If you're new around here, welcome! I'm a menstrual health expert and ND. I have helped thousands of women welcome in healthy periods and balanced hormones with my program Period Reboot! Be sure to hop on the waiting list so you're notified the next time the doors open!

Beginning after ovulation and ending with our bleed, the luteal phase is typically that 10-14 day stretch where many of us dread the rollercoaster of PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, symptom onset. The luteal phase is generally the longest phase of our menstrual cycle and though cramping, mood swings and fatigue have been categorized as "normal", it doesn't have to be this way.. and it shouldn't!

Common luteal phase symptoms

• PMS
• mood changes
• breast tenderness
• increase in anxiety
• food cravings 
• fatigue
• changes in sleep
• acne
• sadness
• change in libido
• bloating
• irritability 
• cramping
• headaches

Sound all too familiar? You aren't alone! 3 out of 4 menstruating women have experienced one or more of these symptoms leading up to their bleed. The good news is, just by making a few small changes you are likely to see big shifts in intensity, frequency and onset of your current luteal symptoms! 

These symptoms, while common, are not necessarily normal. So you don't HAVE to deal with an awful luteal phase!

These are my top five tips to survive and thrive during your luteal phase.

Start tracking your signs and symptoms:

Whether in a cycle tracking app or a journal, writing down your symptoms is one of the best ways to begin mastering your luteal phase today. Keeping track of what symptoms arise on which cycle days can be a huge indicator as to what is going on hormonally. This is a great practice in listening to your body, staying aware and picking up on any patterns that may be presenting.

This will also give you real data to look at yourself or with a practitioner. This is why in Period Reboot we spend so much time in week one really reflecting on our current symptoms so we can both make sense of them AND have a baseline idea of where we're starting as we begin to support our hormones.

Nourish your body and keep your blood sugar balanced:

By eating enough calories and ensuring you are having balanced meals, you can keep your blood sugar balanced and ease some of the common luteal phase symptoms. Focus on getting fat, protein and enough carbs at every meal.

An example of a meal that could spike our blood sugar and make us feel yuck later in the day is starting our day with a sugary latte and muffin. While this definitely gives us plenty of carbs, there's probably next to ZERO protein or fat. 

Instead, opting for a meal that gets in all 3 macronutrients will keep your blood sugar far more stable. Think a piece of sourdough toast with avocado and two eggs. 

Protein ✅ 

Carb ✅ 

Fat ✅ 

Blood sugar stability can = improved mood, reduced PMS, more energy and better sleep 

Glucose is your body's preferred source of energy. Don't forget to eat plenty of complex carbs during your luteal phase! This includes foods like sweet potatoes, rice, oats and beans. 

Make nourishing herbal teas a part of your routine:

The luteal phase and good routines go hand in hand! A favorite easy routine to start is beginning or ending each day with a nourishing herbal tea like red raspberry leaf and nettle leaf.

Herbal teas are also mineral rich tools and mineral balance is important for hormone balance! You can grab my Cycle Nourishing tea here or blend something similar at home with red raspberry leaf, nettle leaf and milky oats.

Exercise cyclically:

Let's be honest, most of us don’t crave an intense HIIT class in our luteal phase. During the luteal and menstrual phases, our bodies are more apt to light exercise, stretching or restorative yoga. Really hone in on what your body is trying to tell you. If your feeling the call to take a rest day, honor that.

We talk about this at length in Period Reboot because you can sync your exercise routines to your biology every month! Pretty cool, eh?!

Look at what drains you vs. what replenishes you:

It is said our heightened awareness during the luteal phase helps us see what is working in our lives and what is NOT. This is a powerful time to say no, set boundaries, reschedule as needed and be more protective of your time and energy.

Fascinating, isn't it?

What else can we do to support our Luteal Phase?

I look at a few different things with my students in Period Reboot when it comes to the Luteal Phase. First, I want to know if they are ovulating. In Period Reboot, students learn in week one how to track and confirm ovulation. From their temperatures, we can also get a sense of how progesterone is doing, what their thyroid health looks like and their general metabolic state. Some students also choose to do a DUTCH test - a dried urine test of comprehensive hormones - to get exact numbers on their hormones like progesterone. 

Many students are surprised to find they are not ovulating, and we then begin the steps to encourage ovulatory cycles again. Confirming progesterone is being made is a very important step. 

From here, we look at some key foundational steps to support hormone health as a whole. It's possible that if we're struggling with these symptoms that our hormones need some general support. 

These simple steps can make a world of difference!

In Period Reboot, students learn how to work WITH their biology and how to support their hormones so they can welcome in regular periods, ovulatory cycles, balanced moods and symptom free cycles. I believe this information is VITAL and the aha moments and amazed faces in every live workshop I lead within Period Reboot are so powerful to see. 

Excited to join the next round of Period Reboot? Make sure you're on the waiting list here!

Was this information helpful? Let us know! And for my full explanation on the Luteal Phase and how to go from surviving to THRIVING during it, check out my episode on the CYCLICAL Podcast! 

Want to hear more?? Be sure to tune into the CYCLICAL podcast!

Episode #142 "Your Luteal Phase Survival Guide"