What’s in it for me? Tune into your hormonal cycle for a healthier and happier life.
What if you were told that planning your life around your menstrual cycle could help you transform your health, your relationship, and your career?
For many women, this might sound bizarre and entirely inconvenient.
But when you really stop to think about it, the idea makes perfect sense.
Women’s bodies operate on a 28-day cycle that is split into four distinct hormonal phases.
As your hormones fluctuate throughout the month, so do your energy levels, your sex drive, and your metabolism.
Hormones even affect the female brain; depending on where you are in your cycle, your mind may be crystal clear one day and foggy the next.
So why not use this knowledge to schedule your projects for the days when your creativity and energy levels are at their best – and your nights in for times when your mind and body could use a little TLC?
In these blinks, you’ll find out how to optimize your life by letting your body’s natural “FLO” guide your time, diet, relationships, and career.
You’ll also discover why women often neglect their hormonal health; how your menstrual cycle affects – well, everything; and the ways diet can curb cravings and help you shed those last few pounds.
Improving your health involves changing the way you think and talk about your body.
For many women, getting their monthly period is nothing short of inconvenient.
They have to deal with cramps, mood swings, and an increased desire to dive into the cookie jar.
To top it all off, they also feel the pressure to carry on with their days as normal, as if their symptoms didn’t matter.
Sadly, women have been conditioned to avoid talking about their bodily functions; topics like periods aren’t always welcome in everyday conversation.
Advertising and the media are partially to blame for this: the language used by TV commercials, brands, and even women’s health magazines often depict menstruation as something dirty or shameful that women should hide away and deal with in private.
Sex education also negatively influences the way we think and talk about the female body – something the author has seen for herself.
Even as a teenager, she remembers being shocked at the language used to describe the female reproductive system in her biology textbook.
Whereas the male testes were characterized as an efficient “powerhouse” of production, the ovaries were described as passive bystanders that were just hanging out and waiting to release an egg.
Unsurprisingly, the hero of the story was the sperm that risked its life to find the egg and, ultimately, make the magic happen.
After analyzing these descriptions closely, the author realized that women were always being painted as the weaker sex – even on the level of biology.
No wonder they considered their menstrual cycles something to be ashamed of, rather than something to celebrate!
The problems of this go deeper, too.
A lot of women assume that their menstrual cycles are unimportant, which makes them neglect their hormonal health.
For example, women struggling with issues such as unwanted weight gain, PMS, or acne breakouts look to detox teas, crash diets, and fitness experts before stopping to consider whether their cycle is functioning correctly.
The reluctance of many women to take care of their menstrual health comes back to crummy, sexist sex ed.
But, it’s also closely linked to taboos and myths surrounding female periods.
We’ll take a closer look at this in the next blink.
Myths and misinformation prevent women from receiving adequate care.
Let’s cut to the chase: there’s so much misinformation about menstruation out there that makes women feel out of tune with their own bodies.
It’s time to set the record straight.
A common myth that many women buy into is that premenstrual syndrome, or PMS – which includes symptoms like mood swings, bloating, and acne breakouts – is just a normal inconvenience, like everyday aches and pains.
It’s not.
In fact, the National Institute of Health’s BioCycle Study shows that severe PMS symptoms that are left untreated actually lead to a greater risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and dementia in post-menopausal women.
A big part of the problem is that PMS symptoms, like pain and cramps, often aren’t taken seriously.
More than half of menstruating women say they struggle with period pain for one to two days each month – and, more often than not, they’re told to “just deal with it.
” To put into perspective just how ludicrous this is, let’s consider how we handle other illnesses.
For example, when we have a cold, we’re told to pop painkillers and vitamin C supplements, get more rest, and perhaps stay home from work.
So why isn’t the same care and advice given to women with period-related symptoms?
There are a lot of reasons, but a big one is the medical community’s attitude toward women’s health issues.
The 2010 report "Chronic Pain in Women: Neglect, Dismissal, and Discrimination" revealed that health care professionals often dismiss women who complain of pain as “hysterical” or “oversensitive.
” Shrugging off women’s experiences is damaging for a number of reasons: not only does it make women feel like suffering is just a natural part of their lives, but it also prevents them from seeking help.
The consequence?
Hormone-related conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis, dysmenorrhea, and many others are left untreated.
