Tips for Women: Optimizing Nutrition and Hormone Health

Ideas I learned from listening to Nutrition Podcasts and staying in tune with my body.

Did you know that across the internet there is a wide array of tidbits of advice for how we as women can take care of our bodies throughout the month? It's called "cycle synching." Basically, you take whatever week in your cycle you're in, and you eat, exercise, and set goals according to this phase in your menstrual cycle. I find that doing this is really helpful because it reminds me of why I might be craving a particular food or feel a particular way at certain times. For the next four blog posts, I will share with you a few tips to help you get started with cycle synching basics. I hope you find these tips helpful. Remember, the most important thing is to minimize stress. These tips aren't meant to give you a more complicated life, but to help you thrive in simple ways.

Now, without further ado let's dive into how to take care of your body during the luteal phase. (The week before you get your period.)

Tip #1 - Eat more!

During this phase in our cycle, we need to increase our caloric intake to provide enough fuel and nutrition for our bodies due to an increased metabolism. If you're concerned about gaining weight, remember that eating enough nutritious food will actually balance your metabolism and give you a healthier weight than a restricted calorie intake.

Tip #2 - Eat root vegetables

There are specific nutrients needed during the luteal phase of your cycle. As your progesterone increases during this week, you may notice an increased level of irritability. Your body needs extra nourishment to take on these added hormones and prepare for your period.

"This is a prime time for roasted or baked root vegetables and slow-burning carbohydrates. High fiber foods are also incredibly helpful during this time to help flush out estrogen and avoid estrogen dominance (aka PMS)." – jillguerin.com

Tip #3 - Strengthen your body with consistent low impact workouts

This is a good week to home in on grounding exercises. You can push yourself a little bit, and work on building muscle tone and core strength.

Tip #4 - Take time to meditate

By "meditate" I mean take some time to look back on the more intense high-impact weeks of this past month. How did you do? What were some things you would like to improve on next month? What were some moments that you learned from? What were some of your greatest successes? Your mind is in a state of optimal contemplation at this time of the month. Lean into this and enjoy the insights that your intuition provides.

Tip #5 - Give yourself grace

Some experts compare the luteal phase to the season of autumn, a season when we are fading into hibernation. You may notice yourself feeling wistful and tired. You may notice a lack of motivation or inspiration. Rather than assuming that you are being lazy, it's helpful to understand that this feeling won't last forever. Schedule breaks in your week and try to think of a way to cut something out of your schedule. You will feel more motivated later in the month. You don't have to get it all done this week.

That's it!

Implementing these few tips should help you to keep feeling your best. By the way, this is a great resource for more in-depth pointers on taking care of your hormones - Hormone Healing RD | Amanda Montalvo, RD, FDN-P I highly recommend you check this out for a more thorough understanding of how to take care of your body in the best way possible.

So, what do you think? Let me know if one of these tips was helpful to keep in mind and comment your thoughts below. It will make my day to hear from you! :)