Ep. 90 | Mastering Your Menstrual Cycle

We get honest about the moments you feel “starving and crying” and explain why it often has nothing to do with laziness and everything to do with hormonal shifts across the menstrual cycle. 

We break down each phase, why ovulation is the real monthly vital sign, and how to track what’s happening so you can stop feeling like a stranger in your own body. 

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Transcript

When Periods Feel Like Hell

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Okay, real talk. How many of you have ever Googled why am I starving and crying at the same time? And then just automatically assumed that your body was broken and that there was something that needed to be fixed. Raise your hand. I'll say, yeah, okay. I did this for years. Years of thinking I was lazy or overly emotional or losing my mind when I really just had no idea. Zero idea of what phase my menstrual cycle I was in. And I vividly remember when I was a younger girl, I had like the worst menstrual cycles, but they were also irregular all over the place. I don't know, it's because if I have no idea if it was because I was leaner, I was always just like a small girl. I didn't actually start my period until my freshman year of high school. And I knew that all of my friends had started way before that. Like some of my friends had started their period in elementary school. And I thought there was something wrong with me that I was behind in my puberty and maturing and all of the things. And that wasn't the case. Everyone is just on their own journeys with that, but it made me feel like, what the heck is going on? But when I did start it, I noticed that my periods were so bad. There were times where I would have to go home because I was dry, like dry heaving. I felt so sick to my stomach, my cramps were so bad. I was just felt actually awful. I remember one time I texted my mom and I was like, Mom, I have to go home. And so she called the school, the the school let me leave. Um, but I was like on the way home, I was driving. I think this was my sophomore year, maybe, or my junior year of I think junior year of high school. I was driving, and on the way home, I was like, oh my gosh, like my cramps were so bad. The whole time I was like, I don't know how I'm gonna make it home, I don't know how I'm gonna make it home. The drive home was like 10 minutes from school to the house. And as soon as I got home, I opened the door, I flung open the door, I went in the grass, and like I just started dry heaving. Like that's how I felt. And my mom ended up giving me like a really strong painkiller from my dad's medicine cabinet that he had because he obviously battled cancer for many, many years, and so we had this cabinet underneath the sink that had so many prescription drugs, like every prescription drug you could probably think of. And my mom was like, take this, it'll help you. It was it was literally like a pain, a painkiller, and the painkiller immediately knocked me out, woke up, felt so much better. I'm not recommending anybody do

Why Cycle Awareness Changes Everything

SPEAKER_00 2:44

this. Obviously, this is why we're going over cycle, menstrual cycle, just mastering your menstrual cycle so that you can understand your body and understand what your body actually needs in the different phases of your cycle, and then also just on a day-by-day basis, because a lot of our daily habits and lifestyle directly impact our hormones. And so I just want to dive deep into it's not like the period 101 version that you got in sixth grade health class sex ed, which actually taught you nothing but the real version, why ovulation is very important, what symptoms are normal in each phase, versus red flags, and how to actually track this so you stop feeling like a stranger inside of your own body, two weeks about it every

