37: Interview with Nicolay
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Jo: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome to the Rise Empire podcast. I'm your host, Jo Phoenix. I'm a Master Mindset and Manifestation Coach, Kundalini Yogi, and your new Spiritual Bestie, helping you reclaim your sovereignty and tap into your full potential so you can live your most tuned in and turned on life. Here, we'll talk about all things mindset, manifestation, and spirituality.
The highs, the lows, and everything in between. Tune in weekly for all the juicy conversations, inspiration, tips, tricks, and motivation to get your week started right. Let's dive in to this week's episode.
Hello, beautiful souls, and welcome back to the Rise Empire podcast. Today I have a super, super special guest with me, Nikolai Johnson.
She is absolutely incredible, and we've kind of been having a little [00:01:00] side conversation before we hopped on here, because I haven't actually seen her or talked to her since yoga teacher training. Really? Right. That was the last time we were like face to face. Zoom to Zoom. Zoom to Zoom. Yeah. We were just doing a little catching up and I didn't realize that it had been like over six months.
Yeah. It's insane. Almost half a year. That's insane. I know. She's got some pretty babies at home. Her youngest is now six months old and she was telling me about her home birth. It was freaking amazing, but I'm going to hand it over to Nicolay and she's going to let us know. What exactly she does with her clients.
And then we're going to be talking about the menstrual cycle. So for my male listeners, which I know there aren't very many of you, but this might not be the episode for you, but also it very much could be [00:02:00] if you are in a relationship with a woman. So it's always good information. All right. So Nicole, can you tell us what it is that you do with your client?
Nicolay: Yeah. First off, thank you so much for having me, Jo. I'm so, so, so excited to be here with your community and sharing this. I am a health coach, yoga instructor, supporting mamas and aspiring mamas to feel naturally energized, physically and mentally strong and vibrant inside and out. So what does that all mean?
Just Feeling so good in your body as us mamas, we tend to, like, give our energy, give a lot out to our family, to our kids, to our work, our jobs, to, like, everything, and it kind of happens that we put ourselves last, but really to give back, to, like, feel our best selves, and come from a full cup, we gotta give back to our [00:03:00] So that's what I do.
I support mamas so that they can feel good in their bodies through holistic practices. I specialize in like, we do nutrition planning, we do breath work, we do somatic practices to reduce stress because you know, there's a lot of stress, especially being a mama in this season in this time. And then of course yoga because it does connect the mind and body and it's been such a supporter through my different seasons of mamahood that I want to share these practices out to give mamas more tools to resource refuel themselves.
So that is what I do in like a nutshell.
Jo: I love it. And I love that you're there like supporting mamas because we don't have In my experience, a whole lot of places that we can go to for support and you know, that old saying, it takes a village to raise a child, but the way that society is set up right now, we don't [00:04:00] have those villages, but.
We're creating villages online and that's pretty amazing and in the community, right? So many more people are coming on to like finding that community and finding that we've actually thrive in community. Yeah. For a long time, I was like, I just want to be alone. Like, don't talk to me, don't come to my house.
But now I'm finding that I'm like craving that support system. I'm craving having friends. That are actually, like, in person.
Nicolay: Yeah, yeah. And the funny thing is that, like, you say that because, you know, back when, industrialization was all about, like, the nuclear family, and just, like, the mom being the main source of everything, cooks, cleans, takes care of the kids, and the dad goes to work.
But that's not how it is. That's not how it's meant to be. If we look back into our ancestry and our ancestors, there was a village. Like you said, there was a village. And it does take a village to raise a family. Like a mom is not [00:05:00] meant to do it alone. And that's like also one thing that I want to like shatter is like, there is no such thing as like a super mama.
That's not a thing. Cause moms can't do it all. And moms are humans. And so like just reminding and giving mama's permission. I mean, just women in general permission to like. Take it easy. Be gentle. Be compassionate with yourself. So that's how we thrive is with our village. So thanks.
Jo: Absolutely. And also, if any of my listeners are in Tyler and you want to come over to my house and just like clean, we can clean my house and then we can go to your house and we can clean your house because I'm somebody who like body doubling works really well for me.
