SEQUENCE WELLNESS VIRTUAL CLINIC

Eating For
Your Cycle

[Link]
 Women undergo tremendous shifting of the
Nourish hormonal terrain every month. Though many of
our external factors like diet, exercise,

your workload, stress, and sleep remain constant, our

physiology fluctuates leading to periodic

cycle challenges in performance of the same tasks,

recovery from the same events, as well as the
mental and emotional variance that frame the
same experiences.

Let’s consider working WITH the hormonal tide.

Let’s do our best to acknowledge and honour
the particular phase that we are operating in,
and adjust our lifestyle to make for a smoother
ride when possible.

Dr. Sarah
Naturopathic Doctor & Founder, Sequence Wellness
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IMPORTANT NOTE: All of the included information is for educational purposes only and does not imply medical care of any kind. Please speak to your
licensed naturopathic doctor or family physician to see if any of the following nutritional concepts are appropriate for your particular case.

SE Q U E NC E W ELL NE S S | E A T IN G F O R YO U R CY CL E
How to know where you
are in your cycle

The standard menstrual cycle follows the moon’s 28 day rhythm. Menstrual flow starts
on day 1 of the cycle, lasts approximately 5 days, and is not too heavy (soaking no
more than 7 regular tampons or 7 regular pads, or filling no more than 1 full menstrual
cup), nor is it too painful.

Women are born with all of the eggs they're ever going to have, and each egg is
housed within a follicle. Ramping up on day 3 of the cycle, FSH (follicle stimulating
hormone) released from the pituitary gland in the brain stimulates the maturation of
a follicle, and as it grows it releases estrogen.

Estrogen continues to increase until it reaches a critically high level which triggers
the pituitary gland in the brain to release LH (lutenizing hormone). LH triggers the
follicle to rupture and voila! ovulation occurs.

The egg then travels down the fallopian tube towards the uterus. Meanwhile, the
follicle transforms into a corpus luteum which starts pumping out progesterone, and it
will continue to do so for about 2 weeks. If at that time there has not been a signal
from a developing embryo (HCG - human chorionic gonadotropin which is what is
detected in a urine pregnancy test), the follicle dies off, estrogen and progesterone
drop, and menstruation begins, allowing the whole cycle to repeat.

SE Q U E NC E W ELL NE S S | E A T IN G F O R YO U R CY CL E
Objective measures
that help us
determine where
you are in your cycle

CYCLE LENGTH
01 If your cycles are usually 28 days, then you’re likely ovulating on day 14.
Meaning everything before that is within the follicular phase, and after
that is the luteal phase.

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
02 If you notice a change in cervical fluid mid-cycle (usually a runny egg-
white discharge), that likely indicates you’re ovulating, so everything
before that is follicular, and everything after is luteal.

OVULATION PREDICTOR STRIPS

03 Ovulation test strips (readily found at the drugstore) measure
LH/lutenizing hormone. So it is confirming the day that your brain is
asking your ovary to ovulate. In many women this is accurate and fully
indicates that ovulation will soon occur.

MID-LUTEAL PROGESTERONE TESTING

04 The only way to concretely confirm ovulation is to test progesterone 1
week before menses. Blood, urine or saliva testing all are great for this.

SE Q U E NC E W ELL NE S S | E A T IN G F O R YO U R CY CL E
Phase 1
Menstruation

The focus during menses is on nutritive foods

and practices to replenish your body's
losses during this phase. Iron-rich foods, lots
of fluids (including bone broth), iodized sea
salt and other electrolytes, and lots of
ginger and turmeric in your diet to reduce Herbs commonly
inflammation.
used in the
In Chinese Medicine, the focus is on menstrual phase:
invigorating the flow of “qi” and blood to
ensure the lining can fully slough off. This 1. Nettle to act as a
also helps with reducing cramping (which nutritive herb
can be a sign of stagnant blood).
2. Red raspberry leaf to
tone the uterus and
Foods: comfort foods such as stews,
completely expell
casseroles, curries, whole grains and root
vegetables. menstrual flow
3. Ginger to reduce
Movement: gentle exercise like walking, inflammation
strength training, and gentle yoga.

