How to Harness the Power of your Cycle

Guest blog by Hana Ilg

Want to harnesses the power of your cycle to exercise and socialize at your peak?

Then say hello to cycle syncing! Revolutionize the way you work out, socialize, and eat for the optimal you!

I was clinging to the wall for dear life, or so it felt like it. The padded floor of the rock climbing gym was really only about 10 feet below me, but I couldn’t for the life of me hold up my own body weight and I was about to slip. I was so confused and frustrated. I’d climbed this exact course so many times before. Why was I all of a sudden so completely unable to keep myself going? Then I remembered… I was 2 days away from my period. Dang it! I was most definitely not using cycle syncing to my advantage.

I first heard of cycle syncing in “The Woman Code” by Alisa Vitti. The basic concept is that the neuro-hormonal patterns of each phase of our cycle affect our mood, physical energy, and cravings. If we learn these patterns we can then strategically plan our workouts, social life, and diet to best optimize our productivity and mood during these phases.

This practice comes back to the idea of using your body as a tool – harnessing your hormones to perform better, smarter, and more proficiently every single day.” – Alisa Vitti

In this post I will share with you specifically what exercises and social activities are best during each phase of your cycle so that you can harness your own power for your life.
Then be on the lookout for a post later about certain foods and recipes to make and eat during different phases of your cycle.

---

Phase 1: Menstrual Phase (Cycle days 1-6)

Progesterone levels drop off triggering your period/bleeding.

Social: You might not be feeling your best or feel more contemplative. Make room for time to be alone, to check in with yourself, and prepare for the next month ahead. Many women are relieved to learn that feelings of dissatisfaction or restlessness are common and completely normal during the menstrual phase. Journaling and gentle exercises can help with these feelings.

Exercise: Rest, especially the first couple of days. Then yoga, stretching, and walking are perfect for this time.

Phase 2: Follicular/ Ovulatory Phase (Cycle days 7-16)

Estrogen increases to thicken your uterine lining so that it can host an egg, making you most fertile near the end of this phase. Blood flow to the brain increases, boosting seratonin, the happy hormone.

Social: You’re at your peak! Creativity, energy and strong communication skills are flowing during this phase. Brainstorm or problem solve at work, have important conversations with your spouse, ask for a raise from your boss, say yes to invites with friends!

Exercise: You’re at your strongest, so go for that full body workout of cardio and weights. Or try something with friends like a group Zumba class, or rock climbing, putting your brain and body to work.

Phase 3: Luteal Phase pt.1 (Cycle days 17-22)

Progesterone rises signaling your body to keep the uterine lining intact in case an egg was fertilized. Estrogen levels continue to rise.

Social: Awareness on an external level is heightened and a feeling of wanting to nest is at the forefront. It’s an ideal time to take care of domestic chores that you may have neglected all month, such as organizing your closet, doing heaps of laundry, going for a major grocery haul or cooking food for the week.

Exercise: During this phase your energy may still be high and your body is able to burn fat more effectively. So continue with the more strenuous activities you took on during the Follicular and Ovulatory phase.

Phase 4: Luteal Phase pt. 2 (Cycle days 23-28)

Testosterone increases and progesterone will soon halt triggering your period.

Social: Awareness on an internal level is heightened. Pay extra attention to your self care regimen, such as getting good sleep, taking baths, relaxing and reading a book or watching a movie.

Exercise: You may feel more sluggish during this phase, so scale back on the intensity of your workouts, focusing more on walking, pilates, vinyasa yoga and lower resistance exercises such as the elliptical trainer.

Note: The phases mentioned here are based on a 28 day cycle (your cycle may vary) and my break down of the phases differs slightly from “The Woman Code” and Bodyform’s Red.Fit.

---

It only takes a few months to get the hang of cycle syncing, and the key is keeping track of your cycle. The number one app I recommend for this is Kindara. After a few months of practicing this, I felt so motivated during my follicular and ovulatory phase to work out hard in the mornings and hang out with friends at night! Then, I felt so relieved to have the grace to say no to certain activities depending on the time of the month. Previously I would push through and end up exhausted, resenting my friends, or disappointed in my body. But now I respect my body and emotions and take breaks when I need to.

