Cycle support: the 3 most important tips
There are a large number of differences between men and women. One of the biggest differences is the length of the cycle. Whereas men have a one-day cycle, women's cycle lasts an average of 28 days. Whereas a man can handle things like fasting and ice baths well, it is not always convenient for women. This is partly due to the menstrual cycle.
How does the menstrual cycle work?
First, a little basic explanation of the menstrual cycle.
The menstrual cycle is the change in the body that a woman goes through approximately every 28 days. I say approximately because this number can still vary. The menstrual cycle is really there for only one function: reproduction.
When we talk about the cycle, a number of hormones are important. Primarily, the hormones estrogen and progesterone are important.
We can divide the cycle into 4 phases: menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase.
We start the cycle with menstruation. Officially, it starts from the moment the first real red bleeding is visible. Because little estrogen and progesterone are produced during this phase, the female body can all feel just a little heavier.
Next comes the follicular phase. During this phase, the hormone FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) is produced. This hormone signals the ovaries to develop follicles. Follicles are small egg lumps and each of these follicles contains an immature egg. Because of the hormone estrogen, these follicles mature. Because of the estrogen boost, many women often have more energy to engage in fanatical exercise or other activities.
Next comes ovulation. This is the phase when a woman is fertile. During this phase, ovulation takes place. During ovulation, the follicle bursts open causing the egg in the follicle to be released into the fallopian tubes. The follicle bursts open due to a hormone called luteinizing hormone. Just before ovulation, the hormone testosterone peaks in the woman's body. This increases the woman's libido.
Finally, you have the luteal phase. Once the egg has burst, the follicle turns into yellow body (corpus leteum). Yellow body is responsible for producing one of the most powerful female hormones: progesterone. Progesterone causes the woman to experience more rest.
Okay. All nice this information. But how do I support my cycle? And how do I make sure I walk through my cycle as happily as possible?
Tip #1: Live by your phases.
In the first and last phase the energy level is a bit lower, therefore it can be useful to adapt the activity in these phases to the phase you are in at that moment. So to choose some quieter, less strenuous activities.
Tip #2: Reduce stress.
The moment we as humans experience a lot of stress, a number of things happen our body. When our body experiences prolonged stress or is frequently administered hormetic (acute stress) stimuli, our body jumps into a state of survival.
The moment our body enters a state of survival, a number of functions are gigantic. The heart must beat faster, focus must increase, and breathing must also speed up to briefly release a lot of energy. To accomplish this, a lot of cortisol is released.
As long as our body is in a state of survival (or increase in cortisol production) we see that a number of bodily functions are suppressed. In particular, digestion and everything around reproduction do not work optimally.
Therefore, lower your stress levels so that all systems start working optimally again.
Cortisol can also be balanced by optimizing the biological clock.
Tip #3: Maintain a healthy weight.
Being overweight causes an overproduction of estrogen with which hormones automatically become unbalanced. Therefore, make sure you maintain a healthy weight. Below are some tips to get you started.
- Grab morning light first thing in your day.
- Eat up to 3 meals with at least 40 grams of protein per meal.
- Also, eat those proteins first.
- Take at least 10 000 steps a day.
- Prioritize a good night's sleep of 7 - 9 hours and focus on quality .
- During stages 2 and 3, train with resistance. For example, strength training.
The key take aways of this blog:
- The cycle consists of four phases: menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase.
- At each stage, different processes are carried out in the woman's body.
- To optimize the cycle, you can perform the following:
- Adjust your activity according to your phases.
- Decrease stress
- Ensure a healthy weight
Read this book to learn more about the cycle.