Going through a chocolate bar a day on your period? What’s that you say? TWO a day? Three? No judgement from us! We’ve all succumbed to those PMS chocolate cravings, but if you’re downing it on a regular basis you may be wondering… how ethical and eco-friendly is my chocolate habit? Good question. 

We’re looking into how our nationwide obsession with chocolate affects our planet, how it can be more sustainable, and picking out the best chocolate brands-to-watch who are making us all feel less guilty. Let’s go!

How chocolate production affects the planet 

Whether you’re chowing down on white, milk or dark chocolate, it’s all made using cocoa beans, and these much-sought-after beans can cause quite a few problems down the supply chain. An estimated 70% of the world’s cocoa beans are grown in West Africa, and it can take a whole year for one cocoa tree to produce enough to make half a pound of chocolate. You know what that means… more trees. 

Cocoa farmers commonly clear tropical forests to plant new trees instead of reusing land, which causes a lot of deforestation, particularly in Ivory Coast. Good agricultural practices in the industry are vital to protect the environment and animals, as well as avoid child labour, which is often used to help grow, harvest and transport cocoa beans. In the 2013-14 growing season alone, an estimated 2 million children were used for hazardous labour in Ghana and Ivory Coast - a major problem. 

Did you know… chocolate is the UK's number 1 confectionery product? We are the 6th highest-consuming chocolate country in the world, with the average Brit eating around 8kg (17.6 pounds) of chocolate a year. Is our PMS out of control?!

One of the biggest environmental issues in the chocolate industry is packaging. Chocolate is often sold in plastic or paperboard containers, sometimes inside multiple layers, and products are then carried home in plastic bags. Aluminium foil is also a common chocolate covering, and chocolates that come individually wrapped cause even more waste. Many types of packaging production can lead to excess greenhouse gas emissions, and water and land pollution. But what’s the answer? 

The entire chocolate industry has a long way to go to improve, but positive changes are already being made, and many new brands are popping up and taking their ethical responsibilities seriously. Experts have identified farming techniques that could make existing cocoa farms more productive and reduce deforestation. And super-brand Mars has only gone and mapped the cocoa genome, identifying trees that are 3-4 times as productive and more climate resistant than the varieties typically used - exciting developments all round! 

If you want to make a change at home, one of the best ways to avoid supporting child labour is to buy fair trade. Many brands now sell Fairtrade certified chocolate, and it’s much easier to find out how your favourite treats rank in terms of sustainability and ethical practices, as the Good Shopping Guide provides all the info you need. 

Another easy solution is to stop buying products with unnecessary packaging, like fun-size, and individually wrapped chocolates. Yes they’re great for Halloween, but avoiding these could cut down on wasteful packaging and force brands to change.  

There’s no shortage of companies trying to make the chocolate industry a better place, and you can start in your local supermarket aisle. Many shops now have own-brand Fairtrade chocolate, including M&S, Waitrose, Co-op and impressively, Lidl, where a premium from every bar sold will support a living wage for cocoa farmers in Ghana. If you want to help out a charity at the same time, you can grab your choco treats from your local Oxfam shop - they always have Fairtrade snack brands like Cocoa Loco and Divine. 

Want to try something new? Other brands to watch are: 

Tony’s Chocolonely - On a mission to fully eradicate child slavery in chocolate production, they openly share supply chain details, trace where ingredients come from, pay higher prices to farmers, invest in long-term commitment and farm cooperatives to empower farmers, and much more. 

Eat Your Hat - Organic, sustainable, and fair. What’s not to love? Their chocolate is World Fair Trade Organisation certified, their cacao comes from smallholder farms in Central Africa, and their organic sugar comes from the Philippines. Oh, and their packaging is plant-based and compostable. Win!

Seed & Bean - Using organic, small scale suppliers, they pay above market price for their cacao, which is always FLO certified. It’s made in small batches, their packaging is 100% compostable, and the inner foil is made from eucalyptus tree pulp.

There are loooads more brands out there, so do some research and check out the UK chocolatiers mentioned on the Slave Free Chocolate website, including Forever Cacao, Montezuma’s, and Play In Choc. 

Three bonus tips for recycling chocolate packaging

Collect your foil wrappings and roll them into a fist-sized ball so you can recycle it as normal. We’re looking at you, Easter eggs… 

Make an eco-brick with your plastic wrappers, and either repurpose in your garden or collect more and drop them at an eco-brick centre 

Avoid buying individually wrapped chocolates. You can also grab some loose chocolates from the pick ‘n’ mix stand with the more eco-friendly paper cups

Are you a BIG chocolate fan? Do you have more ideas on how to make your chocolate addiction more sustainable? We’re all ears! Shout out in our private Facebook group or drop us a note on Insta @itsyoppie. Don't forget that our personalised period box can get organic tampons, PMS supplements and more delivered easily and regularly through your letterbox with eco-friendliness built in. That's one more thing for the sustainability guilt-free list, at least.

A Guide To Eco-Friendly & Ethical Chocolate

We’ve all been there; you say you’re off chocolate for the month, then your PMS kicks in, and you would give a limb just to have one bite of the chocolate bar you know is at the back of the cupboard, even though it’s hidden under a mountain of healthy snacks. Sometimes chocolate feels like a non-negotiable, especially when your period kicks in. But why?

We’re chomping into this sugar craving to find out why it’s the treat on everyone’s mind at certain points in their cycle, when to try and kick the habit, and when to listen to your sweet tooth and embrace the health benefits (yes, health benefits) of those cocoa cravings. 

Why do we crave chocolate, of all things?

There are a few theories as to why chocolate is one of the most popular pantry picks when your period rolls around. Sometimes when you’re experiencing cramps and low mood, and you don’t want to go out, chocolate feels like a warm hug. It’s a comfort many of us reach for to distract from PMS frustrations and sadness - but is it habit or hormonal? Maybe a bit of both. Some believe chocolate is the snack of choice due to hormonal imbalances during the menstrual cycle. When estrogen, progesterone and serotonin (the happiness hormone) levels drop, and cortisol (the stress hormone) rises, the result is a sugar craving. 

But there’s another theory. One study looked at chocolate cravings of Spanish and American women, and found that while the American women reached for chocolate most often during their period, many of the Spanish women said they wanted chocolate around dinnertime or while working, not specifically during their period, which shows hormones may have nothing to do with cravings - it could simply be ingrained cues that have us reaching for the chocolate.