It may seem like we’re ruled and dictated by our cycles, but it’s not that at all! It brings freedom, rhythm and flow to our lives. Our bodies are powerful and they allow us to harness its power, but it must be respected in order to do so.

 

I highly recommend every woman read the “The Woman Code” by Alisa Vitti. Her story of healing her Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) through diet and lifestyle changes and then being able to get pregnant is so inspiring. With great spunk and energy she gives practical advice for all women to perfect their cycles, amplify their fertility, supercharge their sex drive and become a power source. Heck yes!

I was also excited to see this concept gaining more traction when Bodyform, a menstrual pad company, released their Red.Fit website all about cycle syncing! While I’m not a big fan of conventional chemical laden menstrual pads (post coming soon about alternative menstrual products) I’m still super stoked that they are spreading the knowledge. Take a look at their awesome add promoting Red.Fit.

Visit Hana Wellness for great information on women’s wellness, Natural Birth Control and Fertility!

How to Harness the Power of your Cycle

Up for Summer Fun? Beat E.D. Naturally

As we are in full on summer mode, it is time for fun, travel, play, and of course we are feeling a little more frisky as the stresses of life seem to lessen for summer.

Stress is the equivalent of a cold shower when it comes to our libido. Modern life with our cell phones, laptops, and our diminished “off the clock” time causes some serious “down time” in the bed room. It is disappointing for both you and your partner when you can not rise to the occasion for a little R & R. But before you go for a pill, injection, or dosing up on hormones, make sure it is not something that can be fixed naturally.

First step do a little at home DIY test to make sure the problem obtaining or maintaining is physiological or mental/ emotional. Physiological can be a cardiovascular, blood pressure issue, hormone imbalance,  even too much stimulants or too much depressants (alcohol can be a huge downer). An mental /emotional this can be performance anxiety, issues from past relationships, guilt, abuse, body image issues, and more.

Here is a quick video to show you how to do an easy at home test to find out you have a physiological
issue or mental emotional.  Also below is a link to an information packet to help uplift you package naturally🙂

 

Link to Tips for a Better Erection http://bit.ly/28ZllWI

Poop!

Poop is one of the first clues to when something is out of balance with our health. Our immune system, our emotional well being, our skin health and more is directly linked to our digestive tract! Click here to start improving your health now! http://squ.re/24KcHNP

Do not Nuke Your Nuts

“Is that a cell phone in your pocket your are you just happy to see me?”

Or are you just trying to reduce sperm count, cause mutant DNA (poorly formed sperm not x-men sperm) and increase your risk of testicular cancer?

In short, it is a very bad decision to opt for convince over health by placing cell phones and laptops on or next to your testicles. Save roasted nuts for culinary purposes only. Yes, I have had too many patients who are trying to conceive and the sperm morphology—the structure—is abnormally formed and unhealthy. Sperms with stumpy or missing tails can not swim. Those of you not wanting to conceive can find other forms of birth control. The cellular changes to the testicle comprise only a percentage of the problem, we are also seeing higher rates of testicular cancer.

Save the Cock, photo by Dmitry Vinokurov 

At one time “tighty-whities” presented the biggest danger to your sperm count, now the world posses larger threats. Saving your balls from more than tighty-whities and biker shorts, which can also decrease your chances of attempted insemination for other reasons beyond the increase testicular temperature, but I digress). Our modern world provides cell phones, lab tops, toxic chemicals, and zeno-estrogens (estrogen mimicking molecules in plastics, pesticides, hormones in our food, etc) just to name a few dangers. It is time to get educated so you can take action.

Two options to save your family jewels other than going off grid are as follows.

• First do not carry your phone in a pocket or put laptops on your lap, despite its name. 
  • Backpacks or messenger bags work great.
  • Belt clips with EMF protection

• Second, if you don’t want to carry a some type of bag (bookbag, messenger bag, brief case, man bag, or laptop case) for your electronics; place a blocker directly on your devices.

 

If you would like more information on testicular health: health tips, how to increase sperm health, how to do self exams and more! Please click here for your guide just $4.95.

Going Nuts?!?

The incidence of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT), the most common cancer in men aged 15 to 45 years, has doubled over the last 30 years in developed countries.

