GHP Fitness & Nutrition Awards 2022 cycles, both mentally and physically. As DivineButterflyCoaching on Instagram, Kez is an independent menstrual cycle coach who is passionately devoted to educating people, around the globe, on their menstrual phases with relation to the mind and soul through rest and nutrition. We caught up with Kez on this subject and she tells us, “Menstrual cycle education is the missing piece in a woman’s health and wellbeing. As cyclical beings, we have an internal clock which cycles every time we menstruate. Within this cycle we are different people during each of these phases. “Having an awareness of your own menstrual cycle, that’s all four phases; menstruation, pre-ovulation, ovulation and pre-menstruum can be so empowering and is the perfect way to alter the story that society has led us to believe.” Not only does she echo the voices of many others innovating within this realm, but she also projects her own strong speech for all people who have these cycles. This is so that she can dispel any negative connotations around our phases. With relation to the building blocks of mental wellness, in relation to our cycles, Kez adds, “Getting curious about our menstrual nuances, and accepting and embracing our phase joys and shadows can be empowering whilst also presenting the ability to create a life which is aligned and filled with self-acceptance.” Kez’s words describe the loss we feel when we are trying to keep up the pace within our jobs, relationships, and independent schedules. We push hard through our cycles to keep exercising the same, eating the same, working the same, and more, when we should be honouring those different parts of ourselves with rest and recuperation, as well as nurturing meals and behaviours. “Did you know that a prominent hormone the week before you bleed actually aids in relaxation? The overwhelmed irritability we accept as given and label as PMS does not have to be your reality. The relentless hustle and grind of the linear society we live in, which is unconducive to our cyclical nature is likely a factor towards feelings of rage and despair,” she adds. Her work is very much centred around how our cycles make us feel. She says, “Becoming curious about our own cyclical patterns via menstrual cycle awareness is the foundation towards living in alignment with all aspects of our being. It’s a remembering of who we really are, and how we really work on a cellular level.” As we are advancing in our knowledge of the menstrual cycle, we learn more about nutrition in relation to the different segments. There is endless knowledge from books and coaches that we can seek out, but we should also nourish our bodies intuitively too. We can learn to nourish our bodies with what they need throughout each phase – which can aid us when ovulating and bleeding, and in-between, so that we can live more fulfilled lives for our physical and mental wellbeing. By altering our diets at different times throughout our cycles we can actually invite the right nutrients for what our bodies crave and rely on. “Your ‘maintenance calories’ will change during the menstrual cycle – the body’s temperature increases and so does the basic metabolic rate. Often women feel less hungry in the follicular phase and the early stages of the ovulation phase. The hunger mirrors the levels of progesterone, when progesterone is at its highest in the luteal phase it is recommended to consume more calories. If a fat loss or weight loss is the goal, this is the prime time for fat burning.” Rest and sleep play essential parts in our lifestyle – especially throughout our cycles. We find ourselves needing more sleep during the separate sections of our cycles.
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