While hormonal changes might not directly cause our chocolate addiction, they could be a contributing factor, as let’s face it: PMS can make you feel stressed, tired, and well… blerggghhh. And when you feel blerggghhh, chocolate is a nice pick-me-up. We have grown to associate our periods with eating chocolate, and this could be why we now crave it on autopilot at certain times of the month. 

Cocoa is made using roasted cacao seeds which have many health benefits, so chocolate cravings aren’t all bad! It offers an energy boost when you’re feeling low (as long as you don’t overdo it), and there’s an argument for treating yourself if you suffer from low mood during your cycle. If you don’t let it become a crutch, it can provide a temporary endorphin boost that’s handy when you feel the blerggghhh coming on. If the blerggghhh turns into a deeper depression, you should always speak to your GP about how they can help. 

If you really want to maximise the choco benefits, you’ll want to switch to dark chocolate that contains 70% cocoa. Its health benefits include potentially lowering heart disease risk, and increasing brain function. 

Dark chocolate can also be a great source of magnesium (good for easing cramps), it can increase serotonin, and it’s high in iron - handy if you have heavy periods and suffer from anaemia (although remember there are other ways to up your iron levels, like eating tofu, spinach, beans and lentils).

While raw cocoa holds many health benefits, the chocolate we buy from shops uses cocoa mixed with sugar, milk and more, which could be considered less than healthy. The resulting product is often high in fat and sugar, so the benefits of cocoa are often lost. High sugar content can lead to weight gain, which may affect your health if your weight already fluctuates throughout the month or if you suffer from excessive bloating. 

The sugar in chocolate is also thought to affect skin, so if you’re already prone to hormonal acne breakouts during your menstrual cycle this could worsen the effects. 

Some people also believe that cocoa’s tyramine, histamine, and phenylalanine content can contribute to headaches or migraines, so if you already experience these during your cycle you may want to avoid too much chocolate. 

How to get the health benefits from chocolate

Put simply, chocolate is one of the most common foods people crave before their period, and in moderation, you can embrace this. Binging on excessive amounts, though, could do more harm than good. The best ways to ensure you’re milking the benefits are: 

Enjoy it sparingly! Easier said than done but the trick is to enjoy a little, then distract yourself with something else that benefits your PMS, like a gentle walk or ginger tea. 

Stick with dark chocolate, as it’s packed with lots more health benefits and less of the ‘bad stuff’. It’s high in antioxidants and minerals, so a couple of squares when you’re feeling PMS-y can boost your mood AND benefit your health. 

Satisfy your sweet tooth with other treats that taste good but don’t have as many negatives, like healthy smoothies, fruit and nut mix, yoghurt, honey, and energy bars. 

Do you crave chocolate at certain times during your period? How do you make sure you’re staying healthy while enjoying a sweet treat every now and then? We’d love to hear from you! Shout out in our private Facebook group or drop us a note on Insta @itsyoppie. Don't forget that our personalised period box can get organic tampons, PMS supplements and more delivered easily and regularly through your letterbox, which might just help take the edge off those really bad GOTTA CHOC days...!

Period Chocolate Cravings: The Lowdown

“Oh, go on then, just one more bite…”

How many times have you uttered this line the closer you get to your period? It’s not uncommon for your appetite to increase at certain times during your cycle, but what if it’s more than just one more biscuit? One more cake? Or one more scoop of Nutella straight out the jar? (Don’t lie, we’ve all been there…)

If you find yourself regularly indulging in emotional eating, then it could be time to figure out a) what’s causing it, and b) how to regulate the sudden urge to unhinge your jaw and shovel in everything your snack cupboard has to offer. 

It’s difficult to define. Many of us associate any kind of overindulgence with feelings of guilt and shame, but you should never feel this way in your day-to-day life. When it comes to food, you do you! If that means the occasional takeaway and chocolate bender then we’re never going to tell you not to enjoy. But let’s talk about what happens when you yourself feel that your food is controlling you, rather than the other way around, and when you feel your health and energy levels could be suffering as a result. 

You can call it emotional eating or stress eating. The general idea is that we overindulge in food when we feel stressed, anxious or depressed. We turn to food as a comfort, providing a temporary boost in positive emotions thanks to dopamine in our brains, and the more we do this, the more we train our brains to believe that whenever we’re feeling a bit glum, something tasty will perk us right back up. And it does... for a while.  

On the more extreme end of the spectrum is compulsive eating, also known as binge eating, which is essentially a strong, uncontrollable urge to eat large portions of food. This can mean eating when you aren’t even hungry, eating when you’re already full, eating in secret, and resulting in even more feelings of guilt and shame. 

As we said before, having a snack because you feel a bit blue is never a problem - who doesn’t want to chase the low mood away with something sweet! The trouble is when you feel it’s no longer within your control, and your health could suffer. 

Overeating comes with negatives that, although aren’t always visible in the short term, could lead to long-term health issues, so they’re worth addressing. The most obvious is of course weight gain and obesity, which can create related health concerns like heart conditions, type 2 diabetes and blood pressure issues.

It’s also worth monitoring your feelings around emotional eating, as it can slip into dangerous territory in terms of eating disorders, such as binge eating, or even bulimia (purging after overeating). If you believe you have issues with binge eating or bulimia, you should contact your GP or a professional service like Beat for help. 

When it comes to periods, binge eating could even affect the menstrual cycle itself. One study found that women who suffered from binge eating compulsions were more likely to report amenorrhea (when periods disappear altogether) than women who did not binge eat. 

It’s those pesky hormones again! A study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders found that hormones are a factor in deciding how much we eat. According to the study, high progesterone levels during the premenstrual phase could lead to compulsive eating and feelings of body dissatisfaction. Meanwhile, estrogen is associated with a decrease in appetite - it’s no wonder our appetite fluctuates so much throughout the month. 

If we split our cycle in two, the first half (ovulation and beforehand) is when you are less likely to engage in emotional eating, because rising estrogen keeps cravings at bay. The second half (menstruation and beforehand) is when you are more prone to emotional eating, because progesterone in our system prompts us to reach for food in order to deal with emotional distress.

