Episode 52 Transcript
[00:00:00] Welcome to be about Being Better podcast, where we empower you to make evidence-based, sustainable and transformative changes for your health, leading to a more vibrant and fulfilling life. I'm your host, Abbie Stasior a non-diet registered dietician, certified intuitive eating counselor, and master's graduate from Columbia University.
I believe that we can't make lasting or meaningful change single-handedly. So I'm so happy that you're here so that together you can see that a diet free, sustainable, healthy lifestyle is possible, and you can leverage that to live a better life. And remember my disclaimer, this podcast is meant to give you general information and is not meant to substitute or replace medical advice.
A diagnosis or serve as treatment.
Abbie: Hello. Hello y'all. I am so excited for this episode. I have my really good friend, Amanda Wahlstedt, coming on to speak with us all about how to align our life to our menstrual cycle. And y'all know I'm obsessed with cycle sinking. We've talked about cycles sinking before. However, we're gonna be diving into not just the nutrition considerations for cycle sinking, 'cause we've talked about in the future episodes.
We definitely head to the show notes to see those. We're gonna be kind of expanding beyond that. What are some other ways that you can align your life to your menstrual cycle through self-care at work, movement, exercise, all of the things. Um, so this is really gonna help you fully integrate into cycle sinking and really expand like the number of ways and just ideas you could align your life to your menstrual cycle.
And it's not just through nutrition. So I'm really excited , to chat with Amanda about this and y'all, Amanda is just amazing. So we met at Columbia. We were getting our master's at the same time. I was getting my master's in nutrition and exercise physiology. She was getting her master's in nutrition and public health.
She got her bachelor's from Cornell and Communications, and you'll hear in this episode, she is such a good communicator. She is so articulate, so knowledgeable, so evidence-based and I just love that. And we share. our values for a non diet approach we're, we're just so aligned. So I really, I really love all that.
She is a registered dietician and she's the founder of Roots to Leaves and her online practice is a dietetic and lifestyle practice that supports women from post birth control to postpartum. Love that. Love that. So definitely , check her out. And all of her social media stuff is linked up in the show notes.
She has a focus. For functional and holistic women's health. She's a certified yoga instructor. She's received training in yoga and also a vida. She's just overall so fabulous and I'm really excited for you all to hear her wisdom and learn more about cycle sinking.
All right, y'all, see you in the episode.
Abbie: Hello? Hello. Yes, we are live. Hey Amanda. I'm so excited to have you on the Be About Being Better podcast. How you doing, girl?
Amanda: So, so excited to be here. I am doing so well. just just like to be connecting with you and to be on this platform. So how are you doing so far?
Abbie: doing great. It's a Friday. We're recording. So happy Friday in the summer.
Amanda: Happy Friday. Yes, exactly. A few summer Fridays left.
Abbie: I know it really has flown by. I like cannot believe it's August. I’m like, wait, what? Where did things go?
Amanda: Went by so fast this year.
Abbie: Yeah. And most of the time I always just had my head in the book studying for the RD exam, which, you know what that's like. Last year.
Amanda: And say congratulations again on passing.
Abbie: Thank you. It's a big feat, but I'm happy to have that behind me. Um, so good. All right. So. We start this question off with all of our guests, so definitely wanna hear and dive into the deep end with you. What is something that you've been through an obstacle, something that was really hard that now looking back, that hindsight’s 20/20. You're really grateful that you went through that because it ultimately made you better.
Amanda: Yeah, so actually I thought a lot about this topic and considering the theme of today, I thought I would actually bring it into more of like a cycle related challenge. So about a year and a half ago, two years ago, I I all of a sudden started to feel like a very intense pain in my lower abdomen, and I thought it was just a cramp at first. So tried to ignore it. Just moved on, like told the voice in my head. You're fine. Like it's a cramp. and then it just kept building and building and it really got to the point where I was like kneeled over at some point and in so much pain, basically crying and still telling myself like, Amanda, you're being so dramatic. It's a cramp. Like just breathe through it and then it got to the point where I actually thought I was gonna be sick. So ended up like running to the restroom, almost threw up, but then started to get super dizzy and like had spots in my vision. I was shaking, was sweating, ended up like collapsing basically on the bathroom floor and like putting my head on the tile and just like closing my eyes and passing out there. I woke up the next morning and all of the strange like lightheaded symptoms were gone, but the pain was still really intense in that lower abdomen area. And I remember thinking to myself like, Like trying to logic my way through it. Maybe you are just having some cramps and like this weird bout of food poisoning or reaction to something. So really trying to downplay my own pain and ended up going to work that day. ended up actually seeing clients. I think I called my mom and some friends and everyone was like, oh, I'm so sorry. That sounds like bad cramps.
Abbie: Yeah.
Amanda: There was this like little voice in the back of my head that kept being like, this isn't a cramp. Like Amanda, you know your body. You have studied your body in relationship to this. This is not what that feels like. And I kept just wanting to shush it up very honestly. So finally end of the day, I was like, you know what, I'll just go in. I'll listen to you fine, just so you almost like stop bothering the little voice. I'll go in and get it checked out and ended up getting a sonogram done the doctor came back in and was like, I am so surprised you were even able to walk here. I essentially had like a really large cyst that ended up rupturing and the doctor basically said based on the size of it as well as like the severity of the bleeding that was happening around it that she literally, I think, phrased it as like, this was a no joke cyst situation. Um, and I had to like, keep an eye out for bleeding going into my rib cage and if I couldn't breathe. And so it was this really scary and intense. Thing that my body went through. And the reason I'm really bringing it up in this context is because it really highlighted to me the importance of listening to that inner voice that we have as women. And as women. I think that we have been taught for such a long time to push down our pain and our discomfort and to do that in an effort of not being dramatic or overly sensitive or causing a fuss, and the importance of not doing that, of pushing up against That and knowing. When that inner voice is coming in and is saying, you know, this doesn't feel right, or, Hmm, like, this isn't gonna serve you right now, or, you know, you don't feel good in this situation. To really listen to that because you are your own best expert on your body and your own best health advocate, and to kind of continue to build that trust with yourself and with that voice is so important in the context of, of women's health.
