I don‘t personally know a single woman who grew up being taught that her period isn‘t a disadvantage. Either that, or this topic was completely ignored and never talked about.
From a young age, girls are told „Aw, are you on your period?“, if they are emotional (which is, of course, framed as bad and weak) and being shamed for feeling sick and „not delivering as usual“ during this time.
These girls believe this because they themselves are struggling. Their bodies hurt and are bloated, they feel irrational, irritated and can’t hold a clear thought. So they settle into a life where they only enjoy about a quarter of it and the other time is premenstrual syndrome (PMS), bleeding phase and the postmenstrual phase.
Is this really the life we want? Are we really weak because we process emotions more extremely during certain times of the month? Should we continue to distrust our bodies because we apparently have so-called productivity issues?
Or do we have the capability to create great things because of this intense time through our concentrated focus?
Your hormones don’t slow you down. They give you access to different “boost modes” throughout the month!
Let‘s break up the four menstrual phases:
Remember: The exact days and generalized tips I mention are for orientation only. Every body is different. You need to find out for yourself which phase you are currently in through listening to your body. So if your body feels tired, don‘t overdo your workout. If you are more hungry than usual, eat more. If you feel overstimulated, take a rest. Listen and act accordingly. Because if you go against the flow and still push to your max in the gym or not eat when you’re hungry, etc., you of course will feel pretty bad and most importantly you will not get to your goal faster because you don‘t give your body what it needs.
Cycle Phase 1: Menstruation & Follicular Phase (day 1-10)
- All hormones are low; estrogen is rising
- Do’s: Your body just „shed“ and you feel clear, energized and in a good mood, which is why it’s a great time to start something new (a new (easy) project, etc.). Let go of the old and make room to create new.
- Nutrients: During this phase fasting can work well (best around day 6). Otherwise, focus on proteins from meat, dairy, eggs, pumpkin seeds, navy beans, tofu, etc.
- Movement: Take it easy during the first bleeding day(s), go on a walk, do yoga, stretch, and ride a bike. Ideal for moderate lifting training, pilates, etc.
Cycle Phase 2: Estrogen & Testosterone Peak (day 11-14), Ovulation (day 15)
- Estrogen and testosterone are getting strong. During ovulation (release of the egg) the hormones are highest. You‘re most resilient to stress.
- Do’s: Both hormones give you full power and confidence. Go pitch to the investor, negotiate your salary, make decisions, network, put yourself in the spotlight. It‘s time to try something big you never did before and do your intensive tasks.
- Nutrients: Feed your hormones, focus on healthy fats like nuts and seeds. Implement legumes like chickpeas, beans and don‘t forget fruit and veggies like cabbage, spinach, onions, zucchini, broccoli, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries
- Movement: Lift heavy, do HIIT, dance, do all the hard things.
Cycle Phase 3: Hormone Dip & Progesterone begins to rise (day 16-19)
- Estrogen and testosterone drop abruptly
- Do’s: You feel calmer and have less energy. It‘s time to close open tasks and concentrate on routine to-dos like bookkeeping and follow-ups. You also feel analytical clarity, notice mistakes better and can improve processes.
- Nutrients: On dip-day (day 16) you can fast again. Otherwise, focus on proteins again (see above)
- Movement: Can do big workouts, but need to increase carbs and around 12 % more protein. Listen to how your body feels.
Cycle Phase 4: Progesterone is dominant (day 20-30)
- Now that Progesterone is the dominant hormone, your cortisol (stress hormone) sensitivity is high
- Do’s: This is a powerful time for intuition. Though this phase is being hated on and called the „irrational one“, this is exactly the time you should make emotional evaluations. Assess your relationships – even your relationship with yourself. You are more open to self-doubt, but also intuition! Reduce stimuli, multitask less, allow yourself to build resilience through still doing important tasks („Who am I during times when I cannot perform at my peak?“) – Blog post on resilience coming soon!
- Nutrients: Feed your progesterone more intensely. More carbs are needed and you can get them from potatoes, pumpkins, (brown) rice, lentils, black beans, etc. Also (citrus) fruits, blueberries, raspberries and pumpkin seeds are good.
- Movement: Rest more, swim, go on walks, do yoga, stretch.
If you are interested in diving into this topic in depth, I recommend reading the book „Fast like a girl“ from Mindy Pelz (or watch her YouTube videos) – not sponsored. She not only explains the cycle wonderfully but also her book is built on the fact that every body is different and how to navigate confidently. She‘s really my hero on this topic.
If you’d like me to turn this into a practical, day-by-day guide, comment “cycle” below. I’ll create it if there’s interest.
As always: I’m so proud of you for being interested in these topics and wanting to improve your life quality. Byeeeeeee ♥
