For women over 40, shift your approach to weight loss from grit and discipline to a hormonal lens, as declining estrogen causes insulin resistance and declining progesterone increases cortisol and belly fat, making traditional methods ineffective.
Prioritize rest and recovery in the week before your period by slowing down workouts, increasing nature’s carbs, prioritizing sleep, and reducing stress, to support progesterone and prevent cycle issues.
Adopt a monthly exercise schedule: push hard with cardio/HIIT in the first 10 days, prioritize heavy weightlifting during ovulation (days 11-15), and engage in gentle exercise in the nurture phase (week before period) to maximize benefits.
Even if using HRT or bioidenticals, consistently implement lifestyle changes like fasting, varied diet, microbiome support, toxicity reduction, and self-care, as they are crucial for optimal health and symptom management.
Incorporate varied fasting lengths into your routine to improve insulin sensitivity and manage menopausal weight gain, ensuring to reduce fasting intensity or duration in the week before your period.
Minimize exposure to toxic beauty products, perfumes, air fresheners, and household cleaners, as these can disrupt hormonal control centers in the brain and negatively impact hormonal health.
Consume polyphenol, probiotic, and prebiotic-rich foods (e.g., sauerkraut, diverse vegetables) to support gut bacteria essential for breaking down estrogen, preventing its accumulation.
Actively seek out self-care activities, learn to say no more often, and reduce people-pleasing tendencies to nurture yourself, particularly in the week before your period, to mitigate stress and support hormonal well-being.
Avoid eating dinner in the dark when melatonin rises and insulin resistance increases, and ensure you are not going to bed while actively digesting food, as both can hinder restful sleep.
Get up close to sunrise to see red light, which turns off melatonin and starts the circadian rhythm, and get midday sun exposure without sunglasses, to improve insulin sensitivity and sleep quality.
About an hour after seeing morning light, engage in physical activity like walking or working out to utilize the natural cortisol surge, preventing its storage and contribution to belly fat.
For women over 40, keep your sleeping environment cold and consider using a weighted blanket to help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting calmness and counteracting heat signals from declining estrogen.
In winter, when daylight hours are shorter, consider making your heaviest meal at midday and a lighter meal later, and incorporate a walk or air squats after your biggest meal to manage glucose.
Understand that intense PMS symptoms (cravings, fatigue, irritability) are often signals that your lifestyle is working against your biology, empowering you to make supportive changes rather than feeling like a personal failing.
Share your menstrual cycle phase with your partner, especially your ’nurture phase’ (week before period), to foster mutual understanding, support, and improve relationship harmony.
Address deep conflicts or important discussions with a woman during her manifestation phase (days 11-15) when she has optimal hormonal balance for connection, verbal processing, and calmness.
For post-menopausal women, prioritize exercise specifically for brain health to counteract the loss of neurochemical-stimulating hormones, and consider a varied weekly or simulated 30-day cycle plan.
Minimize alcohol intake around ovulation and in the post-ovulation phase to reduce additional strain on the liver, which is critical for efficiently breaking down and eliminating hormones.
If experiencing chronic stress or adrenal fatigue, gradually increase your fasting window by small increments to allow your body to adapt and heal, rather than initiating long fasts abruptly.
When breaking a fast, ensure your first meal contains at least 30 grams of protein to effectively stimulate muscle building and support overall recovery and metabolic health.
Female athletes can optimize performance and muscle building by alternating between periods of longer fasting (Monday-Thursday with protein-rich meals) and non-fasting days with high protein intake (Friday, Sunday).
Do not fast if pregnant, nursing (limit to 15 hours), or if you have an eating disorder, as these are critical contraindications requiring professional guidance or complete avoidance.
For women trying to conceive, implement a fasting cycle: more fasting in the first half to optimize estrogen, reduced fasting with nutrient-dense foods around ovulation, and hormone feasting post-ovulation.
Approach health changes with an open mind and curiosity, trying different strategies to discover what works best for your unique body, rather than seeking absolute, one-size-fits-all answers.
Utilize a journal during fasting to record thoughts and feelings, which can help identify limiting beliefs or emotional responses to hunger, potentially leading to personal growth and a healthier relationship with food.