Your Guide to the Cycle Syncing Diet

Cycle syncing involves changing what you eat, how you exercise, and what activities you do based on the stage of your menstrual cycle.

Although the research is very limited in this area, many menstruating women report that syncing their cycles to their food and activity helps with pre-menstrual symptoms or improves how they feel throughout their cycle.  

In this article, we’ll focus on the nutrition part of cycle syncing (stay tuned for Part 2, which is all about syncing your exercise routines), including which foods are best to eat during each of the four menstrual phases.

What Are the Menstrual Cycle Phases?

First things first: if you thought “menstrual cycle” just meant when you’re on your period, keep reading! 

There are four phases of the menstrual cycle:¹

1. Menstrual Phase: This is when you have your period. The first day of your period is considered Day 1 of your cycle. Everyone’s periods are different lengths, with the most common being 3 to 5 days. 
2. Follicular Phase: Right when your period ends, the follicular phase starts. In this phase, your pituitary gland releases follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which prompts your ovaries to produce sacs called follicles that hold immature eggs. Only one immature egg will mature and get ready for ovulation. The follicular phase commonly ends around Day 13-15 but can vary widely depending on when ovulation occurs. 
3. Ovulation/Ovulatory Phase: When you ovulate, that single egg is released from one of the ovaries. Ovulation typically happens around Cycle Day 14-16 if you have a typical menstrual cycle of 28 days. This is when the egg can be fertilized by sperm. 
4. Luteal Phase: The fourth menstrual cycle phase is the luteal phase, which starts after ovulation and ends when your next period starts. The luteal phase primarily aims to prepare for pregnancy (if the egg gets fertilized) by thickening the uterine lining. If you don’t get pregnant, the uterine lining sheds, and your period starts. 

Here’s a quick look at what’s going on with your primary reproductive and fertility-related hormones at each stage of the menstrual cycle:²

Although lab testing is the only way to truly know where your hormones are during each cycle stage, you can generally gauge things by tracking your cycle.

Many apps allow you to easily track the dates of your period, which can estimate when you ovulate. However, many people don’t ovulate exactly halfway through their cycle.

Products like Oura Ring and Natural Cycles use morning basal body temperature to estimate ovulation better. Alternatively, you can buy LH test strips (ovulation test strips) to see when your LH surges (a good indication of ovulation).

Cycle Syncing Diet: What to Eat During Each Menstrual Cycle Phase

Okay, now that we know what happens during each phase of the menstrual cycle, how can we change our diet to optimize our feelings and functions?

Menstrual Phase Cycle Syncing

As most women who have periods know, the menstrual phase typically brings lower energy and mood changes due to lower hormone levels. In this phase, estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest, causing you to crave rest and relaxation. 

Many people refer to the four phases as the four seasons with the menstrual phase represented as winter. In winter, you may want to stay indoors, cozy up, relax, and eat warm foods. 

However, we don’t want to entirely go off the rails by eating only less nutritious foods. Eating adequate amounts of lean proteins and healthy fats can balance your blood sugar, which can help balance your mental health and energy throughout your period.

Plus, consuming enough amino acids and healthy fats sets the stage for healthy ovulation in the upcoming cycle, as these nutrients are building blocks for hormone synthesis. 

Menstruating causes blood loss and lower iron levels, so replenishing your iron and mineral stores is ideal during this time.³ 

You’ll also want to emphasize cooked and warming foods and spices (like ginger, teas, cooked veggies, and soups) that are nourishing and nutrient-dense. 

Bloating is more common during this phase, so you may want to avoid an abundance of raw veggies and salads, which can be more difficult to digest. 

Some ideal foods to eat during the menstrual phase include those rich in :

• Iron: Red meat, organ meat, sardines, salmon, tuna, lentils, buckwheat, seaweed, and beans can help to replenish lost iron. 
• Vitamin C: This vitamin is needed for proper iron absorption, so eating citrus fruits, bell peppers, or sauteed broccoli can further support your iron stores. 
• Magnesium: This mineral can help relieve menstrual cramping—try eating nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, and cooked green leafy vegetables.⁴ 
• Omega-3s: Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory, which is beneficial for reducing menstrual-related pains.⁵ 

Follicular Phase Cycle Syncing

The follicular phase reflects our inner “spring”—the snow is melting, the sun is coming out, and hormones, mood, and energy levels are rising.

Like springtime meals, follicular phase cycle syncing involves lighter fare like salads and plenty of fresh, raw foods. 

