Foods for the Flow of Spring
Foods for the Flow of Spring
5 ways to support Week 2: Follicular phase + 2 simple recipes!
Today we are going to do a deep dive into the late follicular phase or Week 2 Spring Phase. Because I have 22 annotations you will have to read in the app. The file is too big for email. My apologies. There is just so much to unpack here!
Hormones in Spring phase/Week 2 of the menstrual cycle
Estrogen
LH, FSH and HPA Axis
Testosterone
Process of Elimination
Calorie intake and blood sugar levels
Key Take-aways: 5 Ways to support Week 2
Foods that Support Spring Hormones
2 Recipes for Spring
**Disclaimer: While I have spent countless hours researching this topic, if you know that you have estrogen dominance and/or history of reproductive cancer or genetic factors for pathologies, please take this information to your doctor or nutritionist before changing your diet. I am not a licensed physician nor do I hold a medical degree. This is not intended to diagnose or offer advice. This information is simply that, to inform.
Lets Dive Deep
It has become my understanding that everything we do to care for ourselves now, sets us up for the next phase. What we do in our inner Winter (menstruation), as far as resting and restoring, sets us up for how we can experience our Spring. Likewise, how we eat and exercise in Spring can dictate the health of our Summer which holds a very important event: ovulation. Ovulation is not just important if you are trying to conceive, it is also important because it signals the production of other hormones that determine the health of the endometrium lining and will play an important role in symptoms of pms and menstruation. I guess what I’m saying is, every week matters. We can support our Spring week by eating foods harvested in the Spring garden!
Hormones in Spring Phase/Week 2
1. Estrogen
2. Follicular Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
3. Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
These are the three big players in the late follicular phase of week 2 (Day 6-Day 13 of a 28 day cycle).
Also Testosterone, although it has a low level spike is also an important player.
Hormone balance is important for organ and structural function, there are foods that support healthy hormone balance and if we eat foods that prepare us for each coming week, it is my opinion that we may have a healthier stronger vitality during our reproductive, peri-menopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal years.
Let’s take a look at the hormone chart
https://www.palmhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Female-Hormones.jpg
This is the full monthly picture of the orchestral song that our hormones sing. There is a lot going on. Let’s narrow it down to the Spring Phase Day 6ish to Day 14ish.
All this rising action translates to more energy rising on every physiological level.
Estrogen
Our first all-star player is Estrogen (divided into 3 main types, estradiol, estrone and estriol). Our body has estrogen receptors all over and it is very very important that we have estrogen and equally important that we metabolize and excrete estrogen at the right time. If we don’t metabolize and effectively get rid of estrogens, then they build up and re-circulate in our system and this can cause estrogen dominance.
Estrogen dominance, means that we have high levels of circulating estrogen and because estrogen is a proliferative action it begins to build tissue in places we don’t want tissue to build.
Estrogen dominance may cause1:
PCOS
Endometriosis
Uterine cancer
Ovarian cancer
Fibroids
Breast cancer
Painful fibrous breast tissue and swelling
On the flip side low estrogen levels can cause2:
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Thinning skin and vaginal wall
Dry skin
Anxiety
Painful sex due to dryness
Depression
Increased weight gain around the mid-section
Higher risk of osteoporisis
Higher risk of heart disease
What we are looking for is a balance of estrogen and the types of estrogen that we have. Phyto-estrogens are naturally occurring estrogens in foods that we can eat to support our hormone levels, which can support, “reproduction, skin aging, bone, cardiovascular, nervous, immune systems, metabolism…”.3
We want to support healthy estrogen because this beautiful spike in estrogen is what signals the ovary to get ready to release an egg. It also gives us energy to exercise and socialize and brain power to communicate very effectively.
LH, FSH and the HPA Axis
Luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) are hormones controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis also known as HPA Axis. This is a feedback loop. It is responsible for regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis). HPG Axis regulates LH and FSH, which creates the sac of eggs and is responsible for signaling for that egg sac to rupture and release an egg at just the right time4.
Supporting the HPA is important for healthy ovulation5. As we age and enter perimenopause, FSH and LH become too high to support ovulation which basically signals that menopause is on the horizon. In order to get the most out of our ovulating years, we can nourish the HPA with Vitamin A6, Omega 37 and fiber8. Reducing stress greatly improves the function of the HPA Axis9.
Testosterone
Lastly, little ol’ testosterone makes an appearance. Not much is known about testosterone’s role for women because little research has been done in this area, especially when it comes to replacing low testosterone10. It’s such a small amount, what do we need it for? Well, here are the symptoms11 if testosterone is low:
Fatigue
Low libido
Low muscle mass
Reduced pubic hair
Bone loss
Insomnia
Vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes/night sweats)
Low mood
So obviously it plays an important role. My opinion is that if we look at when it rises, it essentially is the driving force that gives us the sex drive, appeal, and energy to conceive at ovulation. Also, testosterone helps us to maintain healthy muscles and bones12. Yes, our libido is important. We can support testosterone production with high amounts of lean protein from meat and vegetables and from resistance training.
