Supercharge Your Hormones by Sophie S. @shetalkshealth
Did you know that as a menstruating woman you have 4 distinct phases of your menstrual cycle and that your brain, hormones, metabolism change significantly week to week? Therefore it makes sense that your nutrition needs must also be adjusted to supercharge your body and allow you to thrive throughout the entire month!
Week 1 - Follicular - The Follicular phase is directly following the menstrual or bleeding phase and this is the time of the month your brain is communicating with your ovaries to create the hormones that create the ovulation event - FSH and LH. FSH or Follicle Stimulating Hormone and LH or Luteinizing Hormone need to be supported with nutrient dense foods and lowering inflammation so your brain and ovaries can connect. This is exciting because we can do so much with food here! Think nutrient dense, fresh, vibrant foods like leafy greens, taste the rainbow of veggies, rely on sprouted beans, seeds and grains like buckwheat. For protein, think about lean meats. Start paying attention to your internal clues as estrogen levels rise so does your increased sensitivity to insulin and because estrogen also regulates the hunger and satiety hormone, Leptin, you may notice that you feel fuller on less food. You may be naturally craving low carb foods like salads! Pretty Cool, huh!?
Week 2 - Ovulatory - Ovulation is your inner summer and therefore food should be reflective of that. Increase fiber and fruit to help your body metabolize estrogen excess (estrogen is highest at ovulation)! Light grains like quinoa are helpful here too. This phase is very similar to the one before it but as some women tend toward estrogen excess you can start to incorporate raw carrots, broccoli sprouts and cruciferous veggies as these help to eliminate unnecessary estrogens from the body, setting you up for less PMS and painless periods.
Week 3 - Luteal - The Luteal Phase comes directly after ovulation and lasts approximately 10 to 14 days. This is the phase known for dreaded PMS. But guess what?! PMS is a hormonal imbalance that can be corrected. A huge missing piece for women in regards to food during this week is that our caloric needs go up by 5-10% and our insulin sensitivity plummets. These two things are a recipe for disaster - that salad you were having the week before now is NOT enough food and without additional protein, fat and carbohydrates your blood sugar is going to become unbalanced. This leads to an all too familiar HANGRY feeling and PMS moodiness. This is not the time to skimp on carbs - think sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa and starchy veggies, heartier breakfasts to give your body energy and nutrients. Keep up with your estrogen eliminators like cruciferous veggies too!
Week 4 - Menstrual The Menstrual or Bleeding phase is the part of our cycle when our hormones are the lowest which leads to fatigue and that is actually ok. Some tiredness is to be expected, embrace it with walks, yoga and naps! From a food perspective focus on proteins, fat and low glycemic veggies and fruits to keep your blood sugar steady. Seafood, kelp, nori are all helpful at remineralizing your body with iron and zinc. You lose these two nutrients the most during bleeding. You will find you thrive on soups and stews at this time that are rich in these missing nutrients!
Sophie Shepherd is a women’s menstrual and gut health coach. As a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, Sophie helps women around the globe transform their menstrual and gut health through a combination of root cause diagnostic testing and nutrition and lifestyle science so they can finally have straightforward answers to their most mystifying symptoms.
She is the CEO of SHE TALKS HEALTH, Producer of THE SHE TALKS HEALTH PODCAST and Co Creator of EmpowerHER: 12 week gut and hormone transformation. Sophie’s mission is to educate and empower women about how they can use their menstrual cycle as a superpower to reclaim their health and get their lives back!
