I Want To Tell You About The Menstrual Cycle
If you’re a woman reading this, chances are no one ever properly explained your menstrual cycle to you. School skimmed over it, doctors handed out birth control with no context, and society treated it as something to hide. But your cycle isn’t just about having a period, it’s a vital sign of health, just like our heart rate or blood pressure. Understanding it is powerful and can transform the way we eat, move, and live.
I struggled for years trying to gain a regular cycle. I didn’t get my period until I was 16 and a few months later I went on the pill where I stayed for a decade. When I came off the pill, my period didn’t return and it was confusing. Professional support was lacking so I decided to educate myself and once I understood the importance of a menstrual cycle, everything changed.
What is The Ovarian Cycle
Our cycle isn’t just one phase, it’s a complex rhythm of hormonal shifts that influence everything from energy levels to cravings.
Ovarian cycle demonstrating phases and hormonal fluctuations over a 28-day period.
The phases broken down are:
Menstrual Phase (Days 1–5)
Our period. Estrogen and progesterone drop, and our body sheds the uterine lining. You might feel lower energy, crampy, or more introspective.
Follicular Phase (Days 6–14)
Body prepares an egg for ovulation. Estrogen rises. You might feel more energised, social, and motivated.
Ovulatory Phase (Days 15–17)
Egg is released. Estrogen peaks and a surge in luteinising hormone (LH) triggers ovulation. You might feel more confident, strong, and attractive.
Luteal Phase (Days 18–28)
Body prepares for pregnancy or the next cycle. Progesterone rises, and if no pregnancy occurs, it eventually drops. You might feel PMS symptoms (mood swings, bloating, and fatigue).
Why Your Menstrual Cycle is a Reflection of Your Health
Our cycle is more than just a reproductive function, it’s a direct indicator of hormonal health. When it’s regular and symptom-free, it means our body is in balance. But if there’s severe PMS, irregular cycles, heavy bleeding, or missing periods (like I had), it’s a sign that something deeper is going on.
Research shows that menstrual irregularities can be linked to stress, poor diet, hormonal imbalances, and even underlying conditions like PCOS or thyroid disorders. Yet, so many of us are told that painful periods and mood swings are ‘just part of being a woman’. That’s a lie. A healthy cycle should not feel like suffering.
Common Signs of Menstrual Cycle Irregularity
As a naturally cycling woman, these are signs you shouldn’t ignore when it comes to your cycle:
Short cycles (less than 21 days) or long cycles (more than 35 days)
Change in your typical cycle length for a few months i.e. not just a one-off
Extreme PMS symptoms (debilitating cramps, severe mood swings, migraines)
Missing periods (unless pregnant or breastfeeding)
Very heavy or very light bleeding
Severe bloating, acne, or breast tenderness
If you’re experiencing any of these, it’s worth tracking your cycle and working with a healthcare professional to get to the root cause of why these symptoms are occurring. Then you can determine treatment options (and it’s not always the birth control pill).
How to Sync Your Lifestyle with Your Cycle
Once you understand your cycle, you can start living in balance with it. Your cycle can influence how you manage nutrition, workouts and stress, but as always you should listen to your body.
Cycle syncing nutrition
Cycle syncing workouts
Cycle syncing stress management
The Power of Tracking Your Cycle
The best way to start understanding your cycles is to track it across each month. Having insights on mood, energy levels, digestion, and cravings during each phase is powerful. Over time, there will be noticeable patterns that will help you optimise your life.
There are plenty of apps these days to track your period, websites where you can calculate ovulation and I have a Menstrual Cycle Tracking resource you can use too.
Let’s Come Together And Take Back Control
Our menstrual cycles are not something to dread, they are a regular health report card that tells you what’s happening inside your body. When you start tracking what’s going on, you’ll feel in control of your health in a way you never have before.
So let’s stop normalising suffering and demonising our periods, and instead start empowering ourselves with knowledge.
With love and balance, my Friends x
