Neuroscience of Cycle Synching Part 1: The Emotional Reality of Menstruation

In this episode of the Rewired Woman Podcast, Kat and Mads open up about cycle syncing and what it means to live in rhythm with the phases of the menstrual cycle.

What begins as a light conversation quickly becomes personal and vulnerable, touching on painful teenage periods, the effects of birth control, fertility concerns, and the cultural silence that surrounds menstruation. Together, they explore how neuroscience, spirituality, and lived experience intersect, showing how syncing with your body’s natural cycle can bring relief, clarity, and a deeper sense of connection.

Part one focuses on the “winter” season of the cycle, or menstruation. Kat and Mads share both research and practical strategies for navigating this phase, from nutrition and exercise to self-care and rest.

• Cycle syncing is the practice of aligning daily habits with the phases of the menstrual cycle.
• During menstruation, the body and brain naturally shift into lower energy, which makes rest and gentle care important.
• Nutrition choices such as warm meals, hydration, and herbal teas can help reduce discomfort.
• Gentle movement like stretching, yoga, or mindful walking is more supportive during this phase than intense exercise.
• Talking openly about menstrual health helps break down stigma and creates space for healing.

If you found this episode helpful, share it with a friend who might benefit. Be sure to subscribe to the Rewired Woman Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite listening platform. Leaving a review is one of the best ways to help other listeners discover the show.

