Hazel Wallace, a medical doctor, nutritionist, and author of The Female Factor, joins the podcast to educate listeners about the menstrual cycle and its impact on various aspects of health.
The episode covers how the menstrual cycle affects heart health, sleep, metabolism, and the microbiome, as well as its influence on dietary choices.
Listeners are encouraged to better understand and support individuals in their lives who experience menstrual cycles, regardless of their own experiences.
Hazel Wallace explains the influence of menstrual cycle on metabolism, food cravings, and overall health.
She describes the fluctuation of hormones across the menstrual cycle and its impact on various aspects of health.
She discusses the phases of the menstrual cycle and the physical and emotional experiences associated with each phase.
Hazel highlights the importance of understanding and tapping into the menstrual cycle to optimize health and performance.
She addresses premenstrual symptoms and the difference between premenstrual symptoms and premenstrual syndrome.
There's not really much information or support out there for women. I think it's considered part and parcel of being a woman.
I absolutely do not think, while it's common, I don't think we should normalise it. And I think there are lots of things we can do to support women there.
And there's also an even smaller subset of women, about 3-8% of people who will experience PMDD, which is premenstrual dysphoric disorder, which is similar to PMS in terms of its pattern and cyclical variation, but there's more mood disturbance.
PMDD symptoms emerge about one to two weeks before the next period and should improve or disappear in the next period. If it's constant, then it's likely to be another mood disorder.
PMDD can manifest in various ways such as low mood, tearfulness, irritability, and anger, and it's tied to hormone sensitivity hypothesis and genetic variation.
Treatment options for PMDD include lifestyle advice, therapy, medication, and in extreme cases, surgery. Cycle syncing involves syncing lifestyle to the phases of the menstrual cycle to optimize nutrition and reduce symptoms.
Regular exercise, at least three times per week, has been shown to be helpful in reducing menstrual symptoms.
It's important not to stop exercising during this period, as continuing might well be helpful and reduce some of these symptoms.
For those finding it hard to exercise, low intensity exercise like yoga, with its focus on breath work and mind-body connection, has shown benefits in reducing menstrual symptoms and PMS.
Real studies show the benefits of yoga for PMS and menstrual symptoms.
All forms of moderate intensity exercise are beneficial, such as brisk walking, riding a bike, or going for a run.
Sleep disturbance occurs after ovulation and in the pre-menstrual period, affecting quantity and quality of sleep.
Women typically sleep more than men but have worse quality sleep due to various factors like anxiety, depression, overactive bladder, and heartburn.
Women's sleep architecture changes in the luteal phase, with less REM sleep, impacting emotional well-being.
There is a lack of scientific studies on women's health and menstrual cycles, leading to a lack of understanding and tailored medical treatments.
Menstrual cycle tracking is crucial for understanding one's normal and informing conversations with health practitioners.
Tracking various aspects like cravings, sleep, strength, and energy levels can help tailor nutrition and training to individual cycles.
During menstruation, an anti-inflammatory diet and increased iron intake are important for reducing inflammation and supporting the immune system.
Gut health is also crucial during menstruation, with recommendations to avoid caffeine, fizzy drinks, spicy and fatty foods, and to monitor fiber intake.
There is little research on the changes to the microbiome during menstruation, and more studies are needed to understand the link between gut health and menstrual cycle-related conditions.
Intermittent fasting for women with menstrual cycles should be approached cautiously, ensuring enough nutrients and calories are consumed during the feeding window.
The menstrual cycle is complex and understudied, with individual variation and significant impact on women's health and well-being.