Your Cycle, Your Period and Your Diet

Your Cycle, Your Period and Your Diet

Cycle syncing is a great way to gain a better understanding of how your body reacts to its different stages and hormones and how to work around the PMS and menstrual cycle symptoms such as period cramps.

Do you believe that there are over 150 symptoms that have been medically identified as a result of our menstrual cycles? 150! It is estimated that 70%–90% of women are affected by some type of these symptoms.

Period cramps is only one of them. Another symptom is perceived as weight gain. But do we really gain weight every month that we get our period? Food cravings, increased hunger, water retention, and swelling are premenstrual symptoms that may make a person feel like they are gaining weight. So, while your menstrual cycle may not actually affect your weight gain the symptoms certainly can. You may crave and eat more sweet or salty food which may cause an increase in body weight.

Changes in appetite may occur at different stages of the menstrual cycle due to the particular hormones that are dominant during each phase. For instance, in the stage during bleeding and before ovulation, estrogen is the dominant hormone. Estrogen is one of the two primary female sex hormones and is involved in the onset of puberty and the menstrual cycle. It has actually been scientifically proven that estrogen reduces your appetite so, during this period you might eat less.

Whereas from the time you ovulate to the onset of your period, progesterone dominates. Since progesterone stimulates appetite, a person may find that they eat more during this phase – one of the symptoms of PMS.

The more we understand how our hormones affect our bodies and our diets the better we can control our appetites and control our weight.

This is where Cycle syncing steps in. “Cycle syncing” is a term coined and trademarked by Alisa Vitti, Functional Nutritionist, HHC, AADP. Cycle syncing will help to ensure your body is getting all it needs to support the optimal balance of hormones throughout each unique part of your cycle. By tracking your cycle, you will get a better understanding of what works for you.

Most importantly listen to your body. It really has a lot to say.