Your Infradian Rhythm Might Be the Reason Your Diet Didn’t Work

You did all the meal prep. You bought all the approved ingredients. You avoided ice cream for a whole month, dammit. So why do you still feel so sluggish, stressed and bloated?

It’s not you, it’s your cycle, says Alisa Vitti, functional nutritionist, women’s hormone expert and author of the new book In the Flo. You’ve probably been operating on a 24-hour daily schedule, like pretty much everyone else on earth, right? But while this is what our society dictates (and it works great for men), women should actually be following their infradian rhythm, a second 28-day clock that syncs up to the four phases of their menstrual cycle.

“After I started orienting my life around my second clock, I changed my approach,” Vitti explains in her book. “For example, when I came back on the speaking circuit following the birth of my daughter, I’d schedule those talks only during my ovulatory phases to make sure I didn’t burn myself out too quickly.” Vitti maintains that women should plan their entire lives around their 28-day clock and has created the Cycle Syncing Method to help them do just that.

So how does it apply to your diet? Basically, each 28-day cycle is split into four phases based on your menstrual cycle. Here’s exactly what to eat at each point in your cycle to stay energized and balanced. 

The follicular phase lasts for seven to ten days and begins when your period stops (i.e., you stop seeing menstrual blood). Your hormones are quiet during this phase, but they begin to increase as the days go on—including your estrogen levels. Stick with lighter meals during this phase, including plenty of veggies, fermented salads like kimchi and sauerkraut, and light grains such as oats. 

Welcome to the ovulatory phase, a three- to four-day period that begins with a dramatic rise in estrogen, followed by a rise in luteinizing hormone. You’re likely to feel especially social during this phase, but even though you’re out and about, resist the urge to order the cheese fries. Your body will be craving raw foods during this phase, and you’ll want to continue sticking with light grains like quinoa. Now is also the best time to splurge (moderately) on alcohol, chocolate and coffee.

The luteal phase, which follows the ovulatory phase and lasts for 10 to 14 days, is when your estrogen, progesterone and testosterone reach their peak concentrations…then drop to their lowest levels right before your period. You’ll have a natural desire to finish up projects during this time and turn your attention to warm, filling comfort foods like pumpkin, squash, sweet potato and turkey. 

Estrogen will be at its lowest level during the menstrual phase, which lasts for three to seven days. Vitti suggests filling up on high-protein foods and healthy fats to keep your mood and energy levels stable. Feast on wild rice, mushrooms, seaweed, watermelon, duck and pork during this time.

If you eat with your infradian cycle in mind, you’ll stabilize your moods, curb your cravings and feel more even-keeled throughout the month, Vitti says. And while there’s no magic bullet for weight loss, following your infradian rhythm makes way more sense than that time we drank nothing but cayenne pepper and lemon juice because Beyoncé did it.