Tag Archives: period

What Does the Color of Your Period Blood Mean?

May 31, 2017

May 31, 2017 administrator Leave a comment

Your period blood can range from pink to rust-colored, but what does each color mean? Each period is unique and different for each woman and your coloring may not be the same as your friend or sister. Here is how to de-code your period color to see what is normal and when you should be alarmed.

Dark Brown

Although brown may not be the color that you think of when you think of blood; don’t worry, this color is totally normal. This dark brown color just means the blood is older. Sometimes, the blood has been sitting in your uterine lining since your previous period or it’s just taking longer to leave your body which gives it more time to oxidize and turn a darker color. Typically, women see this color towards the beginning or end of their cycle when the flow is lighter.

Dark Red

Many women typically see this color when they first wake up in the morning or during the middle of their cycle. This color means the blood has been sitting in your uterine lining a little longer.

Bright Red/Cranberry Color

Cranberry or bright red period blood means the blood is new and typically indicates that you are having a healthy period. You will usually see this color during the middle of your period or when your flow is heavy, although some women see this color during their entire cycle.

Grey and Red

If you see grey clumps in your blood, you may have an infection such as an STD or STI or may be experiencing a miscarriage. Even if you think it may not be either of these things, you should call or visit your gynecologist ASAP.

Does Your Period Actually Sync Up With Your Friends?

two girls working out together and high-fiving

April 19, 2017

Uncategorized, Women's Health

April 19, 2017 administrator Leave a comment

“We totally synced up,” my friend said to me when I asked to borrow a tampon a few weeks ago. Almost every woman can tell you a story about how her period synced up with her roommate, coworker, sister, or friend. As weird as it is, it almost feels like a little bond between us as we complain and share a pint of ice cream. It’s nice knowing that someone else is going through the same miserable experience.

Is syncing actually a thing?

However, according to a new scientific study, it turns out that period syncing isn’t actually a thing. Clue, a fertility app, partnered with the University of Oxford to track three consecutive cycles of 360 pairs of women that live together. They found that not only did the women’s cycles not sync, but the majority of participants also had a greater difference of start dates at the end of the study than they had at the beginning. Meaning, the women’s cycles were actually getting out of sync.

Study suggests that it’s just a coincidence

“It’s very unlikely that cycle syncing is a real phenomenon,” Clue’s data scientist, Marija Vlajic, shared with The Guardian. “We’ve also done some statistical tests and found that the difference in cycles actually grows. This doesn’t mean that pairs go out of sync—it means they were never in sync in the first place.” Vlajic goes on to explain how our brains are always looking for patterns, which is why she believes this myth exists in the first place.

We’re sorry to burst your bubble, but it looks like syncing up doesn’t exist, period.

Four Ways Your Period Can Affect Your Sleep

tired girl laying her forehead on her desk

March 10, 2017

Uncategorized, Women's Health

March 10, 2017 administrator Leave a comment

As if the cramps, cravings, and mood swings weren’t enough, your period can also affect the quality of your sleep. Not cool period. The National Sleep Foundation reported that 33 percent of women experience disrupted sleep the week of their period. Why is this happening? Here are the four main culprits and how to combat them to catch the beauty sleep you deserve.

1. Rise In Body Temperature

Are you waking up in a sweat and yanking off your covers in the middle of the night? That’s because during your cycle your core body temperature raises between a half and whole degree, which may seem subtle but can cause discomfort to some.
To counter this, make sure that your bedroom is at the ideal sleep temperature, between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also try taking a warm shower before going to bed, which will make your body feel cool in contrast once you enter your room.

2. Cramps

Curse you cramps! For a lot of us ladies, periods bring on cramps, headaches, and muscle pains. These can all keep you up at night if left untreated.

For cramps, try curling up with a heating pad to relieve some of the pain. You can also take a low dosage of an over-the-counter painkiller such as Tylenol that will also help with your headache and muscle pains.

3. Mood swings

I’m in a glass case of emotion! Mood swings during your period are connected to climbing and falling hormone levels. Feelings of sadness, anxiety, and anger can easily keep you tossing and turning at night. If these feelings are severe, you may have Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and should check with your doctor.
Try meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises before bedtime to help relax and get you in a better mindset. Continue to remind yourself that the feelings that you’re experiencing are only temporary.