Abbie: Wow. Wow. That is, a really powerful story. Oh my gosh. Thank you so much for sharing that. And you're so right. Like how many times did we get our period and we're like, all right, I'll just suck it up, throw some dirt on it, take some Advil, just suppress the pain, versus using that as an indicator. How can I. Like really heal the pain and not just work through it, but rest and allow ourselves to take a step back.
Amanda: A hundred percent. And again, and if the Advil ends up coming in, okay. But at least first acknowledging, you know, this is what my body is telling me right now, and how can I understand what that message is so that I can act from a place of empowerment or intention, rather than just trying to shut off our connection to it or trying to suppress it.
Abbie: Yes, exactly. Oh, so is that what got you into cycle sinking? Or like, what was
Amanda: So that was a yeah, that was like a, a part of the cycle syncing journey, if you will. But it actually started a long time ago. So I actually was on birth control pill from the age of 14 to 25. So like a decade plus. And at that point I actually responded like really well to it, if you will. I had no side effects, no mood swings. I didn't bleed for over a decade and I sort of thought like this was the dream, right? Like this was great, like no periods, and that was the norm in my social circle, that every young woman that I knew was either on hormonal birth control, either the pill of the IUD. So I really didn’t question it Then it was actually during a yoga training, uh, that I met a woman who was a little bit older than me who had never been on birth control before. And she was saying something like, oh, I'm actually lower energy today because I'm in my luteal phase. I'm gonna take it easy. And it was like a different language to me. And it just started to dawn on me in that moment, like, wow, I actually do not understand. What my body feels like without synthetic hormones. I don't know what I look like or feel like as a fully embodied, you know, adult woman, Amanda. And so it kind of sparked my interest in getting off of it. And literally like that day, there really wasn't too much thought after that. I was just like, you know what? I'm gonna stop. I'm, I'm done with birth control pills. There wasn't much thought there, but what I did think was, okay, uh, I'm gonna meet this like beautiful, incredible version of myself off of birth control. And that was kind of my, my, thought going into it. And that is just not what happened the next three to six months. I had excruciating cramps like, Nausea, throwing up sometimes crying, not being able to walk for like three days. My digestion like seesawed all over the place and I had no idea why my kind of teenage acne started coming back up. Um, and I had that ruptured cyst happen in that time period too so
Abbie: Wow.
Amanda: I ended up going to OB-GYNs and trying to talk to my healthcare team at the time, asking about what I should do, and their response was sort of like, well, this is a part of being a woman, or you can go back on the pill
Abbie: Oh, that might
Amanda: And I was just like, that
That can't
be the answer. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. It's like that cannot be the only answer. And I understand why that is approach, that's
a whole other conversation, but
it was not
an empowering
response for
me So that's what got me to really start digging. And
I discovered some
amazing
resources.
You
know, Dr.
Aviva ROMs lovely. Um, Alyssa
Reti,
is that her.
name?
Abbie: Yeah. Lisa Bete. yeah. Love her.
Amanda: VT with a cycle sinking.
I mean,
that really
started
to create the foundation. I looked more
into different cultural period habits Over the centuries. And then I started to really
examine
my own inner
landscape and.
You know,
started to notice, okay, maybe I'm , feeling irritable
on
this day, but
is there a reason?
Can I see if there's
a trend that's coming
up? Can I start to connect
the dots? Is my
digestion,
you know, feeling more sluggish at certain
time periods and
essentially, Through these practices, what
I learned
is that I'm not going to
let my cycle
control me, and I'm also
not going to try and
control it. So rather I'm going
to form relation with it and find a way to
really
listen, right? Like
we're talking about, listening
to
what the
messaging is,
Understand it and
honor it. So that's what got me into kind of
sinking to my cycle. And after doing that for, I think it
was like three
or six, three cycles
consistently. It
was like my period barely phased me.
And so at this point I've seen firsthand
how powerful it
can be. and I've also now watched
my clients really see how
much it can play a role in their
overall
Abbie: Yeah. I love that you said that you are partnering with your body because that forces us to turn inward versus looking to external cues, external things to tell
us what
to do with our body.
It allows us to recognize that we do have an innate
wisdom and we
can trust our body. and if we want to have a
better relationship with our body, Food, exercise, our cycle, all of the things are just ourselves in general.
We
have to have that partnership.
We have to
spend time with it,
And so often we are living outside of ourselves, looking outside of ourselves
for the answer
where
Amanda: Oh,
Abbie: we can
feel so much better and
actually see the
answers that we desire by turning
inward and partnering with ourselves.
Amanda: Completely agree. And to your point too, I think we often move
through life
trying to kind of change our outer environment in an
effort to change our inner one, when really if we actually go inward,
like
you said,
and just
start
to sit into that and see what's coming up. And rather than trying to fight against that, but just have that, that befriending that partnership.
I love the word partner
that you
used there to able to be like, okay, this is
what's going on inside. It's not good. It's not bad. There's no judgment. But
how can I be curious about it?
And
with that,
what messaging can I gain
from
it?
Be like, okay,
well now I can see that I probably wanna respond
this way instead of this
way.
Right? And start to make little subtle shifts
like that.
Abbie: Ugh, I
love that. Yes. Getting
away from judgment,
leaning into curiosity. So good. Okay, great. Can you run us through, I know I've mentioned it on the podcast a lot, and I think it's also beneficial for our audience to hear from someone else
as well, but just
run through the different phases
their season equivalence. like.
How
would you. What would be your elevator pitch for
the different
phases of your
menstrual cycle?
Amanda: So I, I love this
topic. I could
like, I
feel like I could speak about this for like hours on
end. Um, but basically, and I know your listeners
have heard
about this a little
bit
before, but it's the idea that we have these four
phases of our menstrual cycle and with them there are kind of four
corresponding seasons that allow us to
generally understand the ebbs and flows that are going on.
With
those
different phases. So we have the menstrual
phase,
or winter, if you will, and that really starts day one of our cycle is marked by our, by our bleed. So our period, and
that's caused by a
dipping
hormones. So hormones are at an all time low. That
means that energy's at an all time low.
So if we consider
our menstrual period, that menstrual
phase as a time of winter, well then it makes sense.
