Guest article by Hannah Willemsen.
Hannah Willemsen is a trained and certified nutritionist and advises women on topics including the menstrual cycle, intestinal health and sports nutrition. Hannah viewed the body as a complex system and also builds this holistic approach into her coaching sessions. In addition to her coachings, she also offers online programs, gives workshops and has written 2 books: “Hormone Food” (together with Julia Schultz) and the “Bauchgeflüster Journal”. In her guest post, you’ll learn how you can optimally adjust your diet to your cycle and which foods suit the individual cycle phases:
Living in sync with your cycle and supporting it as best you can can help minimize stress, balance hormones, optimize fertility if you want to have children, and improve your skin condition. Of course, you can live in sync with your cycle on many different levels, but the foundation is your diet. Because only what you give your body in nutrients, it can also use. And depending on the cycle phase, our body needs different nutrients.
The effects of the female cycle on the body
Every month, ideally, we women go through very regular and predictable hormonal fluctuations. These fluctuations are quite normal within our cycle. During the cycle, we go through four different phases, and each of these phases has an impact on our body, our mood – simply our entire physiology. These phases also affect how we respond to certain external stimuli. Being in sync with your cycle means that we adjust our behavior, our eating, deadlines, exercise, and even external influences to our cycle in some way so that our hormones are in balance. In the long run, this can help you feel better (PMS, cravings, mood swings, fatigue), be more efficient, and of course it has an impact on your appearance (water retention, muscle gain, fat loss).
Why should you adjust your diet to your cycle now?
Your hormones influence your insulin levels, your metabolism and also your detoxification. By optimally supporting your cycle with your food, you can optimize all these processes. Let’s take a look at the topic of insulin. Insulin has the task to let sugar into the cells to keep the blood sugar level in balance and to supply the cells with energy. Balanced blood sugar levels are hugely important for us, as this has a direct impact on our energy levels. A constantly high blood sugar level can lead to type 2 diabetes, for example. A low blood sugar level can lead to dizziness.
Two of the sex hormones in your cycle are estrogen and progesterone, which both rise and fall. They also have a direct impact on insulin levels. And depending on how your insulin levels are, you may or may not be able to use carbs better. Furthermore, our sex hormones have an influence on our serotonin and dopamine levels. Studies (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23744611/) have shown, for example, that women with PMS have fewer PMS problems after taking serotonin-producing substances.
Carbohydrate rich foods can help stimulate serotonin production, this may be one reason why we have the famous cravings especially in the 2nd half (i.e. after ovulation). As mentioned earlier, our hormones rise and fall during the cycle, which also means that we need to eliminate them. Our detoxification organs such as the intestines, liver and kidneys take care of this. These detoxification processes are especially important in the middle of the cycle (from ovulation), as this is when estrogen is at its highest and estrogen dominance can occur. Thus, one cause of PMS problems and the aforementioned estrogen dominance may be poor detoxification. (For simplicity, the following illustration was made using a standard cycle as an example).
Phase 1: the menstrual phase (period) Day 1-6
In general medicine, this phase is called the beginning of the new cycle, but if we take a closer look, it is the end result of your cycle. Your hormones have completely dropped and this can cause fatigue and mood swings. During your period, especially if you have heavier bleeding, you may also experience an iron deficiency.
What should you pay attention to?
Try to include very nutrient-dense foods and foods that contain healthy fats such as omega 3 fatty acids (salmon, cold water fish, algae, seeds, walnuts) in your diet. This is because omega 3 can help relieve PMS symptoms such as bloating and cramping, for example. Warming foods such as soups and stews can also be supportive. To keep blood sugar levels steady, foods containing protein and fat help. Those who enjoy eating meat can turn to organic pastured beef, for example, as this also helps to absorb iron. Vegetable sources of iron are sesame seeds, wheat germ and mung beans. In addition, foods containing vitamin C support the absorption of iron. The immune system is also somewhat weakened during this phase of the cycle and vitamin C can also support this. (Strawberries, peppers, citrus fruits, broccoli). By the way, iron absorption can be disturbed by coffee, so it can make sense in this phase to either completely avoid coffee or to resort to decaffeinated coffee.
