How To Own All Four Phases Of Your Menstrual Cycle

This is how you go with the flow, literally

Talk Twenties has partnered with Blob Box to bring you more information about your periods and cycle, the stuff that no-one taught us about in school!

Your period might only last a week blobbers, but your body is working all month long and needs to be nourished during every step of your cycle. Becoming in-tune with what your body is up to will help you maximise your potential, and minimise stress, spots and random crying sessions (although sometimes these truly can’t be avoided sadly). Let’s learn…

Menstruation (day 1-7)

This is the stage we all know well blobbers, basically it’s the time when you are bleeding. This phase of your cycle is known as the inner winter, because similarly to winter time you will probably want nothing more than to cosy up and stay inside. You might feel sluggish, bloated and grumpy (unsurprisingly) as you’re losing blood, so try eating foods to boost your magnesium and iron levels. Dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, seaweed, banana and dark chocolate are your besties at this time of the month. When it comes to exercise, keep things light, yin yoga or tai chi are perfect as they are slow, low impact activities that don’t take too much out of you, but can help to soothe your soul.

The Follicular Phase (day 8-13)

After your period, your reproductive hormones will be increasing and you’ll get an extra hit of testosterone as your body gears up to release an egg. This is your inner spring, and you should feel refreshed, restored and ready to get up and get on with things. You’ll feel way more energised at this stage of your cycle, so it’s time to get stuck into some high energy activities like pilates, rowing, or even weight lifting. When it comes to snacks, lots of high protein and whole wheat products to support your overall health are best. We’re talking nuts, avocados, oats, plus eggs, fish and meat (if that’s your thing).

Ovulation (day 14-21)

During ovulation, you may feel hotter than usual, and your body temperature actually rises by 0.5 degrees. Phew! So it’s no surprise this period is known as the inner summer. If you’re looking to get pregnant, now is the perfect time. But if that’s not on the cards for you, tackle that extra body heat by cooling down with tons of salads, fruit platters and delicious smoothies. Ovulation is also when your energy levels are at their highest so it’s time to take on that 5k run, tackle that extra hard HIIT workout or try that new experimental boxing/spinning hybrid class everyone is talking about on insta.

The Luteal and Premenstrual Phase (day 22-28)

This is the time just before your period aka, when PMS usually starts to pop up on the scene. Known as the inner autumn, you’ll probably be feeling a little bit introverted during this time, and may well want nothing more than an afternoon nap on the sofa, just like when the days start to get cooler. If you can, try and keep active with some long walks and gentle stretching. Nourishing foods like oats, hearty souls and daals will put your body in good stead to handle bleeding. If you can try to skip caffeine and alcohol too, to give your body the best chance of working hard during your bleeding days.

So that’s the basics covered blobbers! Remember, the more we get educated about our cycles, the more we can harness the natural power of our bodies. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t fall perfectly into the categories above, everyone is different, and there should be no pressure on your phases to be a certain way.

Listen to your body, give it what it needs, and always practice self care! The best way to do that? With a Blox Box of course. Pick up yours here.

Blog post shared as part of a paid collaboration with Blob Box.