Why does every woman need a cycle syncing guide? The fluctuation of hormones that menstruating women go through within a cycle can sometimes make you feel like you’re at the mercy of Nature’s whims. For most women it might just mean some days of cramping and bloating, but for many others it can be an absolute nightmare.
Whether it’s “just” PMS, PMDD, PCOS or some awful symptom of deep hormonal imbalance – like cystic acne, lack of periods, excess weight, or even infertility – cycle syncing can help.
This newbie cycle-syncing guide is meant as an introduction to the basic concepts of this practice, so you can start incorporating some of the key principles into your lifestyle.
In it I’ll cover the hormonal influences for each of the four phases of the cycle, pointing out the most recommended choices for food, workouts, and lifestyle. I’ve included a cycle syncing food chart at the end you can use next time you go shopping.
I will also point out how the shifting hormone concentrations might affect your libido, so that you are able to make some adjustments and get the best out of your sexual experience throughout your cycle.
What is Cycle Syncing
The concept was created by Alisa Vitti, an integrative nutritionist and hormone expert, who suffered personally from hormonal imbalance in the form of endometriosis for years.
When medical science was unable to offer her any solutions, she refused to give up and decided to do her own research to find a solution.
Through that, and a lot of trial and error, she has become an expert on the female hormonal system. This resulted in the concept of cycle syncing as a way to connect and work with your hormones to achieve a balanced and healthy body.
- In cycle syncing the female hormonal system is divided into phases according to the hormone ratios and concentrations.
- The effects of those hormones on the physiological and emotional well-being is optimized by adjusting the foods you eat, the exercise routines you follow and the lifestyle choices you make.
- This way you are working with your hormones and promoting balance, instead of going against your hormone system and causing health issues.
The cycle syncing guide is basically a way to bio-hack your female hormones to a healthier, fitter, more energized, more glowing, more productive, happier you – what’s not to love about that!
Related content: How To Get Deeper Sleep In The Simplest (Scientifically Proven) Steps
Why try cycle syncing?
- The cycle syncing guide will first and foremost help balance your hormonal system. If you’re experiencing any health issues related to hormonal imbalance, it would be a very good reason to try it. Some of the most common ones are endometriosis, fibroids, PCOS, amenorrhea (lack of a period), infertility, adrenal fatigue, thyroid dysfunctions, the list goes on.
- Also, if you suffer from any unpleasant symptom that usually comes with any of the issues mentioned above, you would greatly benefit from cycle syncing. These range from acne, to low libido, to weight gain, hair loss, hirsutism (excessive facial hair), depression, mental fog, and so on.
- If you’re trying to conceive, it would be another excellent reason to try cycle syncing. Not only will you become very familiar with your personal cycle, but you’ll also improve the quality of your eggs and the chances of successfully carrying a healthy pregnancy full term. A lot of times the issue is not getting pregnant but staying that way – progesterone levels in the luteal phase play a huge part here.
- Another very good reason to follow a cycle syncing guide can just be if you have a holistic approach to your health and wellbeing. It will help you to tune into your body and to flow with it to achieve the best possible version of you. You will learn a lot about your cycle and your body, reaching a whole other level of respect for the sheer perfection of it.
Related content: The Best Natural Hair Loss Treatments (by Hair Loss Type)!
Can you follow the cycle syncing guide effectively if you’re on the pill?
The short answer is no. The long answer is the hormone pattern would be different, so you would not be able to use the standard cycle syncing guide.
When you´re taking the pill you’re basically suppressing your ovulation, which means that your body is not experiencing the same hormonal shifts and phases as described below. You would have to cycle sync to a different pattern.
However, if you’re planning to get off the pill you can start the cycle syncing guide method a few months in advance to prepare for it and hopefully make the transition easier.
Related content: Your Basal Body Temperature Chart: What To Know & How To Read It
What are the phases of the menstrual cycle?
In the traditional medical literature, the female menstrual cycle is considered to have 3 phases:
- Follicular (which includes and starts with menstruation)
- Ovulatory (peak fertility around the time the egg is released)
- Luteal (if the egg was not fertilized, it leads to menstruation)
However, for the purposes of the cycle syncing guide, menstruation is separated from the follicular phase and recognized as its own phase, with its own set of characteristics. I think any menstruating woman would probably instinctively agree with that.
What are the major hormones involved?
To better understand the “why” behind the recommendations of the cycle syncing guide, you need to know your hormones. Overall, the menstrual cycle is governed by 5 hormones:
- Estrogen
- Progesterone
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- Luteinizing hormone (LH)
- Testosterone
The shifting levels and ratios of these hormones characterize the different phases, and its effects on the body and the mind.
This reflects on your mood, communication levels, creativity, immunity, energy, etc. And based on this the cycle syncing guide was created.
Sex during your cycle
Unsurprisingly, your hormones also influence the sex drive and the orgasmic response. So, not only whether or not you’re in the mood for it, but also how much stimulation you may or may not need to reach an orgasm.
