6 Natural Ways To Keep Your Vagina Happy and Support Vaginal Health
Vaginal health is an important part of women's overall health and our self-esteem. Vaginal issues can affect our fertility, body image and positivity, desire for sex, and even our ability to reach an orgasm. It's also no secret that ongoing vaginal health concerns can cause stress and friction in your relationship with your partner, and impact our self-confidence.
This is why in this article I give you 6 radical ways to keep your vagina happy and support your vaginal health!
1. Sleep all week without underwear on (if you're not bleeding).
I've notice for some time now, that many women don't give themselves permission to sleep naked or without panties. It's time to change this. We need to change this.
Sleeping with no underwear on has more than one benefit. Your vagina needs space to breathe freely and sleep time is the best time to do this. This will give your vagina a cool breeze to prevent excess bacteria production that's typically caused by excess moisture and tight clothing, which helps to cut down on vaginal infections and outbreaks.
Sleeping without underwear also makes your skin free of toxin-laden material for 7 to 8 hours, helping to minimize your exposure to unfriendly agents.
2. Get 10 to 30 minutes of direct sunlight each day.
Being intentional about how much time you spend out in the sun can prove to serve you well. This helps with hormone production and vaginal lubrication.
Your vagina cells need vitamin D to keep things naturally juicy and promote healthy cervical mucus fluid. So, getting out in the sun or sun bathing does your vagina some serious good!
If for some reason you can't get out in the sun on most days, put more effort into eating foods rich in vitamin D. Food like salmon, sardines, eggs and mushrooms are all great options.
3. Wash with water ONLY on the inner vulva.
Listen, your vagina isn't supposed to smell like fruit and flowers. Warm water is all you need to wash the exterior of your vagina (vulva and labia). This will help your vaginal microbiome to flourish and encourge a healthy ecosystem.
Soap can get rid of the healthy bacteria you need to prevent excess odor, help with pH balance, and prevent infections. If you're trying to control smell and unpleasant odor - that's an inside job. Start by giving your body a gentle cleanse, eliminating high sugar foods, drinking more water, and choosing a healthy sex partner. Not by buying artificially scented soaps and washes.
For herbal and nutrition cleansing support purchase any of the cleansing programs or supplements. Need to treat a yeast infection, bv or other common STI purchase Yeast & BV Support or Anti-Microbial Support.
4. Eat at least three servings of green foods per day.
This can be fruit, veggies, healthy plant oils like olive or avocado oil, and even herbs! Eating more nutrient dense green foods helps support your gut health (good fungi and bacteria) and skin health (vulva, labia and vagina), and is a natural way to detox and help keep your hormones balanced.
Vegetables like spinach, broccoli and bok choy are rich in zinc, potassium, iron and other minerals that help keep your vagina happy.
Lemon, limes and most citrus fruits are acidic, just like your vaginal ecosystem and juices, making them great for your vagina too. Herbs like slippery elm and marshmallow root support the integrity of your vaginal tissues and cervical mucus fluid (bye-bye dry vagina), which is why I include them in the womb steams.
Know that too much sugary foods, poorly controlled diabetes and even excess estrogen (estrogen dominance) increases your likelihood of developing infections like yeast and urinary tract infections (UTIs). For herbs to help control your blood sugar levels, purchase Blood Sugar Support. For herbs to help eliminate excess estrogen circulating in your blood purchase any of the cleansing programs or supplements. And, for herbs to treat a yeast or UTI infection visit the Yeast & BV Health or Urinary Tract Health tab.
5. Physical movement, and no sitting for longer than 60 minutes at a time.
Physical movement is important and also the least talked about when it comes to our vaginal health. A sedentary lifestyle does your body more harm than good. The average person sits for too long. After 60 minutes of sitting down get up for at least 60 seconds.
Sitting for too long tenses your butt, hips, core, pelvic floor and vagina. You have an entire muscular system that supports your skeletal system and other parts of your body. And news flash - your vagina is indeed a muscle!
To support this amazing muscle you want a strong foundation with sturdy but relaxed abdomen, glute, pelvic floor and vagina muscles. So get active. Full body workouts, resistant training, some good ol' squats, yin or yang yoga, stretching, jogging, dancing Whatever your thing is it doesn't matter, just get up and move!
6. Make sure your lube products are safe, have protected sex and use condoms.
Lubrication is amazing. It can take sex to the next level for everyone involved. Still, there are some ingredients that aren’t very healthy for your body. Glycerin, for one, is related to sugar. While it works great to keep lubes moist, it can also contribute to bacteria growth in the vagina. Petroleum products are also no-nos because they can ruin the vagina’s natural pH level.
Other things you may want to avoid include: parabens, artificial scents and flavors, nonnatural oil and dyes. Instead use a natural extra virgin coconut oil for your lube. The great thing about coconut oil is that it has antibacterial properties, helps to protect the skin, and supports your mucosal tissue lining (inside your vagina). Steaming also increases vaginal lubrication and makes you moist and juicy.
As far as condoms go, you know the drill, use them! It’s important to protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Use condoms with any new sexual partner, especially if you're not in a committed monogamous relationship. If you have an STI you need to treat, purchase Anti-Microbial Support.
Well, this pretty much sums is up!
Get started with these simple yet effective vaginal health tips. The good news is that you can incorporating these into your daily and weekly routine right away! Because ultimately, lifestyle and nutrition determines how happy your vagina truly is.
Love and health,
- Shavonne