As a wellness practitioner, what is it that you believe the world needs to do the most right now to better care for their health?
It may sound cliché but health is wealth – always. Seeing the fast pace of life and the rising number of people who struggle with their mental health, I truly feel that the world needs healing. I believe that human beings as a species really need to re-evaluate what is essential to life and, in order to better take care of ourselves, we need tools which will support this healing.
“Health is wealth – always. Seeing the fast pace of life and the rising number of people who struggle with their mental health… I believe that human beings as a species really need to re-evaluate what is essential to life and… we need tools which will support this healing.”
Many of the fast-moving members of the SEELA wellness club know all about the challenge of slowing down. The way many of us live today leaves little time for taking care of ourselves; instead we are focused on pushing forward every day to increase our performance outcomes. To truly feel whole and to rejuvenate our beings, we need to remember that our health is one of our greatest assets, pause and be present.
From this we learn that to feel a sense of good health, is also to feel at home. We can use yoga to cope with our emotional challenges and find a sense of security or peace. However, yoga isn’t the only way. We asked Anna about her experience of offering sound baths as another form of healing.
Sound Bath: a type of meditative experience that uses sounds to bring balance and the most natural state back to our body and mind.
“Comparison to others is detrimental to mental health. Compare yourself only to yourself from the past.”
Anna reminds us that we need to move away from our mode of comparison. In a world of social media filters and adulation of particular lifestyles and appearances, we need to extrapolate ourselves from this by comparing ourselves only to who we were yesterday. But how do we ensure we keep on track with this daily? What can we implement in our routines to maintain and cultivate such self-awareness?
“Epsom Salt Bath: a way to soothe the body and mind through soaking in warm water with the bath salt, known as Epsom (after the English town that first learned to use it), thought to relieve tension from the muscles, restore your magnesium levels, and aid other internal functions including your digestive system.
At Seela, we always advocate a way of life that is kind for both our environment and our own health. We ask: How can we lead a life that is kinder to ourselves as well as the planet? What would be your answer to this question?
“I believe that each person has different and equally important theories and actions about how to take care of our planet.”
We all have our individual and unique part to play in the collective healing journey. Whether healing ourselves or the planet Earth, what we each contribute will be different to somebody else. If in the process we also remove the element of comparison as far as possible from our mental state, we can accept this and become more conscious of our own actions and ideas.
Finally, do you have a mantra or motto that you would like to share with our community?
Yes, health is your greatest luxury, so always remember to invest your time daily into practices which help you to come back to feeling good, balanced and happy!
We heard that your personal motto is: "Everything is possible." Could you share with us why this became a motto for you and how it guides you in your daily life?
I like the motto of “everything is possible“ because it has the positive word „possible“ in the sentence, which is basically the only thing our brain really comprehends. Meanwhile, in the phrase “nothing is impossible” the brain listens to the words “nothing” and “impossible“. The motto itself might seem a cliché, but frankly the only limit a human has is the one the subconscious mind sets it out to be. The more often we feed our brain with the correct choice of words such as this positive motto, I believe, the more likely what you desire will happen.
You are a role model for many people. Could you share some of your story about how you became an elite Olympic athlete?
Between the age of 16 to today, Sasha created a name for herself in her sport and a following online for her physical strength. We asked Sasha how she maintains her physique with her workout routine and nutrition, which consists of regular, smaller meals and a mix of workouts inside and outside of the pool.
Your extreme physical power is also an inspiration for many of us. Could you give us any insights into or advice about how your nutrition supports your training and builds your strength?
My approach to nutrition is to keep it simple. The key factor is the regime of your food intake. Rather than three meals a day, I would eat six, in smaller portions. This way my blood sugar levels are always constant. I also learned to treat myself with whatever, whenever I like, in moderation. I feel that if you restrict yourself from certain foods, you’re most likely to binge and develop an unhealthy perspective of eating habits.
What is your workout routine like throughout an average week? How many hours do you train and what different activities do you focus on?
I have nine swimming sessions a week and three gym workouts. Over the years I have neglected mobility training a lot. I have added a new form of mobility and stretching exercises from a coach I was very lucky to have met, which introduced me to his area of expertise. I try to focus on short term tasks throughout the session, not getting ahead of myself and just being in the moment, which, with my personality, is easier said than done. By setting small goals or tasks for a particular session, helps to keep a cool head and execute a great session in the end.
By setting small goals or tasks for a particular session, it helps to keep a cool head and execute a great session in the end.
Mobility training: Exercises focused on increasing your body’s range of motion and helps you to avoid injury during exercise.
Small goals, large ambitions: Sasha reminds us that we can achieve what we desire if we break it down into chunks. By focusing on the present and what is right in front of us, we will reap the rewards later. There’s no need to swim in the fast lane right from the outset. Approach your next workout routine with this mindset.
How do you stay dedicated to your sport and daily workout routine?
I love what I do and always remind myself how grateful I am to have a healthy body that is in sync with the career path I chose to pursue. I think that if someday I were to wake up and be in doubt about what I’m doing and why, I would have to shift my interests elsewhere and do something else. My love for swimming has always been my main drive.
What keeps you motivated on the days when you are feeling fatigued or demotivated?
I slow down and try to listen to my body. We’re human beings, not robots. Taking a step back and hitting the reset button is sometimes more productive than forcing the body to go over its limits. Recovery is a very powerful tool, when used correctly, “demotivation and fatigue” are rarely an issue.
We’re human beings, not robots. Taking a step back and hitting the reset button is sometimes more productive than forcing the body to go over its limits.
What guidance can you offer to our wellness community so that we can all better maintain the spirit of dedication that you embody as an Olympic swimmer?
I believe in the balance between consistency and simplicity. Do what makes your body feel good. Ideally it’s best to do a small workout everyday, maybe if it’s just a walk in the park. Once you find your ideal regime, a workout will become more of a healthy habit, rather than an obligation.
I believe in the balance between consistency and simplicity. Do what makes your body feel good.
Do you have any daily rituals? If so, what are they and what value do they bring into your life?
I don’t have any specific rituals, because everyday is different and I try to adapt to each given situation independently. But before going to bed and if I have time, when waking up, I like to set a quick mantra for myself, which my dad wrote for me. It’s very personal, about gratitude and power.
The key to success is consistency and simplicity. We needn’t overcomplicate our lives with what others have told us is best for our bodies and countless rituals that don’t work for us. Part of creating a healthy lifestyle is finding what works for you. Take it from an Olympic athlete.
At Seela, we advocate a sustainable way of life that is mutually beneficial for our environment and our own health. We always ask ourselves: How can we lead a life that is kinder to ourselves as well as the planet? Could you share your own views on this question?
To me, when a workout is a way of life, it’s extremely important to be conscious about what goes into your body, may it be from nutrition, or what you wear. Knowing the idea behind Seela, it truly gives me peace and a feeling of responsibility, knowing something which I use every single day is not harmful to me or to our environment.
To me, when working out is a way of life, it’s extremely important to be conscious about what goes into your body, may it be from nutrition, or from what you wear.
As an advocate of Seela activewear, Sasha shows that maintaining a healthy lifestyle goes beyond simply changing what you eat or how regularly you exercise – it is about working towards more intuitive ways of living in every area of life. Along with a community of other conscious women, Sasha chooses to wear our activewear because it is free of the harmful toxins that damage our body and the planet. All Seela activewear is made from castor oil, which is a multi-purpose vegetable oil that people have used for thousands of years for its natural health benefits, including its anti-inflammatory, bacteria-fighting and moisturising properties. In every decision we make about our activewear, we aim to take actions that cultivate that feeling of peace and sense of acting as one with nature that Sasha describes, because that’s exactly what our bodies — and the planet — deserves.
What would you like to say to someone who isn’t exercising right now and maybe needs some encouragement to get back on their feet and nurture a more healthy lifestyle?