“Tumour risk associated with use of cellular telephones or cordless desktop telephones.” Hardell L1, Mild KH, Carlberg M, Söderqvist F.

“Lifestyle and testicular dysfunction: a brief update.” Agarwal A1, Desai NR, Ruffoli R, Carpi A.

“Biophysical evaluation of radiofrequency electromagnetic field effects on male reproductive pattern.” Kesari KK1, Kumar S, Nirala J, Siddiqui MH, Behari J. Cell Biochem Biophys. 2013 Mar;65(2):85-96. doi: 10.1007/s12013-012-9414-6.

Changing your Underwear is Great; Changing yourself is Amazing!

“Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.”

Keri Russell

Last year I was asked to write about New Years Resolutions for a Magazine. Frankly, I am not fond of New Years resolutions. Most of us create just another “To Do List” that do not get to the heart of things.

What is at the heart of all resolutions?

When asked “What resolution should be on everyone’s list
?” my thoughts fly through all the things I tell my patients: eat a whole food diet, give up sugar, meditate for 10 minute each day, get out in nature each week, find an exercise you love, practice gratitude, blah, blah, blah.  The realization that abruptly ceased this endless “to do” list is at the core of why most people fail to really live up to their potential in health and in life. One shift lies at the root of all these resolutions, and is crucial to the success!  So many of us make amazing resolutions that will improve our life, yet we may find ourselves letting things get in the way.  It is now March, how many resolutions vanished?

As, I sat with a patient, I asked a series of “whys?” Just like an annoying child, after each statement about her health, I asked “why?” The purpose of this exercise was to uncover the root reason to what was blocking her from doing the things she clearly and consciously wished to achieve with her health goals. Deep under it all exist a strong need to value herself. Simply put, we must truly value ourselves to adhere to any resolution; therefore, I feel this should be top of all resolutions! We must love and value ourselves to make and adhere to beneficial changes. 

What does this look like? “This Year I will value myself,” is a bold statement for many. It makes us feel narcissistic, guilty, selfish, and other things we are not fond of being.  However, when you step back from judging yourself, valuing ourselves is what is required to make the world a better place. First, look no further than the your own body. If you value yourself you will make time to exercise, you will care about what you put into your body, you will sleep enough, you will say “no” to things you don’t need and “yes” to the things you do need, you will allow yourself to enjoy life more. Just like putting your oxygen mask on before you help other, this act of self love enables us to be better people, parents, co-workers, partners, lovers; because we are healthier, more relaxed, better rested and much more. Now look at the bigger impact. People that value themselves, do not get treated like doormats nor do they treat others like doormats for the simple reason that they are truly comfortable in their own skin. People who criticize others or pass judgments do so for various reasons mostly because they need to make themselves feel better.  This year give yourself a loving hug by adding self-valuing to your list and improve your health at the core level.

Dr. Susan Lundgren, mission is to educate and empower individuals to take charge of their health so we all can revolutionize the health; mind, body and spirt. If you want to transform yourself and connect with your soul’s passions–beyond just valuing yourself sign up  for a retreat here. 

“Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.” Frank Herbert

Is My Self-Esteem Low Enough to Date you?

Admittedly, this sounds arrogant. So let me explain.

Today, as I flipped through the radio stations I heard some guy saying he just goes up to girls in bars and briefly chats them up and ask if he can give them a night they never will forget. This apparently works well for him. I, of course, make smart ass comments in my head about STDs causing the lasting memory. However, as I continued to listen, guys call in making comments about how all those girls must be “trolls.” It started me thinking. I thought about all my fabulous friends and myself, if we would go home with this guy. How many times have we said yes to a date or have given our number out to people (this goes for men, women, straight, gay, and bi) that were just not in our highest interest. Many amazing humans have dated the worst humans, the meanest girls, the bad boy, or the dead beat leach, etc. It may not even be that drastic, we just  date people that were are not a good fit for us. Why? We need to feel connection, love, or something other than hurt.

Life can be hard. When someone comes up to you and is interested in you (or even just interested in getting into your pants) it can be just the ego boost you need. I admit it, I had months of meeting guys that every time I said I was a doctor, they physically took a step back! To go from open body posture, leaning in to a step back and arms folding…sucked. My med school friends and I joked about our degrees being the ultimate “cock block.” Yes, we do realize that we don’t want to date guys that were too insecure to date a doctor, but it still hurt. After a while the bar drops, the self esteem drops, you think things like “Hey, at least he bathes somewhat regularly!”  This can happen to anyone, any profession, and any age group. It does not take much. It could be a bad relationship where a partner repeatedly criticizes you. That slow tearing down can drastically lower your self esteem to the point where one nice comment can get you to hop into a another not so great relationship. At one point in my life, my desire to be wanted grew, it did cloud my judgement. As a naturopathic doctor, I am into health, yet I somehow dated an alcoholic, overweight, fracking supporting narcissist,  (yep, not a bright spot in my life) but he seemed like a nice guy at first. Yep, he asked me out and made a genuine effort, that is it.

How can we stop this crazy behavior? We need to learn healthy self love (I am not talking masterbation but that too is healthy) and to raise your own & each others self esteems. As a society we tear each other down easily and seem to forget how to build each other up. Practice positive self talk, say nice things to your self rather than critical. Practice giving complement out, sadly, at first it is a little awkward. Fears about giving complements include: fear of people thinking you are being fake (like a used car salesman), weird or you are hitting on them. I soon learned how easy it is to give genuine complements without it feeling odd or fear that people would think it is a come on. Learn to accept complements. Yes, just soak them in and say thank you! If you brush them off like you are not worthy of them you are denying the giver and missing out on an amazing gift. Just imaging handing someone a gift and they say “keep it, I am not worthy.” Kinda sucks for both of you.

Building people up. “Bless that which you want” is a Huna Philosophy. Many times that we tear others down it is because we are jealous in a way or that we see an aspect of ourselves in that person that we don’t like. When we see that guy with the sports car and think “midlife crisis car” or “compensation,” what are we doing? We may not want that car but we may just want the extra cash to do something that we value. So why not just think “good for him!” Any time you find yourself thinking or saying something negative things, try blessing it. It can be as easy as saying to your friends “I wish I had the ovaries to wear that!” or telling someone they look amazing to their face.

Next time that person you know is not good for your wellbeing is chatting you up, smile, thank them for the flattering remarks and walk away knowing you love yourself and that is perfect. Maybe the right person will come along, maybe not but you will never know if you don’t raise the bar for yourself.

Self-esteem song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMf8xa__d9o

 

Health & Joy,

Dr. Susan Lundgren

image from http://www.lastkisscomics.com/comic/the-adventures-of-low-self-esteem-girl/

You Have Health in the Bag!

My dream to work in clinics around the world, by assisting those that need help the most, is becoming a reality and I would like you to join me on this journey!  It is always important to start improving the world in your own back yard first. After helping in the US for several years, I feel the urge to fly. However, I will continue supporting Hip Veggies (A collaboration of artists and food professionals, promoting locally-grown produce plus raising awareness and support for local hunger relief organizations.) and various US based organizations, but now is the time for me to venture out into the world.

If you ever wanted to be apart of a great adventure into small villages, large cities, remote forest, now is your chance. I will be posting videos and blogs from around the world sharing health tips, wonderful recipes, and humorous stories from the far corners of the world. Not only can you get a glimpse of this all on my blog but you can get more from my newsletter. (details will be posted soon–so hold on tight for the ride of our lives!)

You can also participate by enjoying a health kit or two! I am making many health kits full of lovely goodies and a CD of gems from my studies to help you with some of the most common issues I see in my office. Why I am creating kits for you?

Well, unfortunately many of the clinics where I will be working do not have basic supplies for treating patients so they require every volunteer to donate money to run the clinics. Several clinics or places in need of doctors that have no clinics, desperately need the basics just to provide the minimal care for local people. For example, Mama Baby Haiti is $700 for the first week, the medical “Hills” doctor in Thailand is $250 + fund raising, You get the idea.  My goal is to help many of these places as a doctor plus create gardens to plant healthy food and sustainable medicinal herbs so they can always have medicine without relying fully on outside support. Mama Baby Haiti’s garden is an amazing example of this. My friends have created a garden system that is completely sustainable.

