Hormone Balancing Foods To Support Your Menstrual Cycle
A Cycle Syncing Foods Guide, Chart, Recipes, Tips + More...
Hello and welcome to HORMONE HEALTHY EATS from So Fresh N So Green’s Lauren Chambers, a nutrition + hormone health coach & girl mom x 3. If you’re here and aren’t yet a subscriber, I would love to have you join me! You can expect a monthly newsletter filled with simple + fun hormone balancing tools, tips, charts, personal faves & more + a delicious, nutrient-dense, hormone healthy full meal (+ occasionally dessert) aligned with each phase of your cycle (menstrual, follicular, ovulatory + luteal) delivered to your inbox every Saturday.
Hi! Hello! Welcome!
It honestly feels surreal to be writing my first official Substack post, and can I just say I am so excited to be here!
Let me quickly introduce myself — I’m Lauren Chambers, and I’ve been a certified nutrition + hormone health coach (CHHC) operating my own practice for the past 8 years, and a recipe creator + blogger for 12 years.
I’m also a mom of 3 girls — Eloise/Ellie (6), Amelia/Millie (3) and Frances/Frankie (19 months) — and while they keep me busy, they also inspire me to share my knowledge with as many women as possible, so that our daughters and future generations of women don’t have to suffer through normalized uncomfortable, painful or debilitating symptoms — as many of us were unfortunately taught to do.
I also love writing, love (love) food, and looove helping women balance their hormones in order to feel their best through delicious, nutrient-dense recipes.
And I believe strongly in community (such an integral part of overall health) and am always trying to find ways to engage and build it, so when I *finally* discovered Substack it seemed like such a natural next step.
So here I am, and I thought the best way to introduce my work would be an overview of what eating for your hormone health and menstrual cycle entails.
PERIOD PROBLEMS
Before I went back to school to study nutrition and hormone health, I was pretty much the poster child for awful periods (major bloating, painful cramping, fatigue, uncontrollable cravings and mood swings so intense my husband (then boyfriend) tracked my cycle for six months to prove that all of our fights happened right before my period (little did I know he was actually onto something!)
Thankfully, now that I understand the ins and outs of my menstrual cycle and support it through simple actions and nourishing foods, I am happy to report I experience a relatively smooth and symptom-free cycle the majority of the time.
Either way, I want you to know that while PMS and other hormonal imbalance symptoms are extremely common, they are not normal, and it is totally possible for you to have a symptom-free period (and entire menstrual cycle) through simple nutrition and lifestyle modifications.
WHAT IS CYCLE SYNCING
Cycle syncing, a term coined by Alissa Vitti, is the practice of aligning your daily activities, including diet, exercise and routines, with the different phases of your menstrual cycle to potentially enhance well-being and understand your body better.
There are a lot of simple habits I’ve incorporated over the years to support my cycle, which I’ll eventually share more about, but in this post we’ll be focusing specifically on diet.
WHY EATING FOR YOUR MENSTRUAL CYCLE MATTERS
If you are a woman in your reproductive years (beginning with your first period up until menopause) your hormones follow a pattern with four distinct hormone fluctuations throughout each cycle.
These fluctuations impact your female physiology in a myriad of ways and require a variety of macro and micronutrients. If you’ve ever experienced insatiable hunger or intense carb/sugar cravings the week before your period (it me!), then you’ve felt your body’s shifting metabolic needs firsthand.
However, in large part due to diet culture and media messaging, we’ve been taught to ignore our body’s signals and focus on restricting foods and calories, following rigid rules, diets or trends in order to maintain our weight and health.
But in actuality, rotating in a wide variety of nutrient dense foods is one of the best hormone balancing tools we have at our disposal. And when our hormones are operating harmoniously, we’re truly able to achieve optimal health and feel our best — inside and out.
With that, let’s cover what’s happening on a biological level during each phase of our cycle, as well as how to support these shifts (and minimize or reverse symptoms as a result) through food.
The first day of your period marks the beginning of your menstrual phase, typically lasting anywhere from 3 to 7 days. It is the result of a normal inflammatory process that involves the disintegration of the functional layer of the endometrium (no longer needed for egg implantation) and the regeneration for a new layer in preparation for an implanting embryo in the upcoming cycle.
It’s an energy-intensive phase, one that involves tissue injury and restoration, and as such it makes sense for you to feel more tired, withdrawn, vulnerable and tender (especially in your abdomen).
That does not mean it should feel painful or debilitating in any way (physically, emotionally, etc.) and if you do experience any of these symptoms it is often linked to one or more hormonal imbalances. Please remember, painful periods are all too common, but they are not normal, and they should NOT be accepted as a normal part of your life.
In addition to the tissue degeneration taking place, all of your sex hormones (including estrogen, progesterone and testosterone) are at their lowest levels, impacting your mood, confidence, sleep, energy and libido as a result.
These shifts align with the winter season, embodying an essential time to hunker down and hibernate, rest and replenish. When we hone in and listen to these cues, we preserve energy, replete lost nutrients and ultimately set ourselves up for a symptom-free remainder of our cycle.
One of the very best ways to support your hormones during this time is with food! Nutrient repletion is critical during this phase, as you’re losing minerals due to blood loss. The following foods are deeply restorative and reflect our natural cravings and physiological needs during this time.
Iron-Rich Foods *with an emphasis on animal proteins
Because your body is involved in an intense process of shedding the building of the uterine lining, it’s especially important to emphasize foods that are rich in iron – particularly heme iron from animal proteins, the most bioavailable form – which is deeply restorative to the blood and kidneys. Optimal sources include:
+ Liver/organ meats
+ Grass-fed red meat (beef, bison, buffalo, lamb, etc.)
+ Wild caught fatty fish (sardines, salmon, tuna, mackerel, anchovies)
+ Shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp)
+ Poultry
+ Organic tofu *make sure organic/non-GMO & use sparingly
+ Legumes
*Pro-tip: You can also try cooking your foods in a cast-iron pan, which can increase the iron of non-heme sources by up to 16%
Vitamin C Rich Foods
Vitamin C helps your body dissolve and absorb iron, particularly from non-heme sources (i.e. plant-based). It’s also involved in suppressing inflammation and helps to offset oxidative stress. Optimal sources include:
+ Dark colored berries
+ Citrus
+ Bell peppers
+ Papaya/guava
+ Leafy greens
+ Parsley
+ Cruciferous vegetables
Mineral Rich Foods
Minerals such as magnesium, zinc, calcium and iron are essential to hormone production and function, and they work to combat common menstrual phase symptoms such as cramping, headaches, dizziness, fatigue and inflammation. Because we excrete these minerals with our uterine lining, it’s especially important to consume an abundance during this phase. Optimal food sources include:
+ Liver + organ meats
+ Red meat
+ Bone broth
+ Shellfish
+ Sardines
+ Dark leafy greens
+ Sea vegetables (nori, dulse, kombu, kelp, seaweed)
+ Nuts and seeds (particularly pumpkin, flaxseed, chestnuts + peanuts)
+ Legumes (kidney and adzuki beans)
+ Cruciferous vegetables
+ Dark chocolate
+ Sea salt
Foods High in B Vitamins
B vitamins (particularly b6, pyridoxine and b9, folic acid) support optimal progesterone production, crucial to reducing period pain and PMS prior to your period, as well as balancing blood sugar levels and thwarting energy dips and cravings. Optimal sources include:
+ Buckwheat
+ Wild rice
+ Wild-caught salmon
+ Poultry
+ Tuna
+ Liver + organ meats
+ Mushrooms
+ Kidney beans
+ Ricotta and Cottage Cheese
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
As you previously learned, these fatty acids are considered highly anti-inflammatory and can help lower prostaglandins associated with cramping and period pain. Optimal sources include:
+ Wild-caught salmon
+ White fish (cod, halibut, flounder)
+ Sardines
+ Anchovies
+ Pasture-raised eggs
+ Spirulina
+ Walnuts
+ Hemp seeds
+ Chia seeds
+ Flaxseed
Anti-Inflammatory Herbs + Spices
Herbs and spices have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 2,000 years, and are now clinically proven to help reduce cramping, nausea, bloating, fatigue, and headaches, as well as boost immunity and digestion and promote cycle regularity. Optimal herbs and spices to incorporate in your menstrual phase include:
+ Nettle leaf
+ Ginger
+ Chamomile
+ Turmeric
+ Red raspberry leaf
MENSTRUAL PHASE RECIPES:
I’ll be posting a new menstrual phase recipe here once per month, but in the meantime check out this post for 60+ recipes perfect for your menstrual phase.