The Process of Elimination
We want to focus on supporting our microbiome, liver and HPA during our Spring phase.
We can improve healthy levels of estrogen by eating phyto-estrogens13 that are then metabolized and eliminated. In order to metabolize estrogen our microbiome needs support14 as well. This means eating foods that give us prebiotics15 and probiotics16. The liver also contributes to metabolizing estrogen, so supporting the liver and detoxing the liver helps this filter run smoothly to metabolize and eliminate. We excrete excess estrogen through our bowels, so it is very important to support healthy bowel movements. Constipation leads to recirculating estrogen. Getting plenty of fiber and pre and probiotics and lots of water helps to move estrogen out.
Calorie intake and blood sugar levels
In this season we can get by with less caloric intake17. We are highly efficient at generating energy and our blood sugar is generally lower during the 1st half of the menstrual cycle18. However, if we skip meals, which is easy to do with all the “doing” during this phase, we may find ourselves with low blood sugar levels and symptoms from that. This is a great time for high protein, low carb, and lots of fresh fruits and veggies. I have been making protein smoothies my go-to in the mornings to keep sugar levels more stable.
Key take-aways/5 Ways to Support Week 2
Support Estrogen with phyto-estrogen rich foods19
Support HPA, FSH and LH with Omega 3, Vitamin A and Fiber
Support Testosterone with protein and exercise
Support Gut Biome to eliminate excess estrogen with prebiotics and probiotics20
Support Liver to eliminate excess estrogen with citrus fruits, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, brussels, cabbage), lean protein, olive oil, nuts and seeds, lemon water and green tea21. And don’t forget to sweat! Sweating helps reduce the load on the liver and helps eliminate toxins.
I am slowly incorporating more seasonal foods into my inner seasons. Changing eating habits can be very difficult. I don’t recommend ditching everything in the cupboards and starting over. Instead, I have been slowly thinking about eating one or two items from the list below everyday and increasing that list as much as I can.
Foods that Support Spring hormones:
Micro-greens (nutrient dense and fiber)
Citrus fruits (phyto-estrogens)
Flaxseed (ground) (high in phyto-estrogen)
Pumpkin seeds (zinc, omegas, phyto-estrogen)
Soybeans/edamame (organic and minimally processed) (Phyto-estrogen)
Spinach (phyto-estrogens, nutrient dense)
Strawberries (Anti-oxidant, phyto-estrogen)
Blueberries (Anti-oxidant)
Oats (fiber, healthy carbs)
Lentils (fiber and protein)
Peas (fiber and protein)
Broccoli, kale, cabbage (cruciferous veggies eliminate excess estrogens)
Olives and olive oil (healthy fat)
Parsley, oregano (phyto-estrogens)
Artichoke (fiber and phyto-estrogen)
Avocados (Omega’s)
Fish (Omega’s)
Eggs (Omega’s)
Chicken (lean protein)
Yogurt (Probiotics)
Asparagus (fiber and prebiotic)
Fermented veggies (Prebiotics)22
Maca root (ground) (estrogen balancing properties)
Focus on fresh fruits and fresh vegetables, lean proteins and Omega’s! Most of these fruits and veggies are Spring garden harvests!
Now that we have the list of foods and what they do, let’s go shopping!
2 Recipes for the flow of Spring:
Morning or pre-workout Smoothie
1 cup of organic soy milk or almond milk
1 scoop of whey or pea protein (chocolate)
1 scoop of collagen protein
1 tbsp of flaxseed (ground)
1 tsp of maca (ground)
1/4 cup frozen strawberries or blueberries
I enjoyed this fresh Spring salad on my Day 10 this week!
Grilled Chicken Spring Salad
1 thin-sliced chicken breast
Pinch of salt and pepper, garlic powder, paprika, oregano on both sides
On medium heat add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil and cook for about 4 minutes on both sides or until internal temp is 165F.
1 cup of spinach
½ cup or more of baby kale
Blueberries
Raspberries
Walnuts
Pumpkin seeds
Sliced pickled beets
Goat Cheese
Honey-dijon vinaigrette
¼ cup of olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp dijon
½ tsp honey
Pinch of salt and pepper
In a bowl whisk all ingredients together
In a bowl, put all lettuce, fruit, and seed ingredients together. Drizzle vinaigrette and lightly toss leaving a small portion of vinaigrette for the chicken. Add sliced beets and goat cheese. Slice chicken into strips and place on the salad. Drizzle the rest of the vinaigrette on the chicken.
Thanks for joining me in this deep dive into the Follicular phase and I hope you learned something new! I would love to hear how you support your Spring/follicular phase. Let’s start a conversation in the comments!