These experiences are something that the author is all too familiar with.
After seven years of being told that her problems were “all in her head,” she did her own research into her symptoms.
After connecting the dots, she realized that she was suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome – something her doctor had never even considered looking into.
As a menstruating woman, there may be times when you’ll have difficulty getting people to hear you out.
The best thing you can do to take charge of your health is to understand, and get in tune with, the way that your own body works.
Two inner clocks govern women’s biological processes.
Ever wondered how we fall asleep and wake up again in the morning?
Well, that’s down to our circadian rhythm – our internal body clock that keeps all our biological processes in check.
Our circadian rhythm is set by the cycle of light and dark over 24 hours, and it plays a key role in things like brain waves, hormone production, and cell growth.
When this rhythm is disrupted, a lot of processes get thrown off – sleeping, waking, digestive systems, you name it.
That leads to problems such as insomnia, weight gain, and depression.
While living in time with your circadian clock is crucial, women should also spare a thought for another clock: their 28-Day infradian rhythm.
This second biological clock is tied to your monthly menstrual cycle.
It kicks in the first time you get your period and continues until you reach menopause.
In women’s bodies, both of these clocks are tightly linked: their 28-day menstrual cycle influences their 24-hour circadian rhythm, and vice versa.
For example, fluctuations in your hormones during your 28-day cycle can affect your body temperature, your heart rate, and your sleep patterns.
On the other hand, if your 24-hour clock is out of whack, you may experience menstrual problems such as irregular periods and longer bleeds.
For many women, living out of sync with their circadian and infradian rhythms can wreak havoc on their mental, physical, and hormonal well-being.
According to the author, ignoring their menstrual cycles is one reason so many women suffer from hormone-related conditions.
Take polycystic ovary syndrome, which affects 5 million women – or endometriosis, which afflicts one in ten people during their reproductive years.
To live a happy and healthy life, women must tune into their second clock and nurture it with phase-specific self-care: working with their bodies’ cyclical hormonal patterns to optimize their health.
A decade ago, the author developed a specific protocol for doing just that, called The Cycle Syncing Method.
We’ll take a closer look in the next blink.
Awareness of your monthly cycle’s four hormonal phases can offer incredible benefits.
If you want to harness the power of your monthly cycle, you first need to understand it.
Let’s start with the basics.
During your menstrual cycle, your body goes through four hormonal phases – follicular, ovulatory, luteal, and menstrual.
Each has its own challenges and rewards.
The follicular phase begins on the first day of your cycle, directly after your bleed ends.
It lasts 7–10 days.
In this phase, your ovaries prepare to release an egg and estrogen starts to rise, which helps the uterus replenish its lining so that it can host the egg later on.
The rise in hormones has a positive effect on your brain chemistry.
You may feel a surge of inspiration and creativity, and a willingness to experience new things.
This makes sense – after all, the follicular phase marks a new beginning for your body.
This is the time to consider what you want from life and to set good intentions for the month ahead.
Next comes the ovulatory phase, which usually lasts 3–4 days.
During this time, the egg passes from the fallopian tube to the uterus.
At this point, the uterine lining has grown lush, ready to cushion the egg as it awaits fertilization.
At the same time, estrogen levels peak, triggering luteinizing hormone and testosterone.
These stimulate the verbal and social centers of your brain, which might make you feel more open and communicative.
Take advantage of this sudden urge to be social by striking up a conversation with that business contact you’ve been meaning to reach out to – or even that person in the office you’ve been admiring for a while!
The luteal phase, which usually lasts 10–14 days, is next.
At the start of the luteal phase, estrogen and progesterone levels are at their highest.
Their job is to signal to the body to keep its uterine lining in case the egg becomes fertilized.
They also optimize your brain chemistry for task and detail orientation.
Got a project that needs finishing?
Now is the time to do it.
If fertilization doesn’t happen, hormone levels drop in the latter half of the luteal phase; your uterine lining is shed, and your menstrual phase begins.
This is the time to look inward, rest, reflect, and nurture yourself.
To avoid feeling drained and irritated during this time, be sure to speak up for yourself, set firm boundaries, and say “no” to other people’s demands.
Elevate your energy and improve productivity with the POWR approach.
Considering that our biological systems fluctuate in response to our hormones, it doesn’t make much sense to adopt a routine that’s the same, day in, day out.