This phase begins the day your period ends and lasts until ovulation, typically 7-10 days. At the start of your follicular phase, your pituitary gland releases a hormone called follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) which stimulates the follicles that contain a woman’s eggs in one of the ovaries to mature. In response, the pituitary gland then starts to release luteinizing hormone, or LH, which is responsible for facilitating ovulation. Under normal circumstances, only one of these follicles will “ripen” and become mature.
As these follicles grow, they produce increasing amounts of estrogen, a proliferative or “growth” hormone that signals to your endometrium to rebuild after menstruation, thickening it in preparation for a potential pregnancy. It also causes your cervix to soften, open and produce wetter quality cervical fluid, designed to help sperm travel and survive the long journey to the egg.
Testosterone levels also rise, stimulating your libido to get you in the mood during your upcoming fertile window and bolstering your confidence. When hormones are balanced, this natural rise in estrogen and testosterone typically comes with a boost in energy, mood, and brain skills, helping you feel bolder, powerful and willing to take more risks.
On the flip side, if you’re struggling with a hormonal imbalance, particularly excess estrogen in relation to progesterone, you might experience symptoms like pain or cramping during ovulation, as well as an influx in PMS related symptoms during the latter half of your cycle.
Ultimately, you’ll want to approach this phase as you would the spring season, by planting seeds (i.e. hormone healthy habits) that will pay off in dividends during the rest of your cycle.
As mentioned above, this phase comes with a plethora of enjoyable benefits, however it can also be a double-edged sword, particularly if estrogen levels remain too high in relation to progesterone levels. Thus, it’s especially important to consume nutrients that support effective estrogen metabolism, along with optimized gut health, healthy liver function, egg maturation and uterine lining growth.
Healthy Fats
During your follicular phase it’s crucial to consume healthy fats, as they play a direct role in ovarian hormone production, providing your body with the structural building blocks it needs to mature and release a follicle. These fats are also rich in micronutrients that support ovulatory function and overall menstrual cycle health. They include:
+ Avocado + avocado oil
+ Olives + olive oil
+ Nuts + seeds
+ Wild caught fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc. )
+ Cod liver oil
+ Pasture-raised egg yolks
+ Full-fat dairy (grass-fed butter, ghee, yogurt, cream, etc.)