Take it easy, one step at a time. I feel like starting with something as easy as breathing exercises and meditation, can slowly, with time, shift your energy and willpower. As I mentioned earlier, doing something small everyday, will paint the bigger picture.
From Sasha we learn that simplification is often the answer. Be mindful of your body and give it exactly what it needs. No matter whether you are training as an Olympic athlete or as a complete beginner to a sport or exercise, this will always be true.
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Now that you understand the essentials of the work of the hormones in regulating your menstrual cycle, read my guide about how your cycle phases influence your body and mind to learn how to use that knowledge to take control of your health.
]]>Menstruation is the start of our cycle, and is also the most notorious. It’s the time when we experience a variety of unpleasant symptoms, such as menstrual bleeding and cramping of the uterus. Though painful at times, this cramping is an indication that our uterus is doing its job of expelling the endometrium because we didn’t get pregnant during our last cycle.
The good news is that the menstrual phase doesn’t always have to be painful. If our hormones are balanced, we’re more likely to experience a normal period instead of a painful one. There are various ways we can balance our hormones, including eating a healthy diet and supplementing with natural products containing hormone-regulating ingredients made by Mother Nature herself.
The follicular phase starts with menstruation and leads up to ovulation. This phase is also commonly known as the proliferative phase of the uterine cycle. During this phase, our body goes into follicle production mode. Progesterone remains very low and oestrogen starts at a low level with a gradual increase to reach its peak right before ovulation.
As the oestrogen levels start to rise during this period, we feel more and more energised and strong.
Right when the epic follicular phase ends and the luteal phase starts, ovulation happens. You need to be really familiar with this if you’re trying to get pregnant. During ovulation, your dominant follicle needs to perform well. It needs to release an egg into the fallopian tube so it can be fertilised.
During this phase your oestrogen drops a little and it is common to experience symptoms such as tender breasts, pelvic pain, a rise in body temperature, bloating and mood fluctuations because of the hormonal fluctuations impacting our serotonin levels. The serotonin drop might lead to feeling more sad or irritable and you might also experience food cravings.
Once the dominant follicle has released a mature egg, it transforms into the corpus luteum during the luteal phase. This phase lasts from the moment of ovulation until the start of our next period. During this time, we also have a brief spike in testosterone, which is the male dominating sex hormone. The corpus luteum is essential for pregnancy. It’s a hormone-secreting endocrine gland located inside the ovary that produces hormones the body requires to prep the endometrium for implantation of a fertilised egg. Thanks to the hormones secreted by the corpus luteum, the endometrium becomes stickier and spongier so an egg can stick to it more easily.
During this phase, your progesterone levels will gradually increase and after a slight drop in oestrogen after ovulation it starts to rise again at the same rate as progesterone. They both reach their peak for the phase around mid luteal phase. After ovulation our body temperature increases slightly which can be used in order to know if you are in the luteal or follicular phase. When our body temperature increases, we also see a slight increase in metabolic rate. When progesterone and oestrogen start to drop mid luteal phase, we start to experience some Premenstrual Symptoms (PMS) such as mood swings, depressions, low energy etc.
As you can see, those with cycles have primary two hormones, oestrogen and progesterone that are criss-crossing, decreasing and increasing over the course of the month in a fascinating way. Males on the other hand would have more of a straight line of their main sex hormone testosterone across every day of the month with not much else changing in a significant way.
Your follicular and luteal phases can also be split further into early and late stages, as follows:
Early - Low progesterone and oestrogen
Late - High oestrogen and low Progesterone
Ovulation - Progesterone starts to rise and oestrogen decline
Mid - High progesterone (peak) and oestrogen
Late - Both dramatically decline
You can learn about the impact of your hormones in our hormone guide, which was specifically designed to help you to better understand how to work with your cycle for the benefit of your health and performance.
]]>One of the main causes of why we are different is, simply put, our genetic code; the female sex has XX chromosomes and the male sex has XY chromosomes. These chromosomes play a huge role in “telling” the body how to develop, especially in terms of the reproductive organs.
