Understanding and supporting the seasons of menstrual cycle
One thing that is a major miss in mainstream education, which I believe to be a baseline requirement for women, is to properly know and understand the menstrual cycle. Being offered a different approach to our everyday life that doesn't cause havoc on our hormones, mood & energy levels may sound like a completely radical idea, but totally possible. This is called honouring the beautiful ebbs & flows every woman has during her menstrual cycle.
In today's complex modern world, women are often wearing multiple hats & being rewarded & praised for being "so busy", we have completely lost touch of the natural rhythms that lie within our bodies. This & women being prescribed the oral contraceptive pill from a young age & staying on it for many years to follow, often masking problems that lie within, & once again not letting women be in touch with their own natural cycles, I digress- that's a whole other discussion.
Understanding the different phases of the cycle, which I like to refer to as seasons, and knowing what food to eat, how to move, when to make social plans & when to go inward brings such empowerment & can see such strong impacts in the relief of cycle related issues such as PMS, painful periods, skin conditions & mood fluctuations.
In order to create a harmonious relationship with our cycles, women are best to honor the approximate 28-35 day infradian rhythm. I say approximate as every women's cycle is different. What this can look like is mixing up our nutritional intake, movement, social activities & commitments accordingly. Like with anything, the body loves variety- hence being naturally gifted with the ebbs & flows every single month. If we embraced these ebbs & flows instead of dreading them, what a different society we would have.
The naturopathic approach to these seasons looks like this:.
The menstrual phase, or blood phase (days 1-5)- I like to refer to this as the Winter phase. This is the more inward phase where we favour rest, going slow, being restorative & reflective. Honoring the purification that is occuring during our bleed we want to favor grounding and easy to digest foods. During this phase, think nutrient rich, easy to digest, warming foods such as slow cooked warm foods like stews, broths, combined with complex carbohydrates such as barley, brown rice, buckwheat & adequate protein. Energetically & according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, during this phase our body is at its coolest so these beautiful warming foods help to balance this. Many women can experience sluggish digestion during this phase.This time is essential for nutrient rich, blood building foods such as beetroot, dark leafy greens, goji berries, red dates, liver pate, nettle tea to help replenish what is lost throughout the bleed. As far as movement & social activity goes this is where we really want to be easy, slow & gentle. I don't usually recommend anything other than light walking or gentle yoga, tuning in and listening to what your body needs. This is also a time where making no social plans is favourable, really allowing ourselves to go inward and give our bodies & hormones a break from all the work they are doing in the seasons leading up to the bleed.
Follicular phase (days 6-10) I like to refer to this phase as Spring. It's a very Yin phase in Traditional Chinese Medicine. This is where all the hormones begin to rise in preparation for ovulation to occur. It is generally thought that the bleed is the main event of our monthly cycle, but in fact the main event is ovulation. So it is crucial to nourish & support during the phases leading up to support healthy ovulation. As oestrogen rises, it's important to focus on including phytoestrogens such as flaxseeds, oats and sesame seeds. Phytoestrogens mimic and act in a similar way to oestrogen, this can be particularly helpful when there is a build up or excess of oestrogen - the phytoestrogens will help to clear any excess through detoxification. Ensuring we're giving our precious microbiome some good fibre & probiotic rich foods in the form of fresh organic veggies particularly things like onion, leek, pumpkin & sauerkraut, kefir, kvass and other fermented foods (if tolerable) I love to include loads of steamed veggies, adequate protein, seeds & oats during this phase. We can start to feel a bit more of that spring like energy and feel a little more active so exercise such as dancing, running, a more of a vinyasa type flow of yoga can be beneficial. We can get a bit of an increase in creative flow so it's a good time to start new creative projects.
Ovulatory phase (days 11-18) This is the summer phase. In Traditional Chinese Medicine this is referred to as typically a very hot phase of the cycle, very Yang. This is typically the 'warming of the nest' phase. Due to the surge in hormones which promote ovulation, we see a change in basal body temperature. This phase of our cycle we feel an increase in energy, we feel very outward, sensual, strong and outgoing. A good time to make social plans and activities. This phase is a good time to enjoy more cooling, lighter foods, but also important to focus on detoxifying foods to help eliminate any excess oestrogen- such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage (anything from the cruciferous family) & lots of colourful antioxidant rich foods such as bright colored veggies & fresh berries. This phase is where we can enjoy foods like stir fry with fresh crunchy light veggies, smoothies & salads (moreso in the warmer months) An optimal time to do more intense movement- this phase is when we are at our physical peak.
Luteal Phase (days 19-28) This phase can be referred to as the Autumn phase. In TCM this is refereed to as the Qi phase. Lots of vital energy being dispersed. As we burn more calories during this phase, we need to be nourishing our bodies accordingly. Ensuring adequate intake of complex carbohydrates like oats, legumes, brown rice, sweet potato & pumpkin will help curb any cravings. Supporting the liver is also important here to prevent any PMS symptoms and to continue to clear any build up of oestrogen to ensure it's not recirculated. Think nourishing, baked, mood boosting foods. This is a time of the cycle where we start to release, surrender and begin to slow down in preparation for our blood phase. We wrap up any projects we may have been working on & begin to draw inward.
If we embrace our cycle instead of dread it, we find ourselves having a more harmonious relationship with our bodies & also life.
As always reach out for support & if you have any questions.
Herbal medicines can offer beautiful support with menstrual cycles, if you're experiencing any dis- harmony within your cycle book a consultation.
With love xx Bianca
