My Diet + My Period

There’s no one size fits all approach to diet and menstruation. Different foods react differently person to person. And it takes a little trial and error to find your sweet spot. 

I started educating myself about nutrition my last year of college. I was having a lot of digestive issues, where I almost constantly had a stomach ache, that got worse after I ate, not to mention I would get quite bloated as well as only have a single bowel movement a week. Yeah, not good. 

Through education as well as adding and subtracting different things from my diet I have found I feel my absolute best with a balanced diet of whole plant based foods. The less processed I eat, the better I feel. 

Not only has this revolutionized how I feel, but also has shined through in my menstrual cycle as well. 

I’m no where near perfect, and there are a million different ways to be “vegan” and unhealthy. And so I can tell you there’s a huge difference between a period where I focus on staying hydrated, avoiding sugar and processed foods and jam-packing my diet with as many fruits and veggies (mostly veggies) as possible, and a period where I’m eating processed foods, breads, pastas, sugars, etc. 

My diet definitely changes with the seasons (as it should due to what plants are available and in season) but you can adapt a whole foods plant based diet to any season. 

While we usually crave comfort food in the winter as well as on our periods there are so many incredible “healthy” options. I love to make giant batches of veggie soup in the winter. I try to limit my coffee intake around my period as well as the amount of sugar I'm consuming. We all hit a wall whether it’s cold and gloomy out, or if we’re going to be starting our periods. I do my best to listen to my body instead of forcing it through the day jacking myself up on coffee. 

Avoiding sugar and grabbing something refreshing like some fruit as a snack is a great afternoon pick me up. Getting outside to run some errands or get a bit of exercise are other great options to get that pep back in your step for the rest of the day. But then there are those days (and I have at least one a month) where the only answer is a 30 - 60 minute nap (guilt free). 

Obviously, if you work in a more traditional job a nap during the work day might be out of the question, but maybe a quick cat nap when you get home and before you start your evening activities is the solution for you. Or maybe it's staying in that evening and having a low key date with yourself on the couch. 

You have to listen to your body around your period. Make sure you are eating enough, drinking enough and moving enough throughout the day. 

Some of my favorite meal/snack options:

+ noodles and veggies

+ rice and veggies

+ a big, hefty salad (yes that’s a thing)

+ veggie soup

+ fruit like clementines or grapes

+ bagel with hummus 

+ oatmeal (I'm currently burnt out on this but it's an option worth including)

+ smoothie (if it’s warm out or I’ve worked out)

+ chickpea toast/sandwich (avocados are gone for the winter, and this is the next best thing)

I say this all the time and I’ll say it again, pay attention to what you’re eating and how it makes you feel afterwords. Screw counting calories, if you’re focused on eating as many whole foods as you can, then there’s no worry about calories. 

What are some of your favorite plant based meals for the colder season?

If you're curious to learn more about your cycle, hop on over to my Chart Your Cycle course and sign up for the next session. 

Cold Weather Morning Routine

I have come to the conclusion/realization that fall is the luteal phase and winter is the menstrual phase. And this year I’m going to approach this season in a similar mindset that I do for these particular phases. 

And I’m a big believer in how you start your day impacts how the rest of your day will go. 

I start each day at 6 a.m. when the alarm on my phone goes off. I take my temperature right after turning my alarm off, and then put it into my Kindara app before going to the bathroom. 

Michael and I just got a sunrise simulator clock, which we have set at 6:00. It is a delightfully peaceful way to start your day. Normally I wake up somewhere in it’s 20 minute “sunrise” leading up to the 6 a.m. alarm. So, after taking my temperature and going to the bathroom I usually snuggle back in to enjoy my “fake” sunrise. I give myself a few minutes to just lay there with the bright light filling up our room before I get out of bed. 

Once I’m out of bed I head to the kitchen to tidy up from the day before. Yes, I’m one of those people who leaves dirty dishes for the next day. I just prefer doing them in the morning than the night. 

This usually takes 15-20 minutes, and at the same time I’ll make myself a cup of coffee. 

Once the kitchen is done I head back into our room to make the bed (not every morning because our rule is last one out of bed makes it). 

After this I’ll head into my bathroom to do my skincare routine because my skin needs much more TLC when it’s cold out. I usually rub a little oil on my nails and cuticles as well. 

