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Join me in a chat with Mountain Metabolic Coach & Functional Practitioner, Alicia! We talk all things hormones and the first two phases of our menstrual cycle. If you have heard terms like "hormone imbalance", "cycle syncing", etc and feel confused as to what it all means, this is the episode for you! This is just the first of a two-part series, so stayed tuned for more from our wonderful coach, Alicia.
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Where fitness and outdoors meet. In this space we chat all things hiking, exercise, wellness, adventure, motherhood, and metabolic health from a female perspective! Get ready to learn + be inspired to live your fullest, most adventurous life!
Hi, my name is Brady and I'm a longtime fitness professional and Midwest girl turned mountain living hiking addict. And combining my knowledge of fitness and passion for hiking, I've helped hundreds of women get lean and strong for the trails. Think of this as your one stop shop for both education and inspiration on all things female wellness, trail talk and adventure. Hiking, female metabolism, motherhood, nutrition, travel and fitness are all topics you'll hear discussed here. If you are outdoorsy and active, looking to level up your health, unlock your potential, and become inspired to live your most vibrant life, you're in the right place. You're listening to the fit for Hiking podcast. Hello and welcome back to the fit for Hiking podcast. Today we have a special guest and someone who's been on before, so we have Alicia on the podcast today. She is a functional practitioner who specializes in hormone and gut health for women. She is one of our wonderful mountain metabolic coaches who works with clients who come to us with symptoms that point to some sort of underlying hormone imbalance or gut issues. And today is part one of a two part series on the menstrual cycle to help us as women better understand what's going on with our bodies throughout the different phases of each month, and how we can ultimately optimize our hormone health to feel our best. So thanks so much for being here, Alicia. Yeah, thank you so much, Brady, for having me. Yeah, I'm really excited for this conversation because I think that there's just so much confusion over hormones and our cycles. And this is something that's happening to us every single month all the time. We're always in one phase of our cycle. So it's important to kind of understand why we're feeling the way that we're feeling, what certain symptoms are kind of indicating and all of that. So if you could just kind of kick things off by explaining what the first two phases of our cycle are and when they occur, all that good stuff. Yeah of course. So just to start off so overall there's four total phases. And like Brady said we're going to go over the first two. So with the first one being your menstrual phase this is typically around. It lasts around 3 to 7 days. Your first day is considered when you have your first full bleed. So not spotting but like an actual full bleed of your cycle. Um, during this time, typically your estrogen and your progesterone levels drop so that you could shed some of your uterine lining. So in layman's terms, uterine lining. Typically when you have a lot of clots that's when you're lining is shedding. Um and that way it's helping us get your body ready to help hopefully fertilize an egg in your next cycle. Um, during this time, people typically call it like the winter phase. So you're not really feeling too well. You really want to hibernate. You're feeling really moody and irritable, um, and low energy. So I would say overall for menstruation, most women are just feeling it. Yeah. Um, and during this time you really want to focus on, like, iron, nutrient dense foods. So like spinach and lean meat, just to really replace all the blood that you're that you're losing. Okay. Um, drink plenty of water and then really focus on, like, anti-inflammatory foods. So like ginger, turmeric and berries. Um, exercise wise, during this phase, I can think of, like, hibernation. No one really wants to go outside and run. You really want to just focus on, like, smooth, gentle movements? More like yoga or Pilates. Um, that's kind of the summary for the menstruation phase. Okay, okay. And then the next phase would probably be the follicular phase. So this one is days 14 to 21. Um during this time you have more of an increased energy. You have better mood and mental clarity. During this phase though, typically your estrogen levels begin to rise and it's helping to thicken up that uterine lining that I was talking to you about before, um, which is really important because for those that are trying to get pregnant, that uterine lining is what's going to hold that one egg that matures during your ovulation phase. So the uterine lining is crucial during this phase. Um. During this time, optimal food would be probably be like spinach, kale, arugula, a lot of like healthy fats like avocado oil or nuts. Um, and then exercise wise, during this phase, a lot of women prefer like cardio exercising. So either cycling or running in addition to strength training, which is why I think Mountain Metabolic clients are really liking the program during this time, because I think we could really balance out like the strength portion and then kind of just guiding them through like, hey, I'm just really feeling fatigued. I'm in my follicular phase or this part of phase of my hormones and my menstrual cycle. What should I be doing during this time? And then we can make some suggestions like we are doing on this podcast. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I was going to say like so for someone who is following a strength program like Mountain Metabolic, how might they make slight adjustments to their cycle during menstruation versus like the rest of the time when they have more energy and like they're functioning at a higher capacity with strength and all of that. Without actually altering the program structure too much. Like if they still want to keep up with their lifts, but they know that their energy is going to be super low during menstruation. Yeah. Um, so three things I'd probably say one. Ease up on the intensity. So if you're feeling like you have really low energy and you're cramping, I would probably avoid any hit workouts and really just focus on like, strength training, um, and maybe increasing the weight as opposed to intensity. Um, second extra recovery. Again, think of like winter hibernation. You really want to focus on muscle recovery. So stretching or yoga um, and then third would probably be just listen to your body if you're feeling like you're really tired. Don't push a hit workout or go run five miles again. Just go back to like gentle movement stretching, yoga or Pilates. Yeah, yeah. I feel like, you know, the whole like, cycle syncing thing has become so popular. And some, some people are kind of saying, oh, you shouldn't work out at all during your cycle, which for some women might be true if you're like, very, very sensitive to the hormone changes and you're feeling terrible and crampy the whole time. But for a lot of us, we can just kind of make these small adjustments. For me, I still tried to lift my whole period, but I'm resting like between sets. Way more. I'm not pushing weights. Like I'm not going to be hitting PRS during my period. Like, we're also not as resilient, like we're at more risk for injury and things like that during that phase of our cycle. So it's better to focus on pushing during any of the other three weeks of our cycle. But you can still get some general movement in. And so I'm glad that you mentioned that. Yeah, I totally support that. I think right now, especially with the trends of cycle syncing. Um, just because it's trending doesn't mean it's for you or for everyone. So listen to your body. Um. And also just be realistic. Like what if you actually do feel like running during your menstruation phase? Not that it's going to kill you, but if you feel like it, go for it. Everyone feels differently. Everyone's hormones are different, which is why this makes it so individualized. Um, and then obviously talking with your coach to saying what else you could do to just help you stay on track during the program. Yeah. Or maybe it's just like a few days, like, for me, I'm only cramping usually, like the day I start my period and maybe one day after. I don't need to, like, skip the entire week. But those two days, I'm either not working out at all. I'm just going for walks or hikes or something light, or I'm like, resting way more than normal in my workout. And it's not going to be my best workout ever, but I'm just getting some basic movement in. Yeah. And that's totally okay. Something is better than nothing. And again, like just part of this program in general, we do advocate for clients. So really listen to their body like whether it be hunger cues. Um exercising movement, mood like listen to it. Um, it's trying to tell you something. Yeah. And I think that's why understanding all four phases of our cycle is so empowering as women. Because it does tell you kind of like, why are you feeling this way at certain times? And it kind of just allows you to say, okay, that's why I'm feeling this way, and there's nothing wrong with me that I don't feel my most energetic, my most creative, my most, like motivated, most motivated I've ever been this week. Because you're not going to feel that way every single week of the month. That's just not how our bodies are designed as women. Mhm. That's exactly sure. Um, okay. So for women who experience really painful periods or severe symptoms around menstruation, is there anything that can be done to like help minimize these symptoms, or is that just kind of how it is? Now? Um, I would definitely say like going back to the menstruation phase. So typically if you're really heavy, you're you're bleeding a lot. So you're losing a lot of iron. So really focus on like those leafy greens, spinach berries, maybe even some fish, um, and cutting back on some of that sugar. So your diet does contribute to some of this inflammation that you're having during this time and bloating. And then I would say, um, two supplements that I love for women who do have heavy periods would probably be magnesium and omega