Follow us on Instagram: @rewiredwomanpod

References A. Amanzholkyzy, D.S. Kulzhanova, G.Zh. Sakhipova, A.Z. Mussina, & Sh.B. Kosmuratova. (2025). Stress-related changes in the menstrual cycle and their significance for health: A literature review. Репродуктивная медицина (Центральная Азия), 2, 69–74. https://doi.org/10.37800/RM.2.2025.514   Bruinvels, G., Hackney, A. C., & Pedlar, C. R. (2022). Menstrual Cycle: the Importance of Both the Phases and the Transitions between Phases on Training and Performance. Sports Medicine, 52(7). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01691-2   Cucci, D. (2024, May 15). Cycle Syncing: How to Understand Your Menstrual Cycle to Reduce Period Symptoms. NewYork-Presbyterian; NewYork-Presbyterian. https://healthmatters.nyp.org/cycle-syncing-how-to-understand-your-menstrual-cycle-to-reduce-period-symptoms/   Doctrow, B. (2024, September 30). Brain changes observed during pregnancy. National Institutes of Health (NIH). https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/brain-changes-observed-during-pregnancy   Draper, C. F., Duisters, K., Weger, B., Chakrabarti, A., Harms, A. C., Brennan, L., Hankemeier, T., Goulet, L., Konz, T., Martin, F. P., Moco, S., & van der Greef, J. (2018). Menstrual cycle rhythmicity: metabolic patterns in healthy women. Scientific Reports, 8(14568). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-32647-0   Francois, M. (2024). Cycle Syncing: Optimizing Women’s Quality of Life Cycle Syncing: Optimizing Women’s Quality of Life. https://idun.augsburg.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2579&context=etd   Hagemann, G., Ugur, T., Schleussner, E., Mentzel, H.-J., Fitzek, C., Witte, O. W., & Gaser, C. (2011). Changes in Brain Size during the Menstrual Cycle. PLoS ONE, 6(2), e14655. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0014655   Helfrich-Förster, C., Domenie, E. D., Mitesser, O., Hovestadt, T., Ferlin, A., Wehr, T. A., Costa, R., & Montagnese, S. (2025). Synchronization of women’s menstruation with the Moon has decreased but remains detectable when gravitational pull is strong. PubMed, 11(39), eadw4096–eadw4096. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adw4096   Menstrual cycles today: how menstrual cycles vary by age, weight, race, and ethnicity | Study Updates | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2024, July 17). Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; HSPH. (00:08):
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Speaker 1: Woman podcast, where you can eavesdrop on our girly chat and (00:11):
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Speaker 1: learn the science behind our random questions and interests. (00:16):
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Speaker 1: I'm your host, Kat, and I'm here (00:27):
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Speaker 1: with the beautiful, courageous (00:30):
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Speaker 1: Madeleine. (00:32):
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Speaker 2: Hey, chickens. (00:34):
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Speaker 2: That actually goes into my question today, which is why (00:35):
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Speaker 2: chickens were on my mind. (00:37):
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Speaker 2: Mhm. (00:39):
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Speaker 2: I know you've probably heard this question before, but I'm on (00:40):
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Speaker 2: the edge of my seat to know what your answer is. (00:42):
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Speaker 2: Would you rather fight one hundred chicken sized horses or (00:45):
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Speaker 2: one horse sized chicken. (00:50):
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Speaker 1: Oh my god. (00:52):
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Speaker 1: One hundred is a lot. (00:54):
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Speaker 1: I'm like, can you imagine. (00:55):
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Speaker 2: Oversized chicken now? (00:58):
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Speaker 1: A chicken or a horse sized chicken? (01:00):
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Speaker 1: No, a horse sized chicken. (01:03):
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Speaker 1: I'm not terrifying. (01:04):
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Speaker 1: I'm not doing the horse sized chicken. (01:05):
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Speaker 1: I'm doing the the one hundred chicken sized horses. (01:07):
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Speaker 1: Okay. (01:10):
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Speaker 1: But I do feel like either way, I'm losing. (01:10):
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Speaker 2: What would be your strategy for (01:15):
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Speaker 2: tackling one hundred chicken (01:16):
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Speaker 2: sized horses? (01:18):
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Speaker 1: I'm not tackling them. (01:19):
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Speaker 1: I'm trying. (01:20):
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Speaker 1: I'm defensive. (01:21):
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Speaker 1: I'm on the defense. (01:21):
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Speaker 1: I'm running, I'm hopping, (01:23):
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Speaker 2: Okay, so you're just evading? (01:25):
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Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah. I'm evading. (01:27):
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Speaker 1: Okay. What would you do between the chickens and the horses? (01:29):
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Speaker 1: Same logic. (01:32):
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Speaker 1: I would pick the one hundred chicken sized horses. (01:33):
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Speaker 1: It's really about size for you. (01:37):
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Speaker 1: It is about size for me. (01:38):
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Speaker 1: And also all animals know I'm (01:40):
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Speaker 1: their friend, so I would just (01:42):
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Speaker 1: pet them and we would be (01:43):
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Speaker 1: friends. (01:45):
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Speaker 1: Size matters, size matters. (01:45):
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Speaker 1: And I didn't know being friends was an option. (01:47):
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Speaker 1: The horses are friendly. (01:49):
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Speaker 1: If we were going to be friends, (01:51):
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Speaker 1: I definitely want the horse (01:52):
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Speaker 1: sized chicken because that would (01:54):
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Speaker 1: be the best ride for or (01:55):
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Speaker 1: anywhere, honestly. (01:59):
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Speaker 1: Okay, that would be fun. (02:00):
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Speaker 1: You have a little harness, Yeah, but I still want one hundred (02:01):
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Speaker 1: chicken sized horses. (02:05):
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Speaker 1: That'd be so fucking cute. (02:06):
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Speaker 1: Yeah, that'd be really cute. (02:08):
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Speaker 1: They could have little sweaters. (02:09):
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Speaker 1: You just love a little sweater. (02:12):
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Speaker 1: I love a little sweater. (02:13):
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Speaker 1: Furry friends and sweaters. (02:14):
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Speaker 1: My jam. (02:16):
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Speaker 1: All right. (02:16):
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Speaker 1: so today we're gonna drink some kombucha mixed berry. (02:17):
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Speaker 1: This is supportive of our gut and microbiome, and we'll be (02:21):
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Speaker 1: talking about kombucha as a part of the ritual for cycle syncing, (02:28):
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Speaker 1: because that spoiler alert is what we're talking about today. (02:34):
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Speaker 1: Woo! (02:38):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. (02:38):
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Speaker 1: She really is stoked. (02:39):
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Speaker 1: No, actually though, this has been a very complicated and (02:41):
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Speaker 1: complex emotional episode and we did not see that coming. (02:47):
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Speaker 1: I was so excited to talk about this because when we thought (02:52):
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Speaker 1: about womanhood And science, like my cycle, is something very (02:55):
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Speaker 1: present in my life. (03:02):
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Speaker 1: And so I immediately brought (03:04):
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Speaker 1: this to her, and she was so (03:05):
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Speaker 1: supportive because she could (03:06):
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Speaker 1: just tell how passionate I was (03:08):
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Speaker 1: about it. (03:09):
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Speaker 1: And, she's just very supportive and, like, willing to do it. (03:10):
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Speaker 1: And then through us trying to record this, we ran into a lot (03:14):
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Speaker 1: of resistant energy. (03:18):
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Speaker 1: Like Cat said, when she brought it up, I was like, all in. (03:21):
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Speaker 1: I was like, this is going to be so awesome. (03:23):
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Speaker 1: I'm excited to learn about it. (03:25):
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Speaker 1: I'm excited to hear about it. (03:26):
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Speaker 1: excited to share it with our listeners. (03:28):
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Speaker 1: And then we've tried to record this already. (03:30):
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Speaker 1: What this is going on third time. (03:32):
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Speaker 1: and it's been like a (03:35):
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Speaker 1: surprisingly really emotional (03:36):
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Speaker 1: topic for me that I wasn't (03:40):
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Speaker 1: expecting. (03:42):
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Speaker 1: So I'm excited to get into it. (03:43):
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Speaker 1: And I'm really excited to hear about your experience with cycle (03:44):
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Speaker 1: syncing and how it can help a lot of our listeners. (03:48):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. (03:51):
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Speaker 1: So we're going to be going back and forth and kind of (03:52):
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Speaker 1: oscillating between my energy around it, which is like super (03:55):
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Speaker 1: passionate, super excited. (03:58):
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Speaker 1: And the reality of how that can be for some menstruating or not (03:59):
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Speaker 1: menstruating women and the emotions that that brings up. (04:05):
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Speaker 1: So how did you even, get into (04:08):
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Speaker 1: cycle thinking, why is this (04:11):
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Speaker 1: something that you're so (04:12):
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Speaker 1: passionate about? (04:13):
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Speaker 1: I started cycle syncing because (04:14):
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Speaker 1: I have a weird relationship to (04:17):
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Speaker 1: my cycle. (04:19):
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Speaker 1: it has allowed me a new type of (04:20):
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Speaker 1: relationship with myself and us (04:24):
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Speaker 1: being on a healing journey and (04:26):
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Speaker 1: trying to rewire ourselves as (04:28):
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Speaker 1: women. (04:30):
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Speaker 1: I think that this was a part of (04:31):
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Speaker 1: my wiring that I didn't really (04:33):
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Speaker 1: understand. (04:35):
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Speaker 1: I felt very like in the shadows (04:35):
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Speaker 1: about and I felt very connected (04:38):
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Speaker 1: to. (04:40):
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Speaker 1: so this was just a part of my healing journey and like a large (04:41):
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Speaker 1: part of it. (04:46):
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Speaker 1: for a long time I was on hormonal birth control. (04:47):
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Speaker 1: when I got off hormonal birth control, I was very concerned (04:50):
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Speaker 1: about my fertility. (04:54):
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Speaker 1: I had essentially, abandoned my (04:55):
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Speaker 1: reproductive cycle and, like, (04:58):
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Speaker 1: suppressed it for a long, long (05:00):
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Speaker 1: time. (05:02):
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Speaker 1: So cycle syncing was a way to kind of regain a relationship (05:03):
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Speaker 1: with a part of myself that I don't think society really (05:07):
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Speaker 1: shines a light on. (05:12):
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Speaker 1: Definitely not. (05:13):
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Speaker 1: I actually think that's part of why I didn't even connect how (05:14):
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Speaker 1: emotional this was going to be for me because I just don't even (05:18):
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Speaker 1: think about it. (05:22):
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Speaker 1: Well, you try hard not to. (05:23):
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Speaker 1: Well, you you you have to. (05:25):
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Speaker 1: You're, like, forced to. (05:27):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. (05:28):
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Speaker 1: Think about it. (05:28):
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Speaker 1: And I still, like, try so hard not to. (05:29):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. (05:31):
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Speaker 1: So I, I think that it would (05:32):
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Speaker 1: clarify to the audience like (05:35):
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Speaker 1: what is your relationship with (05:37):
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Speaker 1: your cycle. (05:39):
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Speaker 1: and kind of like what is the resistance or just what is your (05:40):
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Speaker 1: relationship to your cycle? (05:44):
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Speaker 3: So my relationship to my cycle is. (05:46):
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Speaker 3: I guess you could say avoidant. (05:49):
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Speaker 3: I started my period really young, like nine or ten, like (05:51):
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Speaker 3: towards the end of fourth grade. (05:57):
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Speaker 3: And I went through puberty really early because of that. (05:59):
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Speaker 3: And they started off, so vicious and it was a really bad time. (06:03):
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Speaker 3: All of my periods and my teenage years were like, literally only (06:09):
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Speaker 3: call them violent. (06:14):
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Speaker 3: I would always have super heavy (06:15):
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Speaker 3: bleeding all seven days and (06:17):
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Speaker 3: accompanied by excruciating (06:20):
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Speaker 3: cramping that went all the way (06:23):
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Speaker 3: down my legs, into my feet and (06:25):
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Speaker 3: like my just remember, like my (06:27):
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Speaker 3: curl, my toes curling and I'd (06:28):
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Speaker 3: be, like, glued to the toilet (06:31):
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Speaker 3: because I'd be throwing up the (06:32):
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Speaker 3: whole time. (06:33):
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Speaker 3: And it was just like an awful, awful, terrible experience. (06:33):
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Speaker 3: And it was really hard to do anything else. (06:36):
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Speaker 3: But like, I never was put on (06:39):
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Speaker 3: birth control until like a lot (06:40):
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Speaker 3: later and like, I had (06:42):
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Speaker 3: endometriosis. (06:45):
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Speaker 3: I don't think that I realized how abnormal it was But almost (06:46):
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Speaker 3: because of that understanding and then my doctors being like, (06:49):
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Speaker 3: oh, that's like really normal. (06:53):
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Speaker 3: And girls your age, it kind of like flew under the radar and (06:54):
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Speaker 3: wasn't like properly addressed. (06:57):
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Speaker 1: And so there's a lot of us it feels like gaslighting because (07:00):
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Speaker 1: they're essentially saying oh, your pain is normal. (07:05):
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Speaker 1: And that's just something in society. (07:08):
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Speaker 1: We accept that, you are going to be uncomfortable and (07:10):
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Speaker 1: uncomfortability is a part of your life that is unavoidable. (07:13):
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Speaker 1: And we don't actually have a way of telling how uncomfortable is (07:17):
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Speaker 1: normal and not normal. (07:21):
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Speaker 1: And like Mads experiences, like (07:22):
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Speaker 1: she's in a very abnormal level (07:25):
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Speaker 1: of uncomfortability. (07:28):
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Speaker 1: But also uncomfortability doesn't have to be the norm. (07:29):
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Speaker 1: It just is. (07:33):
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Speaker 1: And psycho thinking is about kind of decreasing that (07:35):
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Speaker 1: uncomfortability and flowing with it rather than against it. (07:38):
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Speaker 3: I would have full like if once I started bleeding, it was always (07:42):
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Speaker 3: a full seven days. (07:45):
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Speaker 3: But the distance between those days was never regular. (07:47):
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Speaker 3: sometimes I would be having like a period two times a month. (07:50):
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Speaker 3: Sometimes it would be like every (07:53):
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Speaker 3: other month, it never started on (07:55):
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Speaker 3: the same day or within the same (07:57):
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Speaker 3: couple days. (07:58):
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Speaker 1: Yeah, we have all these symptoms associated with menstruation. (07:59):
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Speaker 1: And it's actually in my experience with cycle syncing, (08:03):
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Speaker 1: it really relieved a lot of the Uncomfortability, and some of (08:07):
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Speaker 1: the symptoms that come along with menstruation opened my mind (08:12):
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Speaker 1: to the idea that there doesn't have to be uncomfortability, and (08:15):
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Speaker 1: that uncomfortability doesn't have to be the normal for me. (08:20):
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Speaker 3: What about you? (08:25):
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Speaker 3: What was what were your periods like as a teenager? (08:25):
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Speaker 1: so I started my period when I (08:28):
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Speaker 1: was thirteen, twelve going on (08:31):
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Speaker 1: thirteen. (08:34):
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Speaker 1: And when I was thirteen, I was (08:35):
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Speaker 1: immediately like medically put (08:36):
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Speaker 1: on oral contraceptives as a way (08:39):
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Speaker 1: of regulating an irregular (08:42):
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Speaker 1: period. (08:44):
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Speaker 1: But can I. (08:45):
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Speaker 3: Do a side note really. (08:46):
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Speaker 1: Fast? (08:47):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. (08:47):
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Speaker 3: But I think that even like what made me think of this is like, (08:48):
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Speaker 3: it's so crazy. (08:51):
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Speaker 3: But like, I grew up in Arkansas and you grew up in California. (08:52):
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Speaker 1: Oh. (08:55):
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Speaker 3: And it's almost like. (08:55):
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Speaker 3: Right. (08:56):
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Speaker 3: Because I'm like, thinking about, like, why was I not put (08:56):
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Speaker 3: on birth control? (08:58):
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Speaker 3: And I'm just like, I just don't even think that was like (08:59):
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Speaker 3: something that the doctors would have even done. (09:01):
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Speaker 3: They were just like, you have to fucking deal with it. (09:03):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. (09:05):
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Speaker 3: Because I was in a state that like you and especially then (09:06):
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Speaker 3: like you, like you weren't able to get birth control. (09:09):
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Speaker 1: Like at that age. (09:11):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. (09:12):
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Speaker 3: I didn't even think. (09:13):
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Speaker 1: About. (09:13):
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Speaker 3: That. Crazy. (09:14):
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Speaker 1: This is why religion should stay (09:15):
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Speaker 1: far away from medical (09:18):
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Speaker 1: procedures, especially women's (09:20):
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Speaker 1: bodies. (09:22):
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Speaker 1: You can fuck right off with that. (09:22):
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Speaker 1: Alright. (09:24):
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Speaker 1: sorry if you're religious, but just, I mean, like the whole (09:25):
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Speaker 1: contraceptive thing, you can. (09:28):
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Speaker 3: Be religious, but, like, don't (09:29):
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Speaker 3: be like fucking up people's (09:31):
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Speaker 3: lives. (09:33):
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Speaker 1: Don't just. (09:34):
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Speaker 1: God, he's not giving medical advice in that book, okay? (09:35):
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Speaker 1: Like he's not giving medical advice. (09:39):
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Speaker 1: Okay. (09:41):
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Speaker 1: So any that's my opinion. (09:41):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. (09:44):
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Speaker 1: And you can have yours and I can have mine. (09:44):
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Speaker 1: And my opinion is that shit ain't medical advice. (09:46):
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Speaker 1: Yes. (09:49):
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Speaker 1: Alright. (09:49):
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Speaker 3: It just made me realize because (09:50):
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Speaker 3: like you were saying, like (09:51):
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Speaker 3: you're like, oh, I started my (09:52):
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Speaker 3: period and I was like, put on (09:52):
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Speaker 3: birth control. (09:53):
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Speaker 3: I'm like, why does that not happen to me? (09:54):
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Speaker 3: And then it occurred to me, (09:56):
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Speaker 3: because I was in a conservative (09:57):
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Speaker 3: state. (09:58):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. And I was in like the most liberal state. (09:59):
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Speaker 1: That was like we could put (10:02):
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Speaker 1: anybody on birth control, like, (10:04):
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Speaker 1: especially if like, I would (10:06):
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Speaker 1: think that's a whole nother (10:09):
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Speaker 1: thing. (10:10):
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Speaker 1: Anyways, so yeah, I'm glad you brought that in because it is (10:11):
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Speaker 1: good to be aware of, like how cultures shift our perception (10:14):
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Speaker 1: around menstruation, because I also think that I'm just begging (10:17):
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Speaker 1: to guess that, like women's, the way women are viewed and women's (10:23):
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Speaker 1: rights in general and women's uncomfortability is not a (10:27):
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Speaker 1: priority in Arkansas. (10:30):
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Speaker 1: And like in California, they're (10:32):
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Speaker 1: like, we kind of care about how (10:33):
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Speaker 1: women feel just a little bit (10:34):
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Speaker 1: more. (10:35):
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Speaker 1: Not like a ton more like not like life changing levels more. (10:36):
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Speaker 1: But oh, maybe. (10:39):
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Speaker 1: I mean, I got put on birth control anyways. (10:41):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. (10:43):
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Speaker 3: No. And I think it's like expanding on that. (10:44):
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Speaker 3: It's like when we think about like all mental health (10:46):
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Speaker 3: disorders, not saying that this is but like we part of the (10:49):
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Speaker 3: diagnosis part is how much it disturbs your life or takes you (10:54):
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Speaker 3: away from normal activities, and I was missing full weeks of (10:57):
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Speaker 3: school once or twice a month because, like, I would literally (11:01):
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Speaker 3: just be bleeding. (11:05):
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Speaker 3: Like I couldn't go to school (11:05):
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Speaker 3: because I'd have to go to the (11:06):
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Speaker 3: bathroom multiple times in one (11:07):
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Speaker 3: class period. (11:09):
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Speaker 3: I bled through at school multiple times, middle school (11:10):
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Speaker 3: through high school. (11:13):
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Speaker 3: How embarrassing. (11:15):
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Speaker 3: Uh, no matter what I did. (11:17):
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Speaker 3: And I also was just in such severe pain, I literally (11:18):
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Speaker 3: couldn't have my eyes open or have my head up. (11:22):
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Speaker 3: And they were just like, yeah, that's normal. (11:25):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. And those are like, very (11:29):
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Speaker 1: obviously signs that there's (11:30):
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Speaker 1: like medical intervention (11:32):
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Speaker 1: needed, but they're also not (11:33):
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Speaker 1: aware of what that medical (11:34):
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Speaker 1: intervention is because they, (11:36):
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Speaker 1: they don't care enough to even (11:37):
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Speaker 1: study it. (11:39):
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Speaker 3: Yeah. They're just like, oh, (11:40):
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Speaker 3: you're being dramatic or (11:41):
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Speaker 3: something. (11:42):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. Women are hysterical. (11:42):
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Speaker 1: I think another thing is, is (11:44):
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Speaker 1: that so first two years of my (11:46):
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Speaker 1: cycle, I'm not even eight months (11:49):
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Speaker 1: in. (11:51):
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Speaker 1: I'm not even like a full year into my cycle. (11:51):
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Speaker 1: And they're already, I think, the other flip side of that, (11:54):
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Speaker 1: like you weren't even medicated. (11:57):
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Speaker 1: And given what we know about your medical future, after (11:59):
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Speaker 1: getting your, like, hormonal birth control could have (12:03):
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Speaker 1: actually helped some of the tissue things that were going on (12:06):
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Speaker 1: in your reproductive system, which there's a whole bunch of (12:11):
undefined

Speaker 1: research around that, that we're not even going to get into in (12:14):
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Speaker 1: this topic in this episode, because it is. (12:16):
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Speaker 1: So there is so much more now than there ever was. (12:19):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. (12:23):
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Speaker 1: And because it is so important and because women are getting (12:23):
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Speaker 1: into science and they're saying, this is so like we have a right. (12:27):
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Speaker 3: Yeah, we have a right to know (12:31):
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Speaker 3: our bodies, even if it's (12:32):
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Speaker 3: difficult to make studies (12:34):
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Speaker 3: around. (12:35):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. And. But that being said, (12:36):
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Speaker 1: in the first two years of a (12:43):
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Speaker 1: cycle, it is irregular because (12:44):
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Speaker 1: your body doesn't know what it's (12:47):
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Speaker 1: doing yet. (12:49):
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Speaker 1: So like the fact that they felt so early on. (12:50):
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Speaker 1: Like there's two extremes, right? (12:53):
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Speaker 1: Like they felt so much like menstruation was something to be (12:55):
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Speaker 1: treated as, like a medical disorder when it's like a (12:59):
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Speaker 1: natural occurrence in human bodies where, like, Arkansas was (13:02):
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Speaker 1: like, this is so normal that we're, like, going to, like, (13:05):
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Speaker 1: ignore everything about it. (13:08):
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Speaker 1: And California was like, we are so concerned about this that (13:10):
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Speaker 1: we're going to treat it before it's a problem. (13:14):
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Speaker 3: It's like we want you to be it's like almost being like that. (13:15):
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Speaker 3: Like you said, it's like like a disease. (13:18):
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Speaker 3: And like, we want you to function like a. (13:20):
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Speaker 1: Like. (13:21):
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Speaker 3: A man. (13:22):
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Speaker 3: Like a man. (13:22):
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Speaker 3: Yeah. Oh. (13:22):
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Speaker 3: Like you need to be able to show (13:26):
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Speaker 3: up in school and, like, get good (13:27):
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Speaker 3: grades and be able to be clear, (13:29):
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Speaker 3: focused and not deal with this (13:30):
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Speaker 3: bleeding shit. (13:31):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. We just want to, like, give you hormones so that you (13:32):
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Speaker 1: act more like a man. (13:35):
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Speaker 1: So yeah, before I even have time to get to know my body and to (13:38):
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Speaker 1: get in sync with this and for it to regulate, I'm already on (13:43):
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Speaker 1: medication for it. (13:48):
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Speaker 1: I stay on hormonal, hormonal, oral contraceptive birth control (13:49):
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Speaker 1: until right before I go to college, and then I get on the (13:54):
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Speaker 1: morena, a hormonal implant, and I stay on it for seven years, (13:58):
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Speaker 1: even though it's only, like really clear for five years. (14:02):
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Speaker 1: I think I went at five years to (14:06):
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Speaker 1: get it out and the gyno was (14:07):
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Speaker 1: like, oh no, like, why replace (14:08):
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Speaker 1: it? (14:11):
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Speaker 1: Just use it for a couple more years because like anyways, so I (14:11):
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Speaker 1: get it out, it's probably fine. (14:15):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. (14:17):
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Speaker 1: They, they don't actually know. (14:17):
undefined

Speaker 1: They're just like it's working. (14:19):
undefined

Speaker 1: And so I stay on it for two extra years. (14:21):
undefined

Speaker 1: I get it out in seven years. (14:24):
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Speaker 1: And after that like I have a really irregular cycle. (14:25):
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Speaker 1: I have very extreme PMS symptoms. (14:29):
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Speaker 1: So PMS is premenstrual syndrome (14:33):
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Speaker 1: and PMDD is premenstrual (14:37):
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Speaker 1: dysphoric disorder. (14:41):
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Speaker 1: and this talks about like the (14:42):
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Speaker 1: emotional crashes and burnout (14:44):
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Speaker 1: and, some of the symptoms kind (14:46):
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Speaker 1: of going outside of a normal (14:50):
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Speaker 1: level, like where they're (14:52):
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Speaker 1: interrupting your daily (14:53):
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Speaker 1: functioning. (14:54):
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Speaker 1: And a lot of people have this. (14:55):
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Speaker 1: And because at a young age we (14:57):
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Speaker 1: were told like, oh, that's (14:58):
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Speaker 1: normal. (15:00):
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Speaker 1: but now we're kind of starting to pathologize this and this is, (15:00):
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Speaker 1: you know, in some cases, good. (15:04):
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Speaker 1: But in some cases, you know, like a repeat of that, like, (15:06):
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Speaker 1: let's treat your menstrual cycle like a disease. (15:09):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. (15:12):
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Speaker 3: So it's like, I think this is really cool you're bringing all (15:13):
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Speaker 3: this up because it just shows like the nuance that is required (15:15):
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Speaker 3: to approach a topic like this. (15:20):
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Speaker 3: And like within people that menstruate, like there's so much (15:22):
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Speaker 3: variability and because there's so much variability, it hasn't (15:26):
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Speaker 3: been that well studied. (15:29):
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Speaker 3: And because it hasn't been that (15:31):
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Speaker 3: studied, we don't know where (15:32):
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Speaker 3: those boundaries are between (15:33):
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Speaker 3: like what is like a normal (15:34):
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Speaker 3: experience and like what is like (15:37):
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Speaker 3: actually problematic on like a (15:39):
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Speaker 3: medically, uh, like a medical (15:41):
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Speaker 3: level. (15:43):
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Speaker 1: I think that is why I think menstruation is so spiritual, (15:44):
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Speaker 1: because the idea that there is a normal is just something that I (15:49):
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Speaker 1: think we as Westerners and as humans like, want to hold on to. (15:55):
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Speaker 1: But I don't think that there's (16:01):
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Speaker 1: any woman that, like, needs to (16:02):
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Speaker 1: experience their menses the same (16:04):
undefined

