Episode #9: Understand Your Female Superpowers with Zesty Ginger

Intro (00:02): Welcome to The Fast-Track Entrepreneur Podcast with your host Terra Bohlmann. You are about to get filled with business strategies, advice, and motivation to get you prepared to fast track your five year plan in less than one year. So buckle up and let's create your first class business with clarity and confidence.

Terra (00:28): I am going to be interviewing a total rock star that I just want to give her the full respect that she deserves and read you her bio so that you know exactly what you're going to be hearing today. We're going to be getting into some, you know, some really good stuff that can impact women entrepreneurs and things that I feel like not a lot of women talk about. And so we're going to get right into it. So it is going to be probably, there's going to be a thing of, there's no such thing as TMI on this episode. I can promise you that. So we're going to get into some personal things around your health and what we as women face. And I couldn't have found a better person to share her expertise on what we can do to be more productive in our business, what we can do to be, have more energy and things that kind of played our own bodies so that we can actually be super on it based on what we're working at at the time.

Terra (01:33): Right. So I know I work with women all the time who want to go faster and once we understand our bodies a little bit more, it just helps all of that come together and do it in a way. So we don't have to be the crazy person that we don't want to be sometimes. So let me read the bio of my guest today and I think you will fall in love with her just as much as I have. So Dr. Alex Golden, M D and her business partner, Megan Blacksmith, who's a health coach and functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner. They're partners and a company named Zesty Ginger, and they work with pre menopausal women in an online group format. They focus on balancing hormones and supporting detoxification by teaching women to use the phases of their menstrual cycle to their advantage. So this is some really cool stuff.

Terra (02:26): So the natural ebb and flow that happens to our hormones, our organ systems and our bodies overall as women is there to renew and strengthen us. When we work with the natural cycles of our bodies, we allow ourselves to heal and recover on a level that few of us have ever reached. When we operate within the rules of a hectic, modern world, we've been with alternative medicine in this world. We've lost its connection to how the female body operates. Most protocols and health programs out there show us no regard to the systems that govern the flow of our bodies as women by focusing on different activities. Alexa is food and rituals. Each week of your cycle, you can actually help your body detoxify naturally. So Dr. Alex and Megan are the founders of the PMS project and healthy hormones group as well as the host of the four-phase cycle podcast. So their podcast hosts themselves. So I'm super excited to learn more. You can follow them on Instagram at zesty underscore ginger, where they share tips for optimizing your cycle and hormones and naturally support detoxification and help you upgrade your food and products and your mindset. So today what we're going to be talking about with Dr. Alex is how to understand your female super powers with zesty ginger. So without further ado, welcome Dr. Alex to the podcast.

Dr. Alex (03:56): How you doing? Hi there. I'm doing great. Thanks so much for having me and that's super, super sweet.

Terra (04:05): Sometimes I love, don't you love to hear your intro and you're like, man, that just kind of, that's me. Like that's a really cool, so you guys are total rock star.

Dr. Alex (04:15): It's funny that you say that because when you first started, yeah, I have and I feel like everyone's going to relate to this. When you hear someone say nice things about you, I, my instinct is to sort of clam in and be like, Oh, that's, you know, blow it off and consciously stop and go, Oh, this is actually like someone's take. Like maybe I could just listen and appreciate and like let it happen. And so it's, even as you were talking, I was having that conversation in my head. So those are, like you said, nothing is too TMI or it's right off the wall. There's not enough of us being honest about the stuff that goes on between our ears and how it affects our lives.

Terra (05:02): Oh, so, so, so much. I couldn't agree more. And I think every listener as well as even I know myself, like if I'm going to speak on a stage or something and they're reading the bio, it's like, you know, you get that nervous feeling. It's like, okay, that's, but then you're like, that's who I am. And that's what I believe and totally cool. So I love that you acknowledged that because every time I think the same thing that's me course. I mean, I made it sound good, but yeah, of course we're not going to, you know, it's not just me. Like am I being like what? Yeah, no, I totally part of my life. Cool. I love it. So Alex and I met were in a mastermind together and when I got to meet her and Megan and I was just like, I fell in love with all this knowledge that they have and what they're bringing to the world to share around kind of our bodies as women, our cycles and how that can play into you as a woman entrepreneur.

Terra (06:01): So that's what we're going to be digging in is like under learning to understand our body so that you can be more productive, that you can it, you know, you can give yourself permission. This is what I learned at, you know, when you presented at our mastermind, it was like, what I really learned was I can give myself permission to not have to always be on and on point that I can like understand and like, you know, that's just not the phase that I'm in this week and that's okay. I'm going to do it next week. So I learned a lot about giving myself permission. And I think as women entrepreneurs, we need to do that a heck of a lot more because we always want what we want and we wanted it yesterday. But instead it's like, Hmm, let's not work against the flow of our body and actually give ourselves that permission so we can even produce greater work. So tell us, so I want to know, so how, how did you get even interested in helping women with the hormone health side of things?

Dr. Alex (06:56): Well, totally, and before I get into that, I did want to say like I, what you're saying is so important because a lot of us are like, well, let me use this because I'll feel better. And it sounds a little bit trite, but what I've realized as an female entrepreneur is, and Megan and I have, is that when we've been working with our bodies and with our minds on what they're already doing, and just instead of, I just kept fighting myself all the time on everything. And it's just everything felt like a struggle. And the way that we've grown, you know, we essentially have quadrupled our revenue over the last year. We've grown our team considerably. You know, we joined a mastermind, which was a big up level for us and we're moving at a pace and creating at a rate that is much greater than what we were doing before that it almost just seems ironic because it feels easier.

Dr. Alex (07:58): And so I was like, what was I doing? I mean it's just like rolling the rock up the Hill every time. And it really, it does have tangible effects and I think that's where we always want to bring it home to like, this isn't some conversation of like when it be nice, if we felt great, but you know, the reality is that many of us don't feel great all month. There's parts of our month that we're like, we're not productive, we're not constructive. We're not thinking in a way that is moving the needle forward. We're just like to do lists. And I used to be lost in that all the time. And so that I think more than anything comes down to, you know, when we actually are enjoying the journey to feeling good instead of considering as someday you'll arrive and you're hurrying to there, that changes the game so much.

Dr. Alex (08:53): And yes I this all the hard way. So I, we're not coming from a place of judgment at all because, so I had pretty regular childhood, some stressors and some trauma just like everyone else. But it wasn't until I first got to college that I started having health problems. So I was a piano performance major. I was going to be a piano professor at a university that was like my life plan. And so I got to college, I started working and my health just took like, Oh huge downturn and I started having a severe pelvic pain. It lasted kind of, it was that struggle for years. My health and my functionality decreased where I had a hard time sitting for, you know, to practice piano. That's like hours a day, right. For studying. I was also doing like a minor in biology just cause I always, my mom was like, are you sure you don't want a real job?

Dr. Alex (09:56): And um backup plan, like being an MD. Yeah. If only at the time I had. Yeah. But but you know, ironically she's a musician so she, yeah. She was saying it from a place of like, but you know, I was in love with that and I did finish as a piano major. But you know, long story short, I struggled for years and years and years and just really was not at all a normal college student. And at some point after going to doctor after doctor and being told that all my labs were normal and here's some ibuprofen, which may, and I always joke that if we have like a family crest for business that it would say like, my labs are normal but I feel like crap because that's the words that we hear just constantly when we're on the phone with our ladies and you know, chatting with them and it's just have that experience, you know, not to cut you off but like, Oh yeah, now that I know I've dealt with and I'm sure other people too was your labs are normal.

Dr. Alex (10:59): This is in your head. Exactly. Exactly.

Terra (11:03): And as a fixer, you can't tell us that.

Dr. Alex (11:06): No. Well, and then you know what the most damaging thing is, is that I didn't do the mindset stuff that we talked about for a long time and it's still kind of like, is heartbreaking to me because we'll post about teas or supplements or elixirs and everyone's all over it. And we talk about mindset and people are like, yeah, I meant to it. And I think what happens is that when we are told that it's all in our head, then we question ourselves and then we, you know, we don't take it seriously that we, I didn't take my traumas and beliefs seriously. I was a total people pleaser. I just completely bulldoze my boundaries for the sake of making other people happy. And that kept me from getting better for years.

Dr. Alex (11:53): And if I had just actually had someone say what matters inside your head or what's happening inside your head matters. Oh my God. Like I could have actually come into alignment with who I am and function from that place. Like I'm doing now so much faster. So I think it's a doubly damaging because it not only doesn't help us with our, can you tell I'm getting fired up about this, I have feelings about this. Not only does it not help us with what we're dealing with, but then it keeps us from getting better and like that is just, Oh there's too many of us struggling and that's why Megan and I are so like on a mission to help women. And especially the point is that many of us are not in a place of feeling good, that we can't live out our highest passion in the world, like who we want to be and where we are now.

Dr. Alex (12:51): You feel that discrepancy and that's the discrepancy that really hurts, right? Like you're like, I could be more, but I can't seem to get there. Why is this willpower thing not working that everyone says I'm supposed to have and you know, why do I, I'm supposed to feel great at this time and I don't, or you know, and there are explanations for all of it, but we're just kind of glossed over. So anyways, probably close to five years of that. Some point in that journey. Towards the end of my college career, I was like, I think someone can do better. And in true Sagittarius fashion, I just was like, that person must be me. No, but I'll do it. So yeah, I changed, I switched to, I did all my premed stuff and then applied to medical school, went to med school in Chicago and then ended up doing an anesthesiology residency at the university of Chicago and then have finished and I'm going on to do my pain fellowship.

Dr. Alex (13:54): So I'll be an interventional pain doctor and I am going to serve women with chronic pain. So that is, that just means, and I know you're at a stage in your business, I didn't understand this 10 years ago when I started this little little coaching business. I understand this as, you know, cause I wanted to go faster, faster too. So I get it. So, you know, I mean same, same. That's my personality. I'm like, I want to get it done, do nothing. And you know, and it was one of these things that was like, okay, well the more I would energy I would put into it. Like the harder it would be, the more challenges I had. I would have a practice business and then that wasn't it. But I know now I had to go on that journey because I have to go through the crap and go be in the trenches so that I can help other women do it. I had to be the person. Right. It's true.

Terra (14:51): So your pain, you are, I know you cause I know you, but like you're where you're at in your, in your life is not a victim of that happened to me. It happened for me. Because this is my path and this is what I tell women when they, when that, when that I don't know my passion or I don't know my purpose yet or whatever and I'm just like, it's okay because it will be revealed to you when the timing's right. And when you know it, you're like, Oh, that's exactly why that happened. All the stuff in your life is happening to build your muscles so that you can take this purposeful meaning and go further with it. And that's where, I mean, and I love that. That you're just like, that happened to me. Nope. And as a protector, I'm sure Sagittarius, those are, that's not happening to anyone else. And you're doing something about it, which is huge. Oh, I love it. Thank you for sharing that.

Dr. Alex (15:42): Yes, thanks. Yeah, and it's the journey from disempowerment to empowerment is really what we want to take people on because if we talk about this all the time, there's some parts of the journey, you know that you can't skip exactly like this. And you know, it's ironic. The other part of my story is really that while this was all happening, you know what kicked it all off was endometriosis, which was only diagnosed way, way later. But what the body tends to do is when we have pain in a certain area that's not controlled, not controlled, the central nervous system can kind of learn to kick off that pain signal independently and it'd be against the dysfunction on its own. That's essentially what had happened. And I only figured that out after, like understanding the actual physiology and science behind it. But what had happened was that around 27 my husband and I had been trying to get pregnant and w it wasn't happening, wasn't happening.

Dr. Alex (16:39): We went in and at 27, they were like, Oh, oops, we missed the endometriosis diagnosis earlier and now you're going into menopause. Oh my gosh. And they were like you have six months to do IVF and then you're probably gonna be at menopause and you're going to be done. And so I was like, what? I have gone to like 20 doctors probably, you know, and like looking for stuff and everyone had dismissed me and then all of a sudden like, Oh, you're at the end. And what's interesting is that from that point, you know, I've improved. So like conventionally, it's not thought that you can recover a very in tissue was, I don't think as I grew ovarian tissue back, I think what happened was the ovarian tissue I have left is now functioning at its optimal level and therefore I don't have any of the symptoms that I used to have.

Dr. Alex (17:34): But I will say I feel like there's like this wounded healer archetype and sometimes it manifests in business and in a business sense too, in that like, so much of that has gotten better for me, whereas my pain has continued to be a problem that I continue to dig deeper and deeper. You know, I'm a shamanic apprentice now because like I just, I ran out of all the conventional things, you know, like I know all the chronic pain interventions that we have. That's the kind of doctor I'm going to be. But yet I'm not like I've done all that. I've done all the medications and I don't have answers. And sometimes I think what I've had to realize is that that's my thing to dig so deep that I can help others. And that at some point, you know, I will either heal or accept either way, I'll be fine.

Dr. Alex (18:35): But the dissatisfaction that I have right now from it keeps me learning. And that makes me a better person to show up in the world and help others. And I feel like sometimes that's a really tough pill to swallow because you're like, why isn't this getting better? I'm trying to be out here being like, I'm the poster child for this working and it's not right. And yet I've had to realize like that's what makes me valuable is I have that, you know, I have that in where I can be like, look, that thing that everyone says like do that and it'll work well, Hey, it didn't work for me. There's so, you know.

Terra (19:15): Yeah, so I understand your frustrations. And even for me, I'm not private on the fact that I had a IVF myself. My first son was just totally natural type a planner, you know? Oh, three years later I want to have a baby. And then it wasn't happening. Wasn't happening, wasn't happening. Five, it took five years. And then when I went to go have is it the IUI and then as an, I would like to think as an overachiever that I am, I produced like 20, 25 eggs and that, see, this is what I mean, we are going to get deep on this podcast. And then I, so I overproduced and they're like, well, you know, this is how people have septuplets and blah, blah, blah. So I'm like, they're like, we can switch the cycle, you know, switch it to in vitro and whatever.

Terra (19:59): I was like, yeah, let's do that. So and then that's how I got pregnant, my twins. So, you know, it doesn't matter, you know? But yet as planners and as this is kind of how I project that my life to be, it's like as soon as you can't control something, then it's like you said, you can either accept it or you can be a person that tries to figure it out. Right. Cause nobody's going to advocate for your body or your health more than you. So, and yeah, so that was even my own journey. And now I have some autoimmune issues, so I have a condition called Vitiligo. And it just happened, started with me two years ago and I haven't even talked about this. I actually do a lot to try to cover it up, but I think we talked about it at the mastermind and so I said this year I'm going to do everything I, I'm getting like, I'm like a laser bionic woman right now, like trying to go after these white spots and whatnot all over my body.

Terra (20:54): And so I said I'm going to give it a year. And then after that I'm just going to accept that that's, so I am like, I'm going to give it all I got. But then after that I just need to accept it. So you know, and I don't have it near as bad as a lot of people and, and whatnot. But you know, I think a lot of that happened for a reason. Right. So I could use it as a, Oh I don't want to be visible. Oh my gosh, I can't not wear makeup. Cause people will like, why do you have white spots all over you? But you just gotta keep pushing on. So I love that you made that decision and we're so thankful for people like you that you are willing to do the research and go deep to try to find a solution to this, which I feel like you and Megan have done a great job of like helping other women understand kind of the cycle. So let's get into that. Like you know, the whole premise of this podcast is, you know, we as females have super powers that we probably didn't even know we had. So tell us about the superpowers and how we can leverage that for ourselves in our own businesses.

Dr. Alex (21:57): Yeah, totally. So let's, first I'm going to just introduce it with just some something that people can anchor to because otherwise I feel like sometimes it sounds a little theoretical, so almost everyone knows, like they either have a period or they have a pill bleed or they have irregular periods. They kind of know what the deal is there because it's something that is external and it forces us to take care of it. And so we have people just first and foremost be aware of what their cycle is and then sort of start to get a handle on what a average or normal quote, normal cycle looks like, and then how they compare and what they can do to optimize it. Because here's the thing, a lot of us are like, well, I don't have the goal of pregnancy. And so I don't really care about that.

Dr. Alex (22:50): The deal is though, when the body doesn't care from the point of view of the body, when the body doesn't care about that, it also doesn't care about growing hair, growing nails, having good sex drive, having good energy, having nice skin, right? So these are all the things that we care about as people who want to optimize things. But if we don't optimize our body or understand that there is kind of a flow to it and we don't work to get closer to that, then we can see how it's very hard to attain those goals that we have from that place. So the, the cycle we call it kind of call it the ovulation sandwich. So we can imagine it as having your period. Then about two weeks later, women will obviously an observation is the number one determinant of how we will feel the rest of the month.

Dr. Alex (23:46): And then about two weeks later we'll have another period. So we break it up into two halves based on the that sandwich. So the first half of the cycle goes from the start of your period spotting doesn't count as to just when your full blown period starts to obligation. And then from observation to the start of your next cycle is the second half. Okay. So we're going to break it down in that way and there's going to be things that we can do for ourselves. And you know, we always just say, just start with one, one thing from for each and then to see how that goes. A lot of times we think of it as based on the book, the power of habits. You know, these are sort of like trigger steps, right? So once you do one thing and begin to build that confidence, like, Oh, Hey, I noticed this change.

