Read Heavy Flow Breaking the Curse of Menstruation Amanda Laird 9781459743137 Books

Product details Paperback 224 pages Publisher Dundurn (March 19, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 145974313X

Heavy Flow Breaking the Curse of Menstruation Amanda Laird 9781459743137 Books Reviews

• I never thought I’d be reading a book like this at this point in my life, but it sounded interesting so decided to give it a go. Anyone of any age benefits from this…even if you’re going through menopause. This really puts this function of a woman’s body into perspective for those of us who thought of it as a “curse” all our lives and how it is tied with so many other aspects of our health, acting as a barometer or measure for other issues we may have going on. It should be required reading for all teenage girls, and it might even encourage lifelong healthier habits in taking care of their body. Wouldn’t hurt for males in our lives to read it also. Definitely worth the read.
  
  I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
• This is an absolute MUST READ for every woman (in this case, I mean biologically). There are so many things we don't talk about that make up the experience of being a woman, and periods are part of that. Or rather, periods are talked about, but the narrative is so incredibly cherry-picked that it affects our whole view on something that is completely natural and has been there in the lives of women basically since the dawn of time, and it affects it in certain, most often negative, ways. Heavy Flow is a book meant to not only open up this conversation, but speak about it as should be spoken about – on women's terms, as well as educate its reader about the myths associated with this part of women's lives, while explaining and promoting natural ways in which you could influence your cycle for your own wellbeing and health. The book promotes understanding and educating yourself, and l'm sure it will teach you at least a few things you didn't know about your own body.
  
  Heavy Flow is a book centered on clearing up the myths around periods, meant to explain the mechanisms behind them and how it ties into your overall health. It's meant to help you understand that periods are only a part of your menstrual cycle, and period health tells you much more about your body than just how fertile it is. Amanda Laird tackles all sorts of cultural and emotional topics connected with periods, and not only this – at the end of the book, you will find several chapters on nutrition, hormone balance and self-care to let you understand more about self-regulation and how to balance yourself, if you are feeling off in your current day to day.
  
  What Might We Not Know About Our Periods?
  
  As it turns out, we might not know quite a lot. Pretty much to the point where we should rather ask ourselves about what we actually know, as opposed to what we don't know about our periods. Amanda Laird talks a lot about this, and why it is this way – starting with societal stigma that we have been raised with, and ending with the fact that most health classes are actually funded and backed by commercial entities that just want to sell you their hygiene products. The period narrative has been created and maintained by men and corporate entities – both of which don't really have much to do with how women experience it (and back when the sanitary product narrative began, I'm pretty sure there weren't even many women working in those companies either, if at all.)
  
  This is partly why I stayed glued to Heavy Flow and finished it in one evening. The amount of myths, historical facts and trivia you might have never known about periods and conception is huge. And to think that talking about periods publicly has only become a thing in the past several years is staggering.
  
  What Are Some Of These Facts You Might Not Know?
  
  Well, for example, did you ever consider that your period is actually only a tiny part of your menstrual cycle? I wouldn't expect anyone not actively trying to conceive to even be aware of this, because it isn't common knowledge at all. Part of the reason for this, again, is that we're only taught these facts about our periods that help companies sell us more pads and tampons (like how periods are gross, inconvenient, a hindrance to an active life and god forbid should anyone ever find out that we're on our period right now, or really... ever!) Another one, this time one about contraception. How many of you know, especially if you're on the pill yourself, that the 'period' you have when you're on it, is actually no period at all? lts actually just a bleed that happens because your body is suddenly starved of the synthetic hormones you've been taking for the past few weeks. This bleed is not really necessary, but has been adopted mostly as a marketing technique when the pill was invented – because women felt just very uncomfortable about suddenly not having periods at all.
  
  How We View Our Periods
  
  Or rather, how we don't really view them as ours! We have been taught to only see our periods in the light of fertility. Its part of the process of having children. That's it!
  
  Except its not.
  
