What's the Deal with Cycle Syncing?

Hello friends! Welcome back to another blog. Today we are going to be discussing what cycle syncing is and the benefits of it. Don't click away if you do not have a cycle, I bet you have at least one woman in your life you care about, and what better way to understand a woman! Remember, always do your own research and test it out to see if it works for you and your lifestyle and situation. Lets dive in!

I was on hormonal birth control for about five years, and recently stopped taking the pill within the past year. I kept finding articles and videos about the symptoms many women had on the pill including increased feelings of anxiety and/or depression, head cloudiness, unable to focus, not feeling like themselves, and overall, not feeling great. I kept thinking, :Wow this sounds like me. Maybe I should stop taking it". That was the first day I got off the pill cold turkey. Apparently, doing that is not the best idea, so do some research on what has worked for other people. I did not have any crazy symptoms, just mood swings, acne, and a bleed of course. Within the first month, I gained more clarity and creativity and started feeling better than I did when I was on the pill. Ever since I stopped taking birth control, my hormones have been out of wack and I have been FEELIN' IT! New acne patterns, hair loss, and overall not feeling aligned with my body. My cycle has also been super inconsistent which is frightening. I wanted to learn why this was happening and stumbled upon "Healthy but Human" Podcast and started listening to the episodes about cycle syncing and seed cycling.

Cycle syncing is defined as scheduling your workouts and diet around your cycle. Depending on which phase you are during your hormone cycle, certain foods can help regulate your hormones and reduce PMS, bloating, excess weight gain, and can help regulate your period. If you are using any form of hormonal birth control, you do not have a hormone cycle and this will not be AS beneficial since you are not experiencing the four phases of the female hormone cycle. I recently finished the book "In the Flo" by Alisa Vitti about how to unlock hormonal advantages and how to revolutionize your life. Let me tell you, I'm shocked this information is not common knowledge for all women and taught in Sex Education.

I would highly recommend reading this book to learn more about this topic. Everything I am pulling information from originates from this book, or podcasts with holistic health coaches, dietitians, and other qualified individuals.

Most important thing to understand about this topic is that there are four phases of the female hormone cycle. The first phase is the menstrual phase. Your hormones are at their lowest. LADIES, if anyone ever says you are being hormonal on your period, let them know that they are wrong. This phase lasts around 3-7 days normally, and is considered the "Winter" of the hormone cycle. This is when you are bleeding and you will be feeling pretty crappy. Low energy, low sex drive, cravings, fatigue, and very self critical thoughts. Your next phase is your Follicular phase which lasts typically 7-12 days. During this phase, the hormone estrogen begins to increase and so does your energy levels, and is the "Spring" season. When estrogen peaks, your body is in its Ovulatory phase and is releasing an egg through one of the fallopian tubes and into the womb. The egg stays there for 24 hours waiting for fertilization, and then is released if it is not. This phase is compared to "Summer", and is very quick and is only about 1 to 2 days. After the egg is released from the body if it is not fertilized, the next phase is the Luteal phase which is typically the longest. This phase can be divided in two, because the first half you still feel full of energy and good about yourself, and then that feelings drop as estrogen falls and Progesterone begins to rise. Progesterone is the hormone that makes you feel calm, and wanting to stay in and eat warm foods, similar to the season of "fall". After this phase, you are back at the beginning of the hormone cycle. The normal cycle is between 28 and 32 days, while male hormone cycles are typically 24 hours.

This may seem like a lot to learn, and it is, but so worth it. See the chart below for more guidance on this next section.

Lets start with workouts. During the slow end of the Luteal phase and the mensural phase, low impact workouts is best on the body. High impact workouts could increase cortisol levels, and this phase is critical to keep the stress hormone to a minimum. Pilates, long walks, yoga, stretching, and weight lifting are great workouts to focus on during these two phases. Workouts can also be kept to a shorter time frame, around 30 minutes, before your cortisol levels begin to rise.

Once the estrogen levels rise and you gain energy back, HITT, cardio, weight lifting, and sweaty workouts are beneficial for hormone balance during this time. You are also burning less calories do working on these sweaty workouts can help reduce excess fat gain during the Follicular and Ovulatory phase (and the part of your luteal phase where you still feel great). Run, spin, and dance away! Your body is better at maintaining Cortisol levels and will not throw off your internal hormonal clock.

Some people also enjoy syncing their diet with their phases. I just started doing this, and here's some tips for you. Depending on what phase you are in, visit the chart above and pick a few items to add to your diet. For example, I am in my Luteal phase, so I'm choosing to add apples, chickpeas, turkey, and sweet potato this week. It does not have to be all or nothing, but cycling your foods can also keep your diet exciting! I get bored of food easily so I've been enjoying making "Cycle Bowls" to take to work and heat up for dinner. These foods are better on your digestive system and can help aid hormonal imbalances.

One thing I have been doing for almost a month is seed cycling. Seed cycling is basically just ingesting certain organic seeds depending on which half of the cycle you're currently in. This helps maintain healthy hormone levels and reduce excess estrogen and progesterone. During the first half (Mensural and Follicular) pumpkin seeds and flax seeds helps maintain estrogen levels to prevent acne break outs and PMS symptoms during Ovulation. The second half of the cycle (Ovulation and Luteal) can be maintained with sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, which prevents cramps and levels of progesterone going into your winter. Honestly, listen to the podcast "Healthy But Human" and find the seed cycling episode in the photo a few pictures up. A registered dietitian talks about the science behind the seed cycling. Make sure its organic and grind the seeds, or chew chew chew until its a mush. If you eat them whole, you will just poop them out and not unlock the benefits of these seeds and balancing these two hormones.

Again, none of this information is from me. I am a certified personal trainer, not a registered dietitian. Always do your own research before trying anything, and talk to a holistic health coach or a doctor. Your doctor may just prescribe hormonal birth control to regulate a period and with PMS symptoms. This is just big pharma pushing more pills to hide what is going on in your body. When your hormone levels are imbalanced for years, polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, early onset of menopause, and even ovarian cancer can occur. Putting a band aid on your hormonal issues will ultimately get you back in the doctors office which makes them more money. I am not anti medicine, but certain ones are not fixing any issues and just causing more later on in life. Do your own research, get your hormones tested, and start fixing your hormones to realign with your feminine energy to work with your cycle, not against it.

Thanks for staying with me. Let me know if you try it! Feel free to get in contact with me through the connect section on the bottom of the homepage. Cant wait to chat!

Until next time,

Xx Rachel