways to heal our body from being unbalanced with hormones, but admit it is tough. Especially when you feel you are doing everything you can be doing. We took a break from Maca but plan on adding it back into our diet from time to time to see if helps. Currently we are not taking any supplements for helping with hormones mainly just eat well.
I know many girls out there are suffering through the same thing and want the answer to cure it. We still receive emails from girls asking what to do, and to be honest we are still trying to figure it out.
Well I know one thing that I feel will help cure unbalanced hormones is time. I know no one really wants to hear that but giving your body time to heal, come back to balance. The length of time will be different for everyone.
Michelle and I do not talk about “hormones” that much, but every once in awhile the topic surfaces. And I kind of like not having my period monthly – I enjoy not dealing with mood swings, bloating, cramping every month.
We just wanted to give a quick update and let all the girls out there know that they are not alone. Just know your body is going to be okay . Keep eating right, exercising, and do speak to your doctor if you have more concerns!
You may also be wondering what we are looking for in terms of feeling ‘back to balance’ with our hormones. To be honest, we are unsure! The thing is maybe Michelle and I are back to being normal! Maybe how our current cycle pattern might be normal for us…but than again maybe it is not. One of the main reasons why we feel we are still not 100% normal yet is because we still get pretty bad breakouts during those times of the month. We understand we still might get the occasional breakout but these breakouts seem more intense.
Anyways enough about hormones time to get my day going!
Twins Question: Do you have any girl talk that you would like to share or talk about? Any topics you like to discuss? How do you know when your cycle is normal?
Till next time,
xoxo
Lori
{ 57 comments… read them below or add one }
Have you guys ever looked into Ayurveda? I struggled with having no cycle for my teen years, then discovered Ayurveda and eating for your dosha. It’s really simple and practical and changed my life completely. It inst just diet though… I follow your blog everyday and can see that you are both very busy and doing ‘stuff’ all the time. Perhaps it’s a matter a slowing down and ‘allowing’. Not necessarily doing less, but a mental and spiritual shift towards less cognitive thinking and more ‘being’.
After having 3-4 periods per year, I followed Ayurvedic principals for about 3 months (which meant a lot of slowing down, slow yoga, meditation, changing the way I ate and cooked etc) and I got one period before falling pregnant! We are now expecting our 3rd child, since I started practicing some of the basic principals of Ayurveda 4 years ago!
…could be worth a try?
Sami thanks for sharing! We have tried Ayurveda before and follow it a little now mostly the diet side. And yes we agree with you in that we both just need to slow down more!! Congrats on your 3rd child so happy for you!! xoxo
Hey Girls!
First time poster but long time follower. I’m a 24 year old that suffers from a MULTITUDE of digestive and hormonal disorders and I just have to say that your blog has been a huge healing force for me – both for the positive messages and recipes as well as the fact that I now feel like I’m not the only person out here that eating everything right, exercising, and doing everything in my power to get well….but it’s just not working out as well as I expected
.
My gyno put me on the Pill to ameliorate my Endometriosis and PCOS, and to make my period “regular”. It is the last thing in the world I wanted to do, to put these hormones in my body, but I was plagued with issues on a nearly daily basis. My periods were getting fewer and fewer, but when they came they were so painful and heavy prescription painkillers (think Oxycodone) didn’t help in the least.
All of a sudden, I wasn’t having any periods for months at a time but still faced the hormonal hunger cravings, mood swings, acne, and all that other good stuff nearly every day. On top of that, even though I knew I wasn’t pregnant, the stress over not having a period led to insomnia…and I stopped sleeping and started worrying nearly 24/7
.