When the levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are out of balance it becomes more difficult to have a fully rich sexual experience. It’s valuable information to take into account in order to really maximize your pleasure.
Besides the hormones mentioned, the libido is also governed by four groups of neurotransmitters:
- Serotonin & dopamine: boost the experience and makes you want to do more of it.
- Nitric oxide: as it rises, blood vessels relax and make it possible for tissues in sex organs to engorge, heightening sensitivity.
- Oxytocin: binds mother to child and in sex leads to desire, helps to climax, and connects you to your partner.
- Cortisol: when high, stops all non-essential bodily functions to handle the perceived threat. It constricts the vessels and blood flow and it can disrupt your menstrual cycle. Every time you climax, the body goes through a huge cortisol flush (elimination).
Related content: 14 Proven Benefits of Sex & Orgasm For Women
Before you start cycle syncing
Before you can follow a cycle syncing guide you need to get to know your individual cycle better.
Track your cycle
To do this take a physical or virtual calendar (or APP) and mark the first day of your period. Not the first day of spotting, if there is any, but the first day of full flow – that is the first official day of your cycle. Make sure to also mark how long your period lasts.
Count
Now, cycles range anywhere from 21 to about 33 days. You simply have to count how many days go by, starting from that first day of your period to the last day, before the first day of your next period. That will tell you how long your cycle is. It is also important to note the days when you experience vaginal mucus (discharge) and the type of mucus it is (what it looks like).
Cross-reference
Now compare that to the information on the different phases shared below and you should be able to have a pretty good idea of when you’re going through each phase. The next step is to follow the dietary and lifestyle recommendations for each of the phases.
Evaluate
When following a cycle syncing guide, you should be able to feel some difference in things like energy and PMS symptoms even after just one month. However, to truly get a sense of what cycle syncing can do for you, you need to give it time. Take into account that cycle syncing is playing the long game – it’s not a quick fix. It’s a way to live nurturing your hormonal system and honoring its natural cycles, for a better quality of life.
THE CYCLE SYNCING GUIDE
The Follicular Phase
Your hormones during this phase:
- FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) releases into ovaries → several follicles start to swell in preparation for ovulation
- Estrogen slowly increases throughout this phase → causes thickening of the uterine lining
Your body during this phase:
- Physical energy, which has reached its lowest point during menstruation, starts to increase → sometimes causes restlessness
- Vaginal mucus starts to increase → usually yellowish to white color
Lifestyle adjustments:
- You’re most primed for creative endeavors and new beginnings → optimize by directing energy towards stimulating projects
- Increased problem-solving skills → excellent time to tackle challenging assignments
- Steady increase in energy → more outgoing, upbeat, and open to new experiences
Foods:
- The body can tolerate foods with higher phytoestrogen → estrogen is just starting to increase
- Choose fresh, vibrant, light foods
- Fermented foods, salads, plenty of veggies, lean protein, sprouts, and dense grains
- Light cooking methods are best
- If trying to conceive → add foods to improve ovulation (avocados, eggs, buckwheat, chickpea)
Exercise & workouts:
- Perfect phase to try something new → neuro-connections will form more easily
- Perfect time for challenging and cardio-type workouts (running, swimming, aerobics, dancing, rowing, etc.).
Sex:
- All hormones are at their lowest point and start to increase towards ovulation → likely to start out experiencing lower levels of natural lubrication and libido, that will increase throughout the phase
- The brain will be especially interested in novelty → good phase for experimentation
- Focus more on the arousal phase (foreplay), in order to increase pleasure and the quality of your orgasms
The Ovulatory Phase
Your hormones during this phase:
- Sharp rise in FSH followed by increase in LH (Luteinizing Hormone) → one of the follicles that had started to swell during the previous phase swells more, bursts and releases an egg
- Estrogen continues to increase → further thickening of the uterine lining, preparing for the egg
- Testosterone has a quick surge and drops right around ovulation time
Your body during this phase:
- Vaginal discharges increase and are more abundant (clear, wet, slippery feel). On your day of peak fertility, the mucus will be stretchy when dry
- Some women experience some cramp-like pain as the egg is released (called Mittelschmerz)
- There might also be some spotting on the day the egg is released
Lifestyle adjustments:
- Communication skills are at its peak → likely to experience a need to connect more with community and others
- Perfect time for important conversations and first dates
Foods:
- Time to go easier on carbohydrates → choose lighter grains, like corn and quinoa
- Eat plenty of veggies → flushes out excess estrogen
- Plenty of fruits → increases your glutathione levels and help the liver detox
- Eat foods high in antioxidants → helps to create the healthiest egg possible
- Continue with lighter food preparations and introduce more raw foods
Exercise & workouts:
- Energy levels are at their highest → perfect time for HIIT and weight training
- Heightened inclination for all things social → perfect time for exercising in group settings
Sex:
- There is a peak in testosterone and estrogen, as well as a surge in LH (precursor to progesterone) and FSH → likely to experience arousal without much stimulation
- Lots of natural lubrication, you’re more flirtatious and talkative (increase in verbal skills)
- Orgasms come easier and are more intense during this phase
- Combination of high libido and energy levels → perfect time for intense sex
The Luteal Phase
Your hormones during this phase:
- Corpus luteum grows on the surface of the ovary and progesterone production increases → keeps intact the uterine lining that has been created in the follicular phase
- Pituitary stops sending FHS and LH → no more than one egg is released
- Estrogen continues to rise
- Towards the end of the cycle, if the egg is not fertilized → corpus luteum is reabsorbed into the body → progesterone stops → triggers uterus to shed its lining (menstruation)
- Testosterone increases towards the end of the phase
Your body during this phase:
- Physical energy gradually declines
- PMS may be present towards the end of the phase
Lifestyle adjustments:
- As the corpus luteum is reabsorbed → the energy naturally turns inwards → desire to nest ⇒ perfect time for more domestic type activities
- The particular ratio of estrogen to progesterone → you may notice things that didn’t register before ⇒ good time for more administrative or detail-driven activities
- Time to start paying extra attention to self-care, gradually slowing down social engagements
Foods:
- The dip in estrogen may trigger some irritability and sugar cravings ⇒ eat foods high in B vitamins, calcium, magnesium and fiber.