Understanding why you’re indulging in emotional eating can be a big help. Essentially we do this in an attempt to manage our own mood. By understanding that not only is this unhealthy, it’s also futile, we can start to look for non-food related ways to manage our mood. A few lifestyle changes to consider are:

Plan ahead to ensure you are eating filling, satisfying meals that don’t leave you wanting more. 

Switch to healthy alternatives. If chocolate is your thing, buy some 70% cocoa dark chocolate instead to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Practice mindful eating, which is when you give more focus to your food in order to achieve satiation. The Headspace App site has some great info on this. 

Avoid buying junk food so you’re not tempted to snack. The best way to make sure you don’t do this is to never go to the supermarket hungry! 

Make sure you are getting enough sleep, doing at least some exercise throughout the week, filling yourself up with plenty of water, and other healthy habits that will help to regulate your appetite in the long run.  

Do you find yourself stress eating at certain points in your cycle? How do you manage your cravings? We’d love to hear from you! Shout out in our private Facebook group or drop us a note on Insta @itsyoppie. Don't forget that our personalised period box can get organic tampons, PMS supplements and more delivered easily and regularly through your letterbox, giving you more time each month to focus on those big mindfulness goals.

Hormones & Healthy Eating: How To Quit Excessive Snacking Throughout Your Cycle

Everyone has their favourite comfort foods. When we asked around the Yoppie team some of their most prized pre-period munchies, they gave us answers ranging from the classics (like chocolate or creamy carbs) to the more specific (garlicky mashed potatoes) to the truly memorable (“a big fat dirty burger”). Comfort food really does come in all shapes and sizes! Of course everyone can benefit from their pet faves, even just to improve low mood in the short term, but if your period brings some hefty, life-affecting PMS symptoms, a few minor dietary tweaks can make all the difference. 

“Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food.”  – Hippocrates

We’ve chosen 5 of the best diet tweaks you can make to positively impact your cycle in a BIG way. Here we go…

Maybe not such a minor change depending on the kind of cravings you get, but this tip can give you pretty quick results. By cutting down on your salt intake, you could ease salt-induced bloating which tends to add to the discomfort of PMS bloating. 

Start by limiting your salty snacks the week before your period (you know the ones; crisps, salted nuts, popcorn, etc.), or if your pre-menstrual tummy bloat is particularly bad, you may want to check how much salt is in the food you eat, and avoid processed foods by cooking your own. Sticking to homemade, healthy meals will mean less fast food and processed food which tends to contain a lot of sneaky salt. You’ll be surprised how quickly that bloated belly deflates when you make this change. 

Not a big drinker? This one may not apply to you. But for those who enjoy some drinks at the weekend, or even a glass of wine or two in the evenings after work, you may find your cycle benefits from cutting down on alcohol, or if possible, cutting it out altogether. 

Alcohol can be relaxing and fun in moderation, but its negative effects include hangover headaches, diarrhea, an upset stomach, and more. All of these can exacerbate PMS symptoms, and according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, regular heavy booze sessions could even cause irregular or skipped periods, because alcohol can temporarily increase levels of estrogen and testosterone, disrupting the typical hormonal fluctuations that come during ovulation. 

And of course, alcohol is a depressant, so if you experience low mood at certain times during your cycle, one way to improve this could be to say goodbye to the booze. It’s often best to gradually reduce your alcohol consumption rather than go cold turkey, so you don’t experience more negative symptoms. 

We know, we know... this list is more about what you should cut out of your diet than what you should add in (if you want to know which foods to add in, this is the blog post for you!) but unfortunately these are the things that tend to have the biggest impact on your cycle. Which brings us to… caffeine! *gulp* 

We love a coffee or a green tea, don’t get us wrong, but it’s worth considering how much caffeine you consume each day and how this could be affecting your cycle. Not only can caffeine cause dizziness, diarrhoea, headaches, fever and irritability, it’s also a notorious sleep disrupter if you’re having it too close to bedtime, and a lack of sleep is bad for… well, everything! Work on cutting back your daily caffeine intake (or experiment with none at all) to see how this could have a positive effect on your period. 

Sugar… the great inflamer! Sugar is fine in moderation, but eating too much of it can spike our energy levels, which then inevitably dip and threaten to worsen your mood. If you tend to get moody, depressed or anxious around your period, your sugar intake could have a lot more to do with regulating this than you think.

Whether it’s comfort chocolate, your morning sugary cereal, or the processed foods that typically contain a lot of hidden sugars for added taste (and to get us hooked!), it all adds up throughout the month and could lead to one pretty problematic period. 

If you can cut out sugar altogether, we applaud you! It’s a tough thing to do when so many of us have been conditioned to crave sugar our whole lives. If, instead, you’d simply like to make some less inflammatory choices, you can switch to eating more fruit, or prep your own low-sugar, natural snacks (like these) for any after-dinner cravings. 

So you’ve cut out salt, sugar, alcohol and caffeine… what’s left? Lots more than most people think, and if you fill up on healthy foods, the rest will fall into place. Stick to whole foods as much as possible, which means making dinner using fresh vegetables, things that grow in the ground, and using herbs and spices to season rather than adding flavourings. This quote is a great rule of thumb: 

“Came from a plant, eat it; was made in a plant, don’t.” – Michael Pollan, Journalist and Author of Food Rules 

Focus on eating whole foods throughout your cycle to help balance your hormones, manage blood sugar levels, and avoid cortisol spikes or mood swings. A few ways to add whole foods to your diet include choosing products with 100% whole grains when possible, eating a lot of vegetables and fruits, adding beans in your meals and snacks more often for protein, fibre, and other nutrients, eating fewer processed foods, and opting for healthier drinks like water, tea, or fresh fruit juice. Whole foods for the win! 

Have you made any dietary tweaks with your period in mind? We’d love to know!

Healthy Period Foods: Minor Changes That Benefit Your Cycle

Ever found yourself abandoning the gym in favour of lying on the couch with a hot water bottle eating ice cream? Welcome to the club. Some days, working out is just NOT the one, and we totally get it. When you’re bleeding, or cramping, or PMSing hard, the last thing you want to do is exert yourself physically. But you love working out, and you want to keep fit and stay healthy… so what’s the answer? 

It’s not all bad news. Just as there are days in your cycle that will have you struggling to get out of your PJs, there will be others where your energy peaks and you’re in the zone. Time to tailor your workouts and fitness schedule with your periods in mind. 

Why exercise according to your menstrual cycle?

Scheduling your fitness activities around certain phases of your menstrual cycle can make a huge difference if you are an athlete or you’re training for something in particular. It’s frustrating to have an ‘off day’, and you may find those off days (*ahem* your period) happen at the worst possible times, for example when you are just about to reach a PB or hit a training milestone. 

Many top athletes already tailor their diet, sleep schedule and other lifestyle factors in an effort to improve their performance, so it seems like a no-brainer that our period, with all its fluctuating hormone levels and physical symptoms, will have the same impact, yet many of us ignore what our body is trying to tell us, and either give up when we feel lousy or push through and make symptoms worse.

We’ve mentioned this example a few times on the Full Stop blog, but it’s just so good we had to use it again; last year the Chelsea Women’s team became the first in the world to tailor the players’ training schedules to fit with their individual menstrual cycles, leading to more successful training sessions and reduced incidences of injury. Here’s how you can do the same!

How to exercise during… the Menstrual Phase

This is when estrogen and progesterone reduce to their lowest levels, and you experience bleeding. If you bleed a lot, you may find your energy dips due to lower iron levels, since it is thought around 1mg of iron is lost for every day of bleeding. 

During this phase, you may also experience physical symptoms like cramps, joint and muscle pain, and headaches, which undoubtedly affect your fitness. Not to mention your sleep patterns could be disrupted, you may feel more irritable than usual, or you could start craving certain foods. Sound like a day for the gym? No, didn’t think so. 

Understandably you may wish to take a few rest days during the worst of the Menstrual Phase, to allow your body to recuperate and prepare for upcoming workouts. If you don’t feel like sitting the session out completely, you can swap out intense workouts for something more gentle like walking or yoga. 

How to exercise during… the Follicular Phase

In the Follicular Phase, your estrogen levels start to rise again to prepare your eggs for upcoming ovulation. During this time you might find you have a lot more energy to burn, so this is thought of as the optimum time for working out as our bodies are better at turning carbs into fuel during this stage and less likely to store them as fat.

One 2017 study found that doing strength training while in the Follicular Phase could lead to an increase in muscle strength, more so than other times of the month. Experts advise longer warm-up sessions during this phase, to avoid overstretching and minimise injury risk.

How to exercise during… the Ovulation Phase

Hello again estrogen! Estrogen levels hit their highest here and start to balance out again, and it’s when your body releases an egg. During ovulation there’s also a testosterone increase, and this can have a positive effect on your workouts too, as energy levels could be at their highest. If you’re feeling up to it, this might be the time to push your limits and make the most of those low progesterone levels that cause the body’s overall pain tolerance to increase. Don’t overdo it though - everything in moderation, of course!

Pushing yourself is all well and good, but if you’re prone to feelings of stress and anxiety, they are more likely to show up during this period and affect your training schedule. If you find yourself feeling this way during the month, take it easy and don’t make any big goals. Stick to gentle exercises again, like yoga or a light jog. 

How to exercise during… the Luteal Phase

This is when your progesterone levels start to rise again in the lead up to the Menstrual Phase starting again. That means estrogen levels fall, and our bodies go into a sort of hibernation mode, storing more carbs as fat, and craving certain foods. The great thing about this phase is, although you might be eating more and storing more fat, you could also be burning more fat when you exercise due to the efficient combo of estrogen and progesterone. If you’re going to implement fat-burning workouts like cardio, aerobics or HIIT classes, now’s the perfect time. 

Remember though, the Luteal Phase happens just before your period, so you may experience some PMS symptoms that could slow you down, and that’s OK. During this phase, your body temperature usually rises by around 0.3°C, so remember to stay hydrated during workouts.

Do you keep your menstrual cycle in mind while planning your workouts and fitness activities? We’d love to know how you do it! Shout out in our private Facebook group or drop us a note on Insta @itsyoppie. Don't forget that our personalised period box can get organic tampons, PMS supplements and more delivered easily and regularly through your letterbox, giving you more time each month to focus on those fitness (or other!) goals.

Fitness Flow: Tailoring Exercise To Your Menstrual Cycle

Looking for ways to uplift your wellbeing during your period and beyond? We have one you might not have considered… the secret power of flowers. Yes, they brighten a room, but they are known to brighten your mood too, and there are plenty of times during your menstrual cycle where this could come in super handy. In fact, flowers have been found to have positive impacts that lasts for days, making them more beneficial than eating chocolate. We’re sold...

The positive power of plants and flowers comes partly from their attractive colours and smells, but benefits can also be found just from the act of giving or receiving flowers. Consistently seeing and being around plants is thought to help people feel more calm and relaxed, and as a result, lower levels of anxiety. 

By caring for a plant, you can reduce the physiological and psychological symptoms of stress, as the act of caring for them is thought to suppress your sympathetic nervous system activity and promote feelings of comfort and relaxation. Also, being around plants is thought to spark creativity, and increase focus and memory by up to 20%. And if all that wasn’t enough, this study found that when a few houseplants were added to workspaces, employee productivity increased. Flower power indeed! 

Let’s get into some specifics. What plants should you keep around to benefit menstruation? 

Commonly associated with sleep (and for good reason), over the years lavender has been recommended for those with insomnia and other sleep disorders, and today many aromatherapists still use lavender oil to ease headaches, promote calmness, and reduce stress and anxiety. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine even found that topically applying lavender, plus sage and rose, could reduce the severity of menstrual cramps. Time to dig out that lavender scented hot water bottle?

While there are lots of pillow sprays, microwavable bean bags, and other gizmos and gadgets to help you get the benefits of lavender, all you need is an actual lavender plant next to your bed. Yes, the O.G. lavender dispenser. If you struggle to sleep at certain times throughout your period, this could be exactly what you need to finally catch those Zs. 

Just looking at the gorgeous peace lily or saying it’s name out loud is sure to calm you down. This plant is known to clear toxins from the air, and is even thought to remove harmful ones like benzene, a known carcinogen. The peace lily is actually believed to improve air quality by as much as 60%, so this is more than just wellness folklore. 

Not only does it clear the air, but as the name suggests, the peace lily is thought to promote peace and relaxation by improving the flow of energy in your home. It has balancing qualities that could benefit you during your cycle when you’re feeling out of sorts. 