So if you're just in my house, I will clean and everything is fabulous. So if you want to utilize that resource.
Nicolay: I love that if I was there, we can switch. We can do it together. Yeah. Let's do it.
Jo: Man. That would be so [00:06:00] good. Anyway, let's talk about the menstrual cycle now. All right. Like, I know that you've got some really juicy topics. and little tips and tricks and all of the good stuff around the menstrual cycle and the stigma around the menstrual cycle specifically.
So I'm going to leave it up to you, like where do you want to start with
Nicolay: this? Yeah. So I love that you started with the stigma. So the menstrual cycle, really for us, women and mamas, that's our, that's like our superpower. That's where our energy source is. And for our bodies physiologically, how it works is that our energy levels actually cycle through within the menstrual cycle.
So it isn't this 24 hour cycle where our counterparts Those male physiological they recycle their energy every 24 hours. So for us women, we have a longer period. And so to really understand what [00:07:00] each phase of the menstrual cycle will give you an idea of , what are those energy levels? So if I'm in this phase of my cycle, if I'm just coming out of my menstruation, then I'm my most energetic self. I'm starting anew. I'm like spring again. So, that's a time to like really bring out, you know, new projects and whatnot. And then versus, if you're in menstruation, that's a time for rest. Like your body is telling you right now and you can feel it when you're menstruating like you're bleeding and you just maybe have some symptoms. And that's even your body calling out. So really listening to each phase and how your body is calling out to you with these signs and feelings like that is what your energy level is. It's so really tuning into your menstrual cycle is What will give you energy naturally.
So I love that I get to share with you and give you a peek of like really [00:08:00] tuning into your body so that you become you're more energized self. Versus getting burnt out. I mean, you talked about being burnt out. And that's also part of What happens when we're not listening to our bodies and not tuning into our natural energy source, our menstrual cycle.
And so, like you said, the stigma, so it starts in the beginning, and having a positive, like a harmonious relationship with your menstrual cycle is What starts out that connection of having that natural energy source and tuning in. And so when you have this idea, Oh, gosh, my period's coming in.
This sucks. Like, I don't want to deal with it. Then it's going to suck. It's called psychoimmunology. So there's. It's an actual term, it's a science, and it's that your what you believe manifests into symptoms. And so when you're not liking your period and you're like feeling it's annoying, it's bothersome, then you're going to really truly feel those [00:09:00] symptoms because you're telling your body, ugh, I don't want to deal with you.
And you're like, just. Pushing things down and you know when things get pushed down it blows up And so instead of just flowing through or accepting and listening to your body asking you to lean into the bleeding, letting your body just rest and, and like flow through it, then the symptoms won't be as intense because you're listening versus pushing it down.
So when you have this relationship of, you know, okay, this is a time I'm listening to you, we need to rest, or I need to just like take it slow. And I'm accepting this time as , I get to. rest. I get to I get to take some time to just be with me versus like, Oh, this sucks. I don't want to deal with it.
There's going to be a different experience. Just like when you wake up in the morning and if the first thought in your head is like, Oh, I don't want to start this [00:10:00] day. Like, what is that day? Yes. Okay. Let's get this day going. I feel great. I'm going to do X, Y, and Z. Like, there's a difference in the experience when you, you have a different mindset.
So that goes in the same vein with your menstrual cycle. And it's unfortunate that like, you know, commercials and the media really pull into that. That negativity of your menstrual cycle. I mean, there, you know, we can go on a whole tangent because I have a whole other perspective about that, about like why they're doing that.
But, you know, it just feeds into it that the menstruation you're during your period is just. It's just this time like we don't want to deal with it, let's just stuff it down. And so, if you instead shift it and just look into it as like, this is my time to like recharge, this is my time to rest, like literally you get a time specifically where you get to [00:11:00] rest.
Like, there's no choice. How cool is that? Yeah, exactly. And, like, you really literally have, your body telling you, you need to rest right now. And whether or not we like it, we're forced to. You can feel when you're, like, you know, you're, you're slowing out. And you can Like,
Jo: your energy is just, like 100%.
All you want to do is lay in bed and eat chocolate. That's at least what
Nicolay: it means. No, exactly. And but, if you see it as like, Oh, now I have to lay in bed versus like, Ooh, I get to, I get to do this. There's a difference. And when you lean into just resting, what that does is it recharges your battery.
So then the next phase of your menstrual cycle, when you come out of your period, you're ready to go. You're like, blossoming, , I don't know, for you, for me, it's like, I feel this Clearing like, Oh, like, you know, like this coming out.
Jo: So something that I've noticed is when I'm trying to just push through my period when I'm just like, I've [00:12:00] got to be on, which is unfortunately the way that I feel like society has made us feel like we have to behave is like always on like our male counterparts, They're always going because they reset every 24 hours, but we're not designed to do that. But when I try to do that, and I try to just be on and continue each week, like the last, I feel like I, you know, the concept of sleep debt, where you don't get enough sleep at night, and then it just kind of piles up.
I feel like that happens with my menstrual cycle, like the energy that I would have gained if I had just rested is now like I'm. in a, an energy debt. So that blossoming in that springtime, like just after the period is just like, it's not as blossoming because I'm in debt because I just tried to push through.
Nicolay: [00:13:00] Yeah. And I love how you made that metaphor because it is true. And that's when burnout happens because you're not resting in the period when you need to rest. Then again, like you said, then you're in debt of your energy and then it's just like you're pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing, and then all of a sudden you're like, oh, I'm like over it.
I'm done. And your body is like, I'm done. I'm shutting off. That's it. And then like, maybe it's melancholy. Maybe it's like depression. Maybe it's like you get so sick and you just keep getting in the cycle of sickness. Mind you, we are in the, Winter besides that, but you know, like, but you're in this cycle of sickness over and over again, or you , maybe have these conditions that always happen, like having headaches.
Like for me, I had migraines, unbelievable migraines. And I had to take shots for the pain. That was how That it was, but because I wasn't listening and I was fighting when I needed to rest, it kept popping up, kept [00:14:00] popping up. And it's my body saying, you're not listening, you're not listening.
And so that's what happened. And so it's really important to really lean into the period. Like when you have your period, when you have your menstruation to truly rest. And the other thing is, right before your menstruation, it's called the luteal phase. And that is also when you need to start slowing down.
That's also important. Yes. That's where I am right now. So, okay. So you showed up today. Okay, so here, I'm gonna just, I'm just gonna say something. Coming from my coach hat.
Two things when we hopped on this call. You said you weren't feeling well, and now you're also in your luteal phase, and you're showing up. You're still showing up.
Jo: I'm still showing up, but after this call, that's it.
Nicolay: Okay, good. Okay, good. Cause I was gonna say. Then you need to like slow down, like only do the things that need to get done.
Not like, Oh, [00:15:00] I should do this. I should do this. It should be like, Oh, these are the things I really have to get done. And then do that. And then also talk to your hubby, start talking to your hubby and letting him know, Hey, I'm about to be on my period. And I'm going to need you to help me out Picking up, maybe cooking some dinners or like picking up some, you know, I need you to help so I can rest like calling in your partner because you know it's coming so that you can rest like really rest.
So it's really important to start slowing down right now at this time, checking off the list that you need to do. And then also. slowing down your movement. I know you do like weights. Okay, I'm like, so I'm totally putting on my coaching hat. But I think you know, this will help with your listeners and they can see from you.
What needs to happen so that because what happens if you don't slow down is it'll start showing up as symptoms Maybe it's [00:16:00] cramping for you. Maybe it's bloating. Maybe it's like you said you're starting to crave sweets. Maybe it's headaches Maybe it's like body aches, whatever it is. That's your your body Calling out to you.
You know these patterns you're like, oh, yeah. Oh, yeah Boob soreness you're like, oh It's about to happen. That's your body signaling to you like we need to slow down. We need to really start. Resting more so not doing as much intense weights, maybe doing some walking, maybe doing your yoga, your Sufi grind.
That's always a good Sufi
Jo: grinds are so
Nicolay: good. Like doing those instead. So really, at the luteal phase, you should slow down, slow down your movement, check off your list. not staying up late, like really getting in to bed and then start building and getting that support from your partner, your hubby, or, if you have clients letting [00:17:00] them know, Hey, I'm going to start, you know, this time I'm going to need to like peel back a little bit, or like you can start noticing when you're menstruation is or your period is and like maybe not book so many clients or maybe not book any clients at all during that time so you can literally rest.
Jo: So. That's a good idea. Yeah. I think we should do another episode just on like business. Yeah, totally goes on business because, I have a period tracker app, which is incredible. It's called Stardust. Do you use Stardust? I love it. It's so fun, like the notifications that they send, where it's like, try not to yell at somebody in the parking lot or something.
I'm like, oh my gosh, this is so funny. And it's, so relevant to, I love that thing, but I admit I haven't gone through and looked at like cycle predictions to see like, Hmm, maybe I shouldn't schedule [00:18:00] calls for this week, or maybe I should peel back a little bit. And that will be something that I do after this call.
And see and like look in the next month and see when my calls are scheduled and That's a good idea. You
Nicolay: can recharge your battery and be more productive when you're more productive. Like the most productive time is your follicular stage, like right after you come out of your menstruation and then your ovulation.
Oh my gosh, your ovulation is like your power time. So there are two things before I'm like, so many things I want to talk to you. So first I'll talk about the phase and then You're talking about tracking in your app, but also you can listen into your body I love this so much more just tuning into your body so you know, , Oh, I'm about to get my period.
Oh, I know. And you know, you don't necessarily need to use your tracking app, but you can also tell with your body. So first the phases. So like your power [00:19:00] phase, your ovulation. That is your time when you are like your most magnetic. So if you want to do presentations or you have a meeting or you're releasing a new program and you want to talk about it that is a time to do it is during when you're ovulating because you're just your most powerful self you're in your shock to your life versus like fueling and It's like people can feel it and see it, you know, whether they know it or not.
Your ovulation is your powerhouse time. Follicular is like, yeah, let's start a new project. Let's get going. Let's do things. You can start increasing your movement. And start doing your weights again. Same with your ovulation time, the same thing. I mean, if you want to like run a marathon, run a marathon, you have like that much energy, but of course you have to make sure you're resting during your period time so that you are your max, you know, you're able to have that maximum amount of energy.
So like really. [00:20:00] Focusing on the follicular and your ovulation stages, like your time, where I'm going to like book in, where I need the most energy. And then like your luteal is like time to check off that list. And then menstruation is like, I'm at peace.
Like, you know, they're like that. Yeah. Yeah. I love
Jo: that. And I love that you mentioned ovulation, you're the most magnetic, even though people don't know why, really. But I watched a documentary or something like a year ago, or I don't even know how long it was. But it was talking about how women are found more attractive by males when they're ovulating.
And it's because of the hormones and you just have like this different glow about you. And I thought it was so interesting that your body wants you to reproduce. So it's going to be like, Hey, look at me. Come look at me. The human body is insane. It's so cool. Don't know [00:21:00] why I hated anatomy and physiology when I was in high school.
I was like, I don't want to learn anything about cells or anything. Blah, blah. And then I got into college and I was like, you need to tell me my body does this, this and that.
So, ovulation is like. Let's go do this. Like, let's get out into the world. Let's be seen. Let's do our presentations and all of that good stuff.
So for those of us who are in corporate and we don't necessarily have that option of choosing when we're having to present or when projects and stuff are due, how would you, I guess we could probably save that to the end. But at the same time, I'm like, so curious, like, yeah, sure. Life isn't always set up in an ideal way.
So say I'm working in corporate America and my boss comes to me and he's like, Hey, I need, I [00:22:00] need you to do a presentation on X, Y, and Z by next week. And next week I am I'm actually demonstrating next week. Yeah. Yeah, what do I do? I mean, obviously I have to do the presentation.
Nicolay: Yeah, so I would like totally recommend just focus on the presentation don't add other things like maybe you know you do have to answer emails and but don't add anything else onto that list.
And I don't know, maybe let's say you have help from, like, colleagues or you have, like, a support team. Let them do the other things so you can, like, focus on your presentation, but let that be the only thing. And then when you're at home, don't add anything else to your plate. Say you're a mama and you have kids.
Okay, I'm gonna just keep adding, so then I would call in the husband, the partner and say, Hey, I have this presentation. I'm about to be on my period. I'm going to be so maxed out. I'm going to need you to really help me out here [00:23:00] and help me with kids at bedtime. Maybe Make dinners, or maybe you're just gonna have to do take out and that's fine so that you just have the maximum energy that you need to really just focus on your presentation. But as soon as that presentation is done, then You're going to need to rest, you know, like you're going to need to like, really just peel back and just rest for those, for the remaining days, but just if you are given that, and that is what happens, like just focusing on that, really call in your village again, like call in that support, you have colleagues, you have, and I know, as women, I know not so much men, but as women, it can be harder to ask for help.
Ask for help like lean into your your coworkers and just be like, Hey, I need to focus on this presentation. Is there any way that you can pick up or even tell your boss like, you know, say you're putting this on me I really appreciate but I'm gonna need your help to find somebody else that's gonna [00:24:00] be able to pick up this stuff like use your voice, to get that support and that goes for both in work at home, you know, like care.
It's so easy. There's a
Jo: kriya to find your voice and it's amazing. So yes. Yes. If you're having trouble finding your voice, just get with me, just DM me or send me an email. I will send it over to you because it is that powerful. But let's talk about talking to your partner about this kind of stuff.
Because in the past, I've had partners that are just completely avoid it when it comes to anything menstruation talk, like they don't want to go out and buy pads or tampons or anything. They're just like, they just shut it out. And they're like, no, that is a you thing. That's not a me thing. And they just kind of expect you to be normal.
Or they expect you to be like, A monster while you're [00:25:00] on your menstrual cycle but there are also partners out there. Like my husband, he's like, Oh, you're, you're on your period. Okay. Here's the heating pad. I made the bed for you. Here's some tea. He's amazing, but that's not everybody.
And I know that not everybody is blessed to have a partner like that. So how do you open up a conversation with somebody who Might be like, hmm, that's, I don't want to talk about. You bleeding for seven days because that's weird. You know, like,
Nicolay: yeah. So my husband is kind of, I'd say, like a mix of, you know, support.
It took, we've been together for like 16 years so it's, it's taken some time. But he's very logical so if you have a logical partner, there's so many resources of like what the period does to your body and sharing that with your partner if they're so pragmatic and into like more logic and they [00:26:00] need to see it pulling in that and like literally it is a medical condition.
Our world now is just seeing it as that. And some companies are taking that in. It's like, you can use a sick day for that, you know? But we're just starting to see that shift. So pulling in those resources, sharing it with them and then having those conversations and be like, see, this is what my body's going through, and I need you to understand that, and I need you to support me and help me so that I can get that rest, or else I'm gonna be sick, like, literally, I will be sick, I will burn out, I will go into depression, and I don't want to go in that space, and I need your support so that I can get that rest that I need, So, you know, and start that conversation.
And if like, you have a partner that was like, you know, pish posh, whatever, you can even just say, I don't feel good. Cause I get that. I don't feel good. I'm sick. I really am sick. And you can just say that and just keep it like that. If they're like even more avoidant to this topic [00:27:00] and some guys are, and, and, you know, that's just their, their experience, their journey with.
Having, you know, like with the period. So just straight up say I'm sick. Cause you're like, I'm not, you know, like you're
Jo: not well, you're not well, your hormones are all kinds of crazy. Yeah. I think, I think the Stardust app that you can like share it with a partner. And this is not at all sponsored by Stardust.
It's just something that I love to use. I'll screenshot it and send it to my husband and be like, look at my hormones today.
