Each phase of the hormone cycle is unique. Cycling (or menstruating) women experience hormonal shifts, mood changes, appetite changes, fluctuations in energy levels, and varying body temperatures throughout the entire length of their cycle depending on what phase they are in.

The follicular phase is about growth–not just mentally with heightened creativity, physically with an increase in energy and mood, but internally as the body prepares to release an egg. It is the body’s internal spring and there are multiple ways we can support our mind and body through prioritizing our hormone health, food choices, movement, and intention setting.

When is the Follicular Phase & What Happens in the Body?

The follicular phase occurs after menstruation, typically starting on day 6 and lasting until around day 13. Hence the name, it focuses on maturing the follicles in the ovaries and becoming ready for the following phase, ovulation. This phase is all about gearing up; it is the time of preparation for the body to release an egg.

The follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is what stimulates the body to begin producing follicles. Typically around 5-20 follicles are produced and only one (called the dominant follicle) continues to grow as FSH drops later on in the phase. The dominant follicle begins to produce estrogen while the other follicles begin to break down. The rise in estrogen is what builds up the uterine lining for ovulation.

Follicular Phase: Inner Spring

As flowers grow and prepare to bloom during spring, so do the inner-workings of a menstruating woman's body during her follicular phase. Creativity is known to be at its highest here and it gives us an opportunity for our minds to reset intentions and expand our thinking. As spring and the follicular phase bring about feelings of joy, hopefulness, and motivation, it is a great time to make goal-oriented plans, declutter your home, create a schedule for the rest of the month, try out a new workout class, and get creative in the kitchen.

How to Support Your Follicular Phase

As I wrote about in the last blog, The Meaning of Menstruation, there are ways to support each phase. For the follicular phase, along with an increase in estrogen, many women experience an increase in mood and energy. This phase makes digesting carbs easier, making it an optimal time to hit the gym for a sweaty strength training session, increase cardio, or group fitness classes!

Exercise

More energy means more movement!

Running/jogging
Swimming
Dancing
Biking
Weight lifting
Resistance training
Bodyweight exercises

diet

In the previous phase, menstruation, I recommended foods that were warm, nourishing, and hearty to account for the rapid decline in hormones. Because the follicular phase involves a steady increase in hormones, I recommend focusing on lighter, brighter, but still nourishing foods. As always, I recommend focusing on whole foods for overall health, but here are some specific foods that support the follicular phase and your hormones:

Salads
Poultry
Fish
Eggs
Chickpeas
Berries
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Quinoa
Oats
Walnuts
Avocado

Get creative with building a salad by filling your plate with veggies you enjoy, complex carbs, nuts and seeds, and making your own dressing! Check out my quinoa tabbouleh salad recipe.

Hormones

Hormones play a crucial role in our overall health, but especially in each phase of the menstrual cycle. The diet and exercise recommendations and the intention of seasonal living are based on our hormones and the care we give them.

In order to support them, we need to understand them. My program, Root Cause Hormone Package, does a deep dive into your hormones to pinpoint symptoms and imbalances such as bloating, headaches, weight gain, insomnia, anxiety, PMS, and irregular periods using the comprehensive DUTCH (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) test. The DUTCH test is the most comprehensive method of testing and it measures your sex and adrenal hormones and their metabolites, as well as relevant nutrients and neurotransmitters. To learn more about the DUTCH test, click here.

After receiving your results, I create a personalized plan that will help optimize nutrition and digestion, improve immune health, balance hormones, and detoxify your body so you can function at your best.