A Guide to Syncing with Your Body 🌸
Fasting is a wellness trend that has been gaining serious momentum in recent years. It’s often hailed as a way to boost mental clarity, support weight loss, balance blood sugar, and even improve longevity. But here’s a little-known fact: fasting isn’t the same for men and women, and when it comes to female health, timing is everything.
In her book "Fast Like a Girl," Dr. Mindy Pelz dives deep into how women can use fasting to optimize their hormones, health, and overall well-being by syncing with their menstrual cycle. Fasting can be a powerful tool for women, but only when done in a way that honors the natural rhythm of their bodies. Fasting the same way every day can backfire, impacting hormones like cortisol and even altering your basal metabolic rate. Let’s explore how fasting should differ throughout the month—and why women need a unique approach compared to men.
Fasting for Women: Why It’s Different from Men 🚹🚺
First things first: why should women fast differently than men? The answer lies in our hormones. Unlike men, who have a 24-hour hormonal cycle dominated by testosterone, women’s hormones fluctuate on a roughly 28-day cycle (the menstrual cycle). Estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol levels ebb and flow depending on where we are in that cycle, affecting how our bodies respond to fasting.
Men can typically fast more consistently because their hormones are relatively stable day-to-day. Women, on the other hand, need to adjust their fasting windows to match the hormonal shifts in each phase of the menstrual cycle. Without this adjustment, fasting can actually increase stress hormones like cortisol, disrupt your metabolism, and throw off your hormonal balance.
Syncing Fasting with Your Menstrual Cycle 🗓️
Dr. Mindy Pelz breaks it down beautifully in "Fast Like a Girl": to get the most out of fasting as a woman, you need to sync it with your menstrual cycle. Here’s how it works:
1. Follicular Phase (Days 1-10) – Your Fasting Sweet Spot 🌿
The follicular phase begins on the first day of your period. During this phase, estrogen levels begin to rise, making your body more resilient to stress (including the mild stress fasting induces). This is a great time to practice longer fasts, anywhere from 14 to 16 hours, because your body can handle it well. You’ll likely feel more energized, focused, and ready to go.
2. Ovulation (Around Days 11-15) – Time for Balance ⚖️
As you approach ovulation, estrogen peaks and testosterone gives you an extra boost. This is another good time to fast, but Dr. Pelz recommends keeping it moderate—around 12-14 hours of fasting. While your body can still handle intermittent fasting here, it’s also a good idea to balance it with plenty of nourishment. Overdoing fasting during this phase can lead to higher cortisol levels, which can throw off your hormone balance.
3. Luteal Phase (Days 16-28) – Ease Up on Fasting 🌸
Ah, the luteal phase—this is where things get interesting. After ovulation, progesterone rises to prepare your body for a potential pregnancy. Progesterone is your calming, mood-boosting hormone, and it needs calories to thrive. Fasting during this phase can spike cortisol (your stress hormone), which counteracts progesterone and leaves you feeling more anxious, stressed, or even burnt out.
Dr. Pelz emphasizes that the luteal phase is not the time for intense fasting. In fact, longer fasts can actually be counterproductive here. Your body is more sensitive to stress during this phase, and fasting can deplete your energy and slow down your metabolism. Aim for shorter fasts—10-12 hours max—or skip fasting altogether. This is the time to prioritize rest, self-care, and nourishing foods, particularly as you get closer to your period.
4. Menstruation (Days 1-7) – Gentle Fasting, If at All 🩸
During your period, your body is in full detox mode. Estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest, and your body is using a lot of energy to shed the uterine lining. This is not the time for long fasts! Gentle fasting (10-12 hours) or no fasting at all is recommended. Your body needs nourishment to rebuild and recover, so focus on nutrient-rich foods and hydration.
Why Fasting the Same Way Every Day Doesn’t Work for Women 🚫
Fasting every day the same way might seem like a good idea, but for women, it can mess with your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest, and it’s influenced by your hormones. If you fast too intensely or too often, especially during the luteal phase, your body may go into “starvation mode,” lowering your metabolism and holding onto fat rather than burning it.
In short: fasting the same way every day can lead to slower metabolism, higher cortisol levels, and hormonal imbalances. By varying your fasting windows throughout your cycle, you can avoid these pitfalls and actually support your metabolic health.
The Cortisol Connection: Why Timing Matters ⏰
One of the key hormones to keep in mind when fasting is cortisol, your body’s stress hormone. While short bursts of cortisol are normal and even beneficial, chronically high levels of cortisol (which can happen if you’re fasting too long or too often) can lead to all sorts of issues, like disrupted sleep, anxiety, and weight gain—particularly around the midsection.
During the luteal phase, when progesterone is dominant, fasting can raise cortisol levels to a point that cancels out the calming effects of progesterone. This can make you feel more irritable, anxious, and stressed out. That’s why it’s so important to ease up on fasting during the luteal phase—your body needs more nourishment, not more stress.
How to Fast Like a Woman, Not a Man 💁♀️
So, what’s the big takeaway? Fasting for women is not about rigid rules or fasting the same way every day. It’s about listening to your body and syncing your fasts with the natural rhythm of your menstrual cycle. When done correctly, fasting can help regulate hormones, boost energy, and even support weight loss. But it needs to be flexible.
Here’s a quick recap:
Follicular phase: Longer fasts (14-16 hours) work well because your body is more resilient.
Ovulation: Moderate fasting (12-14 hours) while focusing on nourishment.
Luteal phase: Shorter fasts (10-12 hours) or no fasting to support progesterone and avoid cortisol spikes.
Menstruation: Gentle fasting or none at all, with a focus on rest and recovery.
The Beauty of Cyclical Fasting 🌷
What’s beautiful about cyclical fasting is that it allows you to flow with your body’s natural hormonal changes. Instead of fighting against your biology, you’re working with it, optimizing your health and hormones in the process.
Remember, fasting isn’t a race or a rigid practice. It’s a tool that, when used mindfully, can help you feel more in tune with your body and more energized throughout your cycle.
So, if you’re ready to fast like a woman, take a page from Dr. Mindy Pelz’s book, “Fast Like a Girl,” and embrace a fasting routine that works with your hormones—not against them. You’ll feel the difference, and your body will thank you! 💖
With love and support, Teri xx
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