Hello, Friend! Happy Tuesday!
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Want to better understand your menstrual cycle? And, specifically, how what you eat—or want to eat—has to do with it?
Great! That’s what this post is about.
Sometimes we’ve gotta get into the real details, the somewhat taboo topics, that are still super important in our lives, even if we don’t always talk openly about them. Admittedly, this post might be more interesting to people who menstruate, but even if you don’t, I imagine you can learn something to better support others in your life!
(Speaking of somewhat taboo topics, I’ve also discussed food and nutrition in relation to sex and our sexual health here!)
At various points in your cycle, do you:
Get cravings for certain types of foods?
Experience cramps/discomfort?
Feel bloated?
See changes in weight?
And in those instances, do you feel comfortable with your food choices and how you navigate those realities?
Some people may not be “bothered” much when they get their period, or during shifts in their cycle. While others really feel differences in the phases of their cycle or experience physical changes when they get their period.
However you feel, let’s be clear, your experiences with your period are real and valid. The point of this post is NOT to question the realities or extremes to which you experience various symptoms. The point is merely to give you some ideas to consider to help with any symptoms or feelings, IF you want to use them!
It’s also real that we may need to be more gentle with ourselves at different points in our cycle. Some people report feeling most energetic in the follicular phase after they get their period, others feel uncomfortable, bloated, or sensitive during the luteal phase. When needed, if possible, get more sleep, do less intense workouts, or more self-care activities, as needed. To this point, some people do not feel vastly different during their cycle stages and that’s okay too! You don’t have to make any changes unless your body is telling you to do so.
It’s worth knowing that weight on the scale can fluctuate as much as 5 pounds during your cycle, and also that some bloating is normal and can be expected. So if you’re someone who only weighs yourself every once in a while, be aware that, depending on when you’re doing the weighing, your cycle can drastically change your body weight, but it is NOT body fat and is nothing to worry about. We tend to experience more water retention, or our bodies are holding onto more water depending on our eating habits, and that is not real body fat gain.
In general, women also want to be sure to eat enough calories, avoid chronic stress, and get adequate sleep to be sure that they do not lose their periods and maintain hormonal health.
Okay, now that we’ve got that knowledge out of the way, what can we actually do to better support ourselves and our bodies during our period?!
Check out these tips for making your period a little more manageable:
Answer your cravings! If you want something specific, serve yourself a moderate portion, sit down, and really enjoy eating it. Restriction can sometimes make us focus on it more.
If you find yourself craving lots of foods/quantity, you might consider waiting 10 minutes before indulging in calorically-dense foods. If you still want the thing at that time, then have some, and move on afterward.
See if you’re actually hungry first. If you are, eat something nutrient dense first. Not only will this fill you up, but the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from high-quality foods can help you feel better overall and decrease any cramping. To this point, make sure you’re having 3-5 servings of protein, and 3-5 servings of fruits/veggies during the day to fill you up adequately.
Cravings can also indicate a need. So if you’re craving ice cream, it could be your body signaling that you need to eat more healthy fats in your food plan. Thus, you might feel better by having avocado on the side of your meal (or another healthy fat source). Same could be true for carbs! See if a healthier version of the macronutrient you’re wanting helps satisfy you.
Sometimes we grow to EXPECT the cravings that occur around our cycle and so we actively put them in place. If you KNOW it’s the week before you get your period, you might assume you’re going to crave certain foods so you almost make yourself want/expect them more. Checking in to make sure you’re actually hungry or wanting that food is critical.
In the days/weeks leading up to your cycle, ask yourself: Will this choice best support how my body feels? And see if you can make different choices from time to time... and still allow yourself to have some treats here and there!
Making sure you’re hydrated can actually help with water retention! Aim to drink ½ of your body weight in ounces of water per day!
Some of these suggestions might be easier said than done. I get it. It’s not always easy to make the choices we logically know are best for us. Hopefully simply having some of these information or strategies will help you moving forward.
I’ll stress this once again, your experiences with your period are real and valid. I hope this helps you interact more positively with your period! And as a reminder, I am not a doctor and none of this should be seen as medical advice! I highly recommend speaking with your doctor if it would be helpful!
If there are any other topics you’d like addressed in this manner—taboo or otherwise— let me know and I’ll see what I can do! I’m also happy to chat further with anyone who might be interested about your food in relation to your experiences and goals, don’t hesitate to reach out! Use the comments or email me at sara@nutritionforlifeproject.com!
As always, thank you for reading!
xoxo,
Sara