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Have you ever wondered why some weeks are mentally and emotionally more stimulating and others are just flat out exhausting and unproductive? One day you hold your head up high, confident, with a list of accomplishments and progress, you look and feel great, are outgoing and have incredible bouts of energy. Doesn’t that sound nice? But then, poof, you get knocked off your pedestal, feel moody, isolated, even feel bloated with a pimple or two. And those accomplishments and ambition, well you just want to flush it all down the toilet…. Or, Am I the only One? Well, the truth we will always be in this state of flux because our feminine brains are hardwired cyclically. Our hormones are programed to surge then drop like the tides and the moon, and that means our behavior follows. Yes! It Does…..  Now, before you throw your hands up in the air and give up, there’s a science behind the madness based on your feminine biology, and when you understand the flow, you can use the following tips to your advantage, instead of beating yourself up when you feel like you’re wrestling against the current. Get Connected To The Feminine Realm of Time Before iphone calendars, our menstrual lives were celebrated along the lunar cycles. But now we are so distracted, we are often bothered by the inconvenience of our periods. Regardless, our bodies are still in sync even if you are not. Women living in in closer proximity to each other find themselves having synchronized cycles. This occurs through pheromone signaling, a subconscious chemical communication that activates the part of the brain that controls hormones related to our moods, behavior, menstruation and fertility. Hormones, subconscious and neural patterns act as texts messages between your brain and body. You can easily track your hormonal peaks and dips and anticipate your behavioral and energy patterns. Track Your Hormones The following suggestions are for women with regular cycles between 28-30 days.  Day 1 (first day of period) - Day 6 Menstruation “Rest & Restoration Phase” The first 3 days of menstruation are normally a time of low physical, mental and emotional energy. In an ideal world, you would rest, meditate and escape from the outer worlds expectations and demands. Depriving your body of rest during this time, without proper replenishment may result in painful periods, clots, back pain, cramps, headaches, achy joints, and exacerbated symptoms of an illness. Over time, these ‘inconveniences’ can lead to full blown conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids, cysts, adrenal exhaustion and infertility. Mental State If you can’t tune out for a couple days, then prioritize your most important tasks. Go deep and introspective, ask yourself what about your life is working, what’s off and commit to changing it when your energy picks up again. Push your expectations and goal setting for the following week. Replenishing Foods You may naturally tend to eat less because your digestive system needs rest from being bombarded by the hormonal change. Choose simpler foods that are rich in iron, calcium and magnesium, vitamins and omega 3’s.
And Yes, Dark Chocolate....... Self Care This is a perfect time for an acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture resets the hormonal system, eliminates pain, headaches, muscle tension and stress.  Easy on the caffeine or else you will burn out your adrenals and experience less energy in the following phases. Pre ovulation phase around Day 7 - 14 After menstruation, your body is in the process of preparing to give birth to something (again and again). Estrogen levels are approaching their peak giving you abundant physical and sexual energy. Physical It’s a great time to move your body, exercise, and try new dance or group classes. This is the time for power yoga, booty barre, boot camp, dancing and sweating. You will find you have the stamina to exercise for longer and increased repetitions.  Mental Our emotions and behavior are directed towards the outer world. High levels of estrogen enhance mood, neuron growth and cognition. In fact, studies show that the left hemisphere of your brain, associated with verbal fluency, is more active during this time. You are most likely to be outgoing, positive and enthusiastic about new ideas. It is a very good time to initiate projects. Ideal Foods Notice what foods you want during this period. Eat often when you feel hungry, but slowly. Eat foods rich in zinc, vitamins & minerals, phytoestrogens, folate, omega 3’s, selenium, essential fatty acids and amino acids.
The ovulation phase around Days (15-21) Estrogen levels are at their peak and progesterone will soon take over anticipating egg fertilization. This is your most fertile time giving you increased physical and sexual energy to attract a baby partner. Physical Keep active physically and socially. You feel sexy and hot because it’s the best time to get pregnant. Go out on dates during this time. Sex is great exercise. The premenstrual phase around Day 22-bleeding Progesterone levels increase during this phase to protect against the undesirable effects of estrogen. Progesterone is a ‘feel good’ hormone with many benefits when in balance, such as balancing blood sugar, supporting bone health and as a natural antidepressant. Premenstrual problems such as breast tenderness, mood swings, exhaustion, depression, sugar and salt cravings stem from imbalanced progesterone levels during this phase.  Many women can experience higher levels of frustration and stress. Find an appropriate outlet of release during this phase. Physical Your overall physical energy and stamina decrease, often making ‘productive’ activities a real effort. Avoid boot camp, cross fit, intense cardio or classes that require more energy than you may have to give. Pushing your body will release high cortisol levels, the stress hormone, and exhaust your adrenal glands.  Try restorative yoga, pilates, belly dancing or low key walks in the park. Mental During this phase, we naturally enter a time of reflection. This phase activates the right hemisphere of our brains that is connected to the unconscious and intuition. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.  Painful and uncomfortable issues that arise during this time should be addressed so that you can physically shed it during menstruation. Be mindful if you feel more withdrawn, antisocial and reluctant. Everything might feel like a mess and your desire to fix problems may increase. Use this time to organize and do a full cleaning of your desk, closet, office or home. Food Our bodies will naturally ‘crave’ the nutrients and calories we need, however, buried negative emotions and thoughts can easily come to the surface and we often try to bury them in ‘happy foods’, foods that give us a chemical ‘high’. Increase your good fats to stabilize blood sugar
Self Care Invest in an acupuncture treatment to help balance hormones, increase circulation and decrease stress hormones and muscle tension. This phase is also ‘me’ time, so give yourself permission to slow down and find new ways to nurture yourself. Your True Test Begins Track your cycles for a month and see how you can relate to these phases. If you have ‘irregular’ periods, find a holistic practitioner to help get you on track. Connecting to your cycle, rather than being inconvenienced by it, heightens your feminine power so that you can learn from what your mind, body and spirit really needs. Now you have it, a 30 day challenge, try it and get back to me…... Feel free to share this with your tribe on Facebook and say hello, comment or ask a question. And, if you're ready to get started on healing your body, boosting your physical and mental stamina, schedule a FREE 30 Minute heal your womb discovery session with me to discuss how easy it can really be to achieve.
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