It's intuitive that we would think of it as
a time of
hibernation, of going inward, of moving slowly, of listening
to what the body
needs. I always like to tell people when they're just starting to get familiar with cycle sinking, that when
it comes to the, uh,
menstrual phase, It's kind of intuitive to think that you wanna be like
warm and cozy the same way that you wanna be warm and cozy during
winter.
I. Right, so you probably on that first day of your bleed,
you wanna have like soups and stews and a warm cup of tea and a, and a hot water bottle. You don't really wanna
like jump into a
freezing cold ocean and like drink a smoothie. So again, if we think about it in terms of winter it, it's really intuitive in terms of what we would want to do to soothe ourselves during that time
Abbie: Mm.
Amanda: One other thing I do actually want to
add about the menstrual phase in
particular, because I think that
what I
hear coming up around
this topic is that when we talk about going inward and thinking about hibernation during that winter menstrual
phase, that there's this idea that
we're hiding. That
is something I really want to make clear is that this is
not a time of
fleeing.
I think periods have a long history of being viewed as dirty or shameful, and
that's not what we're talking about here, but rather a very intentional and empowered choice to go inward,
to connect with yourself. And that's kind of how periods
have been honored across various cultures from indigenous America to India for
centuries, as a time of strong intuition and connection to self and, and to nature
in
general womanhood. So
just wanna add that little caveat
on there for
periods.
Abbie: Yes. I love that.
Amanda: Yeah, so then
then the follicular phase,
right which for the sake of simplicity is, is right after the
menstrual phase to ovulation and that's when estrogen is getting
back up. We have our energy starting to rise.
We
get that
spring back in our step. So the season of spring, no, no surprise
there. Things
are starting to
blossom and bloom,
And then we have
ovulation. Which is marked by that LH surge, that release of the egg from the ovary, and
that's our summer.
Things are
a little hot and
heated.
No coincidence
that libido is, is starting to, to get high
and peaks then too.
And then we have luteal,
which is really more of a
rollercoaster lasting from postulation to right before
our period, and it's marked by that high of progesterone,
followed by like a second wave of estrogen and
then a dip in hormone. So,
Things are really changing
internally during this time period, and that's just
like autumn or fall with the change of the leaves and the dropping
of the
leaves, preparing for winter.
So those are the the four overarching phases we have. Menstrual winter, follicular spring, ovulation, summer,
and then
luteal
fall.
Abbie: Awesome.
Thank you. You said that so well, and just so
graceful.
you're just Oh, I love it. And , there are definitely exercise. Lifestyle,
self-care, productivity,
and nutrition
considerations for each
of the
phases.
And y'all know, if
you've been
listening to me about Being
Better podcast
for a while, that we've talked about
nutrition a bunch, and we will continue to talk about it,
but I'm gonna link that up in
the show notes
so that
you can listen to a
previous episode on the nutrition consideration
specifically for each
of the phases.
I really wanted to bring Amanda
on to.
Speak
to some of these other components of movement, self-care and work-life
balance, productivity,
all of those things that you can really align your whole life to your
menstrual cycle. So let's start with movement. Amanda. How would you
recommend that somebody start to
align their movement
to the
different phases and like what
are
some of
the exercise considerations that you have?
Amanda: Yeah. So again, I think this
is
such an interesting topic, especially with movement. And Abby, I'm not sure if you've seen, but there have actually
been a couple of articles coming out in the
last few
weeks, months pushing back on
this idea that we should
be aligning our movement to our cycle. Have
you seen those popping up
Abbie: I've heard
rumblings, yes,
But I need to look more in depth
myself.
Amanda: Yeah, it's, it's been
interesting to see and to read. So I just wanna nod that a little bit
because
I think it's important to remember that with
most topics related to women's health, there is not
the best research available. Um, and so we
need to
kind of
keep that in
mind when we're talking about
these things because just because the research
isn't there
doesn't mean that it's not valid.
There's
just
a gap, and I think that's really
important and. With that, what we can start to understand is we do know how hormones fluctuate in
the body. We do know the impacts that those can have on the body. So even if the research isn't clear cut
on movement and cycle phases, we can use that information to
infer how our energy is going to be with movement, how our body's gonna respond
to movement
And and so on.
And with that, I'll just add to that, you know,
every woman is
different.
Different ebbs and flows going
on, potentially different ranges of hormones. So it's never like a
one
size fits all approach, but just a general
framework.
And with that, you can start
to
tune into you and see what
kind
of movement is going to be
the most beneficial and honoring of what your
body needs.
So all
that in mind,
uh,
we have the menstrual phase. And again, this is marked by
that lower energy, right? So
with lower energy, A little intuitive to then also start to think, okay, lower movement, slower
movement, lower impact.
So
oftentimes
it's the time of rest, but with a
little
bit of
movement. So especially for like releasing cramps or relieving
tension with our cramps for, uh, trying to boost mood for supporting overall body and circulation.
So a great time to be doing yin yoga, gentle stretches,
a
walk in nature. I
love. So
connecting back to that nature too.
I would say that's, that's what really marks
the menstrual phase. Now, if you are someone
who really wants to work out while you're on your period, and there's some women who get a surge of
energy during this time too, always listen to your body.
But then I'll just add in the note of making
sure you're really well hydrated to prevent also
feeling lightheaded
as well during this time. So that's, that's menstrual.
Then
we have follicular,
and
again,
energy is picking back up. And so with that, it makes sense that we'd want to
engage in more
active exercise.
So a great time for cardio or for more higher intensity kind of workouts, a powerful yoga practice or vinyasa or cycling or,
or something
of that
nature. Then ovulation. I mean, this is when
energy is peaked. Motivations peaked
in many ways.
Confidence is peaked, socialization peaking. So it's really important to, or I think it can be very important, I should say,
to use that to go to group workout classes, go for runs with friends, do the HIIT class that you know, you're gonna feel really
confident and great in.
Um, I
also
find that it can be, depending on
your personality, a great time to engage
in some. Very mild, but healthy competition. So for
me, I know this is when I love to do an Ashtanga yoga class because
I'm in competition with myself
and I feel
confident
in that. And I'll also just add
that for both the follicular phase and the ovulatory
phase, more so follicular, we're at a slightly
increased risk
for injury.
