Eating For Your Cycle

If your mood and energy feels different throughout the month that's because it is! You're not static, your hormones move in great waves of ups and downs throughout the month. Naturally it makes sense that this will impact your blood sugar, stress levels, sleep, energy, skin and motivation. ⁠
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Don't ignore cravings, lean into them so you can learn what your body needs!

What Are The Four Hormone Stages?

Matching up how you eat to different phases of your cycle can help support the changing hormones levels through your cycle. There are four stages:

Menstrual
Follicular
Ovulation
Luteal

Let’s go through the different stages and how to eat to support each one.

What to eat during the menstrual phase

The menstrual phase is your period and usually lasts around 1-7 days. During this time your uterine lining is shedding which increases inflammation and fatigue due to the loss of iron via blood. Your sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone are very low at this point.

Foods to eat during your period:

dark chocolate
red meat
beans
sweet potatoes
shellfish
pumpkin seeds
flax seeds

What to eat during the follicular phase

The follicular phase starts the day that your period ends and your body starts gearing up for ovulation. Some of your hormones like follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH) are released from the brain (pituitary gland), encouraging follicles to grow. Estrogen also starts to rise to get things going before the release of an egg.

Usually you’ll feel pretty strong, confident and focused during this stage thanks to the increase of hormones. As your estrogen is rising, it is helpful to include foods such as kale, broccoli and cauliflower, which support the detoxification of hormones.

Foods to eat during your follicular phase:

salads
broccoli
cauliflower
flax seeds
pumpkin seeds
berries
yogurt
salmon

What to eat during the ovulation phase

The ovulation phase typically starts between day 12 to 16 (based on a 28 to 32 day cycle) but can be sooner or later depending on the person. During ovulation, the egg has left the ovary and travels along the fallopian tube, waiting for fertilisation!

Estrogen is at its highest point so similar to the follicular phase, it is helpful to support the clearance of hormones. Getting a good amount of fibre (25g to 30g per day) is a great place to start.

Foods to eat during your ovulation phase:

eggs
broccoli
wholegrain
flaxseeds
sunflower seeds
berries
salmon

What to eat during the luteal phase

The luteal phase typically starts after ovulation and before your period, it is during this time which you experience PMS or PMDD symptoms. Some people with conditions like PCOS, Endometriosis and Fibroids may find this one of the hardest points in their cycle.

In this phase the egg turns into a corpus luteum which produces progesterone, meaning that your progesterone is at its peak during the luteal phase, only to drop drastically before a new cycle starts.

If you do not become pregnant during this cycle, prepare your body for the loss of blood as well as choosing foods rich in magnesium to support cramps and low energy.

Foods to eat during your luteal phase: