If You Want to Use Your Menstrual Cycle to Your Advantage You Should: Alter what you eat based on which phase of your cycle you are in to give your body what it needs to absorb Switch up your workout routine between heavy weight lifting, building lean muscle mass, and taking time for recovery Listen to your divine feminine power and give your body what it is asking you for You might know that you can break down your menstrual cycle into four different phases, but did you know that how you eat and exercise in each of these phases can impact your health, fertility, and metabolism? Understanding how you are evolving throughout the month can help you use your menstrual cycle to your advantage and provide optimal functioning. Optimizing Your Menstrual Cycle with Dr. Stephanie Estima Dr. Stephanie Estima is an expert in metabolism and body composition. She has a special interest in functional neurology, brain metabolism, and the specific application of the ketogenic diet and fasting to female physiology. Using her framework, The ESTIMA Method, she focuses on distilling strategies in nutrition, movement, and mindset to actualize human potential, longevity, and achievement. The Four Phases of Your Cycle The four phases of your cycle can be broken down into menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase. Each of these phases needs specific diet and exercise routines to help your hormones function optimally and play the long game when it comes to your health and wellness. By combining Dr. Stephanie's knowledge around fasting, the ketogenic diet, and the mensural cycle, you can reduce your inflammation, get a grip on your insulin, and give your body what it needs depending on where you are at in your cycle. Weight lifting, carbohydrates, and taking a much-needed rest can all help you see tremendous results if done correctly and at the right time for your body. Listen to Your Feminine Power Whether you want children or not, your body's process of creating life requires a level of energy that no other cell in the human body has to produce. This is why it is critical to do what feels right for you and lean into your feminine power so that you can listen to what your body is telling you. True sexiness comes from knowing who you are, feeling comfortable in your skin, and taking care of yourself in the ways you should. Understanding why your body is doing what it is doing can help you tweak how you eat and work out so that you can listen to your female wisdom and rest when you need to help your body function as best it can. Resources Mentioned: 4-Week Cyclical Eating Meal Plan Dr. Stephanie Estima Website Better! by Dr. Stephanie Podcast Estima Diet Follow Dr. Stephanie on Instagram Other Resources: Check out the full show notes page Keep up with everything Dr. Mariza Follow Dr. Mariza on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices