What To Eat During The Menstrual Phase – It includes a downloadable food chart for each phase of your menstrual cycle at the end. In this post I also have explanations of each phase. Throughout my cycle in February, I shared phase-specific plant-based food charts with an overview of each cycle phase on Instagram (also known as cycle sync). The response was phenomenal! I haven’t found anything else like this, so I’m very excited to have put it together for you. Of course, there will be even more detailed descriptions and recommendations in my book, but until then, feel free to refer to these charts!

*** For the cycle sync food chart, there is a fun freebie (a PDF printout) at the end that you can download, print, and hang on your fridge so it’s always on hand. This will make following the phases and corresponding foods SO MUCH EASIER! No need to worry about downloading each photo separately because I’ve put it all on one convenient page for you.

What To Eat During The Menstrual Phase

There are many ways to support your body’s hormonal ecosystem, but food and lifestyle are the pillars of healthy menstrual cycles. Let’s get into the four phases of the menstrual cycle. and vegan foods for each cycle phase too!

Foods To Eat During Period: Four Phases

The menstrual phase can be considered the ?winter? season in your body. Consider it a time to rest, conserve energy and hibernate. It is said to be a time when there is little distinction between intuition and logic, allowing you to gain deep access to your inner wisdom and gut feelings. The bleeding phase is natural cleansing (physical and emotional), so while you may feel raw and sensitive, you are also letting go of what no longer serves you.

If you don’t get pregnant, 12-14 days after ovulation is when the corpus luteum stops producing progesterone and will be reabsorbed into your body. This drop in progesterone is what triggers your uterus to contract and you start bleeding. Day One of your period (and of your cycle) begins on the first day of heavy bleeding. This is great information to know for tracking purposes.

Hormones are now at very low levels, which means you have lower energy, your skin is dry and dull, and may appear redder. You may feel more worn out than usual, but that’s okay, because we can’t be? always!

You want to remineralize and restore your blood with food. The foods below are complementary and rich in minerals such as iron and zinc. Focus on miso soups, broths and stews with sea vegetables. Other foods to focus on include water chestnuts, hazelnuts, wild rice, fennel, chlorophyll, adzuki beans and coconut water.

What To Eat During The Luteal Phase

The follicular phase is the phase immediately after your period, when the body prepares to release an egg (also known as ovulation). It can also be considered the ?spring? season in your body.

Each ovary has hundreds of thousands of follicles (sacs of cells with an immature egg in the center). The pituitary gland is signaled to release FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) to stimulate a number of follicles to grow (but only one will win!). The follicles that are ripening release estradiol to thicken the uterine lining for implantation, when the egg is fertilized.

All of this internal work requires proper nutrients for healthy, maturing follicles. Think lots of healthy fats! The foods listed below contain high levels of vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, monounsaturated fats and fiber. Other foods to focus on are olives, asparagus, peas, cherries, plums, pomegranates, nut butters, vinegar-based sauces and dressings, broccoli sprouts and sprouted mung beans. Supplements to consider include zinc, iodine and selenium, vitamin B6 and probiotics.

The ovulatory phase can also be considered the ?summer? season in your body! This is when the big event of ovulation happens. Typically, you are only fertile for 24 hours in your cycle (when the egg is released), but sperm can live inside you for up to 5 days. This is because they are nourished and kept alive by your fertile cervical mucus (which is a stretchy, eggy consistency). This is why tracking your cycle, cervical mucus, and basal body temperature are super important when trying to prevent pregnancy naturally. That way you can avoid sex altogether or use protection.

What To Eat During Periods

Around day 12 of your cycle, the dominant follicle secretes a surge of estrogen, causing a flood of luteinizing hormone (LH). This causes the dominant follicle to grow rapidly until around day 14, when the follicle finally ruptures and releases the egg! This is why you may feel a sharp twinge or cramp on one or both sides of your abdomen. Ovulation is an important part of the menstrual cycle and is the only way your body can make progesterone in the next phase (the luteal phase). You are MAGNETIC during ovulation!

