Menstrual Cycle: The Follicular Phase
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.
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.