Nourishing Your Energy Through the Cycle

This Week We’re Talking About Nutrition and Energy

While winter asks our bodies to slow down and hibernate, life keeps moving at full speed. The days are shorter, the air is colder, and many of us are carrying an undercurrent of stress from parenting,  the nonstop news cycle, political tension, and shared uncertainty. During times like these, tuning into your body becomes a grounding practice.

If you’ve ever seen a chart of a woman’s hormone cycle, you know it moves and shifts. Energy rises and falls. Moods change. Focus ebbs and flows. This isn’t something to fix… it’s communication. Your body is constantly responding and adjusting, offering information about what it needs to stay supported. Our bodies are so intelligent, and many of us aren’t tuned in enough. 

These shifts can feel more noticeable when life brings added layers like pregnancy, postpartum recovery, birth control, long-term stress, burnout, or the transition into perimenopause or menopause. In winter especially, many women notice their cycles feel different than usual. Often, this is the body asking for rhythm, warmth, nourishment, and a sense of safety.

This week, we’re talking about nutrition and energy with a gentle, inclusive lens. A perfectly predictable cycle isn’t required to benefit from this approach. Food can be a steadying force… an anchor you return to, regardless of what phase of life you’re in.

When meals are regular, foods are warming and supportive, and the body is listened to rather than pushed, something softens. Energy steadies. Mood becomes more even. Hormones are given space to find balance in their own time.

Why Cycle Awareness Matters Right Now

Hormones influence far more than menstruation. They shape energy, focus, mood, digestion, sleep, and how resilient we feel in the face of stress. Modern life often pulls attention outward, making it harder to notice these internal signals.

Cycle awareness isn’t about control or restriction. It’s about slowing down and being present. It’s a gentle question asked daily… what would support me right now?

During times of social stress and uncertainty, nourishment becomes something steady and reliable. Feeding yourself consistently, choosing foods that warm and ground you, and honoring shifts in energy can feel quietly protective. 

So many women I know are eager to lose weight. I encourage you to stop trying so hard to lose weight this winter and focus on balancing your hormones and supporting your body through rhythm and good food and rest. 

Whether cycles are regular, irregular, or no longer present, the intention remains the same… meeting the body where it is.

Nourishing Each Phase

A Gentle Framework You Can Return To

If you’re not sure what phase you’re in, that’s okay. Think of these as seasonal energies within your body. In winter, many of us naturally spend more time in slower, inward-focused phases… and that rhythm has wisdom.

Menstrual Phase

• Rest and Rebuild: This phase mirrors winter itself. Energy is often lower, and the body benefits from warmth, minerals, and deeper nourishment.

  
  

• Nourish with: Soups and stews, bone broth, lentils, roasted root vegetables, grass-fed beef, beets, dark leafy greens, pumpkin seeds.

  
  

• Drink: Ginger, cinnamon, or nettle tea to support circulation and mineral replenishment.

These foods can be supportive anytime you feel depleted, cold, or emotionally tender. They help restore energy and bring steadiness.

Follicular Phase

• Renew and Gently Energize: As energy begins to rise, the body often welcomes freshness and clarity. In winter, this still looks warming and supportive rather than raw or stimulating.

  
  

• Nourish with: Eggs, fish, citrus, lightly cooked greens, sprouted grains, fermented foods, fresh herbs.

  
  

• Supportive idea: Noodle soup with chicken, bone broth, and fresh greens is warming, light, simple and satisfying.

For women in perimenopause, prioritizing protein, fiber, and hydration here can offer additional emotional and energy support.

Ovulatory Phase

• Strength and Expression: This phase often carries a sense of confidence and outward energy… even if it’s more subtle during winter.

  
  

• Nourish with: Roasted or grilled proteins, quinoa or farro, warm grain bowls, steamed greens, raw carrot, avocado, olive oil.

  
  

• Drink: Peppermint or hibiscus tea for hydration and health benefits. Hibiscus is rich in vitamin C and peppermint soothes the digestive tract.

For those not cycling, this phase can reflect moments when communication feels easier or energy feels more available. Nourishing well here helps sustain that momentum.

Luteal Phase

• Soothe and Stabilize

  This phase benefits from grounding meals, steady blood sugar, and nervous system care… especially during emotionally full seasons.

  
  

• Nourish with: Roasted sweet potatoes, squash, chickpeas, seeds, tahini, dark chocolate, warm meals with healthy fats.

  
  

• Drink: Chamomile, tulsi, or magnesium-rich herbal blends to support calm and relaxation.

  
  

  Post-menopause, these foods often provide daily support for energy, mood, and cravings.

Supplement and Lifestyle Support

Winter Edition

• Magnesium Supports sleep, relaxation, muscle ease, and blood sugar balance.
  

• B vitamins Help convert food into energy and support mental clarity during periods of fatigue.
  

• Iron and zinc Support resilience during menstruation, high stress, or times of lower appetite.
  

• Movement Gentle and intuitive. Walking, stretching, yoga, or strength work chosen to match energy rather than override it.

A Gentle Reminder

Your body is asking for your attention and collaboration. Especially in winter, and especially during times of collective stress- nourishment becomes a source of steadiness.

We don’t need to be perfect. Small, consistent acts of care… eating regularly, choosing warming foods, staying hydrated, resting when possible… help create safety. And safety is where balance begins.

Mantra:

I listen to my body. I honor my rhythms. I am supported through every season