Support hormone health by syncing your nutrition to your cycle.
Cycle syncing is a framework to align the way you eat, move, work and play based on where you are in your menstrual cycle.
Each full cycle is composed of four distinct phases of hormone levels. Those four phases can help you optimize the way you feel and perform by taking into account what your body needs that specific day and week.
It’s simple to incorporate foods in each phase that will support the current state of your hormonal flow, and there’s no need to be perfect! Rather, stock up on a few key players when you’re grocery shopping for the coming week.
The benefit of eating with your cycle is that you’ll naturally give your body a huge variety of nutritious foods to support your energy and hormone health.
The Menstrual Phase
The goal: Reduce inflammation and replenish nutrients
In general: Think wintery food! Consider warm, hearty meals, warming spices, anti-inflammatory herbs and foods with iron, omega 3 fatty acids and B vitamins.
The Follicular Phase
The goal: Promote healthy ovulation and metabolize building estrogen
In general: Think light and bright like spring! Consider light grains, fermented veggies, cruciferous veggies, citrus, seeds, cooling herbs.
The Ovulatory Phase
The goal: Support detoxification and keep up energy
In general: Think cooling, raw foods found in summer! Consider smoothies, salads, cruciferous veggies, berries and anything straight out of your garden.
The Luteal Phase
The goal: Support premenstrual mood and build up nutrients
In general: Think cozy, filling foods like in autumn! Consider root vegetables, whole grains, beans, leafy greens, warming spices and foods with magnesium, omega 3s and vitamin D.
Appetite and Metabolism
You need more calories between ovulation and your period.
Your metabolism speeds up after ovulation, so you’ll feel hungrier until your next period. That’s normal, so honor it!
Plus, your body’s response to exercise changes post-ovulation, so you might need to fuel more in order to hit a hard workout.
You might not feel as hungry when you’re fertile, but remember to eat!
Thanks to evolution, your body is hardwired to be out and about when you’re fertile (potentially able to get pregnant). Your brain prioritizes going out to find a mate (even if you have one already!), so it pays less attention to the fact that you need to eat.
Prevent blood sugar crashes and hanger by ensuring you fit in well-rounded meals and taking snacks when you head out.
Ready for the next step?
What food are you happy to see made the list?