Post Workout Meals for Women & Cycle Syncing Foods
Did you know that woman should eat protein sooner after workouts than men?
...
And not just sooner, but more of it too!
Facts
- Women and men have completely different post workout dietary needs, when it comes to rebuilding muscle and optimizing body composition.
- If you are skipping a post-workout snack/meal because you’re trying to lose weight... This is the wrong way to go about it — especially as a woman.
Explain
During exercise, muscle breaks down and it needs to be rebuilt through Muscle Protein Synthesis after a workout is finished.
Muscle Protein Synthesis needs to be triggered by a certain amount of dietary protein (amino acids).
The number of amino acids needed is different for women and men.
Women’s metabolism comes back down to baseline within 90 mins after exercise whereas men can take anywhere between 3-18 hours.
If you (as a woman) delay calorie intake after you work out, you will stay in a breakdown state and your body won’t start repairing until it gets food
Cutting out food around your workouts hurts your ability to make adaptations like building muscle & losing fat!
A premenopausal woman requires 30 grams of protein within 90 minutes after a workout (30-45 minutes after a workout is optimal)
A perimenopausal & postmenopausal woman requires 40 grams of protein within 90 minutes after a workout (30-45 minutes after a workout is optimal)
Resources
- All of the information above is from Dr. Stacy Sims, the leading global expert on female physiology and training. She explains this topic in more detail (with sources) here.
- "Roar" by Dr. Stacy Sims is for you if you're in your fertile years. She tells you exactly how to workout, eat, and hydrate as a woman!
- "Next Level" by Dr. Stacy Sims is for you if you're perimenopausal or postmenopausal. She explains how to work with your changing body to achieve optimal body composition through specific workouts, food, and hydration!
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Cycle Syncing Foods
By eating certain foods at certain times of your menstrual cycle, your hormones are optimized with the correct vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to give you the most amount of energy all month long!
Facts
- Women in their fertile years have 2 rhythms that govern their body.
- 1) Circadian Rhythm: a 24-hour cycle that men have too
- Eating foods that support your 28-day Infradian Rhythm is called Cycle Syncing your food.
- When you eat these foods, you'll notice cravings start to lessen and can sometimes disappear!
Explain
Follicular Phase Foods: (7-10 days after your period ends)
- Grains: steel-cut oats, barley, rye, wheat
- Vegetables: artichoke, broccoli, carrots, lettuce (bibb, Boston, romaine), parsley, peas, green rhubarb, string beans, zucchini
- Fruit: avocado, grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, plum, pomegranate, sour cherry
- Legumes: black-eyed peas, green lentils, lima bean, mung bean, split pea
- Nuts & Seeds: Brazil nuts, cashews, flaxseeds, lychee, pumpkin seeds
- Meat: chicken, eggs
- Seafood: freshwater wild-caught clam, soft-shell, crab, trout
- Other: nut butter, olives, pickles, sauerkraut, vinegar
Ovulatory Phase Foods: (3-4 days after follicular phase)
- Grains: amaranth, corn, quinoa
- Vegetables: asparagus, red bell pepper, brussels sprouts, chard, chicory, chive, dandelion, eggplant, endive, escarole, okra, scallion, spinach, tomato
- Fruit: apricot, cantaloupe, coconut, fig, guava, persimmon, raspberry, strawberry
- Legumes: red lentils
- Nuts & Seeds: almonds, flaxseeds, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds
- Meat: lamb
- Seafood: freshwater wild-caught salmon, shrimp, tuna
- Other: dark chocolate, turmeric
Luteal Phase Foods: (10-14 days before your period starts)
- Grains: brown rice, millet
- Vegetables: cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collard, cucumber, daikon, garlic, ginger, leek, mustard greens, onion, parsnip, pumpkin, radish, squash, sweet potato, watercress
- Fruit: apple, date, peach, pear, raisins
- Legumes: chickpea, great northern bean, navy bean
- Nuts & Seeds: hickory nuts, pine nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts
- Meat: beef, turkey
- Seafood: freshwater wild-caught cod, flounder, halibut
- Other: mint, peppermint, spirulina
Menstrual Phase Foods: (3-7 days of your period)
- Grains: buckwheat, wild rice
- Vegetables: beets, burdock, dulsi, hijiki, kale, kelp, kombu, button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, wakame, water chestnut
- Fruit: blackberry, blueberry, concord grapes, watermelon
- Legumes: adzuki bean, black soybean, black turtle beans, kidney beans
- Nuts & Seeds: chestnuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
- Meat: duck, pork, bison burgers
- Seafood: freshwater wild-caught catfish, clam, crab, lobster, mussel, octopus, oyster, sardine, scallop, squid
- Other: bancha tea, miso, salt, tamari, bone broth, soups, meat stews
Resources
- All the information above is from Alisa Vitti, a women's hormones expert and integrative nutritionist.
- "WomanCode" by Alisa Vitti is a must-have guide to help navigate your hormones and life in your reproductive years. She explains the nuance of cycle syncing your food and explains the science behind it!
- "In The Flo" by Alisa Vitti is a great introduction to women's hormonal health and it gives you actionable tips and lifestyle choices that allow you to live symptom-free!
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Actionable Tips:
- Shop my favorite clean + non-toxic + organic products, supplements, and food HERE.
- If you are in your reproductive years: track your cycle with MyFlo, 28, Flo, Clue, Wild.AI, or any other period-tracking apps. Understanding your cycle and living in accordance with your natural hormone fluctuations is the best bio-hack you have as a woman!
- To find a practitioner/doctor who specializes in women's health near you who can give you women's-specific advice and will be knowledgeable about ALL women's health topics! CLICK HERE
- If you are perimenopausal: dive into Dr. Mary Claire Haver's work. She is a board-certified OB/GYN who has helped thousands of women going through perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause! She puts out incredible information on social media, but first watch or listen to this podcast to understand the basics.
- To find a practitioner/doctor who is certified by The Menopause Society near you who will answer ALL your questions, educate you, believe your symptoms, and help you! CLICK HERE
- If you are post-menopausal: take advantage of your hormones being the same every day. Follow Dr. Mindy Pelz on social media and check out her Viral YouTube channel for information on optimizing your health and body composition.
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*REMINDER: This content is for informational purposes only and not medical advice. Consult a doctor for personal health concerns.