Dr. Alex (24:43): If we just, we have people routinely come back like, Oh, that cycle and that PMS after that, Oh, I didn't have acne. Oh my hair stopped falling out, things like that. Then they're like, what's next? And then you just go on to the next thing. So I'm going to list things, but I just want you to focus on like what one sounds good to you. A lot of times, again, we want to connect to not what other people tell us about our health, but how we actually feel. And so that's also the practicing the muscle of intuition for you. Like which one sounds good, do it. You know, no one's judging you on this is just for you. So in the first half of the cycle from our period to ovulation. And if you're listening and you're like, but mine's not regular or I don't have one, we'll chat in just a second.

Dr. Alex (25:30): But still listen cause you're gonna follow this exact same thing. So from the start of the period to ovulation, that's when the body is working on keeping inflammation down so that all of the hormonal systems can kick off and good observation can happen. Inflammation is one of the most common reasons that women don't ovulate normally. And so that's why in the first half of the cycle, it's really all about optimizing inflammation. And the reason I say optimizing is just in a very small percentage of women, they actually can't mount enough of an inflammatory response. So I don't want to make it sound like everyone needs the same thing. So while yes, most of us are overly inflamed, some people actually need it more. So we're focusing on optimizing those systems. And the second half of the cycle. This is when our hormones are significantly higher and different abnormalities in that is what causes PMS symptoms in us.

Dr. Alex (26:38): So this is when you feel cranky and the week leading up to your cycle, fatigue. You don't have that creativity. You feel like you don't want to be visible on social media cause you're like, I hate my hair and my acne sucks and I feel bloated and like I didn't sleep well. You know, insomnia happens, anxiety, depression, irritability, like that whole experience that we qualify as quote normal PMs, that is not normal. It's common. Up to 90% of women have it based on the CDC. That's, you know, the U S government. But that is not normal and it's those abnormalities and function. So because hormones are higher, we need our liver and all our other detoxification organs to work optimally so that we process those hormones and get them out of the body safely. So, because we've seen thousands of tests, so we're basing this off of, we just get the benefit of seeing very clear patterns.

Dr. Alex (27:42): And because of that, we take it back to this fundamental approach of the first half is about inflammation and the second half is about detoxification for women who don't have a cycle. Well actually, let me pause here. Do you have any questions about what I just said? No, I love the breakdown. It's very simple. Like in my head I was thinking of four phases, but I liked the two. That's easier than, well, you know what I, I think that what would be cool if you're up for it to do another episode and then break it down into four because the four comment when we did for their treat, we talk about four because your brain registers for very distinct. But to get to that, I feel like you need a first understanding of the first two halves. The brain stuff totally makes sense. It just falls in line with exactly what I'm talking about.

Dr. Alex (28:36): But I'd love to go into that more. I love that. Yeah. The one thing that came to mind when you were saying, you know, it's like, well, and this is so typical women, right? It's like well I, I don't have, I'm done having babies or I don't have a baby, so I don't want that side. And I know my body's like completely, that's what it does to go, you know, it's, it's natural. But I do want the long nails, the hair, all the benefits of feeling, you know, when you're pregnant and your body kicks in, all the good stuff, right? Well, we want all that. I want the good skin, I want the good, but it's like leave it to us to try to cherry pick and control what our body and mind was. True. Yeah. You're like, come on, I don't want, I want this.

Dr. Alex (29:18): Give me this. You can suffer, but I'll take all this good stuff. Please. I don't want the bad stuff, just the good stuff, next. I did the same thing. I love it. I love it. So yeah, no, this is, this is really good. So yeah, keep going for all of us and I'm raising my hand. Like I had friends. I remember always like in high school they'd be like, in 10 30 at 10:30 AM I'm going to start my period today. I mean, I can't even imagine like that kind of regular, regular, yeah, there's some, there's like, I do feel, I don't know, I always have the experience of like all my cycle will shift with whoever else is setting the tone. And it's always women like that. Like I'll go, you know, we'll have a meeting or something and I'm like, crap, I got my period. I'm always the one reacting. Like I always react. I feel like those women are like, they set the tone. I don't actually know about that from like a scientific standpoint, but that's my point.

