This One is for The Ladies

Gentlemen, if you're squeamish, now is the time to look away. I'm going to be talking about (drum roll please) that time of the month. But if you have significant others who have a hard time coping with their symptoms, read on.

I've always had a very hard time with my monthly symptoms. Cramps were terrible, mood swings were almost worse, and it was extremely frustrating. It would take a whole day of loading up on midol just to make a small dent in the pain and moodiness. I would pretty much just curl up under a heating pad away from the world until I felt alive again.

When I first started working out, I noticed that my cramps weren't as bad as they had been. And if I continued to work out through the week even if I didn't feel like it, my mood would improve. I still dealt with days of bad cramps but it wasn't nearly like it was before. In researching this, I found some answers. Exercise increases blood flow which alleviates pain. Also, stress can make your cramps worse and exercise is a proven stress-reliever. Makes sense to me.

I also found that other natural remedies include iron-rich foods and vitamin E or omega 3 essential fatty acid supplements. That's where my next suggestion comes in. Exercising helped to drastically reduce my cramps but I noticed the biggest change when I added Shakeology to my daily diet. It has 4mg of iron (22% daily value) and 15 IU of vitamin E (50% daily value) as well as many other vitamins and amino acids. Not to mention the digestive enzymes, prebiotics and whole food ingredients to help your body detox. Since I've been drinking Shakeology I've only had a few months where I've had to take extra pain meds for a day or two.

I'm not saying all this because I sell Shakeology. In fact, I decided to become a coach and start selling it because I whole-heartedly believe in it. So, if you're looking for some natural remedies for your menstrual pain, I highly recommend giving it a try. And get out there and get moving. At least 30 minutes a day of something to get your heart rate up. Walk, swim, do yoga, do a workout DVD. I don't care, as long as you're doing something. Take care of YOU.