Menstrual Cycle: The Ovulatory Phase

@cajugos

The Ovulatory Phase. This is the shortest time of our cycle - it can last only 24 hours, sometimes! It’s the peak of our energy, and we are never more ready to express ourselves than at this time. It’s time to connect, communicate, and create. This is where you attract what you’ve been pursuing, your need to be seen and heard, and your ideal picture of confidence.

For a lot of us, it’s about a time of sexy confidence - hot girl summer - especially since our sex drive is at its peak. It’s also the time to try to get pregnant (or avoid) if that’s something that you’re striving for.

During this short time, you may feel on top of the world. Any stressful situation or important talk that you need to have; work on them now. Even if things don’t work out, you have high self-esteem, and it will be easier to push through difficult things and keep your focus on self-progressing.

Self-care can look like a social activity, something that nurtures yourself and your friends or family.

Keywords to focus on are glow and passion. You’re burning fast, but it’s bright. This is also a time of intense productivity, so don’t waste it. Put that energy into good use and get some work done, whether it’s for your job, a side hustle, or a passion project. End this phase feeling fulfilled to prepare yourself for the luteal phase.

SKIN CARE + EXERCISE.

You’re glowing! It may only be one day, but embrace it. Protect your skin no matter the amount of makeup you wear, and if you want to try a new style, the confidence you have right now will only enhance your features.

Exfoliate and use AHAs, this is the time to go for stronger stuff. Try a facial and deep clean those pores.

You’re ready to go hard in your workouts. Don’t start something, but progress on the progress you made in the follicular phase, and create a goal for yourself to accomplish. Focus on high-intensity, HIIT-type, or a weight workout. Put aside time to stretch long, workout long, and cool down long - the next phase is all about turning inwards, so focus on pushing yourself at this time.

Social connection is high, so try a group workout or a class if that’s something you would enjoy! It’s much easier to push yourself if you bring along a friend to compete with.

Take the time to cool down after working out. Unfortunately, this phase is so short and some of us are prone to long luteal phases, with lots of PMS symptoms and aches. Stretch deep and drink lots of water. Your skin may look and feel great, but support it just as you would on your worst skin day, to maintain its glow for as long as possible.

FOOD.

Think of summer foods: fresh, raw, juicy, green, lean, and clean. Go for juices, salads, and lightly steamed or sautéed bowls. Have less carbs overall, but provide the same amount of calories through more protein and healthy fats. High-fiber fruits are great to match your high energy.

Support your muscles during this time -  you won’t want to lose all the progress you made by not providing your body with the best meals. Center the majority of your carbs around the time you workout to use their energy wisely.

Avoid salty foods. While it’s best to avoid snacking, sometimes big meals are hard at this time, so aim for snacking in the form of fruits and nuts. You can switch out snacks and small meals with smoothies, but make sure they are providing you with enough calories.

While every phase is dependent on the one before them, this is very true for the ovulatory/luteal switch, and I find it’s very, very true for how you eat during the switch. Focus on your future menstrual phase and the symptoms that tend to come before it. The better you eat now, the easier your PMS symptoms may be.

(A list detailing key foods and nutrients to focus on will be listed at the end of this post.)

SLEEP.

Again, this phase doesn’t last long and it may only be one night for some people. You might find it easy to sleep and stay asleep easily. Focus on wearing out your energy through physical activity, and try to end the day with a sense of accomplishment, so you feel content as you fall into bed.

@the5th

The Ovulatory Phase is our most vibrant and passionate phase. It can feel like a meaningful time - if we play it right, it can even feel like the “perfect day”. Continue working on goals and staying in tune with your body. Enhance those beautiful features of yours to feel sexy and magnetic, if you so desire!

It’s not about reaching for perfection, but if there was ever a time for you to start the day strong and end the day strong - it’s now.