SE Q U E NC E W ELL NE S S | E A T IN G F O R YO U R CY CL E
Phase 2
Follicular
phase
The follicular phase is all about building. It's
a great time to add in lots of omega 3s and
other healthy fats, eggs, avocado, nuts and
seeds.

In Chinese Medicine, the focus is on building

yin, which corresponds to the blood and
tissue in the uterine lining. However there is
Herbs commonly
also a yang aspect in the growth of the used in the
dominant follicle. follicular phase:

Foods: Protein-rich foods are 1. Fennel to improve

recommended in order to build yin and digestion
blood. Beans, fish, eggs, meat, and tofu are
2. Licorice to boost
all good choices. Cooked leafy greens and
DHEA for energy and
shellfish such as mussels or oysters are
excellent in the early part of this phase to hormone production
re-mineralize the body after bleeding.

Strength training in your low hormone

(follicular phase) leads to more strength
gains, feeling less pain, and recovering
faster (compared to the luteal phase).

SE Q U E NC E W ELL NE S S | E A T IN G F O R YO U R CY CL E
Phase 3
Luteal phase
(peak of hormones)

In Chinese Medicine, this is when yin energy

is at its peak and yang energy begins to
rise. This is when your body goes from yin
dominance (just before ovulation) to yang
dominance (just after ovulation). Herbs commonly
used in the
Foods: lighter foods such as fish, quinoa and follicular phase:
salads.

1. Dandelion root and

Eat high leucine protein (peanuts, spirulina,
lentils, eggs, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds,
leaf to support liver
sesame seeds, navy beans) or supplement clearance of hormones
with branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) and kidney clearance
before exercise to preserve muscle mass. of excess fluid
2. Chasteberry to boost
progesterone
3. Passionflower to settle
frayed nerves and
prevent premenstrual
irritability

SE Q U E NC E W ELL NE S S | E A T IN G F O R YO U R CY CL E
Phase 4
The Hormone
Drop
Times of abrupt changes in hormone levels are
often the most symptomatic. A few days before
the onset of menses, the month's highest
estrogen and progesterone levels quickly switch
to the month's lowest levels, and this rapid
switch can be troublesome to navigate.

Eat lots of cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprout,

etc) to clear estrogens, and flaxseed and other fibres to stimulate bowel
movements and hormone elimination. Focus on lots of protein and fat but also
complex carbs to buffer blood sugar crashes and PMS irritability. There also
needs to be a big prioritization on stress reduction to avoid irritability and to
prevent conversion of progesterone to cortisol (prioritize sleep, gentle
exercise, strength training, schedule a massage, etc). PMS symptoms of
irritability and emotional sensitivity are your body’s signal to slow down.

In Chinese Medicine, this is when yang energy is at its peak. The major sign of
yang energy is warmth, evidenced by the higher basal body temperature.
Foods: Warming foods help to support the warm, yang energy.

Increase your intake of organic soy products (tofu, tempeh, edamame,

unsweetened soy milk) for the week before your period as a source of
phytoestrogens to buffer the hormonal shift 1-3 days before the start of your
period that can sometimes cause headaches.

SE Q U E NC E W ELL NE S S | E A T IN G F O R YO U R CY CL E
 PMS | Craving Carbs
Craving more carbs in your high-hormone phase? Of course you are! Listen to
that craving. You need almost 25% more carbs per hour of intense exercise due
to a hormone induced inefficiency in mobilizing your stored energy (glycogen).
Just be sure to pair it with your higher than usual protein intake as well. And
choose wholesome complex carbs that will be slowly absorbed into your
bloodstream (like sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc), otherwise, a too-rapid rise
in blood sugar will lead both to direct storage as fat, as well as a blood sugar
crash (aka PMS irritability, or what I like to call hormone hangriness).

Still avoid quick carbs like white breads,

pastas and sugary foods. Instead pick
complex carbs like sweet potatoes, brown
rice, quinoa, beans, or oatmeal.

Super Snack Recipe

3 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp chia seed
1 tbsp coconut
1 tbsp chocolate chips

Eat by the spoonful to satisfy

premenstrual sugar cravings.

