This past spring, a new program called Revelation90 was launched to help women intentionally learn about their bodies and cycles, develop healthier eating and exercise habits, and grow in their faith. Portrayed as a unique alternative to the traditional diet and exercise programs marketed to women, Revelation90 offered a challenge to adopt lifestyle changes centered on a healthy cycle, all through a Catholic lens. Intrigued by this holistic approach to health of body, mind, and soul, I decided to give it a shot. Here’s what my Revelation90 experience was like and why I recommend it to any woman (not just Catholics!) seeking body, mind, and soul rejuvenation.
What is Revelation90?
Revelation90 is a ninety-day holistic wellness program designed to help women on their journey to happier and healthier fertility. It was created by the Couple to Couple League (CCL), a United States-based organization that teaches the Symptothermal method of natural family planning (NFP). The Symptothermal method is a fertility awareness method that tracks the daily biomarkers of basal body temperature and cervical mucus.
Revelation90 has three main components: physical and nutritional health, spiritual growth, and fertility awareness. To support participants, Revelation90 partners with other organizations to provide practical guidance and education in each of these areas:
- CCL’s PeakDay fertility app is a charting tool that allows you to record biomarkers such as cervical mucus and temperature, track other indicators like activity level and mood, and view and compare your charts month-to-month. PeakDay also provides several webinar sessions during the program and offers one free coaching session to Revelation90 participants.
- SoulCore combines prayer and physical movement to reflect the human integration of body and soul. Instructors lead live webinars meditatively praying the rosary (a Catholic form of prayer), with exercises accompanying each prayer.
- Founded by a degreed nutritionist, Temple and Table provides education and guidance on cycle-based nutrition, including recipes and modifications for delicious, healthy, and fertility-friendly meals.
How much does Revelation90 cost?
It costs $40 to participate in Revelation90. This covers a premium subscription to the PeakDay app during the program, access to the Rev90 portal where all of the webinars are available via livestream or recording, and a package containing a journal, a booklet called Shorter, lighter, and pain-free periods (with proactive tips for reducing PMS symptoms and promoting a healthy cycle), a basal body thermometer (for charting with the Symptothermal method), and a sticker with the Angelus prayer (a Catholic prayer traditionally prayed at 6 AM, 12 PM, and 6 PM each day), which participants are encouraged to pray daily.
Why is the program called Revelation90?
The name “Revelation90” is inspired by the Book of Revelation, the final book in the Bible. The program draws on the book’s symbolic imagery, including such verses as, “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Rev 12:1).
The journal provided with the program materials also points to the root word reveal and its deeply personal implications: “Making changes in our lives and starting new habits can be challenging and overwhelming. But overcoming these challenges reveals a new, stronger version of ourselves.” By focusing on revealing a whole and healthy self, Revelation90 takes a restorative approach to cultivating physical, spiritual, and fertility wellness. I find this aspect of Revelation90 appealing and truly distinctive; I prefer it to health and wellness programs that often emphasize total transformation, which can make the end goal seem distant or unachievable.
What does participation in Revelation90 involve?
Revelation90 involves setting personal goals and keeping track of your daily and weekly progress. There is a dedicated section in the journal for each week that includes a Daily Log (“Record Biomarkers” and “Pray the Angelus” are preset daily goals, and there are additional blank spaces to add your own), plus prompts to record your goals for the week and reflect on its highs and lows.
The online portal includes introductory videos from each of Revelation90’s partners (PeakDay, SoulCore, and Temple & Table), including instructions on how to use the Symptothermal method and chart with the PeakDay app. Each week, a live webinar was hosted by a different Revelation90 partner. The recordings were available soon after on the portal. Topics included tips to de-stress your cycle, recipes, nutrition for healthy cycles, and active sessions praying the rosary with SoulCore.
At the end of each month, you can take a short survey to be entered into a raffle and win prizes that range from fun socks to BlendJets. (I was happily surprised to be chosen as a winner one month!)
Is Revelation90 available year-round?
Unlike other wellness or “reset” programs like Whole30 or 75 Hard, which can be started at any time, Revelation90 is designed to take place over specific days of the year that align with its spiritual component. It started on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, and ended ninety days later, after the feast of the Ascension. (Because these feast days fall on different dates each year, the program will also follow a different schedule from year to year.)
Why did the program run during Lent? Lent is a time when Catholics prepare to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. That’s why you might hear Catholics talk about “giving things up for Lent.” But Lent is far more than a spiritual or physical detox. Lent is really about identifying and restoring relationships that have been damaged or broken by sin: relationships with oneself, with God, and with other people. Revelation90’s holistic approach aims to support a healthy soul and body, integrating spiritual restoration with physical health through nutrition, exercise, and fertility awareness. According to the website, the next cohort is enrolling now for fall 2024.