Why do you want a bag, they are fabulous, fully lined, helpful, make the perfect gift, but best of all they will prevent you from going to hell. Yes, it is true you know that helping other is a sure ticket out of the flames of damnation! Maybe, just maybe, you want to do it because every time you get a bag a cute puppy or kitty gets a new forever home. Ok, just stick to the real reason–they are fabulous, great for helping you, while you get to help others and you help make the world a little bit better. To order, choose the bag you like and email me dr.slundgren@gmail.com – Health and Joy, Dr. L

Health in the Bag! $50 per kit payable via paypal!

40 Winks Kit (Insomnia):

• CD on natural tips for better sleep
• Lavender linen spray
• Flax Eye pillow

Healthy Kids:

• CD for natural kid friendly recipes for health and wellness
• Herbal mix for steam inhalation for stuffy noses and infections
• Chest rub for colds
• Berry Greens
• Hot/cold rice pack

Anxiety/ Stress

• CD full of holistic health tips to fight stress and anxiety
• Stress relief eye pillow
• Aromatherapy spray

Depression

• CD with great tips to increase joy in your life
• Aromatherapy spray

Beauty

• CD with natural beauty tips, DIY beauty recipes, and non toxic tips
• Facial toner
• Body spray
• Salt scrub

Vitality

• CD teaching you ways to get more energy naturally
• Aromatherapy spray for room or body

Shopping Bag

• List of the top 12 pesticide sprayed crops and the least sprayed crops
• CD with Healthy food tips and recipes

Detox

• CD with tips for a health way to detox your body, home, and emotions
• Detox bath clay/sa
• Detox teas

Strong Bones:

• CD of preventing and reversing osteoporosis

Cold & Flu:

• CD with everything you need to know about staying healthy and fighting colds/Flu
• Steam inhalation herbal mix

Aches & Pains:

• CD with tips for minor injuries, aches and pains, and more
• Hot/ Cold Rice pack
• Herbal pain relief cream

Shark Week: PMS support

• CD with tips, recipes, and ways to improve your cycle
• Hot rice pack
• Aromatherapy spray
• Bath salts

Forbidden Fruit…Harvest Your Pleasure

Would you like a little more of the pleasurable things in your life?

Wanting less stress and more fun?

Ever feel like you only can have the reward once you’ve “earned” it by doing a less than appealing tasks?

Maybe you have already earned it! Perhaps you just need a little help finding the pleasure in your daily life, unleashing hidden pleasures! Let us help you reap a more pleasurable life. You are only limited by your own mind and the fears within…who would fear pleasure? Sign up today!

Shoes Verse Sex: Libido Health and Clothes

As many of you know we don’t always make the best food choices for our health, but the same can also be said of our clothing choices. Way back in the days of varsity track, coach Williams nicely informed us how high heels would shorten our Achilles tendons, making us more prone to injury. However, he failed to mention how later in life we may be tempted to put our dear Achilles in peril to make our legs appear toner, butts perkier, and basically create a flashing sign announcing to the world that we were absolutely ready to have great sex….or meaningless sex that we may regret in the morning. When pondering this and other clothes we don, not for comfort, but purely for sex appeal, I scientifically calculated the paradoxical effect.

First take the CFMs…for the people who have lived under a rock (or my mother, who is already dying a small death that I am writing this.) CFM is the acronym for “Come Fuck Me” heels. At the start of the evening you look amazing, feeling like you are ready to take the world by storm. Everything works according to plan. You have the attention of some potential suitors, scored a drink or two, which helps dramatically with the stabbing pain starting in your toes. Unfortunately, we are not designed to sport all 100 and some odd pounds on a 2” x 2” platform at our toes and a thin spike at our heel. Now, too many drinks will certainly lead to an imitation of a weeble, too few certain pain. So, you are holding at a respectable 2 drinks, nursing the 3^rd, knowing it is the key. If find a place to sit you will ruin the effects of the heels; you must stand. Now two hours have past, the pain is evident on your face, body language and manner in which you respond to anyone who dares to speak to you. Fantasies of punishing the stupid man (you know it must have been a man) that invented heels enter your every thought. You start to think about what a fabulous weapon these CFMs could make. The next person that says something that stupid and obvious is going to get impaled on that spike. You see what has happened the heels that were sure to get you laid now have turned you into a psyco bitch waiting to inflict pain similar to the pain you are feeling. Ok, it is not that dramatic, but scientist have proven discomfort to full blown pain drastically decreases libido. So here is the paradoxal graph of the CFMs.