SE Q U E NC E W ELL NE S S | E A T IN G F O R YO U R CY CL E
 The PMS Checklist
You have just passed ovulation. Now what? Set yourself up for success by planning
for this upcoming high hormone phase. What do you most like to do during this time?
What do you excel at when your hormones are high? What foods and activities fuel
you best when estrogen and progesterone are at their peak? And what activities
should you avoid? Put it in your calendar and give yourself the foundation needed to
thrive in this more turbulent phase of your cycle.

Appointments to book:

Massage therapy, spa hydrotherapy, or any other physical therapy that will relax you and reduce
cortisol. If cortisol requirements (aka stress levels) are high, the adrenal glands will poach
progesterone and convert it into cortisol in order to continue to perform/stress out. To avoid the
estrogen dominance that this creates, support the stress response by prioritizing calming
activities in your premenstrual phase.

Reset your alarm clock:

Sleep changes a lot in the premenstrual phase. If we can bank more sleep, stress tolerance will
improve, but often high hormone levels cause insomnia for many women. Start by at least
changing your morning wake up time. Even an additional sleep in of 15-minutes can help reduce
irritability later in the day.

Veggies to buy:

Go buy 4 different cruciferous veggies. These will help metabolize the elevated hormones and
get them out of your system efficiently.

Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, swiss chard, brussels sprouts, boy choy, etc

Protein to buy:

Stock up on tofu, edamame, organic soy milk, plant-based protein powder, and any healthy
animal proteins that you usually would consume (fish, poultry, grass-fed beef). And don't forget to
have lots of seeds, nuts and nut butters on hand as well. You have very high protein requirements
in this phase and need to rely on a variety of sources to meet your targets.

SE Q U E NC E W ELL NE S S | E A T IN G F O R YO U R CY CL E
 PMS | Breast Tenderness
Have breast tenderness? Best to cut out your caffeine. Methylxanthines in
caffeine cause breast tenderness, but also fray a tense premenstrual nervous
system. It may be the case that you can down 3 cups of coffee in your follicular
phase, but ovulation onwards to your period you’re a 1 cup a day gal, or even
decaf. Give yourself the best odds of being your best self in this more
challenging part of the month. Create a physiological millieu of calm to give
yourself a fighting chance at being calm. Nourish yourself properly in order to
calmly and confidently glide through your day, not stifling a bubbling rage, but
just not having the biological setup that leads to it in the first place.

Self-breast exams are important to do,

but be sure to do them AFTER your period
when breast tissue is less dense and lumpy.
But a great premenstrual practice to
relieve breast congestion and pain is to
do a castor oil breast massage.

Castor oil breast massage

Massage organic castor oil into breast tissue
from sternum outward to the underarm.
Cover with a shirt, and place a light heating
pad on top. Relax for 10-30 mins.

SE Q U E NC E W ELL NE S S | E A T IN G F O R YO U R CY CL E
 PMS | Fatigue
Tired premenstrually? It’s because you’re low on fuel! In the premenstrual phase
high hormone levels of estrogen and progesterone make mobilization of
glycogen (our intermediary energy source) much more difficult, so as soon as
we blow through the small amount of glucose in our blood stream, we start
struggling to access fuel. We’re pretty good at using fat as fuel but that takes a
little while longer, and in the meantime we start to break down muscle mass for
energy too. No wonder your energy can be low! The best way to manage this is
to increase your protein to protect your muscle mass (especially leucine-rich
protein), and increase your consumption of complex carbohydrates (basically
slow-to-absorb sugar).

The car needs gas. If you're tired, first make

sure you're eating enough. The calorie is the
most important nutrient! Next be sure that
your protein is high, and that you're avoiding
fast fuels like sugar, in order to keep your
blood sugar moderate and steady.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring

Want to learn more about how YOUR body
specifically is using fuel? Consider doing a two-
week continuous glucose monitor experiment.
You may be VERY surprised by what foods are
actually "bad" for you, and what your body likes.

