A woman’s hormonal landscape changes dramatically throughout her life. Because of this unique biology, understanding her menstrual cycle and its rhythm can be incredibly useful for optimizing productivity, weight, sex drive, energy, and mood.
On today’s Broken Brain Podcast, our host Dhru talks to Dr. Stephanie Estima, an expert in female metabolism and body composition. She is a doctor of chiropractic with a special interest in functional neurology, brain metabolism, and the specific application of the ketogenic diet and fasting to female physiology. Using her framework, The ESTIMA Method™, she is particularly focused on distilling strategies in nutritional proxies, movement, posture, and mindset to actualize human potential, healthspan, longevity, and achievement.
In this episode, Dhru and Dr. Estima talk about how to eat according to your menstrual cycle, and why women are not meant to calorie restrict over the long term or be in ketosis over the long term. They discuss when women’s bodies best tolerate fasting and the different types of fasts across a women’s cycle. They also talk about how to change your exercise routine based on your menstrual cycle and the importance of taking the time to recover and slow down.
In this episode, we dive into:
- Why men and women respond differently to a ketogenic diet (6:55)
- Why a woman shouldn’t be on a ketogenic diet all the time (13:57)
- Why resistant starches are so important and how to incorporate them into your diet (15:49)
- What is a ketogenic diet and why has it become so popular (17:20)
- The four phases of a women’s menstrual cycle (25:31)
- How to eat during the different phases of your cycle (38:03)
- The two ways you build muscle in the body (40:43)
- Outcome goals vs. behavioral goals (58:54)
- Why orgasms should be part of your self-care regime (1:09:57)
- Nutrition, fasting, and exercise considerations if you are in menopause (1:12:06)
- Setting boundaries and prioritizing your health (1:14:55)
- Where to learn more about Dr. Estima (1:19:42)
For more on Dr. Stephanie Estima, you can follow her on Instagram @dr.stephanie.estima, on Facebook @drestima, and through her website here. Listen to her podcast, Better with Dr. Stephanie, here.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Better with Dr. Stephanie, Ask Me Anything Episode #5
- Better with Dr. Stephanie, Ask Me Anything Episode #6
- The Clue app for tracking your menstrual cycle: https://helloclue.com/
- The Pleasure Zone: Why We Resist Good Feelings & How to Let Go and Be Happy by Stella Resnick: https://amzn.to/2VFip92
For more on Dhru Purohit, be sure to follow him on Instagram @dhrupurohit, on Facebook @dhruxpurohit, on Twitter @dhrupurohit, and on YouTube @dhrupurohit. You can also text Dhru at (302) 200-5643 or click here https://my.community.com/dhrupurohit.
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