  A period is part of being a healthy female. It's a general indicator of your health, and an outcome of certain processes in your body that regulate so much more than just your ability to have children or not. Part of the reason we don't "own" our periods, for these of us who choose to have natural ones, is because we're taught that they have nothing to do with us and are actually unnecessary, a hindrance, if you are not currently attempting to have children. Heavy Flow talks about this in depth and I think every woman should get familiar with this info and this reasoning. Having a menstrual cycle is part of a healthy body. You wouldn't expect to remove a wheel from a car and expect it to keep moving like it did before. Except that's what millions of women do to their bodies every day by disrupting part of their natural hormonal cycle.
  
  I have to mention though, that this book is not against the pill – the author herself has used it for long periods in her life, like a lot of women do. It is an enabler for a lot of women to lead the lives they want to lead, to let them achieve careers, for one thing, and not only that. However, when doing something that concerns your health, you should know everything about it. You shouldn't do it "just because everyone is doing it" or "because that's the easiest way and it's fine". You should know all the whys and the hows, because that's the only way to make a rational, informed decision about your body and your health.
  
  Practical Odds And Ends In Heavy Flow
  
  But Heavy Flow isn't just about the facts or the histories. It also has chapters devoted purely to how you can make a difference in your life – by regulating your cycle if you're experiencing painful or irregular periods, or even about how to ensure that your doctor will hear you out and take you seriously – because a lot of women still experience a lack of understanding from professionals when it comes to period trouble – on the grounds that periods ARE trouble and nothing can be done about it (which is an outlook that should go back to the 19th century and stay there.) There is quite a lot about nutrition in Heavy Flow, as well as general lifestyle tips about what can help you if you're struggling. There are parts that can help you understand what processes are happening in your body and why, and what are your options. More than that, Heavy Flow treats your cycle health as part of your overall health, and may start you out on the way of looking at the whole, as opposed to particular parts of the body and trying to find separate symptoms relating to only those separated parts.
  
  Overall...
  
  The body is a whole. And looking at it like that, periods are also part of the whole. Heavy Flow is a good resource to take the first steps towards understanding yourself as a whole and taking steps to connect to your femininity. I can definitely recommend it, and I think it's required reading for every female out there. I will certainly be recommending it to all of my friends.
  
  I thank Dundurn for giving me a free copy of the book in exchange to my honest opinion. Receiving the book for free does not affect my opinion.
• Amanda Laird is a holistic nutritionist who specializes in menstrual health. She has witnessed the widespread shame associated with menstruation and recognizes how this impacts women in all areas of their life, but most importantly their health. Shame prevents open discussion with health care providers and it encourages avoidance in terms of monitoring, tracking, and overall awareness. This “fifth vital sign of bodily health” is being ignored and it is hurting women everywhere.
  
  In her book Heavy Flow Breaking the Curse of Menstruation, Laird gifts her readers with a wealth of knowledge so they may be better empowered to change the narrative of menstruation for themselves. After all, it's as natural as breathing. In addition to priceless education, Laird reviews historical views on the subject, she sheds light on who benefits from negative attitudes towards periods, she gives practical suggestions on how to make the experience more comfortable (for us, not them), and she ends with encouragement so that we may embrace our physiology and break the cycle of shame for future generations.
  
  I loved this book. I was surprised by the amount I learned through this reading experience! My favorite elements included the ancient views of menstruation as something magical, powerful, and worthy of reverence, and I was especially grateful for the education about hormonal health. Laird debunks myths, answers common questions, and breaks down the entire menstrual cycle from onset to menopause. There are no big words to sift through; it's a very real conversation that is easy to understand.
  
  I so appreciated the opportunity to learn, to find strength and validation through the gentle feminism threaded throughout, and to gain beautiful perspective that “our bodies are elegantly designed and smarter than we give them credit for.” Heavy Flow is a stellar resource that will benefit women, trans men, and non-binary individuals as well as those who are the primary caregivers for our young girls. Knowledge is power so take it, share it, and let's break the curse together. Check it out.
  
  Thank you to the following for permitting me access to an advance reader's copy (ARC) of Heavy Flow Breaking the Curse of Menstruation. This generosity did not impact my honesty when rating/reviewing.
  Source NetGalley
  Author Amanda Laird
  Publisher Dundurn
  Genres Health, Mind & Body, Nonfiction (Adult)
  Pub Date February 23, 2019