Snake plants are easy to care for, and that low-maintenance can come in handy when you’re on your period and don’t feel like getting up to water them! They are thought to have the ability to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen throughout the night, so adding some of these plants to your home could help create a steady flow of oxygen, which has all sorts of wellness benefits - improved sleep being a big one, as well as improved energy levels. 

If you find your energy taking a nose dive at certain times during your cycle, for example during your period or after due to blood loss, don’t be afraid to go hang out with your snake plant, breathe in its goodness, and replenish those energy stores. 

Another one for the bedroom, aloe vera has many benefits that could come in handy at different stages of your cycle. It’s a great houseplant as it’s known to purify the air in the room, and while it won’t have the same power as an air filter, it could help detoxify to remove harmful chemicals and promote a restful night’s sleep. 

Plus, the leaves of aloe vera can easily be cut or popped off and used as a natural method of soothing skin wounds and inflammation. One study found that a cream combining acne medication with aloe vera gel was drastically more effective than a placebo or the medication alone, so if your hormonal acne gets out of control during your period, try rubbing a little of the juice from the aloe vera plant on red, irritated areas to soothe and calm your skin. 

Chamomile tea is often recommended for relaxation and to promote better sleep health, but the truth is you can get the same benefits when you keep the chamomile plant nearby. This plant contains an antioxidant called apigenin, which is known to affect receptors in the brain to reduce insomnia and in some cases even decrease blood pressure. 

Exposure to chamomile has been thought to alleviate symptoms of depression caused by sleeping issues, so it’s a great little flower to have around, especially if you find yourself suffering with regular low mood during your cycle. As always, if you are experiencing severe depression or anxiety that affects your life, you should see your GP for advice. However, if your symptoms are short-lived and manageable, these flowers and plants could provide that little mood-boost you need when menstruation’s got ya down. 

Have you added any flowers or plants to your home for their wellness benefits? Did you notice a difference in your mood or health? We’d love to know your experience, and if it helped. Shout out in our private Facebook group or drop us a note on Insta @itsyoppie. Don't forget that our personalised period box can ge organic tampons, PMS supplements and more delivered easily and regularly through your letterbox, which gives you more time to care for your lovely new plant-babies!

Flower Power: Menstrual Cycle Mood Boosting Plants

By now, most of us are aware that a flushed tampon makes its way to the sea and causes havoc, but what about here on land? Could your menstrual cycle choices be affecting more than just the oceans? We’re breaking down why trees are a vital feature of our planet, and how you can make a few small changes to keep them flourishing and free from harm. 

The woodland and forest areas found all over the world are nothing less than a crucial part of our eco-system. Not only do we humans use them for wood and resources, but they prevent soil erosion, mitigate climate change, and provide us with the air we breathe. Pretty important indeed! Forests are the world’s second-largest storehouses of carbon, and according to the World Wildlife Foundation, over 2 billion people around the world rely on forests for shelter, work, water, food, fuel, and lots more, including 60 million indigenous people. 

Despite them being a clear asset to the human species, not to mention animals and the planet, forests continue to disappear. Between 1990 and 2015, around 129 million hectares of forest were lost, which can have unexpected knock-on effects, even if you live in urban areas where you don’t see the immediate impact.

Take just the tropical forest areas; these alone can provide 23% of the climate mitigation needed over the next decade to meet the Paris Agreement goals set out in 2015, and if you think protecting forests is a problem for other countries, you’re wrong. Here in the UK, forests cover 12% of our land area, and there are things you can be doing right on your doorstep (and in your pants!) to help protect them. 

So how does your period have anything to do with this? You may not have considered it, but the choices you make in managing your menstrual cycle can actually help protect forests. It’s time to BRANCH out (get it?) with your period products and make your menstrual cycle more forest-friendly with these tips.

Even if you have switched to period products that are 100% cotton, if they’re not organic then they could still be causing environmental harm. According to the World Wildlife Organization, the production of cotton uses harmful agrochemicals like pesticides, needs a large amount of water, and requires land to be converted for agricultural use. As cotton is the most widespread profitable non-food crop in the world, and around half of all textiles are made from it, switching to more environmentally sustainable methods of production could make a huge difference. Looking out for organic cotton products is a great way to do your part for the forests, and you can start with your period products. 

A lot of tampons and pads still use bleached, non-organic cotton, rayon, wood pulp, or all three. These often contain pesticides like diuron, which is thought of by the Environmental Protection Agency as a ‘likely carcinogen’. Not good. And that’s just one of the harmful chemicals you can find in the products that many of us put in or on our body for one week out of every month of our lives. The potential health issues aside, these same chemicals can go on to damage the environment around us when discarded, and forests are unfortunately one of the victims. Choose organic period products where possible to avoid harmful chemicals ending up in landfill. 

Speaking of landfill, did you know that according to the Women’s Environment Network, many disposable menstrual products are made of up to 90% plastic? In fact, one tampon takes longer to decompose than the average woman’s lifespan. In the UK alone, more than 4.3 billion disposable menstrual products are used every year, and 1.3 billion of those are plastic tampon applicators. Where does it all go? Into landfill, of course, so it’s no wonder the trees are screaming out for some changes to be made. 

By looking for biodegradable period products without the plastic applicator, you cut down massively on the number of years your discarded period products remain in the ground. Cotton naturally breaks down faster than plastic, so if you’ve already switched to 100% organic cotton, you can rest assured they will decompose faster, and you can bin them guilt-free! 

If a product has the FSC symbol on it (a little tree with a tick) it is FSC certified. FSC stands for 'Forest Stewardship Council', which is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting responsible forestry. 

If your period products are FSC certified, it means they use materials that come from forests around the world that have been checked by FSC to ensure they meet the highest environmental and social standards. When you see this logo on anything, period products included, you can feel confident that by buying it, you will not be bringing harm to forests. 

But how do you find tampons, liners and sanitary towels that are 100% organic cotton, biodegradable, and have the FSC logo on them? Easy. Yoppie! You can feel great about our personalised subscription box of organic period care products, safe in the knowledge that they are made with the best materials that are healthy for your body and kind to the environment. Now and forever. 

Save The Trees: How To Have A Forest-Friendly Cycle

Got milk? No? If you suffer from PMS, you might want to add it to your shopping list. Throughout history, calcium has been seen as the nutrient we need for healthy bones, and kids all over the world were encouraged to drink their milk to grow up ‘big and strong’. Nowadays, less emphasis has been placed on getting enough calcium, but there are a few reasons why your menstrual cycle could be crying out for this essential nutrient. 

What is calcium and where does it come from? 

Let’s go back to basics for a sec… calcium is an important nutrient in your body. It helps with basic bodily functions, such as blood circulation, muscle movement, sending messages from your brain to other parts of your body, and assists in the release of hormones. 

It’s known for keeping teeth and bones healthy, as these are the parts of the body that store your calcium. Your body doesn’t produce it naturally, so it’s all about getting it from your diet. And if you don’t get enough in your diet, your body will start to take it from your bones and teeth, which is why a calcium deficiency can lead to conditions like osteoporosis - a weakening of the bones. Yikes! 

Since calcium affects so many different functions of the body, getting your recommended amount has several key health benefits beyond just keeping bones and teeth healthy. It also helps regulate muscle contractions, including your heartbeat, and makes sure blood clots normally. While too much calcium has been linked to heart disease, the right amount is thought to be beneficial for the old ticker! 

The above health benefits are great and all, but this is where it gets good. Yes, calcium is thought to help with PMS symptoms! *happy dance* 

Several studies have found that people who suffer from particularly negative PMS symptoms often don’t have enough calcium coming from their diet. Since calcium levels vary throughout the menstrual cycle, it’s no wonder this can have such a big impact at this time of the month. 

One clinical trial in 2017 found that calcium supplements were able to reduce PMS symptoms like bloating and fatigue, and could even help with psychological symptoms like low mood and anxiety. Another study found that after 3 menstrual cycles, an increase in calcium via supplements reduced core PMS symptoms and other negative effects like water retention, food cravings, and pain in the luteal phase of the cycle.

And for those who suffer from PCOS, one study found that calcium and vitamin D could have a positive effect on menstrual regularity and ovulation. This is something to keep in mind if you’re thinking of upping your calcium levels for PMS symptoms; your body actually needs vitamin D in order to absorb calcium, so a calcium-rich diet alone won’t do it if you’re low on vitamin D.

How to get your recommended intake of calcium 

Let’s start with how you can get your fix of vitamin D, since you need this to absorb the calcium. You can get vitamin D from the sun, but many of us here in the UK don’t get access to enough of that, so certain foods will have to do. Add some more oily fish like salmon and sardines, eggs, red meat, and fortified foods like cereals to up your vit D levels. 

Once you have sorted out any vitamin D deficiency, you can add more calcium to your diet to get the full benefits. The National Institutes of Health say that adults should be getting 1000mg of calcium each day, while women who are over 50, pregnant, or breast-feeding, should get 1200mg each day. To put this into perspective, generally, one glass of skim, low-fat or whole milk contains around 300mg of calcium. But don’t worry, you don’t have to gulp down 3 or 4 glasses of milk every day, because calcium comes from other foods too. 

To make sure you’re getting enough calcium, add some of the following to your diet:

Dairy products such as cheese and yoghurt 

Green leafy vegetables like kale, okra and spinach

Bread and other foods made with fortified flour

Fish, where you eat the bones, like sardines

Have you been adding more calcium to your diet to help with PMS symptoms? We’d love to know your experience, and if it helped! Shout out in our private Facebook group or drop us a note on Insta @itsyoppie. Don't forget that our personalised period box can get organic tampons, PMS supplements and more delivered easily and regularly through your letterbox, which is one less thing to think about.

More Than Milk: Calcium And The Menstrual Cycle

Have you ever tried eating according to your period? If this has never occurred to you, don’t worry. Mostly people make food choices based on taste and convenience, and it can be tough to plan ahead for meals at the best of times. However, if you can factor in some nutritious foods that support each stage of your cycle, you may find there are some unexpected and welcome benefits. Here’s what you need to know:

Why eat according to your menstrual cycle? 

What we eat impacts everything from physical health to mood to weight and more, so it’s no surprise that it also has a huge impact on our cycle. This happens because, throughout the month, different levels of hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are affected by the food we eat. Just as these can be thrown off-balance by certain foods, they can also be supported by others. 

As a general rule, eating whole foods can benefit you throughout your cycle to help keep hormones balanced, and eating every few hours will help manage blood sugar levels to avoid cortisol spikes that contribute to mood swings.

Bear in mind that during specific phases of your cycle, your diet may be driven by cravings, or you may not wish to restrict yourself so much, and that’s absolutely fine! We’re not about promoting fad diets, but offering a few nutritional tips that could help reduce negative symptoms and promote a better physical, mental and emotional balance during your cycle.

The Menstrual phase is the easiest to pick out, as it’s when you’re actually bleeding, and estrogen and progesterone reduce to their lowest levels. It’s a good idea to eat whole foods, and limit things like sugar, alcohol and caffeine throughout your entire cycle as they can trigger hormone imbalances, but this is most important during your period. Unfortunately this is also when we crave certain foods, so don’t feel you have to restrict yourself too much - everything in moderation! 

During this phase, you may want to limit your intake of fatty and salty foods, and drink herbal tea like chamomile to soothe cramps. Depending on how heavy your flow is, you may also benefit from increasing your iron intake around this time. It is believed that around 1mg of iron is lost for every day of bleeding, so adding foods like red meat, spinach and other dark leafy greens could help. 

If you are particularly worried about low iron leading to anemia, introducing foods that contain vitamin C can help with iron absorption. Add foods like oranges, red and green peppers, pineapple, strawberries, broccoli and mango to up your vit C. 

This phase is when estrogen levels start to rise again to prepare eggs for the Ovulation phase, which is right around the corner. Your body may conserve its carbohydrate stores, but it will also have an increased ability to burn fat. Energy increases, and your body is actually more receptive to activities like strength training, so it’s a great time to focus on fitness.

As such, your body may need more carbohydrates during this phase… bring on the carbs! Of course, with carbs you should also be getting a regular intake of proteins, and it doesn’t hurt to stay on the iron and vit C train to replenish levels that may have been lost during your period. It can also be helpful to incorporate sprouted and fermented foods that metabolise estrogen, like broccoli sprouts and kimchi. 

There’s a lot to think about in this phase, but there are a few foods that can help with the above, like oatmeal, soybeans, lentils, poultry, peppers and oranges. 

