Today my interest in living my life by my menstrual cycle has been reinvigorated
I generally have been craving to return to this state where I am able to listen to my body; When I am tired or feeling like I'm getting ill, I want to rest. When I am feeling sad or bad, I want to sit with it instead of running away. When my body needs exercise, I need to do that. When I am craving certain foods or even a fast, I want to honor that.
Life fluctuates, naturally, and sometimes I am connected with my interoception (and will-power), and other times less-so. While being on vacation, I have been inspired to take better care of myself as I have seen how great my body feels when I exercise daily. And this whole debacle with the food poisoning has made me re-appreciate feeling healthy in my gut.
But listening to your body is a little different for women because of our menstrual cycles; unlike men, we experience hormone fluctuations an changes on a monthly cycle, not a daily one. So the typical model of feeling one way in the morning, another in the afternoon, and another way at night, every single day, in the same way, does not work for us. Who else has incredibly productive weeks, active and energized weeks, lethargic and painful weeks, and neutral weeks? Who else feels this difference in their productivity at work, their desire and ability to clean, how socializing feels, for example?
I can make an entire post about each part of the monthly cycle, what they are categorized by, and what we ought to do during them. Perhaps I will.
But let me leave you with this: pay attention to when you are pre-menstrual, post-menstrual, and ovulating, and take note of how you feel during these times. And take iron at the beginning of your cycle.
"What foods hinder iron absorption?
If you’re nuts about nuts, whole grains, cereal, soy and legumes, you might need to check the packaging for phytate. Just a small amount can significantly decrease iron absorption, with one study finding that eating just 250 mg resulted in 82% of iron not being absorbed. 3,4,5 Foods rich in calcium have also been found to impact iron absorption, despite it being an essential mineral. Nonetheless, the negative effect of phytate can be counteracted by consuming foods that enhance non-heme iron absorption, such as vitamin C or meat.6 In fact, studies have revealed that just a tiny portion of milk, cheese or calcium supplement can reduce iron absorption by 50-60%.7"
"What foods help you absorb more iron?
Foods that are high in vitamin C like citrus fruits, dark leafy vegetables, melons, peppers and strawberries all capture non-heme iron, making it easier for your body to absorb it.9
Vitamin A is key as well. You can find this in carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, squad, kale, cantaloupe, peaches, oranges, apricots and red peppers. One study found that meals containing vitamin A increased iron absorption by up to 200% for rice, 80% for wheat and 140% for corn.5"
https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/the-health-hub/vitamins-and-supplements/minerals/iron/how-much-iron-is-your-body-absorbing/#skip-1
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355034
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24778671
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20200263
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24778671
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11029010
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21462112
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1984335
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10799377
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11029010
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20200263
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20200263