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Women Only: Anyone Raw and NOT on BCPs?

germin8germin8 Raw Master

Hello lady friends,

So this is technically not a raw-food post; but, since many of us eat a lot of raw food I am wondering how many of you experience a change in your cycle. To answer my question, you have to be female, 70-100% raw, and not taking any BCPs. I’d like to know how the cycles have changed… and I’m not referring symptoms/signs of PMS… but has anyone experienced longer/shorter cycles (entire cycle)? Or ovulating at different days? Or experiencing a change in basal temperatures?

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Comments

  • I am always at least 80-85% raw without trying. (i just cant give up seafood and my BBQ) But i have been on BC (specifically Depo provera for 2 years and then switched to the pill for 2 months) i recently (february) stopped taking them and havent even got my period yet—2 months later. My doc says its b/c my body is still adjusting and b/c i have so little fat mass they would probobaly be super light anyway

  • My hormones were all tested normals, but since I have been eating 70% raw upwards I havent had any periods- this is now 18 month without any.

    I had all my bloodworks and I am all “normal” so the gp said not to worry about it. So I certainly wont!

  • spiritedmamaspiritedmama Raw Newbie

    Since going raw and getting my non-hormone IUD out in December, my periods have become much shorter, my last one only lasting a day and a half. Also, I am not experiencing the severe cramping I used to have (often related to dairy intake). Also, prior to having my IUD out, my cycles were very irradic and unpredicatable. Now they are as regular as rain…you could probably set your watch by them….LOL!

  • I’ve never been on bc and my cycle was always irregular. But since going 50 – 75% raw, I’ve become regular. The mood swings are a much better. But the cravings the week before are when I am most likely to eat cooked and junk food.

  • raw dancer,

    are you underweight? Your periods will stop if you are too much under or over weight. Almost 2 years without a cycle doesn’t sound healthy.

  • http://www.waldorfhomeschoolers.com/menstruatio…

    From what I have read on the subject many people notice a reduction or complete loss of periods once raw.

    Not underweight no.

  • daisygirldaisygirl Raw Newbie

    A little tricky for me because I’ve been pregnant and nursing on and off for last 3 years. Since my periods have started again I’ve went from a 35 day cycle to a 28 day (bummer), painless periods (cramps used to be very painful) and longer periods (6 days to 8 now). I don’t know how much of this has to do with being raw, and how much from my body adjusting to hormone levels naturally.

  • I am not on any bcp(tubes are tied). My periods have always been easy and regular, but I am now missing my periods about every other month. I have been about 90 % raw since Jan. Not sure if missed periods are from raw diet or because I have increased my running distances.

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    Thank you for all your input!

    So, for those of you with longer/shorter cycles… do you ovulate? How do you know, by taking your basal temperature? Or do you skip ovulation that month?

    My cycle is usually 28 (regular) days. But these few months of raw, I’ve had my cycle length up to 34 days – twice in 3-4 months. Right now, I am at day 26 of the cycle and still have not had an increase in my basal temperature – i.e. still not ovulated. I’m not worried… just noticing. (I did just have a cleanse early April and that may affect it… but, I had a 34 day cycle before that too.)

    If my cycles are longer… then that’s great, but I would like to know how ovulation can be affected. (NFP)

  • Beside s basal temp there is another very easy way to check to see if you are ovulaiting..

    Warning not for the easily grossed out…....

    Everyday stick two fingers into your vagina…pull them out…look at your mucous…pull your fingers apart..if your mucous is kinda like egg whites and makes a string between your fingers you are ovulating. My husband and I used this method plus keeping track of the cycle and pull out for eight years and never got pregnant!

  • Hormones all normal still, ovulation monthly, just no awful period!

  • ambikalee that is a little gross and a whole lot helpful. i don’t know where else we’d have gotten that information! otherwise, my periods have been totally erratic since going 95% raw about 6 months ago. the last thing i gave up was a bit of skim milk in my coffee…and i’ve eliminated them both. (cacao really helped me with the caffeine withdraw, but my energy is so abundant since going raw i’m thrilled to have gotten off coffee.) i didn’t get my period for about 4 months. i did speak to my doctor about it: i’m healthy weight, hormone levels, etc. and i’m on very low bcp’s. cycles are 4 days or less…and you can forget about an average length between because they’ve been different every time. i was like clockwork for 5 years before this, but something odd is going on, even if i’m healthy. are there any people who were vegans for a long time before going raw who experienced the same type of thing? none of my vegan pals seem to be able to relate.

  • JoescJoesc Raw Master

    Mine as gotten shorter but I don’t know if it is due to the food. I stopped getting cramps when I realized what I could do to help which is calcium. But the last month I didn’t enough calcium and I had cramps but for some odd reason I craved beets.

  • I have heard that woman who are raw long enough no longer get their periods because they are so clean and periods are just another way for the body to dump toxins. I myself noticed a huge difference after going raw. I have had trouble my whole life with excessively heavy bleeding lasting for 8 or 9 days and extreme pain and cramping. I was actually put on birth control for the first time when I was 12 because my period had lasted for over a month and was showing no signs of stopping, making me quite weak and sick. I now know that this was obviously due to my diet but of course was at the mercy of the pill pushing doctors until I figured things out for myself. I haven’t gotten my period back yet since the birth of my son but previous to being pregnant my raw cycles were wonderful. Very light bleeding for 2 days, no pain and quite regular.

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    Yes, ambikalee. I know of the different methods… I’m just not comfortable using the mucus method… I’ve relied on basal temperature all this time. I guess I have to learn to use the mucus method more (at least for the days prior to ovulation).

    Thank you for your input and sharing your success in the method.

