The Luteal List: The Go-to basics for no PMS
The truth: it’s not your period that’s to blame—it’s your choices. Your body is trying to tell you what it needs, and it’s up to you to listen.
Let’s get real—many women dread the luteal phase, that window between ovulation and your period when everything seems to go haywire. Fluid retention, breakouts, irritability, bloating, fatigue—you name it.
But here’s the truth: most of the common PMS symptoms you experience are signals that you’ve been ignoring what your body needs during this critical phase.
Your luteal phase is when your body starts to slow down naturally, and resisting this rhythm is where the trouble begins. If you’re not proactively managing stress, increasing your food intake, softening your movement, and staying on top of your mineral levels, you’re setting yourself up for PMS.
Let me break it down.
What Happens During the Luteal Phase?
As you enter the luteal phase, after ovulation, your body undergoes a few key changes. Progesterone levels rise, and oestrogen levels taper off.
Progesterone is responsible for keeping you calm and balanced, but it requires specific support.
When you keep going hard, as you were during your follicular and ovulatory phases—high-intensity workouts, jam-packed schedules, not eating enough—you prevent progesterone from doing its job, leaving oestrogen too high and creating a hormonal imbalance. Insert: internal mayhem.
This imbalance shows up in a variety of ways:
Fluid retention: You might notice bloating and swelling.
Breast tenderness: The hormonal shifts can cause swelling, soreness, or tenderness in the breasts.
Breakouts: Your skin reacts to fluctuating hormones.
Cravings and increased appetite: You may crave salty or sugary foods as your body burns more energy and seeks comfort.
Irritability and mood swings: Without proper support, your stress levels rise, leaving you feeling edgy, sad, or anxious.
Headaches or migraines: Hormonal changes, especially the drop in estrogen, can trigger headaches or migraines.
Fatigue: Energy levels plummet when you’re not aligning your movement and nutrition with your body’s needs.
Trouble sleeping (insomnia): Hormonal fluctuations can disrupt your sleep patterns, making it harder to fall or stay asleep.
Digestive issues: Bloating, constipation, or slower digestion are common.
Lower libido: A decrease in sexual desire is often reported as progesterone levels rise.
Joint or muscle pain: Increased inflammation can cause joint or muscle discomfort, often due to fluid retention.
The uncomfortable truth is this: it’s hard for a go-getter woman to accept that, after ovulation, you can’t operate the way they did during the first half of your cycle. So what do you do? You rebel.
You push harder, stick to intense workouts, skimp on food, keep running from one task to the next, and then wonder why your body hit the brakes. Cue: PMS.
The reality is that if you’re feeling these symptoms, it’s not your period that’s to blame—it’s your choices. Your body is trying to tell you what it needs, and it’s up to you to listen.
My Go-To Luteal Phase List: How to Avoid PMS and Honour Your Body
If you want to avoid the dreaded PMS and start flowing with your cycle instead of fighting it, here’s the basics of what you need to do:
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