And that's because estrogen, uh,
starts to cause our tendons and our ligaments to be a little bit more
lax. And that's something
that research has
actually shown time
and time again. So if you are a trainer or
an intense athlete, a good time
to
just be
mindful of your limits And maybe bring in, you know, some
collagen or some vitamin C as a little.
Extra buffer, if you
will. Mm-hmm. Then finally
we have
luteal. So again,
during the luteal stage, we have different states of energy, depending on
that first half or
second half. Um,
but in general,
especially in the beginning, we see an
increase in
strength and endurance along with a
higher
metabolic rate. so meaning a faster metabolism, so an increased need for calories and for protein
and increased cortisol. So we also wanna be mindful of
extra stress on the body
during this time. So that's why the luteal phase is a great time to be
engaging
in strength training
that isn't
too
intense or lasts
too long, that way we don't spike
cortisol even more.
So I would say mat Pilates, weights, resistance bands,
things of that
nature.
Abbie: Yes. Oh, I love all of this because like you said,
you mentioned
even different
types of
yoga.
You could be
doing yoga
all month long, but there's different types That will serve your
body
depending on what your
hormones are doing at that time.
Um, so I love that
you can
still be doing strength
training
throughout your whole cycle.
But you're gonna change up the volume, how many sets and reps and. How much cardio is involved with all of
that, depending on how your body is feeling. And
like you mentioned earlier on, luteal phase is the most. Complicated, uh, because it feels different. It's the longest phase.
you're
coming out of
ovulation,
but then you're going into
menstrual phase.
So
You can
feel at
the beginning of
luteal phase,
very much
like
follicular phase.
You're
still riding
that high from ovulation. Things are starting to come down, but
it almost mimics sometimes the levels of.
A follicular phase as far as hormones goes, as things
are coming
down, as they were coming up in follicular phase. But then there is that switch, the closer and
closer you get to actually
bleeding. The more
lower energy you,
you start to get. And that
switch and transition looks different for everyone
And the
amount of days looks different for everyone. It also depends on what other things you're
going through in your life, what
other stressors
You have the season of work you're in. If you have kids, you know, just what your nutrition is like your caffeine intake. There's so many things that
that
can impact that. So I think there's this.
A fear
of luteal
phase
when people start to engage in cycle sinking. However, I would
just
en
empower you all listening
right now to view luteal phase as an invitation.
Like there's so much to discover. And
be curious and
not
judge yourself for not having the same
energy.
Amanda: Mm-hmm.
Abbie: you did in during ovulation or
during follicular phase, but see
that the energy that you
have during luteal
phase is such a gift and it can open a door for a
different
way to care for yourself and
start to
deepen that
relationship
with your body's
innate wisdom.
Amanda: I, I so agree, Abby. And it's funny 'cause yeah, I feel like that luteal phase
where
people tend to get the most. Nervous. It's
what's, you know, I think typically marked by like p M Ss, if you will. Um, or different, you know, lesser desirable
symptoms that may be
arising Or not even symptoms, just states of being And.
It's funny 'cause I actually like the
luteal phase the
most. I'm,
I'm
currently in my luteal phase. Yes. I think it
because while maybe
the follicular phase or ovulation things are
a little bit more easygoing,
if you will, like, my clients are often
saying like, I feel like I'm at my
baseline
during that time period. which is also an
interesting way to look at it.
But with the luteal
phase. to your point, it really allows us to
really
listen. Like our body is going through so many changes that we can really feel
and we can identify clearly. And so I actually think it
provides this invitation,
like
you said, to really start to honor what's coming up and to start to be curious with
ourselves too
of like, okay, you know what I'm feeling.
Really exhausted today. Way more
tired than I did a week ago. Even though I wanna do the same workout in my maybe more conscious
mind.
I wanna go to the gym. I want to run 10 miles on the treadmill.
But your body is
saying,
Hey,
our energy
capacity right now isn't there. And so it really allows you to again, engage in
that partnership with your body of, okay,
well then what Can
I
do?
What Can I do?
Because I know I still wanna add
in movement. I
still want to maybe go to the gym or do some level of cardio.
And again, like you said too, you don't have to stop doing your favorite workouts depending on what cycle you're in.
But Maybe you moderate the intensity. Maybe it's, even the
mindset you go
into
it is different, right?
In terms of, you know
what, I'm
just gonna see where I go on the
treadmill today and take it from there without, again, without that
judgment, with a
bit more compassion.
Abbie: Oh, that's so good. Yes.
just being flexible with yourself, and I think that
is such
a
Skill and a lesson that people need to learn.
is that it's okay to go into a workout and not have a set plan, but just get on the treadmill. Just start lifting weights and see intuitively what your body
is
up for
doing
that day being okay with that outcome. And some of the people that I follow on, on social media that are really into.
Weightlifting strength training and Just really
in the,
the fitness world have started to combat
this notion that
we need to decrease our
intensity during luteal
phase, because they're like,
you know, we have spent so much time focused
on women empowerment that like now we're telling women that they can't lift weights and.
Ugh.
It's, it's like, we're not telling you that you can't lift weights. But you have to listen to your
body. And I also think, I've worked with
so
many clients that
like have P C
O S or are, you know, really struggling coming off of birth
control. Like, and
very, you know, very much similar to your experience.
Like
they're just
having these awful symptoms after
being on
a synthetic
form
of birth
control for A decade.
Plus
they, when you start cycling and start, start
this process,
you need. A very
stark difference
between follicular and ovulation. In luteal and menstrual. I, I truly to
try and get your body to start to feel
the phases again.
So I almost tell clients to collapse
those two phases and
really have a stark difference or else, and especially like
with diet,
culture and this need to
Be doing high
intensity exercise all of the time,
Like
we need to.
Learn that lesson of
giving ourselves grace and
start
to be attuned to our body's innate wisdom because we're so used to,
number one, not feeling that
if you have birth control, that's suppressing it, but also just diet culture telling us that we need to push through anyway, even if your
body's not
feeling it because we're relying on those external cues.
So I'd be
curious to hear like what you think about that, and if you agree and.
You know, some of the rumblings from fitness people out there that are Um,
talking about cycle sinking specifically for the luteal phase.
