What Not To Do During Your Period — And Why It Matters

Navigating Your Moon Phases with Diet

Embrace and nourish every phase of your cycle—with the science, wisdom, and tools to back it up.
No more guessing. We’re breaking down what’s happening in each phase, what your body needs, and how to eat in sync with your cycle.

image from Pinterest

Your period isn’t an inconvenience to push through — it’s communication.
Each month, your body asks for rest, nourishment, and softness as it releases what no longer serves you.

Yet so many of us were taught to “carry on as normal,” ignoring the subtle (and not-so-subtle) cues our body sends when it’s time to slow down.

This week, we’re exploring what not to do during your bleed — and why listening to your moon cycle’s wisdom can completely transform your energy, mood, and hormonal balance.

1. Don’t Ignore Rest 💤

image from Pinterest

Your body is doing deep internal work.
Menstruation is your body’s natural reset — estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest, your uterine lining is shedding, and your nervous system turns inward.

When you override rest, you drain your body’s reserves and disrupt hormonal recovery.

✨ Science says: Chronic sleep deprivation raises cortisol (your stress hormone), which blocks progesterone production and worsens PMS symptoms.
Sleep Foundation: How Sleep Affects Hormones

Honor rest as medicine. Early nights, naps, and slow mornings aren’t indulgence — they’re biology.

🩸 Your bleed is your built-in detox.
As your uterine lining sheds, your liver and lymphatic system help clear excess hormones and metabolic waste.
Supporting this natural detox means choosing warmth, hydration, and calm — not burnout.

2. Don’t Push Intense Workouts

image from Pinterest

Your “inner winter” isn’t made for high intensity.
During your bleed, your core temperature and metabolism drop — your energy naturally follows.

HIIT, long runs, and intense cardio spike cortisol and prostaglandins, which can worsen cramps and fatigue.

Instead, move with intention: gentle walks, yin yoga, stretching, or slow breathwork.

✨ Science says: Exercise still boosts endorphins (your natural painkillers), but warmth and low impact are key — not depletion.

3. Don’t Skip Meals

Your hormones rely on steady nourishment.
When you bleed, you lose iron, magnesium, and minerals that keep your system balanced.

Skipping meals causes blood sugar dips that amplify mood swings, cravings, and exhaustion.

Opt for warm, nutrient-dense foods like soups, lentils, cooked greens, and root vegetables.
Add healthy fats — olive oil, avocado, tahini — to stabilize energy and support hormone production.

✨ Science says: Low blood sugar spikes adrenaline, which can intensify cramps and anxiety. Eat regularly to balance hormones and mood.

4. Don’t Over-Caffeinate

Caffeine and cramps don’t mix.
That morning coffee might feel like survival, but caffeine constricts blood vessels — including those in your uterus — which can increase pain.

It also depletes magnesium and can worsen PMS-related anxiety or breast tenderness.

Try herbal allies like ginger, chamomile, nettle, or rose bud tea instead.
They calm inflammation, ease cramps, and replenish what your body loses during your bleed — without the caffeine crash.

✨ Science says: Caffeine elevates prostaglandins — the compounds that trigger uterine contractions and pain.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (search: caffeine menstrual pain)

5. Don’t Suppress Emotional Release

Your bleed is both a physical and emotional detox.
You might feel raw, reflective, or teary — that’s your body’s built-in release valve.

Avoiding those emotions keeps your system tense and your energy stagnant.

Let it move through: journal, cry, stretch, breathe.
This isn’t weakness — it’s regulation.

✨ Science says: Emotional release lowers cortisol and supports your parasympathetic nervous system — the one that heals and restores.

6. Don’t Fill Every Moment

We live in a world that worships constant motion — but your menstrual phase is meant for being, not doing.

This pause is what makes the next phase — clarity, creativity, renewal — possible.

Give yourself space for nothingness: slow breathing, candlelight, gentle music.
Even ten minutes of quiet can reset your nervous system.

✨ Your body doesn’t need another to-do list. She needs time to just be.

Final Thoughts:

Your period is your monthly invitation to soften — to do less, feel more, and listen to the wisdom your body whispers through rest, emotion, and release.

When you stop fighting your cycle and start honoring it, your bleed shifts — from burden to blessing.

So this month, resist the urge to power through.
Pause. Nourish. Exhale.

✨ Your bleed isn’t weakness — it’s wisdom in motion.