There appears to be some very positive upsides to donating plasma regularly, and I’m not just talking about the monetary rewards either.

Attention Readers of the male persuasion: if you get squicked out hearing about, reading about, or being forced to talk about women and their health issues, you may want to move on to the next post in my blog.

That said, donating plasma has had three very noticeable side-affects on me. Because, in order to successfully donate plasma without your blood clotting horribly, or passing out, you need to be well-hydrated and you should have eaten recently, I have amended my diet quite a bit. I drink a lot of water every day now, especially the day before, the day of, and the day after I donate plasma. I’m also drinking more gatorade too because it replenishes the vitamins I’ve lost better then plain water does. On top of that, I eat more regularly too. When I donate, if I haven’t eaten enough beforehand, afterwards I’m left feeling faint and woozy. So now, on days I donated I always make sure to eat breakfast before I get to work, I’ll take something with me or pick something up on the way and take little breaks at work and munch on some food. Then, after I get out, if I took a dish to eat I finish what’s left or I grab something else to eat that I might have in the car (fruit, chips, jerky) or even a sub from Subway. Then I go and donate. When I get home I eat an early (for me) dinner. In short, I am eating the minimum amount of meals you should eat, at least, on those days. The side affect? My body has gotten used to not skipping meals and now when I try to skip a meal, it rebels. I’ve taken to eating breakfast regularly once again.

All of this has led to three changes in my health that I can definitely get behind. First of all, I’ve got a lot more energy. I’m not feeling worn out and tired all them anymore, and it really shows in my complexion as well. Secondly, I’ve lost weight. Eating regularly has resulted in my metabolism speeding up and I’ve lost a good ten pounds as a result, without trying. The weight loss will probably stay where it is now, but still, it’s nice knowing my body is working at full-tilt again. And lastly, and probably most importantly to me, my menstrual cycle has become more regular. Up until recently it’s been a real pain to keep track of. It came infrequently, lasted for way longer than usual, went away briefly, returned way too soon, went away just as quick, then came back again. The flow also wasn’t consistent either. Sometimes heavy, sometimes barely there. And when it was heavy, boy was was it heavy. We’re talking wearing those overnight pads during the day so that I knew I wouldn’t overflow, because even a super-tampon and regular pad combined weren’t enough to ensure I’d make it more then an hour without an accident. And at work I cannot keep running to the bathroom every forty-five minuets. I seriously felt like I was wearing an adult diaper, hell they sounded like a good idea for a while there. It got that crazy. But now, with the diet changes, plus the normal exercise I get, my period is starting to work itself out. Already it’s getting set on a schedule, might be a few days off here and there now, but I can tell when I’m going to start again. The cycle also is lasting the normal time it should and is no longer exceedingly long or freakishly short.

Really, it’s kinda freaky how just eating regularly (no more skipped meals or tiny little snacks here and there) drinking things other than soda and coffee, can make such drastic changes in your body.

Yes, yes, I take horrible care of myself if I’m amazed by these changes.