Amanda: Yeah. So I'll just start off by saying, and I think you just touched on
this
and I'll re
reiterate it again,
that when we're talking about cycle
sinking, of course we're talking about
some frameworks
of
things that are better in one stage than another and listening
to your body. But at no point is that saying that as a woman, you.
can't do this at this time period. Right. It's always up to you. And again, going back more into
the the female empowerment side
of it.
The whole idea of cycle thinking is around empowerment. So we're not trying to disempower anyone from engaging
in things they want to engage
in.
So let's just be like super clear about that. So that's number
one.
But number two is I think with the luteal
phase if for, especially for those that are maybe really trying to optimize fitness and trying to,
uh,
really understand more of like the biohacking and how to optimize their body
and energy levels. It can actually
be really
interesting to get more
into the
hormone picture there. So like I mentioned too,
cortisol tends
to be higher during that time period, which means if
we are pushing ourselves
as hard as we can possibly go in that luteal phase, we are
going
to be
stressing our
adrenal glands out so much, and that is not
gonna be productive long-term in
general for our overall muscle mass
building. It can actually be really counterproductive to push yourself as hard as possible during the luteal phase.
Abbie: That gives people a lot to think about, lot to digest when it comes to movement, exercise, working out. So we just
empower you all to start exploring this in your own body. We're obviously
not prescribing
anything, but for the form of
exercise that
you like to do, start to explore this.
And we also wanna give you
some self-care
tips for each phase. So Amanda, what would you
recommend for, each phase?
Amanda: Yeah, so I mean, similar to what we were
just saying with
exercise two, number one will
be to just sit into how you feel in your body in each
phase, and
I
really do
feel like the self-care practices that will be the most beneficial will be made pretty
apparent if you just start to again, Meet yourself
with some curiosity. But with that, a couple things that I'll just put out there is, is during
our bleed, so during our
menstrual phase, when we tend to be very within
ourselves, self-care can seem a little
bit more intuitive
again, right? I think it's more commonplace for women to understand when we're bleeding
that we maybe wanna have
some chocolate to boost
mood or maybe
some rest or some hot tea. But I also wanna put out there that
your bleed is a
really. Powerful time of letting
go. We
are literally
shutting
whatever our body has built up and has been responding
to for the last month. So I actually think it's a really wonderful time to reflect, maybe journal
on the past month and notice what you want to let go of.
So really bringing in that, that reflection and
evaluation that way. Then during our follicular phase, we tend to have less vulnerability overall to
stress. So self-care practices or self-soothing practices, I should say, are usually not
front of mind. So I actually think it's a really
great
time to start to build out habits around
self-care practices so that when things maybe are a little bit more.
Heavy.
You
already
have them
in place
and you have the energy and the motivation during the
follicular phase
to start to build these out. so maybe you start your meditation practice so that
becomes a habit. Maybe you pick
up a really fun hobby that you wanna start
engaging in to be a creative outlet. But I find that the follicular phase offers a lot of ripe opportunity for that
exploration. Then
ovulation, pretty similar
to the follicular phase two. You know, you may not
need soothing per se, but I like to encourage clients to lean into practices that will support
their high confidence
during this time, and maybe sensuality or connection to others.
So doing
things that. Honestly make you feel sexy and beautiful, like giving yourself a self
oil massage or maybe getting dressed up and going on a girl's night out or
a romantic date night, but connecting to others in some ways and
to yourself.
I also
always like to
put out there that dance, I feel like is a really
fun practice. To bring in during
ovulation.
Abbie: Oh,
I love that.
So
fun.
Amanda: Yeah.
And then.
The
luteal phase.
So like we just mentioned too, with working out, we have higher
cortisol during this time period So we can feel more reactive under
stress, so Something to keep in mind and the
importance of
self-care practices during this time period, and then especially towards the latter
half of that luteal phase.
When we have that dip
in estrogen, our serotonin dips, our mood can start
to dip and we might potentially have a higher pain sensitivity to. So a really, really
important time
to Start to listen to what your body needs and to
create more space for yourself. And I always say the power of no during this time period is
so important.
So
saying no to
engagements or events
or
projects or whatever it may be that you know won't
serve you right now. And to instead surround yourself with people
who make you feel safe and loved, and to bring in the
practices that hopefully you built out a little bit
in the follicular phase
to connect you to your
true self rather than you just your emotional responses.
So various meditations or breath work practices
or things of that
nature.
Abbie: Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Oh,
that is so good. And you
even gave
me some new ideas too, and stuff that hasn't been said already on the podcast,
so
I really appreciate that. And some of those new
things.
Now we know. Corporate America. Hello.
We don't wanna go there with the patriarchy, but especially with the Barbie movie
just coming
out, I feel like we need to go there and like we're having
these discussions, but
our
menstrual cycle is just, it does not
fit in
corporate America.
Corporate
America is very nine to
five and it fits the
male hormone cycle.
Which cycles in
like, well, we go through
in about 28
days. Sometimes it's longer, shorter
than for people, but about 28 days as women
men go through in 24 hours.
Mm. So they actually have that, you know, the same
rise and fall of the seasons too.
Like
they start their mornings,
great
follicular phase, riding
that high,
go into ovulation,
but then as the afternoon goes and they really hit that three o'clock slump, that's kind of
their luteal
phase.
They get home, they're kind of moody,
and then menstrual phase, they've totally
checked out.
So
that's why your significant
other.
Maybe coming home, it's like, I
don't wanna talk to you, but we're all
chatty Cathy, like,
tell me about your day, blah,
blah. This is what I did. And
I
have spent two years, I lived
with two different men and I had the same experience with both of them. That they were going, literally they would get home and I'm
like in my
ovulation, like
wanting to talk about my day. And they're both in street luteal or menstrual. I'm like,
Amanda: Uh,
Abbie: Love it. Um, so what would
you say , as
far as
like, Career, productivity, workplace, how can we optimize
and align our
life to our menstrual
cycle? In that
sense?
Amanda: Yeah. And so I love the way that, that you te
that up too. I
think it's
really important
to,
to note the difference there because it's, it's apparent and we all
live through it, right? We can feel that in our relationships and in
the
workplace.