Speaker 1: as another. (16:06):
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Speaker 1: And to put menses and cycles into like some sort of (16:07):
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Speaker 1: standardized testing requirements is just like (16:13):
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Speaker 1: against what they're about. (16:16):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. (16:18):
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Speaker 3: I also oh, I have to push up on that really hard. (16:18):
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Speaker 3: That because I feel like you're like, this is going to we're (16:23):
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Speaker 3: jumping in real deep, real fast. (16:26):
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Speaker 3: But like because I appreciate (16:28):
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Speaker 3: what you're saying, and it (16:30):
undefined

Speaker 3: sounds so beautiful, but it's (16:31):
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Speaker 3: also and like you have your own (16:33):
undefined

Speaker 3: fertility issues I don't know (16:35):
undefined

Speaker 3: that you want to get into in (16:37):
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Speaker 3: this episode, but like, it's (16:38):
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Speaker 3: still coming from a place of (16:40):
undefined

Speaker 3: like, you're like, oh, it's (16:42):
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Speaker 3: beautiful. (16:43):
undefined

Speaker 3: Everything is different and it doesn't have to be known. (16:44):
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Speaker 3: But like for people that have had like a severe fertility (16:46):
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Speaker 3: issues, it's like we want that research done because like, (16:49):
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Speaker 3: we're not able to get pregnant because all these things are so (16:52):
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Speaker 3: different and no one knows what to do about it. (16:56):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. And I think you're right. (16:58):
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Speaker 1: And I didn't mean to be like, (17:01):
undefined

Speaker 1: it's so beautiful and let nature (17:02):
undefined

Speaker 1: be nature. (17:04):
undefined

Speaker 1: We don't need to uncover it. (17:05):
undefined

Speaker 1: I think you're right. (17:07):
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Speaker 1: It may have, like, kind of crossed over into that sense. (17:08):
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Speaker 1: I guess I just meant like on a broader scale, I feel this way (17:12):
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Speaker 1: about like mental health as well And that doesn't mean we (17:15):
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Speaker 1: shouldn't seek understanding. (17:17):
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Speaker 1: And I think that you're right. (17:20):
undefined

Speaker 1: We have a right to have answers and to have medical treatment (17:21):
undefined

Speaker 1: for our bodies, especially when you have reproductive disorders. (17:24):
undefined

Speaker 1: And the thing is, is like on your side of things, the lack of (17:29):
undefined

Speaker 1: knowledge around what a disordered reproductive system (17:33):
undefined

Speaker 1: looks like has been very, very painful and isolating for you. (17:36):
undefined

Speaker 1: And I think my like super optimistic like other side where (17:42):
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Speaker 1: it's like I it's okay. (17:48):
undefined

Speaker 1: I fall in a range. (17:49):
undefined

Speaker 1: It's like can be very invalidating. (17:51):
undefined

Speaker 1: Yeah. (17:53):
undefined

Speaker 1: So I'm glad that you mentioned that. (17:53):
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Speaker 1: But I guess I just more so meant that our tendency to want it. (17:55):
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Speaker 3: To be like a clear cut. (18:00):
undefined

Speaker 1: Yeah. (18:02):
undefined

Speaker 3: System or understanding I get that. (18:02):
undefined

Speaker 1: Like to oversimplify something that just isn't. (18:05):
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Speaker 3: It's twenty eight days and this phase is these days, and this (18:07):
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Speaker 3: phase is these days. (18:11):
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Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. (18:12):
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Speaker 1: That is a little bit, I think that it's useful information. (18:14):
undefined

Speaker 1: You're absolutely right. (18:17):
undefined

Speaker 1: It is useful to have those ranges. (18:19):
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Speaker 1: But I also think that it is, (18:21):
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Speaker 1: really complex to be like (18:23):
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Speaker 1: scientifically viewing something (18:25):
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Speaker 1: that like, I mean, we do (18:27):
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Speaker 1: understand plants and seasons, (18:29):
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Speaker 1: so why can't we understand (18:31):
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Speaker 1: menstruation? (18:32):
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Speaker 1: You you're like, I enjoy that pushback because you've got me (18:33):
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Speaker 1: like, you're right, but I am just kind of like another half (18:37):
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Speaker 1: of me is just, like, optimistically like, you know. (18:39):
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Speaker 3: But I also think it's like (18:43):
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Speaker 3: coming from that place, though, (18:45):
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Speaker 3: of, like, being overly (18:47):
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Speaker 3: medicalized and it treated like (18:49):
undefined

Speaker 3: a disorder. (18:50):
undefined

Speaker 3: It's like you had the extreme opposite effect of that, where (18:51):
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Speaker 3: you're like, I was never given the chance to develop this (18:54):
undefined

Speaker 3: relationship with myself. (18:58):
undefined

Speaker 3: That is so natural, and I wish I (18:59):
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Speaker 3: would have gotten that is what (19:01):
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Speaker 3: I'm hearing. (19:03):
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Speaker 3: Mhm. (19:04):
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Speaker 3: And that and it's like and that (19:05):
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Speaker 3: is so beautiful and it's like (19:06):
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Speaker 3: yeah it's like I'm like yeah I (19:08):
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Speaker 3: love that. (19:10):
undefined

Speaker 3: And then I think the side of me like from my experience of like (19:11):
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Speaker 3: trying to find answers for years and years and years and years (19:15):
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Speaker 3: like in no matter what testing I do, it's like we have no idea. (19:19):
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Speaker 3: Like, this is probably fine and this isn't relevant. (19:23):
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Speaker 3: Like. (19:26):
undefined

Speaker 3: Right. (19:26):
undefined

Speaker 3: It's like it's more like, okay, but but I want answers like, why (19:26):
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Speaker 3: is this not being studied? (19:32):
undefined

Speaker 3: And I think both of those things can be true. (19:35):
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Speaker 3: And that's why this like I think (19:37):
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Speaker 3: our mission with this podcast, (19:39):
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Speaker 3: right, is to find like those (19:40):
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Speaker 3: intersections of like what it (19:41):
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Speaker 3: what our human experience is and (19:45):
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Speaker 3: like understanding things (19:46):
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Speaker 3: through the scientific and the (19:47):
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Speaker 3: spiritual lens. (19:49):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. And like, we're very lucky to, like, have each other (19:50):
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Speaker 1: because, like, I think you really heard me and like, hear (19:55):
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Speaker 1: my experience and wanted to hold space for that, even though it (19:58):
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Speaker 1: was so different from your own and like, very difficult to kind (20:02):
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Speaker 1: of allow for that, like passion and excitement around something (20:07):
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Speaker 1: that is so like such a wound for you in your life and something (20:11):
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Speaker 1: that you like. (20:16):
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Speaker 1: We don't really want to open that wound. (20:19):
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Speaker 1: Like, we don't we don't want to, like, we don't have a couple of (20:21):
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Speaker 1: days, but I've gotten there. (20:24):
undefined

Speaker 1: I know you have. (20:25):
undefined

Speaker 1: And you're like, yeah, you're articulating like, I love I love (20:27):
undefined

Speaker 1: that we're like kind of going back and forth. (20:31):
undefined

Speaker 1: And I'm like particularly (20:32):
undefined

Speaker 1: because we've done all these (20:34):
undefined

Speaker 1: like pre behind the scenes (20:35):
undefined

Speaker 1: conversations. (20:36):
undefined

Speaker 1: We were not here. (20:37):
undefined

Speaker 1: We were not here like twelve hours ago, maybe even four. (20:38):
undefined

Speaker 1: We have brought. (20:43):
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Speaker 3: Our friendship. (20:44):
undefined

Speaker 1: To. (20:44):
undefined

Speaker 3: A new level through this discussion. (20:45):
undefined

Speaker 3: And I actually think that that is why this might be one of the (20:47):
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Speaker 3: most important episodes we ever record, because I think that (20:50):
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Speaker 3: this is no matter what phase of menstruation, pregnancy, (20:55):
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Speaker 3: menopause you are in. (21:00):
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Speaker 3: It's something that people don't (21:03):
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Speaker 3: talk about even between their (21:04):
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Speaker 3: friends. (21:06):
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Speaker 3: Like they might talk about it in a surface level. (21:07):
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Speaker 3: Yeah, but not the like. (21:09):
undefined

