The Period Fix: My Path to Finding Holistic Consistency
Sarah Casey
Let’s talk about commitment!
Yes, roll your eyes if you must, but being completely transparent I didn’t know what commitment was until about 30 days ago. Commitment to myself that is.
Commitment to others I have no problem with, I’m devoted and reliable – almost to a fault. But the decision I made to join The Period Fix with Holistic Health Code was my time to work on myself and I’m so glad I did!
Though, I have to admit I did have a few ups and downs during the 8 weeks; The Period Fix protocol was ready for me but I was not ready for TPF. Long story short my commitment to changing my diet was an issue due to my love for all things cheese and fried (and red wine, of course).
I have changed my diet a few times for various reasons, but my main goal this time was to help balance my hormones, improve my period symptoms and aim for consistency. All of these revelations and changes that I have been making in my life stemmed from the positive impact The Period Fix and the Holistic Health Code community had on me.
Photo by Victoria Gloria
During the Course
My journey through the course was a great experience, overall. It made me feel responsible for the choices I made, healthy or not. During my time with The Period Fix and Megan Tantillo, my Holistic Health Coach, I was ready to learn about hormones and how my diet impacts them and my body overall. I was invested in all of the information Megan presented during our weekly meetings and I tried to take it all in.
The first week was definitely the most difficult, even though it was more of an introduction to the course. I put a lot of pressure on myself to change everything all at once. As we moved through the course, on a whim I decided to cut gluten, dairy, soy, and sugar from my diet. That was not the best idea. I only made it a day and looking back I don’t think it was even a full 24 hours! I was not prepared to say the least.
Megan and her team were so supportive through the whole process. I never felt out of place or uncomfortable asking questions. It really was a community that allowed for openness without judgement, which was important to me.
I’ve always had a strained relationship with food and eating, I would feel guilty for indulging my cravings or having more than one glass of wine. I’m not sure where this came from because I have a supportive community in my family and friends, but I think just getting in my head about eating healthy and trying to stay fit is a pressure of society.
To work on this, I started daily journaling with the app that we used during the course. I found that the app was not my best method of recording my day because I wasn’t consistent with it, so I switched to paper journaling.
I bought a notebook and started putting everything in it, how I was feeling, what I was eating and then would upload it or add it to the app at night. I loved getting feedback from Meg about things to add to my diet, she would comment with recommendations and I would then change my meals for the next day.
I was more aware of what I was eating, but I have to admit I wasn’t fully consistent with my journaling which at times frustrated me. Now I can look back and I know what I could have done better during this time, I should have taken the time to prepare before the week started.
After The Period Fix Protocol
This was really my time to reflect and refocus. The final week of TPF, I had my one on one consultation with Megan.
Looking back, I think this was really the tipping point for me. She was so informative and helpful reading the DUTCH test (urine test that reads all your hormones) and planning my next steps.
It really wasn’t until this point that I asked myself – what do I want from this? What do I have control of? What am I doing in my life to feel the best I can? There were many other questions that I was able to reflect on and I don’t think that would have happened without this program.
This reflection allowed me to be honest with myself about what I was putting in my body and how balanced my diet was. I’ve tried gluten free before and I didn’t do it well, it was on and off instead of a consistent lifestyle change (you can see, consistency is not one of my strong traits).
When I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility, it sent me into a spiral of research trying to find the best diets and the ‘magic food’ to boost fertility.
Not only was I obsessing, I was creating another unhealthy environment for myself and causing unnecessary stress and anxiety. I wasn’t going to allow that to happen again. After TPF, I felt like I had the right tools to make a difference, not just for the short term, but a whole lifestyle change. Then COVID-19 and the quarantine happened.
Photo by Melanie Ruth
I needed to bring a positive out of this time of worry and uncertainty and I also wanted to take full advantage of being at home.
My commute to work is typically anywhere from 40 – 50 minutes, so I don’t have a lot of time in the morning to prepare food or exercise and the evening seems to pass even more quickly.
I never realized how much time I spent in the car until I didn’t have to anymore. I am fortunate to be able to work from home and I created a plan for myself at the beginning of quarantine.
I started by deciding that I was going to do a one-week meal plan with no gluten, dairy, soy, sugar, or caffeine and focus on an anti-inflammatory regimen. One week. Seven days. It seemed reasonable. I took time to prepare some recipes, order groceries and have one last hurrah with an ice cream sundae.
On Day 1, I was prepared for all my meals and made sure I had appropriate snacks stocked in my pantry. I started my journaling again, every day I would write down what I ate and how I was feeling. It was not easy, but I made it 7 days! Once day 7 was over, I decided to make it another week. I ended up at 30 days with this change. I was shocked how difficult it was, but also how much easier it got throughout the time.
Most of all, I was proud of myself. Proud that I could maintain the consistency in my diet for a whole month and that feeling after accomplishing something so small and simple was undeniable. It was then that I realized I could make a lifestyle change.
This lifestyle change was not as strict as my 30-day diet, I knew sustaining that diet for a long period of time was going to be difficult for me in the long run. So now I’ve learned how to compromise.
I’m now able to balance things I want to eat and think about how they fit into my new lifestyle. During the week I am stricter than I am on the weekends, but I also plan my time so if I’m going out to dinner on a day I will use that as my ‘flexible’ day.
I am still working on the food guilt, this will take time, but now that my diet is consistent it is easier to let it go
Photo by Victoria Gloria
I know this change in my life is because I decided to join The Period Fix and fully committed to a change. The change that I feel in my body, feeling healthier, and not having to stay home on the couch because of menstrual cramps is a great feeling. I know the change in my lifestyle and the knowledge I received from TPF really made an impact.
Now, over the next 30 days, my goal is to keep this consistency for my body. Be flexible, but also not to stray too far so I have to start over again.
Consistency and balance complement each other and I think of that every day when planning my meals. I am so glad I decided to join this program and work with Megan and her team; their support (even virtually) that they gave was imperative for me to make changes in my life.
This is my story through The Period Fix, I’m sure each individual that participated has their own story as well.
My journey is still continuing and hopefully more accomplishments to come.
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Sarah's day job is in education, but she has an interest in health and well-being which she seeks out in her hobbies and spare time. She recently completed The Period Fix course and wants to share her experiences with others in hopes to encourage lifestyle changes. She is located in coastal northeastern Massachusetts with her husband, but is a country girl at heart.