Finding balance in one’s body

Covid brought with it many challenges – little did I know that getting my contraceptive pill into the country would be one of them. With South Africa declaring a State of Emergency in March last year, many prescriptions, which we so often take for granted, were no longer readily available.

I was eighteen years old when I first sat in my gynae’s chair and told her I was ready for a form of contraception. The discussion didn’t last long – a quick pap smear and I was handed my first script of Melodene. I didn’t ask too many questions as the whole experience was pretty awkward but I was reassured that ‘this’ pill was light on hormones. Eighteen year old me thought this sounded good and away I went.

Five years later and still on the pill I hadn’t really given it another thought. Maybe that’s because I had never had an adverse reaction – no weight gain, no skin flare ups and a completely regular cycle. My Functional Health Practitioner had been pushing for two years for me to reconsider my options when it came to contraception but I think I was incredibly hesitant as so many of my friends had struggled for years to find something that worked with their bodies. I had heard horror stories of IUDs being rejected, persistent migraines, yeast infections, candida growths so I instead carried on obliviously popping that little white pill every single morning. With Level 5 lockdown in full swing and my last box of Melodene coming to an end I called my gynae in a panic as there was now a countrywide shortage. I was quickly emailed a script and placed on the generic – after being reassured multiple times that it’s ‘basically’ completely identical to Melodene (basically being the key word here). One month in and 4.5kgs later it was blatantly clear that something was amiss. My body was holding on to so much water – I was puffy, bloated and incredibly frustrated – mostly at myself for not questioning sooner the pills I was so lackadaisically taking.  I had been working on my health for the last two years, making huge adjustments around my consciousness around food, lifestyle, the nutrients I was choosing to feed my body, decisions around treatment protocols but mostly truly listening to my body’s mode of communication. Yet, I failed to question the hormones I was ingesting daily. I was essentially not living out my truth, as the fear of what may possibly come up when one stops suppressing something i.e. one’s natural cycle really scared me. However, my reaction to the generic scared me more – how can such a slight change in hormones disrupt one’s body so quickly? As awful as hormonal imbalances are, it gave me that much needed push to start a total reset – step one being; no more Melodene, no more generic, no more hormones. Over a three month period I let my body detox and adjust to a new state of being. The plan was to get my body back to a more neutral starting point and then consider my options regarding contraception. 

The process was predominately diet focused. I followed a carefully curated meal guide consisting mostly of healthy fats (avocado, coconut oil, ghee, soaked nuts and seeds, nut butters, tahini), clean protein (quinoa, organic pasture reared chicken, soaked beans), Antioxidant-rich vegetables (spinach, kale, cucumber, collard greens, coriander), Brightly coloured and starchy vegetables (carrots, white onion, red bell peppers, tomatoes, butternut squash, sweet potato, turnips). I increased my consumption of Omega-3 Fatty acids, found in chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds as well as including the Rosita cod liver oil capsules into my morning supplement regime. Ashwagandha, an adaptogen herb was also added, as the herb seeks to stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels. Side note – it is also a great supplement to add in times of stress. You can take it either in powder or capsule form. I quite enjoy the bitterness of the powder, especially in smoothies. When choosing to use foods to help balance hormones the quality of the produce is very important. You want to ensure that your fresh produce is as organic as possible whilst also trying to limit (as much as possible) your intake of animal protein. Caffeine and alcohol were also placed on the avoidance list, which for me was a minor. I have never been a coffee drinker – it has always been something about the smell. My natural avoidance of the substance over the years, however only really made sense following my full DNA test results. Genetically, I am missing an enzyme which helps process caffeine and alcohol. Our bodies are so clever. They know what they like, what they want and are constantly communicating with us. If we choose to listen – I mean really listen, especially to early warning signs so many health complications later down the line can be avoided.  The more in tune we are the clearer the warning signs become. The smell of coffee, which has always been incredibly off-putting for me, was my body’s way of saying ‘stay clear’. The instant eye flare ups from alcohol have also always been a major warning sign. 

Looking back now, a three month time frame was definitely not long enough – just think about the build up of hormonal residue lining our bodies after five years… scary thought! Although I had initially wanted to be off all contraception for at least a year – to give my body a proper chance to eliminate, the stress that comes with that, proved too much. 

After months of research and advice from my Functional Health advisor we decided on the Kayleena, almost identical to the Mirena – both being hormonal IUDs but with the Kayleena just releasing a lower dose of the progestin levonorgestrel every month. I was told that within six weeks my body would have adjusted to the new hormone level. No! Changes in our hormones, changes in the hormones we ingest or that are released will always take much longer than six weeks to adjust. It took six months for my body to feel like my body again. I lost the water weight and puffiness and started to come to terms with not having a monthly bleed (another adverse reaction of contraception). I had initially been adamant that I would only consider the Kayleena as long as it wouldn’t disrupt my period. But, I seem to fall into the 5% whose periods completely stop following the implantation of the IUD. No period, no symptoms, nothing. For some, this may be great, but for me it has proved incredibly challenging. Not only do I feel out of sync with my body but at times I feel as if I am working against it. Times where I should be slowing down and more gentle on myself I continue to push – especially in exercise as the symptoms aren’t present to guide me accordingly.

Our bodies are constantly striving for a state of homeostasis – where all our systems are working in sync, all doing their part to ensure our optimal well being. Hormonal flare ups and the symptoms so often associated with hormonal imbalances are often just the initial warning signs that something else – often on a deeper level needs attention. Hormones, when we break it down, are just the chemical messengers responsible for relaying messages from the brain to other parts of our bodies when a system stops working. As a result symptoms surface. Weight gain, skin flare ups, puffiness from stagnant lymph are horrible. However, I am learning to accept and no longer fight symptomatic flare ups, however challenging this may be. Rather, we need to be thanking our bodies as when alarm bells ring and we are faced with discomfort the opportunity arises to go deeper. Although, doing this kind of work is hard – I mean really hard. As the more layers you peel back and patterns you stop suppressing, the more unexpected symptoms rise to the surface, I am grateful for the closer connection I am forming with my body and myself.

This is a huge topic and one that I have became super passionate about. More to follow as I continue to share my journey, finding balance and a method, which is totally align to my truth and the way I’ve decided to honour my body.