Dr. Alex (30:12): But yeah. Okay. So if you're listening and you are if you don't have a cycle or a regular cycle, then the closest external thing is the cycles of the moon because the cycle of the moon is 28 and a half days ish. The cycle is 28 days ish. And so it works really great because instead of getting a cycle app, which we generally recommend so that people can track, plus it'll like, dang you. Like mine is like, okay, it's obligation time. And I'll say, Oh yeah, it's time to break out that dry skin brush for detox. Right? So, so that's the way I use it. Or people can get a moon app and so they're like, new moon is essentially the same as if you were having your period. And then full moon is the same as if you were ovulating. So it's the exact two halves from new moon to full moon, you focus on inflammation, full moon to new moon, you focus on detox.

Terra (31:10): I love saying that, an anchor cause I mean it's so funny, like I'm so logical and when I first got into the women entrepreneurial space, it was like, you know, and it was a lot of talk of energy moons, this and that. You're like, what? Alignment universe? And I was like, like I just got a corporate world, what's going on? But you're like, it's a lie. And so even when I heard moon, but I'm like, Oh, it's just, you're using it as an anchor to like help you, help guide you when your body isn't giving you the physical clues.

Dr. Alex (31:42): We could use like just the calendar. But we actually really want to get it. We consciously wanted to get away with the concept cause we're like, okay, it's January 1st time to start a diet. If you're in phase four of your cycle and you try to start a diet, your brain will say, I am completely overwhelmed.

Dr. Alex (32:00): I'm really out of control. I have cravings and you will just bomb the diet. Right? Whereas if you were in phase two when your brain's like, I'm into taking massive action, this is the first half of the cycle, then you know that's the best time to start that kind of stuff because your body's like, let's get after it. So we really wanted to take away the concept of following the calendar just because we have such an attachment to our planners or iPhones and whatever. And so yeah. So that's where we are coming from that. And what's fascinating about that is a, historically women have cycled with the moon. But we just picked that because we liked the concept and aligned insert in the time. But what we've seen over the, we've really been doing this for two years with our audience. And what they, what we've seen is that most of them are ladies inside our groups come back and say like, I started cycling with the moon. Then they just, when they get their cycle back they just seem to go with it, which is fascinating and we don't really know why it happens. But I mean I think we're probably more animals than we'd like to give ourselves.

Terra (33:12): I mean there is a, there's something to be said and I think we were talking about this and at the mastermind, but it was like, you know, the whole howling at the moon and that the full moon brings out the crazy and this and that. And it's like?

Dr. Alex (33:22): Well, you know, I haven't seen anyone who's worked in labor and delivery on a full moon Lake as an anesthesiology resident. Like we were crazy busy cause every baby decided to, I mean, I don't know. I have no idea. I don't think no one's going to do the funding for those studies. No one can make money off of it. But you know.

Terra (33:44): There's something there. There's like, and all you can do is go with it. So it's like you're going to launch something new, try to do it in the right phase and work with your body instead of against it. And what's really cool for us controller type is we can, you know, especially going into the new year and whatnot, you can actually create your calendar of what you're going to be promoting, what you're going to be launching, what you're going to be doing and work it into what works for your body. But the first thing is awareness of where your body is. And that's always the first step. And then you can, I love how you use ebb and flow. Like that was the best thing my therapist said to me once was what you're doing now is you're trying to do everything and this and that and you're working against stream.

Terra (34:34): Like if you're in a rushing river, I'm fighting upstream. Like, you know, a salmon would like how they, when they go upstream and it's exhausting and you're gonna burn yourself out, why don't you just let go and let it take you where you need to go. And I'm like, what? And the moment I did and I released that my whole business took off. Like, wait, you gave me permission to not have, I think at one time, like 20 things that I sell. I focused on the one thing and it, and then I did it with gusto and just intention and that's when my business went from okay to like, Whoa. And it felt easy to a point where then you start dealing with the guilt of like, this is too easy. And it's like that's when you know you're in your flow.

Dr. Alex (35:20): Oh, you're right. Yes. You're nervous that you're like, Oh my God, I think, why isn't everyone else like, it's so hard. Why am I, yeah, it's, it's a tr. Well, it's like listening to your bio, you know, you're just like, right. You got like a, I've seen me in the morning and that doesn't sound like, but it is you and yeah, so I totally, I totally get that. So yeah. How about I end with just a list of a couple options for the first half, a couple of options for the second, let's try to do a little sprinkling. So elixirs are something that we tend to be known for and it can be as simple as tart cherry concentrate or juice added to water in the first half of your cycle is super great for inflammation. Nettle tea is another thing that's really great because it's rich in minerals and we need that for ovulation and optimization of the cycle.

Dr. Alex (36:16): And the first half, things like cryotherapy, if you're into all the body hack or cold baths, those are phenomenal to do. It's just not the first few days of your actual period because we need the some amount of inflammation then to have a, it's a controlled inflammatory response. But after that you're good to go there. And then you know, really hitting up your plate in terms of hitting the rainbow can also just be a very visually easy way to be like, I'm getting a combination of nutrients that are going to power the biochemical reactions in my body so that I can have good focus, good productivity and all that. It really does go hand in hand. And you're talking the rainbow, like your food, like looking at that. Yeah, on the, on your plate. And then really a lot of what women do is they go to locale to low carb to low just food, skipping meals and things like that.

Dr. Alex (37:21): And the honest truth is for that, what will your time at the difference between the thriving things that we want versus the survival is that if your body is fearful about not having nutrients and building blocks come in consistently, it won't do the optional thriving steps. So that's I think for a lot of us and I'm so good. I mean I didn't eat breakfast until like two hours after I got up this morning. Full disclosure. So you know, really super honest. It doesn't always happen. But in general, the best way is to just eat enough. And a lot of us can't lose weight initially because of a cortisol problem. Once the body feels safer, the cortisol problems starts to become less severe and the weight starts coming off. Well it all goes hand in hand. But it really comes down to being like you wouldn't starve your kid.

Dr. Alex (38:14): Right? And so don't treat yourself like that either. It's not you wouldn't, you'd say that child's not safe if you wouldn't feed it and your body is registering that exact same feeling. So you know, please don't treat your body that way either. And then that comes down to kind of the mindset stuff and the beginning of the cycle really all comes down to our bodies are primed to plan and be introspective in the beginning and then heading into ovulation, take massive action on it. So if we can take that time early on, like during our period to get clear on what our priorities are, then when we go head, you know, as our period ends and we head into ovulation, then that's where we take off and massive action. And change happens right then. I love it. So I've noticed that productivity really skyrockets for our ladies. I love it. So any questions there?

Terra (39:11): Yeah, yeah. Like in the when you're going into the ovulation, the second part of the sandwich, I love that analogy. I'm picturing that the second part of the sandwich, you know, what are some things that we can do to help are be more productive and listen to cues to our body. Like, so that we optimize that like crazy.

Dr. Alex (39:31): Yeah. So are you talking about like phase two, as we head into ovulation or more like after ovulation to the next part of the path after? Yeah, after ovulation, that's where we can we're focusing on moving all the detox organs efficiently. And you know, a lot of times people think liver, but there's a lot of other stuff. Like at the retreat we did, we handed out dry skin brushes and tongue scrapers because they're really easy way to help the body get rid of toxins. The, I'm a dry skin brush, I just have it hanging in my bathroom so that I do it before the shower. And the second part of my cycle after ovulation. And then as far as elixirs go, adding cranberry concentrate or cranberry juice to your water each day can be really helpful. Warm lemon water on an empty stomach in the morning can also be super helpful for detoxification.

Dr. Alex (40:30): Dandelion root tea is like a really great thing for after dinner because it helps a lot of people notice that they don't get that bloating quite as much. And especially for those women who tend to get constipated before their period and then have the horrifying experience of having both diarrhea and your period at the same time has happened too many. That does come down to, you know, lots of estrogens and things. Things being imbalanced. Yeah. So that's why that happens. We can try to keep that all from happening quite as much by doing those things. And then as far as our brain goes, a lot of times right after ovulation, we're going to be focused more on putting one foot in front of the other. So that's where I kind of anchor through like what massive action did I take? And from there, how can I move things forward?