Phase 2: Follicular phase Day 7-12
In the follicular phase, all your hormones increase. It is like a new beginning – the new cycle. You feel more energy and your immune system is fully functional in this phase. Your body is more sensitive to insulin at this time. This means that you use carbohydrates more efficiently.
What should you pay attention to?
As estrogen levels rise, it is important to support the body’s own detoxification. Green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens and cabbage contain so-called phytonutrients that can regulate your estrogen levels and thus counteract estrogen dominance. Your body is also in the process of producing follicles, you can support this with avocado, almonds and sea fish. These foods all contain vitamin E, which is important for follicle production. Due to the noticeably better energy level and also the slight shutdown of your metabolism, you may have more desire for light, fresh foods. Nevertheless, make sure you get enough protein and complex carbohydrates. These are especially important if you exercise regularly. You can also turn to probiotic foods such as sauerkraut, kombucha, or even tempeh during this phase, as they are good for your microbiome. Especially for the estrobolome – bacteria that also influence your estrogen levels.
Phase 3: Ovulation phase Day 13-16
At ovulation, your estrogen levels are at their highest, your energy levels are also high, and most women feel stable in terms of mood. You are still more sensitive to insulin at this stage, so your body is still processing carbohydrates effectively. Your metabolism is generally a little slower at this point. Since your hormone levels are high, your liver, kidneys and intestines are working at full speed.
What should you pay attention to?
Try to continue eating green leafy vegetables to support the elimination of estrogen. Sulfur-containing foods such as eggs, chicken, garlic, onions, nuts and legumes can also support detoxification. Vitamin B is also important at this stage as it helps the egg to crack. Most of the foods mentioned contain B vitamins. Spinach, for example, also contains B vitamins. Ideally, you should also avoid alcohol at ovulation time, as it can negatively affect estrogen secretion.
Phase 4: Die Lutealphase Tag 17-28
In the 4th phase right after ovulation, progesterone starts to increase. Estrogen is lower than before, but still elevated. Just before your period comes, both hormones drop. This can lead to PMS problems. Your body temperature rises and your metabolism starts working faster again. So not only do you feel hungrier, you also burn more calories, about 200-300 kcal more per day. At the same time, your energy level decreases and you are less sensitive to insulin.
What should you pay attention to?
Two nutrients are very important in this phase: vitamin C and magnesium. Vitamin C is especially important for progesterone production. Many women have PMS problems because the estrogen levels are too high or the progesterone levels are too low, here vitamin C can support well. You can find vitamin C in the following foods: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, sweet potatoes, peppers. Magnesium is important for your water balance. Spinach, dark chocolate, broccoli, whole grain bread, nuts, potatoes and sunflower seeds contain a lot of magnesium. In addition, magnesium can prevent cramps. Here you can also turn to a magnesium supplement for PMS problems. Many women now have an appetite for starchy meals. Go with the flow and feel free to reach for potatoes, squash, corn, whole wheat pasta or whole wheat bread. Carbs, as mentioned earlier, can help boost your serotonin levels. You shouldn’t forget healthy fats either, because they provide more calories that you need. You can find healthy fats in olive oil, seeds and seeds, avocado and fish.
Guidelines and no hard and fast rules – Listen to your body
These are only guidelines and tips that do not have to be implemented 1:1 by every woman. Every cycle is different, so I generally recommend tracking 1-2 cycles with everything that goes with it: length, mood, period, cravings, water retention, energy etc. Based on that, you can start to optimize your diet to better suit you and your cycle. Go with the flow actually describes it very aptly: do what feels good to you at that moment and keep in mind that your cycle is a complex system. Stress, little sleep, exercise, etc. can quickly mess up your cycle. A healthy and balanced diet is the basis for a regular rhythm.
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