SE Q U E NC E W ELL NE S S | E A T IN G F O R YO U R CY CL E
 PMS | Bloating
The balance of bloating: fluid metabolism shifts with high hormone levels,
leading to more swelling and bloating, and less fluid available in the
bloodstream for use. A good way to up your fluid retention and therefore
useable blood volume is to consume high sodium broth, but many women are
less concerned about focus, mental clarity and physical performance, but
moreso fitting into their pants. The balance of this is to do both. Increase your
salt and fluid intake, but you can also rely on diuretic herbs to help clear out
excess fluid as well.

What is a diuretic?
A diuretic is a substance, either nutritional,
pharmaceutical, or herbal that stimulates the
kidney to draw more-than-usual amounts of
water from the body and excrete it as urine.

In the premenstrual phase your body is holding

onto more fluid in some areas of the body than
usual, while there is less fluid in other areas.

This can lead to less exercise and heat

tolerance, and conversely also cause
subcutaneous water retention - which we call
"bloating".

SE Q U E NC E W ELL NE S S | E A T IN G F O R YO U R CY CL E
 Exercising in
your
premenstrual
phase?
How to overcome the
hormone challenge

WORK SMART NOT HARD

SUMMARY:

During the premenstrual phase, it’s really important to start drinking water
BEFORE you exercise, especially if you’re exercising in the heat as your
heat tolerance is diminished in this phase. The night before exercise
consume high sodium broth.

Within 30 mins of completing your exercise it’s important to eat 20-25g of

protein. In total you should be getting at least 2g of dietary protein per
kilogram of body weight daily (so that's 136g protein for a 150lb woman).

SE Q U E NC E W ELL NE S S | E A T IN G F O R YO U R CY CL E
 Follicular Tea

Day 1-14

Nettle to act as a nutritive herb

Ingredients
Licorice to boost hormones and adrenal
out put (energy and stamina)
Red raspberry leaf for the first week (to
tone the uterus and completely expel
menstrual flow), then switch to Damiana
to support libido around ovulation

Directions Add 1 tsp of each herb to a loose

leaf tea pot or french press, and top 1 tsp
with boiled water. Let sit for 5 mins, each
strain and enjoy!

IMPORTANT NOTE: All of the included information is for educational purposes only and does not imply medical care of any kind. Please speak to your
licensed naturopathic doctor or family physician to see if any of the following nutritional concepts are appropriate for your particular case.

SE QU EN C E W E LLN E SS . | E AT IN G F O R Y O U R C Y CL E
Follicular Energy Balls

Day 1-14

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

Ingredients 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons raw pepitas
1/3 cup toasted shredded coconut (sweetened or
unsweetened)
1/3 cup freshly ground flaxseed
2/3 cup natural peanut butter (or your preferred nut
butter)
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (or vegan
chocolate chips)
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions Combine all ingredients.

Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to chill.
Roll into balls
Refridgerate

SE QU EN C E W E LLN E SS . | E AT IN G F O R Y O U R C Y CL E
 Luteal Tea

Day 15-28

Fresh ginger (grated) to act as an anti-

Ingredients
inflammatory to prevent menstrual cramps
Chasteberry to boost progesterone and
prevent PMS symptoms
Dandelion root and leaf to act as a diuretic
and liver support for clearing excess
hormones

Directions Add 1 tsp of each herb to a loose

tea pot or french press, and top with 1 tsp
boiled water. Let sit for 5 mins, each
strain and enjoy!

IMPORTANT NOTE: All of the included information is for educational purposes only and does not imply medical care of any kind. Please speak to your
licensed naturopathic doctor or family physician to see if any of the following nutritional concepts are appropriate for your particular case.

SE QU EN C E W E LLN E SS . | E AT IN G F O R Y O U R C Y CL E
Luteal Energy Balls

Day 15-28

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

Ingredients 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/3 cup toasted shredded coconut (sweetened or
unsweetened)
1/3 cup freshly ground flaxseed
2/3 cup natural peanut butter (or your preferred nut
butter)
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (or vegan
chocolate chips)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions Combine all ingredients.

Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to chill.
Roll into balls
Refridgerate

SE QU EN C E W E LLN E SS . | E AT IN G F O R Y O U R C Y CL E