Music Credits: Tuesday Glitch by amaksi
First things first before we get into our topic, Coffee & the ‘mones (hormones), we wanted to address our name. We changed the name of our newsletter from the Menstruator Digest to The Cliterati Chronicle!!! 🎉
🎉Welcome to Issue #9
Has anyone told you today that you’re G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S. (imagine that in Fergie’s voice in the song Glamorous)? Whether someone has or not, we’re here to tell you that YOU IS GORGEOUS…in mind, spirit, and body 😏.
Today’s topic is Coffee and the ‘mones (hormones). We want to debunk a myth: Caffeine leads to hormonal imbalance. We were curious and as your responsible vagina pals on a journey of self-discovery about their wombs, hormones, and everything in between, we felt compelled to share our findings with you.
By now we’re sure you’ve heard about the impact of coffee and hormones. There are many holistic nutritionists talking about coffee’s possible impacts on hormonal balance. They’re very convincing so to be honest, we believed them!
But then our curiosity antennae went up and we conducted some research. Surprise, surprise, no clear answers were found! At least not in scientific research. Here’s a summary of our limited search:
✏️For 2+ cups of coffee daily, some research shows elevated estrogen for Asian folx, but lower estrogen for White/Black folx. (Black folx results were not statistically significant (read here).)
✏️Another study found that coffee may shorten your cycle and cause heavier bleeding during your period (read here). *big if here because this study included alcohol consumption and low activity.
✏️Caffeine and coffee consumption is correlated with a loss of pregnancy (read here).
✏️Caffeine use decreases insulin sensitivity (meaning your body doesn’t respond to insulin as efficiently as it should…read here). This is important for folx with PCOS, since PCOS also influences insulin insensitivity.
There’s some interesting research that has been done around the effect of caffeine on breast cancer and estrogen levels in different phases and it seems that coffee impacts our bodies and some of it’s hormones.
I technically quit coffee for my morning ritual and replaced it with matcha. I like the low dose and longer lasting energy feeling. I also never, ever miss the anxiety and sense of urgency my body felt.
But here and then I do indulge in a cup of java because I miss the flavor and the memories it brings are far too good to ignore.
Coffee has been such a big part of my life and culture. I can still hear my mom asking me if I want a hot chocolate or cafe con leche in the morning (7 years old me, by the way). Or how my mom would describe my grandma’s biggest demonstration of love to my grandpa by burning the tip of her fingers every morning to make sure that my grandpa’s coffee was on point. But see, this ritual of coffee is not great for all bodies.
So tell us how you feel about coffee?
What do you drink in the morning to start your day?
For more fun stuff, like art and a period tip, scroll down! 👇🏼
Period Tips By Phase
*note: not all periods or phases are equal. You might spend a longer or shorter number of days in each of the phases than other women, girls, trans and non binary people you know that menstruate.*
🥚Ovulation (Day 14) → Uh, oh, Estrogen
✮ Consume foods that support your liver and are anti-inflammatory like whole fruits, vegetables, and almonds. Also, try high-intensity interval workouts or a spin class.
Are you focused on fertility, have PCOS or endometriosis, are transitioning f > m, or want specific tips? Drop us a note and let us know so we can share info for you!
Know more about your cycle’s phases → Read
Track your cycle manually → Read
Track your cycle with apps, apps, and more apps → Download
Period Aesthetics
Ever wanted to look at the vulva in a different way? Imagine it in ways that you didn’t think possible? You don’t have to look further than the Vaginarium’s art. Yea…you read that right…the VAGINARIUM. They have posted some cool creations that you can check out on their instagram.
Thought Provoking
Period Syncing is not a thing! But I would still like to believe I sync with my bestie <3 → Read
Thanks for reading Pink Lemonade. Make sure to share us with all your fellow vagina havers and lovers to sweeten that time of the month. Be someone’s clit fairy this month. 🪄
Spotlight: Casey Farlow, Dietician
Who are they: Casey Farlow is a dietician focused on hormonal balance. While we don’t appreciate the name of her business, Hormone.Weightloss, we appreciate the free information she provides on nutrition. We throughout you could all benefit from free info like this video.
Meme’s for days
Share your favorite memes with us at hello@thepinklemonade.shop to be featured
😺Thanks for Reading Issue #9!
We’re Lilly and Gaby. You are receiving this email because you signed up for Pink Lemonade’s The Cliterati Chronicle, a bi-weekly curated list of content about vaginas we thought was worth sharing with more people.
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