There's a lot to know about the menstrual cycle! It's a superpower in our books. Let's dive into the details.
There are 4 phases: menstruation (bleeding), follicular phase, ovulation, luteal.
Menstrual phase: progesterone and estrogen levels decrease, body temperature drops, skin can get dry and immune system actually becomes weaker
Follicular phase: Progesterone stays low, testosterone levels start to rise making us feel energetic, positive mood, outgoing and enjoy social gathers more then previous phase
Ovulatory phase: progesterone slowly decreases, estrogen levels reach optimal level, skin is at its best, high body temperature, appetite increases and less energetic
Luteal Phase: progesterone increases, estrogen levels are high, this is when premenstrual syndrome PMS starts to occur, depression, skin troubles, breast tenderness, increased appetite causes binge, fatigue, body temperature increases
You can eat to support each phase of your cycle.
There is, in fact, a way to support hormones through food. It's good to keep in mind the source of your food. The way we like to think of it is that everything your food is exposed to is transferred to you once you ingest it.
Menstrual:
- Grains: Buckwheat, wild rice
- Veggies: Beets, burdock, dulse, kale, kelp, wakame, water chestnut
- Fruit: Blackberries, blueberries, concord grapes, cranberry, watermelon
- Nuts & seeds: Chestnuts, pumpkin, flax
- Meat: Organic, grass-finished duck and pork
- Seafood: Crab, clams, octopus, lobster, sardines, scallops
- Other: Miso, sea salt, and sea vegetables
Follicular:
- Grains: Barley, oats
- Veggies: Artichokes, broccoli, carrot, lettuce, parsley, green peas, string beans, zucchini
- Fruit: Avocado, lemon, lime, orange, plum, pomegranate, sour cherry
- Nuts and seeds: Brazil nuts, cashews, lychee, pumpkin, flax
- Meats: Organic, hormone-free chicken and organic, pasture-raised eggs
- Seafood: Fresh-water clam, soft shell crab, trout
- Other: Nut butters, olives, pickles, sauerkraut, ACV
Ovulatory:
- Grains: Amaranth, quinoa
- Veggies: Asparagus, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, chard, chicory, chives, dandelion, eggplant, endive, okra, spinach, tomatoes
- Fruit: Apricot, cantaloupe, coconut, fig, guava, persimmon, raspberry, strawberries
- Nuts and seeds: Almonds, pecans, pistachios, sesame, sunflower
- Meats: Organic, grass-finished lamb
- Seafood: Wild atlantic salmon, freshwater shrimp, freshwater tuna
- Other: Turmeric
Luteal Phase:
- Grains: Brown rice, millet
- Veggies: Cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collard, cucumber, dikon, garlic, ginger, leek, mustard greens, onions, parsnip, pumpkin, radish, squash, sweet potato, watercress
- Fruit: Apples, dates, peach, pear, raisins
- Nuts and seeds: Hickory, pine nuts, walnuts, sesame, sunflower
- Meat: Organic, grass-finished beef and turkey
- Seafood: Wild cod, flounder, halibut
- Other: Spearmint, peppermint, spirulina
Our advice is to pick a couple of foods from each list and have fun with them according to where you are in your cycle! The body is fascinating. Did you know that we use heaps of whole foods that can support your hormones? Shop Ripe Products today!
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