It appears that, in the early follicular phase of our menstrual cycle, aerobic performance outcomes are likely to be enhanced but strength performance is diminished. Similarly, endurance is diminished in the ovulatory phase, while strength and anaerobic performance improves in the same phase.
There are also variations in the findings, and some studies might suggest that there is no difference in strength throughout the menstrual cycle, so it is important to always listen to your body. What I have found to be true myself and with my menstruating clients is that the strength will vary depending on where in the cycle you are.
In one study, “The Impact of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Athletes’ Performance”, endurance performance was shown to be at its best early in the cycle, and anaerobic and strength performance may be best in the ovulatory phase; strength and aerobic performance may be worst in the late luteal phase and anaerobic performance could be worst in the late follicular phase.
Although a number of studies have found exercise performance – and in particular, endurance performance – to vary between menstrual phases, there is an equal number of such studies reporting no differences. However, a comparison of the increase in the oestrogen concentration (E) relative to progesterone concentration (P) as the E/P ratio (pmol/nmol) in the luteal phase in these studies reveals that endurance performance may only be improved in the mid-luteal phase compared with the early follicular phase when the E/P ratio is high in the mid-luteal phase.
Furthermore, the late follicular phase is characterised by the preovulatory surge in oestrogen and suppressed progesterone concentrations, which tends to promote improved performance in a cycling time trial. We hope that future studies should include this menstrual phase to explore this finding further.
Menstrual phase variations in endurance performance may largely be a consequence of changes to exercise metabolism, stimulated by the fluctuations in ovarian hormone concentrations. The literature suggests that oestrogen may promote endurance performance by altering carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism, with progesterone often appearing to act antagonistically.
To ensure you perform and feel your best, our expert Josefine Holmberg, has put together a hormone-based training plan to align your routine and nutrition with the changes in your hormones throughout your cycle.
Over the years, I have met lots of people who feel like they have tried everything to manage the symptoms of their cycle, and they say that nothing works. They stick to hours of cardio, diets, and HIIT training but they still can’t lose weight. This is because they are missing a key element.
Their hormones. The role hormones play in the way our bodies function impacts the way we should care for our health. Training needs to be adjusted to synchronise with changes that happen in your body due to the fluctuations of our hormones over the month. These changes can include performance, coordination, strength, and more.
It appears that, in the early follicular phase of our menstrual cycle, aerobic performance outcomes are likely to be enhanced but strength performance is diminished. Similarly, endurance is diminished in the ovulatory phase, while strength and anaerobic performance improves in the same phase.
When I first came across these facts, I felt a huge relief. I finally understood why I felt the way I did during different times of the month and, ultimately, why I wasn’t always performing as well as my male friends. I began a learning journey that has led me to help myself and other women. Now I’d like to share my learning with you and help you to improve your performance and feel your best. Therefore I have created a workout routine for you that takes hormonal changes into consideration.
To dive deeper into the connection between our menstrual cycles and our fitness, read our guide on the science so far on menstrual health and performance.
So now it is clear: before we can even begin creating our fitness and nutrition plans, we first need to have a thorough understanding of our cycles. If you think you know it all, you can skip ahead to the training plan... however, I recommend that you don’t – most of us sadly haven’t received a full education on our cycles.
Menstrual is a latin word for ‘month’. This is because many of us experience 28-day long cycles from puberty to menopause. What you have to remember is that there is no “normal” cycle, it varies between every individual and it can also differ from month to month. The menstrual cycle starts the first day of bleeding, which normally lasts for about 3-5 days. After that, we have the period leading up to ovulation which occurs around day 14, this is when you either get pregnant or your body pushes away the egg and you get your period.
However, our learning shouldn’t stop there. The menstrual cycle is divided up into four main phases. These are called menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase. Your follicular and luteal phases can also be split further into early and late stages in which your hormones are also rising and declining. Menstrual cycle hormones vary a lot during the different phases, and as they do, they cause the body to go through different changes. To learn more about the impact of the phases of your menstrual cycle on your body and mind, read our full guide to the phases as part of our “The Cycle that Guides Us” series.