Nicolay: Better watch out. Today is not the day to talk to me about
Jo: that. So I think that, and maybe even like putting it in their terms, guys like cars, right, typically, and we like to in the medical community, especially when we're, when you are talking to a [00:28:00] patient, and They don't know much about the human body.
You can tell them all kinds of medical terms, and they're going to look at you like you're talking in a, like a foreign language, because it is, essentially. But if you put it in terms of like a car, right, you've got your motor, which is like your heart. You have to have a working heart . Maybe like an oil change? Like your car needs an oil change? This is all just like,
Nicolay: like, yeah, my husband's like into football, so like I wouldn't even know like what, you know, what, what that would even be like, it would, would it be like he's has an injury and he needs to rest like I would
Jo: have time halftime right because it occurs every football game.
Yep. Yeah, at the same, well, relatively the same time every football game, like you have to two quarters and then you have halftime and then you have two more quarters. Yeah. And they have [00:29:00] to take time out to rest.
Nicolay: Break. Yep. Yep. Yeah. That's great. This
Jo: is my. That's a good one. I like that. Wow. I like that one.
I love it. So this is half.
Nicolay: This is halftime. Yeah.
Jo: Oh, it's so good too, because after halftime, the teams typically come back stronger. With more energy. There you go, yes! And before halftime, they're like, oh my gosh, like we're a little worn out, we need this break.
Nicolay: Yep. Brilliant. Great metaphor. I love it. So good.
You're so good in getting into that head. .
Jo: So talking to our partners, like it's, we've got halftime, not halftime. If they don't like football, we've got baseball. They've got like the seventh inning stretch or whatever. Well, you know, more
Nicolay: than
Jo: that.
Nicolay: What was your car? What was your
Jo: car?
What car? [00:30:00] I think it was like an oil change, right? Five or 10, 000 miles. You have to get an oil change. And I mean, yeah, it's not inaccurate, right? You have to like drain the oil and we're draining our bodies. Exactly. Yeah. And in order to do that, you have to let the oil cool down a little bit before you change it.
Otherwise, you're going to burn
Nicolay: yourself. How do you know all this stuff about cars? That's so great.
Jo: I don't know.
Nicolay: Well, so that's plenty. I mean, like, there's halftime, there's a seventh inning, and then there's oil change. So those are three ways to bring up with your partner, who's not as open to having resources of information, sharing what the menstrual cycle is. So you could just tell your partner it's halftime.
I'm on my seventh inning or I'm about to get my oil change. So,
so I need your [00:31:00] support and I need you to help me out or I just need you to give me a break and walk away.
Jo: Oh, this is perfect.
So
Nicolay: that, those are great. I've never thought of that. So thank you for that.
Jo: I love it actually. That is, that's good. We have, we came up with three different ways. Yeah. Talk to your partners in like two minutes. That's quick. Look, you just get us together and we will figure some things out. It's amazing.
Okay, so. We've talked about a lot, really, we've talked about the phases, we've talked about talking with your partner, we've talked about like self fulfilling prophecy when you go into your period, how you go into it, the mindset you have going into your period is going to determine how you feel while you are on it, [00:32:00] which is, I mean, the bodies and the mind are so strong, they're powerful.
They're so good. Oh my gosh. So we've talked about a lot just in the short amount of time. So what would you say as far as diet and stuff? Because you know, I always crave chocolate. Yes. Specifically, s'mores.
Nicolay: Oh, I can. So much that I want to do with that. I mean, we could dive deep into that. Let's
Jo: talk a little bit about food and how food supports your body. Because I've been on this little kick where I've been watching the documentaries on Netflix and stuff like, you are what you eat and what the health and all of that good stuff.
And now I'm like, I'm just going to be a vegetarian or a vegan because what in the world? For food, like to [00:33:00] support a healthy menstrual cycle and give us. What we need to feel the best, I guess, because food is very important when it comes to us feeling our best. And I don't think that we think about it enough, but I think it's becoming more prevalent and more like on people's radar, especially with Tik TOK, because I'm not on.
I've learned so much on TikTok. It's not even funny we got a little sidetracked and we just kind of cut that side conversation out for your listening pleasure because it was kind of all over the place, but it was amazing and beautiful. So we're going to hop back on track and talk about nutrition and how to best support our bodies with the foods that we eat throughout our
Nicolay: cycle.
Yes. Okay, so [00:34:00] we'll start with Luteal because you're in Luteal, and I know you said you love chocolate, but really in your Luteal phase, you want to reduce the amount of refined sugars. So like, you can have like a dark chocolate, like those are like, Like
Jo: cacao? I can have cacao? Yeah, you can have
Nicolay: cacao. Okay, cool.
Like, with like natural sweeteners Like coconut sugar or like maple syrup, coconut sugar that type of things, but not like white agave. Okay. Oh, agave is good too. Yes. Yeah. But you don't want to have like white sugar or, you know, a cupcake from. The supermarket. You want to reduce that like you want to reduce it because what that does is that extra sugar that's process is going into your body and it's going to create more estrogen and excess estrogen is what causes the symptoms.
So that's what's going to cause the cramping. That's what's going to cause the headache. That's what's going to cause more soreness in the body [00:35:00] and alcohol. I know you're Thanks a lot. I used to be like, I need a glass of wine. I'm really tired. I don't want to deal with my chocolate. And like, literally, alcohol does the same thing.
That sugar in alcohol is going to create that excess estrogen and then amplify your symptoms that happens during Your period or your menstruation. So it's really, yeah,
Jo: we get caught in like this cycle because it's always portrayed in the media, like the movies and stuff. It's like, oh, chocolates and wine for your girlfriend or your wife when she's.
PMSing and it literally makes it
Nicolay: worse. Yes, it makes it worse. And guess what? Guess what you're gonna grab like over the counter, like Tylenol or ibuprofen and you can go on a tangent there. Watch my doll. Yeah, my doll. And like, that's not what you know what it It's going to relieve the symptoms, but it's [00:36:00] not going to get to the root cause of it, of like, why are you having these symptoms?
It's because you need to rest. Your body's saying, Hey, what are you doing? Stop pushing through. We need to rest. And then also it's like you're eating. The refined sugar is you're drinking that wine, even caffeine, having too much caffeine. What's too much caffeine? I'd say more than two cups of coffee.
I'm going to just put it out there. And that's me being lenient.
Jo: I Sip on my coffee.
Nicolay: Like, you really want to limit and, you know, reduce it during your luteal phase and definitely during your menstruation. So, or your period. So that's like really important because again, it's going to create that excess estrogen and that estrogen is what's going to amplify and create the symptoms of PMS.
And the moodiness and like you have estrogen is again the hormones and you're like, Oh, she, you know, like you see [00:37:00] in the media. Oh, she's don't talk to her right now. Like, don't mess with her. Like, don't, you know, it's shark
Jo: week.
Nicolay: Yeah. And that's because there's excess estrogen that like is affecting your mood because of the refined sugar.
refined sugars like caffeine, and then also the alcohol. So what should you be eating like during your luteal phase is like protein. Protein for sure. You really need your protein because that's Your main source of energy and you're going to need that your body needs that energy as it's going to push out, and shed that lining within your body and then also probiotics.
Because you tend to become more susceptible to getting sick because your body is focusing on shedding the lining and your immunity drops because your body, you know, can multitask only so much that it needs to really [00:38:00] focus on its job of releasing all that blood from you. And then iron because you're.
getting rid of a lot of blood. So you really need to make sure you're replenishing your iron in your body during that time. And then antioxidants again, too. If you are having, or if you already have an excess amount of estrogen from the previous phases, you want to have that antioxidants to metabolize that, excess amount out of your body. Those are really important. So, again, it's protein, iron, probiotics. Probiotics could be, like, I don't know if you like sauerkraut, kimchi. Greek yogurt is, another good one if you're, like, whoa, those are a little bit too much. I love sauerkraut. Okay, okay, good.
Jo: Like, the fermented kind, too.
Like, the, yeah. Hmm.
Nicolay: And that's important. The fermentation. That's where it's going to have the probiotics. And then the yogurts as well. And then the antioxidants. My [00:39:00] favorite antioxidant. The king of antioxidants is blueberries. They are, you know, incredible. Any type of berries for sure. And your cacao and green tea is another type of antioxidant.
So making sure you're having those during your luteal and your menstruation. And then Also, reducing the amount of refined sugars, alcohol, and caffeine, like no more than two cups of coffee, if possible.
Jo: Darn. I feel like caffeine is a food group in and of itself for me, which I know is terrible, but It's It
Nicolay: can be addicting.
I used to be, I no longer drink coffee. Like I will maybe for the smell of it, the taste of it, because it's just so good. But I used to be like you, like I would have coffee all the time. And that was my comfort. That was how I would get through the chaos of having like, at the time, three kids.
And so I'm just giving this coffee, like, [00:40:00] just to get through the afternoon. And yeah. I, when I switch to just right now, I only drink like a green teas or like a matcha green tea or chai. Like the shift I felt in my energy, the drop isn't so big, it isn't as intense, whereas before it was like afternoon slump, ugh, like I would feel that crash so hard with coffee specifically. You know, coffee does have some benefits to it, but also in moderation. And then Guru Singh, remember he's, I don't know if you remember, but coffee borrows from the future. So like, I remember that saying too. And so like, yes, it's, you know, it's not adding on more energy to you. It's taking from what could, what will happen.
In, you know, in the future. So
Jo: yeah, and see I don't drink coffee or caffeinated beverages. I don't always drink just coffee, really for the energy like I can drink something with caffeine and go straight to sleep, but that's the [00:41:00] ADHD part of my brain to because I haven't been taking my ADHD meds, because I don't really like the way that they make me
Nicolay: feel you're listening to your body.
I mean, yeah.
Jo: I'll take them when I need to, like, focus on something that I, is really boring and doesn't give me that dopamine rush. Because as an ADHDer, we're chronically low in dopamine. And one of the ways that we tend to self medicate is with caffeine. Interesting. Yeah. Because it has the opposite effect on our brains instead of wiring us up, it tends to slow us down a little, which is weird.
Really weird. But yeah, so that's why I drink coffee.
Nicolay: You can also do Omega 3s. Omega 3s are so good for mental health. Also do the dopamine going outside, getting fresh air, getting that sun. I don't know. Yes. And
Jo: exercises. Yeah. [00:42:00] It's decently sunny here. We had like a. Freeze come through it. There was a meme on Facebook or something and one of my friends posted it was like, Texas is tired of its free seven day trial of being Alaska, like, you'd have it back now.
Okay, so we've talked about, we got off track again, y'all. It's okay. It's fine. We will have Nikolai back again because this has been too good.
So we did talk about cutting back on Refined sugars and stuff during the luteal phase and even more while you're on your cycle. So I think just in general, getting back on our spine sugars should be something that we all aim to do. Yeah. Yeah. Especially in 2024, moving forward, you know, new year, new me.
I'm kidding. New year. Same me. Just better. That is. Yeah. That's been my shift in thinking instead of trying to read.
Nicolay: [00:43:00] Yeah. Leveling up.
Jo: So, okay, we've got to sign off. We've got babies to feed and I have to go rest. I get to go rest.
Nicolay: You get to go rest and you should. Yeah, you get to go rest.
Jo: And I love that flip. Like just that simple flip is going to be huge because there's so much programming that like It's just being shot at us.
Yes. Yeah. We get to
Nicolay: rest. Yeah. You get
Jo: to rest now. We were designed to rest. How freaking cool is that? Like, yes. Yes. Okay. Well, we're going to let you go so that you can go feed baby. I'm going to go rest and I've absolutely loved this.
And we can have you on more often as like a regular guest because this is so much fun.
Alright y'all, that's a wrap on another episode of the Rise [00:44:00] Empire podcast. I hope you had as much fun as I did today learning about all things mindset, manifestation, and spirituality. Remember, knowledge is only power when it's put into action, so go ahead and put that newfound wisdom into play. If you loved this episode, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and leave a review.
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