Episode 29: 6 Must-Have Tips for Becoming an Embodied Warrior Woman
One. Understand your cycle
start tracking your cycle.
your cycle is your report card. it is telling you if your hormones are happy and balanced.
it will take a few cycles to find patterns and develop body literacy. So, commit to 3-months!
We are looking for length, PMS data, skin breakouts, emotions, breast tenderness, pain, type of bleed and cervical fluid changes. Apps like clue, flo or ovia are super cool tools!
Two. Balance your hormones
balancing your hormones will depend on your hormonal data and body literacy results. But, there are several things you can do to cultivate happy hormones, naturally.
improve your gut-hormone connection - healthy gut = stable metabolism = happy hormones
balance blood sugar - eat often (no fasting!), eat enough and balance meals with macronutrients, and don't forget fibre for healthy poo's
love your liver - eat quality protein, take a B complex, eat loads of veggies, drink 3L+ water and reduce that red water stuff!
sleep 8-9 hours a night - what's your sleep hygiene like?
train the right way - weightlifting, strength training, harder but smarter
supplement with vitamin D + K, zinc, magnesium and b complex
walk 15,000 steps a day
Three. Train with your cycle
Your hormones change throughout your cycle.
you can train harder and longer in the first half of your cycle, you tolerate more carbohydrates (to fuel that hard training) and studies show you can build more muscle and recover better.
towards the end of your cycle your hormones are that there lowest, you may need to be more mindful with your training, PMS can impact your energy, you tolerate protein and fat better and you may need to rest longer.
understanding this balance is important if you want to get more out of your training. try it next cycle!
Four. 15,000 steps to connection
walk 15,000 steps a day - I call this 15,000 steps to connection
go for a walk, even if you don’t feel like it
the walk will alter your mood, get you moving and allow you to connect with your breath, body and nature
the walk will change your posture and is immensely restorative
the walk will help balance your hormones
the walk is time for you
Five. Quality over Quantity
often diet and fitness programs focus on the quantity of food eaten or amount of training done. and almost always these diet and fitness programs aren’t successful.
to balance the hormones we need to focus on quality of the inputs.
food and training are information for the body and the quality of information determines your hormonal and metabolic health.
quality training inputs: movement practice that involves strength training, mobility, walking, dancing, co-ordination, breathing, fun, play
quality nutrition inputs: eating often (no fasting!), eating enough (for you) and balancing meals with real whole foods (protein, fat and carbohydrates)
And
Six. Take the Long Way Home
home, I believe is our body. and so many of us aren't home. we keep trying to take the short cut.
ditch the short way home - the diets, the 6-weeks to, 12-week challenges, the high-intensity exercise - and take the long way home.
the long way home is saying no to other people's opinions, to the media, the diets, over-training and saying yes to understanding your cycle, metabolism and body.
the long way home is full of exploration and discovery; listening and feeling; building attention and trust with your body and understanding your cycle and how to train with your it.
You can connect with me on
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amykatebowe/
Website: http://www.amykatebowe.com/
Email: amy@amykatebowe.com
Music: Sorrow by Sappheiros https://soundcloud.com/sappheirosmusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SYGjI28nGec