    I expect I am ovulating now and my temperature should rise tomorrow or the day after… I just didn’t think it would be on day 27/28! And if it doesn’t rise and my mucus shows the signs of ovulation, am I still ovulating? I guess so! So, sounds like I have to change methods! Oh, no… not something I was expecting. :-)

    Thanks all. This was very educational for me. There aren’t too many people you can talk to who are raw and using a natural birth control method.

    Thanks again!

  • LucyLucy Raw Newbie

    I don’t use bc,and my period got better since I got to be a raw fooder. I have fewer cramps,and I don’t have any kind of PMS. Maybe PMS is food relater.

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    Hormones all normal still, ovulation monthly, just no awful period!

    So, ovulation is NOT affected. That’s great news… that’s really what I wanted to know. I’ll come back and ask more questions if my basal temperature doesn’t go up and I start my cycle again.

  • I had an unnecessary hysterectomy due to the misdiagnose of a doctor..but, one thing I do know from experience is that you can get pregnant even if you are not having your period. Prior to the hysterectomy I could go a year or two without having a period..and I still managed to get pregnant 3 times.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    I read an interesting book about menstruation, and it said that women process other people’s (men to be more specific!) negative energy throughout the month, and menstruastion is a release of this negative energy as well as the blood. It said that in the author’s opinion women are saving the world from all kinds of problems because we take on and process men’s negative energy during our monthly cycle.

    An interesting theory.

    I used to have maybe one period a year prior to going raw, this happened since I first started when I was 14. I always thought this was a sign of an imbalance.

    Since I have been raw, they have been every month, regular as clockwork. Short and painless.

    It is so strange for me to have a regular cycle for the first time at the age of 33.

    I get PMT which obviously I never had before, this is taking some getting used to – It’s not that I get bad tempered ( although husband would probably disagree!), I get very absent minded and a bit dotty and as if I have gone senile! I hope it is just temporary and a symptom of everything settling down and evening out.

    I am very impressed with my body sorting it all out and working as it should, I feel more womanly now, and ‘in the flow’.

  • My period has decreased from 5 days to 2 or 3 and this time nothing. I can feel the twinge when it starts but no blood. I no longer have any pain or cravings at all. Ive been raw for about 6 months(95% and almost 100 the last month) and ive lost 80 lb. I just feel much better, more energised and more in sync whith myself and my body.

  • Priceless OnePriceless One Raw Newbie

    No bcp here. Mine have gotten shorter and waaaay lighter. I might need to use a tampon for 2 days, maybe. I had a rough month last month (family vacation and I totally skipped out on the whole raw thing) and it was the first time in the past year that I had to get up in the middle of the night to change my pad. I typically don’t even need to use something at night.

  • I’ve noticed that mine are shorted too – day and a half to two days about. But actually, I went for three months with NO period (stress, not eating properly), so this diet has helped regulate my system! I’ve never been so happy to get a period! I felt like I was doing something right for my body.

  • I jumped from 50% to 100% raw overnight, and my first period lasted 8 days! Usually they were six, and completely erratic until I went vegan about a year ago. Now they have gone back to 6 days and regular, but the cramps are less and less each time (and I’ve been eating a bit of cooked also the last month or so, so I’m certainly glad they are still no longer, because six days is waaaay too long. But I have health issues.)

  • sweetpeasweetpea Raw Newbie

    When I first went all raw I lost alot of weight and stopped my periods. In the last 2-3 years they have been pretty normal give a take a day or two either way. I tend to follow the moon cycles.

  • i am on bcp and am about 70% raw for the last month and a half .. i havent seen any changes in my period yet probbaly because of the bcp, but a question to the ladies that do not have their periods or are only getting it so often and not taking bcp … how do u know if ur prego or not? see i will always be on the pill of fear of becoming prego, which one day i will love to be but not any time soon. if i stoped getting my periods .. i think i woudl have a panic atack every month lol

  • MarichiesaMarichiesa Raw Newbie

    HAHAH! Magdi that is a great question!I’m 39 and have not had my period since Feb. I feel great. No PMS, no night sweats etc… Interestingly my period stopped right after my husband got snipped:-)And of course he looks at me like “i did this for NOTHIN?” hahahhah. 3 kids is Plenty! Anyway… until I feel really confident that he is really shootin blanks I still take a preggers test every five weeks or so! I’m sooooo not relaxed about it all yet!( LOL) BTW I feel certain that I am still ovulating. I usually feel the odd twinge or so mid cycle.

  • There is a book out that talks about this subject. and yes becoming raw. does clean the body to a point that you will still ovulate and have no mentruation/bleeding. I must find the book/or at least the author. back soon.

  • rawmamarawmama Raw Newbie

    No more discomfort/cramping woohoooooo :), lighter than before, a day or two shorter, but for now my cycles are all over the place from 32 days to 23 days in between…hoping that evens out.

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    Magdi, you take your basal temperature. The Natural Birth Control is an excellent book that details all this. When your temperature rises, you know you have ovulated. When your day-one cycle comes, your temperature would remain elevated and that is a sure sign you are pregnant. Not just elevated for day 1 & 2… but more. In the case when you never get your period (assuming you are at a regular cycle), then day one will still be day one and your temperature would still remain elevated if you are pregnant. Hope that helps.

    Right now, my cycle is realy strange… (up to 40 days long and I used to be quite regular at a 28-day cycle) so, I really am learning how to adjust to this change… or whatever this is.

    So rawmama, does this mean you have more infertile days… or longer fertile days? I know, this is personal question, but it sounds like I’m going through what you’re going through… just want to “compare notes”.

    BTW, I was never one to have much cramping/discomfort, it was all very mild. This was during a time when I didn’t eat a lot of raw foods. Then, when I drank 64oz of water a day, all that went away. So water helps too.

  • sweetpeasweetpea Raw Newbie

    What are BCPs?

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