Sorry this keeps going! Long story short, I want to let you know that you guys that A) you’re not the only ones out there doing everything right but still frustrated with these problems (don’t even get me started on digestive disorders!) and B) more importantly, I wanted to let you know that my OBGYN actually told me that it was NORMAL for someone to not cycle every month. As in, my disappearing cycle was normal for a woman my age. According to her, having a cycle from anywhere from 20-something days to a few months is normal for a young woman. To be honest, I don’t know if I agree with her, but you should know that there’s at least one medical professional out there that thinks your cycles are “normal” by now and that your bodies have already healed! Sorry this was so long – just wanted to let you know
Erin
Erin thank you thank you so much for sharing!! We love knowing that yes we are not the only ones out there! Interesting to hear that our cycles might be normal now
haha And yes digestive issues are a whole other story! Keep doing what you are doing and you will get better too!! Sending lots of hugs your way! xoxo
Hi girls! I have to say that I can relate to you very well… I was on BC years ago for a short time and it has taken me a long time to get back to a normal cycle. Even before BC I was irregular though. I eat super healthy and exercise, but not getting it regularly was concerning, especially going 2 months without it, never knowing when its coming, and going through the worst PMS and mood swings. I started getting acupuncture to help it and I can say I am a firm believer that it has helped my body get back into balance. For me, it was just that extra umph my body needed to regular hormones and get me back to a normal cycle. I actually went back to school to pursue and I’ve seen and heard some pretty amazing stuff of how it has truly helped people. Just something to think about
Thank you for sharing Felica about your experience with acupuncture. Michelle has done it many times in the past for different reasons, maybe trying again for hormones would be an idea.
i was having the same problems – the acne in the chin area, especially around a certain time of the month! i went to a dermatologist and she gave me a great skincare routine (benzyol peroxide facewash, clyndamycin lotion, retin a cream). and juicing daily, eating avocados, and eating clean – my skin GLOWS. i’ve never had this since i was in high school. ever since i did all of these things since last year, people can’t stop commenting about my skin! hope that helps.
also, i noticed that i get small pimples here and there on my skin when my digestion isn’t doing well. so it might be a sign that something isn’t being detoxed through your system. my skin looks fabulous after a colonic!
Junia yes colonics are great for many reasons
We have a good skincare routine that we feel works but always interested in learning something new! Glad to hear that your skin cleared up… that gives us hope 
xoxo
I have heard that many women athletes do not have regular periods or any at all. If that is true then that could explain your situation, I know you both workout regularly. You look pretty athletic to me. Maybe it is your normal. Take care!
Thanks Teresa for the sweet comment! And we agree with you in that maybe with our workouts our cycle is normal! xoxo
you are definitely not alone… I am still going through some of the very same things – and while I also enjoy not dealing with it each month, it worries me that it’s not “normal”. also, I never really had bad skin or breakouts… really ever… until now! it’s not bad, but I do have breakouts around that time and it’s aggravating!
it’s a complicated puzzle, for sure!
happy Monday!
Thanks Kristina and yes it is confusing on what is normal and why the breakouts are happening. We will all figure it out soon
xoxo
Awesome post! It’s really helpful for me. Thanks a lot for sharing.
No problem glad you enjoy it!
I also hate that the jaw area is a total landmine for breakouts. I thought I was over the whole pimple thing, but not there. Sadly, I’m allergic to some of the most popular acne meds, too.
I’m really glad that you’re talking about this. I think you are so wise to say that ‘time’ is one of the healers with this, especially after being on BC pills. I’m planning to share a post on help with cramps soon!
I’m curious whether you have had your hormone levels checked by a naturopath? I used to think that it was great that I didn’t have periods for years, but my Naturopath explained to me recently that my body was still producing estrogen at that time and it didn’t have anywhere to go, which is why I have had imbalance problems since then. I’ve been taking sublingual progesterone for about a year and it’s really helped with a lot of things. It’s nothing like taking BC pills: it’s a natural product, helping my body to readjust. I’m wondering whether something like that might help you.
love
Ela
Ela no that is one test we still would like to get done. It is on our to do list but have not gotten around to it just yet! That product sounds interesting we will have to look into that! Thanks xoxo
you might have been consistently low on b-vitamins for a long time. the progesterone (not sure if i’m spelling it right…) hormone that’s in BC depletes b-vitamin stores, and being continuously depleted in those can cause all sorts of things from break-outs to even more serious thyroid issues. my mom’s dr thought she had a thyroid tumor, and after a lot of research, we were able to figure out that 1 – no she didn’t, and 2 – since she had an emergency hysterectomy in her early 20′s, her b stores were most likely running on empty for about 20 years. after a month or two of regularly taking a large multi-dose of b’s she feels quite a bit better. i break out when i don’t take a b-vitamin. dunno if that helps at all or not, but good luck!
