Embrace Equity, Embrace Your Cycle

It's International Women's Day! This year, the theme is Embrace Equity. It’s a short phrase with a big meaning. It’s all about imagining a gender equal world; one that is free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. 

Women and men need to be treated equally but besides from this it's important to know we are different, and the biggest difference is the hormonal cycle. We embrace the equality between us, but we also embrace our own unique cycle. 

Every woman is different and at Guud Woman, we believe that difference is beautiful. So how exactly do you embrace your cycle? 

We’ll let Belgian actress and Guud fan Lynn van Royen tell you how she embraces her cycle. And we can only say: yes woman!

“In touch with my body and my femininity”

When Lynn stopped taking the pill, she felt a world of difference. Her natural cycle started again and she really got in touch with her body. Here’s what she had to say: 

“I now know how my cycle is progressing and I also feel the different phases coming. I can read myself in a way I couldn't before. At 33, I am only now getting to know myself. You may have analysed both your thoughts and emotions to some extent, but the contact with your body, your femininity and your cycle, we have lost that a bit. I’m going to spread this feeling to everyone - even men!”

Watch Lynn's video below

Want to get in touch with Your Cycle like Lynn?

Whether you've just started menstruating, are in your 20s, 30s or 40s, it's never too late to get to know your cycle. Lynn is now completely in tune with her body and her natural cycle, now that she is not taking the pill anymore. If you are on the pill, remember that you can live according to your cycle, too. Want to know more about the four phases of your cycle? Check out our post here. 

So wherever you are on your journey, you can harness the power of your cycle. If you’re currently taking the pill and you’re thinking about quitting like Lynn, have a look at our blog post about how to make the transition as smooth as possible: 

Quitting the Pill: How to Get Your Body Back on Track 

What Does it Mean to Live According to Your Cycle? 

Living according to your cycle means listening to your body and giving it what it needs at different times throughout the month. It means adjusting things like your activities, nutrition, fitness routine or social plans depending on how your mind and body feel. We are not robots. We feel different in each phase of our cycle and when you harness the power of each phase, you’ll feel guud every day of the month. 

When you live according to your cycle, it can alleviate common problems like: 

• Ongoing stress
• Feeling overwhelmed or burnt out
• PMS 
• Heavy periods
• Low mood or anxiety 

Morgane, the co-founder of Guud is an example of how to live according to your cycle. She actually plans her life around her cycle. It may sound extreme or even rigid, but it’s actually really simple. For everything she does - work, leisure, fitness and nutrition - she takes into account what phase of her cycle she’s in. It doesn’t mean that she never has a bad day. We’re all human, after all. But it does mean that she can have more days where she feels great and it also helps her be kinder to herself on days where she’s feeling a bit off. A lot of women ask her about this lifestyle. It seems complicated, but its really very straightforward. To help you follow in her footsteps, we’ve written a whole blog post on the topic called Cycle Syncing: Why is it so Guud?

The Male Versus Female Cycle

While we’re on the topic of equality, it’s a good time to talk about the fact that both men and women have a cycle. Yes, men and women both have a hormonal cycle, but we’re on different timings. A woman’s cycle is monthly. A man’s cycle is daily. 

Men produce testosterone while they sleep. This is a powerhouse hormone that gives them confidence, energy, power and vitality. Testosterone levels rise and peak around 8:00 am. From then on, it decreases as the day goes on, resetting again as a man sleeps. 

A good night’s sleep helps with the production of testosterone so sleeping well is super important for men. You can read more about the male cycle in our blog post here. 

Embrace Equity, Embrace Your cycle

Back to embracing equity… how will you do it? How will you embrace your cycle and the power it possesses? 

Tell us on Instagram or Facebook.

Not sure what to say? The Guud Woman team will give you some inspiration!

Morgane: “I am very grateful that I got pregnant naturally by tracking my cycle. I have to admit that now that I'm pregnant I miss living according to the four seasons of my cycle. Living according to my cycle brings me peace because I can make better decisions in terms of nutrition, exercise and work planning.”

AG: "Like most menstruators, I grew up with limited knowledge of my cycle, seeing it as a burden that I had to endure every month. However, embracing my cycle has allowed me to view it positively and recognize my privilege. I have access to knowledge about my cycle and can choose from a variety of period products. Most importantly, I have access to period products at all. Addressing period poverty is crucial to achieving period equity, and using our privilege to do so is a superpower we possess."

Uwe: “On the last days of my period, my winter, I feel how my body awakens from hibernation and it is as if it can gently feel the fresh, yet warm spring wind with her fingertips. The moment I feel that my cycle is restarting comes in two phases for me. My menstruation heralds the first step, but the tipping point from blood loss to follicular phase is one that always makes me very humble and hopeful. I am really looking forward to the rest of my cycle.”

Miranda: The Spring phase of my cycle is my favourite. My skin glows and I feel positive, confident and social - literally the best version of myself. I try to embrace the other phases too, even if I'm not quite as energetic. I try to remember that my body is doing something amazing and if I have low mood or my workout didn't go as planned, I try to remember that it will pass. It helps me to be kinder to myself.

Sherita: “I like to embrace my ovulation. I feel it almost every month and think that it’s such a special thing! While I'm just living my daily life, my body is working hard to let another egg mature and descend. I feel very special and loved - the fact  that my body gets it done every cycle.”

Here's to strong woman... May we know them, May we be them, May we raise them! Don’t hesitate to Get in touch if you have questions about how to live according to your cycle!  We can help!