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Just like Mother Nature, the female cycle transitions through seasons, some filled with warmth and energy, and others of cooler connections with a calling to go inwards. By becoming in tune with your cycle and your body, you will begin to understand what you can expect, and how you can shift into a space of hormonal harmony.
WORDS Katie Gregory
Your menstrual cycle can be thought to represent seasons just like how we experience seasons in the weather. Each phase corresponds to a season: winter, summer, spring or autumn.
Phase 1 – your period: your inner winter
Phase 2 – The follicular phase: your inner spring
Phase 3 – The ovulatory phase: your inner summer
Phase 4 – The luteal phase: your inner autumn
TUNE INTO CYCLICAL LIVING.
Menstruation phase | Winter
Day 1 of your bleed-usually lasts until day 5. This will occur in the absence of pregnancy, and hormones will begin to decrease.
What foods to eat:
- Iron rich foods- red meat, lentils
- Nettle tea
- Hemp seeds
- Dark green leafy vegetables
Movement & self care:
During this phase it is a time for inward thinking, rest, gentle movement, and a chance to go slowly with yourself. Keep warm with Epsom salt baths (rich in magnesium, this may help menstrual cramping). Teas, slow cooked foods, or warming herbs & spices (think turmeric, ginger etc.) should be included.
Follicular phase | Spring
This is day 1- roughly day 14. The uterus begins to thicken again, and the hypothalamus signals to the pituitary gland to release the hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This moves you nearer to ovulation and stimulates your follicles to make oestrogen.
What foods to eat:
- Flaxseeds
- Avocados
- Lentil & bean sprouts
- Tofu for healthy amounts of oestrogen
Movement & self care:
During this phase, you likely have more energy, can push yourself more physically and feel as if your brain is thinking clearer. Like the season of spring, this phase brings a new light filled with the ability to flex your creative muscles.
Ovulatory phase | Summer
Day 12-17 approximately, not always. This is where the release of the egg from your ovary takes place. Ovulation is also how you make the hormone progesterone.
What foods to eat:
- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, cabbage)
- Salads, raw foods
- Omega-3 rich foods such as salmon, or chia seeds
- Organic eggs
Movement & self care:
During ovulation women usually feel and appear more attractive during this phase. Typically libido is at its peak whilst ovulating. You may notice fertile mucus, signalling you to your fertile window (Leak-proof undies can be great for this time for those who don’t like the feeling of moist underwear.) Much like a beautiful summer’s day spent basking under the warm sun, there is a heat found in the body, an energy that feels exhilarating and passionate. Now is the time for high intensity movement, socialising, focusing on projects and embracing your confidence.
Luteal Phase | Autumn
Approximately, days 14-28. This is now considered the second half of your cycle. Progesterone ( a feel-good, calming hormone) begins to rise. One of the main roles of progesterone is to hold and keep a pregnancy, as the name suggests “pro-gestation hormone”. If the body is not pregnant, this is the time where PMS symptoms may occur, however, this can greatly be supported and prevented with your diet + lifestyle.
What foods to eat:
- Sesame seeds
- Zinc rich foods- oysters, nuts, seeds
- Apples (high in vitamin B6-great for PMS), sweet potato
- Organic chicken
Movement & self care:
During this phase you may find yourself being productive, and now is a great time to focus on strength & weight training in the first half of the cycle before needing to slow down towards the end of this phase. Keeping blood sugar levels stable may help gently prepare the body for the next season and reduce PMS like symptoms. Autumn is the season to put that extra layer on, and enjoy a home cooked meal.
So as you can see, us females are complex creatures that experience changeability in our bodies & cycles, much like the environment we live in. If we begin to tune into these changes we can learn to adapt and sync in with our cycles instead of working against them.
“Much like a beautiful summer’s day spent basking under the warm sun, there is a heat found in the body, an energy that feels exhilarating and passionate. Now is the time for high intensity movement, socialising, focusing on projects and embracing your confidence”.