Speaker 3: True in the weeds of like what (21:11):
undefined

Speaker 3: your experience is as a person (21:13):
undefined

Speaker 3: and like how that's defining (21:15):
undefined

Speaker 3: you. (21:16):
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Speaker 3: And to your point, that's like such a huge part of our life. (21:16):
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Speaker 3: And it's just kind of like, like, think about how many of us (21:20):
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Speaker 3: like like how like we're like, hiding tampons and pads because (21:22):
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Speaker 3: we're so embarrassed when it's like, the most natural thing to (21:26):
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Speaker 3: your point, it's almost like this part of being a woman is (21:28):
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Speaker 3: so, like, diseased and taboo that we don't get a chance to (21:31):
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Speaker 3: know what our relationship is with it and whether that becomes (21:37):
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Speaker 3: good or bad later. (21:40):
undefined

Speaker 3: It's kind of like stripped from us as teenagers. (21:40):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. I have had this this talk around pregnancy as well, (21:43):
undefined

Speaker 1: because I was very like pregnancy is a natural thing (21:48):
undefined

Speaker 1: that women do, and we've been doing it for years in Western (21:52):
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Speaker 1: medicine, has made pregnancy like they treat pregnant women (21:55):
undefined

Speaker 1: like they're a disease. (21:58):
undefined

Speaker 1: However, there is a lot of (21:59):
undefined

Speaker 1: medicine that has made (22:01):
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Speaker 1: pregnancy. (22:03):
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Speaker 1: Instead of being something women (22:04):
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Speaker 1: die from, something that they (22:06):
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Speaker 1: like. (22:08):
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Speaker 1: I could have died had I not sought medical help and like a (22:08):
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Speaker 1: part of me would have a part of me arguably thinks that the (22:15):
undefined

Speaker 1: reason my baby died is because I didn't get actual medical help. (22:18):
undefined

Speaker 1: so yeah, that's like where we're (22:22):
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Speaker 1: coming from with this is cycle (22:25):
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Speaker 1: thinking for me really He (22:29):
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Speaker 1: allowed me to have a (22:31):
undefined

Speaker 1: relationship with this part of (22:33):
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Speaker 1: me that's very important with me (22:34):
undefined

Speaker 1: and Mads. (22:36):
undefined

Speaker 1: I don't want to speak for you, (22:38):
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Speaker 1: but, like, what I'm hearing is (22:39):
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Speaker 1: that, like, you really respect (22:41):
undefined

Speaker 1: that. (22:42):
undefined

Speaker 1: But it's really, really hard (22:43):
undefined

Speaker 1: because you don't see how this (22:44):
undefined

Speaker 1: specific conversation of cycle (22:47):
undefined

Speaker 1: syncing really plays into your (22:49):
undefined

Speaker 1: relationship with your (22:51):
undefined

Speaker 1: reproductive. (22:53):
undefined

Speaker 1: Yeah. (22:55):
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Speaker 3: So I think it's fair. (22:55):
undefined

Speaker 3: I think it's even I don't even know that it's like that. (22:57):
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Speaker 3: I don't see how it's relevant, (23:01):
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Speaker 3: even though I said that a bunch (23:02):
undefined

Speaker 3: of times. (23:02):
undefined

Speaker 3: But I think that it's more that it makes me sad that I like, (23:03):
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Speaker 3: can't relieve the symptoms in like a, like I probably could. (23:08):
undefined

Speaker 3: And that's why I'm like, really excited to learn more from you (23:13):
undefined

Speaker 3: about, like, maybe the signs of the different phases and like (23:16):
undefined

Speaker 3: how I could bring those in. (23:19):
undefined

Speaker 3: So I think it is still relevant, (23:21):
undefined

Speaker 3: but I think that the wounded, (23:22):
undefined

Speaker 3: like the resistance that we felt (23:23):
undefined

Speaker 3: coming up, was more like (23:25):
undefined

Speaker 3: bringing it back into like into (23:27):
undefined

Speaker 3: my conscious awareness that, (23:29):
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Speaker 3: like, this is like the (23:30):
undefined

Speaker 3: experience. (23:31):
undefined

Speaker 3: I'm like, quote unquote supposed (23:32):
undefined

Speaker 3: to be having and that like, this (23:34):
undefined

Speaker 3: is the normal experience is like (23:37):
undefined

Speaker 3: these phases that are like (23:39):
undefined

Speaker 3: predictable and like, you know, (23:41):
undefined

Speaker 3: this week of the month, this (23:42):
undefined

Speaker 3: thing is happening and this week (23:43):
undefined

Speaker 3: of the month, this thing is (23:45):
undefined

Speaker 3: happening. (23:45):
undefined

Speaker 3: And like, you could just do (23:46):
undefined

Speaker 3: these things in your life will (23:47):
undefined

Speaker 3: be better. (23:48):
undefined

Speaker 3: So I think it like calls out that like that, that doesn't (23:49):
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Speaker 3: feel like an option to me. (23:53):
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Speaker 3: Even though like, you know, the more we explore it, maybe it is. (23:55):
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Speaker 3: And like that will be a cool thing to try out. (23:58):
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Speaker 1: Yeah, I think we'll have to do a (24:01):
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Speaker 1: different episode once we get (24:03):
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Speaker 1: more research on different types (24:05):
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Speaker 1: of cycles, because I'm coming (24:08):
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Speaker 1: from this with like a very (24:10):
undefined

Speaker 1: personal lens. (24:11):
undefined

Speaker 1: I'm coming at this from somebody (24:13):
undefined

Speaker 1: who happens to be lucky enough (24:14):
undefined

Speaker 1: to have a regular cycle to sync (24:17):
undefined

Speaker 1: with, but I do want to hold (24:20):
undefined

Speaker 1: space for people who don't have (24:23):
undefined

Speaker 1: that, for people who experience, (24:24):
undefined

Speaker 1: ovarian. (24:27):
undefined

Speaker 1: disorders. (24:28):
undefined

Speaker 1: But I don't feel comfortable really using that terminology. (24:29):
undefined

Speaker 1: But essentially, I want to make way for the idea that there (24:33):
undefined

Speaker 1: might be different herbal remedies for Mads or for anybody (24:37):
undefined

Speaker 1: else who is having a different cycle experience than me. (24:41):
undefined

Speaker 1: And I would encourage you to, (24:46):
undefined

Speaker 1: you know, Maddie is very brave (24:49):
undefined

Speaker 1: and courageous for wanting to (24:51):
undefined

Speaker 1: have a conversation and have a (24:52):
undefined

Speaker 1: relationship with something that (24:54):
undefined

Speaker 1: has been so tumultuous for such (24:55):
undefined

Speaker 1: a long time and that there (24:58):
undefined

Speaker 1: aren't answers to, like, you're (24:59):
undefined

Speaker 1: walking, you're you're you're (25:01):
undefined

Speaker 1: exploring uncharted waters with (25:03):
undefined

Speaker 1: me. (25:06):
undefined

Speaker 1: And like, I want to kind of do that with you, too. (25:06):
undefined

Speaker 1: and it's much scarier when you're coming from this idea (25:10):
undefined

Speaker 1: that, like, it's not normal. (25:12):
undefined

Speaker 1: And so I just, like, really appreciate you still like (25:16):
undefined

Speaker 1: holding space for, How hard? (25:19):
undefined

Speaker 1: Like, even though it's hard and, (25:21):
undefined

Speaker 1: like, being open to it, even (25:23):
undefined

Speaker 1: though sometimes it's like, (25:25):
undefined

Speaker 1: wait, what? (25:27):
undefined

Speaker 1: Like I does that, like, I don't know if I'm like my basal body (25:27):
undefined

Speaker 1: temperature doesn't change or whatever it is, right? (25:32):
undefined

Speaker 1: Like I could measure it that way. (25:35):
undefined

Speaker 1: I don't know that I'm going to see anything, right? (25:37):
undefined

