On Your Period? Here’s Your Diet and Supplement Plan
Source: @sakaralife
My Instagram has basically turned into a Cycle Syncing fan account at this point, but I’ve been dedicating my time and energy to understanding the hormonal system and how the body’s needs fluctuate throughout its cycle. A huge part of this research was self-motivated–I’ve been suffering from bad period problems since I was a preteen. But it’s also for my clients, as I’ve learned how our hormonal symptoms dictate everything in the body from the gut to the brain to cravings. If you’re looking to heal any symptom or reach any health goal, looking into your hormones will give you the biggest bang for your buck.
One of the key takeaways I have for you is actually pretty freeing. The wellness world is so overwhelming with different workouts, foods, and supplements that promises good health, it feels like you’re constantly adding new things into your routine. Problems with the wellness industry aside, it is true that there’s a lot of options out there to experiment with, but you shouldn’t be doing, taking, or eating the same thing all the time. To me, that felt so freeing because you can be rotating supplements and superfoods to keep your daily routine simple, but actually be optimizing your health and offering your body the most nutrients. So below are a few of the superfoods I make sure to eat during my menstrual phase and the supplements I add in right before and during my bleed–that is so much more easier than saying you should add these in all the time right? Below, I talk about how these nutrients can ease symptoms like PMS, cramping, bloating, etc. (did you know that a common cause of period symptoms are just nutrient deficiencies?), but even if you don’t have symptoms, you should still be giving your body the right foods and nutrients to support its unique hormonal process. These foods and supplements below give your body what it needs to function at its healthiest for not only a healthy period, but set you up for hormonal balance throughout your whole cycle.
Foods I add to my diet:
Beets are a good source of iron, which your body depletes rapidly when you bleed. They’re also rich in beta-carotene and antioxidants, which promotes blood flow to the uterus and can help reduce cramping
Sea vegetables like nori, kelp, sea moss, etc. are so important to eat on your period because they help re-mineralize the body. Sea vegetables are high in nutrients like manganese and calcium, which can help ease symptoms of PMS (a study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found one of the most common causes of pain and mood-related symptoms during PMS and menstruation is lower levels of manganese)
Wild rice is also a good source of iron and calcium to re-mineralize the body, and it is also high in vitamin B6 , which can help alleviate premenstrual symptoms
Miso contains phytoestrogens, which are naturally occurring estrogens that can help with hormonal imbalance–soy is typically associated with hormonal disruption, but the fermented soy in miso actually supports hormonal balance, especially the hormonal production happening in the menstrual phase. Just make sure to look for an organic paste (not powder!).
Almonds or hazelnuts: specific nuts are high in vitamin E, which is super beneficial for relaxing the muscles and easing cramping or bloating, so I make sure to eat a handful every morning a couple days leading up to my period and during Aunt Flo’s visit–it actually makes a big difference, and since upping my vitamin E intake, I no longer need Advil (for reference, I would have to pop the max dose every few hours to keep cramps at bay)
Bottom line: i focus on nutrient-dense foods and make sure to eat even more protein and fat than normal.
Supplements:
I take magnesium before bed every day, but a few days before my bleed, I’ll start increasing the dosage and keep it higher than normal throughout the first few days of my period because it’s a great muscle relaxer, so it can lessen cramps, bloating, etc.
Vitamin E is another key nutrient to help muscles relax–I said above, I get more vitamin E through eating nuts, but I also add a supplement when my bleed starts (and a couple days before) to help reduce cramps
Quercetin + Nettles is a really effective combo and important to take during your period. They’re really great for inflammation, so can help with cramps, bloating, heavy bleeding, etc., as well as managing symptoms from inflammation-related diagnoses like endometriosis, PCOS, etc. It’s also a double whammy because your immune system takes a dip when you’re in your menstrual cycle, so the high dose of vitamin C and immune support in these plants help gives your system a boost.
Red raspberry leaf tea is something we should all be drinking while on our bleeds, and if you have any symptoms like cramping (or are pregnant/planning to become pregnant–talk to your doctor first, obvi), you should drink it during every phase of your cycle. It helps strengthen and tone the uterus for optimal uterine health and to ensure it’s a healthy period.
Bottom line: There’s a lot of supplements out there, but you don’t need to take all of them every day. Adapt your supplement routine for your cycle so you’re taking them when they’re actually doing your body good by easing symptoms and supporting your body’s cycle.
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