And so with that, I also wanna bring in the point here too, that especially because of like the
very. Historical and
deep rooted sexism that has been brought into the workplace with women
that,
again,
we are not saying that there's not a period in a phase
where you can't do something
with work. Like
as women, we can do anything we want at
any time we
want. So with that, it's more that understanding our hormones allows us to maybe better understand what our
strengths are at certain times. Um, or even just better understand what our
responses are so we can be more
compassionate with ourselves or more encouraging of
ourselves
too. So,
During the menstrual
phase,
um, you
know, I know there's a
recommendation out there to like, maybe take a day
off work. Well, most of
us
can't usually do that.
If
Abbie: simply cannot
Amanda: power to
you. But yes, usually not the case.
Um, so what I usually recommend
to try and do
is to
prioritize, right? So not overexerting our energy, which
we currently are already low on, and
instead asking ourselves,
you know,
what really has to get done right now and are there maybe.
Less
emotional or less energy intensive work projects that I can start to
focus on for these few days. And then similar to the idea of the
bleed being a time of letting go, um, a great
time
for evaluation. So I actually think this is a really wonderful time to start to have conversations with yourself
around how am I feeling in my
career? You know, do I like what I'm
doing? Is there
something
this last month
that didn't really work for me?
So again, bringing in that evaluation from a career perspective I think can be
really helpful during the menstrual phase.
I always make a point whenever, whenever I'm bleeding, to always ask myself those types of like,
introspective questions, because I find it's when we have our strongest intuition, at least in my
experience.
Abbie: Mm-hmm.
Amanda: then
the
follicular phase,
great time to start strategizing, collaborating, networking, uh, planting the seeds.
for
new ideas, right? It's spring, we're cultivating, uh, it's a great time for new
projects, new
clients. Um, big plans, things of
that nature.
Then during ovulation, execution and communication are like the
two, I would say, biggest factors. So if you're able to
schedule a big presentation around your ovulation, I mean,
amazing, you're probably gonna crush it. Um, confidence will really carry you through there. Again, most of us
can't really do that. So instead just noticing when you ovulate, seeing
how
that transfers
into your work projects, how your energy is higher allows you to get things done.
It can
be a, a fun sort
of self-study,
And then also a really great time to go into a
job interview
or to schedule
a
big
conversation with your boss about a raise or promotion because our energy is, and our
confidence is peaked
during this
time.
And
then,
I was like, what's the last one, Luteal. So during luteal, we are our most
sensitive, right? And
this
is a
beautiful thing,
but I think in the workplace it's
important to start to recognize that it may not be the best time for
higher stress tasks. So a great time for more admin work. Again, if
you have that flexibility there, great time to wrap up projects or to go into deep work with yourself in
a
project.
So
I think it's really
just a great time to start to notice how you're feeling, and especially if you're
maybe noticing
that
you're kind of
tired at work
and you don't know why, and you're getting frustrated with yourself. Or
maybe if you're hurt by something a colleague did, but you feel like it's not usually how you'd react to that situation.
To just start to have that self-inquiry of, okay,
well where am I at in my cycle? Am I in my
luteal phase? And
if I am, can I offer myself
some grace and compassion right now knowing
that information and what
can I do moving forward
from that?
So, That's, I think really the power of, of
cycle thinking, especially
in the workplace, is not an effort to control, you know, every
single project, every single deadline, but rather to better
understand what's going on in your body so that you can better understand
how you're going to show up or move through
different projects,
and
how to utilize that understanding of yourself to support your
own emotional wellbeing in the
workplace.
Abbie: Yes, I love that. And just as we mentioned with
exercise,
sometimes you might be approaching the
same workout, so you might be doing the same task
at work, but
you shift your
mindset and you say,
okay, I'm in
luteal
phase right now.
So you just
wrap your head
around that. My
productivity might look different.
This might take me longer than it did
in follicular
phase. I might have
to be more reflective or speak slower or,
you know,
just really get my words. Sometimes with luteal phase, I'm like,
I a brain fogs. Not every cycle, but some cycles.
I'm like, oh my goodness. So I was like, I really gotta
gather my own thoughts and so just give yourself some grace.
Show yourself some warmth.
And I was able to ask this question to Elisa Beatie at her book launch for her book in the
Flow
And
uh, she just gave such a beautiful answer.
And similar to what you
were
talking about,
we can't control.
When we have a work presentation sometimes, or when we have a job interview
or when we have
a really
big
event where we
need to exert a lot of energy and be social, even if we feel
called to turn inward and say no to social
engagements and just
be alone.
So there's something, we really have
to exert that energy.
However you can plan ahead for that and
say, okay, great. I can't control this. I gotta put all my energy that I have
into this one task, but I'm going to counterbalance it. I'm going to compensate. So I know the self-care is coming afterward.
I
know that I'm gonna have all Saturday
just myself with no plans, and I'm looking forward to that. Like
luscious day
to refill my picture.
Amanda: Oh, I, I love that. And I'll just
personally
add, like I mentioned earlier, so I'm in my luteal phase right now. and I was like, yesterday, I was like, oh gosh, like
I really, I wanna
show up with full presence for the podcast.
Usually I
would be
like,
I I feel like super
sharp
and
super prepped. , and similarly, I
was like, well, I'm so excited to do this.
There is no negotiation here for me to change the date or to, or to not show
up.
It's important for
me to be here.
So instead, what can
I do
to help bring
in some
self-care practices today so that I can feel like I can show up for this more? collaborative, you know, more , follicular phased project with a presence.
And so
right before this I, I meditated for,
you know,
10 minutes and just tried to connect back to myself,
offer some ease, offer some grace, some compassion. And then similarly my
Saturday.
Very chill. That's the plan.
Abbie: Yay.
Oh,
I
love
that so much. Thank you for that real, real example. Now, the question that I always
get when I talk
about cycles
sinking is
like, what
about me?
What if I'm on birth control? What do I do and how do I approach cycles sinking? So what would you
recommend
I.