Speaker 1: Because my hormones are all out of whack. (25:39):
undefined

Speaker 1: And I would argue that even with (25:41):
undefined

Speaker 1: a normal cycle, I still have (25:43):
undefined

Speaker 1: hormonal differences. (25:45):
undefined

Speaker 1: It's literally so complex. (25:48):
undefined

Speaker 1: All of the research we looked (25:50):
undefined

Speaker 1: at, first of all, has small (25:51):
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Speaker 1: sample sizes are not longevity (25:53):
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Speaker 1: studies, at least like super (25:56):
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Speaker 1: long and like max like two (26:00):
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Speaker 1: years, I think is what I saw (26:03):
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Speaker 1: and. (26:04):
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Speaker 3: And usually only focus in like two phases. (26:07):
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Speaker 1: Two they only well, I saw some (26:09):
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Speaker 1: that focused on all phases, but (26:11):
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Speaker 1: they, they, they only dealt with (26:13):
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Speaker 1: people who have normal like (26:16):
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Speaker 1: falling within normal range (26:18):
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Speaker 1: cycles. (26:20):
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Speaker 1: So to Maddy's point, researching this must have been really (26:21):
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Speaker 1: frustrating because she's looking at all this science and (26:25):
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Speaker 1: none of it pertains to like she can't find herself in the data, (26:28):
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Speaker 1: and she's actually actively reading sentences that are like, (26:33):
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Speaker 1: we excluded all of these people. (26:37):
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Speaker 1: Like, that would be so fucking triggering. (26:39):
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Speaker 1: Like, that's fucked. (26:41):
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Speaker 3: So but I will say like like thank you for saying all that. (26:43):
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Speaker 3: and it also did give me a lot of hope, uh, because, like, I think (26:47):
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Speaker 3: we even, like, had this talk like, last night that there was (26:54):
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Speaker 3: actually more research than I was expecting, to be honest. (26:57):
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Speaker 3: Like, when we were talking about this episode, we were both kind (27:00):
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Speaker 3: of like, how much neuroscience research is there actually going (27:03):
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Speaker 3: to be around this? (27:06):
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Speaker 3: Like, is it going to be there? (27:06):
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Speaker 3: And like there was actually there was by no means enough (27:09):
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Speaker 3: compared to how men are studied. (27:13):
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Speaker 3: So I don't want to say that, but (27:15):
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Speaker 3: like there is this like upward (27:17):
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Speaker 3: trajectory. (27:18):
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Speaker 3: Like Kat said earlier of women being in science, pushing this (27:19):
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Speaker 3: issue, creating as good of studies as they can. (27:23):
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Speaker 3: And so even though it was really (27:26):
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Speaker 3: disheartening and it was really (27:27):
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Speaker 3: hard for me on this, like really (27:29):
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Speaker 3: personal level, it was also it (27:30):
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Speaker 3: gave me a lot of hope because we (27:34):
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Speaker 3: kind of have to start with what (27:36):
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Speaker 3: is considered normal ranges to (27:38):
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Speaker 3: understand baselines before we (27:41):
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Speaker 3: can get into like where things (27:42):
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Speaker 3: maybe fall out of those normal (27:45):
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Speaker 3: boundaries. (27:46):
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Speaker 3: Yeah. (27:47):
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Speaker 3: And so I do want to be clear about that and that, like at (27:48):
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Speaker 3: least it's starting to happen. (27:51):
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Speaker 3: I mean, it's really sad that it (27:52):
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Speaker 3: only has happened in the last (27:54):
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Speaker 3: like five years, but at least (27:55):
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Speaker 3: it's there, (27:57):
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Speaker 2: as we touched on, cycle syncing (27:57):
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Speaker 2: is, something that you can do to (28:00):
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Speaker 2: relieve symptoms. (28:02):
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Speaker 2: It can create a relationship with you and your cycle. (28:03):
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Speaker 2: and my personal experience is that it does relieve PMDD (28:07):
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Speaker 2: symptoms, which are essentially, my emotional changes, my, severe (28:11):
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Speaker 2: depression, severe lack of energy, and kind of like that (28:17):
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Speaker 2: guilt and shame I feel around my menstrual week of like, why does (28:21):
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Speaker 2: nothing work out for me all of this stuff and kind of like, I'm (28:27):
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Speaker 2: extra hangry and all this stuff. (28:31):
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Speaker 2: Some of that is a part of it. (28:34):
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Speaker 2: But now that I have begun cycle (28:36):
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Speaker 2: syncing, it doesn't feel as (28:37):
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Speaker 2: jarring and I don't feel as much (28:39):
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Speaker 2: guilt and shame around it (28:41):
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Speaker 2: because, I'm like working into (28:42):
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Speaker 2: it. (28:45):
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Speaker 2: So cycle syncing is the act of aligning my lifestyle with what (28:45):
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Speaker 2: phase of my cycle I'm in, and I'm going to continuously (28:50):
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Speaker 2: reference the cycles as seasons. (28:56):
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Speaker 2: So like my body, I love that. (28:58):
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Speaker 2: Yeah. (29:00):
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Speaker 2: My body is like its own, like Mother Earth, right? (29:01):
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Speaker 2: my spiritual understanding of it (29:05):
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Speaker 2: and why I'm going to keep making (29:08):
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Speaker 2: this reference to the seasons is (29:09):
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Speaker 2: because females get this (29:12):
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Speaker 2: beautiful opportunity to create (29:15):
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Speaker 2: life. (29:18):
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Speaker 2: And I think that is something that I've always treasured. (29:19):
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Speaker 2: And I think cycle syncing really brought me into appreciation for (29:23):
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Speaker 2: my body's ability to do that. (29:30):
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Speaker 2: And seeing my cycle as a relationship with, like, my (29:31):
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Speaker 2: spirit as a life creator. (29:35):
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Speaker 2: and how my cycle is a part of that. (29:38):
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Speaker 2: The good, the bad and the ugly. (29:41):
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Speaker 2: And just like, you know, you don't just love the flowers in (29:42):
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Speaker 2: the spring or the life that's present in summer. (29:46):
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Speaker 2: I have learned even through cycle syncing. (29:50):
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Speaker 2: I'm more appreciative of the seasons outside in the world, (29:53):
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Speaker 2: because I'm appreciative of the seasons inside of me. (29:57):
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Speaker 1: That's really sweet. (30:01):
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Speaker 2: So it's just like this big (30:02):
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Speaker 2: relationship with, rhythm, I (30:03):
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Speaker 2: guess. (30:05):
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Speaker 2: I think that getting in tune (30:06):
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Speaker 2: with my cycle really gave me (30:07):
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Speaker 2: this sense of in-tune with (30:10):
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Speaker 2: rhythm and with life and with (30:12):
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Speaker 2: death. (30:14):
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Speaker 2: that was very spiritual for me. (30:14):
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Speaker 2: but it's also beneficial for my health and my mental health. (30:17):
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Speaker 1: And your relationship. (30:22):
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Speaker 2: And my relationship. (30:23):
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Speaker 2: Yeah. Because my husband is a big part of my cycle thinking, (30:24):
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Speaker 2: um, and it allows me to come into my full power as a woman, (30:28):
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Speaker 2: which allows me to be in better relationship with other women. (30:32):
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Speaker 2: My husband, just like other (30:36):
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Speaker 2: people in general, because I'm (30:38):
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Speaker 2: in better relationship with (30:39):
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Speaker 2: myself. (30:40):
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Speaker 2: that was one like woo woo aspect of why cycle syncing is a big (30:41):
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Speaker 2: deal in my life. (30:47):
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Speaker 2: I think the other one was just, (30:48):
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Speaker 2: like I said, symptom mediation (30:50):
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Speaker 2: and management and getting rid (30:54):
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Speaker 2: of that, emotion, those (30:56):
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Speaker 2: emotional symptoms and mental (30:58):
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Speaker 2: health symptoms. (30:59):
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Speaker 2: Because I have mental health issues outside of that. (31:00):
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Speaker 2: And I found that every time I made progress, sometimes it (31:03):
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Speaker 2: would feel like, three steps forward, two steps back, or that (31:07):
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Speaker 2: saying and that can be because of the natural rhythm of life. (31:10):
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Speaker 2: And so just kind of representing (31:15):
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Speaker 2: that, life is cyclical and I am (31:18):
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Speaker 2: cyclical. (31:20):
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Speaker 2: that's a beautiful thing as a woman rather than not being kind (31:21):
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Speaker 2: of like experiencing things and the typical male way of rise and (31:25):
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Speaker 2: fall daily cycles. (31:29):
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Speaker 2: We have monthly cycles. (31:31):
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Speaker 1: and I will say that I the idea of cycle syncing is really (31:33):
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Speaker 1: appealing to me. (31:38):
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Speaker 1: I don't remember who it was, but I remember I listened to a (31:39):
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Speaker 1: podcast years ago where she brought this up, how society is (31:43):
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Speaker 1: built around the male twenty four hour cycle. (31:48):
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Speaker 1: And it's not an adjustment for women's Monthly ish cycle. (31:51):
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Speaker 1: And so I like the idea of that is so beautiful. (31:57):
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Speaker 1: And I'm really excited to hear more about how you implement (32:01):
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Speaker 1: that in your monthly cycle. (32:04):
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Speaker 2: Yeah. So we'll go into if you (32:07):
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Speaker 2: don't know about your cycle, (32:12):
undefined

Speaker 2: we're getting to our cycle (32:13):
undefined

Speaker 2: education, portion of the (32:15):
undefined

Speaker 2: podcast. (32:18):
undefined

Speaker 2: So there are four phases to your cycle, just like there are four (32:19):
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Speaker 2: seasons to the Earth. (32:23):
undefined

Speaker 2: And our cycle actually begins scientifically. (32:24):
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Speaker 2: We count our menses from the first day of our period, so our (32:30):
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Speaker 2: cycle begins in winter. (32:34):
undefined

Speaker 2: So your period is associated with winter. (32:37):
undefined

Speaker 2: And that will help give you an idea for the types of (32:41):
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Speaker 2: activities, the types of energy and the types of foods you (32:44):
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Speaker 2: should be eating. (32:48):
undefined

Speaker 2: So in my period, I really think about warmth. (32:49):
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Speaker 2: Easily digestible. (32:53):
undefined

Speaker 2: trying to void off sickness. (32:55):
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Speaker 2: Feeling sick. (32:57):
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Speaker 2: a less active, less activity, less socialization. (32:59):
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Speaker 2: really playing into nostalgia, (33:03):
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Speaker 2: comforting mood lighting, (33:05):
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Speaker 2: celebrating and reflecting on (33:08):
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Speaker 2: the year, even, lots of (33:10):
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Speaker 2: downtime, maybe nurturing (33:12):
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Speaker 2: activities like reading, but (33:15):
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Speaker 2: very low energy, like physical (33:18):
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Speaker 2: energy. (33:20):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. And I really like that visualization with, winter and (33:21):
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Speaker 1: really taking care of yourself and expecting this more kind of (33:25):
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Speaker 1: lower time period. (33:28):
undefined

Speaker 1: not expecting yourself to be doing so much. (33:29):
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Speaker 1: And that really aligns with more of the science of the biological (33:32):
undefined

Speaker 1: side of things, right? (33:35):
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Speaker 1: Because your estrogen and progesterone, serotonin and (33:36):
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Speaker 1: dopamine are all down. (33:39):
undefined

