Written by Tasha Stevens, Integrative Clinical Nutritionist, B.S., NASM CPT, STOTT Pilates Instructor, Founder Happy Hormone Health
Photography by Jessica Feely
PART THREE of a six-part series uncovering the root causes of conditions affecting women’s health, and learning how to manage them through lifestyle.
When maintaining your motivation feels like a constant rollercoaster ride, it’s often more than a lack of commitment. It can be a result of your hormone cycle. Women have a 28-day cycle where our hormones fluctuate on the daily. Throughout this 28-day cycle, we move through four distinct hormonal phases and we can leverage these shifts to optimize our routines to get results, without the repetitive burnout.
Optimizing the 4 Phases of Your Cycle
PHASE 1 – Menstrual Phase (Days 1-5)
During your menstrual phase your hormones are at their lowest and your body’s primary goal is to rest and come back stronger for the next hormonal cycle. Because of this, your body is conserving energy and is not in a space where it wants to push intense workouts or cut calories. Mentally, you may not even want to go out a lot and be social.
Nutrition: Focus on foods rich in Iron and B-vitamins to replenish levels lost. Include red meat, eggs, dark leafy greens, seaweed salad and dried apricots.
Movement: Focus on gentle and low intensity workouts. Include yoga, zone one incline walking and isometric-style lifting.
Social & Work Life: Naturally, you are introverted and introspective. Use this time to disconnect and set goals for yourself. It is a great time to stay at home and curl up with a book, start positive affirmations and even evaluate your growth or projects at work.
PHASE 2 – Follicular Phase (Days 6-10):
Think of this phase as spring because the possibilities are endless! As your hormones are rising, you gain a renewed sense of energy, and inspiration. Your body is working hard to make sure hormone production is in tip-top shape. This gives you the energy (and desire) to challenge yourself.
Nutrition: Include vibrant foods that are rich in vitamin C and probiotics help to support healthy liver and gut function, estrogen production and filtration such as citrus fruits, leafy greens and kombucha.
Movement: This is the time to start ramping up the intensity with higher reps and moderate intensity strength training with zone three cardio. Things like hiking, and spin or kickboxing classes are fun ways to get the body moving.
Social & Work Life: Create space in your life to welcome
new experiences. This is the perfect time to try new restaurants, book a spontaneous trip, or brainstorm a new project at work.
“You don’t need unrealistic restrictive diets or workouts to get results.”
PHASE 3 Ovulatory Phase (Days 11-15):
This phase is all about peak energy and results! All hormone levels are at their highest as your body moves through ovulation and this gives you great strength and confidence which makes it a perfect time to crush your goals.
Nutrition: Prioritize lean proteins high in B vitamins to support energy output. Include eggs and chicken. Foods high in glutathione and indole-3-carbinol, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and onions, reduce inflammation and support healthy estrogen filtration.
Movement: This is when you are your strongest and fat burn is the highest. Prioritize your heaviest lifting during this phase and add in High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) at zones four and five to maximize metabolic efficiency.
Social & Work Life: Your desire to socialize and communicate is likely through the roof. This is the best time to go to a concert with friends, host a party, speak at a work event, or even attend new networking events.
PHASE 4 — Luteal Phase (Days 16-28):
Just like fall, your body has a huge transition in this phase. The focus is to support gestation, so it puts all its intention into hormone production and energy conservation. As a result, your metabolic rate increases, digestion slows, and energy is preserved. Too much stress during this time can heighten PMS.
Nutrition: Focus on complex carbs, such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, and root vegetables, to stabilize blood sugar and insulin function.
Movement: In the first half of this phase you can handle moderate intensity lifting and cardio. Slow things down with pilates, vinyasa yoga, or barre class as you get near your period.
Social & Work Life: Thanks to progesterone you feel productive. This is the time to crush your life to do list, clean your house, organize, and dig into all those administrative tasks at work. There is a strong desire to slow down, so focus on more intimate social connections and don’t feel guilty if you need a day just binging on Netflix.
An expectation to maintain consistently balanced energy was derived from the male 24-hour hormone cycle, since their hormonal fluctuations follow the same pattern daily. Trying to fit into this mold as women is leading to hormone disruption and symptoms that impact our success, but by recognizing where our body is at and adapting our behaviors and lifestyle accordingly, we can feel better about our efforts and accomplish more. Without the pressure of maintaining perfection, you’ll realize you don’t need unrealistic restrictive diets or punishing workouts to get results. And most importantly, you stop feeling guilty when your body demands rest. Let’s live in alignment, ladies!