During this phase, metabolic rates and energy expenditures are lower, meaning that higher calorie intake at this time may lead to unwanted weight gain.⁶

Cortisol levels may also be higher in this phase, so limiting your intake of caffeine, alcohol, and sugar may be beneficial.⁷

Eating bitter or astringent foods can also benefit the follicular phase, as they help with liver function and detoxify excess hormones like estrogen.

Here are some foods to focus on during the follicular phase:

• Bitter plants and herbs: Green tea, black tea, citrus, pomegranates, and cranberries can help support liver function.
• Fermented foods: Kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, or kefir can support gut changes like bloating, constipation, and slow gastrointestinal motility. 

Light and fresh foods: Salads, veggies, fruits

Ovulatory Phase Cycle Syncing

Ovulation is compared to summer, as most women feel their absolute best and sunniest during this two- or three-day period. 

Estrogen rises, and LH levels surge, making you feel happier, more energetic, and more social. 

However, some people can have estrogen surges that go too high, which leads to symptoms like acne, anxiety, mood swings, irritability, or cramping.

If this sounds like you, you may want to eat foods that can help to eliminate excess estrogen, like cruciferous vegetables, which can help to metabolize extra estrogen and prevent it from getting stored in the body.⁸ 

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practices, ovulation is a “hot” phase of the cycle—which makes sense, as our basal body temperatures rise by 0.5 to 1°F after we ovulate.⁹ 

TCM practices recommend mainly eating raw and cold foods during ovulation to “balance out” the “hot” qualities of the phase. These foods include salads, smoothies, green juices, and other raw foods. If you’re ever going to go to a raw vegan restaurant, now is the time!

Like the follicular phase, your metabolism is still slower until after you ovulate, so you may feel more satisfied with lighter foods now than you do during the luteal and menstrual phases. 

Some ovulatory phase-friendly foods include:

• Raw fruits and vegetables: Salads, cold soups (gazpacho), smoothies, green juices, fresh produce
• Cruciferous vegetables: Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, and bok choy can help metabolize excess estrogen.⁸ 
• Fiber-rich foods: Fiber can also help balance estrogen levels, such as lentils, beans, peas, raspberries, and seeds.

Luteal Phase Cycle Syncing

The luteal phase is our internal autumn, which is when we start to hunker down and prepare for winter. This includes needing more calories than we do in the follicular and ovulatory phases. 

We need more calories in the luteal phase because our metabolic rate and energy expenditure increase, so you want to ensure you’re providing your body with enough energy and nutrients.¹⁰ 

If you experience more cravings and increased appetite in the week or two before your period, you’re not imagining it—your body is burning more calories at rest, causing you to be hungrier to meet those needs.

You also use more B vitamins (especially B6) during the luteal phase to support higher progesterone production, so replenish them with foods like salmon, poultry, eggs, red meat, beans, and leafy greens. 

Slow-burning, fiber-rich carbohydrates (like beans and lentils) will help keep blood sugar and energy stable, and minerals like magnesium should be emphasized. 

There are many ideal foods to eat during the luteal phase, as this is when you can prevent or lessen those unwanted PMS (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms. Here’s which nutrients to focus on:

• Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3s can minimize PMS-related cramping, abdominal pain, fatigue, and mood changes—try adding more salmon, tuna, flax seeds, egg yolks, or sardines.⁵ Omega-3s are also involved in healthy serotonin production in the brain, helping support a better mood before your period.¹¹
• Magnesium: Healthy magnesium levels can reduce fluid retention and bloating, as well as support healthy progesterone production.¹²
• Zinc: Zinc also supports progesterone production, which is important for a healthy uterine lining. Find zinc in high amounts in shellfish and red meat.¹³
• Vitamin B6: Salmon, poultry, eggs, red meat, beans, and leafy greens can help with healthy progesterone levels.¹⁴ 
• Potassium: Potassium-rich foods, such as avocados, nuts, beans, and leafy greens, can reduce the common bloating and water retention seen before your period. 
• Fiber-rich starches: The luteal phase is known for hearty meals, such as those rich in sweet potatoes, potatoes, quinoa, beans, lentils, or squashes. Fiber-rich carbs can support healthy blood sugar, which then leads to a more stable mood and energy. 
• Quality of life indulgences: While you don’t want to overconsume less nutritious foods, it’s important to make room for indulgences that make you feel good before your period. We hate to use the classic “chocolate and PMS” example, but if that’s what you love, feel free to add it in!

Cycle Syncing FAQs