It's Time For Your Weekly Flowcast

Hi friend, we're here to Flowcast your week!

Consider us your weekly forecast (or flowcast if you will) of what you need to know about your body: whether that's your menstrual cycle or the news cycle. 

 We have one goal: to keep women abreast about their body. #stayabreast

YOUR FLOWNEWS

• New study shows brain changes in postpartum women, proving that PPD is never the mother's fault. Read more.

• More than one in five OB-GYN residents receive zero menopause lectures during residency. And according to a 2019 Mayo Clinic survey, only about 7% feel adequately prepared to manage it.

• Female athletes are more likely to get injured at different points of their menstrual cycle. Read more.

• Both of our husband’s got vasectomy’s this week 😅 so we thought it would be best to show the rise of permanent contraception in a post Roe world. Read here.

YOUR FLOWTIPS

❓ What we're trying…

• Ashwagandha. Can this adaptogen support sleep and reduce stress? Read More.

🎧 What we're listening to…

• Dr. Stacy Sims: Female-Specific Exercise & Nutrition for Health, Performance & Longevity. Listen Here.

📖 What we're reading…

• The Women by Kristin Hannah. We know, we know it’s everywhere and it’s for a good reason. Get it here.

YOUR FLOWCAST
Listen to your body and track your cycle, babe. YOU have to know you best.

Bleed Phase: Day 1-7ish
Aunt-Flo, “THAT Time," Period, Whatever.

🌩️Pain and discomfort, hunger, low energy.
💡Prioritize sleep in whatever way works best, stay moving, add in some true high-intensity exercise like all-out sprints or running up the stairs (helps reduce cramping!).
🍴Warm and Cozy Lentil Soup
 
Follicular Phase: Day 7-14ish
Building Phase, Business-As-Usual

🌥️Peak energy is building as is overall cognitive function (aka, getting back to feeling like your hot-ass, smart self). 
💡Incorporate more cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, etc.) to keep hormone levels stable and mitigate symptoms when your period comes back. 
🍴Farro Fried Rice with Brussels Sprouts

YOUR FLOWCAST

Ovulatory Phase: Day 12-16ish
Hot Shit Time, Get After IT

☀️You have reached the summit of the energy and hormone mountain! You're feeling like your best, brightest and hottest self again.
💡Have some flexibility around your schedule? Schedule that presentation for this time, maybe run that 5k you’ve been training for or even go on that date. 
Remember, ovulation=fertility so wherever you are in life, plan accordingly! 
🍴Curry Kale Chickpea Salad

Luteal Phase: Day 15-28ish
Don’t Touch Me Time, Emotional Whiplash, Hanger

🌦️Energy is on a downswing, brain fog may be in the flowcast and libido is likely to dip. 

💡Your body needs an additional 100-300 calories per day during this phase as your body preps to bleed. A simple snack of apple slices with some almond butter and a piece of dark chocolate or half an avocado with some whole grain crackers (add some tajin, salt and pepper or hot sauce if you’re feeling fancy) would do the trick. 
🍴Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

Sources:
*Rogan MM, Black KE. Dietary energy intake across the menstrual cycle: a narrative review. Nutr Rev. 2023 Jun 9;81(7):869-886. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuac094. PMID: 36367830; PMCID: PMC10251302.

See a headline or tip we should include? Tag us @flowcastclub.