Are you in your LUTEAL phase? (the most famous menstrual phase on the internet) AND my fav PMS relief tips

Hello everyone,

Who here is in their LUTEAL phase?! (kidding)

I feel like 2025 is the year of allll the girly influencers are announcing/lamenting that they are in their luteal phase like it’s nothing. (maybe just my algorithm?)

Luteal phase brownies, luteal phase workouts, luteal phase MOODS.

Yet another wellness trend/pop-lingo sweeeping through, but honestly, I’m here for it!

The luteal phase is a real part of your menstrual cycle, and the more menstrual literacy we weave into mainstream chat, the better for everyone. The silliness of social media is that we’ve just collectively replaced what we used to say (I’m hormonal! Or I’m PMS-ing) with this technical term, however it’s important to note that our luteal phase is longer and includes more than that week or so before menstruation.

When I started my practice, one of my favourite topics to educate on was the phases of the cycle, providing tools to properly tune into what your body is asking for and how to respond. Understanding our cycles is empowering! So it’s great to see this being embraced, albeit suddenly.

HOWEVER, I’m not crazy about all the advice I see around it, at best some of it is a bit reductive, and at worst - unattainable and therefore stress inducing (and some just plain wrong!).

So let’s do a little recap:

Over the course of a healthy natural cycle (so from day 1 of your bleed, until the last day before your bleed again) you go through 4 phases:

• Menstrual Phase (bleed days)

• Follicular Phase (after you bleed, before you ovulate)

• Ovulation Phase (when you ovulate)

• Luteal Phase (after ovulation and before you bleed again, including PMS days)

Each of these phases are unique and exciting (ovulation being the absolute STAR) but let’s have a quick look at the luteal phase and what everyone is chatting about.

In a healthy cycle, a lot is happening during the luteal phase.

It starts out with a peak in progesterone (usually good vibes), then both oestrogen and progesterone take a big old dip (welcoming PMS) during the latter part of this phase. SO - when we are hearing chat about life being tough in the luteal phase, often it’s what we classically know as our beloved PMS - which is only occurring in the latter part of luteal. This means blanket luteal phase advice might not always make sense.

Of COURSE - I would not do what I do if I didn’t believe there is lots we can do to make the luteal phase (esp PMS), and the other three phases, as smooth and painless as possible. This is what I focus on with clients, and while each of us is unique, there are practices we can all implement that support our physiology in a foundational way - putting us in a prime space for a better cycle.

Do you need to eat special foods during your luteal phase?

No. While there are some nutrients that may be beneficial, enjoying those throughout your cycle is a better option so you are topped up by the time you enter your luteal phase.

The way I like to think of this time, the luteal phase, (esp in the 10 days or so before menstruation) is that it’s a time to mentally, physically, and logistically PREPARE for your bleed days/menstruation. Here are some examples:

• Enjoy iron rich foods and foods with anti-inflammatory properties and avoid foods that you know trigger inflammation (again, helpful throughout the cycle)

• Listen to your body around workouts and altering where you can ahead of your menstruation

• Look ahead to your social calendar and where possible, avoid the more draining activities during menstruation if you find yourself emotionally fragile during this time

Besides mindfully prepping for menstruation - how can we thrive during our luteal phase?

Soon after ovulation, in a typical hormone picture, we might be feeling quite good in the beginning, riding the hormone wave from our cycle’s main event. As the days progress, those classic PMS symptoms may start creeping in. For many of us, things like cramps, tender breasts, and irregular mood, can be a sign that we have a build up of oestrogen that is high, relative to our progesterone.

What can we do about this?

These are a few things I’d recommend doing throughout the cycle, so that when those final days before you bleed hit - your body is nourished and ready.

1. Make sure you are pooping daily! This means being mindful of hydration and fibre intake. This helps us eliminate excess oestrogen.

2. Enjoy cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, kale) as they have a compound that can help our livers detoxify oestrogen.

3. Avoid things that will put excess burden on the liver, such as alcohol.

4. Lots of B vitamin foods (animal proteins, legumes) to support methylation which will help our livers detoxify oestrogen, and to support progesterone production (shout out to B6).

5. Lots of Magnesium rich foods (dark leafy greens, almonds, dark choc, pumpkin seeds) to help with stress, energy and sleep, and consider magnesium supplementation as it’s known to reduce the pain from cramps in some people. (always get professional advice before starting a new supplement as they are not safe for all).

6. Lots of vitamin C rich foods (citrus, tomatoes, kiwis, bell peppers) - vitamin C supports progesterone production.

7. And as always, healthy stress management is key :)

This is just a snapshot - there is much more! I am working on a resource with all the practices I use in clinic to help tackle bad PMS and address what might be at the root.

If your symptoms are severe or anything feels off for you, it’s important to speak with your doc as you may be dealing with something like endometriosis or PMDD.

Hope this is helpful!

Murika x