Speaker 1: So that would make sense that you're maybe not firing on all (33:42):
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Speaker 1: cylinders, so to speak, and even your hippocampus, which is the (33:45):
undefined

Speaker 1: area in charge of memory. (33:49):
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Speaker 1: Mhm. (33:51):
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Speaker 1: Amongst other things. (33:51):
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Speaker 1: But it's actually downregulated or not working as much. (33:52):
undefined

Speaker 1: And so it would make sense when people have those experiences of (33:56):
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Speaker 1: brain fog not feeling so sharp. (34:00):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. (34:02):
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Speaker 1: short term memory loss. (34:02):
undefined

Speaker 1: Like you walk into a room. (34:04):
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Speaker 2: And you don't remember why you went there. (34:05):
undefined

Speaker 2: that happens more on your period (34:07):
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Speaker 2: And the science essentially (34:09):
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Speaker 2: backs that (34:10):
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Speaker 1: Yeah. So it's like your (34:12):
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Speaker 1: prefrontal cortex and your (34:13):
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Speaker 1: hippocampus are both not working (34:14):
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Speaker 1: as efficiently. (34:16):
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Speaker 1: And so that's why you might have (34:18):
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Speaker 1: trouble having more brain fog, (34:19):
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Speaker 1: less executive function, less (34:21):
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Speaker 1: decision making, more (34:23):
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Speaker 1: irritability. (34:24):
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Speaker 2: Mhm. Yeah. Because your prefrontal cortex is that like (34:25):
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Speaker 2: emotional regulation decision making time management. (34:28):
undefined

Speaker 2: And that makes sense because I don't know what I want to eat (34:31):
undefined

Speaker 2: but I need food constantly. (34:34):
undefined

Speaker 2: so as far as lifestyle activities, those are the broad (34:36):
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Speaker 2: strokes, think winter. (34:41):
undefined

Speaker 2: but for me, I because I don't have as much energy to cook, I (34:42):
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Speaker 2: will even food prep, beforehand all these meals. (34:48):
undefined

Speaker 2: And so this really helps my husband, my cycle syncing menu (34:53):
undefined

Speaker 2: helps my husband kind of understand how he can best (34:57):
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Speaker 2: support me in my menses. (35:00):
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Speaker 2: And so typically, nutritionally, (35:03):
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Speaker 2: humans should be getting at (35:08):
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Speaker 2: least two thousand calories a (35:09):
undefined

Speaker 2: day. (35:10):
undefined

Speaker 2: And from what I saw previously when I started this whole (35:11):
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Speaker 2: journey, you should be actually adding to that by quite a bit. (35:16):
undefined

Speaker 2: your menses takes a lot of energy. (35:20):
undefined

Speaker 2: Just think hibernation, your body takes extra energy to keep (35:22):
undefined

Speaker 2: you warm in the winter. (35:26):
undefined

Speaker 2: Well, your body takes extra (35:27):
undefined

Speaker 2: energy to kind of shed its inner (35:28):
undefined

Speaker 2: lining. (35:32):
undefined

Speaker 2: And it's taking more water. (35:33):
undefined

Speaker 2: It's taking more blood, It's (35:34):
undefined

Speaker 2: it's taking so much from your (35:37):
undefined

Speaker 2: system that that's why you feel (35:39):
undefined

Speaker 2: drained. (35:41):
undefined

Speaker 2: And it's a normal part of this. (35:41):
undefined

Speaker 2: And so how you can support it in (35:43):
undefined

Speaker 2: that and kind of alleviate some (35:45):
undefined

Speaker 2: of that comes into the cycles (35:48):
undefined

Speaker 2: before. (35:50):
undefined

Speaker 2: But during this cycle I eat fifteen hundred extra calories, (35:50):
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Speaker 2: so I'm eating three thousand five hundred calories a day. (35:55):
undefined

Speaker 2: I'm constantly eating. (35:57):
undefined

Speaker 2: it's really good that you just (35:59):
undefined

Speaker 2: listen to your body and go with (36:01):
undefined

Speaker 2: these flows. (36:03):
undefined

Speaker 2: I focus on protein, complex (36:04):
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Speaker 2: carbs, and I don't have (36:06):
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Speaker 2: caffeine. (36:08):
undefined

Speaker 2: and I am really focused on (36:09):
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Speaker 2: hydration, so water, tea only, (36:12):
undefined

Speaker 2: there are herbal blends that I (36:14):
undefined

Speaker 2: drink specifically that contain (36:17):
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Speaker 2: really nutritious things, like (36:19):
undefined

Speaker 2: oat straw. (36:20):
undefined

Speaker 2: there's red raspberry leaf that will, like, help with the, (36:21):
undefined

Speaker 2: muscles in your uterus. (36:25):
undefined

Speaker 2: So it will help decrease cramping and support those (36:27):
undefined

Speaker 2: muscles in your uterus as well as, that's really cool. (36:30):
undefined

Speaker 2: Yeah, as well as, rose hips are really good for your ovaries. (36:34):
undefined

Speaker 2: That's why they're shaped like little ovaries. (36:37):
undefined

Speaker 2: They're really cute. (36:39):
undefined

Speaker 2: And I think for people who have maybe abnormal cycles, I don't (36:40):
undefined

Speaker 2: have those herbs listed out. (36:45):
undefined

Speaker 2: But I know for a fact that, (36:47):
undefined

Speaker 2: there are different herbal (36:49):
undefined

Speaker 2: supplements and there are people (36:51):
undefined

Speaker 2: who are looking into things that (36:52):
undefined

Speaker 2: support people in PCOS, things (36:54):
undefined

Speaker 2: that really support different (36:56):
undefined

Speaker 2: aspects of your reproductive (36:58):
undefined

Speaker 2: organs. (37:01):
undefined

Speaker 2: So those are options, (37:02):
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Speaker 1: That I think in general, just again, this we're kind of moving (37:03):
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Speaker 1: a little bit into speculation, kind of not ultimately because (37:08):
undefined

Speaker 1: the research just isn't there. (37:12):
undefined

Speaker 1: but in general, we haven't (37:14):
undefined

Speaker 1: gotten into yet, but it is (37:16):
undefined

Speaker 1: surgically diagnosed. (37:17):
undefined

Speaker 1: And, you know, a big part of endometriosis is inflammation. (37:19):
undefined

Speaker 1: And so anything that you can do (37:24):
undefined

Speaker 1: to reduce inflammation in your (37:25):
undefined

Speaker 1: body is going to be really (37:27):
undefined

Speaker 1: helpful for reducing, the (37:28):
undefined

Speaker 1: intensity of cramping and (37:30):
undefined

Speaker 1: symptoms. (37:33):
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Speaker 1: And I think that's true across the board. (37:33):
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Speaker 1: magnesium can really help with reducing cramping. (37:34):
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Speaker 2: Yeah. Magnesium is super important for your muscles. (37:39):
undefined

Speaker 2: I know you have a list of (37:41):
undefined

Speaker 2: vitamins you saw that were in (37:42):
undefined

Speaker 2: the research. (37:44):
undefined

Speaker 2: But this idea that reducing stress. (37:45):
undefined

Speaker 2: So during your menses your body is very sensitive to stress. (37:48):
undefined

Speaker 2: And because of that that's why this leads perfectly into the (37:52):
undefined

Speaker 2: the types of activities you should be doing. (37:55):
undefined

Speaker 2: And specifically exercise. (37:58):
undefined

Speaker 2: I think exercise is something we (37:59):
undefined

Speaker 2: talk a lot about as far as a (38:01):
undefined

Speaker 2: good tool for mental health is (38:03):
undefined

Speaker 2: daily exercise. (38:05):
undefined

Speaker 2: And this is funny because as it comes to cycle syncing, what (38:07):
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Speaker 2: daily exercise you do changes throughout the month based off (38:10):
undefined

Speaker 2: of what your body needs. (38:13):
undefined

Speaker 2: So when you are on your period, first of all, I don't exercise (38:15):
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Speaker 2: the first two days of my period. (38:21):
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Speaker 1: And if you are going to walk, maybe more like a mindful walk, (38:23):
undefined

Speaker 1: not a brisk like I'm power walking my anger out walk. (38:26):
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Speaker 1: More like looking at the trees and connecting with nature. (38:30):
undefined

Speaker 2: Beautiful. Yeah. And breathing. (38:33):
undefined

Speaker 2: stretching. (38:36):
undefined

Speaker 2: Right. (38:37):
undefined

Speaker 2: Some light stretching. (38:37):
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Speaker 2: Just moving your body in a very intentional and mindful way. (38:39):
undefined

Speaker 2: some yoga. (38:43):
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Speaker 1: I actually am a five hundred hour registered yoga teacher. (38:44):
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Speaker 1: And we did go partially into this and some of the yoga (38:47):
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Speaker 1: philosophy and recommendations and again, this is according to (38:50):
undefined

Speaker 1: traditional yogic texts, but generally they talk about just (38:54):
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Speaker 1: really avoiding inversions. (38:58):
undefined

Speaker 1: Yeah. (39:00):
undefined

Speaker 1: you don't want to do too much, balancing or going upside down. (39:00):
undefined

Speaker 1: if you Google like yin yoga or gentle yoga or go to those (39:05):
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Speaker 1: classes, it should be safe. (39:08):
undefined

Speaker 1: just don't push yourself. (39:10):
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Speaker 2: if you are somebody who likes exercising regularly, the end of (39:11):
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Speaker 2: your cycle is perfectly fine to start exercising and there are (39:15):
undefined