Your skin may look extra shiny, the whites of your eyes appear brighter, you may feel more social and talkative, you have lots of energy, your libido is HIGH and you probably have great hair days!

The foods below are cleansing, full of fiber and anti-inflammatory. Now is the time to focus on raw fruits and vegetables. Other foods to focus on include cantaloupe, raspberries, guava, fennel, eggplant, okra, turmeric, pistachios and amaranth.

The luteal phase can be considered the ?fall? season in your body. A time to turn inward, gain clarity and get answers. This is the time to prepare for ?winter? and get things done that you’ve been putting off all month. You will feel compelled to finish projects, clean out your closet, prepare dinner, and deep clean the house. This is all thanks to progesterone, the calming, anti-anxiety hormone that regulates your mood and promotes deep sleep.

Nutrition And The Menstrual Cycle

The thing is, in order to make progesterone, you have to ovulate (as you learned in the above section). The corpus luteum (what is left of the follicle after the egg is released) forms an endocrine gland and begins to produce progesterone. It is intended to maintain and nourish a pregnancy, should a fertilized egg be implanted. If not, the corpus luteum is reabsorbed, progesterone falls and you get your period! It is an AMAZING process.

This is also the phase where PMS can strike and the hormonal fluctuations can make your skin break out. Lower estrogen levels mean less collagen, so your skin may not feel as plump or shiny. Combat this with softer products and all the foods above. Do restorative or body resistance exercises instead of high-intensity cardio workouts.

The foods on the table below are warming, detoxifying and grounding. They contain a lot of fiber and natural sugars to fight cravings. Other foods to focus on include jicama, garlic, onions, parsnips, jackfruit, persimmons, raisins, dandelion and millet. Last week I discussed how to better synchronize your training around your menstrual cycle and I had so many of you reach out and say thank you for sharing, but you also asked “What about nutrition, it’s a big battle for me”?

Just like training, our nutrition should be considered during our menstrual cycles. I’m sure you’ve all felt low on energy, had crazy cravings and/or hunger & noticed your body changing too, retaining more fluid, feeling bloated & puffy, and even our muscles feeling sore & tired.

What To Eat During Ovulation: The Best Ovulatory Phase Foods, Recipes + Tips For Hormone Balance » So Fresh N So Green

What you eat during your menstrual cycle can play a huge role in all of these symptoms, but unfortunately we’re told time and time again to go against the way we feel, to keep dieting, even when our bodies are screaming at us for more calories & nutrients, to simply have better willpower to have cravings & deal with the bloating, low energy & fatigue.

Changing your eating habits during your cycle can actually have great results for you, such as improved energy, less fatigue, better moods, less bloating, less cravings, improved body composition, reduced period problems – by supporting the production (or metabolism and detoxification) of hormones at different stages of our cycle.

Hormones (estrogen and progesterone) are at their lowest right now and iron levels are dropping, so it’s normal to feel low in energy, more withdrawn and sluggish. You will need lower calorie needs, higher carbohydrates and a diet rich in omega 3s, iron and vitamin C.

Your hormone levels begin to rise during this phase as your body prepares an egg to release. Estrogen (and testosterone in smaller amounts) is on the rise, so energy starts to pick up and you will feel more confident. We are also more insulin-sensitive, so our bodies can tolerate more carbohydrates and slight increases in calories, especially if you increase your strength training and increase your omega 3s.

Eating During Each Phase Of The Menstrual Cycle. Best Foods For Pms

Estrogen is peaking right now, so you should feel great! You will start to feel hungrier in this phase and need higher caloric needs, increasing intake of healthy fats especially and tryptophan rich foods like eggs, nuts, salmon etc.

Progesterone is on the rise – our fat-burning, temperature-regulating, pro-gestational hormone. You may start to feel a little more introverted & slow. This is because estrogen decreases and serotonin levels drop. Progesterone

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