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Craving, cramps and crying – every woman knows the experience of having her period and the rollercoaster she experiences during her menstrual cycle.
Over roughly 28 days from when periods first begin in a lifetime – an average age of 12 – until a woman reaches menopause – an average age of 51 – she will undergo four stages of a menstrual cycle: The menstrual, follicular, ovulatory and luteal phases.
During each, the rise and fall of hormones triggers the body to undergo multiple biological processes, such as releasing an egg and causing the uterine lining to thicken to prepare the body to conceive and carry a fetus.
Writing for Goop, Shira Barlow, a registered dietician, explained that each stage requires different nutrients to fuel the body and set it up to most effectively carry out the processes – and manage the side effects that come with them.
Each menstrual stage requires different nutrients to fuel the body and set it up to most effectively carry out the processes – and manage the side effects that come with them
The menstrual cycle beings with the menstrual, or menses, phase, which starts the first day of a period if a woman is not pregnant and ends when bleeding stops. Over the several days of a period, the lining of the uterus sheds.
While menstruating, the hormones estrogen and progesterone are low, causing a dip in energy and mood. While on a period, Ms Barlow said, the body craves warmth, comfort and rest.
During the menses phase, it is important to focus on foods that are easily digestible and high in nutrients and minerals, such as iron, vitamin C and magnesium.
Iron works to replenish the body from blood lost during a period and vitamin C helps the body absorb iron.
Magnesium acts as a muscle relaxer and can help alleviate painful cramping.
Foods to consume include red meat, liver, oysters, kale, sardines, pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach and dark chocolate.
Overlapping with menstruation, is the follicular phase, which begins the day a woman gets her period and can last from 11 to 27 days. This is when an egg will mature, which triggers the body to thicken the uterine lining that will shed during menses.
During the latter part of this stage, estrogen begins to slowly rise, which will lift mood and energy and a rise in luteinizing hormone (LH) will increase sex drive.
Ms Barlow said bloating can arise and the rate at which the body digests and expels food can slow. Because of this, she likes to concentrate on fermented foods, such as kimchi, sauerkraut and pickled onions. She also recommended estrogen-balancing foods like pumpkin and flax seeds.
Roughly 14 days after the start of a period, the ovulatory phase begins and lasts typically until 14 days before the start of the next cycle.
It is when the body releases an egg into the fallopian tube where it waits to be fertilized by sperm.
During this stage estrogen and LH are the highest.
Because estrogen is at its peak, Ms Barlow said it is important to consume foods that help metabolize excess amounts of the hormone so it doesn’t build up in the body.
To do this, people should eat foods like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts.
Overlapping with the ovulatory phase is the luteal stage. This lasts from day 15 to 28 of a 28-day cycle.
As an egg travels from the ovary and through the fallopian tube the hormone progesterone rises to prepare the uterine lining for pregnancy.
If pregnancy does not occur, estrogen and progesterone levels fall and the uterine lining sheds during a period – starting the menses phase and beginning a new menstrual cycle.
During the luteal phase, a woman’s appetite and metabolic rate will increase, which is what kicks off cravings and the desire to eat more.
While the body is burning through more energy, Ms Barlow said it is important to eat hearty foods that keep blood sugar from dropping.
She recommended similar foods to those in the menstrual phase, such as red meat, oysters, beans and nuts, as well as sweet potatoes, chicken, pumpkin, salmon and beets.
Additionally, egg yolks and avocados can help with mood changes and fatigue as serotonin and dopamine levels fall – which is what can trigger the hallmark mood changes that come before and during a period.
Leafy greens and nuts can help with bloat and water retention.
And to satisfy any of the cravings that come, women can consume ‘conscious indulgences,’ including dark chocolate, peanut butter and caramelized sweet potato.
