The Cycle Series- Breaking down your Luteal Phase

The Cycle Series

by Alaina Perun

For those of us inhabiting a female body, our endocrine system undergoes a remarkable cycle every month that facilitates our fertile and creative nature. Our endocrine system conducts a beautiful symphony that directs our bodies through four distinct hormonal phases, each of which is defined by its own characteristics. These four phases are menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase. The intention of this series is to introduce you to your cycle and acquaint you to your cyclical nature as a female-bodied human. May this be an informative complement to your journey towards lived wellness in your unique body. 

Technically speaking, there are two phases to our menstrual cycle, the follicular phase and the luteal phase. Each phase contains a major event, menstruation within the follicular phase and ovulation within the luteal phase. For the sake of simplicity, we will view the cycle in four phases: menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal. Also, the day counts explained when breaking down each phase are reflective of a 28 day menstrual cycle. Note that not all menstrual cycles are 28 days; in fact, normal cycles range between 25-35 days. Simply view the day count to get a general awareness around the time frame of each phase. Today, we will be looking into the Luteal Phase.

Breaking down your Luteal Phase

Our luteal phase begins the day we ovulate. In a 28 day cycle, it would be days 15-28. Today we will be discussing the time period from the end of ovulation up until the day before menstruation. This is what we refer to as the luteal phase.

Physically, our endometrium lining is thickening in our uterus. Our bodies may crave more food during this time, as our metabolism increases as nutrients and minerals are being sequestered to build our menstrual lining. The egg was released during ovulation; unfertilized, it dissolved into the fallopian tube forming a mass called the corpus luteum. This mass begins to release progesterone. Comparatively, our cervical fluid feels much drier than it did during the ovulatory phase.

This phase can be viewed through two lenses hormonally: the early and late luteal phase. Early in our luteal phase, our bodies are still energized by estrogen and residual testosterone. Progesterone also starts to rise and peaks mid luteal phase. Progesterone is the hormone that promotes a calm and grounded experience in our bodies. In the later part of the luteal phase, our estrogen and progesterone begin to drop off and we begin the descent into less hormonal stimulation. With our bleed approaching, this highlights the time of the month when we feel most susceptible to premenstrual symptoms.

During the first half of this phase, our mind is geared to detailed task work to complete the projects developed during the first phases of our cycle. Our mentality is clear, sharp, and focused, empowered and driven to accomplish tasks. In the later half of the luteal phase, we begin to find good stopping points to pause on projects and complete creative ideas. Your mind may begin to be more self-oriented, naturally reflecting and reviewing the last month. We feel inclined to gather up any loose ends before the period of rest during our menstruation.

Seasonally, this phase is our inner autumn. This is when we reap the harvest, a time for organization and accomplishment. Enjoy the sweet fruits of your labor and savor the reward. As the body descends into winter, we enter a time of simplifying our actions, completing our harvest, releasing all that did not come to fruition, and surrendering to the imminent clarity born from the deep stillness and silence of our impending winter.

Beans and the Luteal Phase

In the first half of this phase, estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone are all active. As iterated in past installments, the soluble fiber in beans will continue to help mitigate and eliminate any excess hormones in your system. Assuming estrogen has tapered off, our “hormonal high” fades away into “hormonal silence.” The end of our luteal phase is perhaps the most sensitive time in our cycle; this is when we may feel most prone to symptoms of PMS.

Serotonin, the hormone responsible for feeling content and well, is in lesser quantities since estrogen is used in its production. Naturally, we will feel more dull and lethargic, which may lend us to make choices that are not aligned with the longevity of our health. Due to our heightened metabolism and lack of serotonin, we may crave carbohydrate rich foods, especially since carbohydrates are a building block of serotonin. The hormone serotonin is also a neurotransmitter in the brain responsible for the wiring of happy sensations. It is also crucial to note that sometimes feeling lack-luster and low can lead to depressive states. This is why choosing to eat for our bodily, cyclical and hormonal health also serves our mental health even by simply bringing cyclical awareness to our symptoms.

Finally, following the follicular phase, there could be an excess of residual estrogen in the body. The existence of this over time can lead to symptoms of estrogen dominance such as: acne, irregular menstrual periods, heavy periods, bloating, and breast tenderness to name a few.

Supportive foods for this phase include carbohydrate and fiber rich foods. Consider baking starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes and squash and steaming deep greens like collards. Brown rice and millets are other slow burning carbohydrate options. Great fats for this phase include walnuts, pine nuts, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds. Boiling ginger root for tea is very effective in loosening stagnation and keeping the body warm during this phase. Also remember, the Bean Protocol is a whole food, fiber rich diet. you are not limited to consuming the foods listed above, they are simply supportive nutritionally for this phase in our cycle!

Writing Prompts:

Do I allow myself to pause and receive the fruits of my labor? Do I trust my body’s wisdom to review? How do I cope with emotions when I feel low and less energized? Is there another way to comfort myself, outside of food choices, to satiate my emotional body? What do I really need right now?