Instead of choosing a one-size-fits-all approach, why not try seizing POWR?
POWR stands for Prepare, Open up, Work, and Rest.
As an approach, it’s all about matching your activities with the phases of your cycle – starting with the follicular phase, which is the “prepare” stage.
This can help you accomplish more with less effort.
It just takes a bit of planning.
Before the author started syncing her schedule with her menstrual cycle, she would push herself to the point of exhaustion to get a major deadline out of the way and then simply deal with the health consequences afterwards.
But once she started practicing POWR, she had much more energy to tackle the challenges life was throwing at her.
Instead of sticking to a rigid routine, she started to pay attention to her energy levels and play to the strengths of each phase of her cycle.
For example, she started planning all her big meetings and social gatherings for her ovulatory phase – the “open up” stage – as this is when her creativity and communication skills are at their peak.
A few days before her period, when her body prepares to transition from the luteal – or “work” – phase to the menstrual – or “rest” – phase, she stops for a second and takes stock of her to-do list.
Instead of embarking on new projects, she picks two or three things that absolutely have to get done and then moves everything else to another day.
All living things go through the same process of activity, rest, expansion, and retraction.
For example, farmers know that they need to rotate their crops and allow the harvested soil to restore itself – otherwise, it won’t yield anything the next time around.
So, if you’re on your period one week – feeling low, swollen, and generally a little crappy – consider curling up with a book.
Then, when the time comes to cultivate an idea, expand your knowledge, or perhaps make your next bold career move, you’ll be rested and ready to go.
Take care of your body with nutrition that supports the phases of menstruation.
For many people that start a diet, the process often goes something like this: they cut out their favorite foods, slash their caloric consumption, and turn to intensive exercise to help them sweat off the pounds.
Not only does this make them miserable, but it also causes many women to have menstruation problems – such as loss of their period or increased PMS.
The result?
They gain all the weight back and beat themselves up for failing.
But diets that don’t take women’s hormonal fluctuations into consideration are doomed to fail from the start.
That’s why the author recommends the Cycle Syncing Method, which she calls the ultimate “undiet.
” The basic idea is to eat in sync with your cycle, rotating foods as you pass through each phase to support the hormonal changes your body is experiencing.
So, let’s start from the top.
In the follicular phase, your body needs fresh, light, energizing foods that will help it prepare for what’s ahead.
Think salads containing kimchi and sauerkraut, veggies like zucchini and carrots, lean proteins such as chicken and trout, and energy-sustaining grains like oats.
In the ovulatory phase, estrogen levels are at their highest, which means you’ll already be filled with natural energy.
However, this surge of estrogen can have some less-than-ideal symptoms, such as acne.
To help your liver metabolize this excess estrogen, fill up with fruits and veggies like tomatoes, spinach, raspberries, and strawberries – and opt for lighter grains, such as quinoa and corn.
To support your body through the luteal phase – when your metabolism naturally speeds up – you’ll need to up your calories and increase your intake of B vitamins, which will help stabilize your blood-sugar levels and manage your cravings.
Try adding cooked leafy greens, such as watercress, to every meal to boost your Bs.
Opt for natural sugars, like baked root veggies, and complex carbs, like millet, to further help with sugar cravings.
Finally, when it’s time to begin your menstrual phase, up your intake of protein and healthy fats, which will help you beat the blues as your hormone levels drop.
Also, try to focus on nutrient-dense foods such as red meat, kidney beans, and buckwheat to nourish your body as your energy levels decline.
Improve your sex life by syncing your orgasm with your cycle.
In the same way that your hormonal changes affect everything, from your energy levels and immune system to your cognitive function, they also impact your interest in sex, your ability to get aroused, and the intensity of your orgasm.
Some days, you might find that you’re just not feeling it; you may need more foreplay to get you aroused, or you may just take longer to climax.
There’s no need to worry about this, though – your biochemistry is just doing its thing.
The more you know about how your menstrual cycle affects your sex drive, the more primed for sexual pleasure – and orgasm – you’ll be.
During the follicular stage, your sex hormones – estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone – are low.
Because of this, your vagina may not be as wet as it is at other times of the month.
So to optimize your orgasm during this so-called “dry phase,” simply reach for a lubricant.
