Periods 101

Lets talk about ‘em!

A female goes through a monthly hormone cycle in which we are preparing to get pregnant, we then don’t get pregnant and then we reset and our body sheds the old and repeats the cycle. This is common knowledge- However lets deep dive into the phases of our period we go through and how we can implement more healthy and happiness.

Menstruation

This is Day 1 of our Period to the last day, which is typically two to six days. The uterus is shedding its lining and clearing out all the old, in turn this may determine the blood color during this time. Estrogen and Progesterone are lowest at this point.

For most women this would be a winter kinda of dormancy, where your tired, fatigued and genuinely feeling moody and or in pain. Some women feel much better on their periods because they experience intense PMS symptoms the week before and may consider this time a spring.

Every woman’s cycle is very specific to her, her genetics, her diet and hormones (so keep an open mind with how things may pertain to your body).

Right now, the research shows that we have the same amount of strength and energy during our periods than any other cycle time, however women’s biology studies are still in progress and we cannot for sure say this is a fact.

Follicular

This is the first phase off your period, first day of no bleeding. Estrogen starts to rise, releasing more FSH and the uterine lining begins to build back up.

This is typically what most women would feel as their spring, when there’s the most energy, we are feeling balanced and productive.

Ovulation

This is the phase that’s pretty set throughout your 28-35 day cycle, and the only time you ca get pregnant. Your body’s releasing an egg from the ovary, down the fallopian tube and is either implanted into the uterine lining when fertilized by sperm or it slowly dissolves.

This would be the highest amount of Estrogen in your body and typically what most women feel as their summer because they have so much energy, and generally positive emotions.

Luteal

This is the last phase before your period, or pregnancy. This is when your body prepares for possible pregnancy so your estrogen and progesterone stays elevated until that pregnancy or menses.

This is typically what most women experience as a fall because they will feel very lethargic and the PMS symptoms start to spike. According to some studies most women consume more calories in this phase because our energy expenditure rises by about 10% (again there are not enough studies to confirm or deny this). This phase is very sensitive to diet and most women find that their energy dips drastically during this time.

Though many women find they need to eat or workout a certain during each phase, we simply do not have enough studies to suggest that there will be any change in the short term. Some women like myself, have a very strict diet during this phase to influence the PMS symptoms they feel at this time, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

Working with a hormone expert is always the path to take if you want to honor your female body and truly connect with how your body functions.

Next, I’d like to go over just two imbalances that are common and may need to be looked into.

Estrogen Dominance Effects:

Fibrocystic breasts, weight gain, heavy/irregular periods, mood swings

(If this sounds like you absolutely do blood work with a doctor or you could try a diet that combats estrogen dominance)

Low Progesterone Effects:

Irritability/Emotional, Breast Tenderness, Clots in menses blood, Short periods, Anxiety/Depression, Insomnia, Inability to get pregnant.

(Again, if this sounds like you absolutely do blood work with a doctor or you could try a diet that combats estrogen dominance)

The biggest recommendation with our beautiful female bodies is to steer away from birth controls, stay away from yoyo dieting and stay away from toxic chemicals. Our bodies are temples and the maker of life and we should be treating them with that much love and care every single day.

That being said everyone’s body is different and what works for you, may not with another, we have the freedom to choose what’s right for our body, let’s just make sure we are listening to it.