OK, ladies. We all know how it is. Nobody loves to get her period. But when it doesn't come like clockwork, we get a little worried.

I've heard of yoga helping all sorts of conditions. From personal experience, I can attest to yoga's calming and stress-relieving abilities. However, this is the first time I've ever heard of yoga helping out when you're missing your period. (OK, maybe not missing it, but at least wondering where it went.) The article doesn't explain exactly how the yoga poses are supposed to help, and I have to admit that I'm a bit skeptical. However, it certainly couldn't hurt.

There are many reasons for irregular periods or a complete absence of periods. Your best course of action is to visit your doctor if you're concerned.

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So you say chocolate is calling your name? You're not alone! From sugary sweets to salty treats, we all deal with cravings from time to time. Divine Caroline shares four reasons you might be having a craving:

• You're pregnant. It may seem like an old wives' tale or fodder for a TV sitcom, but many pregnant women do experience cravings. Jacki recently told us that Rebecca Romijn does.
• You're premenstrual. Women can crave certain foods just before their periods.
• You have low insulin levels. When your insulin level or blood sugar is low, your body will naturally crave foods to correct the imbalance.
• You have low serotonin. When you're stressed, your body may send out signals for something to ease the pain.
  

When you understand your cravings, you can take control and make wiser and healthier decisions.

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Want to cut your heart attack risk in half? How about boosting your immune system by 30%? You can have these perks and more just by (ahem) getting busy.

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Endometriosis is a condition that was discussed a lot in my house when I hit puberty and started experiencing menstrual cramping that brought me to my knees. My mother was diagnosed with it (and told she needed a hysterectomy) when she gave birth to me -- that was, of course, after more than 25 years of truly unbearable cramping during menstruation and 10 years of trying to conceive with no luck. She had seen doctors about the pain and was basically told it was in her head.

So, when I came across this post at Divine Caroline on the "Devastating Effects of Endometriosis," I took a moment to read it over, and boy am I glad I did. It turns out that endometriosis can cause a lot more than just miserable cramping.

Endometriosis "occurs when fragments of the womb lining are found in other parts of the body where they may swell, bleed, and lead to fusing and scarring." Fragments are generally found in the abdomen, but can be found in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, and bowel -- even as far away as the lungs. And, it can cause infertility -- between 30 and 40 percent of women with endometriosis are unable to conceive.

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I have yet to meet a women who doesn't complain about her period. Goodness knows I have. We worry about it's arrival each month (admit it -- you've counted days on a calendar worrying about whether "it" will come during prom or your wedding or your beach vacation). But when it doesn't arrive like clockwork, that's worrisome in a whole other way. For women with irregular periods the question is usually "why?"

Researchers from four universities surveyed women and found that only 28% had perfectly regular cycles. The reasons for irregular periods vary. Here are just some of the possibilities:

• Late periods. If you're over 45 and your periods are stretching out for longer periods of time you might be perimenopausal. If you're under 45, talk to your doctor -- you may have a hormone imbalance.

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It shows up roughly every four weeks, decade upon decade, but how much do you really know about your period? Did you know, for instance, that a normal cycle can range from 25 to 35 days long? Or that calcium and vitamin D may help ward of PMS?

Gynecologists say that they frequently get questions from women who misunderstand their cycle, and they've shared the most commonly asked questions with readers.

So if you have a burning question about:

• PMS
• irregular cycles
• getting pregnant during your period
• being pregnant and still getting your period
• toxic shock syndrome

click here to have your questions answered!

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After reading Bethany's post on this the other day, I was quite intrigued: no more periods for women? In the race to always create a new and exciting product to attach itself to an existing medical problem, here's one for the non-natural books. The first-ever pill meant to control birth by stopping a woman's monthly periods has been approved the the FDA.

It's true that this kind of pill can stop periods -- thereby eliminating pregnancies indefinitely -- is probably the closest thing to 100% birth control effectiveness we've ever seen. At what cost?

Lybrel (the drug's name) is being planned for a July release, and studies show it is as effective as current birth control methods. I thought it would have been more effective, honestly. So, are you ready to buck what comes naturally and stop having periods? If there's pain, cramps and hot flashes involved, you just might be.

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Many women struggle with the uncomfortable symptoms otherwise known as PMS on a monthly basis, and are unable to find effective ways to deal. Of course there are numerous products you can buy at the local drug store designed to help with issues like bloating, pain, crankiness, etc, but not everybody is interested in taking medications. Many women would prefer to try natural remedies first, if possible.

And there are some natural things you can try for relieving PMS related symptoms, one for example is calcium. It has been shown to decrease bloating, depression, and pain in some women. But be careful, however, as too much calcium is not a good thing either. Always stick with the recommended daily amount of anything, unless your doctor advises you otherwise.

Click the link to get some other natural ideas, including fish oil, vitamin B6, and chasteberry.

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