- Calcium-magnesium ratios naturally present in dark-leafy greens ⇒ crucial in fighting fluid retention
- High fiber concentration → further help the liver and intestines to flush any excess estrogen
- Increase the natural concentration of plant sugars by roasting or baking your veggies and tubers.
- Focus on the more complex carbohydrates → stabilizes serotonin and dopamine, helps to prevent mood swings
Exercise & workouts:
- Longest phase of the cycle → can be divided in two halves
- First half → energy may still be high ⇒ fine to continue with the high intensity exercises from the previous phase
- During final five days or so → best to slow down ⇒ walking, pilates, or yoga
- End of the phase can trigger some sluggishness and water retention → focus on lower resistance type of exercises (low to moderate intensity)
Sex:
- First half of the phase → testosterone is still significant, estrogen and progesterone are climbing to their peak → libido likely still high, but maybe you need a bit more stimulation than in the previous phase
- Second half → testosterone plunges to follicular stage levels, estrogen and progesterone begin to decrease → likely experience lower libido → more stimulation needed to get you going
- General appetite or mood might run into slower sex
The Menstrual Phase
Your hormones during this phase:
- Once the corpus luteum is reabsorbed → progesterone drops → shedding of the uterine lining
- Estrogen will peak for a moment and then drop again in preparation for another cycle
Your body during this phase:
- Possible combination of brown spotting and red bleeding → variation in menstrual blood color is a very good indicator of possible hormonal imbalance. Alisa Vitti has a very helpful blog post you can read and free quiz you can take online to try and suss out any possible issues that might be lurking
- Very common to experience cramping, breakouts, low back pain, fatigue, and/or cravings
Lifestyle adjustments:
- The most introspective of all the phases → perfect time for self-analysis and course correction
- Communication between the right and left brain is at its peak → enhanced judgement when evaluating a situation
- You’re more in tune with your intuition → more likely to receive “gut feelings”
- Excellent time to evaluate your situation and direction
- Set the issues you would like to address in the following weeks of your cycle
Foods:
- Elimination of the uterine lining is an intense process → focus on nutrient dense foods, with a low-glycemic index
- Water-rich fruits and veggies
- Best to increase your intake of sea food and sea based veggies → highly remineralizing and naturally rich in zinc and iron
- Focus more on nurturing and comforting food preparation methods → soups and stews
Exercise & workouts:
- Best thing during this phase is to rest and recover properly
- Focus on gentle exercises like yoga, stretches and walks
Sex:
- Your energy levels and your hormones are at their lowest concentrations → interest in sex is likely to be low, especially if you’re feeling a bit bloated and physically uncomfortable
- Wonderful time to fully embrace your “me” time and just rest
- Nevertheless, if you’re in the mood for love → increase in uterine size characteristic of this phase can enhance feeling → the spasms of orgasm will help ease menstrual cramps
Cycle Syncing Food Chart
A handy-dandy thing to have around when trying to follow a cycle syncing guide is a food reference chart. Below is a basic one:
Cycle syncing can seem a bit overwhelming at first and it does take some getting used to. When I first started following a cycle syncing guide, what worked for me was to introduce the adjustments slowly and to do a bit more each month. If it seems too much, just pick one category to work on first.
Food is a good one to start with:
- Check the list of foods for the phase you’re in whenever you’re preparing your shopping list
- Choose a few of the items from each category and plan out at least one of your daily meals in advance
- Work on increasing the amount of cycle syncing meals per day
Once you feel more comfortable with that, pick another category to work on, and so on.
Also, don’t feel bad about yourself when you can’t follow the cycle syncing guide perfectly. The important thing is that you’re becoming more mindful and aware of your natural cycle.
Focus on making better choices overall and take time to notice how those choices affect your body and mood. You’ll be surprised at how much of it is under your control and that’s the best feeling in the world.
If you decide to try it, let me know what you think in the comment section below!
