I’ve had countless women ask for me to cover this topic. I haven’t reached this level of cycle/nutrition connection, but I know it’s possible.

How?

From reading different books like Alisa Vitti’s “WomanCode” which I recommend for anyone out there with a serious menstrual issue like PCOS or Endometriosis.

Today is a small taste of what’s in that book, which you should definitely pick up if you’re interested in the subject.

I try to eat a balanced diet of whole plant based foods (WPBF), and so I’ve included that portion of her food suggestions today.

Menstrual Phase:

+ healthy fats

+ root veggies

+ water rich fruits and veggies

What you’re looking to do: be conscious of both giving your body the nutrition it needs but at the same time some comfort food goes a long way in soothing during our menstrual phase. Fats help keep mood stable.

Grains: buckwheat and wild rice

Veggies: beet, burdock, pulse, hijiki, kale, kelp, kombu, mushroom, wakame, water chestnut

Fruits: blackberry, blueberry, grapes, cranberry, watermelon

Legumes: adzuki, black soybean, kidney bean

Nuts + Seeds: chestnut, pumpkin, flax

Other: Bancha tea, miso, sea salt, liquid aminos

Follicular Phase:

+ sprouted and fermented foods

+ light, fresh and vibrant foods

What you’re looking to do: estrogen is dominate in this phase and you’re looking to balance this hormone out.

Grains: barley, oat

Veggies: artichoke, broccoli, carrot, lettuce, parsley, green peas, rhubarb, string bean, zucchini

Fruits: avocado, lemon, lime, orange, plum, pomegranate, sour cherry

Legumes: black-eyed pea, green lentil, lima bean, mung bean, split pea

Nuts + Seeds: brazil, cashew, lychee, pumpkin, flax

Other: nut butter, olives, pickles, sauerkraut, vinegar

Ovulatory Phase:

+ fresh juices

+ fresh, whole veggies

+ fiber rich foods

What you’re looking to do: eat plenty of foods to keep estrogen moving through body.

Grains: amaranth, quinoa

Veggies: asparagus, bell pepper, brussel sprouts, chard, chicory, chive, dandelion, eggplant, endive, escarole, okra, scallion, spinach, tomato

Fruits: apricot, cantaloupe, coconut, fix, guava, persimmon, raspberry, strawberry

Legumes: red lentil

Nuts + Seeds: almond, pecan, pistachio, sesame, sunflower

Other: Tumeric

Luteal Phase:

+ greens

+ grains

What you’re looking to do: eat plenty of foods rich in b-vitamins, calcium and magnesium to help with mood swings

Grains: brow rice, millet

Veggies: cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collard, cucumber, daikon, garlic, ginger, leeks, mustard green, onion, parsnip, pumpkin, radish, squash, sweet potato, watercress

Fruits: apple, date, peach, pear, raisin

Legumes: chickpea, navy beans

Nuts + Seeds: hickory, pine nut, walnut, sesame, sunflower

Other: mint, peppermint, spirulina

I’ve heard a lot of people talking about intuitive eating for awhile now, and if you haven’t experienced what that actually is then I guarantee it can be quite confusing.

We’ve been told for so long that certain things (I’m mostly referencing to animal products) are good for this that and everything when it comes to a “balanced” diet when in reality eating this way has been recking our bodies for years now. But we think, we’re doing what we’ve been told to do, eating what we’ve been told is a balanced diet so feeling this way must just be normal.

Well, I can tell you that it’s not. I spent the majority of my life dealing with issues related to what I was eating without even thinking about it. It was only when I switched to a plant based diet that this light bulb came on. When I started feeling better and better I just thought, how did I spend all my life feeling like crap and thinking that was normal for me?

So, while some people thrive on a strict, go big or go home diet, I encourage everyone to start recalling paying attention to what they’re eating on a daily basis, and how those foods are making you feel. And if there’s something that time and time again comes up as problematic, take a week break from it and see how you feel.

Listen to your body and I guarantee you’ll be pleased with the results.