Dr. Alex (41:28): So that's following up with emails, sending thank you notes and I was just all those things you do. Like it's a great time too because our brains are primed to be quite thorough on things. And then in phase four we bring it back around to back to a more introspective place where a lot of times that's our place to find balance between old and new, just to say, yes, I started in new diet here, my body's having cravings. What is it that my body's really asking is probably not as surface level as just the craving itself. And if it is the craving, you know, why is it happening and how can you give it to yourself? So those are just kind of the ways that we optimize our stuff. And phase four is really, I try to not necessarily plan launches. Those are not the times I love being very outwardly focused, but it is a phenomenal time where I tie up loose ends and go back and sort of, that's where I edit things. That's right. Go back and do a lot of that. And it just really works beautifully and it feels a lot less hard for sure. And there's not those days where I was like, Oh, I plan five interviews and today I feel like exhausted.

Terra (42:42): Yeah. I need to think to keep all this in mind when I do my live events too, because they take a lot out of you and sometimes I'm all in and I'm on and I love it and I'm in the moment. And then I need to like read my Kendall for two days afterwards and yeah. And then me, like, I'm like a stacker, so I get back, Oh, I've got 12 coaching calls. Like, I mean, yes, I, you know, this has been so amazing, even just for me to like understand it and I've always kind of dismissed it because I'm not a regular person and, and you know, my cycle is very irregular, so it was like, Oh, that didn't apply to me. But it does. And yeah, this has been, not just informative for me, but I know enlightening for so many women that we don't have to work so hard.

Terra (43:28): Right. We can work with our bodies. And I love just even the two phase. If we take away anything, it's the two phase approach of you've got to manage the inflammation, make sure I get this right. The inflammation on the first part of the sandwich. The second part is about detoxification and then it just keeps feeding in and then all that good stuff. But yeah, I've definitely, I think I'm talking, I want to talk to Megan on a future podcast so that we can go even deeper. So this has been so good. So will you tell our listeners, how can they connect with you? How can they learn more? You know, how can they go deeper with you on any of this?

Dr. Alex (44:04): Yeah, absolutely. So we have a bunch of stuff stuff because we're both like content makers. So first thing is we have a free guide that we're sharing with your audience and so with you guys, so there's going to be a link right under this and that does take you through all four phases and then gives you ideas for like drinks to make and journal prompts and all that.

Terra (44:33): Oh fun. And you can just go to zestyginger.com so Z E S T Y G I N G E R.com/cycle. Yes. CYCLE. And we'll have a link in the show notes for sure.

Dr. Alex (44:48): Yes. Now if you are into that, then you're super going to love that. We have a new program that we've, so we revamped our PMs project. That was our beta launch and then we took a bunch of feedback, did a bunch of upgrades and now that has been rebranded to zest year and that's our where we really do the full, it's a complete program for getting you the most like creativity, productivity and energy levels, all those thriving things. That's really our goal for that program and it has a lot more support in it and that there's troubleshooting both halves of the cycle videos that take you through how to figure out if you're obviating and all of that important stuff. So that is generally the best place to start working with us. And then that program fits in really well with our healthy hormones group program, which is where women get testing with us.

Dr. Alex (45:51): We get to functional test and then we make each of them personalized protocols. And then it's a 12 week group program where we do a lot of teaching group calls and all of that. So that's really the sort of advanced our elite group. And yeah, it's supposed to all flow nicely. And then we have a follow up program from there. So our goal is to take women sort of start to finish no matter where they are to, you know, regardless of what they need, getting them that support. Another really great place though to start though, if you're looking to figure out all this stuff is you know, how it fits into your life is our podcast. So we have our four phase cycle podcasts and season one is just a 24 class series that takes you through your cycle start to finish. So that's another place.

Terra (46:50): So remind us the name of the podcast.

Dr. Alex (46:52): It's four phase cycle podcast.

Terra (46:53): Four phase cycle podcast. Yeah, definitely get over there and listen and learn. Like this is something that is to me, a very, in my world and in who I work with, I'm sure like a new kind of a new concept that is like we didn't know existed. So let's get educated around it. I definitely listen to their podcasts, go get the freebie and learn and start getting in flow with your body because it's going to make your business that much more impactful. So thank you again and we appreciate you having you here. And I look forward to definitely staying in touch. Thank you so much Dr. Alex.

Dr. Alex (47:32): Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. This was so fun.

Terra (47:36): Thank you. Thank you. And we'll talk soon.

Outro (47:41): There you have it. Another episode packed full of strategies and motivation that you can use every day to put your business on the fast track. For a podcast recap and more resources, visit TerraBohlmann.com. Don't forget, subscribe to the podcast and get what you need to help fast track your five year business plan.