It’s so important for us women to help our hormones during the different phases of our cycle. Hormones such as estrogen and progesterone rise and fall according to our different phases which can effect our mood, appetite, and our sleep quality.
Choosing foods that love you back can help you have a happy, healthy cycle each month.So here’s 10 health foods you can implement into your diet and how they can support your menstrual cycle:
1) Salmon🍣
Salmon is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and is a great source of Vitamin B. The week before your period (luteal phase), is when your estrogen levels drop significantly, there are studies to suggest salmon contains small levels of estrogen which may help you balance your hormones during this time. Regardless of the estrogen levels, you should be incorporating this superfood to boost heart and brain health.
2) Flaxseeds 🥣
Flaxseeds are rich in lignans, which is a compound derived from plants with effects similar to estrogen. They also aid digestion and lower cholesterol, so they are great for helping you reduce bloating and they could possibly relieve your cramps. Tip: add them to yoghurt!
3) Garlic🧄
Besides from how good it tastes in everything, garlic is one of the best superfoods you can incorporate into your diet. A few benefits to note; lowers cholesterol, increases longevity, boosts immunity & helps with digestive issues. Garlic also contains phytoestrogens, which again help to support you during the weeks where estrogen is low.
4) Berries🫐
Berries are rich in anti oxidants and are suggested to prevent heart disease. Berries are another naturally occurring source of estrogen, and the raspberry leaf is proven to help relieve pain from period induced cramps.
5) Cruciferous Veggies🥦
Cruciferous veggies (meaning from the cabbage family), include cabbage, broccoli and brussel sprouts. These veggies are so good at healing the gut microbiome, improving blood glucose, cholesterol levels, and regulating bowel movement. In relation to your cycle, these veggies are a great source of magnesium and iron, things we need significantly more of during our period week.
6) Beans 🫘
Kidney beans, black beans, lentils and chickpeas are a great source of Vitamin B which is a necessary vitamin for creating progesterone. The folicular phase (the week after your period), is when progesterone is at it's lowest. So including these beans into your diet can help bring balance back to the hormone levels.
7) Avocados🥑
The hype is real, avocados are a superfood. Where they may be lacking in flavour, they make up for in nutrients that help with reproductive health. Avocados can support women during pregnancy and are suggested to lower the risk or cervical cancer. Avocados contain beta-sitosterol, which helps with the production of progesterone.
8) Whole grains🌾
Things like oats, quinoa & wholegrain bread help to stabilise blood sugar levels, provide high quality levels of fibre and are rich in Vitamin B. The vitamin B helps with progesterone synthesis, so include more whole grains where you can to help your body with it's hormone production!
9) Walnuts🥜
Walnuts help with heart, brain, and gut healt. They have been labelled as a superfood for a long time. They are high in magnesium, so eating these during your period may help with tiredness and lack of energy.
10) Matcha🍵
Fellow matcha lovers will be happy to hear this, matcha can help women who have excess estrogen (typically found in pre and post menopausal women). Matcha is super high in antioxidants and helps promote healthy digestion, boost energy and is super high in polyphenols. So go and drink that matcha latte!
Supporting your body during your different phases of your cycle is super important if you want a stress/pain free month. Nutrition is one of the best ways to support your hormones, so I hope this blog post can help!