threes. They're great for reducing pain and inflammation. Um, those would be like my top two suggestions for people who have heavy periods. Okay, that's good to hear. I've also heard that dark chocolate, like there's a reason why we crave it around our periods. Is there any validity to that? Like is there a neutral. No, I think it's just an old wives tale. Um, okay. But especially like just with the cravings. I'm like, yes, chocolate. I mean, maybe like 1% can reduce some inflammation, but like, overall, no, I think it's just an old wives tale. We just want it because it tastes good. We don't buy it. Exactly. Okay. So is having a period every month important or a sign of hormone health? Because like, I know a lot of women just will go months without periods and they're like, cool, I don't have a period. That's awesome. Yeah. Um, so that is a there's a lot to that question. Um, but I would say, yes, having a monthly cyclical period is a good sign of good quote unquote, hormone health. However, it is not the whole picture. So just because you have regular periods doesn't necessarily mean everything is synchronized. Um, so you really just want to make sure that you're taking a look at the big picture and maybe any abnormal symptoms that you may be having despite having a cyclical period every month. But it is a great starting point I will say that. Yeah. So having skipped periods would be kind of something that might indicate something's off or might want to talk to your doctor about, like, why am I missing these periods? Yeah, especially if you're between the ages of like maybe mid 20s to like early 40s, you should still technically be having a period every month. Yeah. Yeah. Um, yeah. So the phrase hormone balance, I feel like it just gets thrown around a lot on social media and different social platforms, and sometimes it's by people who really aren't experts on the topic. They don't really know what they're saying. So what does hormone balance actually mean? I mean, I know it's a very complex topic, but if you could try to kind of like simplify and break it down for our listeners. Yeah. So hormone balance you want to think of like a well-tuned orchestra okay. You want everyone to be in sync working together. They sound amazing. Um, but like I was saying previously, it's not just about having one hormone in check. You want all of your hormones in check. So it's about having the right level of hormones at the right time in your cycle that are elevated or decrease so that everything in your body is functioning properly. Um, so keep that in mind. So balance isn't about just fixing symptoms like PMS or fatigue. It's about the overall well-being and how your hormones are interacting to support your health. Hmm. Okay. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. Because I think it's just. There's so much to it. And to just throw a phrase like hormone imbalance, like it covers a broad spectrum, but it doesn't necessarily speak to like the specific issue. No, not at all. And I mean, there's so many other things that could be going on. It could be your thyroid, it could be your cortisol levels. It could be, I don't know, maybe recent life change. There's so many things that could throw you off. And same thing with like women waking up with no appetite. That is not a good sign. You really want to wake up hungry, right? So you really want to stimulate certain hormones to give you that hunger cue when you wake up to start your metabolism? Yeah, yeah. I want to get into some symptoms and signs of imbalance and imbalance. But what are the main hormones that we're talking about here when you talk about like the orchestra. Yeah I would say estrogen, progesterone um your luteinizing hormone is another one. And then testosterone okay. Yeah. So all of these different hormones need to kind of like rise and fall together and sync throughout each phase of our cycle. Correct. Okay. Yeah. Cool. Yeah. So what are some signs that your hormones are, at least for the most part, pretty well balanced. Yeah. Um, I would say your energy level is a good start. Um, you want to feel, I mean, for overall throughout the day, you really want to feel energetic. You don't want to feel like fatigued right after you wake up and then at lunch and then right before dinner and then at night time. You should not feel fatigue the whole day. Yeah. Um, or your periods, like we were talking about before, regular comfortable periods. I mean, when I say comfortable, I'm using that in a very lax term because obviously some women have cramping during their period. But like you said, like mine only lasts the first day. Yours only lasts like the first two, 1 to 2 days. Um, so keep that in mind and then clear skin in a good mood. So some people do have a lot of acne during the time of their period. Um, or if you're like, really irritable, um, those are signs that may be like your hormones may not be as balanced as you think they are. So those are some of the things I would probably look out for. So like energy level regular cycles. And then how's your skin looking and how's your mood okay. Yeah, absolutely. And so then on the opposite end, what are some symptoms that your hormones maybe are a bit imbalanced? Yeah. Um, so mister skipped periods, that's for sure. Um, again, heightened irritability for no reason. Um. Crazy energy swing. So, like, you feel like you're crashing and then you're completely off the walls one day after another. So nothing is really, like, in tune. It's just like a big wave up and down. And if you just think about that in general, like that's not very balanced. So and you probably wouldn't be feeling too good if someone was like up and down, hot and cold all the time, you know. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. So what are the things that kind of contribute to hormones being imbalanced? I know there's so many different things that can happen to throw things off, but what are some of the top ones that you've seen now working in your field for however long you have? Yeah. Um, I mainly honestly work with women who are like perimenopausal or postmenopausal. Um, so menopause is a big one. Yeah. Um, thyroid is another big one that is missed often, whether it's hyper hypothyroid so low or high thyroid. Um, and then probably stress. Stress I feel is a silent killer. It affects you in so many ways and your cortisol levels and it's just. It's so unfortunate because, um, in today's society, we have like a lot of high functioning, anxious, stressed people. So surface level, they seem great, like they wake up early, they work out, they eat great. Um, but ultimately they're not able to lose weight or they're keep having acne breakouts or they're irritable most of the day, like, know something's going on in your body and it's trying to tell you like you're doing all the right things. But if nothing's working, that's probably an indication that you should get your hormones checked. Yeah, that was definitely my situation in my early 20s. I wasn't getting my period for years as like a 22 to 24 year old, and it wasn't until I really started looking at my strength and actually cut out like, hit and running, because I was like, exactly what you were talking about. Like doing all the right things. Like was working a very active job, managing a fitness studio. I was working out like six plus times a week, sometimes twice a day. Wow. Um, I was doing so much, but I my estrogen was like non-existent. I had the estrogen of a, like, postmenopausal woman. Oh my God. Yeah, it was so bad. And, um, no one could really, like, figure out the culprit other than they were. Just like, I think your body is under a lot of stress, and it wasn't until I like addressed like some really stressful, toxic, like relationships and, um, kind of switched up how I was exercising and just changed a lot of like the factors that were contributing to stress in my life that things finally changed. And like my face was so puffy and like I was just holding on to so much excess weight. And it's crazy how like, stress is the one thing we don't want to look at, because it causes us to have to reevaluate and change so much about what we're doing on a day to day basis. Yeah. It changes. I mean, everything the way you eat, the way you sleep, your partners, your work life, your workouts, everything. Like there's no running from it. Like it's going to come a time or it's just going to be like, hey, I'm not giving you any other option. I'm going to shut down. And then that's when people are just miserable or frustrated with just themselves, you know? And then that's a cycle in itself. Um, so I'm happy that people are definitely reaching out for help. Um, because it's not an easy thing to do, especially with something so personal. Um, and honestly, like most people come to you or us with like, insecurities like, hey, I do feel like I'm holding a lot of weight in my stomach, or I do feel like my arms look a certain way, or I've tried everything and it's not working like. Those are frustrating statements like, and I've experienced them, you've experienced them. We all know how it feels. So I'm happy that there is a way to get out of it. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, so don't give up on yourself. Yeah, it often just does require like being willing to do something different than when what you've done. Like if killing yourself in the gym with like hit and cardio and classes is not getting you where you want to be, you might have to like, take a different avenue. But that's really hard when you're someone who, like, wants all the action items and you want to do all the things to be told to like, do less or like change what you've been doing and it feels like you're doing way less. That's really hard mentally. Yeah. It is. Um, and a quote I like is like, you could only meet someone as far as they met themself. So it does take a lot of courage and being brave and open to change, because doing the same thing over and over will not get you the result you're looking for. Yeah, exactly. And that's exactly where I was. I was just adding more and more thinking, well, I guess I just need to do more and more and more to the point where I was like, I can't exist like this. I can't keep like, cutting more calories and doing more exercise when I'm already on my feet, nine hours a day at work and doing two days of workouts. I mean, it was just like, this is ridiculous. And it wasn't until I cut way back that I actually started to see, like, really positive results. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's the little things that add up and just simple stuff that sometimes you don't even recognize. Um, which is why having a coach is so helpful. It's that light bulb moment. It's someone who's advocating for you. It's someone who's on your team when you're feeling discouraged and you're like, should I really be doing this? And you have someone to talk it out with and explain it to you? Yeah. And encouraging you not to just jump back into old patterns when you have a bad body image day or something kind of triggers some negative thoughts, negative self-talk. It's so easy to just be like, okay, I just need to do another diet. And that's the solution. And it's like, no, you're here because you've done that a million times, and that's not the solution, right? Yep. So how would you say hormone balance ultimately does affect fat loss efforts like if things are not. Where they should be with your hormones. Yeah. Um, so when your hormones are balanced, your metabolism runs smoothly so you're able to burn more calories efficiently. And that supports weight loss when your hormones are off, you typically again. So waking up with no appetite is not a good sign. So your metabolism is not starting at all. You're just kind of staying baseline the entire day, which you don't want. So think of like stress and fight or flight is what a lot of people use for comparison. Um, when you're in a fight or flight mode, your body doesn't know that it's fighting a tiger versus your partner versus your alarm clock. Like all it's saying is, hey, I'm freaking out. I'm going to suppress everything so that I'm not hungry and I could save all my energy for this quote unquote attack. Um, so you end up holding on to a lot of weight. Um, some of it may be fat, some of them, some of it may be water weight. A lot of people who feel this way, um, have a lot of extra weight in their stomach area. Um, that's typically what we see. Or that puffy face like you were mentioning before. Yeah. Um, also, just making sure that you have healthy eating habits, like, you actually do have an appetite and you want to eat at least 3 or 4 meals a day, right? You're not just like. Working off of coffee and a muffin. You know that is not healthy. Um, because think about it. If you have no fuel. Your body has nothing to burn. So it's gonna hold on to all of this fat, as opposed to you actually feeding it and having something to burn off, aka your fat. And then hopefully with some strength training and good nutrition and sleep and water, you're able to build muscle. Um, so those are probably my two biggest takeaways from like how hormone balance ultimately affects, um, fat loss efforts. Yeah. Okay. That's awesome. That's so helpful. And I'm excited for part two. So part two, we're going to be going over the other two phases of our cycle and kind of digging into those and a little bit more on just overall hormone balance. So make sure you tune in to the next one. And for anyone who's listening and maybe wondering if they could benefit from some work on their hormones, they maybe resonate with some of the symptoms that Alicia mentioned. As far as signs that things might be a bit unbalanced. Um, but you want to go a whole holistic route. You don't want to just be put on medication or whatever. Definitely DM us. Like let us know you can DM us hormones at the Fit Underscore for Hiking Instagram page, and we'll get you headed in the right direction so that you can start working with Alicia. She, like I said before, she works with our clients who come in and are perimenopausal menopausal or just feel like things are imbalanced with their hormones or gut so she can kind of get to the bottom of it. And she is able to order hormone testing too, which is really, really nice if we needed to kind of take a deeper dive. Um, and if you tune in next week, you're going to be hearing about a special offer of Coach Alicia's 28 day hormone balance reset guide that she just recently launched. So if you want to get a little dealio on that, make sure you tune in for the next episode. Thanks so much for being here, Alicia. This was very helpful. Yeah, thank you so much, Brady. I look forward to working with some of your some of the clients. Yes, definitely. And you guys, if you're listening to this, like I said, you can, um, DMs at the Fit Underscore for Hiking Instagram page or check out the application link for coaching in the show notes. Thanks so much for being here and we will chat with you in the next episode. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the fit for hiking podcast. As always, I hope it leaves you feeling inspired and informed on how to take your health and adventure into your own hands. For more content like this, be sure to follow along with my daily posts at Ponytail Underscore. On a trail that's ponytail underscore on a trail. You can also stay up to date on my new episodes being released at Fit Underscore for hiking, and find more free resources at Pony Tail on a trail.com. Happy and healthy trails.