There’s an important differentiation between what our modern society has come to define as “HEALTHY” versus being a WELL-NOURISHED woman.
In order to balance your female hormones and create long-lasting health on all levels, your body needs to feel SAFE.
Being in a state of chronic stress (physical, mental, emotional),
Excessive exercise or the wrong type of exercise during certain phases of your cycle or seasons of life as a woman,
Lack of good sleep hygiene & consistent, quality sleep for 7-8+ hours/night,
Pro-inflammatory, nutrient-deficient & highly-processed foods,
Dieting or ways of eating that don’t support your unique female hormones,
Drinking alcohol,
Trauma - generational, relational, sexual, emotional, mental, physical and more,
Exposure to toxins & chemicals in food, water, air, skincare & household products, pharmaceuticals and the environment (to name a few)...
...all activate the sympathetic nervous system - your fight, flight, freeze or fawn response of the autonomic nervous system - that signals LACK of safety & security to your body.
To feel safe, your body must be well-nourished on all levels (mental, physical, emotional, relational and spiritual) and the nuances of what that requires for your unique female body are often counter to what you’re told is HEALTHY by mainstream media, diet culture and the fitness industry.
The food required to nourish your body isn’t cold salads & smoothies, the movement isn’t high-intensity exercise or training for a half marathon and the “biohacking tools” don’t include intermittent fasting or bulletproof coffee. 🤷🏻♀️
Women are not small men (thanks @drstacysims) - and as such we need *different* food, exercise & lifestyle strategies (did you know 99% of studies in this arena are done on college-aged men & then promoted as “effective” for us?).
And your cycle is your fifth vital sign (aka one of the major markers of your overall health) so when it goes missing, is symptomatic or irregular, it’s necessary to look at whether you’re implementing strategies that NOURISH your body towards health & feeling safe so that you can FEEL your best & have resilient health.
It’s what I teach in my Workout Like A Woman fitness membership & to my one-on-one clients. Curious to learn more? Drop a comment below or send me a message!
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