The Embody your Cycle Series | Part Three

Awakening your Internal Spring

How many of you feel like an entirely different person from the time you hit luteal phase until the time your period ends?  It’s wild how two weeks can change our perspective of the world, how we view ourselves, and how we manage the people around us.  Now men, if you’ve made it here, I commend you.  It takes a lot of balls (and in my opinion a real man) to want to learn more about a woman’s cycle so you can optimize your time with your partner. Biologically, we are not the same from mid-luteal phase until we’ve awakened our internal spring.  So buckle the fuck up & let’s dive in.

Follicular phase, also known as your internal spring, begins at the end of your period, around day six or seven of your cycle, and ends right around day 14 when ovulation occurs.  During this magical time, estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone are significantly rising allowing us to feel more refreshed, joyful, and energetic.  You may also experience an increase in your sex drive which seems to nearly plummet right before your period.  If your cycle is irregular, you may notice that your follicular phase exceeds seven days due to delayed ovulation or complete lack of ovulation.  

If you like to fast to give your digestive system a little rest, this a beautiful time to whip out a 16-20 hour fast.  Our bodies are not in need of the heavy nutritional support that it requires during luteal phase and menstruation.  I find it easiest to move through a fast like this from dinner to lunch.  I will finish dinner at around 5 pm and I will not eat again until about 11 am or noon.  Now, I have not perfected this, especially since I have been working towards having protein prior to caffeine (and I find it difficult to work without a coffee or tea in the morning).  So often I will supplement with a small cup of bone broth in the morning (if you don’t have time to make your own, Kettle & Fire’s 100% grass-fed beef is my favorite).  I know that is not an ideal scientific fast, however, my body does feel as though it is getting a break.  You are the owner of your body so you choose what works and what doesn’t.  

During this season, your metabolism begins to slow down.  This means that if you are working with a more intuitive eating approach, your body will naturally resist heavier meals.   Your gut microbiome plays a significant role in your cycle during this time.  Supporting your gut not only helps you to avoid excess bloating later in your cycle, but it also helps to regulate the production of estrogen in your body which can be easily overproduced due to environmental toxins and hormone disruptors.  Consuming probiotic rich foods such as coconut yogurt, sauerkraut, and kombucha can ease bloating and support healthy hormone production.  Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower can also help to balance estrogen in the body.

Springtime is all about going out into the world and implementing all of the intentions you set for yourself during the depths of winter; so this is a beautiful time to begin a new home project, batch content, or lead a presentation.  If you are like me and have little to no social skills from the end of luteal phase through menstruation, this can be a beneficial time to reconnect with friends and family.  This can be a great season for a girl’s night out or a hot date with your partner.  Utilize this time effectively because once those sex hormones begin to drop after ovulation, your motivation to produce will follow.

I am all for slow, intentional movement, however, if you really want to spice things up, this is the season to try out a new group class, join a new gym, or hike a trail with a friend.  If you want to incorporate some cardio in your movement, i.e. incline walking, jogging, or stairs, your sex hormones are high enough to support it.  During this time, I love to get outside for a hike, even in the winter, or try out a new yoga studio in the city.  My plan for my upcoming follicular phase is to take a dance class (if anyone has any recommendations for a fun dance class in the city give me a shout).  If you haven’t been moving intentionally and you want to incorporate a new workout routine this is a beautiful time to begin and plan out a workout schedule that supports your cycle for the whole month (refer to my previous posts about intentional movement during luteal phase and menstruation).

As you continue to work with the natural rhythm of your body, you will intuitively know when it is time to relax in your nest and when it is time to fuck shit up.  Follicular phase feels like a breath of fresh air after moving through the dark depths of winter (especially during the environmental winter).  Utilize this time effectively so that you can create the space you need to cuddle back into your nest post ovulation.  If you love this series, stay tuned for part four taking place on January 29th!

xoxo

b