There are many different hormones involved in your ovarian cycle, but the four main types are follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, progesterone, and oestrogen. To learn more about the influence of hormones on your body, read our full guide on the impact of hormones on your performance.
Below is an overview of what happens in your body during the different phases and days. This will impact nutrition, training and how you feel and perform in general. To know where in the hormonal cycle you are will not only be beneficial for you in terms of bodily performance, it will also help to perform in all aspects of life.
For now, what I want you to remember is that your menstrual cycle can be different from the standard that is often described. You might have a shorter cycle, a longer cycle, less days of bleeding, experience more or less hunger due to a difference in metabolic increase or see a difference in how much your body temperature increases. It can be due to several different factors and some of them are nutrition or diet, exercise, and stress. Therefore, it is important that you always listen to your body and keep track of key factors such as energy, sleep, mood, hunger, and stress. These are the five main factors I recommend that you track daily through the month so you can learn about your body.
Now you understand the basic science, what you need to track, and the importance of it to your fitness regime, we can begin planning our fitness and nutrition around our cycles.
Studies have shown so far that tension is the most critical factor in order to grow muscles. Short rest periods, partial range of motion, failure training, and blood flow restricted training do not seem to benefit muscle growth on their own. Therefore, we will be doing a total body resistance training routine which makes sure that you hit each and every body part every session, but which also allows you to have enough time to rest and recover between sessions.
Weight training or resistance training should be a part of all exercise programs due to the benefits it offers. The primary goal is to improve muscular strength and size which makes the activities of daily living easier and even small increases in size may improve appearance and body shape. Another great benefit is that it helps limit lean body mass or muscle loss during a diet phase, or even loss caused by ageing. Also, if you are afraid that you will look bulky as you build muscles, don’t be. Building lean muscle mass as a woman takes time, and you will not become bulky without the use of drugs.
I prefer total body splits over traditional bodybuilding splits because, first of all, women generally recover more quickly between workouts than men, therefore it’s recommended that women hit all muscle groups at least twice per week. The science also shows that the difference in muscle growth is small when they compare hitting a body part once a week vs three or more times per week. You can choose to only hit a muscle group once per week, but hitting one muscle group at least twice per week typically allows for more impact per week and higher quality workouts.
The quality and effort you put in each and every workout.
Whether you allow yourself to properly recover between workouts.
How consistently you stick to the plan.
That’s why I am here: to help you achieve all of the above. I also invite you to join our wonderful and motivating wellness community to stay on track. Now, here’s what you’ve been waiting for...
In this training plan, there are three key strength sessions each week, with week four being a deload week when you really focus on recovery. You will start your cycle on day one of bleeding, when your body is starting to feel in a better place. At this stage, we perform 10-15 reps and focus on muscle building. As your body approaches week two (and ovulation), you will most likely feel your best and strongest and therefore we will focus on strength. In week three, you might feel like your strength is starting to decrease again, so we go back down to hypertrophy focus. In week four, when most females experience PMS, recovery will be our main focus.
When using this plan, I want you to record your RPE, which is a rating of perceived exertion when you lift. Perceived exertion is how hard you feel like your body is working when lifting.
RPE 10: Max Effort, No Reps Left
RPE 9: Very tough, 1 rep left
RPE 8: Difficult but still 2 reps left
RPE 7: Not Difficult 3-5 reps left
Your hormones play a huge role in not only appetite but also food cravings. Studies show that women in general eat more during the luteal phase vs follicular phase (Lyle McDonald, The Women’s Book). Generally they say that women ate 305 kcal more each day in the luteal phase. This is right after ovulation; the time leading up to your first day of menstruation. It seems to be because of a drop in oestrogen, which is thought to lead to more sugar cravings. In the luteal phase, ensuring at least some fruit intake can help to maintain blood glucose and the allowance of a small amount of chocolate may help with cravings.
