Luteal
DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING
There is an abundance of lymph nodes deep within the abdomen that are most easily stimulated through deep breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing reminds us of the way our body is designed to breath but that we forget in stress when our breath patterns become short and shallow.
SHOPPING FOR THE LUTEAL PHASE
The luteal phase is the most indulgent opportunity for self care - it is the time to truly carve out rest, to nourish the best we can and to be gentle in our self talk and self compassion. Here is a suggestion of foods that include the nutrients and minerals you will need for this phase - your appetite will naturally be increasing since about 300 calories a day are needed for the job of building the uterine lining and it’s normal (and exciting) to embrace your love of food at this time. Add chocolate if you crave it to increase your magnesium, perhaps even some CALM magnesium powder as a supplement before bed. Cook us some healthy muffins or protein balls to have on hand for snacks - be prepared ahead of time rather than when the mood swings hit!
SKIN CARE FOR THE LUTEAL PHASE
Eliminate excess oil. Make sure you don’t touch your face or pick at your skin or go to bed without washing your face. The best course of action is to cleanse twice daily with a gentle foaming cleanser. If this irritates your skin just use water in the morning and cleanser at night. Focus on anti-inflammatory products in your moisturizers and make up. Rose water spray is such a gentle and soothing way to combat puffiness and inflammation. You can even increase exfoliation to twice weekly - just washing with a clean face cloth provides gentle exfoliation.
EXERCISE
In the mid-luteal phase, progesterone rises along with estrogen. It increases your basal body temperature, so, if you’re doing an endurance sport, you might be struggling in a hot environment a little bit more in that mid-luteal phase and you might have to adopt cooling strategies. Progesterone is also a “calming hormone” so it may increase sleep, but also can affect the way your brain picks up new skills. Trying to perfect a dance routine, or learn a new technique may be more difficult during this phase.
It’s a great time to focus on low impact strength training as strength training is one of the best exercises for women’s health.