Eating with your cycle: the phase-by-phase guide I wish I'd had

For years, I ate exactly the same thing from day 1 to day 28 of the month. Same breakfast, same lunches grabbed on the go, same sugar cravings at 5 pm that I blamed on my willpower. And all that time, my body was changing completely from one week to the next: more energy on some days, a bloated belly and lead-heavy fatigue on others.

The turning point came when I started writing down how I felt next to the day of my cycle. The same symptoms came back at the same times, like clockwork. Once you see that, you can't unsee it: if the body follows a rhythm, the plate can follow it too.

This is the guide I wish I'd read back then. No rigid rules, no menus to follow to the letter. Just a clear understanding of what happens in each phase, and what I put on my plate to go with it.

Why your plate can follow your cycle, without becoming a chore

A cycle is four phases in a row: your period, the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase. In each one, oestrogen and progesterone levels shift, and with them your appetite, your digestion, your sensitivity to pain and even how well you handle sugar.

This isn't magazine theory. When we built Solaia, we mapped the most common symptoms phase by phase and day by day, based on what women describe. The result speaks for itself:

• Period, days 1 to 3: cramps, lower back pain, migraines for some, then fatigue settling in between day 2 and day 4.
• Ovulation: a slight pain on one side of the lower belly for some, and breasts becoming tender.
• Luteal phase, from day 3 to 5 onwards: water retention, cravings, bloating, brain fog, breakouts. Then from day 6 or 7, mood swings, irritability, fatigue and lighter sleep.

Look at that list and one thing jumps out: most of these symptoms are directly connected to what we eat. Iron for period fatigue, magnesium for cramps and mood, fibre for bloating, blood sugar for cravings. Eating with your cycle simply means putting the right fuel in at the right time.

And it doesn't require changing everything. I run on a common base all year round and adjust two or three things per phase. That's what I'll walk you through now.

Menstrual phase: rebuild iron and soothe

Your period is when your body loses blood, and therefore iron. It's also when inflammation is at its highest, because of prostaglandins, the molecules that make the uterus contract and, in excess, cause cramps. Two priorities, then: restock iron and calm inflammation.

What I prioritise

• Iron sources: lentils, chickpeas, spinach, red meat if you eat it, sardines. I always pair them with vitamin C (a squeeze of lemon, peppers, parsley) because it multiplies the absorption of plant iron.
• Omega-3s: salmon, sardines, mackerel, flax or chia seeds. They help temper the production of inflammatory prostaglandins.
• Magnesium: dark chocolate at 70% minimum, almonds, buckwheat. It relaxes muscles, including the uterus.
• Ginger and turmeric, as a tea or in a curry. Two spices I use all year, and even more on those days.

The Solaia recipes I reach for during my period

In the app, every recipe has an anti-inflammatory score out of 100. For the menstrual phase, 75 recipes are tagged, with an average of 84 out of 100, the highest of the four phases. That's no accident: it's the phase where we need this support the most. My favourites:

• Soothing spinach and chickpea curry (score 100): iron, turmeric, coconut milk, brown rice. The ultimate comfort dish.
• Omega-3 salmon with ginger (score 100): a salmon fillet, fresh grated ginger, vegetable stock and baby spinach.
• Sardine and black rice bowl (score 95): tinned sardines, black rice, cucumber, flaxseed oil. Quick, cheap, full of calcium and omega-3s.

The day-by-day rhythm I follow

Solaia's daily tips for this phase mirror my routine well: day 1, iron first. Day 2, raspberry leaf tea, which contains fragarine, a compound that helps relax uterine muscles, and a hot water bottle on the belly. Day 3, dark chocolate for magnesium and mood. And throughout, gentle movement: slow walks, yoga, nothing more.

Follicular phase: energy comes back, what to favour

Once your period is over, oestrogen rises gradually until ovulation. It's my favourite phase: energy returns, digestion gets easier, mood is steady. It's the ideal window to build your foundations.

What I prioritise

• Fermented foods: kefir, yoghurt, raw sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh. A healthy microbiome helps the body metabolise oestrogen properly, and this is the time to feed it.
• Ground flaxseeds: a tablespoon in porridge or a smoothie. They contain lignans, which contribute to a gentler oestrogen balance.
• Light proteins and raw vegetables: your digestion handles salads and crudités better at this point in the cycle, so make the most of it.
• Quality carbs for training: sweet potato, quinoa, brown rice. This is the phase when your endurance peaks, and your plate should keep up.

