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[00:00:00] Jenny Swisher: Welcome friends to this episode of the Sync Your Life podcast. Today, I’m sharing a heartfelt message to the person I once was, specifically to the teenage girl version of myself, based on things I now know. I’ve had the great fortune in the last few months to be part of some virtual health consults that involve both mothers and daughters, and I have loved getting to know these women.

[00:01:18] Jenny Swisher: Recently, a mom told me that she would love for me to do a podcast episode targeted directly at teenage girls that she could have her daughter listen to. So, here it is. I think that’s a splendid idea. As the mom of two young girls, I speak from the heart when I say that this is information I will want them to know as well, and that they will be hearing someday, too.

[00:01:38] Jenny Swisher: So, here we go. Dear Teenage Jenny, What you’re about to hear may surprise you. It might go against what society and your friends are telling you. But that’s okay, because I know it’s in your best interest to know these things. Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room, which is your period. Don’t worry, every woman has one, but rarely do we talk about them.

[00:02:00] Jenny Swisher: So let this letter inform you of the reality that it is absolutely sucky to have a period, no matter how you frame it. Sometimes it comes like clockwork, and other times it startles you in the middle of a basketball game, or a math test, or even a hot date. Regardless of when it arrives, it will feel inconvenient, and most likely come wearing a black cape of some fatigue, lower energy, and a deep desire to curl up on the couch in your favorite pair of sweatpants.

[00:02:24] Jenny Swisher: with a pint of ice cream in your favorite movie. Instead, you’ll likely find that you do in fact have to finish the basketball game or continue the hot date or take the math test anyway, because society has framed much of our day to day life to follow a man’s rhythm, ignoring yours. Don’t worry though, I’m about to help you see that your menstrual cycle can be your superpower.

[00:02:45] Jenny Swisher: You see, boys may not have to worry with sitting down to pee or keeping tampons in their purse for surprise visitor Aunt Flo each month, but they also don’t get the advantage of hormone highs. Boys operate on a steady state level of hormones, but you, my friend, you operate differently. Ovulation is your superpower, and hopefully it happens each month around mid cycle.

[00:03:05] Jenny Swisher: The two weeks or so leading up to this main event of your cycle is when your estrogen is on the rise, bringing out your more extroverted tendencies and high energy. And after ovulation, your progesterone runs the show, keeping you calm and relaxed. Every single month, we have this crazy, amazing rhythm that follows the rhythm of the moon.

[00:03:23] Jenny Swisher: While boys are circadian, girls are also infradian. Let that be your superpower. If you can begin to understand your hormone highs and lows, my friend, you will start to truly learn your deepest self. Now, on to things that your friends are likely doing, like birth control and IUDs. While there is certainly a place for oral contraceptives and IUDs, did you know that 82 percent of women using them are using them for reasons other than birth control?

[00:03:49] Jenny Swisher: If you’ve considered it yourself, but you’re considering it for reasons like acne, painful periods, irregularity with your cycle, which by the way is normal in teen years, or even headaches, know that there is something out there called root cause health. Working with the right kind of doctor to figure out why you’re facing acne or headaches or painful periods is key and paramount to your health.

[00:04:11] Jenny Swisher: Listen to your mom when she wants to take you to these appointments. While your OB GYN may be good at delivering babies down the road or basic things, a functional approach to your health is a whole new ballgame.

[00:04:21] Jenny Swisher: Starting this journey now, well, your 40 year old self will thank you for it. With birth control, should you decide to do it, it might make you feel crazy. Once again, much like your period, not many women talk about this until you get older when everybody starts to say, oh yeah, birth control may be crazy.

[00:04:39] Jenny Swisher: You’re going to learn in your life that if women became more vulnerable in the service of other women, the world would change its views on women’s hormone health. And as your future self, I have to smile and say it’s happening. Even if it seems taboo to you right now, women are waking up. Here’s another thing, dairy and sugar.

[00:04:57] Jenny Swisher: I know your lunchtime go to is a tray of cheese fries and a chocolate treat, but it turns out those things probably need to be eaten in moderation. While there’s certainly no reason to obsess over foods, making sure you’re eating enough for your activity level of the right foods, and avoiding dairy and sugar in most cases, can lead to better hormones and less symptoms of PMS, acne, and so forth.

