Self-care practices to support hormonal health 🛁
Part 1 of metime with moreyou
I love self-care and me time 💛. I see it as the ultimate gift and something I take pride in. Although I do a bit of self-care everyday, I particularly like to focus on it in the later part of my luteal phase (second half of cycle after ovulation and before bleeding) and during the first two days of bleeding. During these 4-5 days I find I require more sleep, more food and more alone time. Many of you reading this will have demanding jobs, children and/or others to take care of. You are amazing✨! I hope you can find even just 5 minutes in your day to try out some of the below.
5 of my favorite self-care practices
💧Hot water bottle compress
🧴Castor oil packs
🚨Red light therapy
🛀Magnesium baths
💆🏾♀️Lymphatic drainage & “sculpting” massage
💧I run cold so I love using a hot water bottle basically everyday during the colder months. Not only does it help with cramps but if you place it over your liver or lower back it aids detoxification, which is always something we want to help our bodies do to avoid estrogen dominance.
🧴Speaking of detoxification, castor oil packs work wonders for constipation as well as cramps or other pain associated with cysts, endometriosis, healing from unsuccessful IVF, etc. It works by stimulating blood flow. Simply apply organic castor oil to a small compress and place it over your belly button/abdomen. I do this just before bed and sleep with it on.
🚨A dear friend of mine gifted me this red light therapy belt and I’m obsessed. I use it every night when laying in bed and reading. Sometimes I also use it in the morning. Red light therapy reduces inflammation, which promotes hormone balance. It also helps with cramps.
🛀 I’ve talked about my love for magnesium before and how helpful it can be for hormone balance. Soaking in it in a warm bath further relaxes the mind and muscles and the heat from the bath aids in detoxification.
💆🏾♀️ Another tool to help with detoxification: lymphatic drainage massage. For those that suffer with water retention you may be interested in a stronger form sometimes referred to as “sculpting” massage. I have this regularly performed on my legs and I never cease to be amazed at the lightness I feel and muscle definition I see after each treatment. I leave feeling like my pants grew one size larger. (⭐️DM me if you’re in Amsterdam and want a discount at my favorite place 😉)
I have plenty more to share but this newsletter is getting long so I’m going to save them for a future post. In the meantime, I’d be happy to hear if you’ve tried any of the above. Feel free to comment or share via DM.
Warm regards,
Donelle