Cruciferous Vegetables
During the follicular phase, estrogen levels naturally rise to thicken your uterine lining in preparation for a potential pregnancy. While estrogen production is important during this phase, excess levels can lead to uncomfortable symptoms later in your cycle such as period pain, PMS, mood swings, weight gain, bloat and depression. Cruciferous vegetables contain glucosinolates, a sulfur-containing compound rich in indole-3-carbinol, which helps your body safely remove harmful estrogen metabolites (i.e. excess estrogen), working to keep symptoms at bay the remainder of your cycle. Some optimal cruciferous vegetables to consume in your latter follicular phase and during ovulation include:
+ Broccoli
+ Cauliflower
+ Cabbage
+ Kale
+ Brussels sprouts
+ Bok choy
+ Watercress
+ Arugula
Liver Supportive Foods
The liver plays a key role in detoxifying estrogen, as it is tasked with repackaging any leftover excess estrogen into an intestinal-friendly form that can exit the body via the bowels. If we have a sluggish, overburdened liver, estrogen can sit in our intestines for too long and become reabsorbed, leading to excess estrogen. When you support liver function, you’re also supporting estrogen metabolism and detoxification, which is essential during your follicular and ovulatory phases (when estrogen peaks). Optimal liver supportive foods to focus on include:
+ Raw carrot
+ Beets
+ Green asparagus
+ Dandelion greens
+ Broccoli sprouts
+ Cruciferous vegetables
+ Citrus
+ Leafy greens
+ Onion
+ Garlic
+ Turmeric
Vitamin C Rich Foods
Eating a colorful, well-rounded diet rich in vitamin C-loaded raw fruits and vegetables helps to fight off free-radicals and support liver detoxification, aiding in estrogen metabolism. Some optimal vitamin C rich foods to incorporate into your follicular phase include:
+ Dark colored berries
+ Citrus
+ Bell peppers
+ Papaya/guava
+ Leafy greens
+ Parsley
+ Cruciferous vegetables
Fermented + Probiotic Rich Foods
Fermented and probiotic-rich foods support gut health, which also benefits our estrobolome, a unique set of bacteria in our gut that specifically works to break down estrogen and eliminate it safely via the bowels. An impactful way to help your gut with this important, hormone balancing task is through the consumption of fermented and probiotic rich foods, such as:
+ Kimchi
+ Sauerkraut
+ Pickled vegetables
+ Kefir
+ Full-fat Greek or coconut yogurt
+ Full-fat cottage cheese
+ Organic, non-GMO miso or tempeh
+ Apple cider vinegar
Fiber-Rich Foods
Another impactful way to support estrogen elimination is by consuming enough dietary fiber, which helps flush excess estrogen safely via our bowls. Fiber helps draw water into the colon, adding bulk and softness to your stool, helping it pass more smoothly through the digestive tract and increasing transit time. Some optimal fiber-rich foods to consume during your follicular and ovulatory phase include:
+ Cruciferous vegetables
+ Leafy greens/green vegetables
+ Artichokes
+ Avocado
+ Lentils/legumes
+ Split peas
+ Berries
+ Chia + flaxseed
+ Gluten-free whole grains (quinoa, oats, millet, rice)
Phytoestrogens *If You Don’t Have Estrogen Dominance*
Phytoestrogens are plant-based compounds that mimic the body’s natural estrogen production. While you wouldn’t want to consume these if you’re experiencing symptoms of estrogen dominance, they can be beneficial to consume at the beginning of the follicular phase, when estrogen is lowest. If you don’t have problems with excess estrogen, below are the phytoestrogens I recommend consuming during your follicular phase:
+ Flax seeds
+ Pumpkin seeds
+ Organic, non-GMO soy products such as miso, tempeh or soy in small amounts
Herbs + Spices
These herbs have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for over 2,000 years to help replenish the body post period with minerals. Certain herbs like nettle can help to reduce high estrogen levels, while spearmint can regulate androgen levels, making these herbs especially beneficial if you struggle with symptoms like bloat, cramping or pain and acne during this phase. These herbs include:
+ Nettle
+ Oat straw
+ Spearmint/peppermint
+ Schisandra
+ Holy Basil
+ Dandelion
+ Maca
+ Turmeric
FOLLICULAR PHASE RECIPES:
I’ll be posting a new follicular phase recipe on here once a month, but for 60+ delicious recipes perfect for your follicular phase, check out this post.
Right before ovulation, peaking estrogen levels prompt your pituitary gland to release luteinizing hormone, LH, causing the dominant follicle to rupture and release an egg into the fallopian tube. This egg will be viable for roughly 12-24 hours, and if not fertilized by sperm (which can live up to five days in the female body), it will disintegrate.