The Four Menstrual Cycle Phases

SPEAKER_00 3:31

month. So let's get into the four different phases. I want to break these down for you because most women think that their period, their cycle is just the week I bleed, and then some vague nothingness in between, but that is not it at all. When I have with my clients, I have them tell me what exact day they are in their menstrual cycle. And some of them, when they first come to me, they're like, I genuinely don't know. And so this is like one of the first things that we work on because I need to know where you're at in your menstrual cycle because some weeks you're you're high on your high horse, and then some weeks you're like, How do I actually want to rip everything apart and tear my whole life down? And I always know when I scroll down into where are you at in your menstrual cycle in the abnormalities? It's luteal phase, about to start, period. So I can typically tell where my clients are at in their menstrual cycle before I even get to them telling me, just based off of their check-in and them spiraling, crashing out. So we have four distinct phases, and each has its own system essentially, or mechanisms that are going on, and each one can make you feel like a slightly different person. We have like four personalities, guys. It's okay. It's okay. You're not crazy. So phase one is the menstrual phase. This is day one through anywhere between three to seven. Everybody's menstrual cycle links are different, and anywhere from three to seven is a normal menstrual or a normal period bleed window. Okay. This is your period menstrual phase. This is when estrogen and progesterone are both at rock bottom here. And this is a lot of the times why you're feeling tired, not lazy, like you're actually tired. Your body just shed a lining and you're losing iron along with that blood. So that makes sense why there is low energy, lightheadedness, maybe headache, just feeling overall blah. This is not where you, this is not a phase where you have to push through and make so many life-altering decisions here. I will say the first couple days are a little rough for actually, I take that back. Every cycle is probably a little bit different, but I would say day one's a little blah. And then day two, I kind of start to get some energy, and I'm like, I can go to the gym and I can push hard. That is not a problem for me. I think that understanding, which we'll get into it too, how to support your body so that you can actually feel good and not like crap is very important. So we'll get into that. But for most women, they kind of deal with blah feeling meh. And that is normal. It's okay for you to feel that way. But this is not a time and place where I would be overdoing it on a lot of things, especially if your body's feeling worn down. Like, don't just be like, oh, well, I'm here. Like, I can just screw off and not do anything and blah, blah, blah. Go based off your body's specific symptoms because everybody's bodies are wildly different. And so do not follow a blanket piece of advice whenever we all have our own symptoms. Phase two, this is your follicular phase. This actually starts on day one, too. So this overlaps with your menstrual phase, your period. And it runs into about day 13, 14, depending on your typical cycle length. If you it's like about the halfway or midway point, or even a little bit earlier or later than the midway point, it really just depends on your body. We are all incredibly different. Like I mentioned, this is why tracking your cycle, your temperatures, and all the things are important, and we'll get into that. But here or there, depending on your length, this is it'll go about to that length. So your brain releases FSH, which is follicle stimulating hormone, and that tells your ovaries, hey, grow some follicles. We've got an egg ready to prep. And as this phase goes on, estrogen climbs steadily. So this is why when you are you finish your period and you're getting into this phase, you may start to feel some more energy. And this is because our estrogen's climbing. Women feel their best typically at this point. We have more energy, better mood, sharper focus, easier time, building muscle, pushing hard in the chin, in the gym, just having overall better recovery. And actually, appetite is typically lower here as well. Another thing, too, to mention in all of these phases is like where your what happens with weight and water retention. In follicular phase, we notice like our weight is more stable, more steady here. And in the on your period, could be a little bit higher for a couple of days just because water retention, we're bloated, we got a lot going on in the uterus. But um, that is phase two, follicular phase. And then when we get into phase three, this is ovulation. So this is like roughly that happens right after the follicular phase. So it could be day 14, 15, but I do want you to let go of a specific number because, like I said, it varies person to person, and it is very dependent on your temperature rising, how your body actually goes through the cycle, and when your specific body ovulates. Everybody's different. There's no specific number that you need to be like, oh, this day I should have ovulated. No, this is why it's important to track your trends. We'll talk a bit about this. I'm getting out of myself. But ovulation is triggered by a surge in LH, which is your luteinizing hormone, which tells the ovary to release the egg. Estrogen peaks right before this happened. So some women may feel like a spike in energy, a libido spike, which is exactly what is supposed to happen. Our bodies are designed for this to happen because our bodies are designed for reproduction. So you're like, oh, I'm feeling spicy. No, that ovulation window is there. Maybe even a little pelvic twinge. And I know I get this like little twinge. Um, and it's called middle schmers, and this is where the egg actually releases. So you can know when you feel that you're in that fertile window. And the fertile window is real narrow, about five to six days ending the day after ovulation. So the window for fertility is in that ovulation window. So it can be a couple days before ovulation and then a couple days after. So really, really, really getting in tune with your body is going to be super important to know. Okay, if you're wanting to get pregnant, these are the days that I could that conception could happen. Or if you're like, I want to avoid pregnancy, these are the days I need to avoid. Let's see here. Okay, getting into phase four, which is the luteal phase. Everybody hates the luteal phase. We all hate it. And this is the back half. So this happens after ovulation. And this is where I really want you to lock in because this is the phase that almost nobody understands, and it's the one that's causing the most confusion and blame and just not feeling right in your body. So what happens is after you ovulate, the follicle that released the egg turns into something called the corpus luteum. And that structure, that specific thing, starts pumping out progesterone. And progesterone is the dominant hormone of the second half of your menstrual cycle. It raises your core body temperature, it can actually cause water retention, increases your appetite, and I mean it actually increases like this is biology. And this is not like a willpower problem. This is not, oh my gosh, like why am I so hungry? Your metabolic rate is slightly elevated here, okay? And your body actually does want more fuel. So this is a real thing. Your metabolic rate, so how many calories you just burn at rest? This is slightly elevated because your body wants more fuel, because it is preparing for a potential pregnancy, okay? And towards the very end of this phase, if you did not get pregnant, both estrogen and progesterone crash, and that crash is what triggers your period. And also a lot of the PMS symptoms that you have the mood swings, the feeling very down, the feeling like you need to chew your partner out, the irritability, the I do not even recognize myself, like your thoughts are so crazy. And I know a lot of women experience PMDD, but that could be a whole separate episode. But all these things you're feeling are very, very much aligned with just what the hormonal shifts that are going on inside your body. So that is the whole cycle, the four different phases, the different hormonal environments, and how your body responds in each different

