Cycle syncing is matching food, exercise, and lifestyle to your body's ever-changing needs over the course of your female cycle. This was first introduced by Alisa Vitti, HHC, AADP.
As a woman, you're affected by your hormones 365 days a year. Your hormonal levels change every few days. And all that ebb and flow can turn your body quite upside down.
Did you know that:
- You don't go through 2 but 4 hormonal phases every month?
- You naturally have different skills in each hormonal phase you can benefit from?
- You can balance every hormonal phase with the right diet, exercise & focus?
- You can reduce PMS symptoms, headaches, skin problems, bloating and mood swings, or make them disappear?
- Your relationships might even improve when you understand your own body better! We have Female Cycle Superpowers participants that say that knowing the impact of hormones throughout their cycles generates more understanding and respect for each other.
But let's start at the very beginning. Because what 4 seasons do you go through during your cycle? And what exactly happens in your body and mind?
Bloody Amazing: this is how your body experiences 4 seasons in 28 days
Spring: Follicular phase (7-10 days)
In this first phase, your hormonal levels are relatively low. The hypothalamus stimulates your pituitary gland to send follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) to the ovaries. And as 'spring' evolves, your estrogen increases. This makes us feel more energetic, more creative, and open to new things. A good time for brainstorming and trying out new workout classes!
Summer: Ovulation phase (3-4 days)
During ovulation, our FSH hormone increases rapidly, and so is our charisma. We have a natural glow, our energy levels reach an absolute peak and our whole body is tuned to reproduction.
FSH signals the ovaries to release an egg cell with the result that many ovarian follicles swell until the luteinizing hormone (LH) stimulates one egg to swell and burst. This brings the egg into the fallopian tubes so that it can move to the uterus where it can survive for 12-24 hours.
Your estrogen level reaches a peak and helps both thicken the uterine lining and support the growth of immune cells in the uterus.
Also testosterone increases rapidly as well and falls exactly around ovulation. Research shows that during the ovulation phase your verbal IQ is the highest. Your communication runs smoothly now and you know how to express yourself crystal clear. Your 'summer' phase is the perfect time for dates!
Autumn: Luteal phase (10-14 days)
After ovulation, the corpus luteum stimulates progesterone production. This keeps the uterine wall intact and stops the FSH and LH. During the first half of 'autumn', you feel positive, energetic and strengthened with endurance. The progesterone helps at the same time to feel calm and to sleep well.
If the egg isn't fertilized, progesterone decreases (so that menstruation will begin at the end of this phase). But with that drop in progesterone in the second half of this phase, your energy level and reserves will decline as well. If you're dealing with hormonal imbalances, this is the time you'll experience premenstrual syndrome related pains and discomforts. A good time to take good care of yourself!
Winter: Menstruation (3-7 days)
The production of progesterone stops and activates the breakdown of the uterine lining, triggering the menses. Estrogen is now at a low. During 'winter season', you feel more tired, restless and experience a stronger urge to turn inward. Self-analysis, course correction, reflection - all this can take the center stage during menstruation.
Symptoms may occur such as bloating, lower back pain, cramp, low energy and more need for sweets. A need for chocolate is by the way totally legit! The magnesium in cacao helps to reduce cramps. Cacao also stimulates serotonin in the brain, making it a natural mood booster. However, I recommend staying away from sugar-rich bars and choose a raw or dark chocolate (with more than 85% cacao).
Female Cycle Superpowers
If you learned more about plant cells than about your own hormones during biology class, you're probably just as eager as I was to learn more about the unprecedented power of your own cycle!
At the beginning of this year, I launched our healthcoachFX Female Cycle Superpowers 4-week video course to help understand your fluctuating emotions, brain chemistry, well-being, and energy levels throughout the female cycle. You’ll become mindful of what your body really needs, what makes symptoms worse and how to ease them.
The course includes 12 video classes that come with fun workbooks, powerful recipes, and symptom tracking. Everything is based on the latest nutrition science, holistic health counseling and cycle syncing theory.
Understand your body better than ever. Tap into your female power every day of the month!
Within 28 days, you'll know how to best eat, exercise and schedule your days during the different phases of your cycle for better periods, fabulous fertility and boosted energy and libido!
The Female Cycle Superpowers Course changes lives for:
1. Women who aren’t feeling 100% yourself especially around their periods…
2. Women who struggle with symptoms like weight gain, fatigue, bloating, mood swings, migraines, night sweats, acne, breast tenderness and PMS and you want to know why that’s hitting you and how to fix it…
3. Women who are curious about hormone health about hormone health and about the path to pain-free periods, fabulous fertility and getting your body, energy & sex drive back…
4. Women who want to transition off the Pill without having your pre-Pill symptoms return…
Do you want to know more about cycle syncing? How to tweak your diet, exercise, and to-dos to the 4 hormonal phases? How to have pain-free periods, clearer skin, more energy, faster metabolism, and better fertility?
Then our 12-part video course Female Cycle Superpowers is really something for you. Every video handles a specific topic. For example, the sixth video is about the effect of the birth control pill on your body and in the ninth video what you can eat to battle PMS. You will feel better after one month!
Laura x
Photo Credit © Florentina Olareanu from Golden Hour Photography
Entrepurpose Retreat May 2018, organized by Alix Rufas & Greta Streitberger.
