Alycia is known for teaching others about menstrual cycle awareness, activating the voice, hormone health, and how to connect to the wisdom of the body. She is the creator of Embracing Cycles, a holistic wellness and spiritual development business centered around female health.
You might think that ovulation is just about preparing for pregnancy, but it plays a vital role in your overall health, whether or not you plan to have kids. Let’s dive into why this natural process matters and how it benefits you, regardless of your parenting goals. From hormonal balance to your mood and energy levels, ovulation is a key player in your well-being. Understanding its significance can empower you to take charge of your health in more ways than one. Curious to learn more? Let’s explore! ¹
What is ovulation again?
The menstrual cycle is the 4 stage process that involves forming a mature follicle and then releasing an egg from that follicle to be fertilized. When fertilization doesn't occur, you get your period.² Ovulation is when the egg ruptures out of the matured follicle and is released from one of the ovaries to travel down into the fallopian tube, where it will await potential fertilization.
Ovulation begins with the rise of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), which recruits ovarian follicles. This, in turn, causes levels of estradiol (estrogen) to rise. Eventually, one of the follicles will become dominant, leading to a surge of LH (luteinizing hormone).
The surge of LH triggers progesterone to rise. Progesterone will then support the LH peak necessary for the egg to rupture out of the follicle. Once you get through this, congratulations, you've ovulated!
Here's what you aren't being told about ovulation
Ovulation is a significant health marker. It's no wonder that irregular ovulation is linked to higher rates of ovarian cancer. Delayed ovulation is often one of the first signs of an underlying health condition, making it essential to monitor this from the onset of puberty. This process is how your body produces two important hormones, estrogen and progesterone, necessary for overall bodily function.
Role of progesterone
Progesterone is a significant hormone that starts secreting in small amounts right before ovulation. After ovulation, the corpus luteum forms, which becomes the gland that produces progesterone for the rest of the cycle.
Most people know how progesterone thickens the uterine lining to prepare for potential implantation and supports lactation. However, I want to highlight that progesterone also affects sleep quality, mood, appetite, sexual activity, and cognitive function. It has also been shown to support thyroid function, the master control center of all hormones.
Low progesterone can cause issues with mood, sleep, conception and can cause irregular menstrual cycles.
Do you see how important ovulation is, considering it triggers the creation of progesterone in the body?
Role of estrogen
When it comes to estrogen, a lot of us know that it's one of the primary sex hormones that influence reproduction, libido, and overall energy. Just like progesterone, though, it also affects non-reproductive functions.
Estrogen contains potent antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. It protects the nervous system and even supports DNA damage repair. There is a reason why cognitive decline, mitochondrial dysfunction, and other age-related disorders happen as a result of a decrease in this hormone.
Nourish your fertility
Now that you know the truth about ovulation, you might wonder what to do with it. It's simple: Your lifestyle choices need to support your best possible health. Let's go over some basic things you can start implementing.
Lifting weights
Lean muscle mass increases metabolism, can help decrease inflammation, strengthen bones and joints, and may improve mental health. Studies show that lifting weights can be protective against Alzheimer's while also supporting cognitive function. Weight training can also support balanced hormones. Just be sure to decrease the intensity during your premenstrual phase and period. If you are still determining where to start exercising, please consult a fitness professional.
Nutrition
What you put into your body affects its overall function. I won't give you an entire nutrition lesson here, but I will provide a basis to get started so you can rewire your foundation.
You want your plate to contain protein, carbohydrates, healthy fat, and fiber. One of the simplest ways to begin is to eat breakfast daily, which should include at least 30g of protein. A high-protein breakfast will set you up for the rest of your day.
Supplementation
Please check in with your doctor before starting any supplementation. I recommend getting a full blood panel to check which vitamins and minerals you are deficient in. Pay close attention to your magnesium, potassium, Vitamin D, B vitamins, and omega-3 levels. These specifically help with ovulation and menstrual health as a whole.
Stress management
When your body is stressed, it first takes focus away from reproduction, aka ovulation. You must find practices that help you manage stress and feel connected to your life's purpose. You can look into journaling, meditation, prayer, yoga, walking, dancing, and other mindfulness practices to help calm your nervous system.
Make empowered decisions
Unfortunately, the Western medical system is still telling patients that they don't need to worry about ovulating unless they plan on having children. Women are quick to be prescribed hormonal birth control without fully knowing what they are consenting to. Just a reminder that on hormonal birth control, you do not ovulate. Based on everything shared above, you can piece together why that can be dangerous.
We need basic education about our bodily processes to make informed decisions. Otherwise, we will continue to leave our bodies' health in the hands of those who don't care to spend more than 15 minutes with us in an appointment.
Doctors get paid by your insurance to show up for you. If your doctor wants to brush away the fact that your fertility (ovulating) doesn't matter, then you have every right to tell them that it does and that you want to make sure you are ovulating each month. Take your health back into your own hands because the person who has to live in your body is you.
If you want to know more about nourishing your fertility, connecting to your body, spiritual development, and holistic hormone wellness, check out my website here and sign up for my newsletter!
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Alycia Camacho, Hormone Health Coach & Spiritual Mentor
Alycia Camacho is a leader in menstrual cycle awareness and teaching others how to live in alignment with their ever-changing nature while also activating the voice. Through her own struggles with her health, self-worth, and menstrual cycle, she is dedicated to supporting others in ways that she wishes she would've received. Alycia is a hormone health coach, a vocal activator, and spiritual mentor. She is the founder and creator of Embracing Cycles LLC a holistic wellness space designed to teach others how to achieve optimal health from the physical to the spiritual.
