day 16 & 17
My period has been so much more bearable this month, and I truly believe it is the result of listening to my body and treating it accordingly. I have had energy and motivation with minimal cramping and fatigue. Mentally, I have noticed I am very calm during menstruation and prefer to be alone or low stakes social settings.
On Tuesday, I started the morning with hot lemon water and my nourishing period smoothie. I have been loving seed cycling, and also believe this is a main contributor to feeling so good. For the first half of the cycle until ovulation, flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds are consumed to support estrogen levels. I have been putting flaxseeds into my smoothie, and eating dark chocolate covered pumpkin seeds as a snack or desert.
I then did a 3 mile, low impact run. While I am menstruating, I am attempting to eliminate stressors to the body, so this run was perfect to get me moving but not overdo it. The body is much more prone to inflammation, so steady, low impact exercise is the way to go. I walked about half a mile to cool down, then returned home to make some breakfast.
Breakfast was my classic avoacodo toast and eggs on sourdough, a meal that always leaves me feeling satisfied with all the right nutrients. Lunch was a salad with kale, quinoa, avocado, walnuts, red onion, wild salmon and homemade dressing. I like using half of an avocado with breakfast and the other half for my salad. This salad was high in omega 3s and fiber, essential for me feeling good while on my period. I hit a late afternoon yoga session that was specific for menstruation. I followed a video I found on YouTube, which was really soothing for my body. I went out to dinner with some friends at a Mexican restaurant, and got pollo asada- grilled chicken, vegetables and rice. Delicious and relatively healthy.
On Wednesday, I started with my smoothie and avocado toast. I then went to the gym for some gentle movement and recovery. I did 30 minute incline walk, 30 minute steady paced bike ride, 30 minute pilates session and 30 minutes in the sauna. This was exactly what my body needed. Day 3 of my period is usually when I start to forget I am even on my period, although I made sure to not overexert myself. Afterwards, I refueled with the same salad as Tuesday minus the salmon. It was still delicious and filling, and I made sure to add extra walnuts for fats and protein. I went out to dinner again, which sometimes stresses me out when I am in peak health mode, but I am figuring out how to achieve a balance. We got Asian, so I had a variety of vegetable spring rolls, dumplings, noodles and chicken. I also opted for a mocktail with mint, lychee and coconut cream. While I did notice some bloating following this meal, I opted for a post dinner walk to alleviate some of the discomfort I was feeling. I am excited to finish off my menstrual phase and begin my high intensity training that comes with the follicular phase. My body feels ready for a good challenge.