The Ovulation phase is when your estrogen levels reach their peak and start to balance out again when your body releases an egg. With high estrogen, you will want to eat foods that support your liver, as these offer health benefits that can protect against environmental toxins known to impact hormones. Anti-inflammatory foods such as whole fruits, vegetables, and almonds will do the trick. 

This is the part of your cycle when you are most fertile, so if you are looking to encourage a pregnancy during this time, there are a few things you can look to add to your diet that are thought to help with this. One study of 232 women found that higher folate intake was associated with higher rates of implantation, so adding more of those leafy green veggies, and peas, kidney beans and breakfast cereals fortified with folic acid could help.

Foods with high antioxidants are also thought to benefit this, and while the evidence isn’t conclusive, you may wish to add foods with more vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and lutein to your diet during this time. 

This phase is when progesterone starts to rise in the lead up to your next period, and it is thought that eating foods that produce serotonin will help most during this time, like quinoa and buckwheat. Also useful is adding more healthy fats to your diet, so try to include things like avocados, nuts and fish where possible. 

It is understood that eating magnesium-rich foods can help fight the fatigue and low libido associated with this time in your cycle. Add foods like spinach and pumpkin seeds to your diet, and *cue the trumpets* dark chocolate! 

The luteal phase is the time before your period when you will benefit from eating healthily and steering clear of foods that can trigger period cramps, so this is the best time to avoid caffeine, alcohol, added salt, and carbonated drinks. 

Got a question about what foods to eat throughout your menstrual cycle? Shout out in our private Facebook group or drop us a note on Insta @itsyoppie. Don't forget that our personalised period box can get organic tampons, PMS supplements and more delivered easily and regularly through your letterbox, which is a huge load off in terms of things to think about each month.

Menstrual Cycle Nutrition: What To Eat On (And Off) Your Period

Having your first period can be a piece of cake for some, and pretty traumatic for others. If you are a parent wondering about the best way to help during this awkward time, the answer isn’t hard - talk to them! 

Whether your daughter has worries about the pain involved, how to handle period maintenance or the likelihood of humiliating leaks, you can put her mind at ease with a simple chat (the non-embarrassing kind). Here’s our Yoppie guide...

Firstly, when is ‘normal’ to have a first period? 

If you remember when you got your first period, then your daughter may experience hers for the first time at a similar age. Or she might not. It’s all OK! Most girls start their period at age 12-13, but it could come a little earlier or later. 

It tends to happen around two years after breasts begin to develop, and other physical signs of puberty that could signal an oncoming period are acne, breast tenderness, fatigue, and most notably, clear or white vaginal discharge. Of course some girls aren’t going to share that information with Mum, but it’s good to be aware of in case she asks! 

If your daughter is worried that her period hasn’t started yet, you can tell her that more often than not that’s completely fine. If she still hasn’t had her period by around age 14 you might want to book in an appointment with your GP just to make sure everything is A-OK. 

You don’t want a Carrie situation on your hands! We’re guessing that the last thing any teenage girl wants is to bleed from her vagina, but at least if she knows it’s coming she can avoid the embarrassment of freaking out about it in class. 

Start talking about periods openly in the house (that means in front of Dad and brothers, too!) so there’s no weirdness, and she doesn’t feel any reason to hide it when it comes. This doesn’t need to be a sit-down PowerPoint presentation (chill out, Mum!), as it could be met with embarrassment or annoyance. 

Instead, take it a step at a time; start by answering any questions she brings up herself. Then ask what she knows about it, because she may already have clued herself up. Next you can clarify any misinformation, and share your own experience if she’s curious. 

One of the best things to include in your period chat is WHY it’s happening, and what’s going on inside her body. Don’t worry about revising a full, in-depth biology lesson, just an overview of the process. If you want to brush up on some things, the Full Stop blog (right here!) has all the info you need on the hormone side of things, but here’s a quick overview: 

When menstruation begins it means her body is physically capable of becoming pregnant - and FYI, it is possible for her to become pregnant even before her first period because her hormones could already be active, so having the birds and the bees talk early is always a good idea! 

When her estrogen levels rise, the lining of the uterus thickens to support the implanting of an egg. Meanwhile, an egg in one of the ovaries has already started to mature, and at around day 14 (average 28-day cycle), it leaves the ovary and makes its way down the fallopian tube to the uterus. If the egg is fertilized by a sperm cell and attaches to the wall of the uterus, a pregnancy can occur. If not, the unfertilized egg breaks apart and the lining of the uterus is shed, and comes out of the vagina in the form of blood.

In the history books, there are all sorts of negative ways that periods have been described over the years *ahem… whose idea was ‘the curse?' - and even now we tend to mask talk of periods by saying things like ‘time of the month’, ‘Aunt Flo’, and even funny euphemisms like ‘shark week’. That’s all fine, as long as she knows that periods can also be talked about openly and honestly, too, and they’re not all bad. 

Think about the language you use when discussing periods in front of her, and try not to be too negative about them. Sure, moaning about your PMS symptoms is normal, but to create a positive atmosphere, balance it out by making sure she knows that periods can be a good thing later in life because they give her the opportunity to have a baby if she chooses to. 

It may seem like an obvious one when you’ve experienced periods for years, but that’s exactly why it’s often overlooked. You may not know it, but she could be worrying about the pain involved in having a period, so it’s worth talking about it and letting her know that although PMS symptoms like cramps, headaches and breast tenderness can be uncomfortable, her period likely won’t be very painful. If it is, it’s time to take her to see a GP who can check everything is OK and prescribe the appropriate treatment. 

Let her know what to expect in advance, and if she’s worried, put her mind at ease by sharing your own experiences and how you ease the discomfort - light exercise, warm baths, a hot water bottle, or in the worst cases pain killers, can all help. Make it an excuse for a girls’ night and get the chocolate out. 

For many young girls experiencing their first period, management is the biggest concern. When you’ve been doing it for a while, it comes naturally and you barely think about it, but take yourself back to before you had a period, and imagine factoring a brand new menstrual routine into an already hectic school day - stressful! 

Many girls worry about bleeding through their clothes, or anyone else knowing they are on their period, and it’s an understandable concern when you’re not used to managing it along with everything else. If you can roughly predict when she’s likely to get her first period, you can work together to create a period kit that will address all of her concerns and help her feel confident going to school.

