Like my guide to yoga for your menstrual cycle, this guide for foods to eat for PCOS is based on each phase of your menstrual cycle. This is particularly crucial for PCOS, where what you put into your body directly affects your hormonal balance and level of insulin resistance, affecting things such as how severe your cramps are and PMS symptoms. Adjusting your diet can be a challenge at first, but after sticking with it you will notice a real difference and feel better than ever before–both in your periods and your overall health. So let’s take a look at the best foods to eat for PCOS during each phase of your cycle!

Phase 1: Menstrual Phase (Days 1-7)

Just as you should focus on gentle movement during the first few days of your cycle, when you are bleeding, you should seek out foods, especially those full of great whole grains, that will give you extra support and energy during this time. Seek out foods that will help resupply nutrients, especially iron, and keep your blood sugar levels from getting too low (especially important for PCOS).

Here are some good foods for this phase:

• sweet potatoes
• brown rice
• yogurts with probiotics
• pumpkin seeds and/or raw nuts
• lean proteins such as poultry, fish (ie salmon for omegas), eggs, tofu, beans/lentils

Phase 2: Follicular Phase (Days 7-13)

During this phase, your hormone levels are starting to rise again, preparing for a new cycle. Just as you may be able to incorporate more movement into your routine, you can now add different types of foods, particularly focusing on detoxing and gut health.

Foods to try during this phase are:

• dark, leafy greens like spinach and kale
• foods loaded with healthy fats like avocado and yogurt
• broccoli
• zucchini
• salmon and other lean fish
• nuts/seeds, particularly sunflower and flaxseeds

Phase 3: Ovulation (around Day 14)

During ovulation, your estrogen and body temperature will be going up, which may result in symptoms like tender breasts, bloating, mood swings, and headaches. Foods that support the liver will help with this, as it will allow the liver to filter out the excess estrogen. Try:

• leafy greens like kale and spinach
• eggs
• whole grains
• fruit: berries are a superfood–try a smoothie and add chia seeds, another superfood great for digestion!

Phase 4: Luteal Phase (Days 15-28)

Since this is just before your period, you may experience PMS symptoms such as mood swings, cramping, and headaches. Be sure to keep hydrated with water or herbal teas and try to avoid too much salt or refined sugars–keep focusing on those whole grains like bread and brown rice, especially since cravings are prevalent during this period. Drink water or tea instead of coffee and alcohol, since these can make PMS symptoms worse.

Here are some ideas to make the pre-period phase a little easier:

• dark chocolate (70% or more cacao)–a classic for PMS and periods!
• dark leafy greens
• whole grains like bread and brown rice
• lean proteins
• fruits, especially berries

Enjoy!

There you have it–a guide to foods to eat for PCOS! Incorporating these foods into your diet may take some changes in shopping and eating habits, but as with yoga, you will see results. Truth be told, all of these foods are super healthy for you no matter what phase of your cycle you’re in, but maximizing the power of the ones listed here for each phase will improve your cycle and health overall. And who knows, you might even find a new favorite food!

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Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and do not claim to offer medical advice in these posts. These are meant to be informational only. Please consult further with your doctor for specific advice and treatment plans.

Learn more:

https://moodymonth.com/articles/what-foods-to-eat-during-your-cycle