#menstrualawareness – Pelvic Health with Chanty

Understanding your menstrual cycle – Week 4

This is our “pre-bleed” week and is often associated with cravings and “PMS”.

Our body has been spending a lot of energy and fuel on building up the lining of our uterus and getting it ready for implantation. But by now the body has realised that there is no fertilized egg so it goes through a massive change again. Our hormones (both estrogen and progesterone) are slowly declining through the week causing the growth of the endometrium to stop in preparation for the bleed.

Our body now goes from preparing to house a fertilized egg and grow a human to getting ready to lose our lining and then build another one up again.

This is our hungry week!

It is often the week where we feel we just can’t eat enough. Now, hear me out… this week we need to up our calorie intake. The cravings that we experience this week are the body sending us a message. It is telling us that it needs more healthy carbs and healthy fat to fuel all the internal process’s going on behind the scenes. When we feed our body what it needs (in the correct amounts) we will reduce our cravings and late-night snacking.

Feed those hormones

Lara Briden refers to this as “feeding your hormones dinner” and I think it’s brilliant. This week needs mindful meal prep to keep our body’s needs to be satisfied; if the body is satisfied so is the mind. Keep some healthy snacks close by and eat a proper dinner. A dinner that satiates you will keep you on track.

Hormonal decline

This week we will also start to experience a slow decline in our hormonal levels which will add to the stress our body is facing and cause us to be more irritable and for lack of a better word- grumpy. We don’t want to be hungry and grumpy; that’s a terrible combination.

So how can we work with our menstrual cycle during this week?

Continue drinking fluid, I feel like water is something we take so for granted in our lives and it is something so vital for healthy functioning our all our bodies systems.
Nutritionally we should increase our overall calorie intake and maintain a good level of carbs and fat in our diet Foods such as sweet potato, potato, brown rice and butternut will help give our body the fuel it needs allowing us to feel happy.
Exercise wise it’s an anything goes week. HIIT is great for the end of this week just before we enter the bleed week. Heavy resistance training might be too taxing on your body because the body has a high energy demand this week so preferably stick to moderate resistance training. Listen to your body and see what it feels like doing.
Mentally and emotionally its the week where things start to irritate you. Things and relationships that were fine before are now NOT. If possible, try to notice what you notice but without judgement. Make a note of what bothered you and return to that thought when you are in a better hormonal and energetic space. If possible avoid any big decisions and lashing out emotionally.
Have some grace for yourself. A lot of what you feel is because of what is going on in your body.

I hope that was helpful to you. And if it was, I hope that you share the love and share this with a friend. Because ladies, we have got to help each other out.

If you have any questions please send them through and I would be happy to answer what I can.

Understanding your menstrual cycle – Week 3

This is the week following ovulation. Ovulation is the moment the egg is released from the follicle and the remaining follicle now becomes known as the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum is responsible for producing the wonder hormone progesterone.

Week 3 feels

This week we may feel a bit all over the show. Often a massive dip in mood and energy just after ovulation and then as the hormones start building up in our body again we start feeling better. Post ovulation feels giving us that “let’s go into hibernation for a while” feeling.

Estrogen and progesterone function together like “yin and yang” hormones. Where estrogen is responsible for growth and stimulation, progesterone is responsible for calming.

Progesterone is as important for female health as estrogen!

Progesterone has many superpowers; protective against cancers, aids in sleep and soothing moods, nourishes hair and clears skin, is anti-inflammatory, and helps build bone and muscle. Every month that we ovulate we make a progesterone deposit into our bones that needs to last us all through aging; the more progesterone we can add to our body through our ovulating years will help see us through our post-menopause years.

Do you ovulate with every menstrual cycle?

It is important to note that just because you have a regular bleed it does not mean you have ovulated. It is possible to have an anovulatory menstrual cycle. The way to tell if we have ovulated or not is to track and record our basal body temperature. The progesterone produced from ovulation causes a slight rise of approximately 0,3 degrees celsius in our basal body temperature. This can be tested with a digital thermometer first thing in the morning. Some ladies even experience a twinge of pain when they ovulate and this is known as “mittelschmerz.” This can be a sharp or dull pain and last from a few seconds to a few hours, but it should not need any medication to treat.

So how can we work with our menstrual cycle during this week?

Continue drinking fluid. Water water water.
Nutritionally we should increase our healthy fat intake (avocado, coconut, olive oil, salmon, nuts and olives). Ovulation is an energy sapping event in the body and we want to start pre-empting the craving week. Moderate protein, a small portion of carbs and don’t forget your leafy green veg.
Exercise wise it’s a good week to return to moderate intensity exercise, doing some HIIT as well as steady state cardio as you like.
Mentally and emotionally its a time to start slowing down again. You are definitely going to feel like staying in is a better option; this is the body’s way to start slowing you down as it goes into protection mode in the hope that there is a fertilised egg being implanted.
Follow your bodies lead to slow down a bit and maybe spend some time investing in yourself- reading book, learning a new skill or something else along those lines.

I hope that was helpful to you. And if it was, I hope that you share the love and share this with a friend. Because ladies, we have got to help each other out.

Week 4 loading…

Understanding your menstrual cycle- Week 2

Ladies, welcome to the “fun” week. Last week we may have been feeling a bit low but as our hormones start to rise again so does our mood!

Week 2 in our cycle is where we find the highest amount of estrogen and testosterone in our system.

Hello estrogen

Estrogen our “Beyonce” hormone as @maisiehill likes to call it, is our female sex hormone. It is responsible for our secondary sex characteristics, such as breast development and fatty deposits to give us our shape. It is our happy hormone, involved in boosting neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine (respectively responsible for feelings of well-being and happiness, and pleasure and motivation). One of its primary functions is to stimulate the uterine lining to grow and thicken in preparation for implantation. Estrogen also has many other functions involving the health of our bones, muscles, brain, metabolism, sleep, skin, and heart.

Hello testosterone

Women’s bodies have and need testosterone as well. Testosterone plays a role in bone health, muscle growth and strength, and sex drive! Most ladies will notice a significant increase in libido this week as the body prepares to ovulate.

So how can we work with our menstrual cycle during this week?

Continue drinking fluid. Water is the so important for full body health at all times.
Nutritionally we should keep protein high but also increase our fat and carb intake. So this week breaking meals up to a 40% protein, 40% fat and 20% carb split.
Maximise on your heavy weight/resistance training this week. Your hormones are in their peak shape to help you tone and build those muscles up. The extra testosterone and oestrogen give you all the building blocks you need for creating a beautifully shaped, beautifully strong muscle.
Mentally and emotionally its a time to start taking action. Use all that wonderful hormonal energy to invest into people and things that add value and meaning to your life. Last week you were mulling over how to handle certain things and this week you are making your move.
Put yourself out there! Your hormones are priming you for fun and interaction and confidence, so accept that invite to go out, plan a dinner with your besties, dress-up for date night; but don’t miss the opportunity to mingle.

I hope that was helpful to you. And if it was, I hope that you share the love and share this with a friend. Because ladies, we have got to help each other out.

Week 3 loading…