4. Stomach issues

Are you feeling bloated, nauseous, or experiencing indigestion? Stomach related issues tend to increase during your period and can impact your sleep.

To fix it, try to stay away from heavy meals close to bedtime. If you’re still experiencing issues, keep a food diary to see what types of foods trigger your issues and eliminate those from your diet. Sorry ice cream, can we still be friends?

Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS): What You Need to Know

February 21, 2017

Women's Health

February 21, 2017 administrator Leave a comment

From time to time, we hear horror stories about women leaving tampons in for too long, contracting toxic shock syndrome (TSS), and getting severely ill or dying. And, just like hearing a story about a plane crash, the likelihood of it happening to us feels like a definite possibility. There are so many rumors and misconceptions about TSS that we wanted to clear the air by providing the truth about toxic shock syndrome and what you can do to prevent it.

What is toxic shock syndrome (TSS)?

Toxic shock syndrome is a rare but potentially fatal bacterial infection. It results from an infection produced by Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria and by group A streptococcus (strep) bacteria.

How do you get it?

Tampons themselves are not the cause of toxic shock syndrome, but experts believe that they can give the bacteria an environment to grow quickly and produce toxins. If those toxins are released into your bloodstream, there can be severe consequences such as organ failure and shock. When you are using tampons, be sure to follow the eight-hour rule for changing and avoid using superabsorbent tampons (the more material, the more room for bacteria to grow).

Toxic shock syndrome can be contracted in a variety of other ways such as surgical incisions, burns, cuts, skin infections, and any device that you insert into the vagina including menstrual cups, contraceptive sponges and diaphragms.

Will I contract it automatically if I leave my tampon in for too long?

You should always take your health seriously but don’t panic if you happen to leave your tampon in for longer than 8 hours. If it’s been 12 to 24 hours and you feel normal, just remove it and go on with your life. If it’s been longer or you are unable to take it out, you should take a trip to your OBGYN to get it removed.

What are the symptoms?

Possible symptoms of toxic shock syndrome include sudden high fever, low blood pressure, a rash that looks like a sunburn on your palms and soles, muscle aches, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, feeling faint or dizzy, and redness of mouth, throat, and eyes. If you have signs or symptoms of toxic shock syndrome, you should see your doctor immediately.

Is it common?

It is actually very rare, in fact, with only 1-2 out of every 100,000 women contracting it.

Does it only affect menstruating women?

Although around half the cases of TSS occur in menstruating women, toxic shock syndrome can affect children, men, and postmenopausal women as well.

Should I give up tampons altogether?

No, when used correctly tampons are perfectly safe. However, it is important to take precautions such as switching your tampon every 4-8 hours, washing your hands before insertion and removal, and avoiding superabsorbent tampons.

8 Healthy Recipes For Your Period Cravings

November 4, 2016

Ruby Posts, Uncategorized, Women's Health

November 4, 2016 administrator Leave a comment

Yes, Halloween has just passed, and your first instinct will be to reach for the fun-sized Snickers. But we know that deep down you want to be healthy. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of healthier alternatives for “that time of the month” or really any time of the month that will satisfy your sweet tooth. So don’t go breaking off the piece of that Kit Kat bar, and check out these delicious and easy recipes.

1. Protein-Packed Cake Batter Dip

Have your cake and eat it too. This recipe is a better alternative to gorging on the actual cake batter. It also gets two thumbs up for being vegan, gluten-free, and chock full of protein.

The Big Man’s World

2. Guilt-Free “Ice Cream”

I scream, you scream, we all scream for “ice cream.” This super easy recipe consists of only 3 ingredients: frozen bananas, peanut butter, and cocoa powder.

The Not Quite Vegan

3. No-Bake Protein Peanut Butter Cups

Reese’s lovers rejoice! This recipe is delicious and under 100 calories (gasp). It uses PB2 (powdered peanut butter) instead of the real deal saving you some calories while still giving you that protein kick.

Alesha Haley

4. Healthier Chocolate Cake

YAS QUEEN! This rich, chocolatey goodness tastes like a double chocolate chip banana muffin and has no butter, oil, or sugar. Save me a slice!

The Baker Mama

5. Two-Ingredient Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Bites

This recipe is simply bananas and chocolate chips, does life get any easier/better?

