Menstrual Cycle: The Luteal Phase
The Luteal Phase.
This is the longest phase of our cycle, after our ovulatory phase and right before our next period. In terms of seasons, this would be our fall period - we start out energetic and in tune with ourselves, and we end it feeling sensitive and achy, maybe ready to crawl into bed for three days and eat our sorrows in a pint of ice cream.
You’ll feel yourself move from a social butterfly to a bit of a hermit. Your emotions might become heightened and your creativity might be blooming, but your energy will steadily decrease as you get closer to the end of the cycle.
Honor the need of curling into yourself. Prepare by finishing up projects, tidying and organizing your space, and completing easy to-dos so you’re filled with a sense of satisfaction - it will help to combat feelings of anxiety and low self-esteem at this time.
Self-care can look like bubble baths and massages, taking a weekend off from partying, and completing an activity that has a fulfilling end to it (i.e. puzzles, coloring sheets, knitting a hat).
Keywords for this time are administration and organization. Physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. These four categories will feel out of check the closer you get to the menstrual cycle, and you will feel a strong desire to keep them in check. Understand that while you can prepare for the way you may feel, it’s okay to reach that low point. Acknowledge that messy feelings will be coming and going.
Skin Care + Exercise.
There’s a steady rise of progesterone and estrogen happening in your body, and your oil production will rise. If you have sensitive skin - and especially if you are acne-prone - this will be a challenging time in trying to keep your skin blemish-free.
Something most people don’t know is that your reaction to allergies (dust, clothing, pets, grass) will be much more sensitive at this time. This can look like bumps on your skin, light rashes, and itchiness in certain areas. While using lotion may relieve the symptoms, be careful what type of lotion you use. Since oil production is high, spreading lotion all over your skin may cause inflammation.
Don’t try anything new. Pick a lotion your skin is used to. Some people stay fragrance-free, but I choose to use a light lavender lotion because the smell is calming to me and keeps me from scratching my skin.
For your face, use clarifying masks for blemishes. Stay away from fragrances that are heavy - for a lot of people, citrus masks or creams can burn.
Do not extract your pores. It may feel right since it’s a time of high oil production, but you are only opening up space for gunk to sit and turn into acne. It’s best to leave them be.
If you’re a picker like me, I use acne stickers over raised bumps or deep pores. It’s not always the best decision, but it keeps me from picking them open, so at least I’m staying away from the worst decision.
At the start of the luteal phase, challenge yourself early on in your workouts. Gradually, your energy will decrease; honor that and move to low-intensity workouts as the days pass. You still want to work up a sweat, which will help to unclog your pores from the increasing oil production.
Keywords for this time are deep stretching combined with slow strength training. Light cardio is fine, but keep the intensity minimal. You may feel bloated and achy, so listen to your body as you move. Though you may want to push, your body may be telling you to stop because there is only so much energy it has left for the rest of the day. Save your workouts for the afternoon/evening - if you overdo it, then at least bedtime is just around the corner and you will be able to rest.
Food.
It’s very important to focus on what you’re eating during the luteal phase. You deal with cravings, low energy, and high oil production. While sugars and refined carbs are going to look tastier than ever, this is when you want to stay away from them the most. They will wreck your energy levels - blood sugar crashes are more common at this time - and increase mood swings, as well as inflame any blemishes on your skin.
The best way to combat this is by eating 100-400 calories more than you usually do in some form of complex carbs. Brown rice, sweet potatoes, even just whole wheat bread and some peanut butter as a late night sandwich.
This is the fall cycle, so try hearty foods that are reminiscent of fall. Vegetable and barley soups, roasted sweet potatoes, grilled veggies. If you feel snackish, aim for nuts or berries. Dark chocolate is also okay, but moderation - and brand! - is key. A bittersweet dark chocolate bar will settle your stomach much more than some Hershey’s.
Cravings are inevitable. The best way is not to force yourself from indulging, but to provide alternatives. For instance, if you’re a lover of ice cream, try popsicles or homemade milkshakes instead. Try a small cup of hot cocoa or even a chocolate protein shake, just to satisfy that craving for sugar. If you can’t make the best decision, that’s okay; you don’t have to force it. Just try not to make the worst decision. Meeting yourself in the middle is totally fine.
(A list detailing key foods and nutrients to focus on will be posted below.)
Sleep.
Sleep is already a hard time for most of us, but the luteal phase tends to ramp up the problems we already have. Caffeine may affect us more than it usually does. Heightened emotions may keep you lying awake in bed. As your energy decreases, you may have to increase the hours you sleep in order to get through the day.
Do your best to honor your body. If you are truly tired in the middle of the day, then stop and rest for a minute. Take a short walk to wake up, or a short nap to reclaim your energy.
Limit your caffeine to a window. Caffeine can take around six hours to leave your body fully, and you can become more sensitive to its effects at this time. Switch to decaf if you still desire that latte or mocha in the afternoon.
For a lot of people, there tends to be one day - about 2-3 days before our next period - when we are so tired, that we can do nothing but sleep that whole day. That’s okay! If anything, it’s best to know that day is going to come and prepare for it. Be ready to limit your social contact and stock healthy food in the fridge, and take a whole day off to sleep if it’s available to you. Make sure to drink water. Try to wake up 4-5 hours before you usually go to bed, and complete a workout if possible to use up your energy so you can get back to sleep that night.
The Luteal Phase is often the most challenging time of our cycle. We feel messy, ugly, and out-of-whack. Try to accept what thoughts and feelings will come, and prepare yourself for the next cycle ahead by focusing on rest, and honoring your body when it desires a break. Tidy up loose ends and open yourself up to new ideas - your creativity may be high, but your energy will decrease, so jot down your thoughts and leave the hard work for the next phase if you need to.
This is your best time to listen to yourself.
Nutrients To Focus On:
B Vitamins
Vitamin A
Magnesium
Fiber
Omega-3s
Key Foods:
Brown rice
Greens
Sweet potato
Chickpeas
Seeds (sunflower and sesame)
Berries
Beans
Celery
Cucumber
Apples and/or pears
Dark chocolate
Cod and salmon
Pumpkin
Peanut butter
Like this post? Check out our other posts about the Menstrual Cycle.