At Organifi, we realized there was a deeper way we could support the women in our lives. So we created Harmony to promote inner hormone balance and cycle support.

In our previous blog post, we talked about how Harmony’s ingredients can restore that balance, help relieve symptoms of PMS, and can provide energy to push you through the next cycle.

In this post, we want to show you a phenomenon called Cycle Syncing, along with simple lifestyle shifts you can make today to support it.

What’s Cycle Syncing?

Coined by Functional Nutritionist, Alissa Vitti, Cycle Syncing is relatively new, with the earliest study related to this revolutionary phenomena conducted in 2008.

It’s a practice in which women align their nutrition, fitness, wellness habits, and general lifestyle with the flow of their hormones.

Sound complicated? Don’t worry, we broke it down for you below!

The Phases of the Cycle:

A woman’s cycle mirrors the seasons…

Menstrual Phase, days 1-7: Your Inner Winter

Like the winter season, the menstrual phase is a time to slow down, rest, and be reflective. And, just as the winter season marks the end of a calendar year + the beginning of a new one - the menstrual phase marks the end and beginning of a women’s cycle.

It is said that intuition is heightened during this phase, so it’s a great time to take a step back and tap into those introspective moments.

Follicular Phase, days 8-14: Your Inner Spring

As things come alive and bloom in the spring, so does a woman’s energy during the follicular phase. Physical vitality generally increases during this time - so it’s important to be more active and utilize the buzz from within.

During this phase, life can feel easier and more in flow, especially if the body has been allowed to rejuvenate during the winter phase.

Ovulatory Phase, days 15-21: Your Inner Summer 

While the previous phase showed an uptick in energy, the summer phase displays the highest energy of them all. Like the warmer months of the year, the ovulatory phase contributes to those “high” feelings - and can contribute to increased levels of confidence, endurance, sexuality, social connection, and a general impression of happiness, or lightness.

This is the phase where women are more likely to tap into the connectivity of the world around them, and embrace the hustle and bustle as they ride the more productive wave of their cycle.

Pre-Menstruation, days 22-30: Your Inner Fall

The fall season, with all its crispness and color-changing, brings an acute awareness of change. For women, this is the phase that commonly brings PMS symptoms...and an acute awareness of everything. This phase generally leads to heightened sensitivities, increased instincts, and sometimes an enhanced edginess that is hard to shake.

This phase is when women experience the not-so-positive side of their cycle, in the form of: moodiness, feelings of fatigue, and over-stimulation. Slowing down during this phase and supplying the body with the right nutrients is crucial to supporting a healthy - and comfortable! - menstruation.

Steps to Cycle Syncing

The very first step...no, the PRE-step before the first step, besides reading all of the info here...is to be patient during the process. 

As we mentioned, Cycle Syncing combines self-care/lifestyle activities, nutrition, and fitness with the phases of the natural menstrual cycle. Doing all of it at once could result in undue stress or feeling overwhelmed, especially since this process is new to most of us.

We broke it down into recommended steps below to make things easier.

It’s a good idea to focus on one aspect of each cycle, building habits upon one another, and remembering that only YOU know your body best. What works for you may not be what works for others.

And if it takes you a few cycles to master one step before moving to the next, that’s okay! Every woman is unique and our goal is to help honor your individuality.

Step 1: Evaluate PMS Symptoms

We said it once already, but we’ll say it again... women can have a period without PMS.

Viewing PMS and the quality of a woman’s cycle is like reading a “report card” from the body. 

Since all parts of a woman’s cycle require proper nutrients and attention, the body lets us know when things are out of whack or not up to par - or when it needs more.The symptoms that appear as a result are the body’s way of “reporting” or communicating to you what’s going on. 

But this means that we can also use this information to support or stop symptoms completely! 

The following list is a breakdown of what your body might be trying to communicate to you. 

(Of course, we always recommend consulting with your family doctor to ensure there aren’t other health conditions at hand before you assume it’s just PMS!)

Bloating

Potential Causes:

• Gut Imbalance 
• Excess estrogen or not enough progesterone 
• Dehydration

Recommendations:

• High-water content foods, like watermelon, cucumbers, oranges, blueberries, raspberries
• Increasing fiber with foods like avocado, pears, raspberries, blackberries, chia seeds
• Consuming fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, miso soup 
• Drinking more water (at least half of your body weight in ounces)

Cravings

It’s actually quite normal to be presented with cravings during your pre-menstruation phase as your body goes through a lot of hormonal shifts. However, any intense cravings can also signal nutrient deficiencies!

Chocolate 

• Possible Deficiencies: Magnesium and calcium
• Recommendation: Consume more leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, and/or cashews

Carbohydrates 

• Possible Deficiencies: B vitamins (protein/whole grains) 
• Recommendation: Consume more protein or whole grains in foods like crackers, bread, oats

Fatty Foods 

• Possible Deficiencies: Fatty acids 
• Recommendation: Consume more omega-3 rich fats like walnuts, plant oils, flax or chia seeds

Cramps

Slight cramping is to be expected as your body is preparing to shed the lining of the uterine wall. Muscles contract as a means to control the bleeding and thus, cramping ensues. If your cramps are heavy and debilitating, it could be due to…

Potential Causes:

• Excess estrogen 
• Fibroids 
• Hormonal conditions like Endometriosis or PCOS

Recommendations:

• Eat more vegetables and legumes to increase fiber intake

Check out this Cycle Syncing guide by Holistic Nutritionist and Hormone Expert, Nia Carrillo, for more step-by-step insights on how to balance hormones naturally.

Don’t let “that time of the month” ruin your best days. 

We know blissful balance doesn’t happen overnight.

It takes more than just a one-time fix to experience lasting change when it comes to hormones and women’s health.

That’s why we recommend taking Harmony daily for optimal hormone balancing support.

WANT MORE CYCLE SYNCING EDUCATION? 

Check out our "Hormones 101" playlist on Youtube for a four-part Cycle Syncing education series from Holistic Health Coach and Hormone Expert, Nia Carrilo. PLUS a bonus four-part guided workout series from Organifi Fitness Coaches for each phase of your cycle.

Remember, we're in this together!