Why Ovulation Matters For Hormones

SPEAKER_00 13:03

one. I want to go back a little bit to the talking about ovulation because this piece gets kind of pushed to the side when we're talking about fertility and hormone health. But this is the one thing that I actually care most about you walking away with understanding. And everyone talks about it like it's just the fertility thing, like it only matters if you're trying to get pregnant or trying not to, but that is just a very small piece of why ovulation actually matters. So your ovary does not make meaningful progesterone until after you ovulate. I know I said this a second ago, but I really need you to sit with it because progesterone is one of the most important hormones, specifically in this luteal phase, and this can help a lot with having sufficient progesterone can help a lot with a lot of the PMS that one may be facing. If we're not ovulating, that can be a reason why you feel the way you do. So obviously, like I said, the corpus luteum that is left behind after the egg gets released, that is your progesterone factory for the month. If you do not ovulate, then that factory never opens, which means no progesterone or little progesterone that cycle. And progesterone is the hormone that acts synergistically with estrogen. It helps you balance out estrogen. It is the buffer. Without it, you can end up with what's called estrogen dominance or unopposed estrogen. And that's when you get the brutal luteal phases, the periods that are from hell, I just want to say, or that they don't show up on time irregular, or the PMS that feels so terrible. I'm talking about the insomnia in night. I'm talking about the constant bloating, the irritability, all of that. So the period specifically does not confirm that you have ovulated. You can bleed without ever ovulating that month. And that is called an anovulatory cycle, and it is far, far more common than people think. And so, yes, having a regular period is what we want. But if you're not ovulating, this could be a telltale sign of why infertility may be going on or why your PMS may be exacerbated. So, and also too, it is very, I just want to preface that it is also very common with PMOS, it is common with undereating, overtraining, with chronic stress, and nervous system dysregulation. And I just want to tell you that I lived this because I lost my period for almost two years, almost two years during my competitive bodybuilding cycle, between the training volume and going back and forth between cutting and bulking. And when it eventually did come back, it took a long time before it was actually a real ovulatory cycle where I was actually ovulating again versus just a bleed because my body bleed because my body had estrogen built up and had nowhere to go. Um that did not make sense. What I meant to say is when it did come back, it was it took a while to have to actually be able to ovulate because my body, because the bleed was just my body just throwing out estrogen that was been that had been built up and had nowhere to go. And so I was like, oh, I'm having a period. Yes, I was having a period, but was not actually ovulating. And so this is why I always say test and do not guess, actually check. There's ovulation strips. There are, you know, having an aura ring, natural cycles, taking your temperature, because a period showing up is not the same thing as having a healthy menstrual cycle. Ovulation specifically is the vital sign that alongside your bleed is your body's monthly report card on whether it feels safe enough, fed enough, regulated enough to be able to have a period and reproduce. And whether or not fertility and having a baby is your goal, that safety signal still matters for every other system in your body, too. So I want to explain how to actually track this and get

