How To Cycle Your Diet for Hormonal Health
How To Cycle Your Diet for Hormonal Health
There’s something missing from all of the modern diet trends today: respect for menstrual physiology. Our cycle is so significant that it changes how we eat, what nutrients we need, and how much we need to eat. I have also taken note about how many diet trends focus on restriction. Cutting out, slimming down, losing fat, it’s almost like you shouldn’t exist at all! I think this has done a number on our psyche, and as empowered as I am, I can still feel the social pressure to conform to these ways of thinking.
This led me to the question of how we can think about eating differently, and how we can use fertility awareness charting to put us at more of an advantage, to develop a positive relationship with eating food we love. We need to know how to power ourselves through life, and right now, “dieting” is not cutting it, we need to truly be nourishing our bodies!
Here are some guidelines for the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle. I've organized them in order of how you would see them on a fertility awareness chart.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Quality really matters. Sourcing food from more local, more organic sources will increase the nutrient density of the food
Don’t skip meals or restrict your eating, even if you can’t abide by these considerations
Cooking at home > eating take out. Better quality ingredients, and most restaurants use really harmful cooking oils to make your food
Do what you can - retrofit as much of this information as possible, but don't feel pressured to conform to anything 100% of the time. Live your life
PREOVULATORY CONSIDERATIONS
Your metabolism is naturally slower
So you don’t need as many calories per day
Your body is more primed to eat fresh and raw foods
Fiber helps you metabolize estrogen, and detoxify pollutants
WEEK 1: MENSTRUAL PHASE [WINTER]
You need micronutrients, particularly minerals that build the blood to counter loss of blood via menstruation, support kidneys, balance hormones as they are lowest at this phase
Eat warm foods to counter the “cold” bleed time
Increase intake of protein and fats
WEEK 2: FOLLICULAR PHASE [SPRING]
Now you’ll switch to eating lighter, more raw, more astringent foods to optimize liver function
Think fresh, vibrant, light meals
WEEK 3: OVULATORY PHASE [SUMMER]
Balance the estrogen rise and support the circulatory system
Eat raw, fibrous, and fresh foods
POST OVULATORY CONSIDERATIONS
Your metabolism increases
So you need more calories [200 or so more per day]
Specifically you need more b vitamins and minerals like magnesium, zinc, selenium
Eat most nutrient dense at this time
WEEK 4: LUTEAL PHASE [AUTUMN] - Remember that the luteal phase is typically 2 weeks long. Although it is considered "week 4" for the purposes of this exercise, the end of your ovulatory phase may overlap into the first week of your luteal phase. When you feel ready, start to make the switch back to warm foods. Warm foods prepare your body to bleed, and fiber supports large intestines to balance digestion (the dominant hormone of this phase, progesterone, slows digestion)