FOOD AND YOUR MENSTRUAL CYCLE

The menstrual cycle is an important part of many people’s lives. Despite this, misinformation, silence and shame abound around the topic.

This menstrual hygiene day, I set out to write an article strictly about how to use food to optimise your wellbeing during your period but I ended getting a lot more than that from my interview with Gilbert Nsanzimfura a nutritionist with TMR International hospital. He talked in detail about the 4 stages of the menstrual cycle, how you may feel, what you can eat and what you should avoid to get through each like a champ. Enjoy!

The menstrual cycle has 4 phases: Menstruation phase, Follicular phase, the luteal phase and Ovulation.

NUTRITION AND THE MENSTRUATION CYCLE

Nutrition takes place for the entirety of mankind’s life. We actually talk about nutrition from 0 1, this means from the day a sperm meets an egg during fertilisation. But for this article we are going to help women of reproductive age. First there are foods that need to be taken throughout each of these phases. These are foods you cannot do without, the first being Vitamins and minerals. The body cannot manufacture them on its own. The good news is that the body does not need a lot, this is why they are called micronutrients. Others are proteins, carbohydrates for energy and lipids.

The menstrual cycle has 4 phases: Menstruation phase, Follicular phase, the luteal phase and Ovulation.

1. The Follicular phase: This is the phase between the first day after blood flow has stopped up to about the 13^th -14^th day when ovulation normally occurs. This stage involves Follicle stimulating hormone which facilitates the growth of follicles. These follicles will harbour a mature egg during the ovulation phase.

2. Ovulation phase: This is where a mature egg (ovum) is released from the Fallopian tubes. This is the shortest phase of the cycle, it can last up to 24 hours, the longest time being 24 hours. This is called the excitement phase of the entire menstruation cycle.
3. The Luteal phase: It normally collides with menstruation and sometimes they are even confused to be the same phase. In the Luteal phase, the body is getting ready to start mothering an embryo, the egg is already released into the uterus for fertilisation.                                                                        This stage involves multiple hormones at the same time. Let’s look at progesterone and oestrogen hormones. These two hormones are very stubborn in that their reactions are very rapid. They both, each at a time, support the thickening of the uterine walls. This a stage that happens for about 10 to 15 days. It lasts from your ovulation day to the day you experience your first drop of blood flowing through the vagina if fertilisation does not take place.
4. Menstruation: This is normally the most distressing phase of the entire cycle. It lasts about 3-7 days although some might experience it for up to 10 days. Some women have them heavy, others light, others painful and others very painful.

NUTRITION AND THE MENSTRUATION CYCLE

First there are foods that need to be taken throughout each of these phases. These are foods you cannot do without, the first being Vitamins and minerals. The body cannot manufacture them on its own. The good news is that the body does not need a lot, this is why they are called micronutrients. Others are proteins, carbohydrates for energy and lipids.

NUTRITION DURING THE FOLLICULAR PHASE

At this point, your body has gone through changes.

−You have lost blood, iron and minerals

−Dizziness may be felt

− You may feel weak

Here it’s like building a house from ruins. You need to take all the food stuffs but mainly you need to replace the lost iron, the lost calcium and the lost magnesium.

Foods to eat

•Boiled eggs 

•Chicken 

•Salmon and sardines. There is a difference between sea food and fresh body food. You can have Nile perch and Tilapia but they will not give the exact replacement.

•Plant protein

•Legumes like beans and lentils

•Liver and other Vitamin D rich foods. We want Vitamin D because it facilitates absorption of calcium in the body.

•Leafy vegetables

•Purple vegetables

But because most people feel dizzy and are not interested in working and the like, we also encourage that you take more protein and plenty of water.

Foods to avoid

•Take carbohydrate but sparingly. If you take too much, it may make you feel dizzier. This is because digestion of carbs leads to production of glucose. Accumulation of glucose leads to high sugar levels which can cause symptoms like thirst and dizziness and other long term symptoms.

•Avoid all trans fats, from red meat like beef and goat

•Avoid processed food stuffs including bacon

•Minimise salt intake, especially added salt. It can make you spot further because it encourages water retention.

•Limit sugar intake. Like salt, it may make you spot even when you have finished your menstruation.

If you flow heavily, we encourage you to do light and not vigorous exercises.

Important to note: ALL junk foodstuffs should be avoided in all the phases. Junk food has been earmarked as a leading factor of almost all non-communicable diseases. All adults should be cutting out fast, foods, especially irish potato chips.

NUTRITION DURING OVULATION PHASE

This is the shortest and most ‘excited’ phase. You are in a very good mood, you want to eat anything, and most females want to engage in sex. This is when people tend to have cravings for fast foods, snacks, sweet things and pastries. But if you are planning to get pregnant this is when you should start preparing.

Go for:

•Instead of sweets, go for an apple, a mango

Avoid:

•Fatty foodstuffs

•Alcohol

•Use of nicotine, coffee and caffeine. These 3 have an effect on oxygen production. If the egg is fertilised that night and you used these, we could end up seeing defects later in the child.

NUTRITION DURING THE LUTEAL PHASE

A good diet in this phase is key whether you are planning on getting pregnant or not.

This phase happens whether the egg has been fertilised or not. Here, a foundation is being built, creating an environment to support a growing embryo. A good diet in this phase is key whether you are planning on getting pregnant or not. Not having healthy eating patterns can result in a very painful period, you may have clots.

This stage requires a lot of:

•Plant protein

•More fruits and vegetables.

NUTRITION DURING THE MENSTRUATION PHASE

Towards menstruation, some people have an urge for sex, some lose appetite, become restless, or experience stomach ache. The symptoms of this phase are many; from headaches to dizziness, apathy, disinterest in doing exercise, in doing work and cramps. Every female experiences it their own way.

To relieve headaches and anxiety, you can have scents and aromas in your room.

We encourage you to eat:

And, not very highly recommended, but if you have a sweet tooth, you can take some chocolate.

•Bananas. They are happiness fruits, they trigger the release of melatonin which helps you to feel relaxed.

•Watermelon

•Easily digestible fats like avocados

•Carrot and orange juice will help you replace the minerals you are losing

•Plenty of water. Warm or hot but not cold

•Beans, lentils and legumes are very important

•Get plant protein to help build back on what has been shed

•Eggs and milk because they are rich in calcium and iron. We are losing a lot of it so we want to replace it. 

•Vegetables because they have a lot of mineral deposits

•Whole grains

•And, not very highly recommended, but if you have a sweet tooth, you can take some chocolate.

Foods to avoid

•All cooking oil should be avoided, whether vegetable or avocado, margarine, kimbo, sunflower or sunseed. Oil increases free radicals in the body, this may promote inflammation and make menses heavier, longer and more painful.

•Avoid all red meats during menstruation for the same reason as oil, free radicals. It can be eaten at least 7 days after the last day of menses.

• Sugars and salt should be minimised

•Avoid coffee because of its production of caffeine

•Avoid alcohol because it’s a like a blood thinner. It may make your flow heavy, and may lead to lengthening of the menstruation phase

• Processed grains

•Carbonated drinks like soda

•Paw paw

All cooking oil should be avoided, whether vegetable or avocado, margarine, kimbo, sunflower or sunseed. Oil increases free radicals in the body, this may promote inflammation and make menses heavier, longer and more painful.

Do light exercise such as a walk to relieve cramps and facilitate easy flow.

As an end note: Some people have very very painful periods and this can happen at any age. It may be due to heavy production of a hormone called prostaglandin during menstruation. I advise them to see a doctor for a hormonal balance treatment routine.

Phase	Length	What to eat	What to avoid
Follicular	13-14 days	Boiled eggs, Chicken, Salmon, sardines, Plant protein, beans, lentils, Liver, Vitamin D, Leafy vegetables, Purple vegetables	Carbohydrates sparingly, ALL trans fats, red meat like beef, goat, bacon, processed foods, limit sugar and salt intake.
Ovulation	24-48 hours	Fruits like apples a mangoes	Sweets, fatty foodstuffs, Alcohol, nicotine use, coffee and caffeine.
Luteal	10-15 days	Plant protein, More fruits and vegetables.
Menstruation	3-7days and up to 10 days	Bananas, Watermelon ,Easily digestible fats like avocados, Carrot and orange juice, Warm or hot water, Beans, lentils, Plant protein, Eggs, milk, Vegetables, Some chocolate (not very highly recommended)	ALL cooking oil, all red meats, excess sugars and salt, processed grains, soda, paw paw.