Ovulation typically occurs somewhere between days 12-17 of your cycle, but you’ll need to use fertility awareness methods to determine when exactly it happens for you. While this phase is short, you will feel the hormonal effects in the days leading up to and following ovulation, which is great news for most women, as a majority report looking and feeling their most attractive during this phase.
This can be attributed to surging levels of estrogen and testosterone, helping you FEEL yourself, with a rise in energy, mood, magnetism, confidence, creativity and communication skills, inclining you to get out, connect, see and be seen (i.e. peak summer vibes). Your libido is also running high, to naturally get you in the mood during your fertile window and attract a mate with “genetic potential.”
While this phase brings with it an abundance of fun and fabulous characteristics, it’s especially important to focus on keeping peaking estrogen levels in check, as an excess can lead to pain during ovulation, as well as many of the symptoms we often dread in the upcoming phase (including PMS, heavy periods, weight gain, mood swings, cramping, etc.)
Physically, your uterine lining continues to thicken in preparation for a potential pregnancy, while your cervix opens and starts producing wetter quality cervical fluid (similar to the consistency of egg whites), designed to help sperm travel and survive the long journey to the egg in order to conceive.
Consuming specific macro and micronutrients during your ovulatory phase works to support cyclical hormonal fluctuations, helping your body keep surging estrogen levels in check and providing it with the energy it needs to release an egg.
Not only that, but because ovulation is often considered the most vital part of your cycle, it lays the foundation to optimize your biology for the phases that follow, mitigating uncomfortable symptoms and empowering you to feel your best the rest of your menstrual cycle.
Foods That Support Vascular Health
A healthy vascular system (also known as your circulatory system) is key to healthy ovarian function and egg quality, as well as ensuring that once you ovulate your ruptured follicle seamlessly transitions into a corpus luteum that produces enough progesterone to sustain your menstrual cycle (and a healthy uterine lining if trying to conceive!) Some optimal foods to incorporate during ovulation for vascular support include:
+ Olives/olive oil
+ Wild caught fatty fish
+ Oats
+ Spinach + leafy greens
+ Berries (especially blueberries)
+ Beets
+ Pomegranate
+ Citrus Fruits
+ Tomatoes
+ Ginger
Cruciferous Vegetables
The emphasis for cruciferous vegetables begins in your follicular phase and continues during ovulation, as they contain sulfur compounds that assist in safely eliminating excess estrogen that could otherwise lead to PMS and other uncomfortable symptoms. *Refer to the follicular phase section above for the list.
Liver Supportive Foods
You’ll also want to continue to focus on liver-supportive foods that assist in estrogen metabolism and detoxification. *Refer to the follicular phase section above for the list.
Glutathione + Antioxidant-Rich Foods
Eating a colorful, well-rounded diet rich in antioxidant loaded foods help to enhance mitochondrial function, fight off free-radicals and mitigate oxidative damage, all of which improve egg quality. It also supports the liver in estrogen detoxification (glutathione is especially vital in this process). Some optimal antioxidant and glutathione-rich foods to incorporate into your ovulatory phase include:
+ Citrus
+ Bell Peppers
+ Berries (especially strawberries)
+ Tomatoes
+ Avocados
+ Asparagus
+ Okra
+ Papaya
+ Cruciferous veggies
Selenium-Rich Foods
Selenium is an essential mineral (especially important for thyroid health!) and a glutathione cofactor, meaning it’s vital in reducing oxidative stress levels, supporting liver detoxification and eliminating excess estrogen. Some selenium-rich foods to incorporate during ovulation include:
+ Grass-fed beef
+ Organ meats
+ Poultry
+ Lamb
+ Wild-caught fish
+ Organic, full-fat cottage cheese
+ Brown rice
+ Brazil nuts
Fermented + Probiotic Rich Foods
You’ll want to continue to emphasize fermented and probiotic-rich foods that positively influence our gut flora, particularly our estrobolome, a collection of gut bacteria and fungi that metabolize and regulate estrogen levels. *Refer to the follicular phase section above for the full list.
