Nourishing Foods for a Healthy Cycle

I am writing this article for my clients and women who desire to eat and exercise specifically in-line with their cycle. Why not feel great all month long and optimize your vitality, fertility, and hormonal health? Did you know that each week of your moon cycle your body is tackling a new hormonal shift? It can sound super complicated ( just how we may feel in phase 4) but it really is pretty simple to understand. Let me break it down.

I don’t know about you, but it can feel like a wild ride, this moon cycle. For me, relating my cycle to the moon cycle makes me feel like it is natural to ebb and flow and feel different in each of the 4 phases. And I like feeling in touch with nature and earthy.  Each phase should feel different,  but not in a PMSy raging, swollen, hormonal witch type of way : ) If you have irregular cycles or PCOS, simply follow these four phases loosely, such as taking about 8-10+ days for each phase until you find yourself having a regular cycle ( and get yourself some acupuncture and herbs). The guidelines here are tips on flowing through each of the 4 phases with grace and ease whether you are trying to make a baby or dealing with hormonal imbalance. My approach is a blend of asian medicine principles and functional medicine style nutrition.

 

Phase 1: YOUR FLOW

 

 

Phase 1: ( Days 1-7) Your FLOW. This is your creatively juicy time. You might feel emotions that have been stuffed in. This is a time to get in touch with how you are really feeling and let it all FLOW out. You might find yourself feeling more sensitive to everything right now, including relationship issues, foods, and exercise. This is a good time to journal, listen to soothing music, reflect, and be still.

 

FOOD in Phase 1

Foods that are warming and moving are good to help prevent cramps. From an asian medicine perspective, I recommend warm ginger tea, chai tea, lemon water, soups and bone broth soups, and steamed, baked, or stir fried veggies instead of raw, cold veggies. These will help reduce or eliminate cramps if you have them and improve blood flow and circulation. Spices such as ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, and basil are great. Protein sources that are high in iron are good during menstruation. Think grass fed lean meats, organic hemp seeds, raw cacao, moringa, and all naturally red foods such as organic tart cherries, goji berries, kidney beans, tomatoes. Sprouted and pickled foods such as ezekial toast, and kimchi are good as well.

 

 

My favorite go-to recipe for this time of the month is chili. You can enhance your body’s ability to utilize these iron rich foods by consuming vitamin c rich foods alongside them in the same meal, such as grass fed chili.

Breakfast idea: Chai tea with almond milk, Chocolate smoothie with collagen peptides, organic protein powder, raw cacao, moringa( not frozen), avocado toast, egg scramble with pesto and avocado on top

Lunch idea:  turkey burger with pesto, buddha bowl with organic ground  turkey, rice, avocado, and salsa with a few organic corn chips : )

Dinner: Grass Fed chili, quinoa noodles with pesto and chicken, veggie soups with rice noodles and beef, red curry dishes

 

 

Exercise in Phase 1

Keep it gentle while on your flow. Yoga, walking, qi gong, and tai chi are all great. Resting on your heaviest days is a good idea. If you have painful cramps, go for a walk and use a heating pad.

 

PHASE 2: PRE-OVULATION: Follicular phase

 

 

Phase 2: ( approximately days 7-14) Your FEEL good time. Yin time. Typically hormones are in a great place for good mood and energy leading up to ovulation. This is what we call the highest point or peak of YIN in asian medicine. This is before progesterone rises and before ovulation when energy shifts to more of a YANG type of energy. There is a surge of estrogen this week.

FOOD in phase 2:

Yin( moisturizing, lubricating, hormone building) nutrient dense foods are great during phase 2 as follicular developement–your dominant follicle (egg) is getting ready for ovulation. Feed that developing follicle your best nutrient dense foods! Yin foods are also great for plentiful cervical mucous.

Yin nourishing foods are lean meats, fish, some shellfish, cage free eggs, moderate intake of dairy products (I recommend organic goat dairy), soups, berries, melons, sweet potatoes, avocados, kelp and seaweed, spirulina, asparagus, beets, nuts and seeds, sardines, oysters, and bone broths/stocks.

 

Focus on foods high in Vitamin E such as almonds, sunflower seeds, and spinach. These will all nourish your developing egg and are important to focus on during week 2 if you are trying to get pregnant or desire hormonal balance.

Fresh fruit juices and some raw, nutrient dense salads ( if your digestion can handle it) are great this week to help your body effectively process estrogen and to give your body a boost of glutathione. Glutathione is a master antioxidant that helps your liver do hormone balancing.

Some of my favorite go to recipes for phase 2 are egg scrambles with garlic, onions, spinach or other greens topped with avocado and salsa, and chicken soup made from a whole chicken. I could pretty much live on guacamole : )

Breakfast: Egg scramble with veggies, quiche, spinach berry smoothies, hempseed smoothies with fruits or raw cacao

Lunch: Roasted beet and goat cheese salad, soups made with bone broth, roasted asparagus

Dinner: Chicken soup made from whole chicken , steamed spinach, stuffed peppers with goat cheese, sweet potatoes or homemade sweet potato fries, homemade sushi, fish tacos

Exercise during Phase 2

Pre-Ovulation: Give it your all. It is a great time to try a new type of exercise or pick up a new routine. You should have good stamina and energy during this time to achieve the results you want. Daily vigorous exercise will improve your pelvic blood flow increasing fresh, oxygenated blood to your developing follicles.

 

PHASE 3: OVULATION: YIN to YANG shift

 

 

Phase 3: (approximately days 14-21): a thermal shift happens in your body and your temperatures rise as your body starts producing more progesterone (think pro-gestate). This is what I call the transition from the YIN part of your cycle ( Days 1-14) or first half of your cycle to the Yang part of your cycle. Yin is the more nurturing, female aspect of ourselves. Yang is the more warming, moving aspect.

FOODS in Phase 3

Think B, C and zinc!  B vitamin rich foods will help with ovulation and implantation. Leafy greens, gluten free grains ( buckwheat. etc.), eggs, and organic, grass-fed meats are good. Think Greens and Grains. The calcium and magnesium can help increase pelvic blood flow and hormonal balance.

 

 

Specific Yang boosting foods from an asian medicine perspective are energetically warming foods such as  beef, lamb, chicken, anchovies, ginger, garlic, and scallions to name a few.

Vitamin C helps your body produce progesterone which will help support a possible pregnancy. Top sources of vitamin C are kiwi, and bell peppers as well as citrus.

 

Foods highest in zinc are pumpkin seeds, cashews, mushrooms, garlic, lamb, chicken, spinach. grass fed beef, raw cacao/dark chocolate, and chickpeas. Plan your recipes with these. I make pesto with pumpkin seeds!

Breakfast:  warm buckwheat ( gluten free) cereal topped with blackberries/seeds, egg scramble, smoothies with cashews or pumpkin seeds. avo toast on ezekial bread,  banana/egg/oatmeal pancakes ( make sure oatmeal is organic)

Lunch: Egg or chicken salad, buddha bowls with grass fed beef/turkey/chicken, Caesar salad ( use anchovy paste/garlic), hummus and veggies, 7 layer style Mexican bowls topped with cilantro

Dinner: Lamb with salsa verde (or pesto), roasted broccoli, roasted chicken, soups, stir fries with veggies, red curry dishes, grass fed tacos topped with cabbage and guacamole

Exercise during Phase 3

You can handle a lot during this time. Running, weight lifting, dancing, etc. You might find yourself more social so it is a good time to meet up for group classes such as Buti Yoga, Yoga flow, or a dance class.

 

Phase 4: Possible Implantation or Prepare for FLOW

 

Phase 4: Hormones are starting to wind down for menstruation or are increasing if you are pregnant.  Eat plenty of fiber and drink a ton of water ( half your body weight in ounces daily). Fiber will help clear out excess estrogen and help with estrogen/progesterone balance.

FOODS in phase 4

Good fats will help stabilize your mood. Essential fatty acids are the building blocks of hormones. Think wild caught salmon, avocados (you can do these all month long–so good!), nuts and seeds, and veggies high in vitamin A.  Your brassica family of veggies( cabbage family) will help your body effectively metabolize estrogen and help with any moodiness, PMS, or bloating. These are bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cabbage, etc.

 

Breakfast: egg scramble with avocado, hempseed smoothies, chia seed pudding topped with nuts/seeds

Lunch: fajitas with bell peppers, roasted brussel sprouts, buddha bowls , bok choy with hummus

Dinner: Grain free Dirty rice made with cauliflower and veggies, salmon, fish tacos with cabbage slaw, pan seared broccoli with anchovy paste and garlic.

Exercise in Phase 4

You can take it a little easier in intensity this week, but please keep your body in motion to ward of any moodiness or crazy : ). Yoga, pilates, walking with meditation, etc. are great during this phase. If you don’t push too hard during this phase, you might have more energy for your next cycle.

 

 

 

Fertility, peace, and vitality,

Joy, L.Ac., MSOM

Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist

Owner of Nourished Roots LLC

Nourishedrootsacu.com

References:

WomanCode by Alisa Vitti.