An Ultimate Guide On What To Eat During Each Stage Of Your Period Cycle

A period-friendly diet can help make sure that you’re not feeling the worst of the symptoms each time you’re on your period. Altering your lifestyle a wee bit is the key to control and balance the jumpy hormones that make everything seem worse during your period days.

 All you have to do is:

Days 1-5: Menstruation

The initial five-six days of the menstrual cycle are characterised by the blood loss that occurs in this interim, placing the body at a greater risk for dipping iron levels. Make sure to introduce iron-rich foods in your diet in this phase. Moreover, the intake of Vitamin C too, enables iron to be absorbed more easily.

In this phase, you can engage in minimal exercise like practising yoga asanas or even walking for that matter. On the other hand, if you barely feel any symptoms of your period, you can go all out with your regular workout routine. The oestrogen hormone that our bodies release in this interim promotes endurance, this means your body will be performing better if you push a little harder.

Guide for diet:
Iron-rich foods: red meat, dark leafy greens like spinach, legumes, and fortified milk
Vitamin C rich foods: oranges, red and green bell peppers, pineapple, strawberries, chilli pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, and mango

Days 5-13 : Follicular Phase
Once the bleeding stops and the period is over, your energy levels will rise again. In the follicular phase, the body is prepping for ovulation again. Hormones like FSH (Follicular Stimulating Hormone) start to rise to release an egg. Studies were done by NIH (National Institutes of Health) signal that during this phase women show greater resilience in strength training and can endure longer work out sessions. In the follicular phase, feed on healthy carbs to make the most of this phase.

Guide for diet:
Good carbs: Oats, brown rice, fruits, fiber-rich veggies, lentils, and strawberries

Day 14-16: Ovulation
When the egg is released from the ovaries, there’s an inevitable change in the hormone levels of the body. In this stage, the steep rise in oestrogen and testosterone levels may lead to a swift change in our appetites. Women feel less hungry in this phase, which is why it is important to feed on quality foods. Protein-rich and fresh food diets are great at maintaining energy levels throughout the day in the ovulation phase. Fibre-rich foods too, help the body rid its toxins during this time.

Guide for diet:
Fibre-rich foods: Flax seeds, oats, nuts, seeds and wholegrain bread and cereal
Fresh foods: Potatoes, avocado, broccoli and raspberries
Protein-rich foods: Eggs, yoghurt, fish and other seafood, soya, pistachio nuts, and chicken

Days 17-28: Luteal and Premenstrual phase
The last days preceding a period are characterised by yet another flux in the hormone levels which leaves the body feeling fatigued and hungry. It is in this period that one may have cravings of unhealthy, fatty foods as the body prepares for another menstrual cycle. For a lot of women, experiencing cramping a week before the period is normal. During the transitional luteal and premenstrual phase, you should make sure your diet has enough magnesium as its known help relieve cramps to a certain extent. To nix all cravings and control the appetite, vitamin B can be of great help as it helps produce serotonin in the body which controls hunger.

Guide for diet:
Magnesium-rich: nuts, seeds, mushrooms, chickpeas, seafood such as salmon or tuna, spinach, kale and asparagus
Vitamin B rich foods: whole grains, meat, eggs and dairy products, barley

Now you know how to beat all period woes the healthy way. For a heavy period flow, you can also switch to Hi Life organic period pads that feel feather-light on the skin and are exceptionally-absorbent, so you won’t have to worry about stains anymore.