[00:05:18] Jenny Swisher: Next up, sex. Oh, you thought that was the elephant in the room? Well, no, sorry, that was your period. Turns out, everyone is talking about sex as you get older. Boys, girls, everyone. The most important thing is that you sit through those conversations with your mom or dad or your guardian and you let yourself ask the questions.

[00:05:36] Jenny Swisher: As awkward as those conversations might be, it’s better to know than to not know. When it comes to better understanding your body, check out the book, Period Repair Manual, and also the We Are Tina handle on Instagram. Both of these are great and valuable resources for tracking your cycle and understanding it on a much deeper level.

[00:05:54] Jenny Swisher: I’ll make sure that I link those up for you in the show notes. While we’re here, let’s go ahead and discuss something that every woman experiences, and that is diet culture. You’re going to discover that many women out there follow these myths that you need to eat less or work out harder in order to be healthy.

[00:06:09] Jenny Swisher: But in reality, science tells us quite the opposite, that we need to eat more of the right foods and speak kindly to ourselves. Turns out women can be pretty hard on themselves, which is half the problem. As you get closer and closer to 18, you’re going to want to push your limits with sleep. Staying up super late into the night.

[00:06:27] Jenny Swisher: You might even rationalize this by knowing, well, I can just sleep in. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you should know that your best sleep is achieved before midnight. Yeah, this goes back to the whole circadian rhythm thing. If you can learn to master your sleep, you will have mastered so much of your overall health.

[00:06:44] Jenny Swisher: I assure you that you’ll do better on the test in school with better sleep than you would with an all nighter. And the caffeine? Keep it to moderation. Starbucks just ain’t it, girl. And finally, body image. Please know that when all is said and done, we only get this one body. We might as well love it.

[00:07:02] Jenny Swisher: Instead of viewing your body by how it looks, view it as how it feels. What’s your energy? Begin now with measuring everything in energy. Scales are stupid. The absolute best trait you can carry as a woman is confidence. And that confidence comes from you, A, understanding your unique skill sets and strengths, B, appreciating your body for all it does for you, and C, recognizing that while you navigate your purpose in life, your story is already written.

[00:07:30] Jenny Swisher: The only thing you have to do is make good choices along the way. So let’s recap. Number one, periods will always suck, I’m sorry to say, but you can’t get rid of them so we may as well learn to harness our menstrual cycle superpowers. Number two, birth control doesn’t have to be the way for foregoing uncomfortable symptoms.

[00:07:47] Jenny Swisher: While it’s an option for true birth control reasons, it shouldn’t be used as a catch all for every un figure outable issue that you have going on. Root cause medicine will change your life. Number three, remember that the majority of women are sensitive to dairy. So if you’re struggling in the bathroom department, if you’re feeling bloated, if you’re dealing with acne or PMS, consider dairy free options, or at least trying it out.

[00:08:10] Jenny Swisher: Number four, sex. Everybody wants it and everybody wants to talk about it, but it most definitely doesn’t define you. Number five, diet culture is outdated and as you get older, you’ll realize how stupid it really is. Predicated on a way to sell books and ideals, workout DVDs and more, it is not intended to help you be truly healthy.

[00:08:31] Jenny Swisher: Number six, become a sleep queen. End of story. Number seven, love yourself and measure everything in energy. And finally, last but not least, know this, everything you will experience in life is meant for you and you for it. Never should you feel as if anyone knows more about your body than you do. You are your own best doctor, and you’re fully equipped to live an exceptional, high energy life, so long as you advocate for it.

[00:08:58] Jenny Swisher: Okay, my friends, I hope this speaks to you or your daughter it’s not meant to overwhelm, but instead to be a true, realistic view of how to navigate this weird thing called female hormone health from an early age. I hope you got value out of today’s episode. Share it out with your friends. As usual, thank you so much for listening and until next time, we’ll talk soon.

[00:09:16] Jenny Swisher: Bye bye.