Your Luteal Phase Self-Care Guide: What to Eat, How to Rest, and Why It Matters
Do you ever feel like a completely different person the week before your period? One day you’re energized and productive, and the next you’re foggy, irritable, and ready to cry over just about anything.
You’re not imagining it. This shift is happening in your own inner autumn (the luteal phase of your cycle), and it has everything to do with what’s happening in your body and brain. Let me break it down for you.
The Science of Your Luteal Phase
After ovulation, progesterone rises and estrogen dips, which leads to:
✓ Lower energy and brain fog: Estrogen supports serotonin and cognition so when it dips, motivation often does too.
✓ Bigger emotions: The amygdala (the brain’s emotional center) becomes more active, which can heighten sensitivity.
✓ Less restful sleep: Because your temperature rises, falling into deep rest may be harder to achieve.
✓ Physical changes: Bloating, breast tenderness, and cravings are all common symptoms (more on that below).
PMS is Common But Not Normal
The week before our period is often accompanied by PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and while it’s common (an estimated 80-90% of women suffer with it each month), it doesn’t mean it’s normal or that you should be stocking up on Midol PMS to power through it either.
PMS is your body’s way of communicating with you. And so, the invitation is to pay attention to how you’re sleeping, what you’re eating, how you’re moving, and what your stress load looks like.
Instead of pushing through this phase, what if you worked with it?
Your luteal phase mirrors nature — it’s your own inner autumn — it’s a time of slowing down, releasing what’s no longer serving you, and preparing for rest. When you honor this rhythm, your entire cycle begins to feel more balanced and empowering.
Your Inner Autumn is approximately days 20-26* in your cycle.
*This can vary from woman to woman and is based on a 28-day cycle.
What Your Body Really Needs in this Phase
Just as you would naturally want to lean into more warmth and comfort as the seasons change from summer into autumn, you’ll want to do the same in your inner autumn. Focus on keeping your body warm with sweaters and socks and warm, cooked, grounding meals like soups, roasted vegetables, and herbal teas. This will help your body relax and feel supported as it gears up to shed your uterine lining.
Don’t make this mistake
Inner autumn is a time to keep your body (and uterus) warm, so eating and drinking cold foods (like smoothies or salads) is no bueno.
When you do this, your body tenses up, just like it does when you step into cold water. But here’s the thing, this is a time when your body is already about to contract to release your uterine lining and we don’t want to add more contraction (aka cramps) here.
Also, because progesterone slows digestion and circulation, eating cold or raw foods (like smoothies and salads) or drying foods (like crackers and popcorn) can make cramps and bloating worse.
Inner Autumn Self-Care Ideas
Prioritize rest and sleep hygiene. This is when your body and hormones reset, so early nights and quality sleep can make a big difference.
Be mindful of cortisol. Cortisol naturally rises in this phase, so your fasting schedule and exercise routine should support—not stress—your body.
Soothe your nervous system. Incorporate calming practices like breathwork, tapping, or gentle walks in nature to ease the heightened cortisol.
Tap into your gifts. Inner autumn invites introspection, discernment, and clarity. Use this time to refine what’s working and release what’s not.
Meet your shadows with compassion. Notice what’s coming up emotionally or energetically and reflect on how you can tend to those parts of yourself.
Practice letting go. Just as the trees release their leaves, journal about where or how you can surrender a little more.
Nourish with magnesium-rich foods. Dark leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, and cacao can ease cramps and support your nervous system.
Boost your omega-3 intake. Foods like salmon, sardines, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and walnuts can help reduce inflammation, ease cramps, and support mood balance in this phase.
These small shifts can completely transform how you experience the days before your period. Before you know it, PMS will begin to fade and may even disappear altogether.
Support Yourself in Every Season of Your Cycle
Just like the seasons of nature, our menstrual cycle has it’s own rhythm that can be divided into 4 parts (or inner seasons), each with it’s own unique superpowers and self-care needs.
That’s why inside the Happy Hormone Collective, we explore a new Real Self-Care Workshop each season, where each one is dedicated to one phase in our cycle.
Fall — your inner autumn (luteal phase)
Winter — your inner winter (menstrual phase)
Spring — your inner spring (follicular phase)
Summer — your inner summer (ovulation phase)
Inside the Collective, we recently recorded our Real Self-Care for Your Inner Autumn workshop where we talked about:
✓ The science behind your shifting hormones
✓ How to channel the gifts and shadows of this phase
✓ The exact nutrition, movement, and self-care practices to support your mind, body & spirit
If your luteal phase has ever felt like the “hard week” you just have to survive, this is your invitation to start following me on socials so you can learn how to work with your body rather than against it. It’s going to change your life, I promise.
What Women are Saying
Here’s what women had to say after the Inner Autumn workshop:
💬 “Thank you for today, it was incredible. I have such a better understanding of how I work, but now I want to learn so much more!”
💬 “Really loved the energy and the workshop. It was a very nourishing space to be in with other women. You are a great facilitator. Hope there will be another one soon, I will be there.”
💬 “I just wanted to say thank you for the awesome session yesterday, for all your help and support. It means so much to have someone on your side.”
💬 “I learned so much from today’s workshop!”
💬 “What a fabulous workshop! Can’t wait to attend the next one!”
Join the Happy Hormone Collective
When you join, you’ll gain access to the Real Self-Care for Your Inner Autumn workshop (and first access to our next seasonal one), plus a welcoming community of women who are curious about upleveling their health and wellbeing—just like you.
For more details on what’s included inside the Collective, you can read more here.
The Collective is made up of women who are mostly in their 30’s and 40’s.
Start Thriving in Every Phase of Your Cycle
If you’d love a complete roadmap for every phase of your cycle, with nourishing foods, recipes, movement, and self-care practices designed to support your hormones, you’ll love my 70+ page guidebook, Unlocking Your Vitality: A Guide to Happy Hormones in Every Phase of Your Cycle.
It’s available to all members inside the Happy Hormone Collective, or you can grab your own copy here.
Final Thoughts
Your body is always speaking to you.
Real self-care is learning how to listen.
With love,
Kristal
