5 Foods You Should Eat on Your Period and 5 Sleep Hacks!
5 Foods You Should Eat on Your Period
The cycle syncing method which was created by Alisa Vitti, is syncing your nutrition and fitness with your menstrual cycle to optimize your weight, energy, mood, and productivity!
Facts
Explain
1. Blueberries & Blackberries
- During your menstrual phase (the 5-7 days you are actively bleeding), it’s best to keep your blood sugar steady
- So, choose fruits with fiber & antioxidants like blueberries and blackberries
2. Kidney Beans & Buckwheat & Red Meat
- It’s especially important to focus on nutrient-dense foods at this time when you’re shedding your endometrial lining and losing blood
- Kidney beans, buckwheat, and red meat are some of the most nutrient-dense foods available
3. Seafood & Kelp & Nori
- These foods are high in iron and zinc
- They help re-mineralize your body and they are deeply restorative to your blood and kidneys as you bleed
4. Wild Rice
- The menstrual phase is the “coldest phase” of your cycle, according to Chinese medicine, so warming foods are ideal
- If you’re looking for a warm carb, wild rice is a great option
- Try cooking it in bone broth instead of water for more vitamins and minerals and a smaller glucose spike
5. Watermelon & Others
- Other optimal period foods include: watermelon, miso, adzuki beans, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, duck, pork, burdock, and seaweeds like wakame and kombu
Resources
- All of the information above is from Alisa Vitti.
- To learn more about the importance of cycle syncing and how it is such an amazing hack (that ONLY women have) CLICK HERE.
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5 Sleep Hacks
"There's no part of the body that goes untouched when we don't get the sleep we need. It is a physiological requirement" - Dan Pardi Ph.D
Facts
Explain
1. LIGHT - an optimal light environment is key to achieving your best sleep!
- Try to watch the sunrise & sunset daily for a minimum of 30 minutes. (45-60 minutes if it's cloudy)
- Take 5-10 minute sun breaks every 2 hours
- Work outside whenever possible
- Open the windows to let the sun in
- Wear blue light blocking glasses when using your phone/computer, especially after sunset
- Swap regular light bulbs for red bulbs that don't have blue light
2. PROTEIN - Eat enough protein every day! Low protein intake is associated with poor sleep quality and a harder time falling asleep.
- Shoot for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight or ideal body weight
- Start your day with 45-50 grams of protein for breakfast to support your blood sugar and to help you fall asleep at night
3. MELATONIN - this sleep hormone is synthesized by the pineal gland and it is released in response to darkness. Avoid supplementing with melatonin unless you're struggling with severe jet lag and need a reset!
- Create a pitch-black environment and keep it quiet and cool when you sleep
- Invest in black-out curtains for your bedroom
- Wear a sleep mask and earplugs
- Keep your bedroom temperature between 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit or 18-21 degrees Celsius
4. DINNER TIME - have your last meal 3+ hours before you go to bed. Try to keep it lighter to help your body wind down for the night!
- You secrete the most gastric juices, enzymes, and hormones in the morning so eating dinner earlier takes advantage of your circadian rhythm
- If you are struggling with blood sugar dysregulation (women with PCOS or diabetes), incorporating a light protein-rich snack 1-2 hours before bed may be helpful
5. CLEAN AIR - this is particularly important if you have been chronically exposed to mold. Mold is usually invisible and it can exacerbate insomnia symptoms, snoring, and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).
- Investing in good air filters is worth the money
- I like using Air Doctor Filters!
Resources
- If your sleep hormones are off, it's very likely that your reproductive hormones are off too because of how closely they work together in the body. To work with someone to balance all your hormones, I would recommend floliving.com. Flo Living is a virtual online health center that helps women solve their hormonal symptoms from anywhere in the world!
- If you are perimenopausal and struggling with sleep issues, check out NEXT LEVEL, by Dr. Stacy Sims. Dr. Sims is the leading global expert on female physiology and training and in this book, she specifically talks about working out, sleeping, combatting symptoms, and getting your body back during perimenopause. I can't recommend this book enough. It changed my mom's life and it has changed thousands of other women's lives too!
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Actionable Tips:
- Check out my favorite clean + non-toxic + organic products, supplements, food, and more CLICK HERE!
- If you are in your reproductive years: track your cycle with MyFlo, 28, Flo, Clue, Wild.AI, or any other period-tracking apps. Understanding your cycle and living in accordance with your natural hormone fluctuations is the best bio-hack you have as a woman!
- To find a practitioner/doctor who specializes in women's health near you who can give you women's-specific advice and will be knowledgeable about ALL women's health topics! CLICK HERE
- If you are perimenopausal: dive into Dr. Mary Claire Haver's work. She is a board-certified OB/GYN who has helped thousands of women going through perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause! She puts out incredible information on social media, but first watch or listen to this podcast to understand the basics.
- To find a practitioner/doctor who is certified by The Menopause Society near you who will answer ALL your questions, educate you, believe your symptoms, and help you! CLICK HERE
- If you are post-menopausal: take advantage of your hormones being the same every day. Follow Dr. Mindy Pelz on social media and check out her Viral YouTube channel for information on optimizing your health and body composition.
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If This Resonates With You
Please share it with your mom, grandma, sisters, aunts, cousins, friends, coworkers, and any other women in your life.
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*REMINDER:
This content is for informational purposes only and not medical advice. Consult a doctor for personal health concerns.
