Any woman can attest to the truth that “men are from Mars and women are from Venus.” Biochemically, we are wired so differently from men, and our biochemistry is much more complex than a man’s. We know this intuitively because we feel this every day. Yet, we’re groomed to think a man’s methods for keeping himself well, happy and productive should apply to us as well.
Picture a “successful day.” Does it begin with waking early -- perhaps before your children awake -- tackling an intense workout and prioritizing your day’s toughest challenges for the first half of the day? Where did this vision come from?
A man’s world.
Meet Your Infradian Rhythm
While men operate on a 24-hour hormonal cycle that aligns with their circadian rhythm, women operate on a 28-day hormonal cycle. Yes, our period. But this cycle doesn’t just govern our reproductive system, it influences the biochemistry of some of our most fundamental systems -- our brain, metabolism, immune system, microbiome, and our stress response system.
Alisa Vitti, a functional nutritionist and women’s hormone expert, created Flo Living to help women reclaim hormonal balance through syncing their lifestyle to infradian rhythm. Fitness and nutrition are the two most interconnected and important ways we can foster healthy hormonal balance, and she has excellent guidance on how to approach both during each phase of your cycle: Menstruation, Follicular, Ovulation and Luteal.
Find Balance Through Fitness
This Flo Living article outlines how and when we should exercise according to our cycle so we’re not disrupting the natural rhythm of our bodies, potentially causing problems with energy function, digestion and immunity. Most of us have battled issues in these areas for years without realizing we were working against our natural body rhythm in well-intentioned, daily practices. If you’re one of these women, I hope this information brings you some renewed faith in your female body and a boost of confidence that there are natural ways to regain homeostasis. We just need the knowledge, and thankfully experts like Alisa Vitti are on a mission to evangelize it!
If you’re trying to conceive, take notes! Alisa’s guidance will unlock challenges you may be facing as you seek to prime your body for conception and pregnancy. For postpartum mommas, these tips can be tremendously helpful as you transition back into a 28-day cycle.
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