Ep 37: Hormone Hacks and Menstruation Expertise with SHE Talks’ Sophie Shepherd
Sophie has so much knowledge and she’s able to break it down in such a digestible way. This conversation was such a great reminder of how much our bodies are doing.
Hashimoto’s, bleeding, stress toolbox. Dive deep into the 4 cycles of menstruation and how hormones can be used as your superpower.
Sophie Shepherd is the founder of SHE Talks Heath, a community of health coaches who help support women with their digestive, hormone, and mood health. Her journey started in high school when she was experiencing issues with her own personal health. It took working with multiple doctors and lots of testing to finally get the diagnosis of Hashimotos.
Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid and can result in both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. As she started to get a handle of what was going on in her own body she became passionate about learning about hormones and nutrition. What started as a way to empower herself has transformed into a business where she helps empower others. She now has several certifications and she uses her knowledge to provide an educational and supportive experience to the women she coaches.
“We transform the whole world because the world gets to be run by women who are empowered, educated, and feeling well in their bodies.”
One of her favorite topics to talk to dive into is the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle. Sophie says we too often think about our cycle as just our period and forget that it’s bigger than that. She lays out the 4 phases: Follicular, Ovulatory, Luteal, Menstrual / Bleeding and explains that by knowing what each phase does to your body, you can plan your lifestyle around whichever phase you’re in.
“When we look at those 4 phases, our bodies change significantly. That’s why I say hormones are superpowers when you understand how you can hack them and know where you are in your cycles and can optimize work and nutrition.”
She also details how tracking your cycle can help you track ovulation if you are trying to conceive or prevent a pregnancy. Tracking the changes in your cervical mucus is one way to help understand where your body is in its cycle and can help you recognize your fertile window. She warns against solely relying on apps alone to track ovulation because without tracking cervical mucus and temperature the apps are really just an approximation.
Sophie also highlights the causes for irregularities in the menstrual cycle. An irregular period is considered any cycle less than 21 days or more than 35 days. She emphasizes that despite the number of days a cycle lasts, whether it’s 21 or 35, it should be relatively consistent within a short timeframe. Irregularities could be caused by PCOS, hypothyroidism, stress, and poor sleep or nutrition to name a few, and she gives some suggestions to help get back on track.
What started as her own personal journey has since expanded in an entire community of women being supported and empowered to achieve their best, most healthy self. Sophie has a lot of resources, a few courses, a podcast of her own SHE Talks Health and welcomes people to reach out to learn more.
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