Hey beautiful,
One week you’re energised, social, unstoppable. Two weeks later you’re exhausted, bloated, and raiding the pantry at 9pm. Sound familiar?
That’s not randomness. That’s your cycle — and it runs on a fairly predictable rhythm most of us were never taught to read.
Once you understand the four phases, so much makes sense: the cravings, the energy dips, the weeks you feel invincible. And what you drink can work with each phase instead of against it.
This week we're covering:
The four phases of your cycle and what’s actually happening in each
Why cravings spike when they do — and what your body’s really asking for
What to drink in each phase (including the two phases that need the most support)
This week in wellness
New research just tested a big cycle syncing claim — honestly — mindbodygreen
A new study found cycle phases don’t change your ability to build muscle — but researchers stress the hormonal shifts in how you feel are completely real. The takeaway: sync to your energy, not to rigid rules.
The complete beginner’s guide to cycle syncing — Healthline
A balanced look at what cycle syncing can and can’t do — with a refreshingly simple starting point: whole foods, less sugar and caffeine, and staying hydrated through every phase.
A dietitian’s “four seasons” approach to eating with your cycle — Everyday Health
A registered dietitian breaks the cycle into four seasons — with mineral-rich foods in the luteal phase (potassium, magnesium, zinc) to support progesterone and steady blood sugar when cravings hit hardest.
The Four Phases — And What to Drink in Each
Quick note first: if your cycle has become irregular in your 40s, these phases still apply — they’re just harder to predict. The signals (energy shifts, cravings, sleep changes) become your guide instead of the calendar.
🔹 Phase 1: Menstrual (days 1–5) — Replenish
You’re losing iron with every period. Fatigue here is real and physical. Drink: iron-supporting ingredients paired with vitamin C, which multiplies iron absorption. Warm drinks feel better than iced for most women this week.
🔹 Phase 2: Follicular (days 6–13) — Energise
Estrogen climbs, energy returns, this is your “spring.” Drink: fresh, light, hydrating — green juices, infused waters, anything vibrant. Your body handles everything better this week.
🔹 Phase 3: Ovulation (days 14–16) — Support the Peak
Estrogen and testosterone peak — and here’s what surprised me: research shows appetite often rises right after this peak as your body shifts gears. Body temperature also rises slightly. Drink: extra fluids and antioxidant-rich options — your body is running warm and working hard.
🔹 Phase 4: Luteal (days 17–28) — Steady the Ship
Progesterone rises, and your body becomes slightly more insulin resistant — meaning blood sugar swings harder, and sugar cravings hit hardest. This is also when magnesium gets depleted fastest. Drink: magnesium-rich cacao, mineral waters, less caffeine (it amplifies PMS anxiety). The craving isn’t weakness — it’s chemistry.
“Increasing mineral-rich foods — potassium, calcium, magnesium, and zinc — in the luteal phase can help optimize progesterone production and keep blood sugar stable.” — Well+Good”
Takeaway: You can’t out-discipline your hormones. But you can work with them — one phase, one drink at a time.
🥤 Sip of the Week
The two phases that need the most support get the recipes this week. Both 1 litre.
Recipe 1 — Beet & Berry Replenisher
Iron support + the vitamin C that helps you actually absorb it. For your period week.
Ingredients:
150ml beetroot juice — natural iron + nitrates for energy and blood flow
150g mixed berries, muddled — vitamin C to multiply iron absorption, antioxidants
Juice of 1 lemon — more vitamin C, brightens
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger — eases cramps, anti-inflammatory
700ml filtered water — to reach 1 litre
1 tsp honey — optional, to taste
Instructions:
Muddle berries in a large jug. Add beet juice, lemon, ginger, honey and water. Stir well, chill for 20 minutes, strain if you prefer it smooth. Deep ruby red and genuinely restorative.
Pour into your favourite tumbler and sip through the straw.
Recipe 2 — Tart Cherry Lime Cooler
The luteal phase’s biggest saboteur is broken sleep — and tart cherry is one of the few ingredients with real research behind it for sleep quality. Deep red, refreshing, and it sits happily in your tumbler all day.
Ingredients:
200ml tart cherry juice — I use Biona Organic; studied for sleep quality and recovery
800ml filtered water — to reach 1 litre
Juice of 1 lime — vitamin C, balances the tartness
¼ tsp sea salt — minerals, helps the water absorb
1–2 tsp honey — to taste; tart cherry is genuinely tart
Instructions:
Combine everything in a large jug, stir well, pour over ice. Sip through the afternoon and evening — tart cherry works best as a consistent evening habit during PMS week, not a one-off.
Pour into your favourite tumbler and sip through the straw.
🧠This Week’s Quiz
This one is quick but the result might surprise you. 60 seconds.
My Notebook
For years, there was one week a month where I was just hungrier. More sugar, more snacking, more everything — right after ovulation. I never questioned it. I just ate the biscuits and felt vaguely guilty.
Now, studying nutrition, I finally get it: appetite genuinely rises after ovulation as your body shifts into the luteal phase. It was never a willpower problem. It was chemistry — and nobody had ever explained it to me.
I wish I’d known what my body was actually asking for. It wasn’t biscuits.
🔍 Quick Rituals
✅ Try this today: Note where you are in your cycle right now — just knowing the phase changes how you read your own energy and cravings.
✅ Try this week: Make a litre of the Tart Cherry Cooler before PMS week arrives — tart cherry works best as a nightly habit, and having it ready is half the battle.
🚫 Skip this: That extra afternoon coffee in your luteal phase — caffeine amplifies PMS anxiety and disrupts the sleep you need most that week.
Hit reply and tell me — which phase hits you hardest? The period fatigue, the luteal cravings, something else? I’m collecting these for a future issue. I read every reply. 🌸
Nisha
Founder, BriteLune
Hydration first. Always.