Diet has a strong influence on a woman’s cycle. In our clinic, we have successfully used dietary and lifestyle strategies to help individuals with painful, heavy, periods and other types of menstrual and hormonal concerns. Now a new study of 311 women in Spain further supports the dietary connection. In this study, women who followed a Mediterranean diet with high vegetable, fruit, and olive oil, and low alcohol, reported better period outcomes: shorter menstrual cycles and less pain. Interestingly, regular consumption of legumes increased the probability of suffering menstrual pain. We can speculate a potential connection there with increased incidence of immunological responses to legumes in Mediterranean regions where they are consumed in higher amounts. We would be considering that as a potential source of inflammation that could promote hormonal dysregulation. – Romilly Hodges, Nutrition Programs Director
Romilly Hodges, CNS CKNS CDN IFMCP mBANT CNHC, is a clinical nutritionist and Programs Director for Dr. Kara Fitzgerald.
Romilly has written peer-reviewed publications, book contributions and many online articles. She is the author of the book Immune Resilience; The Breakthrough Plan to Protect Your Body and Fight Disease published in 2022 by Avery, a division of Penguin Random House. She has contributed to professional training courses and supervised practice programs for functional medicine and nutrition professionals. Romilly has also worked in clinical research, including designing the study diet for the first-of-its-kind epigenetic diet study run through the National University of Natural Medicine, as well as follow-up clinical research. She currently serves on the Board of the Accreditation Council for Nutrition Professional Education.
We have both the opportunity and responsibility to change the trajectory of chronic disease through targeted, personalized nutrition, lifestyle and environmental interventions.
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