REBUILD: WEEK 2 OVULATION (3-4 Days)
During this phase I want you to channel your inner Beyonce. Beyonce brings BIG energy to a room when she steps onstage. Think of the beauty she radiates with her performance and the confidence that she exudes. Her presence that can literally fill a stadium.
During this time of the month, your hormones are at their peak concentration, and this means you have amazing energy to give everyone around you. But even better, you are your most magnetic during this time and everyone loves to be around you. There’s a reason you feel like being social so make plans to go out with girls while you have this urge to be around people. Your communication skills are on point.
The best part is you are most attractive to the opposite sex/same sex during this time. Your hormones are giving you an extra glow right now and your skin appears dewy. You are the most playful, most frisky, and most ready to give extra love and attention to your family right now. BIG energy.
THE BIG PICTURE OF HAPPY HORMONES
Ahhh, the main event is finally here—ovulation! The whole reason why we have a 28-day cycle in the first place. The ovulation phase is like your mombody’s summer. And who doesn’t love summer?! Ovulation is one of my favorite phases and it might be your new favorite too! Here’s why:
These 3-4 days you are fertile and ready to become pregnant (whether you want to or not!) Estrogen is at its peak which helps you “feel like a woman” - now’s the time to channel your inner vixen. Also, there is a sharp surge followed by a rapid decline in testosterone which is why you naturally feel frisky around this time because testosterone is notorious for making you want to have sex. Your energy levels are sky high and you will feel like superwoman at home, at work, at the gym, on the trail, at girl’s night out, and yes, even in the bedroom. It’s a special time for you indeed.
Key things to consider:
Body temperature is higher, so cold foods are recommended. Lightly sautéed, steamed cooking options are helpful in this phase since no one wants to eat raw veggies every single meal..
Raw foods are great for this phase (salads, smoothies). Channel your inner vegan (and vixen!).
Slower metabolism so you don’t need as many calories or carbs (lighter grains like corn, quinoa).
One tablespoon of flax seeds and pumpkin seeds per day. Flaxseeds help reduce estrogen and pumpkin seeds are great for progesterone production in the luteal phase.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is king. However, if you are hormonally imbalanced (or you are trying to lose weight), you must keep your workouts to no more than 30 minutes. Going beyond that will push it into fat storage mode.
Let’s learn about fascia and all its wonder.
Throughout ovulation week, we will cover exactly how to help support your mombody through the 4 principles of health: EAT, MOVE, REST, DETOX. You will learn simple strategies to bring into your life and this information will become second nature - not so much what you have to do, but rather who you are to become. MBODY8 your mombody!
A SMALL DETAIL FOR CARVING YOUR MOMBODY: FASCIA
Good job learning how to breathe correctly! Your mombody inner core could’ve been turned off, thickened, stressed and stagnant for a long time since no one teaches you how to reconnect to it after pregnancies. It’s amazing what can happen when you loosen up your rib cage, set your diaphragm free, and finally get a fantastic 360 degree breath of fresh air into those lungs. It’s also pretty cool that you know how to train your corset muscle for a slim waistline and that your pelvic floor should be lifted on the exhale. This is the beginning of a strong, flexible core like the one you had when you were born.
In addition, you now have a clear picture of what proper alignment looks like in your mombody. You understand that certain muscle imbalances arise when the bones aren’t stacking up properly. Any time you don’t see (or feel!) three beautiful curves in your spine and a pelvis that has found neutral - you are counter-acting all the hard work you are doing to correct it.
But wait, there’s one more layer holding all of these imbalances in place. Have you ever wondered why you can stretch out your hamstrings and the next day they are tight again? Or, you can stretch out your shoulders and try to put them back into proper alignment but the next time you look, they are rounded and slumped forward again? This is your fascia at work and it’s really important that you know what it is and how it works.
Fascia is your body’s connective tissue. It looks like a matrix. Some people describe it as a cobweb-like material that provides strength and flexibility. It is responsible for your shape and structure. Fascia is mostly of collagen (a type of protein) and is literally the “glue” that holds us together. It is a very sticky substance, by nature. Those “knots” you feel in your muscles are technically fascia that is stuck and begins to thicken over time. Fascia literally connects and separates every single thing in your body. You have fascia in your bones, and you have fascia that forms the lining in your gut. You even have fascia surrounding your corneas in your eyes and every single strand of hair - it’s everywhere,
For many years, doctors considered this tissue to be like “packing material” and it was treated as disposable - during surgery, doctors would cut through fascia and throw it away. But now we know fascia is a system. A communication system. It is smart. It talks to your entire body and it is responsible for telling you when you are in pain. It also kicks into gear to keep you safe. You know that feeling when you slip on ice and you are able to self-correct before you actually fall down? That is your fascia talking quickly to the rest of your body and keeping you upright - it protects you.
Fascia is also at work when you hear creaking, cracking noises in your knees (or anywhere else that gets stiff in your body overnight) when you first get out of bed in the morning. I call it the snap, crackle, and pop. That noise relates to fascia that is dehydrated and stiff - but once you learn how to take care of your fascia, you will hear those joints magically become silent again.
Hydrating your fascia is key for living a pain-free life. You can think of your fascia like a sponge - it absorbs the stagnant fluid in your body and then you can wring it out like a sponge to replace it with new, fresh fluid in its place. You do this by foam rolling and using other tools to manipulate your fascia.
Oh, another thing that you’ll love to know is when your fascia is healthy, you don’t have lumps and bumps on your thighs or tummy that appear as cellulite. Say what?! Yes, you can repair your fascia which will make it smoother, more hydrated and more beautiful. Cellulite could be a thing of the past for you and if that’s not the best news ever, I’m not sure what is!
Fascia is your secret weapon. When it is hydrated and smooth, fascia glides easily and is healthy - you will look and feel amazing for the rest of your life when you know how to keep your fascia healthy and happy. Let’s dive in now because this stuff is fascinating!
Don’t miss more text below the video.
MOMBODY FASCIA
I can’t afford a massage everyday so I’m a big fan of buying tools that help me keep my fascia healthy. In the video I mention using all different size balls, a foam roller, the theragun, a drybrush, and the fascia blaster. I’m such a big proponent of the fascia blaster (when used properly) that I decided it makes sense to sell it. If you feel inclined to order one, I would be most grateful if you used my affiliate link.
If you want to see some incredible before and after photos of cellulite reduction and body re-shaping then I recommend you follow Ashley Black’s fasciablasters private group on fb. The testimonials are pretty addictive to watch.
Speaking of before and after photos of healthy fascia, I also recommend following Lauren Roxborough’s Aligned Life Instagram account. Plus I absolutely love her foam rollers but I don’t have an affiliate link for those.
Lastly, I also love the Fascianator foam roller because it is denser, smaller and easier to reach some of the places that a large roller can’t get to. And if you really want to get involved with all things fascia then I recommend reading Sue Hitzmann’s The Melt Method and all her other books and DVDs. She is on youtube and worth checking out - she’s a pro at hydrating fascia to live a pain-free life. She shows you how to hydrate the fascia in your face for plumper skin!
This is just the beginning of what healthy fascia can do for you! New research pops up all the time.