Speaker 2: different exercises that work for different people. (39:18):
undefined

Speaker 2: I've seen it be recommended to do like light abs the last day (39:21):
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Speaker 2: of your cycle. (39:27):
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Speaker 1: Yeah, I know again, this I haven't seen this in the (39:28):
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Speaker 1: research, but just thinking back, in my teenage days when I (39:31):
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Speaker 1: was having, the very severe symptoms specifically around (39:35):
undefined

Speaker 1: pain and I was a competitive dancer and weightlifting. (39:39):
undefined

Speaker 1: So there was a lot of pressure (39:43):
undefined

Speaker 1: around, pretty intense physical (39:45):
undefined

Speaker 1: exercise. (39:47):
undefined

Speaker 1: I will say, sometimes it could be helpful, I was told to (39:48):
undefined

Speaker 1: exercise to help reduce cramping, but I don't know if (39:53):
undefined

Speaker 1: that's supported anything. (39:56):
undefined

Speaker 1: And, and if I could get myself to do it, it would help. (39:57):
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Speaker 1: But I don't know why that would be. (40:01):
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Speaker 2: So you can't get yourself to do it because your PFC is offline? (40:03):
undefined

Speaker 2: Exactly. (40:06):
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Speaker 1: But if you can. (40:07):
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Speaker 1: You know, you have scheduled practice. (40:08):
undefined

Speaker 1: especially some dancing, which is, really fun. (40:10):
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Speaker 1: I think it's all, it's the (40:12):
undefined

Speaker 1: easiest to be able to see (40:13):
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Speaker 1: without having to, biologically (40:15):
undefined

Speaker 1: measure anything. (40:17):
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Speaker 2: You're right. (40:18):
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Speaker 1: Whereas, without doing, a saliva (40:18):
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Speaker 1: test or something to test your (40:20):
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Speaker 1: hormones that requires a lot (40:22):
undefined

Speaker 1: more intervention. (40:23):
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Speaker 2: It's funny that that is because the other phases, all the work I (40:25):
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Speaker 2: do in my follicular, my ovulation, and particularly I do (40:30):
undefined

Speaker 2: a lot of work in my luteal phase that will the work I do in my (40:33):
undefined

Speaker 2: luteal phase really sets me up for my period, because the (40:38):
undefined

Speaker 2: luteal phase is the phase right before my period. (40:42):
undefined

Speaker 2: And it's like the fall, right? (40:45):
undefined

Speaker 2: So in the fall you prepare for winter. (40:47):
undefined

Speaker 2: And ironically, that's the last phase we're going to go into. (40:49):
undefined

Speaker 2: So some of the foods I eat which (40:52):
undefined

Speaker 2: we are going to post a little, (40:55):
undefined

Speaker 2: little mini menu with snacks and (40:57):
undefined

Speaker 2: drink ideas based off of what I (40:59):
undefined

Speaker 2: do. (41:02):
undefined

Speaker 2: So I do hard boiled eggs and protein bars because I work and (41:02):
undefined

Speaker 2: I need to grab something that has a lot of, protein and good, (41:08):
undefined

Speaker 2: nutritious, healthy fats, complex carbs, I never miss (41:12):
undefined

Speaker 2: breakfast, and I never skip dessert on my period because (41:16):
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Speaker 2: like I said, I eat three thousand five hundred calories. (41:19):
undefined

Speaker 2: So my husband will make me red meat usually the first period, (41:22):
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Speaker 2: the first day of my, menses. (41:27):
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Speaker 2: I'll have like sweet potatoes, asparagus. (41:29):
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Speaker 2: healthy starches, lentils, (41:31):
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Speaker 2: cauliflower, cruciferous (41:33):
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Speaker 2: vegetables. (41:35):
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Speaker 2: Curry over rice. (41:36):
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Speaker 2: Right. (41:37):
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Speaker 2: I'll have spice. (41:38):
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Speaker 2: it helps kind of warm me up from (41:39):
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Speaker 2: the inside out especially if (41:42):
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Speaker 2: you're using like cayenne or (41:43):
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Speaker 2: pepper. (41:44):
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Speaker 2: it will help if you're using turmeric. (41:45):
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Speaker 2: Some of those are very anti-inflammatory ingredients, (41:47):
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Speaker 2: which you talked about. (41:51):
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Speaker 2: Inflammation is a part of that, some of these symptoms. (41:52):
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Speaker 2: And then the spice also helps with nutrient absorption. (41:56):
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Speaker 2: So we just really want to get a lot of nutrients. (41:59):
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Speaker 2: And we want to support everything. (42:01):
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Speaker 2: Make sure we're getting lots of vitamins. (42:03):
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Speaker 2: I'll do ramen. (42:05):
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Speaker 2: So like warm broth, very nutritious. (42:06):
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Speaker 2: easily digestible. (42:09):
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Speaker 2: Right. (42:10):
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Speaker 2: Liquid forms of food. (42:11):
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Speaker 2: then for dessert, I'll do dark chocolate because that high (42:12):
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Speaker 2: magnesium content and frozen fruit, or just fruit in general. (42:15):
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Speaker 2: but like I said, I never miss a (42:21):
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Speaker 2: meal, so I have, cake and a cup (42:22):
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Speaker 2: recipes. (42:24):
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Speaker 2: Like, I splurge on my period. (42:25):
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Speaker 1: Love it. (42:27):
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Speaker 2: It only lasts, a week. (42:28):
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Speaker 2: So I splurge for that week. (42:30):
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Speaker 2: I love winter, because I've created such a resting point (42:32):
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Speaker 2: around it, it's a really good aspect of self-care, because (42:35):
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Speaker 2: once a month I have to give myself, a lot of rest. (42:39):
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Speaker 2: I look forward to my period because it's my cheat week. (42:41):
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Speaker 2: I'm going to watch a cozy movie. (42:44):
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Speaker 2: I get to pick all the dinners, I eat dessert. (42:46):
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Speaker 2: It's just the best. (42:48):
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Speaker 2: I never had that relationship with my period before. (42:50):
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Speaker 2: it's always something I dread. (42:52):
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Speaker 2: Yeah. (42:54):
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Speaker 2: this is going to make everything so much harder. (42:54):
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Speaker 2: And I'm like, oh, vacation. (42:56):
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Speaker 1: And I think that's why this is (42:58):
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Speaker 1: so, important and exciting to (43:00):
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Speaker 1: talk about, despite some of the (43:03):
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Speaker 1: nuances we talked about earlier, (43:04):
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Speaker 1: within our culture is a very (43:06):
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Speaker 1: like go, go, go productivity (43:08):
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Speaker 1: culture me. (43:10):
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Speaker 1: And you have discussed a lot by ourselves, but I mean especially (43:11):
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Speaker 1: anyone in the US can relate to that idea of like you, if you (43:14):
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Speaker 1: are a successful person, you're serious about your life, you're (43:19):
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Speaker 1: getting up at five am, you're working out, you're fasting in (43:22):
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Speaker 1: the morning, you've done all these things all day. (43:25):
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Speaker 1: And that might particularly be (43:28):
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Speaker 1: in my consciousness because (43:29):
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Speaker 1: I've, been a business owner for (43:30):
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Speaker 1: five years. (43:31):
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Speaker 1: a lot of the content geared (43:32):
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Speaker 1: towards business owners and (43:33):
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Speaker 1: freelance people. (43:35):
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Speaker 1: Is that if you're serious about (43:36):
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Speaker 1: something, no matter what (43:38):
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Speaker 1: happens, you're going to push (43:39):
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Speaker 1: through it, you're going to (43:40):
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Speaker 1: motherfucking go. (43:41):
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Speaker 1: And it's like you're getting up, you're being on time. (43:42):
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Speaker 1: And that is a very male oriented (43:44):
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Speaker 1: or twenty four hormone cycle (43:46):
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Speaker 1: oriented way. (43:49):
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Speaker 1: men can do that in a way that's not depleting to them, but for (43:49):
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Speaker 1: women to try to do that, during their period, like you said, (43:54):
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Speaker 1: when all your hormones are down and you are meant to have more (43:57):
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Speaker 1: food, restricting yourself. (44:00):
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Speaker 1: Forcing yourself to exercise in these really intense ways can be (44:02):
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Speaker 2: Damaging. (44:06):
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Speaker 1: Really damaging. (44:06):
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Speaker 1: I think it's really cool that (44:07):
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Speaker 1: you, laid it out in a way that (44:09):
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Speaker 1: feels really logical and science (44:10):
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Speaker 1: based and also has a spiritual (44:13):
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Speaker 1: component. (44:14):
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Speaker 2: Yeah. So it's just not sustainable. (44:16):
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Speaker 2: So when you feel like life is unsustainable, that's because (44:19):
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Speaker 2: Mads is absolutely right. (44:24):
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Speaker 2: the life we're living and the society we're living in isn't (44:26):
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Speaker 2: built to be sustainable for us. (44:29):
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Speaker 2: So we don't feel sustainable in it and I think cycle syncing has (44:31):
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Speaker 2: brought a lot more sustainability to my life. (44:35):
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Katrina Bras: Wow, we had so much to say. (44:37):
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Katrina Bras: And Kat's passion bled through so much. (44:40):
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Katrina Bras: I had a great time learning about cycle syncing, but we've (44:44):
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Katrina Bras: ran out of time. (44:46):
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Katrina Bras: so we'll catch you next week for part two. (44:47):
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