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Nutrients To Focus On:

• B Vitamins

• Omega-3s

• Vitamin C

• Zinc

• Fiber

Key Foods:

• Peppers

• Tomato

• Eggplant

• Brussel sprouts

• Leafy greens

• Eggs

• Pumpkin seeds

• Green juices

• Apricots

• Berries

• Salmon and shrimp

• Coconut

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Like this post? Check out our other posts about the Menstrual Cycle.

Menstrual Cycle: The Follicular Phase

@dominikmartin

The Follicular Phase. This is where you break out of your cocoon. You feel ready to socialize and venture out into the world, challenge yourself, and start new projects. You’re confident in your mind and your body. Hormones are heightening your ability to not only plan, but take action.

This cycle can last about 7-10 days. It’s a steady rise of everything - creativity, activity, connection. There’s a spring in your step that you can use to pounce on new ideas and create.

Try creating an environment similar to how you feel on the inside. Open windows, flood rooms with new scents, wake up early to watch the sunrise, dance as you brush your teeth. The more your environment matches your pace, the more content you’ll feel. You’ve spent so much time in tune with yourself during your menstrual phase - now it’s time to fall back into tune with the world around you.

As joy rises and your mood steadily turns into a consistent “quiet happy”, do your best to stay responsible. For instance, focus on work, but invite your friends out for a fun evening; or increase your runs, but make sure to deepen your stretching as well.

Self-care can look like fun activities, ones that include a social connection. Trying something new will provide an outlet for your stored up excitement.

Keywords are stimulation and motivation. You might have a lot of energy, but make sure to put it to good use and work on long-term goals that you’ve had planned. You’re ready to tackle something risky - because if it fails, you’ll have an easier time getting back up than you might in the menstrual phase.

SKIN CARE + EXERCISE.

Your skin is rebalancing itself. Provide your skin with stimulation and protection. You’ll feel like going outside, going out at night, and dressing up because you feel confident, which may mean more makeup. This is fine - have fun! - but wear sunscreen, use toner, and wash your face well each night. Your skin is ready for exfoliation. If you want to test new skincare, now is the time.

The energy you have is light, so nourish it with light activity that you can increase in intensity. Start with runs and moderate strength training, then gradually increase the workouts. Stretch responsibly and keep yourself moving throughout the day.

Muscle aches are common, not only with increasing exercise, but they can linger from the previous cycle. If your muscles ache enough to impede activity, then aim for low-impact exercises such as swimming or pilates. There’s no rush - it’s all about centering your energy into a workout that will provide results while caring for your body.

This is the time to try something new for exercise as well. Try a dance workout, a public class, or go hiking with friends. You might feel like a bee buzzing about, and that’s awesome! Support the desire to move and connect with the world.

Since your energy is popping, it might come out in bursts, which can leave you feeling drained in one moment and too hyper in the next. For meals around your workouts, eat heartily in protein and fats, and have your least complex carb/refined carb at this time so you can burn the sugar off. Focus on small servings of complex carbs throughout the day to help sustain your energy.

FOOD.

You spent the menstrual indulging in warm comforts and heart foods. Now it’s time to focus on lighter, fresher meals.

Instead of roasted veg, try steaming or boiling. Go for lots of greens and vegetables of assortment. Pair them with a protein, and douse in olive oil and spices. Your body is ready to tolerate more calories and foods that are usually harder to digest, so open up to salads and raw bowls with a dressing.

Drink lots of water - as always - to help your stomach adjust to any increase in fiber.

If you are interested in intermittent fasting, now is a great time to try. Take it slow and simply omit a meal, and then gradually increase the hours between each meal. There are other ways and plenty of tips online to help you get started. Sometimes, decreasing food and increasing your liquid calories - such as smoothies, bone broths, and teas - can help you adjust.

Try something new! They say to have a full rainbow of fruits and veggies to eat per day, so see if there’s something new to turn into a staple. Go to a restaurant and indulge as well - it’s about joy in moderation.

(A list detailing key foods and nutrients to focus on will be listed at the end of this post.)

