We’ve all heard of circadian rhythms. The 24-hour cycle that dictates everything from body temperature, to sleep, to digestion. But mother nature is extremely complex and precise, so of course there must be other regular rhythms and patterns that exist. One of these rhythms you may not have heard of before is the infradian rhythm. This rhythm is reflected in plenty of different examples in nature, including humans, particularly in the female menstrual cycle.
There are certain habits that have the potential to disrupt the natural state of hormones and the infradian rhythm. When one or both of these is out of alignment, the whole system can be affected, resulting in a cascade of negative side effects. To help us understand this further, I’ve brought on the amazing Kasia Stiggelbout, host of the Nourish podcast. Kasia shares her personal story, some potential causes of misalignment, and what can be done to resolve it.
Kasia's Podcast: Nourish
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Research cited in this episode:
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- Parazzini F, Di Martino M, Pellegrino P. Magnesium in the gynecological practice: a literature review. Magnes Res. 2017;30(1):1-7. doi:10.1684/mrh.2017.0419
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- Costin, C., & Kelly, J. (2016). Yoga and eating disorders: Ancient healing for modern illness. Routledge.
- Bui HN, Sluss PM, Blincko S, Knol DL, Blankenstein MA, Heijboer AC. Dynamics of serum testosterone during the menstrual cycle evaluated by daily measurements with an ID-LC-MS/MS method and a 2nd generation automated immunoassay. Steroids. 2013;78(1):96-101. doi:10.1016/j.steroids.2012.10.010
- Hamidovic A, Karapetyan K, Serdarevic F, Choi SH, Eisenlohr-Moul T, Pinna G. Higher circulating cortisol in the follicular vs. luteal phase of the menstrual cycle: a meta-analysis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020;11:311. doi:10.3389/fendo.2020.00311
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- Dorwart, L. (2023, June 10). 7 ways to increase testosterone. Health. https://www.health.com/increase-testosterone-7501679
- Rocketto, L. (2022, July 25). Changes that happen during ovulation. Health. https://www.health.com/condition/sexual-health/ovulation-symptoms-what-happens-when-you-ovulate
- Modglin, L. (n.d.). Gain better insight into your hormonal health with our 12 picks for at-home fertility tests of 2024. Health. https://www.health.com/best-at-home-fertility-test-7148856