   Shoes Wearer’s Sex Appeal verse Hours Spent in Them*

*This graph takes into account moderate drinking by both the wearer and the potential suitor.

 Now lets take, Spanx…both men and women are now slipping oppressive, fat squeezing girdle like things under their clothes to appear slimmer, sleeker and less lumpy. First, the obvious, you may look amazing but there is no way in hell you are taking off you clothes in front of anyone with those lurking beneath. You might as well have on a chastity belt. Next, you have a strangle hold on your lymph system with these things. Do you really think that is going to work at well for you in the long run? Your lymph, in short, is your body’s sewage system, not something to keep stagnant. If you back up the lymph you’ll get everything you were trying to avoid, unattractiveness in various forms! Frequent colds & flu, fatigue, dark circles under eyes, and cellulite are just a few symptoms of stagnant lymph.

Next, Affliction shirts, (ok, there really is not any health concern here) you just look like a douche bag. However, we do need to be aware of synthetic materials, and none organic materials. These have nasty chemicals to protect them from mold, rodents and insects during travel across seas. They also have neurotoxins from pesticides, dyes, and plastics that off gas for weeks. To the chemically sensitive these are worse than modern rock put to muzak; to the rest of us they are just one more straw adding to our toxic load burden and messing with our endocrine system and neurological system. So you may look and act like a douche bag. To top it off, synthetic fibers do not breath, causing you to sweat more again losing points in the dating realm.

Since we all would like to be attractive and healthy, I suggest we get real. We wear comfy clothes that make us feel good and express our healthy self. Today, I went out and bought a 6 pack of ‘I am never getting laid’ under wear. (anything that comes in a 6 pack just implies that, so I was being redundant.) I also am planning to buy a few tee shirts to show off my regular self. I think it is official, I will never date again…please send Humane Society emails for cat adoptions.

 

Force Majeure of the Brown Rice Crepes

Some say “the mother of invention is necessity”…well, the mother of invention in my kitchen is “missing ingredients when you already started the recipe” or “avoidance of going to the store.” I guess those can be considered necessity, but I usually call it “too lazy to go to the store” or poor planning.

In today’s case, it was the dreaded “missing a partial ingredient.” I really wanted brown rice flour crepes with greens, goat cheese and an egg. However, I was ½ cup short on the brown rice flour. I was going to divide the recipe in half, but it calls for one egg.  Frankly, half of one egg is do-able, but I thought I would substitute instead.  So, I grabbed some Teff flour I bought for a recipe I never seemed to make again and used it instead. The end result was so damn yummy; I thought it was only right to share it with you.

In changing the recipe, I was unable to make them über thin and foldable like crepes, so they are quite lovely thin pancakes with toppings.

Teff and Brown Rice Skinny Pancakes (Gluten Free)

 

Skinny Pancake with spinach, tomato, goat cheese

Batter:

• ½ cup brown rice flour
• ½ cup teff flour
• 1 cup liquid (almond, oat, or rice milk works best)
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch of salt (I like Celtic sea salt or Himalayan)
• 1 tsp virgin cold press olive oil
• Some oil or Butter to coat the pan
• love

Topping ideas:

Fruit:  Strawberries, peaches, mangos, nectarines, blueberries, raspberries…

Honey and walnuts

Sautéed greens and egg

Sautéed mushrooms and veggies

Or my favorite, sauté onions, garlic, then mushrooms and greens with sundried tomatoes added to the pan last. Top the pancake then add a little goat cheese.

Directions:

• Mix all the ingredients together by hand with a fork or whisk till smooth.
• Heat butter (small slice) or coconut oil (man this is really good) on medium heat.
• Add a small amount of the batter in a circle to keep the batter thin- or plop it in and spread it with a spoon. It does not spread with tilting the pan around like other batters.
• Flip when they start to brown
• Serve hot