From there I grab an incense and head to the back room where my desk is. I light a few candles, put the incense in an old candle, and turn on the floor lamp. (It’s still pretty dark out at this point). 

I pop on the space heater next to me, wrap up in a blanket and take usually 30 minutes to do my morning pages. While I’m doing these I usually have a bunch of random ideas and to-do’s that pop in my head so I write those down on a separate pad of paper. 

After morning pages is done I’ll pull out my bullet journal and plan out my day using the goals list for that week as well as anything from my scratch pad that needs to get done. 

Then I settle in to the first task or two for the next hour. 

At a certain point I’m usually ready for another cup of coffee, so I’ll take this opportunity to get dressed and ready for the day, which usually takes less than 10 minutes. 

I’ll go back to work until I’m hungry which is usually around 10 a.m. so I’ll head out to the kitchen to make some food.

I’ll watch a YouTube video or two while I eat my food and then get back to work for the next few hours until  it’s time for lunch. 

The final thing I do is reheat my coffee a few times throughout the morning because it gets cold before I finish drinking it. I need to get a mug warmer. 

Here’s a timeline for those of you whose minds work better this way:

6:00 — wake up

        — take BBT

6:02 — go to bathroom

6:05 — crawl back in bed

6:15 — get out of bed

        — tidy up kitchen

        — make coffee

6:30 — make bed

6:35 — skincare

6:40 — morning pages

7:10 — plan out day using bullet journal

7:15 — get started with work

8:30 — second cup of coffee

        — get dressed

10:00— breakfast

         — watch a YouTube video

10:30— get back to work

What’s your perfect morning routine look like, and what are you tips to creating/keeping to a routine?

Discovering Hygge + Taking on Winter

To be honest, I think I discovered this on Pinterest. I think it was outlining what Hygge was, and I remember finding myself thinking, alright I like the sound of that. 

And it inspired me to make the conscious decision to approach winter in a different way. A similar way to how I now view my menstrual phase and the days leading up to it. 

It’s not my favorite phase, but I’ve amazed myself on how I’ve been able to change my mindset towards it. And that’s what I plan to do with winter this year as well. 

You see, I’ve always told myself I’m not a cold weather person. That I’ve never “liked” winter. There were even a few years in high school that I “protested” by not wearing a winter coat. Who do you think that impacted? Yeah, me. 

If you think you don’t like winter the last thing you should do is under dress for it. 

This year I’m preparing in every way possible. Physically, mentally and emotionally. Dramatic? Possibly, but I need a drastic attitude change. 

And I’m going to use hygge to guide me. 

I know I’m behind the times, and this was pretty popular last year, but if you’re unfamiliar to hygge here’s how it’s defined in a book I’m reading, “The Book of Hygge”:

"Hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) is a quality of presence and an experience of belonging and togetherness. It is a feeling of being warm, safe, comforted and sheltered. 

Hygge is an experience of selfhood and communion with people and places that anchors and affirms us, gives us courage and consolation.

To hygge is to invite intimacy and connection. It’s a feeling of engagement and relatedness, of belonging to the moment and to each other. Hygge is a sense of abundance and contentment. Hygge is about being, not having."

When I got back from France it was 30 degrees colder, and gray out. Instead of wallowing at home about the abrupt change, I decided to act on my desire for a different approach. 

I went to two stores, bought a new comfy sweater at the thrift store, and then soft sweatpants and two candles at a discount store. 

I headed home triumphant with my new things, lit my candles, took a nice hot bath and then snuggled up in my comfy finds ready to accept the cold weather with grace. 

Since coming home I’ve made a conscious effort each morning to “nourish my five senses”:

+ tidy up and light a few candles (sight)

+ put on soft music (hearing)

+ grab an incense (smell)

+ make a nice cup of coffee (taste)

+ and to wrap myself up in a blanket after clicking on my space heater (touch)

And then throughout the day I make sure that there’s something “comforting” for each sense. 

Another element of hygge that I’m really drawn to is the connection aspect. So, I’ve made it a goal to spend more time hanging out with friends and family. 

It doesn’t have to be in an extravagant way. My ideal “hang out” is being snuggled up, warm and comfy, drinking something hot or sipping on a glass of wine and just having good conversation. 

I know there’s still a lot I’m going to learn when it comes to this concept, but I’m wholeheartedly investing in it in the hopes of changing how I view winter and the cold from here on out.