Have you listened to the Dr Rangan Chattergee 'Feel Better, Live More' podcast with special guest Dr Mindy Pelz? They talk in depth about Fasting, Hormones & Menopause and why women need a different approach...

As a society women approach our day to day life as if, what happens inside our bodies would be the same day in day out. When the reality is that women’s bodies work on a cycle and this cycle affects performance, metabolisation, how women’s brain and body works.

We will link the fascinating episode below for you, so you can have a listen - it's absolutely worth an hour - actually 2, of your time. Here we outline the 4 different phases highlighted in the podcast for reference.

Day 1-10 - “Power phase”

• Focus is on building hormones. Oestrogen is low so we need to build it through diet. Keep glucose low by eating low-carb/ sugar.
  - Power up your lifestyle, you may feel you can run a marathon! It's a great time to exercise.
  - We are cortisol forgiving at this stage, which means that we may tolerate higher stress. You could consider Intermittent Fasting (IF), or time restricted eating (TRE) like 16/8.

Day 11-15 - “Manifestation phase”

• Oestrogen is at its highest, along with a surge in testosterone and the presence of progesterone.
  - This is the only time in the cycle when all three hormones are present, making it a great time to start new projects, you'll feel motivated and super productive!
  - Focus on breaking down hormones through a healthy diet, such as consuming whole foods, leafy greens, seeds and nuts, avoiding alcohol for less stress on the liver during this phase.

Dr Mindy refers to the first half of the cycle as the 'Doing phase' - you'll feel motivated to start new projects, set goals, move more.

The second half of the cycle she calls the 'Recovery phase' - time to slow down, eat a wider variety of foods, including smart carbs, to eat three good meals a day and switch to gentler exercise.

Day 16-19 - “Second power phase”

- This phase supports the body's natural cycles of repair and rejuvenation.
- Similar to the first power phase, focus on nurturing the body through nutrient dense whole foods and exercise.
- Because hormones are low, there's an opportunity to go back to low-carb, IF or TRE as in the Day 1-10 Power phase.

Day 20-28 - “Nurture phase”

• The body becomes insulin resistant, meaning we need more glucose to produce progesterone - enrich your diet with healthy whole foods, leafy vegetables and smart carbs.
  - Avoid fasting and slow down with gentle exercise like yoga
  - Cravings for chocolate often indicate a need for magnesium (opt for >70% Dark Chocolate).

Listen to the full podcast here: