Let's talk Wellness: Periods

There’s been so much more education around periods and cycles lately, but most women still have a lot of question marks around what’s normal. How do we know when to see a doctor, and how can we manage our cycles instead of dreading one week every month?

I sat down to talk with Michelle Snyder, a Menstrual & Fertility Health Practitioner, to learn more about our cycles and how we can feel empowered and educated about what’s going on inside our bodies.

So without further ado, let’s get into it! 

Shaina: Can you share a little about what a cycle coach does and what led you to this work?

Michelle: A cycle coach helps women understand what their bodies are communicating each month through their menstrual cycles.

Most women are taught that their period is either an inconvenience or something to fix, but your cycle is one of the most powerful diagnostic tools you have, not only for fertility, but also for your overall health and longevity.

My background is in nutrition and human biology, and I’ve spent over a decade in science and research. But what brought me here was personal (and I always say my story isn’t a unique one). 

I went through years of “normal” symptoms that weren’t actually normal: severe cramps, hormonal acne, mood changes, and I kept being told everything was fine. 

I tried 5 different forms of birth control before finally trusting the method I use for hormone-free birth control. Once I learned to chart and read my data, I literally felt like I was back in control and could handle whatever happens. Now I teach women how to do the same.

Shaina: That’s so relatable. I think so many of us have been told everything is normal when it doesn’t feel that way. What do you wish more women knew about their menstrual cycle?

Michelle: When something feels off, it’s your body trying to get your attention, not punish you. And the more you learn to interpret those red flags, the easier it becomes to support yourself with the right food, movement, and personalized protocols. 

Michelle Synder, Menstrual & Fertility Health Practitioner

This might sound intense, but every cycle you track without understanding what it’s showing is a missed opportunity to fix your problems now and prevent problems later.

Shaina: For someone just starting out, what’s a simple way to track or tune into their cycle without it feeling overwhelming?

Michelle: Your goal isn’t going to be to dive in and track perfectly; it’s to start listening. For the first month, simply note when your period starts, how your energy feels, and any shifts in mood, sleep, or digestion. 

After a few cycles, you can get more advanced and start to add in cervical mucus awareness (I give people a very simple mission to start the habit of tracking this accurately), and then you can add in basal body temperature tracking for a complete picture of your fertile signs, symptoms, and energy levels across your cycle.

Shaina: Love that we can take it step by step. That helps take some of the pressure off! Once someone starts paying attention to their cycle, it’s easy to wonder if they’re doing it right. What’s the biggest mistake you see women make when it comes to tracking their cycles?

Michelle: Tracking symptoms without understanding what they mean! So many women collect data through apps like Flo, Clue, or wearable devices like Apple or Oura but don’t know how to interpret it. 

Each cycle holds clues about thyroid health, stress, nutrient status, ovulation, and hormone production (!!) but apps don’t teach you how to read that. Real tracking is interpretation, not only documentation.

Shaina: That’s so true. I honestly usually just track it and forget it. Do you have a favorite app for tracking cycles, either for yourself or with clients?

Michelle: I actually teach women to move away from traditional apps. Flo, Clue, and even Natural Cycles are great entry points for symptom tracking and cyclical awareness, but they rely on predictive algorithms that lead many women astray when it comes to spotting issues or using these tools for birth control or trying to conceive. 

I use and teach the Symptothermal Method, which is based on what your body is doing in the moment, not what an algorithm guesses. You know exactly if it’s a fertile day or not, and you extract incredibly practical and clinically precise health data each day as well. No more being misled by “safe” or “target” days determined by an algorithm that’s completely removed from your body.

Shaina: Why do you think understanding your cycle is so important?

Michelle: Your hormones influence your focus, energy, mood, digestion, and recovery. When you understand how your cycle works, you can start making aligned choices in food, fitness, productivity, and even energy management.

It’s this self-knowledge that changes how you show up everywhere else. Plus, tracking your cycle will let you know exactly what your hormones are doing on any given day. 

This is a huge advantage over the guesswork and assumptions I see being made in the Cycle Syncing world that can actually lead women to work against their body, rather than maximize these hormonal shifts to optimize their life.

Shaina: That’s such a good shift, using data about your body to make real-time decisions. But with so much information out there, I feel like there are a lot of myths too. What’s one of the biggest myths you hear about periods or cycles?

Michelle: That “regular” automatically means “healthy.” A predictable 28-day cycle can still be problematic, nutritionally depleted, or missing ovulation entirely. 

Most women don’t realize that ovulation (not menstruation) is the main event of the cycle. It’s what drives hormone shifts, metabolism changes, bone health, and fertility long before you ever want kids, and hormonal health and longevity if fertility isn’t your goal.

Shaina: That’s huge! What advice would you give to women who feel totally exhausted or “off” during their period?

Michelle: If you’re experiencing any issues like PMS, fatigue, mood swings, irregular cycles, period pain, heavy bleeding, spotting, etc., these are all red flags that are worthy of investigation. 

A non-optimal period is an opportunity to get healthier each month than you were the last. Once we can pinpoint exactly what’s going on through tracking, we can use personalized nutrition, supplement, and lifestyle protocols to address the issue head-on, and then continue to use tracking to see how successful each protocol was for you. 

It’s an ongoing feedback loop with your body, and what used to be you trying 5,000 different things is now a two-way conversation with your body to figure out exactly what supports you best.

Shaina: How do nutrition and movement play into cycle health? Are there small shifts women can make in each phase?

Michelle: Yes! Your metabolism and recovery capacity actually shift throughout your cycle.

In the follicular phase (after your period), your body tolerates more intense workouts and lighter meals. 

In the luteal phase (after ovulation), you burn more calories and need steadier blood sugar, so more protein and rest help. 

However, the major caveat I always remind people is: if you aren’t actively tracking your cycle, you’re likely missing out on the correct timing of these hormonal shifts in your unique cycle. This is why knowing your personal data is so important!

Shaina: I love how you mentioned hormones influencing things like energy and focus, it really connects to the idea of cycle syncing that’s been all over social media lately. How do we use that info in a helpful way while still getting things done?

Michelle: Cycle syncing is meant to help you support your body, not limit it. Our hormones do have “personalities,” so in your follicular phase, creativity and brainstorming usually come easily thanks to rising estrogen. 

In your luteal phase, progesterone makes us turn more inward, and you’re typically better at editing, finishing, and grounding ideas. 

But again, if you have any trouble with your menstrual cycle, there’s likely a hormonal imbalance present that needs to be addressed first before you can benefit from cycle syncing. 

I’m not a fan of restricting activities to certain phases of our cycle (like certain workouts, certain foods, or how you socialize), when, truthfully, they would be beneficial all cycle long. But there is an inherent level of wisdom, power, and flow that comes from honoring your energy based on where you are cyclically. 

Shaina: You’ve shared so much great information, but I think mindset might be the biggest piece for a lot of us. Most women see their periods as the worst thing ever. How do you see your period?

Michelle: As a monthly check-in! I’m in constant communication with my most sensitive body system. My period tells me how well I’ve supported myself over the last few weeks.

And take it from someone who lives a really healthy lifestyle and has tracked my cycle for a while, there is ALWAYS something you can find to adjust and improve on!

Final Takeaway:

Thank you so much, Michelle! It’s so empowering to see how we can actually use our cycle as a monthly check-in to see what’s working and what isn’t! I love your focus on working with our bodies to see what could be improved. 

If this conversation made you curious about your own cycle, connect with Michelle on LinkedIn or send her an email. She’s such an incredible resource!

Let us know below what stood out to you the most! 

Next month’s Q&A will be with a stress freedom coach! The holidays are so crazy that I really want to learn how to enjoy the holidays without all the stress! Stay tuned!