Fiber-Rich Foods
Keep up consumption of fiber as recommended in your follicular phase, which also supports your gut microbiome, digestive tract, and the elimination of excess estrogen. *Refer to the follicular phase section above for the full list.
Herbs + Spices
Incorporating herbal teas, digestive bitters and adaptogens into your ovulatory phase routine can be an extremely effective way to support optimal hormonal balance and reduce or reverse menstrual cycle symptoms. The “whole food supplements” below contain vitamins and minerals that work to support liver detox and excess estrogen elimination, naturally balance out estrogen levels, enhance energy and libido and overall support healthy ovulation. I recommend purchasing most in looseleaf form to drink as a daily tea or herbal infusion.
+ Maca
+ Turmeric
+ Dandelion root
+ Burdock root
+ Nettle tea
+ Hibiscus tea
+ Bee pollen
+ Digestive bitters
OVULATORY PHASE RECIPES:
I’ll be posting a new ovulatory phase recipe on here once a month, but for 60+ super yummy ovulatory phase appropriate recipes, check out this post.
Immediately after ovulation, your dominant follicle transforms into the corpus luteum and begins producing progesterone. Progesterone takes over for estrogen, which up until ovulation, was building a cushy endometrium lining in anticipation of a potential pregnancy.
Progesterone completes the maturation process and renders the lining receptive for egg implantation. In the event an egg was fertilized, the corpus luteum will continue producing progesterone throughout pregnancy. If not, it breaks down about 12-14 days post-ovulation, beginning your period and a new menstrual cycle.
This shift often feels gradual, just like that slow transition from late summer to early fall, and we’re often still riding high off the feel-good effects of ovulation for about the first half of this phase. However, as progesterone production increases, it naturally inclines us to turn our attention inward and focus on routines, organization, self-care regimens and completing important tasks or goals.
While a dwindle in energy and a more introspective mood is normal during this time, many women experience symptoms that are common but not normal – such as PMS, insomnia, bloat, cravings, headaches, cramping, anxiety, acne or depression– making this phase often the most dreaded of the entire cycle.
However I can assure you – as someone who struggled with PMS for many, many years – when your hormones are operating in harmony this can actually be a really beautiful and enjoyable time in your cycle, and the autumnal themed foods and recipes happen to be some of my favorites.
Speaking of food, the increase in progesterone during the luteal phase also stimulates appetite and increases body temperature and resting metabolic rate, which may require women to consume anywhere between 100-300 more calories per day.
This is especially not the time to count calories, restrict foods or skip meals, as doing so can destabilize blood sugar, dysregulate feel good hormones like serotonin and dopamine, and increase cortisol production (which also turns on fat storage). I also want to point out if you do feel hungrier during this phase, it is completely normal, and I encourage you to listen to your body (I say this as someone who ignored hunger signals for years to adhere to the same calorie intake day after day, with major PMS to show for it).
While adequate progesterone levels are important, they can naturally slow digestion (hi bloat and constipation) so it’s important to eat plenty of warm, well-cooked and fiber-rich foods, which support large intestine functionality and increase transit time, leading to regular bowel movements.
