Cycle Syncing - Harness the power of your hormones - Part 1 - Menstruation - Winter
You may have heard about ‘cycle syncing' but how can it work for you?
From the moment you start your period in puberty, hormones can feel like they’re in control of you! Whether it's feeling overly emotional, angry, tired, snappy or hungry, our fluctuating hormones can affect our performance, relationships and how we feel throughout the month.
Syncing your diet, lifestyle and activities is a powerful tool to harness this hormonal ebb and flow to your advantage.
Understanding the different phases of your menstrual cycle is the first step. Knowing what to do in each phase to help your hormones can help get them working FOR you, not AGAINST you.
So what does the first phase look like?
Your period is the very start of the follicular phase. Day 1 of your cycle is the first day of your flow.
Your oestrogen and progesterone levels are at their lowest as your uterine lining sheds. Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) starts to rise and
your ovarian follicles race to be selected for ovulation. On average bleeding lasts between 3-7 days.
Symptoms:
You may feel a sense of relief particularly if you suffer from PMS in the lead up to menstruation
You but you may also feel tired, withdrawn, sensitive to pain and emotionally fragile.
Ways to support cycle syncing in this phase:
Diet:
Focus on cosy and comforting foods like warming soups, stews
Dark leafy greens, root vegetables and root vegetables provide a variety of nutrients that are important in this phase
Foods rich in iron such as eg meat, dairy, bone broth, beans, chickpeas, lentils) will help to replace any iron lost during your period.
Limit alcohol, caffeine as this may exacerbate uncomfortable symptoms such as pain, irritability and digestive discomfort
Exercise:
Your energy may be low so don’t overdo things in this phase, focus on restorative exercise like gentle walks, yoga and stretching.
Activities:
Slow down, schedule in some self care, really make sleep a priority and spend some time reflecting or planning – try writing in a journal or doing some meditation.
The key in this phase is rest, restoration and reflection and not to feel guilty about it
