Taking back our power

Taking care of our bodies and health is deeply connected to our inner beliefs—especially about what we think we deserve in life.

As menstruating individuals, society has let us down for a long time. We've been told that suffering through our periods is normal, that it’s the burden we must bear to bring life into the world.

This narrative is infuriating. Half of the population is denied equal care compared to our male-born counterparts, and on top of that, we are shamed for our very biology—the very force that creates life.

The book The Curse: A Cultural History of Menstruation by Janice Delaney, Mary Jane Lupton, and Emily Toth eloquently explores this age-old taboo that permeates every aspect of society across the globe.

From ancient times to the present day, menstruation has been something to hide, dismiss, and avoid. It’s labeled as dirty and impure. Throughout religious texts, medical myths, and societal traditions worldwide, menstruating people are considered untouchable. Psychologists even suggest that women feel ashamed of their periods because of a “female castration complex” (thank you, Freud), further reinforcing the shame associated with menstruation. Until a few decades ago, periods were cited as a reason women were unfit for politics, due to supposed emotional instability.

All this over a small amount of blood each month.

I won't delve into the power dynamics created by these narratives. Instead, I’m interested in rewriting the story. Books like The Curse allow us to recognize these injustices and choose to change them.

I believe we should celebrate our periods. What an incredible power they signify! They are a reflection of our health and fertility, allowing us to give life. When we think about it, menstruation is a complex and beautiful process that deserves to be nurtured, not fought against. Why are we at war with our own bodies? When cared for, our bodies are miraculous and capable of far more than we realize.

My journey to heal my period led me to rediscover my body—its beauty and the way it responds to every act of care I show it. Through self-love, I saw how I had abused my body in the past, using drugs, junk food, and sleep deprivation, fueling myself with coffee and sugar, all in an attempt to numb myself.

But at some point, a whisper inside me said, "Enough." I realized I was no longer that version of myself, and I had the power to make different choices.

It all began with an internal shift.

Because of the stigma and shame around periods, I hadn’t even realized there were other options. My feminist awakening made me see that the healthcare system is not built for menstruating people. In fact, many medications intended for women are tested only on men because periods are seen as "disruptive." How absurd is that?

Once we understand this, it becomes clear why so many gynecologists are uninformed about periods and fail to recognize the important signals they offer about our overall health. Instead of exploring the underlying causes of period or fertility issues, they often prescribe the pill to "regulate" cycles or start very invasive hormonal processes without further investigation.

I experienced this firsthand. My progressive gynecologist suggested ibuprofen for my debilitating migraines and cramps and told me there was no solution for my two-week-long PMS other than antidepressants.

My Journey Through Self-Love

At one point, during my last burnout, I started to reflect on what I wanted my life to be—and, more importantly, how I wanted it to feel. At the time, I felt disconnected from everything: my partner, my kids, my friends (who were either far away or absent), and even my own passions. I was using body exercise to numb myself with an endorphin rush, and work was all-consuming. But even my work wasn’t going well; I was struggling to raise funds for my biotech company and faced challenges with my team.

Every area of my life felt heavy, despite my attempts to eat well, exercise daily and cut out alcohol. I didn’t feel healthy, and my body kept sending me signals through painful periods and severe PMS every month. I had to pay attention.

I forced myself to take a break and reflect. I sat down and wrote out how I wanted my life to feel. That simple action sparked a journey of self-love and self-acceptance. I realized I deserved better health—both mental and physical—for a better life overall.

Through this experience, I learned that the mind and body are not separate. Our bodies send us warning signals when our minds are unwell.

Self-Love and Period Health

During this journey, I realized that to truly improve our health, we must examine our self-love—specifically, what we believe we deserve in life.

Society tells us every day that we don’t deserve better health, that we aren’t important enough to warrant more research dedicated to menstruating individuals. While progress has been made since The Curse was first published in 1976, there’s still a long way to go to bridge that gap.

So, I invite you to reflect: What would your life look like if you decided that you deserve better health? What would you do differently? How would you show up differently in my life?

If we begin asking these questions regularly, I promise you, shifts will start to happen in our inner reality—and as we change, so will our lives.

Who knows? You might even start asking your doctor uncomfortable questions about why they can’t help you improve your period health 😉

One shift at a time, we can change the world! 💜