Amanda: Yeah, so I know we spoke about this a little bit
before in the
past,
but in general with birth control, because
it is
a
dose of synthetic hormone that is gonna shut off our
own body's hormonal cues and
instead keep us at a steady state so we don't have those
ebbs and flows, right? It's just keeping us
at a steady level with our hormones. We are, in many ways disconnected from those
seasons, so,
It's a little bit hard to offer the
same sort
of tools
around learning to listen because
the
messages
are just going
to be different, right? They're, they're not gonna be
the same as when we have those peaks and
valleys. That being
said, uh, you still can start to bring in different practices that overall
support your hormone health, and
especially if you're thinking about getting off birth control at some point, it just allows you to continue to
flex that muscle of knowing.
Kind of
how to bring
in different foods, different lifestyle interventions to just overwhelmingly
support
your body and its hormones for when they start to be revved back up or have those
peaks and valleys later on.
Abbie: Right.
Your body
will already
be ready for
that. You'll have the habits in
place. You'll be more aware of it too. Like it takes a little bit, because we don't learn this
in school,
we don't learn about the different phases. So you're gonna hear about this now. But you learn better by doing and internalizing it and
experiencing it.
So if you
could do that for several months
before you go off
birth control, or for years before you go off, It will
be a smoother transition off.
I mean, I've had clients get their period
back and it's
a very manageable cycle. One or two months. After
they go off of birth control
just for cycle syncing for three months prior.
Um, so it will really help with smoothing out
that transition, but then also just making sure you have the lifestyle
in place for when. You do transition off and it can also help to
heal any underlying
hormone imbalances that may be there,
that may
have been the reason why you
started on a synthetic
form of birth control
in the first
place.
Amanda: Mm-hmm.
Totally,
completely agree.
Abbie: Awesome.
Um, so
if someone
is
maybe off of birth
control now and
they're having a really
irregular
cycle and
they want to
start cycle syncing, where would you recommend that
they start?
Amanda: Yeah, so I get this question a lot too,
especially
in my
practice because I feel like irregular periods,
and that means whether you're not sure when they're gonna come or if they're longer than, 35 days or shorter than 25
or maybe heavy bleeding, uh, tends to be
the norm in
so
many ways. So I kind of
approach it from three different
lenses. One is
I really think above all else, it's important
to try and
figure out what
may
be causing those
irregular periods. And that's a lot of the work that I do with my clients
too, is can you start to gather information around what may be
contributing to this irregularity that we're seeing, Just so you have a better understanding of what your hormonal
baseline is that we're
working with.
So that's number one.
Number two is can you start to practice
gentle ways of listening
to
your body? And
I think a great
place to
start is
regardless of whether
you have
a regular or
irregular cycle,
starting with the menstrual phase so long as you are bleeding, I think that's a really wonderful time to really
start to check in and listen to your body that way, knowing that then we have the follicular phase and you can start to see the subtle shifts in
energy that
are going on.
And with that, I'd
say
it's.
Really important to make
sure that you also have the
basics down and those are rock solid before going into any of
the
intricacies of cycle
sinking. So this
goes for anyone really,
but especially if you have
an
IR regular cycle, that
before you start trying to, you know,
change around work projects or
fitness classes to
match hormones,
can we first make sure that we are providing a
sense of safety?
The
body from the
get go.
So right. Can we nourish fully? Can we move our
body respectfully? Can we
care for
our minds consistently? And from there, oftentimes I see in my practice that a lot
of
the menstrual
irregularities
already
start to fall back into place.
And then we can start to get
even more
detailed
with cycle sinking.
Abbie: Yes, I, I see the same thing with
my clients as
well. Like
I won't even introduce cycle sinking until they have those foundations there or else it really can
turn into a diet. I. And it can just
be the plan that you're following and you can
be so rigid with it. And diet culture
just has
a way
of infiltrating
all of the good things in our lives, and we don't want it
to be
like that.
And it's a really intuitive,
flexible process, and there's so many different ways to cycle sync, which
I hope that this episode has opened y'all's mind up to that, but I totally agree. man, that you need. The foundation's there. You need to start like meal prepping, grocery shopping,
consistently, uh, just
caring for yourself.
Choosing any form of, of movement.
and
having a schedule for that. A morning and evening routine, like
some of these very foundational drinking water, hello, high,
uh, maybe less caffeine. Um, so yeah, you need some
of those,
you know, basic foundational things.
And
once you get
into that groove, then
it becomes very,
Easy to loop in.
Oh, okay. If I'm
already exercising now I can start to loop in and change up.
Okay, what weights am I gonna choose? Am
I gonna
do cardio here or there?
Am I gonna
do yin yoga
or Ang,
What am I gonna do to kind of change it up?
Because I already have that practice?
Whereas if you don't and you just go into it, that's okay.
I need to do Ashtanga at this time. I need to do yin yoga at this time. I need to go for
a walk at this.
It's like, no, we don't need to do. Anything. We just Something.
Amanda: And that's, I mean, I get that a lot, and I'm sure you
do too, because again, both dieticians here, but around food a lot
is my
clients will,
both on clients and on Instagram. A lot of the questions I get is, oh, well, should I
start eating,
you know,
omega three rich foods in that, uh,
premenstrual kind
of ramp up?
And I mean, the answer is yes, it's
not going to hurt. In fact, it's, it's
lovely to add in. However, if you are filling the rest of your plate up
with, you know, More processed
foods
or less
whole foods or uh, foods that are not really serving your body, or if you're, again, more in a, a diet culture mindset or
a cutting calories or are restricting, adding in that omega
three rich food in the endo luteal phase
likely isn't gonna move the
needle so much.
And that's where, again, understanding how to
fuel yourself fully And through an abundance mindset is always step one. And then we can start to talk about different seeds or vegetables or products to bring in at
the different
cycle
phases.
Abbie: Yes, exactly. I totally agree. And I
was having so
much caffeine and I've
shared this on my Instagram.
I was
having so much caffeine to study for
my RD exam, and I'm not proud of this, but I need
to,
I need to be honest.
I was having so much
Amanda: let it out.
Abbie: I'd be wired
all day. I would need
to take Benadryl to fall asleep
and then I'd be so tired. 'cause we know
Benadryl just makes us feel so drowsy
in the morning and almost hung over in a sense. I'd have to have even more caffeine the next day to wake me up. because I'm like, I need to
study for the RD exam.
And it was horrible on my
body. And that coupled with the stress
of studying
for the
exam.
