Is Wine to Blame for your Period Problems?
Do you use wine to wind yourself down after a busy day? Is 5 o’clock wine o’clock in your house? It’s delicious and nutritious right!? It can be… and unfortunately if you over-consume the way I did, it’s a recipe for hormonal disaster, which leads to Period Pain & PMS. I know everyone is doing it but over 90% of women have PMS[1]… sooooo I want to tell you about the link between wine and PMS so you can make up your own mind about how wine really makes you feel.
First up let’s talk about PMS, you might not identify with the label but if you feel like a different person in the week or so leading up to your period, that’s a sure sign you’re experiencing PMS. PMS or premenstrual syndrome includes symptoms like; irritability, mood swings, feeling low in energy, feeling anxious, bloated, random pimples or acne, breast tenderness, headaches, strong food craving and randomly crying. If this is you, you’ve got PMS baby!
What’s actually happening when we have a glass of chardonnay?
Each alcoholic drink can raise your estrogen, testosterone, and luteinizing hormone levels by up to 6% according to a 2015 study[2]. That might not sound like much but our hormones need to be finely tuned in order for us to feel good all month long. If you were to have a drink once in a while that 6% wouldn’t do much. But if you’re in the pattern of having a drink or 2 every night, that 6% starts to compound. Compound interest is what you want for your money, not what you want for your hormones. The balance of your hormones is key to experiencing problem free periods, so even a small change in hormonal levels can be enough to send you into PMS-land.
The same study also found 4 or more alcoholic drinks in a row can raise estrogen levels by nearly 65% eek! And women who drank the most alcohol in the study were more likely to have heavy periods, damn!
You can go ahead and shoot the messenger (metaphorically please!) but that’s not going to change how you feel every month. If you do drink to wind down after a busy day, or use alcohol as a tool for numbing, easing social anxiety or simply to ‘fit in’ AND you have PMS - it might be time to take a serious look at your habits. I know life is busy and difficult and if the only piece of happiness you find each day is when you sit down to your glass of wine (been there) it might be time to re-evaluate your life.
That’s big, I am not going to pretend it’s not. Sure, you can go cold turkey and that can work for a few people but most of us need a little help and guidance getting off the wine lovers express. It’s not just that wine tastes so darn good, it could be that you have so few moments in your day to actually sit down and relax that you’ve associated wine with relaxation.
Coming to terms with your relationship to wine or your fav beverage is not easy. If you’re feeling defensive, guilty or shamed right now… please take a breath. There is no need to make your drinking habits mean something about you. You now have new information and what you do with this information is completely up to you. If you’re ready to change your relationship to wine and free yourself from PMS-hell, I’ve got 3 simple steps for you:
Step 1) Become aware of your relationship to wine (or alcohol).
Step 2) Ask yourself what is wine doing for me?
Is it a tool for relaxation or numbing? A reward? A tool to ease social anxiety?
Step 3) Finding another way to get what wine gives you.
For example; you could find a way to relax without wine. Maybe a yoga class would feel good, or putting on some music and dancing in your kitchen, or learning a few breath-work techniques you can do after work, or taking the dog for a walk.
When you stop using alcohol as a tool for emotional regulation you will find yourself having better periods, and better periods equals better energy levels, moods and productivity. You have so much to give, it’s time to gift yourself the time and space to be you.
Bottom live: you can’t exclusively blame wine or alcohol for your Period Problems. BUT wine does effect your hormones, depending on how you consume and how much you consume, it is likely contributing to your Period Problems.
Hey! If we haven’t met before I’m Gemma, your Period Coach. I help women naturally free themselves from Period Pain & PMS so that they have the time and space to be the best girlfriend, wife, mum, employee, business owner and bestie they can be.
If you want to know more, you can check out the 3 ways I can help you by 👉 clicking here 👈
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Dennerstein, L., Lehert, P., Bäckström, T. C., & Heinemann, K. (2010). The effect of premenstrual symptoms on activities of daily life. Fertility and sterility, 94(3), 1059–1064. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.04.023
Schliep, K. C., Zarek, S. M., Schisterman, E. F., Wactawski-Wende, J., Trevisan, M., Sjaarda, L. A., Perkins, N. J., & Mumford, S. L. (2015). Alcohol intake, reproductive hormones, and menstrual cycle function: a prospective cohort study. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 102(4), 933–942. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.102160