As this is a time of new beginnings, this is the perfect opportunity to explore new avenues of pleasure with your partner.
Consider experimenting with new positions, trying out some role-play, or maybe giving tantric massage techniques a try.
The next stage of your cycle – the ovulatory phase – is the time to really have some fun.
Due to estrogen and testosterone levels surging, you’re naturally orgasmic at this time of the month; your partner should focus on taking the time to pleasure you!
Don’t be afraid to ask clearly for what you want, verbally directing your partner if necessary.
Your sex drive will stay elevated for the first half of the luteal phase – so enjoy it while it lasts!
As your hormones start to dip in the second half of this stage, your lubrication will decrease, and your interest in sex may start to wane.
This part of the phase is best to suited to slow, intimate sex.
After that comes menstruation – a time to rest and recharge.
While some women may not feel comfortable with being physical during their monthly bleed, studies have shown that sex can help to relax the uterus and reduce cortisol, your stress hormone.
This is all down to personal preference though – only do it if it feels good.
Harness your cyclical nature to achieve your professional goals.
At one point or another, most of us have been guilty of overworking.
Whether it’s climbing the corporate ladder, running a business, or being a full-time parent, we stretch ourselves to the limit – neglecting our health in the process.
That’s what happened to Allie, an entrepreneur that the author worked with to try and get her hormones back on track.
Allie burned the candle at both ends.
Every morning, she’d wake up, do an intense workout, make a smoothie for the road, and then wash it down with a big mug of coffee as soon as she got to the office.
She worked long hours and attended dinners and networking events in the evening, squeezing in time with her boyfriend when she could.
Add in extensive traveling for work, and Allie’s life had no rhythm – it was just go, go, go, no matter what!
But when she started tuning into her cyclical energy, everything changed.
For example, during her menstrual phase, she stopped forcing herself to do heavy morning workouts that would wipe her out for the rest of the day and made sure to clock out of the office at 5:00 p.
m.
on the dot.
The result?
She felt much happier and more productive during working hours.
In an ideal world, women could plan their work schedules around their cycles to tap into the benefits of each phase.
However, this isn’t always possible.
Why?
Because most working environments operate on a consistent, nine-to-five timetable, which doesn’t take into account the ups and downs of women’s hormones and energy levels.
Fortunately, the author has come up with a process to help you stay “in the FLO” – even in a less flexible job.
First, take a look at what you have to deliver in the coming month.
Next, map out your cycle phases and pencil in projects where you have the flexibility to do so.
Then, put in nonnegotiable deadlines – no matter where they fall in your cycle phases.
If you have some nonessential tasks to do during your menstrual phase, remove them.
After that, schedule all of your team meetings – reminding yourself to bring the strengths associated with each cycle phase to the table.
For example, if you’re in the luteal phase, harness your brainstorming power and mental acuity to make big things happen.
The world of work may force women to conform to certain schedules, but by knowing your cycle inside out, you can tweak it to work for you.
Final summary
The key message in these blinks: Women are seeking to occupy more senior roles in companies, own their own businesses, and continue working while being a parent.
For that, they’ll need to find ways of nourishing and energizing themselves to ensure they’re reaching their goals.
The Cycle Syncing Method can help them do just that.
Not only is syncing with your cycle the most simple and effective way to enhance your hormonal health, it’s also a method for achieving long-term success in your career, relationships, and sex life.
Actionable advice: Identify your “energy leaks.
” Feeling more drained than usual?
Try identifying why.
Are you not getting enough sleep, or skipping meals?
Are you doing too much and not asking for help?
Take a few minutes to analyze where your time and energy are going – then plug those holes!
Got feedback?
We’d sure love to hear what you think about our content!
Just drop an email to remember@blinkist.
com with In the FLO as the subject line and share your thoughts!
What to read next: Flow, by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim You’ve just taken an in-depth look at menstruation and learned about the benefits of tapping into your body’s biological rhythm for optimal health and well-being.
But what about the history and cultural context of this vital biological process?
In Flow, authors Elissa Stein and Susan Kim unearth the cultural, social, and political history of menstruation and debunk the myths and misperceptions that people still have about periods.
They also answer nitty-gritty questions about period sex, sanitary products, and new drugs that promise to end all periods.
To open your eyes to the full scope of menstruation in culture, head over to the blinks for Flow.