Amanda: yeah,
Abbie: I mean,
my period was so late breaking out
so bad.
GI
symptoms up the wazoo. It was
a.
It was a horrible experience and uh, I felt like I was
choosing health in a lot of ways
'cause I was meal prepping and I was moving my body and I was listening to myself.
But in that sense, I, I wasn't
listening to myself
and my body really took a hit. And y'all know that
I'm not about
restrictions and
all foods
fit, however. I am
about intuitive eating. I am about listening
to your body's
cues and responding
out of care, love, and respect for yourself. And that
was
an example of
me listening to my body's
cues.
I knew my
body wasn't responding to the
caffeine well, but I
suppressed
those cues and I wasn't responding to my body's cues out of care, love and respect for myself.
So now
I have really taken a step back from caffeine intake. and It
it was rough at first
and I
basically went
cold Turkey and now I'm
starting to
loop in some matcha.
Um,
And you have some green tea there, and
I know you love your maas, and I miss, I miss having macho with you in New York City. I miss our
Amanda: I know. Come back.
Abbie: Oh, I know. I really need to, I, I do
miss
the city sometimes.
I don't miss the
cockroaches, but I do miss the people and just, you know, the vibe of the
city. I do miss that. And obviously
the matches. So that has been so helpful
For
me. And my
last cycle was
on time,
amazing.
Less breakouts, and I feel so good. I have so much more
energy
and I'm like,
wow, like speaking to what
you were talking
about, I
didn't really
have to change a lot,
Amanda: Mm-hmm.
Abbie: to ask
myself, okay,
what is, if I could just do one thing or
what is the thing that's really affecting
my hormones the most?
And I was like,
the, the
common denominator for me,
the rate limiting step
was the caffeine
intake.
Amanda: Yeah. I, I so hear you. I got off, I still do my
matcha, but I got off coffee, uh, I think about a year and a half ago too,
because it just, it was that thing that was really
making my cramps more
painful. Um, and there's interesting
and, and
some
conflicting research on that, but similarly, it's like when you start
to
pinpoint one or two things, alcohol for me too,
I stopped
drinking.
I. Almost two years ago now too, just because I realized it wasn't serving my body and
I didn't like the way I felt anymore when I drank it, and I didn't like how it was interacting with my
hormones
and my cycle.
So again, it's, it's having the foundations, but then also
recognizing there might be, you know, that one factor that your body is
really
sensitive to.
And I also talk to my
clients about that with travel. And when we, when we're traveling,
when we, disrupt our routine like that, when we go into a
different time zone, especially,
it's stressful on the body, And as a result, your cycle
might be
totally
off that month, and that's okay. It's not that you did
something wrong, right?
It's not about the judgment there. If you had the coffee and the Benadryl, it's not that you're judging yourself or that you're,
you know,
angry.
It's rather
like, okay, I have more information about what
works for
me and what doesn't, and I now know how to move forward,
um, either to better support myself
or now support myself given the reaction that it had
to x, y, and
Z.
Right?
Abbie: Yes. And I really
needed to
employ that for sure, for myself. I needed to show myself some more warmth and understanding and I'm so
happy that it, 'cause
I'm feeling so much better now.
It feels
good.
Amanda: I, I do wanna nod to,
'cause I get asked about
it
a lot and
this
is one
that's not
backed by
research, so I like to be clear about that. But if you're someone who especially is
not cycling, um, or you have really irregular
cycles, then from a more.
Functional
medicine perspective and also
different
cultural wisdom practices. Um, you
can start
to look
into potentially different
moon phases and seed cycling. So again, that's like a whole other topic, but just wanna put it out there too, because it is something that is recommended depending
on what practitioner you're going to around, uh, sinking to your cycle with irregular
periods.
Abbie: Okay. Great. Yeah, and if people have more specific
questions on
that too, please,
you
know, message
Amanda and I,
'cause we have
both. Walked clients through that with the
face
of the moon and seed cycling too.
So
yeah, please, you know, message all of
us and we're linking up Amanda's,
you know, Instagram website, all the things for
Amanda in the show notes.
So definitely check that out. Follow
her. Um, is there anything
that you're promoting right now or, because I know you have your practice as well.
Amanda: Yeah. So I mean, as you know,
I, I, Only work with women who are trying to support their hormones. So this is what I do day, day in
and
day out.
Um, but with that, I'm actually coming out with a, a body
wisdom kind of mini
course at the end of
the month.
which is going to be all about aligning your life to your hormonal
phases.
So keep, keep an eye out for that. It's coming
soon.
Abbie: Solay girl.
Oh, I love that so much. Yes, we will definitely get
that in the
show notes depending on when you're listening and when you're launching, we can update the show notes as well.
Um, so we'll make sure that that's in there,
Um,
when
that
launches.
Perfect. Okay.
Amazing. And then we always end our episodes
with, um, what are you going to do this week to make your
week
better? Just a little something,
something from a
healthy habit or cycle
syncing
standpoint.
Amanda: Yeah,
so like I mentioned, I'm in my luteal phase, so I am
connecting to
self. I am meditating. I've fallen off my meditation bandwagon a little
bit, so I'm bringing that back in. Gonna make it a point today, and I've
been
like really craving chocolate, which I think I
said that already earlier
in the episode.
So it's on my mind. So I'm gonna be getting
some chocolate
and enjoying that fully.
Abbie: Yes, as you should, girl. Oh, I love it. Well, thank you so much for being
with us today, Amanda. I
really appreciate you and your wisdom, and your inner
wisdom because when
you do that for
yourself, I mean, you
can't help anyone transform, past what
you have gone through
yourself. So thank
you so much for leaning in, getting curious with yourself, going through these transformations 'cause it's not easy
and working on healing
because you have
so
much wisdom to provide all of us.
So thank you so much.
Amanda: Thank you so much for having me, Abby.
Abbie: Love you girl. Bye.
Amanda: you. Bye.
Hey y'all. Thanks again for listening to the Be About Being Better podcast. I so appreciate you. If this episode made you laugh, smile, think about yourself or your life differently, in any way, making your life better, I empower you to share the show with three people who just like you, need to hear this message and have this type of transformation in their lives.
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