How To Track Ovulation Reliably

SPEAKER_00 17:26

to the bottom of this. So if ovulation is the main event, then how do we know that it's actually happening? Most period tracking apps are just guessing off a calendar average. Day one, add 28, boom, there's your fertile window. And the reality is that is just a prediction. And the only way to really know is to have something like I mentioned, like an aura ring, natural cycles, tracking different things. So these are some of the things that can actually confirm ovulation. So there are things called ovulation predict predictor kits, and these can detect the LH surge directly. Now, this does mean you have to pee on a little thing every single day, different times, but it is the most accurate representation. And this shows, like I said, the LH surge, which is the hormonal trigger for ovulation. This is where we get the most data. This is not an estimate. The other thing that we can, and an uh what's the Anito? Anito is how you is something you can use for that. I like that. It's an app, and you like put it inside this thing, you pee on the thing, and it gives you the information that you are looking for. Next thing basal body temperature. Your temperature rises slightly after you ovulate because progesterone raises your core body temperature. So if you're tracking your temperature every single morning before you get out of bed at the same time, you can actually see the shift and confirm after the fact that ovulation has happened. It's it's very, it's a lot of it's after the fact confirming, but it is still confirmation that ovulation is occurring. So it could be helpful to see trends over time. Like, okay, I am ovulating. That is not the issue here. Next thing you can track cervical mucus changes. So around ovulation, it shifts to that egg white, more stretchy consistency. And so that's just another way you can see. And then as far as apps go, there are some of the most like basic ones that I've heard of are clue and flow, which are solid for general cycle awareness and logging your symptoms. But if you want confirmed ovulation and not just guessing, I would look into natural cycles and/or aura ring. You can sync those up together. But honestly, my aura ring has been so accurate my whole time that I've had it. So it's been great to have my aura ring because it does track your basal body temperature, which is nice. But my honest take on the ovulation and tracking that as well is actually tracking the temp, the LH strip, and paying attention to your mucus because getting all of the information is better than just one little piece. I wouldn't let an ABS calendar prediction kind of replace what your body is telling you, like the actual data from your temperature and the cervical mucus. So that is where I would start when it does come to how to track this and just make sure that whatever you do decide to use that you know, okay, this is either more accurate or not accurate. I'm just putting all the pieces together for you. And I do want to just say this clearly and specifically if you're on hormonal birth hormonal birth control, then none of this is going to apply the same way because the pill suppresses ovulation entirely. So what you're getting on the pill is a withdrawal bleed and not a real menstrual cycle. And that is a whole separate conversation, but I don't anyone anyone don't want anyone to think that their pill cycle is giving them the same information because it's because it's completely different. This is specifically for women who are tracking their menstrual cycle without using hormonal birth control.

Normal Symptoms Versus Red Flags

SPEAKER_00 21:16

So I briefly want to talk about more in depth on the symptoms of each phase because it can feel like you're losing your mind. Um, I want you to be able to look at how you're feeling on a given day and go, oh, that's just where I'm at my cycle, instead of, oh my gosh, what is wrong with me? So in that menstrual phase, so that first phase where your bleed happens, obviously low energy fatigue, blood, and iron loss, maybe some lightheadedness, headache, and then obviously cramping happens from the prostaglandin is making your uterus contract. So your body is doing a lot of physiologically demanded. Things here. And I just want you to take note and be aware of this. And then when we get into follicular phase, so this is typically the best window because estrogen is rising, better mood, more energy, sharper, sharper mental clarity. And I've already kind of talked about this, but pushing training intensity, planning things, working harder in your actual careers, you have a better relationship, easier relationship with appetite and food because you're a little bit more regulated. If you're going to schedule something hard, like a big launch, if you're like a business owner or a something that is a little bit more taxing on your body, this is where you would want to do that because your body can handle the stress a little bit better. Ovulation obviously is a short period of time, but you can get a libido spike, you can get a little cramp, like I talked about, feel unusually good and social and want to talk someone's ear off for two or three days out of nowhere. And that's why, because estrogen is rising, it's our body's like, yes, peak time for us. So luteal phase. There's a lot going on here. Because press progesterone is rising, this is gonna come with water retention. So if the scale jumps a couple pounds here, that is water, that is not fat. I need everybody to listen that is listening to this to understand that your body temperature runs higher, so you could be hotter at night, your appetite increases, your body wants to conserve energy, so you want to rest more, not do as much, all the things irritability, feeling like a stranger in your body, all of that. So I just wanted to break this down just to tell you like this pattern and understanding this pattern is so helpful. Whenever you're in the luteal phase and you can see the scale go up and you're hungrier than usual, and your mood feels off, and you can look at that and go, okay, this is expected, this is normal, this is data, versus a woman who's never been taught any of this, just feels like she's completely falling apart, cutting food more, maybe doubting herself, second-guessing every aspect of her life, all in response to this completely predictable thing. If she had she known where she was in her cycle. So obviously, I want you to take away that from this, that ovulation is just as important as the period itself. And two, that fertility and all of these things that come alongside your cycle are so much more broader than just just okay, this is what happens in each phase of the cycle. And so being able to nourish your body during all of these times is very, very important.

How To Eat For Each Phase

SPEAKER_00 24:54

So I just want to briefly go over how to nourish the body in each phase and break it down because I feel like it's really important to understand what you can actually do to help with a lot of these things. And so when you're in that menstrual phase, I always tell my clients eating red meat because we want to be replacing iron, leafy greens, so things like spinach, a lot of vitamin C foods, magnesium glycinate is really helpful for cramping, just feeling a little bit more relaxed nervous system regulation help. And also, I like to incorporate turmeric. If you're somebody that deals with cramping, this can help. It's a I don't like using anti-inflammatories, but this is a more natural anti-inflammatory that you can use. And it seems to be really, really helpful for cramps and just overall lowering inflammation. Another thing too, warm, easy-to-digest foods sit better in your stomach than cold like smoothies or raw heavy foods. So think things like sweet potato and turkey and anything that's warm, heated up, I would do less like frozen things, frozen fruit, smoothies, cold drinks, stuff like that. So that is menstrual, menstrual phase. Obviously, getting in higher amounts of vitamin C can help too. So things like citrusy fruits, bell peppers, and um there's something that I was missing in the menstrual phase. No. And it's like hot tea can also be good as well. Then we get into ovulation. I would some things that you can do to help kind of if there's an excess amount of estrogen, which can happen, do a little bit more of cruciferous vegetables, healthy fats, avocado, olive oil, and then just staying on top of fiber overall here, because sometimes women kind of get a little constipated during the ovulation window, and so keeping that high, keeping the fiber high to help with detoxification there. And then we get into luteal phase. So this is where we want to actually nourish our body because our progesterone is raising metabolic rate, some complex carbs can help with that. So thinking things like sweet potatoes, red potatoes, vegetables, fruits, magnesium-rich foods, um, things like dark leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate. I tell all of my clients, dark chocolate is our bestie during this during this phase because it can help us with um water retention, mood dips, the cramping, all the things that tend to show up in the luteal phase. So the biggest thing I want you to take away from all this is like we should be always prioritizing the most whole nutrient dense foods and really nourishing our body in such a way so that whenever we do enter our enter the different phases that our body is feeling overall nourished all around. So getting fiber, making sure eating enough protein, making sure you're going poop every day. This is crucial. Drinking enough water, staying hydrated. I think this is something that is very overlooked. And it is definitely something that we should not overlook because it is very, very important. And I just wanted to make sure that that is in there. Also, sleep, like not staying up so late, and all the things that I just preach about lifestyle should be what you actually incorporate here as well.

Final Takeaways And Questions

SPEAKER_00 28:45

So I hope you guys got some good information from this. And if you have any questions about what you're doing or what's going on in your menstrual cycle, let me know. Would love to love to help in any way I can. So I appreciate you guys for listening, and I'll see you in the next episode. Bye.