The Baker Mama

6. Healthy Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

No need to put on pants to satisfy your froyo cravings; you can make it at home! This easy recipe doesn’t even require an ice cream maker because who owns one of those things? If you’re feeling adventurous, throw it in a homemade waffle cone.

Just A Taste

7. Baked Sweet Potato Chips

If you’ve covered the sweet tooth and now need the savory try this alternative to chips. Sweet potatoes contain a ton of vitamins including vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium… the list goes on.

A Spicy Perspective

8. Spicy Garlic Oven-Roasted Chickpeas

Salty, crunchy, healthy snacking goodness. You will not be able to stop munching on these chickpea treats. Snack on them by the handful straight out of the bowl or throw them in a salad or veggie bowl.

Yurielkaim

6 Tips For Working Out On Your Period

October 20, 2016

Uncategorized, Women's Health

October 20, 2016 administrator Leave a comment

Getting your period can really screw things up sometimes (see here), but you don’t have to let it control your life. Yes, when your period comes your gut reaction may be to go into a Netflix-chocolate induced hibernation but working out may actually make you feel better. Bonus: you won’t even have to change out of those yoga pants you’ve been sporting for the past three days.

1. Best Workout Ever(?)

The recommended period while on your period? Surprisingly, experts recommend high-intensity interval training (HIIT). When your period starts, your estrogen and progesterone levels drop, making it easier to use fuel (carbohydrate/glycogen) and therefore allowing you to push harder. So, push it real good!

2. HYDRATE

Drink up that H20 now even more than usual. Not only is hydration important for your normal workout, but it can also help fight period-related symptoms like cramps, bloating, headaches, etc.

3. Go for a Swim

You may have ruled out swimming as a bad idea, but it’s actually a fantastic period workout. Swimming helps circulation, which may reduce cramps. So dive in.

4. Get Zen

You may be sore during your period, so what’s better than a good stretch? Yoga will help with your mental well-being, tone your muscles and relieve some of your aches and pains. Namaste!

5. Pack Protection

Don’t forget to pack your choice of fem hygiene products. If you don’t like tampons, there are other options like period underwear for light days.

6. Listen to Your Body

If your body is telling you to take it easy or if you are cramping, skip the cardio class and do a low-intensity workout like walking or biking. No one knows your body better than you, boo.

5 Free Apps to Make Tracking Your Period Easy + Fun

Two excited young girls using mobile phones while sitting at the cafe outdoors and pointing finger

October 6, 2016

Uncategorized, Women's Health

October 6, 2016 administrator Leave a comment

Guestimating doesn’t cut it. With today’s technology, you shouldn’t have to throw a dart at the calendar to know when you need to stock up on dark chocolate and tampons. These 5 apps are fun and easy, just like your period would be in an ideal world.

Glow

Choose your adventure. You set up the app to say if you are trying to conceive, manage fertility treatments, or avoid pregnancy. On the days that it projects you will get your period, it gives tips like “pamper yourself.” That’s advice anyone can get behind. You can also log your physical and emotional well-being and read daily articles about sex, fertility, and all that womanly jazz.

itunes.com

Cycles

Stay on top of your flow. Cycles gives you reminders on the estimated start of your period, ovulation, PMS, etc. It’s also a great reminder to take your birth control pill with check marks “taken,” “missed,” and “late” to keep you on track. If you get the PRO version of the app, you can connect with your partner so they know exactly when to come over, rub your feet, and spoon-feed you ice cream.

itunes.com

Eve

Period tracker meets best friend squad. Eve is a sex/body/period positive platform for women to connect with each other and have discussions on love, sex, and health. It’s kind of a nice reminder that we’re all in this together. You can also keep a log of your sex drive, how you’re feeling, and your mood. Oh, and on top of all of that, it also tracks your period.

itunes.com

Clue

Although this app won’t tell you who killed Colonel Mustard in the hall with the candlestick, it will keep track of your period as well as fertility and flow. You can add someone else’s cycle or invite someone to view your cycle, so they can get a clue (aka, now is not the time to piss me off).

itunes.com

Period Tracker

“Dear Uterus…” On Period Tracker you can keep a journal of your thoughts of the day, moods, and flow. Our favorite feature of this app is that you can sync it to your phone calendar so that you don’t have to go into the app to know when you are expected to start.

itunes.com