Hey. Have you ever heard of cycle syncing? It’s a method of utilizing food, herbs and teas, and movement to optimize PMS symptoms, hormone balance, and how you feel. Pretty cool stuff.
In this post, we’re going to share some cycle syncing nutrition and lifestyle tips to help you uplevel your vibe and nourish your beautiful body and soul all month long. (Spoiler: One of our top cycle syncing tea suggestions is Fake Coffee. More on that in a bit.)
But before we get to cycle syncing tips, a little context.
Cycle Syncing: Getting In Touch With Your Inner Rhythms
As menstruating bodies, we not only have a day-to-day circadian rhythm but we also have what is called the infradian rhythm.
Infra-what?
Most people are familiar with the circadian rhythm as our natural sleep and wake cycle. However, the infradian rhythm may not be as familiar. It refers to the menstruating body's 28-day cycle.
There are actually four phases in our monthly cycle. Throughout each phase, our hormones fluctuate and these fluctuations affect our energy levels and emotional state.
This is where cycle syncing comes into play.
The term was coined by Alyssa Vitti, a researcher and the bestselling author of “Womancode” and “In the Flo,” who is considered a thought leader for women’s hormonal health, a pioneer in “femmetech,” a US patent holder for her tech, and an advocate for gender equality in nutrition research.
Keep reading to find out more — we’ll go through some of the basics of the menstrual phases and how to nourish and support your body through each phase inspired by the cycle syncing method.
What is Cycle Syncing?
Cycle Syncing is a method of adapting your lifestyle and nutrition habits to align with your needs during each of the four phases of your menstrual cycle.
The idea is that if you “go with the flow” (sorry, couldn’t resist), you can optimize your hormones, which in turn optimizes just about everything else — your energy levels, health, and banishes unwanted symptoms, to boot.
As you probably know, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to any wellness routine. But here are some general wellness tips inspired by cycle syncing, organized by each phase of the menstrual cycle:
Cycle Syncing + The Four Phases
of the Menstrual Cycle
Menstrual Phase
The first phase of the menstrual cycle is the menstrual phase — which includes the days of your menstrual flow from start to finish (5-7 days for most).
The menstrual phase is all about restoration. It’s a time to enjoy warm and comforting meals and to nurture yourself. Limit processed foods, alcohol, and caffeine during this phase. (If you’re really jonesing for a second cup of coffee, try our Fake Coffee instead.) Iron and magnesium are key nutrients during this time, so they should be prioritized.
Here are a few cycle syncing tips to support your body during the menstrual phase:
- Teas: Dandelion root tea (psst — dandelion root is a key ingredient in our Fake Coffee) and raspberry leaf tea
- Foods to include: Grass-fed beef, beets, blueberries, dark leafy greens, legumes, lentils, pumpkin seeds, and quinoa.
- Movement: Keep movement light — walking or gentle yoga are great options
Follicular Phase
The follicular phase follows your period and lasts until ovulation, a period lasting 10-20 days. During this time, estrogen and follicle-stimulating hormone (commonly known as FSH) are rising. (Not familiar with FSH? It’s a hormone that affects the function of the ovaries and aids in sexual development and reproduction.)
During this phase, optimizing liver-detox pathways and supporting the metabolism of excess estrogen is the name of the game, making it the ideal time to focus on fermented foods and support your immune system.
Here are a few cycle syncing tips to support your body during the follicular phase:
- Tea: Once again, dandelion root tea is a great choice. (And once again, dandelion root is a key ingredient in our Fake Coffee.)
- Foods to include: Avocado, broccoli, eggs, flaxseeds, grapefruit, kale, oats, pickles, pomegranate, sauerkraut, and wild-caught fish.
- Movement: You can start to ramp intensity back up with your favorite movements.
Ovulatory Phase
The ovulatory phase is the 24-hour period after an egg is released. It’s accompanied by a surge in estrogen and luteinizing hormone (LH), which helps regulate your menstrual cycle.
The ovulatory phase typically occurs about 13-15 days before your period. If you are dealing with hormonal imbalance or trying to conceive, this phase is a key anchor point and one that you will want to track in addition to your menstrual phase. Again, you want to support the liver during this phase and include anti-inflammatory foods.
Here are a few cycle syncing tips to support your body during the ovulatory phase:
- Tea: Dandelion root tea (ahem — Fake Coffee)
- Foods to include: Asparagus, beets, brussels sprouts, chocolate, figs, lentils, quinoa, raspberries, salmon, sesame seeds, spinach, and sunflower seeds.
Movement: You may find that you have a lot of energy during this phase — it’s a great time to try HIIT (high-intensity interval training), spinning, or circuit training.
Luteal Phase
This is the second half of your cycle, which occurs after ovulation and before your period — roughly 9-16 days. During this time, progesterone and estrogen increase.
Towards the end of the luteal phase, you may notice an increase in appetite due to the peak in progesterone, which can increase metabolism. It’s a great time to incorporate magnesium and iron-rich foods in preparation for menstruation.
Here are a few cycle syncing tips to support your body during the luteal phase:
- Teas: Peppermint (such as our Royal Treatmint) and ginger teas (ginger is a key ingredient in our Cup of Sunshine)
- Foods to include: Grass-fed beef, cauliflower, chickpeas, eggs, halibut, pears, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and walnuts.
The Bottom Line on Cycle Syncing
Creating more awareness around our bodies and the infradian rhythm allows us to feel more in tune with our bodies and how they fluctuate throughout the month.
Understanding these ebbs and flows helps us optimize our approach to our nutrition and movement to feel our best. Of course, when making any changes to your health start small and implement what makes sense to you as an individual.
Note: This post does not offer medical advice. Contact a medical professional before changing your wellness routine.
Sources:
- https://www.floliving.com/natural-remedies-for-pms/
- https://organicallybecca.com/cycle-syncing-balance-hormones-foods-to-eat/
wholesomehuntressnutrition.com
Cycle Syncing
3/3/23 Original text by Caitlin Cipriano, MS, ATC
Updated 12/28/23 by Jessie Moore