Understanding the Cycle Syncing Method to Optimize Your Life

Here’s a secret. Somewhere in history the script got flipped. As women, along the way we retrofitted our lives into a 24 hour period which is consistent with the male hormonal cycle. But, we actually operate on a 28 day hormonal cycle which means the standard 24 hours we measure our productivity in is a mismatch. This is the secret that Alissa Vitti looks to uncover in her new book, In The Flo, which details how we can learn about our normal hormonal rhythms to optimize nearly every area of our life.

“The female reproductive system is the crowning achievement of human evolution and reproduction. Efficient and highly adaptable, seven hormones work in symphonic relationship to cause 4 highly refined processes to take place in a given cycle- the development of multiple follicles, ovulation, the building of the lining of the uterus to prepare for possible conception and the release of that lining when conception does not occur.” -Alissa Vitti, In The Flo

The not-so-secret part is that without understanding or embracing our natural rhythm we acquiesce to a patriarchal set up. Our learning about female hormones in school was limited to birth and male sexual pleasure. Shaming around our periods has made us feel like our cycle is something we need to cover up and be nervous to communicate about.

The result is that PCOS, endometriosis, and perimenopause are rapidly on the rise. Doctors are throwing synthetic hormones our way which often cover up the problem (I say often, because I believe sometimes they can be helpful). Autoimmunity, digestive issues, back and hip pain and more all feed into hormonal imbalance issues. We don’t understand how our hormones work so we’re relying on limited science and expertise to unlock a not so mysterious process. It’s time to reclaim our health in a way that embraces who we naturally are and works with our biology instead of against it. The cycle syncing method is highly intuitive, smart, and easy to adopt.

“The only way your hormones can achieve balance is if your body does the job — and only if you safeguard and nurture it, with every meal and habit, every day, to optimize endocrine function.”- Alissa Vitti, Perfect Your Cycle

I would highly recommend reading Vitti’s whole book which comes with a workbook, recommendations, recipes and more. But, if you want to dip your toes in a bit before you fully jump in, I’m breaking down cycle syncing, what it is, what it means for us, and how to do it so you can see why this may be the missing piece of your routine.

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The Beginners Guide to Cycle Syncing

What is Cycle Syncing?

Cycle syncing is a phased-based approach to self-care using your hormonal cycle. Through shifting your approach to food, exercise, work and more based on where you are within the four phases of your cycle, cycle syncing helps you to work with your body and it’s natural changes, tapping into what is most powerful for you at each phase.

Cycle syncing has been shown to:

• decrease hormonal issues like heavy periods, PCOS, and endometriosis

• mitigate pain- especially in those with arthritis and joint pain

• increase sex drive

• improve gut health issues

• skyrocket work productivity

The list goes on and on.

Why Does Cycle Syncing Matter?

Women’s health is simply not well understood in modern medicine. Cycle syncing is an innate way to take your health into your own hands by understanding the ever-changing environment within your body. Beyond that, it promotes good nutrition and hydration, a strong exercise program, and a way to bring your best self to work every day. It also helps you tap into your feminine which is a piece many of us are out of touch with.

If you’re still a non-believer, think about this: how often do you design your days to do work when you feel most productive? How often do you plan a chill Friday night because you’re tired? Or a sunny vacation to cheer yourself up in the middle of winter? All of these are tuning into the cues our bodies are naturally giving to us. Cycle syncing allows you to go deeper into understanding those cues and know exactly how to plan every aspect of your life.

How Do I Get Started?

The first piece is to understand the four phases of your cycle and what you need on each of those days. You can track the phases of your cycle with an app like Flo Living or Bellabeat. The phases are:

• Phase One: Follicular Phase (7-10 Days)

  Estrogen and progesterone rise. Appetite is suppressed. Body needs cardio movement.
  

• Phase Two: Ovulatory Phase (3-4 Days)

  Estrogen peaks. Testosterone and progesterone rise. Body temperature rises and vegetable consumption becomes necessary to metabolize excessive estrogen. Body can handle more intense workouts like HIIT.

• Phase Three: Luteal Phase (10-14 Days)

  Estrogen and progesterone levels are high. If the egg isn’t fertilized, then hormones decrease and menstrual cycle begins. Appetite peaks, body needs more calories. Body needs some high intensity workouts mixed with strength training.

• Phase Four: Menstrual Phase (3-7 Days)

  Estrogen and progesterone are low. The lining of the uterus, called the endometrium, is shed, causing bleeding. Body temperature drops and warming foods are necessary. Body needs gentle and restorative movement.

Here’s a helpful chart to see this in action.

After you understand when your cycle phases are through tracking and what each looks like, then you can give a 28 day cycle a try using this method. I wanted a fridge wheel or something to be able to track this and have yet to find one so let me know if you create one!

What Does 28 Days of Cycle Syncing Look Like?

Instead of going through every single day of 28 days (I do have a job besides Lemon Tribe), I’m going to take you through what one day may look like for each phase.

FOLLICULAR

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with pomegranate seeds and nut butter

• Work: Lead the big brainstorm at work followed by a potential new client lunch and a quarterly planning meeting

• Lunch: Avocado toast with grilled artichoke, pumpkin seeds, a sunny side up egg and sprinkle of lemon

• Workout: Spin class at Flywheel

• Dinner: Roast chicken with zucchini noodles

• Best of the Rest: Great time for sex, taking a trip, or making a new recipe

OVULATORY

• Breakfast: Tomato and scallion flax egg cups

• Work: Speak at your monthly meeting then have the big conversation you’ve been waiting to have with your manager followed by an evening networking event

• Lunch: Lentil soup with roasted brussel sprouts

• Workout: YouTube HIIT workout

• Dinner: Spinach and feta burgers sprinkled with toasted almonds

• Best of the Rest: Great time for having dinner with friends, discussing relationship goals, or going to a game night

LUTEAL

• Breakfast: Baked apples filled with non-dairy yogurt

• Work: Start the day with a key learnings meeting from your last project, spend the afternoon doing deep strategy work and finish up the day working on administrative tasks

• Lunch: Brown rice bowl with roasted chickpeas, sweet potato, and radishes in a tzatziki dressing

• Workout: Pilates at Lagree Fitness

• Dinner: Pan-seared halibut topped with a garlic-ginger dressing and a cabbage salad

• Best of the Rest: Great time for a night in, tackling projects at home, and cooking nourishing foods

MENSTRUAL

• Breakfast: Wild rice porridge with blueberry jam

• Work: Take the morning to review the past month and notice patterns to change or shift, take a lunch analyzing the latest campaign data with a colleague, end the day a bit early to get some rest

• Lunch: Sauteed kale with pork tenderloin medallions

• Workout: Walk around the block with a friend

• Dinner: Sushi with miso soup

• Best of the Rest: Great time for self-care, reading, and spending time by yourself

I want to get started. How do I remember all of this?

I’ve got you covered. Pin, print, or save on your phone the below chart I made to help you keep it all straight. Enjoy!