Do you struggle with irregular periods or amenorrhea (no periods at all)? Here are five foods that can make your menstrual cycle regular.
“When estrogen is high during their cycle, women are more at ease with themselves,” writes Rebecca Booth in The Venus Week. “They are more confident performing tasks and accomplishing goals and more socially agile and bale to articulate themselves more fully and clearly.”
But, if your period is irregular or nonexistent, you won’t benefit from the effects of high estrogen. The point of highest estrogen is your pre-ovulatory stage. If you’re on a 28 day cycle, ovulation occurs from days 12-16 (though it varies, depending on your stress level, the foods you eat, the exercise you’re doing, etc). This means that pre-ovulation occurs on about days 8-11 (but again, it varies from woman to woman).
For more facts about your period – and how amazing it is! – click on The Venus Week by Rebecca Booth, MD. And, read on for five foods that make your menstrual cycle regular.
5 Foods That Make Your Menstrual Cycle Regular
Your first step in regulating your periods is figuring out what’s causing an irregular menstrual cycle. Once you determine the cause, you’ll be better able to find an effective treatment. Read 6 Things That Cause Irregular Periods.
1. Omega-3 fatty acids. The blood vessels in your ovaries are tiny, which makes them vulnerable to damage and poor circulation. Smoking, obesity, and high cholesterol can negatively affect your ovarian blood vessels, which blocks hormones and blood flow. Fish oils enhance blood circulation, reduce damage from free radicals, fight the effects of aging, and increase dopamine (which improves your mood!). Dr Booth recommends adding a fish oil supplement to your diet, instead of eating a high fish diet (because of the mercury in some tuna, swordfish, mackerel, etc).
2. Non-white foods. Most natural foods are not white, so you can assume that if a food is white, it is probably processed to the point of being unhealthy! To make your menstrual cycle regular, avoid white flour, sugar, white potatoes, white bread, white pasta, and white rice. They disrupt your menstrual cycle by creating insulin surges that result in fat storage. This excess fat storage negatively affects ovulation and your periods.
3. Protein. “Finding sources of balanced protein can be a challenge for busy women, but it is a must for hormonal balance, writes Dr Booth in The Venus Week. The more you balance your hormones, the more regular your menstrual cycle will be. Plant proteins are especially good for enhancing fertility and hormonal balance: almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cheese, hard boiled eggs, soy chips, hummus, canned sardines, and edamame.
4. Vitamin D. This vitamin improves communication between your cells, which stabilizes your hormones. Vitamin D is also vital in cancer protection – especially breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate cancers. “Vitamin D is a little hard to come by in food,” writes Dr Booth. Eat vitamin D-fortified milk products, tuna, egg yolks, salmon, sardines, and (yuck) cod liver oil.
To increase your vitamin D and make your menstrual cycle regular, make sure you getting enough sunlight. Where you live and the color of your skin determines how much time you should spend in the sun, but my research tells me that the average North American should spend about 10 minutes in the sun about 2-3 times per week.
5. Dark chocolate! “Chocolate contains flavenoids, which have estrogen-like activity and help improve circulation by reducing platelet clumping, writes Dr Booth in The Venus Week. Flavenoids also enhance microcirculation in the ovaries and endocrine glands, and increase dopamine (a “feel good” hormone). Not just any old chocolate will do: eat dark chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa solids.
For more tips for making your menstrual cycle regular, read 8 Natural Ways to Regulate Your Period.
If you’re interested in increasing your fertility levels, read How Food Affects Female Fertility.
And, as always, I welcome your thoughts and questions below!
~ Resources for Getting Pregnant & Fertility ~
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And don't forget about vitamins and minerals, which are essential to a healthy pregnancy! Make sure you're taking the right Pregnancy Plus Prenatal Vitamins.
After being postmenopausal for 4 years, I began to take injectable vitamin d and have begun to have menstrual cycles again. After researching this, it is my conclusion that some people who have early onset menopause may in reality just have a vitamin deficiency.
Lola,
Thanks for this tip — it’s amazing how common vitamin deficiency is, and what a huge effect that has on our periods!
I’m glad your menstrual cycles are regular again
Laurie
I am 14 days late and have taken a pregnancy test which says am negative i have taken both blood and urine test. I have had swollen breasts vaginal discharge a bit of crampling like 2 weeks ago to be sincee am confused and contemplating on taking my lifeaway coz i wish am notpregnant but the signs are terrible i feel very fatigued and moody please heelp me!!!
Dear Sharon,
I encourage you to make an appointment with your doctor. It’s impossible for anyone to make a diagnosis or give medical advice over the internet…please call your family physician for help coping with these signs of pregnancy!
And, remember that it’s not uncommon for women to have late periods and NOT be pregnant. I myself was three weeks late this month, which is odd for me…but sometimes our bodies and menstrual cycles have minds of their own. So, don’t get upset about the possibility until you know for sure, and please talk to your doctor about your symptoms.
Let me know how it goes…
Laurie
I haven’t had a period since June. I have been to the doctor and had test. She says my prolactin level are 36. She gave me tablets called dostlinex. I have been using them for 3 months. My periods still have not come. Each month my weight is going up with no reason, now i have become at a stage where i am obese. I don’t overeat and i walk 5 times a week for 1 and half hour, but cannot understand what is happening. Could anyone explain what i can do. I’m feeling really depressed about it. My age is 40 by the way.
Hi Sundeep,
I’m not sure why you’re gaining weight and why you’re not getting your period, but I encourage you to talk to another doctor. Getting a second opinion may help you figure out a different way to deal with your prolactin levels.
Also, you might try calling an acupuncturist or naturopath. Don’t take any herbal remedies or products without making sure it won’t affect your medication or health! But, it might be good to research natural ways to regulate your period and lose weight.
Regarding your weight gain, I encourage you to take a good, hard look at what you’re eating and drinking. We often consume tons of calories without being aware of it, in the fatty foods we eat or the sugary drinks we drink. I don’t know what you’re eating, but gaining weight is a simple formula: your incoming calories are higher than your outgoing energy expenditure.
You might also try calling a nutritionist, or talking to your doctor about the changes you can make to your diet, to lose weight.
I wish you all the best, and hope you get your regular menstrual cycle back soon!
Blessings,
Laurie
Hi
Thanyou for your advise. At the moment i am in Dubai, the doctors here don’t really give proper advise. I will be going back to the UK and get a second opionion. I may also try acupuncturist.
Regarding about my diet. I eat a lot of fruits that i blend and make a juice out of it. As for my meal, i have a lot of vegetables and fish or chicken. I rarely eat red meat. During the weekend when we have a family outing, i must admit i do have takeaways (i won’t lie about that) but during the week i’m fairly sensible. I try to drink a lot of water, but thats not every day. I have always had hormone problems since a child, even having my first child took 4 years of conceiving. Ever since my periods stopped i have gained weight. I’m fairly active, i enjoy going for walks. I have been to the nutritionist and had a blood test. There were certain foods i was alergic too, eg soy, wheat. He put me on a cambridge diet. It did work for a short time, but i gained it quite quickly back once i ate normal foods. I suppose i just have to patient and continue with my diet.
Regards
Sundeep