Add things like tampons, towels and liners (tools for every eventuality!), a change of underwear (just in case), pain killers, wipes, and recyclable plastic bags to store any used items she can’t get rid of in school. Make it fun by choosing a cute and discreet pouch to carry it all in, pick out some fun spare underwear, and so on. Get creative!

Do you have questions about talking to your daughter about her period? Shout out in our private Facebook group or drop us a note on Insta @itsyoppie. Don't forget that our personalised period box can get organic tampons, PMS supplements and more delivered easily and regularly through your letterbox, which is a great way to help your family normalise period care as just something else that comes through the post. Winner!

How To Have The Period Talk With Your Daughter

Cramps got you down? We feel you. There are tonnes of tips and tricks out there for calming the cramps - some effective, some folklore - but one that comes up again and again for good reason is ginger. This flowering plant, originally from Southeast Asia, is considered one of the healthiest spices on the planet. It has been found to help with nausea, weight loss, high blood sugar, and much more, but we love it for its ability to soothe menstrual cramps. Happy days! Let’s take a closer look at this handy spice. 

Ginger has certain compounds that are thought to help protect against increases in inflammation. It does this by inhibiting your body's production of prostaglandins. Recognise those? They are one of the chemicals responsible for triggering the muscle contractions that shed the lining of your uterus. Menstrual cramps have been linked to excessive production of prostaglandins, so it is believed that consuming ginger - whether as a dietary supplement, in tea, or something else - can help reduce cramps. 

Yup. Unlike many superstitions about how to manage pain when you’re on your period, consuming ginger actually has a lot of research to back it up. In recent years, multiple studies have been done to assess the effectiveness of ginger on dysmenorrhea (period pain), and the results are really positive. 

Not only has it been linked to reducing period pain, but it is thought to help control heavy bleeding, too. One clinical trial in 2015 treated 92 women who suffered with heavy menstrual bleeding. They were given either ginger or a placebo for three menstrual periods, and the study found that levels of menstrual blood loss dramatically declined in those participants who received ginger. 

Another study showed that students with primary dysmenorrhea who were given ginger for 5 days noticed a statistically significant relief in the intensity and duration of their period pain, while another study did a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled test on 70 students that showed ginger could significantly reduce their total PMS score in terms of severity of mood, and physical and behavioural symptoms. Looks like science is backing ginger, and we’re convinced! 

If you’re wondering how to use ginger to see the same benefits, there are a few ways. The first is to stick on some Spice Girls and consume as much Geri Halliwell as possible - sorry, not sorry. If that doesn’t work, here are some actual ways to introduce ginger into your system to help with period pain. 

One way to get your fix of this amazing spice is to drink ginger tea. You can often buy tea bags and loose leaf tea with ginger in it, but if you want to make it as strong and effective as possible, you may want to brew it yourself using some fresh ginger root - you can often buy this at the supermarket. Peel it, cut it up into very thin slices, and boil them in water for 10-20 minutes, depending on how strong you like it. Then simply strain it, let it cool, and drink! If you find it to be a little too strong and bitter for your taste, you can add some lemon or honey to calm and sweeten it. It can give any daily smoothie a healthy kick of goodness when added, too.

Ginger root can also be eaten in its raw form for faster results, or added to food, but if you’re not a fan of chewing on anything so strong and spicy, there’s another quick-fix way to get the benefits...supplements. 

Yoppie's Super Soother period cramps supplement harnesses all the good stuff from ginger to make menstrual pain management easy. We’ve combined ginger and a whole lot of other key ingredients (10, in fact!) found to help keep pesky cramps at bay. Your daily dose of this plus a chorus of ‘Spice Up Your Life’ and you’ll be good to go!

Have you tried ginger for period cramps before? We’d love to know how it worked for you. Shout out in our private Facebook group or drop us a note on Insta @itsyoppie. Don't forget that our personalised period box can get organic tampons, PMS supplements and more delivered easily and regularly through your letterbox, which is a whole lot less pain to worry about each month.

This content has been fact checked by Yoppie's nutritional expert, Shona Wilkinson.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4040198/

ALL CATEGORIES

LIFESTYLE

YOPPIE'S WORLD

SUSTAINABILITY

HEALTH & WELLBEING

FOR TEENS

NUTRITION

FERTILITY

A Guide To Eco-Friendly & Ethical Chocolate

Period Chocolate Cravings: The Lowdown

Hormones & Healthy Eating: How To Quit Excessive Snacking Throughout Your Cycle

Healthy Period Foods: Minor Changes That Benefit Your Cycle

Fitness Flow: Tailoring Exercise To Your Menstrual Cycle

Flower Power: Menstrual Cycle Mood Boosting Plants

Save The Trees: How To Have A Forest-Friendly Cycle

More Than Milk: Calcium And The Menstrual Cycle

Menstrual Cycle Nutrition: What To Eat On (And Off) Your Period

How To Have The Period Talk With Your Daughter

Why & How Ginger Can Benefit Menstrual Cramps

Lab Queens: Celebrating Women In Biology

Endo Feels: Weight Gain, Painful Sex, And Other Side Effects Nobody Likes To Talk About

Magnesium Magic: How Magnesium Can Help Your Menstrual Cycle

5 PMS & Mood Swing Myths We Need To Dispel

Period Bloating: What's Going On?

Navigating Birth Control When You're Trans Or Nonbinary

Help! It's Valentines Day And I'm On My Period...

Beyond The Bleed: Why Your Cycle Impacts Life More Than You Think!

How Periods & PMS Can Affect ADHD & Similar Disorders

Menstrual Cramps 101: Soothing Period Pains

Pre And Post Sex Vaginal Health Essentials

Why We Created 3 Unique PMS Supplements

Clit-ical Analysis: Everything You Need To Know About The Clitoris

Vaginal Tightness: Everything You Need To Know About The Pelvic Floor

Your Blood Sugar's Relationship With Your Menstrual Cycle

Pain In The Bum: A Guide To Tailbone Pain During Your Period

Let's Talk About Masturbating During Your Period

Endometriosis 101: Common Questions And Misconceptions

Yoppie's Top 10 Favourite Women's Health Podcasts

Yoppie's Roundup: The Best Menstrual Health Moments Of 2020

Meet Lydia Reeves, Creator Of The Vulva Diversity Project