OPTIMISING YOUR NUTRITION INTAKE THROUGH YOUR CYCLE.
What if I told you that those monthly mood swings, cramps, food cravings and back pain could all be minimised?
That’s right, you may be able to put away the heat pack and pain killers by simply making some tweaks to your nutrition! I am here today to teach you the importance of nourishing your body at each stage of your cycle and the role that food can play when good ol’ Aunt Flo comes to visit!
The female body is one of the most amazing things on this planet. Women’s bodies are intricately designed to lead us to pregnancy or menstruation each month. Individuals who menstruate essentially go through three phases each cycle: follicular phase, ovulatory phase and luteal phase. Each of these periods (pardon the pun), has different needs nutritionally, for optimum function. Let’s chat about these phases and foods…
FOLLICULAR PHASE (PART ONE)
This begins on day one of bleeding. Others will refer to the beginning as the “menstrual phase,” but technically, this is the beginning of the follicular phase. During the first part of this phase, your hormones are low to ensure the shedding of your uterus lining. Toward the second part, your brain begins releasing hormones to stimulate egg production, whilst your ovaries release increasing amounts of oestrogen. This is when our body prepares for the main event.
Due to the blood loss that occurs at the beginning of the follicular phase, it is essential to replenish Iron, B vitamins and vitamin C. Replenishing these nutrients will re-energise you!
In particular, women on contraceptives may experience a greater depletion of B vitamins. Those pesky cramps that can occur during menstruation come down to higher levels of prostaglandins (inflammatory chemicals that stimulate contractions of the uterine lining - so we can shed… I told you the female body is amazing). With that in mind, anti-inflammatory foods can be your holy grail before, after and during your period!
OVULATORY PHASE (THE MAIN EVENT)
One of those wonderful eggs is released from the ovary and makes its way to the fallopian tube, hoping to become best buddies with a sperm. I call this the main event, because without it, there would be no progesterone, no bleed or no chance for baby making! During this phase you may notice a change in cervical mucus, a rise in energy and libido (woo woo!) and tender breasts. This is a time for keeping healthy snacks at arm’s reach to sustain that energy, increasing fibre to support your bowel and don’t forget to catch some rays (sun-safe rays that is). Vitamin D is a key player here!
LUTEAL PHASE (THE FINALE)
This is arguably the most important time to focus on nutrition! If that wonderful egg does not meet her male counterpart (sperm), she then travels down the tube, through the uterus and then we shed - hello again Aunt Flo! This last phase from ovulation to your next bleed is approximately 10 - 16 days in length. The female body raises its basal body temperature (by roughly 0.3C), churns through more food and more nutrients. Our beautiful hormone progesterone comes to its peak… then at the very end, right before you bleed, progesterone and oestrogen, will drop right off (helloooo mood swings). For this reason you may feel sluggish, slow and irritable close to your period. During this part of the cycle you NEED. IT. ALL! We need more protein, more antioxidants, more healthy fats, more quality carbohydrates and more micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).
For this last phase I want you to think NOURISH NOURISH! NOURISH!
When we begin to understand our cycle and the influence food can have, we treat our bodies with more respect. We allow ourselves to nourish instead of deprive. We accept that we are in constant flow, with ever changing needs and that no day is the same. This acceptance and understanding will manifest a beautiful relationship with our body.
Disclaimer: If your cycle appears to be abnormal or is causing you persistent distress, please seek guidance from your general practitioner or medical professional for individualised advice.
Written by Jackie Frangeskakis and Millie Padula (Team Dietitian Edition)
References and Further Reading
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-32647-0
https://rbej.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12958-018-0323-4
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnme/2020/5980685/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-021-01508-8