Listen to your body.
If I ever write a book it will be about respecting and honoring our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. You know how intricate the design of the Jewish Temple is? There were so many details to how it would be laid out and each piece of construction and adornment had purpose and meaning and symbolism. And our bodies are like this too. Certain things happen at certain times and in precise perfection in order to sustain life. This is how our Designer God is. He's so cool. Wow.
I'm a female, and I'm 32 years old. So my body is on a cycle every 28 days (ok for me it is more like 32 days, but you get it). I can do the same workout every day, eat the same food every day, sleep the same amount, but the reality is that my body will still be on this cycle. It will behave differently each week of the month. I think we, as women, try to escape this in our post-modern world as if we have control over everything.
But why?
Why escape what God has perfectly designed?
There's a book out about this, Woman Code. I haven't read it, but my sweet friend has and she thinks it is great. The book talks about working with our menstrual cycles to promote health and fertility. And women have really seen a difference. Can you relate to this: you're about to have your period, and you don't want to work out as hard, and you want to eat... ice cream. But then, right after your period, you feel awesome, you're a new woman, you wake up early and want to do sprints every morning and are perfectly content eating salads. And you know what? That's OKAY! I think we want to be like men sometimes. My husband would literally eat the same thing every meal of his life. I couldn't do it. Some days I need a greasy burger with cheese and fries. and Other days, I can sip broth and eat lettuce quite happily. And this is how God made me. "Does the clay say to the potter, 'why did you make me like this?'" Isaiah 45:9. hells yeah, we say that... but really. It's for a reason. It's super mysterious. cycles. the earth cycles around the sun, the seasons cycle, plants, animals, my libido all operate on a cycle... But what if instead of fighting this fact of being female, what if we we just go with it? and even capitalize on it.
Getting off soapbox and getting back to Intermittent Fasting.
As I tracked my hours fasting, I found the last few days before my period I would get so hungry. I felt guilty and weak because I would want to eat at 11am instead of 4pm like I was doing the week prior. I wouldn't want to run over the bridge (Virginia Beach for "hill run"). I would just go for a walk. And I fought this at first, but then, after seeing this pattern a few months in a row, I realized something. Like clockwork, about the second day of my period, that intense hunger would just vanish. I would not be hungry, almost all day. I was fine. I was impervious again.
It is a fact that the female body requires more energy (calories) the days before menstruation. So this is why we want more food. Does this mean we should eat ice cream and cookies all day? NO! But if you find yourself, like me, wanting to eat lunch sooner, or nibble dark chocolate and extra grass-fed butter as a dessert after your well-rounded lunch, that's OKAY, dear one. Next week, you'll be back to salads and sprints, I promise.
A lot of people think that menstruating women should not do IF. This is just plain false.* When fasting regularly, you need to make sure you are eating highly nutritious food when you do eat. Your food needs to be top quality, and you need adequate protein and fats. Your food should ideally be organic, and NO fillers like refined grains or sugars. You must eat if you are famished. Listen to your body and it will tell you. Read my post about how I eased into IF, and maybe consult with me to support and ask questions, you should be great. Over the 6 or 7 months that I lost 20lbs, my cycle became more regular, my cramps and other PMS symptoms disappeared and my skin looks better! Many women conceive while doing IF. Remember that fertility is not dependent upon when you eat, but what you eat. But that is another topic, for another time.
I'd love your thoughts on this! Leave a comment below. 😊
* If you have tried and not been successful, I am sure that was super frustrating. I would really like to talk with you and help you explore other areas of lifestyle and diet which could help you reach optimal health. Please give me a call.
*You should NOT fast for more than 36 hours unless this is for spiritual purposes. You can find research out there, but basically, that 3-day mark is when the metabolism actually does take a hit.
If I ever write a book it will be about respecting and honoring our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. You know how intricate the design of the Jewish Temple is? There were so many details to how it would be laid out and each piece of construction and adornment had purpose and meaning and symbolism. And our bodies are like this too. Certain things happen at certain times and in precise perfection in order to sustain life. This is how our Designer God is. He's so cool. Wow.
I'm a female, and I'm 32 years old. So my body is on a cycle every 28 days (ok for me it is more like 32 days, but you get it). I can do the same workout every day, eat the same food every day, sleep the same amount, but the reality is that my body will still be on this cycle. It will behave differently each week of the month. I think we, as women, try to escape this in our post-modern world as if we have control over everything.
But why?
Why escape what God has perfectly designed?
There's a book out about this, Woman Code. I haven't read it, but my sweet friend has and she thinks it is great. The book talks about working with our menstrual cycles to promote health and fertility. And women have really seen a difference. Can you relate to this: you're about to have your period, and you don't want to work out as hard, and you want to eat... ice cream. But then, right after your period, you feel awesome, you're a new woman, you wake up early and want to do sprints every morning and are perfectly content eating salads. And you know what? That's OKAY! I think we want to be like men sometimes. My husband would literally eat the same thing every meal of his life. I couldn't do it. Some days I need a greasy burger with cheese and fries. and Other days, I can sip broth and eat lettuce quite happily. And this is how God made me. "Does the clay say to the potter, 'why did you make me like this?'" Isaiah 45:9. hells yeah, we say that... but really. It's for a reason. It's super mysterious. cycles. the earth cycles around the sun, the seasons cycle, plants, animals, my libido all operate on a cycle... But what if instead of fighting this fact of being female, what if we we just go with it? and even capitalize on it.
Getting off soapbox and getting back to Intermittent Fasting.
As I tracked my hours fasting, I found the last few days before my period I would get so hungry. I felt guilty and weak because I would want to eat at 11am instead of 4pm like I was doing the week prior. I wouldn't want to run over the bridge (Virginia Beach for "hill run"). I would just go for a walk. And I fought this at first, but then, after seeing this pattern a few months in a row, I realized something. Like clockwork, about the second day of my period, that intense hunger would just vanish. I would not be hungry, almost all day. I was fine. I was impervious again.
It is a fact that the female body requires more energy (calories) the days before menstruation. So this is why we want more food. Does this mean we should eat ice cream and cookies all day? NO! But if you find yourself, like me, wanting to eat lunch sooner, or nibble dark chocolate and extra grass-fed butter as a dessert after your well-rounded lunch, that's OKAY, dear one. Next week, you'll be back to salads and sprints, I promise.
A lot of people think that menstruating women should not do IF. This is just plain false.* When fasting regularly, you need to make sure you are eating highly nutritious food when you do eat. Your food needs to be top quality, and you need adequate protein and fats. Your food should ideally be organic, and NO fillers like refined grains or sugars. You must eat if you are famished. Listen to your body and it will tell you. Read my post about how I eased into IF, and maybe consult with me to support and ask questions, you should be great. Over the 6 or 7 months that I lost 20lbs, my cycle became more regular, my cramps and other PMS symptoms disappeared and my skin looks better! Many women conceive while doing IF. Remember that fertility is not dependent upon when you eat, but what you eat. But that is another topic, for another time.
I'd love your thoughts on this! Leave a comment below. 😊
* If you have tried and not been successful, I am sure that was super frustrating. I would really like to talk with you and help you explore other areas of lifestyle and diet which could help you reach optimal health. Please give me a call.
*You should NOT fast for more than 36 hours unless this is for spiritual purposes. You can find research out there, but basically, that 3-day mark is when the metabolism actually does take a hit.
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