“Fasting on a Woman's Clock, Not a Man's Stopwatch”
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Title: Fast Like a Girl
Author: Mindy Pelz
Category: Health, Food & Nutrition
What if the fasting rules you've been following were written for a body that isn't yours? Sam and Sophie open with that uncomfortable question, because most intermittent fasting advice was built around male physiology.
The episode walks through Dr. Mindy Pelz's cycle-syncing framework: the five phases of the menstrual cycle and what each one actually asks of you. Menstruation is the back-off week. The follicular phase is the green light for longer fasts and hard training. Ovulation flips the switch. The luteal phase is where Pelz gets most insistent, because progesterone drives appetite and carb cravings, so the guidance is shorter fasts and steadier blood sugar. They also cover perimenopause and menopause, the refeed meal as half the equation, the liver's role in clearing estrogen, and the hormetic stress idea that anchors the whole book.
If you've ever pushed a long fast in the wrong week and felt wrecked for days, this one names why. The takeaway: timing beats intensity, and your cycle is a map, not an obstacle.
Fast Like a Girl by Dr. Mindy Pelz. For the full written summary you can read or listen to, the whole library is at 7minutebooks.com/app — over 6,000 fiction and nonfiction titles, unlimited access from $2.99 a month, $9.99 a year, or $19.99 lifetime.
Chapters
00:00Why Fasting Advice Was Built For Men01:07The Five Phases And Their Hormones01:31Menstruation And The Follicular Green Light02:36Ovulation, Luteal Cravings, And Backing Off03:48Perimenopause, Menopause, And The Refeed Meal05:47Hormetic Stress, The Liver, And Self-Compassion