This food chart will help give you the minerals and nutrients needed for each phase of the month. Whether you are looking to increase fertility, decrease PMS, or become more aware of your hormonal fluctuations, this chart will help you tune into your body’s needs throughout the month. 

Food Cycle-Syncing Guidelines: 

Menstrual Phase (Week 1): Focus on nutrient-dense foods to nourish your body. Protein, fats, and low sugar fruits and vegetables, keep your blood sugar steady while adding fiber and antioxidants. Seafood, kelp, and nori, can help remineralize your body with iron and zinc, which we lose during menstruation. You may want to eat a bit more red meat this week as well as warm foods like soups and stews.

Follicular Phase (Week 2): Focus on fresh, vibrant, light foods, to make you feel more energized during this phase. Fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut, plenty of vegetables, lean proteins, sprouted beans and seeds, and nutrient dense, energy-sustaining grains like barley and oats, are excellent!

Ovulatory Phase (Week 3): Focus on fruits and veggies (some raw and some cooked) to help metabolize and eliminate any estrogen excess. Limit sugar and dairy during this phase. Stick to lighter grains like quinoa and amaranth. Ovulatory foods promote vascular and anti-oxidative well-being for your ovaries. 

Luteal Phase (Week 4): Focus on foods rich in B vitamins to decrease sugar cravings. Eat leafy greens to boost calcium and magnesium and to reduce fluid retention. Add roasted or baked root vegetables to help your liver and large intestine flush out estrogen more efficiently. It may also be beneficial to limit caffeine and alcohol this week. 

Save this chart so that you can reference it the next time you go to the grocery store. Let me know how it goes!

Chart & adapted info from Woman Code by Alisa Vitti.