SLEEP.

Your need for sleep will likely decrease. It’s nice to wake up early and find some quiet time in the morning before there’s any work and projects you need to start on. A light workout can be nice as well, but take it slow still. Your muscles need some time to fully loosen from their sleeping position.

Even though your energy is increasing, it may not be steady. You may have bursts of drowsiness between bursts of motivation. Focus on what’s best for you in terms of rest. A nap is only great for some, but bad for others.

While your limit of caffeine can increase in this phase, know that caffeine does not provide new energy - it merely takes from future energy levels. This can steer you towards a crash earlier than expected. Generally, plan for caffeine at the start of your day, and indulge in those sugary sweet drinks with lots of water and a meal to compensate for how it will affect your blood sugar.

Sleep is different for everybody, but for most, it should be easier to find quality sleep during this phase. If you’re having trouble, try changing up your environment. Think of it like a spring cleaning - air out the bedroom, wash all your sheets, spritz a new fragrance, and change your alarm’s ringtone. If you can’t find the right environment, you might have to build it around yourself.

@itsdavo

The Follicular Phase is a time of expansion and rising. We feel confident, dynamic, and ready for a challenge. We understand the peak of our cycle is coming and we want to be ready to meet it, so embrace those bubbly feelings and take a risk or two.

This is your time for experimenting.

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Nutrients To Focus On:

• Probiotics

• Fiber

• B Vitamins

• Antioxidants

• Iron

Key Foods:

• Fermented foods

• Lettuce

• Carrots

• Broccoli

• Avocados

• Salmon

• Eggs

• Lentils

• Pomegranate

• Pumpkin seeds

• Peas

Like this post? Check out our other posts about the Menstrual Cycle.

Menstrual Cycle: The Menstrual Phase

@berlinboudoir

The Menstrual Phase. This cycle is very individualistic, but in general, it lasts about 3-7 days long. We’ve just come from our luteal phase, where our progesterone and estrogen were steadily rising, and now they’ve dropped to our lowest in this stage. We’re in our winter season, where we feel very hermit-like and sleepy.

This is your most intuitive time. You are open to reflection and renewal for the next upcoming cycle. It’s a good time to journal, meditate, and idealize about what you want the next cycle to look like in terms of productivity - but, don’t “do” things. Jot down goals and dreams, but leave the hard work for the follicular and ovulatory phases.

In this phase, you’re stepping away from anxiousness and irritability into a calmer state of mind. The world might feel like it’s moving slowly, and you may need to make it feel like it’s moving slowly in order to reset your body and mind. Just like your period, this is your time to let go of bad thoughts and past things. The luteal phase was to tidy up and complete any leftover projects - if there are things you have been holding onto that don’t seem to have an end in sight, then now is the time to release them.

Self-care can look like meditation and napping, and indulging moderately in comforts, such as sweets.

Keywords for this time are active rest and renewal. You’ll feel a strong sense of starting over in multiple ways. This is the time to strategize about what that means for the future. Since your sense of intuition is so strong, making the right decisions will seem easier at this time.

SKIN CARE + EXERCISE.

Likely, you’re in the end stage of a breakout or some inflammation. Your skin will feel dull and dry, maybe textured with raised bumps and cracks. This is a major time for hydration. Drink more water than you usually do. Focus on honey and hyaluronic acid, and masks that focus on hydration and calming ingredients. Avoid exfoliation, as skin might still be highly reactive.

Naps and breathing exercises are a genuine form of exercise in this phase. Take everything slow and let your muscles stay relaxed - if they feel achy, try heat therapy and massaging to loosen them up.

Focus on light exercise. Don’t use weights, only use your body if you need to strength train. You may feel sluggish, bloated, and heavy. Likely, your stomach won’t be as flat as it usually is, and that’s okay! Be kind to your image, and if it helps, wear loose, breathable fabrics. Stay away from tight clothing and heavy makeup, and focus on hair and accessories if you have a desire to dress up.