My follicular-phase recipes

Solaia has 91 recipes tagged for this phase. The best-rated ones are fresh and protein-rich:

• Salmon and avocado tartare with sesame (score 100).
• Roasted sweet potato, avocado and chickpea bowl (score 95), full of fibre and iron.
• Mediterranean tempeh bowl (score 92), with olives, cherry tomatoes and parsley. Tempeh is fermented soy: protein and probiotics on the same plate.

On the fitness side, this is the time for cardio sessions and more intense training. Your body burns better and recovers better. I save the big sessions for this period.

Ovulation: support with fibre and antioxidants

Ovulation lasts a few days, around the middle of the cycle. Oestrogen peaks, testosterone has a small spike, and for many of us it's the high point for energy and sociability. Lara Briden, a naturopathic doctor I read a lot, talks about it as an event in its own right, not just a fertility window: ovulation is what allows progesterone, the calming hormone of the second half of the cycle, to be produced afterwards.

The small downside: some feel a pain on one side of the belly for a day or two, and breasts can become tender from the second day. Nothing worrying in itself, but the plate can help.

What I prioritise

• Fibre: the liver metabolises excess oestrogen, and the gut clears it out. Without enough fibre, some of it gets reabsorbed. Legumes, green vegetables, chia seeds, whole fruit.
• Cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, rocket. They contain compounds that support this work of the liver.
• Antioxidants: berries, citrus, mango, peppers. This is when I load up on colour.
• Plenty of water, because body temperature starts rising slightly.

My recipes around ovulation

This is the phase with the most tagged recipes in Solaia, 93, and the best-rated are full of fish and freshness:

• Black rice bowl with salmon and avocado (score 100), with edamame and lime.
• Salmon and mango tartare (score 100): the mango brings vitamin C, the salmon brings omega-3s.
• Grilled tuna steak with express ratatouille (score 95).

Luteal phase: managing cravings and bloating

This is the longest phase, about two weeks, and the one that raises the most questions in my community. Progesterone rises, so does body temperature, and metabolism speeds up slightly. The result: you're genuinely hungrier, it's not in your head. And insulin sensitivity drops a little, which explains the sugar cravings and energy crashes.

The Solaia mapping is very precise on this phase: water retention from day 3, cravings and bloating from day 5, brain fog and breakouts in the same window, then mood swings, irritability and fatigue from days 6 and 7, and sleep deteriorating around day 8. When you know it's coming, you can get ahead of it.

What I prioritise

• Slow carbs at every meal: sweet potato, quinoa, lentils, brown rice. They stabilise blood sugar and mood, and they calm cravings far better than restriction does.
• Magnesium every day: bananas, almonds, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat. For nervous tension, sleep and the cramps that are on their way.
• Protein at every meal, for satiety.
• Less salt and fewer processed foods from the start of the phase, to limit water retention.
• Warmer, more cooked meals: soups, dahls, roasted vegetables. My digestion handles them better than raw vegetables at this point.

My luteal-phase recipes

93 tagged recipes, and the best-rated are all warm dishes, rich in iron and slow carbs:

• Red lentil dahl with coconut milk and spinach (score 100): iron, turmeric, ginger. I make a big batch for three days.
• Butternut squash and chickpea curry (score 100).
• Warm lentil salad with roasted squash (score 95), with hemp seeds and walnut oil.
• Sweet potato, chickpea and tahini bowl (score 92).

The daily tips I actually follow

Day 1, I cut back on salt. Day 2, slow carbs at every meal. Day 3, magnesium. Day 4, no white sugar, a piece of fresh fruit instead when the craving hits. And for exercise, I switch to Pilates and walking, because joints are looser under progesterone and the risk of injury goes up.

The recap table of foods by phase

This table fits in a note on your phone. It's all you need to get started.

How I adapted this to my daily life without making it a chore

I'll be honest: I don't follow this guide 100% every month. There are weeks of travel, dinners at friends' places, days when I don't feel like cooking. And that's completely fine. What matters is the direction, not perfection.

Three principles have kept me going over time:

1. A common base all year round. Protein at every meal, vegetables at every meal, good fats, quality carbs. This base already covers 80% of what you need, whatever the phase.
2. One adjustment per phase, not ten. During my period, I think iron. In the follicular phase, fermented foods. At ovulation, fibre. In the luteal phase, magnesium and slow carbs. One keyword per phase, that's it.
3. Knowing where I am. This is the starting point for everything. Before, I'd discover my period at the same time as the fatigue. Now I see the luteal phase coming and I make my dahl on Sunday. The cycle tracker in Solaia shows me today's phase and the symptoms to expect, and honestly that's what changed everything.

If you take away just one thing: start by observing. For one full cycle, note what you feel and when. You'll see your own patterns, and the plate will follow naturally.