Due to the hormonal fluctuations that take place during this phase, it’s important to consume plenty of nutrients that support progesterone production, stable blood sugar levels, optimal digestion and healthy mood and brain function. This includes:
B Vitamin Rich Foods
B vitamins (especially b6 and b9) support optimal progesterone production (crucial to reducing PMS related symptoms) as well as stabilize blood sugar levels, helping you avoid energy dips, mood swings and cravings. Some optimal B vitamin rich foods for your luteal phase include:
+ Gluten-free oats
+ Banana
+ Wild caught salmon or other fatty fish
+ Poultry
+ Tuna
+ Liver + organ meats
+ Citrus
+ Potatoes
+ Full-fat ricotta or cottage cheese
Fiber-Rich Foods
The increase in progesterone naturally slows digestion, which can lead to bloat and constipation during this phase. Eating a variety of fiber-rich foods during this phase supports large intestine functionality and increases transit time, leading to regular bowel movements. Some optimal fiber-rich foods for your luteal phase include:
+ Chickpeas or legumes
+ Pears
+ Apples
+ Starchy root vegetables
+ Leafy greens
+ Gluten-free whole grains (quinoa, millets, oat, buckwheat, etc.)
+ Walnuts
Complex Carbohydrates
Consuming adequate complex carbohydrates (i.e. slow burning carbs) helps to regulate serotonin and dopamine levels, preventing mood swings, providing your cells with energy and blunting cravings. As always, you’ll want to make sure you pair these with a quality source of protein and fat to prevent a blood sugar spike or crash. Optimal complex carbs include:
+ Sweet potato
+ Potatoes
+ Squash
+ Pumpkin
+ Carrot
+ Buckwheat
+ Millet
+ Oats
+ Brown rice
Magnesium-Rich Foods
Magnesium is an essential mineral involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including muscle and nerve function (helps to lower prostaglandin levels tied to menstrual cramps), regulating blood sugar and improving insulin sensitivity, and supporting a healthy immune system. Magnesium deficiency is extremely common amongst women, especially those with PCOS, and has been associated with a variety of metabolic problems including insulin resistance, high blood pressure and inflammation. You’ll want to ensure you’re consuming plenty of magnesium rich foods regularly, with an emphasis during this phase to keep PMS-related symptoms at bay. Optimal food sources include:
+ Spinach, kale and dark leafy greens
+ Fish (salmon, cod, halibut, etc.)
+ Nuts and seeds
+ Legumes (chickpeas, navy beans, black beans, cannellini, etc.)
+ Avocado
+ Gluten-free whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, etc.)
+ Dark Chocolate
Foods High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
As you learned earlier, omega-3 fatty acids are highly anti-inflammatory and have been shown to lower prostaglandins that if elevated can lead to cramping and period pain. Optimal sources include:
+ Fatty fish (wild caught salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel, herring)
+ Oysters
+ Pasture-raised egg yolks
+ Spirulina
+ Walnuts
+ Hemp seeds
+ Chia seeds
Anti-Inflammatory Herbs and Spices
Herbs and spices have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 2,000 years (and have been clinically proven) to help reduce cramping, nausea, bloating, fatigue, and headaches, as well as boost immunity and digestion and promote cycle regularity. Optimal herbs and spices to incorporate in your luteal phase include:
+ Burdock Root
+ Ginger
+ Dandelion Root
+ Red Raspberry Leaf
+ Peppermint
+ Cinnamon
+ Oat straw
+ Garlic
LUTEAL PHASE RECIPES:
I’ll be posting one new luteal phase recipe here per month, but in the meantime you can check out this post for 60+ delicious, luteal-phase recipes!
BOTTOM-LINE
While it may seem like *a-lot* to take in at first, the more you start to tune in with your body and menstrual cycle, the more you’ll notice yourself naturally gravitating towards foods that align with your nutritional shifts and needs.
That’s what I love so much about eating for your cycle, it feels intuitive and in a state of flow, never forced as I used to always feel when following a specific diet (which are usually geared toward’s men’s static hormones, but that’s another conversation for another day :)).
Either way, I hope you can take what you needed from this post and use it in a way that helps you nourish and find joy and pleasure with food and cooking, as well as mitigate symptoms and feel better, inside and out!
Great article! Packed with lots of information and insight. Thank you! This will help me so much in my hormonal journey
This is awesome! Thank you so much for this breakdown, I’m gonna have to sit with it longer and study it 🥹🤭❤️💪