Move lightly and rest actively throughout the day. Don’t workout hard for an hour - instead, try a morning and an afternoon walk with a nap in between, then do some yoga before bed to release any leftover energy from the day.

Just like the luteal phase, focus on what your body is trying to tell you. The deeper you aim to understand your intuition, the easier the next cycle will be.

For instance, you can understand when to switch from yoga to pilates and then to strength training by taking stock of your muscles each night. You can understand when to lower your use of hyaluronic acid and increase vitamin C by looking in the mirror and taking stock of your face. It seems weird and challenging, but there’s a lot of benefit to checking in with yourself each day.

FOOD.

Your stomach may struggle with digesting at this time. This is the winter phase, so keep focusing on warm foods that are nutrient-dense, but also light in nature. Hearty soups and roasted veggies are wonderful.

Stay away from high-energy drinks and sparkling water. Try calming teas, hot cocoa, and bone broth for extra nutrition, but without the pain of stomaching something chunky. Again, you’re probably going to feel bloated, but it’s not about how you look - it’s about how you feel and how to honor what your body needs at this time.

Healthy fats and protein will help with energy. Try chickpeas or tofu if you’re vegetarian. Combine these with a carb and a veggie to keep the meals balanced.

For snacks, stick to dark chocolate and nuts. There’s an idea of cycling through different seeds with each phase. You may try a teaspoon to a tablespoon of flax or pumpkin seeds during this phase, but if this is new to you, take it slow. Anything new at this time may upset your stomach, so try new things easily.

It’s all about moderation - but sometimes, that’s tricky. I tend to take this time to indulge in something; preferably, a pint of ice cream. I try to have this in the afternoon and with lots of water, because the sugar crash will make me sleepy by the evening. Being both indulgent and responsible is a possibility!

Try to indulge at the start of the cycle. You should be ready to start the follicular phase at the end of your period, which will include starting new projects, becoming more active, and increasing your social contact. Your mood will increase and your energy will stabilize - so don’t sabotage this by eating pizza and ice cream and staying up all night at the end of your cycle.

(A list detailing key foods and nutrients to focus on will be listed at the end of this post.)

SLEEP.

Just like the luteal phase, you will feel sleepy. It’s not necessarily about needing sleep, but needing to rest to keep your energy for the things that need to get done. There’s a fine balance between resting and oversleeping. Activities like meditation, breathing exercises, gentle yoga, and sitting outside can all count towards active rest.

You may need naps, but plan them carefully. There’s a lot of information about how to nap correctly online, but my best solution is to experiment and figure out what’s best for you.

It can also be about shutting your mind off, or quieting your environment. Outside stress and anxiety will keep you from mindful reflection. Try taking away all outside distractions, and then place one outside source in your bedroom - headphones for music, a podcast, a yoga video, a meditation course, or an open notebook for journaling. Take the time to sit with this one source and see what you can reflect on.

@annikamaria

The Menstrual Phase is both the end and beginning of our cycle. We start out feeling low, and we end up ready to start over and get moving.  It’s very much a time of shedding, especially since you’re so in tune with yourself - any tasks, thoughts, or plans that aren’t working out and you need to drop, now is the time to tie everything up and begin new things.

This is the time for idealization. You’re ready to shed old skin and come out of your shell.

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Nutrients To Focus On:

• Iron

• Vitamins B12 and B6

• Omega-3s

• Magnesium

• Calcium

• Vitamin C

Key Foods:

• Root vegetables

• Rice (brown and wild)

• Dark leafy greens

• Mushrooms

• Berries

• Kidney beans

• Flaxseed

• Watermelon and/or melon

• Dark chocolate

• Avocados

• Sea salt

• Tofu

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Like this post? Check out my other posts about Cycle Synching.

Menstrual Cycle: The Luteal Phase

@natracare

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.

@thefemalecompany

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.

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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

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Like this post? Check out our other posts about the Menstrual Cycle.