Whit thank you so much for sharing, very interesting and we have thought our b levels are low now this makes us really think about it more and need to get our levels tested to see! Thanks!!!
thank you for your honesty ladies. it great to know we can support these situations
Thanks Lindsay we try, we know other girls struggle with this and wanted to let others know we are too but we will all get better soon!
Yum, the burger looks great. And thanks for sharing your health info and journey. My periods aren’t regular either and I always figured it was due to being very active. My Clarisonic has really helped my breakouts and just working on stress-management has been a big thing for me.
Thanks Christine, and yes being active plays a part in the cycle
How long were you guys on the pill for? Because I still am, and honestly think about everyday when I take how I probably should not be taking it. I guess I’m really scared to see what I’ll be like off the pill (I’ve been on it for almost 9 years, which scares me to even type!), and afraid of what it’s already done to me. I guess if those are my thoughts on it, it’s clear what I SHOULD be doing…
Char good question, my twin sister and I were on the pill for 10 years when we finally decided it was time to get off it. It was a tough choice because we knew getting off the pill was going to be difficult both mentally and physically. But now I am happy that I am no longer on the pill, it was the right decision, but again a tough one to make.
you know this really resonates with me. i have been back on the pill for a year now because i was without one for a year. i just wanted easy resolution and figured i’d “deal” with it later. my eats have been very good and i’d be willing to bet i may be able to regulate now but who knows? ultimately i don’t want to be on it forever but at this point in my life i’m ok to do 2-3 more years before i see what happens. i am surprised that it’s been 2 years. have your bloodwork panels come back ok? even when i wasn’t getting my period, my hormone levels were all normal according to the bloodwork i had done so i didn’t worry about it.
Melissa we still need to get an updated bloodwork test done again to see where we stand on things!
Melissa got blood work done about a year ago and nothing abnormal, but do plan to get more blood work done soon.
It’s funny that you say that you don’t have regular periods because mine is the same. Ever since I’ve been active and eating healthier (a couple years) it just stopped. I recently went to the doctor and she put me on birth control and because of that I got ONE period. It didn’t come back again, so I don’t know what to do. Also, I too enjoyed period-less months! I was thinking that it could be the intensity of my workouts that keep my periods astray and the combination with my healthy eating too. I’m glad to know I am not the only one with period problems.
Jessica sounds like you are just like us and yes being active and eating healthy we are getting the sense have to deal with our cycles and such. And yes you are not alone!
xoxo
Jessica you are not alone, and we are thinking good eats and hard workouts might be to blame, but is that bad??? we do not know, and doctors really do not either
Hi,
I’m a long-time reader but first-time commenter.
I’m a 38-year old female from India. Have you ever considered
Ayurveda for your hormonal issues? Ayurveda is a 5000+ year old medical system that relies on herbs and is a side-effect-free and natural way of healing the body. It is sometimes slow but almost always effective.
Anyway, what I really wanted to point out is that the breakouts on the chin and lower jaw may not be as ‘abnormal’ as you think. Those are classic adult acne areas which affects (as the name suggests) adults 25+ years of age.
I’ve never taken birth control pills so my periods are regular as clockwork and have been for as long as I can remember. However, despite this, I do get acne on my chin and lower jaw just before the onset of my period. This does not indicate an imbalance, I was told. I treat the acne topically with turmeric (a natural antiseptic), tea tree oil etc.,
Just thought I’d throw that in there…
Regards,
Sasha
Oh I notice that Sami already beat me to it about Ayurveda
Btw, the adult acne sometimes targets women who were acne-free all through their teenage years (that would be moi).
So yes it is frustrating to have acne as a grown up when you’ve been blemish-free all your life. But at least it has a name (adult acne). And a beast that can be named is a beast that can be tamed, wot say?
Thank you Sasha, we have looked into ayurveda awhile ago, but have recently thought about it again. Thanks for bring it to our attention, and good to hear the breakouts on our chin/jaw maybe not be adnormal.
I feel ya, ladies. I thought my hormones were starting to normalize ’cause I had gotten my period for almost three months in a row; my flow was getting heavier and longer, too. Then came May, and no period what so ever
It was such a disappointment. I don’t know what I did differently, if anything. You girls are right, though. I think I just gotta be patient and keep healthy.