My experience with Revelation90
Overall, I found Revelation90 to be very thoughtfully designed and cost-effective. I’m Catholic, and the beginning of Lent felt like a natural time to reflect on my current habits and set new goals. I spent maybe an hour going through the introductory materials in the portal and the journal. To be honest, I didn’t revisit the journal much after that, mostly because I kept a regular journal and preferred to just write my thoughts there.
Cycle charting component
I had begun charting on paper using the Symptothermal method about a year before doing Revelation90, but even if I had been new to charting, PeakDay would have provided all the resources I needed to get started. I found the app to be both comprehensive and intuitive. You can customize which biomarkers to record, and it provides supplementary information and the option to connect with a coach if needed.
PeakDay includes a color-coded calendar view, a typical chart view, and even has a “Compare charts” function that lets you quickly see consistencies and variations in the phases of your cycle from month to month. An added bonus was being able to conveniently and privately chart my cycles while traveling. I found the webinars provided by PeakDay coaches both easy to follow and informative. In keeping with the spirit of Revelation90, they took a holistic approach, not only discussing the cycle itself but also tying in the impact of factors like sleep, exercise, nutrition, and stress on women’s cycles.
Nutritional component
I was impressed by how flexible, practical, and approachable Revelation90 made nutritional health seem in their partnership with Temple & Table. One of their main principles is the “80-20 rule:” Improve nutrition 80% of the time and don’t worry about the imperfect 20%. Rather than making blanket statements about particular foods or diets, they began with a self-assessment worksheet with 12 areas of nutrition, and then encouraged participants to set goals in whatever areas might be lacking.
One area that I scored lower on, for example, was in the variety of foods that I eat. I knew that I was basically buying the same things when I went to the grocery store, so my husband and I started to branch out by buying whatever meat was on sale: corned beef after St. Patrick’s Day, tilapia filets nearing the sell-by date—you get the picture. It was a win-win-win: we saved money, ate delicious meals, and enjoyed the sense of adventure with cooking.
Fitness component
The SoulCore videos were one of my favorite parts of the entire program. I loved being able to integrate prayer and physical activity, and I finished each video feeling incredibly refreshed. The combination of strengthening, stretching, and functional movements was challenging yet gentle in a way that felt both satisfying and restorative.
The SoulCore workouts shifted my approach to exercising. I found them so refreshing and restorative, and now, on days when I’m feeling low energy, I am more likely to do a gentle routine similar to the ones I did as part of Revelation90, instead of trying to force myself through an intense workout anyways or (more likely) just collapsing on the couch. That aspect of the program really helped me to appreciate my body and its needs more, and to understand the value of moving even if I’m not breaking a sweat.
The amount of content wasn’t overwhelming
It may seem like there’s a lot of time and effort involved in Revelation90, but remember, everything I described above was spread out over about three months. The weekly webinars usually lasted less than an hour and charting takes just minutes a day. And the rotating schedule of topics kept it all from getting monotonous. From a spiritual perspective, I liked having the continuity of the program through both Lent and Easter, and I think it speaks to Revelation90’s successful focus on holistic wellbeing that it was adaptable to both seasons.
Would I participate in Revelation90 again?
Definitely. I found it to be information-rich, goal-oriented, and highly personalized. It would be impossible for anyone to make all of the changes at once that the program recommends; moreover, it really meets you where you are, so I think it would be impactful year after year.
What I would do differently
Because the outcome of Revelation90 really depends on what you put into it, and it runs for quite a long time, I would definitely invite other women to do the program with me next time around to increase support and accountability. There were some weeks when I just got busy and wasn’t as engaged as I could have been.
I’m sure I wasn’t alone in that, but with the program being all virtual, it was hard to tell. I think being directly involved with a group would have motivated me to be more consistent and get back on track quicker. The weekly journal prompts for reflection would easily translate to a group discussion among friends, fellow parishioners, or mothers and daughters.
Who would benefit from Revelation90?
I would recommend Revelation90 to any woman or teenage girl looking for a more structured way to learn about her body and incorporate positive changes for her physical, mental, and spiritual health. I think the guidance and resources provided by Revelation90 make it actually seem attainable to feel and be your best without guilt for not being perfect.
The program is designed for Catholics. Those who practice other faith traditions or aren’t religious would still benefit from the resources for fertility health, exercise, and nutrition, but if you would find the openly spiritual aspect off-putting, Revelation90 may not be the best fit.
Overall, Revelation90 achieves what it sets out to do in offering a challenge with holistic benefits for the female body, mind, and soul. It’s flexible enough that you can choose what works for you and do as much or as little as you like. The reward for following the program as it’s designed is that it guides you to implement small yet powerful changes with lasting benefits to your health.