This table shows the impact of your cycle stages on your body.
First of all, try to get in tune with your body. If you are craving something, most likely your body is trying to tell you that you are lacking something in your diet. This is something I have experienced myself and with clients I have worked with. I am not saying you should go all in and make yourself feel crazy, but if you tend to binge eat and have cravings it can be a sign of a vitamin or mineral deficiency or you are not consuming enough food altogether.
Our body and hormonal health can really be influenced in a positive way by a well balanced diet. You need to incorporate all the macronutrient groups, protein, carbohydrates and fats and make sure to get them from a variety of sources. It’s important to get enough protein and fibres with every meal and be mindful of the carbohydrates you choose and how they affect your body and mind. We are all different and respond differently to different foods, so always listen to what your body likes and dislikes.
Everyone is different, so there are no definite rules here. That said, we are beginning to discover that certain nutritional changes can support your health and manage your symptoms at different stages of your cycle. There's lots that you can incorporate into your diet to see how your body responds, so keep track of changes you make to be sure that you really know what’s influencing you at different times of your cycle.
This is the time to focus on warming foods that are rich in iron, vitamin C and zinc. Replenish your body’s vitamins and minerals during menstruation by eating leafy greens or broccoli which contains iron, as well as beans such as lima, kidney or white beans. Eating red foods during your period such as red meats, red berries, and beets (etc.), is also often recommended in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Your energy levels will start to rise again following menstruation, this is the time to focus on muscle-building foods that are high in protein to make sure you fuel your body properly when lifting heavy weights.
During this time you want to focus on eating lots of fibre and complex carbs to regulate mood and keep blood sugar stable. Also foods rich in magnesium, zinc and vitamin B6 to support your body in the premenstrual phase. You also want to include detoxifying foods such as brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage.
B12 is naturally in animal source foods such as meat and dairy foods although B12 fortified vegetarian foods are often available.
Iron occurs in food in two forms, heme and non-heme, animal foods contain a mixture of both while vegetable source and fortified foods only contain non-heme iron. You can find iron in foods such as chicken, beef, turkey, oysters, salmon, tofu, chickpeas, beans, pumpkin and sesame seeds.
Zinc is important for hormonal health, immune system and metabolism of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Zinc, like iron, is found in larger amounts in animal source foods and is absorbed more effectively from those foods.
Magnesium is really important for the body and vital for many bodily functions such as heart rhythm, muscle contractions, bone health, protein production, creating energy etc. Magnesium is found in nuts and seeds, legumes, spinach, quinoa and even some bottled water can contain magnesium.
Vitamin D is another important component for health and mainly bone health, but it’s also important for immune function and your nervous system. Foods that are high in Vitamin D is salmon, herring, cod liver oil, egg yolks, mushrooms,
As you can see in the table below, during the follicular phase, you are using carbs as your primary fuel source at rest which means that you might want to increase your carbohydrate intake and lower your fat intake. During the luteal phase on the other hand you primarily use fats as your fuel source at rest because of that you can increase your fat intake and lower your carbohydrate intake. This is also when your hunger level might go up a little due to an increase in metabolic rate.
Calcium and vitamin D are critical for bone health. According to Lyle McDonald, dairy is the best source of calcium. Calcium is often found in vegetable source foods but the amounts are lower and the calcium is absorbed less efficiently (calcium from dairy is absorbed with 97% efficiency versus 22% from broccoli). Vitamin K is found primarily in leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, spinach and turnip greens. Phosphorus is found in foods such as meat, dairy, nuts, beans and cereals
Protein intake should also always be the same each day. You should eat around 0.8-1.2 grams per kg of body weight depending on if you want to maintain or build muscle mass. Also, pay attention to the fact that water retention is higher during week two and week four, this can impact weight and how you look and feel.
Even our caffeine metabolism is different throughout the month, it is similar to men the first half but different in the second half. So you might find yourself being more sensitive to caffeine during different times of the month.