Lola, where and how did you learn the most about your body as a young girl?

I have an older sister and female cousins that I grew up with, and we spent endless sleepovers discussing our bodies, bra sizes, tampons, pubic hair, etc. I also has a liberated mum who (mostly) encouraged a non-judgmental space for us to chat. She walked around naked, and talked to me quite factually about her experiences of periods, sex, and love. Can’t forget to shout out some key literature! Forever by Judy Blume, Where Did I Come From? and my dad’s dusty The Joy of Sex.

What do you admire/dislike about the dialogue around women’s bodies today? Do you think it’s possible to perform a feminist healthcare practice? If so, what does that look like to you?

It’s an incredible time to celebrate yourself and salute diversity! Social media has been crucial in women being able to define themselves. I do worry, however, that there is a lot of focus on visual identity and not enough on the health of our brains.

Feminist healthcare feels real in my field [of nutritional therapy]. NT’s often give focus and attention to the nuance in women’s hormonal physiology in a way that some mainstream healthcare doesn’t. NT’s also tend to bridge the gender gap and health gap that exists in mainstream healthcare.

That’s really interesting. How do you think Moody Month’s mission relates to this idea of feminist healthcare?

We want women to understand themselves better. By tracking patterns and providing cycle-related education we help women optimize their health. This information is not readily taught in schools, nor is it shared by GPs. We are sharing vital information.  

Let’s talk Moody Month—Moody worked as our content partners on our most recent manual, and you’re one of their co-founders! How did you first get involved?

Amy [one of Moody’s co-founders] and I discovered each other through a chance introduction. When we met, I knew we were meant to do something important together. We spent the first six months meeting at cafes and snatching time to brainstorm, plan, visualize, and eventually build the web platform. We got investment and our amazing team grew from there. The app followed less than a year later in the UK and US.

Your point about tracking patterns really resonates with me—I know that I gained such insight I around my body when I began tracking my cycle. Do you feel similarly? What can people gain from studying their cycles on a deeper level?

Cycle tracking can help identify imbalances, but it can also help you understand what might be working. For example, knowing when it’s likely for you to experience low moods or anxiety can help you ride it out, be easy on yourself, and take time for self-reflection. On a deeper level, this learning is important in terms of dismantling the notion that people who experience periods are hormonally out of control. Our fluctuations have meaning if we learn to listen to them.

Alright, time for some real world applications...  ;)

What’s the best time in your cycle to plan a sexy date?

Driven by estrogen, you’re likely to be feeling your best, most attractive, seductive, optimistic, and aroused during your rise (follicular) phase. It’s a clever physiological design, as it’s the phase that leads up to ovulation, so in procreation terms it’s the perfect time to find a mate. This will be different if you are on hormonal contraceptive, but if you track your cycle you have start to see patterns of when you feel optimal and seek sexual intimacy.

 Worst time in your cycle to have dinner with your mom?

It all depends on your sensitivity to hormone shifts during your cycle. There are two typically more emotionally sensitive times during the cycle, the shift and rise phases, as estrogen and progesterone drop. this isn’t the case for everyone who experiences periods. The main thing, of course, is mums are important, even if flawed. and not to be taken for granted!