The luteal phase is the part of your menstrual cycle that’s also your body’s inner Autumn. It is a time where you shift from being actively engaged in the world around you and move to focus more internally. You look within yourself and seek awareness of your own hidden depths. It is a time where hidden desires are shown more clearly.
It is an important time that you can use to get to know yourself – making peace with the hidden things that need to be seen, or validated, or healed.
Continue reading below this post prepared by a naturopathy near Bendigo and Castlemaine to learn how to properly support nutrition during this menstruation phase.
The Luteal Phase Timing
The luteal phase is the 10-14 days before your menstrual blood starts to flow. It is the time when your body is transitioning between your most fertile time – ovulation – and the cleansing of your womb – menstruation.
During this phase, your progesterone levels rise as your estrogen falls.
Common Changes During Luteal Phase
Some of the changes that you might experience as your hormone levels fluctuate include:
- Bloating: progesterone encourages your intestines to relax, which allows for your belly to expand.
- Breakouts: as your hormone levels change you may experience a breakout along your jaw, chin, or neck.
These can be challenging, especially with the pressures that modern society places on you. Take the time to listen and feel your body change with compassion. Look at yourself with the love you’d give others going through a tough time.
Nutritional Support
Like the seasonal change from summer to autumn, there are also energetic changes in your body as you enter the luteal phase. Your body is focusing on other things and as a result digestion and your overall energy are less of a focus. Here are some tips to get the most out of your food during this menstruation phase:
- Swap from raw foods to steamed, stewed, or grilled foods; cooking the foods makes it easier for you to digest and the heat of cooked food doesn’t take away energy like cold food can.
- Support building blood to build up strength before menstruating, try beef, beef liver, red grapes, yams, goji berries, and Chinese red dates.
- Nurture, ground and calm your body with pumpkin, sweet potato, beets, squash, cabbage, and carrots.
- Support estrogen metabolism with cruciferous vegetables, carrots, garden cress, and dark green, leafy vegetables.
- Manage and reduce bloating with cruciferous vegetables, banana, kiwi, pumpkin seeds, almonds, black beans, figs, avocado, and dark chocolate.
Did you like this post about supporting your body during the luteal phase of menstruation? If you answered YES, check out these other articles about women’s health issues here.