Best of luck to the both of ya
Hey ladies,
I don’t know if you’ve done any research yet, but you could have a mild case of PCOS. I have a rather more severe case (I’ve had only 2 cycles in 2 years). Have you guys seen a gynecologist or endocrinologist? I went the natural route (acupuncturist) for a while too until my (other) PCOS symptoms became too much of a concern. You might want to look into seeing one of the aforementioned doctors. Also, Saw Palmetto (a supplement) has helped my hormone levels stabilize a little better which in turn, has improved that terrible hormonal chin/jawline acne. Let me know if you have any questions about PCOS. I did a post about it recently too so check it out if you’re interested (http://scienceandbananas.wordpress.com/2011/06/03/trials-tribulations/)
Thank you Amanda we have been told my a friend once about PCOS, and we never did anything with it besides are own research. My thank for the link, we will check it ou.
Hello!! Never commented before but LOVE your blog! I would highly suggest getting saliva testing done to check your hormone levels. I also recommend Young Living’s Progessence serum…I’m not a YL seller, just like that product of theirs
. Best of health to you both and tu for all the wonderful recipes!
I am always so so so grateful to you guys for being incredibly honest about your journey. There have been some desperate moments in my own experience…This month I felt better — I don’t know if it’s because I have been taking some supplements (milk thistle & dongquai) consistently for three months already plus maca every other day (I can’t do it daily because the taste gets repetitive and it has an intense flavor). I’ve also been using a Clarisonic and put on a hydrating mask almost nightly — which helps the overproduction of oil in my skin. I also started putting on a hydrating lotion (like a thick toner – a v Japanese type of product) on my chest and back and then an oil-free moisturizer on top which it has helped ALOT. The logic is to give moisture to your skin so it is well-hydrated and not over produce oil.
I think we cannot control cystic acne from appearing but I think the overproduction of sebum is more controllable — I read that hormonal imbalance does cause skin to be oilier.
Astrorainfall – thank you girl! Glad to hear you are doing better, and yes keeping the skin moisturized is important.
Forgot to include this question: do you think colonic sessions have helped the hormone balance issue at all? Would purging the intestines possibly get rid of lingering “fake” hormones contributed by the pill? Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question….
Not a dumb question, colonics are great for many things, I cannot say for a fact it would help would hormones, but we did a series a year ago and did feel it helped a little. But again everyone will be different.
There is a book called Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. It’s full of information that I was never taught in health class. One of the things the book mentions is how not every girl is built on the 28 day cycle. Some people have 40 day cycles. It’s different for everyone. It wasn’t until I started taking my basal temp that I realized how consistent my cycles were. They always seemed random before I started charting. It takes a minute every morning but it helped me understand my body. It was empowering. I hope the book helps!
I just came across this topic on your blog and read the entire back story. It’s crazy interesting to me because I went through something similar … one month I just STOPPED getting my period! I had a *regular* md put me back on birth control to jump start it. From there I went the hormone IUD route. I started going to an awesome natural path a couple years ago, and she immediately set me on a lunar cycle calendar. Have you two tried this?? It worked SO QUICKLY! I started getting my period, even though I still had an IUD. I removed the IUD, and my periods have been coming regularly … like to the day regularly … for the last year. The best source online I’ve seen describe it is here:
http://meghantelpnerblog.com/2010/12/21/a-solar-eclipse-of-the-menstrual-cycle/.
Thanks Jenn for sharing, no we have not tried that, we will look more into it!! Glad you are better.
I would love to hear more of everyone’s stories. I am going through issues myself!
Ok, seriously yummy…I made these today and ate them on a salad with your avocado cream sauce!! A new favorite
Long story short…I suffered from an eating disorder for many years as well, and now my digestion is a mess. I have celiac, a soy and kiwi allergy, plus several intolerances and what they say is IBS. I can totally relate to your entire story…so thanks for blogging you are an inspiration! I am now 30 and still struggle with acne and menstral cycles. My last cycle was 26 days long so I may have to have a uterine ablasion done…bluh. I saw the gyn when I was 15 because my hormone issues were so bad. I went on to have major fertility issues as well. I think sometimes with our hormones in is genetic. My mom has the same issues, her mom had the same issues. I have 4 sisters that all struggle with hormonal problems and acne. The two of us that have had children have struggled with infertility. At least in our family, I am not sure it is a matter of what you eat and toxins, it’s somewhat hereditary. Just like my big hips 
Acne is so hard on your self-esteem, but what I have learned as that other people don’t see what you see. I think you girls are beautiful and are glowing! Try not to stress too much about it, stress will probably make matters worse. Keep posting, loving your blog!
Crysta so glad you enjoyed burgers with our avocado cream sauce, a favorite of ours as well! Thanks for sharing you story! It is always nice to hear that we are not the only ones who have hormonal and acne issues! And yes acne is hard on the self-esteem, and thanks for the sweet compliment
And true about not stressing, one thing we are always working on!!! xoxo
P.S. I have twin fraternal 20 month old girls…amazing little miracles as they were born 3 months early at 2 lbs 10 oz and 2 lbs 13 oz.
I have two older children too, but thought I would share that I am picking up tips from you too…since they are both girls. I worry about competition as they get older. One has curly hair, one has straight hair…one is stalky. So fun to see and celebrate their differences though
That is awesome! yay for twins
Competition will probably happen but just remember to love them no matter what and they will grow out of it, we did but took some time!
Hello ladies, I just wanted to not that I’ve had very similar struggles and I’m also a Bodyrocker!
I wanted to let you know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I too struggled with disordered eating and hormonal imbalance. After a month or two of consistent maca shakes, fertilaid and putting on a few well needed pounds thanks to Udo’s oil and heartier clean meals, i got my period back.
My ob/gyn had told me that I would need to take Premarin and then Provera to get a period and I just wouldn’t accept that as truth. I really really didn’t want to put synthetic hormones in my body I’m so glad i didn’t. It is possible to heal yourself; it just takes time. Previously my last real period was March of 2010!! I also wanted to note that I work out vigorously (I love it) 5 times a week and that had no impact on my regaining my hormonal balance back, so hopefully that isn’t a factor for you either.
Allison thank you so much for this sweet and inspiring comment!! It is always nice to hear from readers and fellow bodyrockers
I am glad that you were able to heal yourself with our health issues, that gives us hope that ours journey is almost done! Thanks again!!! xoxo
Hi,
You might try reading the information at http://sensiblehealth.com.
I’ve followed her protocol, ordered her herbs. There is really nothing quite like it. Hormones are all about the liver, according to this (very smart woman). It helped me greatly.
Thank you Kerrina, we will check it out.
HI!
I have been dealing with a hormone imbalance for years and I am now 20. I have not been getting periods for 2 years and it was initially triggered from me loosing too much weight. According to my doctor I am still underweight and that is perhaps why I dont get periods. I did put on about 5 kgs to help and my period came back however I had to resort to eating lots of cakes and grains and meat 
ANd it woked, my period came back but not for long because I stoped making an effort to eat lots of carbs and protein. Now that I’m back to eating a high raw diet I have lost weight and am finding it hard to gain it back despite eating HUGE amounts, so it really depends on the TYPE of food I eat. The reason why I started eating healthier (years ago) was because I have acne and was in desperate need to cure it and started to eat very little. To be honest I think my skin is mainly affected my emotions AND a hormone imbalance, and me being under weight is not helping..anyway I’m in a bit of a dilemma but I’m now trying to incorporate more protein like eggs into my diet and see if this helps. I plan to try Maca now and maybe even a Vitex Angus Cactus supplement.
I know I’m late to this post but i just wanted to tell my story
ANyway if you guys have anymore suggestions for me that would be great but I want to say thanks for the info
Jess xxx
Thank you!! I agree, it’s not our fault that our body naturally reacts to our different ways of living. I ask myself the same thing, it it bad that I like to push myself? Ultimately, I just try and get more calcium. The reason being, my doctor said when you don’t get your period your bones aren’t receiving estrogen, meaning they will soften. Because she’s probably right about that I go that extra step of cautiousness. My doctor tends to think its’s about body fat, but I’ve seen people with NO fat and they get their period fine! And the cycle repeats haha