Mini Series: Self-Care During Your Sacred Moon Cycle

Part 3: Essential Nutrients, Grocery List + 1-Day Moon Meal Plan

Published in

Kiva Yoga Institute

6 min readJun 30, 2019

I recommend reading :
Part 1: Self-Care Rituals To Help You Relax & Unwind
Part 2: Herbal, Ayurvedic & Green Teas + Recipes

…before reading this one. :)

9 Essential Vitamins & Minerals

So before I get into the essential vitamins and minerals, I want to zoom out and get a little nerdy with you.

Let’s discuss a very important aspect of our bodies, the endocrine system. This system is a collection of glands that produce hormones.

These hormones regulate:

Metabolism
Growth & Development
Tissue Function
Sexual Function
Reproduction
Sleep
Mood

All of these are affected during our moon cycle.

The endocrine system works with the nervous system to coordinate the body’s functions and maintain homeostasis, steady internal and physical conditions. Basically, that’s the scientific way of saying they work together to create balance in the body.

Are you with me so far? There’s just one more piece of info you should know. Stick with me…

Remember I mentioned that the endocrine system is a collection of glands? These are the main glands in the female body:

The way hormones work, there are cells within each gland that secrete a chemical (hormone) directly into the bloodstream. So it’s really important to eat in such a way that maintains balance so we don’t fall to extremes mentally, emotionally and physically.

Within the specific moon gland our ovaries, we have two hormones: Oestrogen and Progesteron.

Oestrogen is a proliferative hormone. This means it makes the lining of the uterus thicker, resulting in heavier bleeding and clots.

Progesteron is an anti-proliferative hormone. This means it has a calm, soothing quality that keeps growth in check, resulting in lighter bleeding.

Having said all of that, we are interested in vitamins and minerals that will maintain balance in the endocrine system for optimal hormone regulation. We also want nutrients that will lower levels oestrogen and raise levels of progesteron.

1. Fiber

Eases digestion. This helps by creating space in your stomach (because you’re properly pooping) and takes the weight off of the uterus. Plus! Fiber lowers levels of oestrogen.

2. Iron

Blood contains iron. When we bleed, we lose iron and it needs to be replaced. This is important because an iron deficiency can lead to anemia.

3. Magnesium

When we’re menstruating, our body’s produce more oestrogen and progesterone. When our levels of oestrogen and progesterone increase, our magnesium levels drop.

“It’s estimated that about two-thirds of Americans have a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium deficiency increases both the contractility of smooth muscle and the level of prostaglandins, which are the inflammatory compounds that drive period pain.”
— Dr. Lara Briden, naturopathic doctor and author of Period Repair Manual

4. Omega 3

Has anti-inflammatory properties that ease pain. There is also evidence that it helps balances out fluctuating hormones and stabilize moods.

5. B12

“Helps the body form red blood cells, produce cellular energy and synthesize DNA.” Since we are losing blood, having a vitamin that helps us to regenerate blood seems like a logical idea.

6. Vitamin D

Low Vitamin D levels are linked to irregular periods and menstrual disorders. “Vitamin D controls the biosynthesis of estrogen by directly regulating the aromatase gene and by maintaining extracellular calcium homeostasis.”

7. Vitamin C

Helps with iron absorption, may alleviate cramps, symptoms of endometriosis and strengthen capillary walls in the uterine system. Some suggest that vitamin C can induce a period by raising oestrogen levels.

8. Potassium

To eliminate water retention and bloating. Low levels of potassium are linked to more painful moon cycles.

9. Vitamin E

Relieves pain cramping and lessens the duration of your moon cycle.

ALRIGHT! You got through it.
I know it’s a lot of information but I really wanted you to understand the value of the foods that I chose and all that you’re going to be offering to your body.

Know that you’ve got the facts. Let’s go shopping!

Grocery List for Nutrient-Rich Moon Meal Plan

Fruits:

+ Bananas
+ Green Apple
+ Blueberries
+ Strawberries
+ Lemons
+ Avocados

Vegetables:

+ Spinach
+ Kale
+ Broccoli
+ Cauliflower
+ Cucumber
+ Red Cabbage
+ Carrots
+ Red Pepper

Herbs

+ Garlic
+ Onions
+ Ginger
+ Rosemary

Nuts & Seeds:

+ Chia Seeds
+ Almonds
+ Walnuts
+ Sunflower Seeds
+ Tofu
+ Lentils
+ Flax Seeds
+ Peanut Butter
+ Coconut Milk

Treats:

+ Cacao
+ Honey

Now that we’ve gone through all of the good stuff to eat during your moon. Here are some of things to…

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE:

These foods are not your friends. Enjoy them at some other time.
Do your best to steer clear during this time of cleansing and purification.

Processed Foods
Sugar
Alcohol
Caffeine
Junk Food

Moon Meal Plan

Morning Juice

Cleansing Green

Spinach
Kale
Celery
Cucumber
Ginger
Green Apple
Filtered Water

***Bring all ingredients out. Wash them. Chop and add to blender with filtered water. Blend until smooth and strain. (We’re going to use the pulp for something else but if you want the goods now and raw, don’t strain it.)

Breakfast Pudding

Chia Delight

Bananas
Strawberries
Blueberries
Almond Butter
Flax Seeds
Chia Seeds
Honey

***Add 3 tbsp of chia seeds to a mason jar with 1/2 cup of almond, coconut or any other plant-based milk. Close it and put it in the fridge, overnight. When you wake up, give it a stir and add honey (…and perhaps a pinch of pink Himalayan salt to bring out the sweetnes), a scoop of almond butter, sprinkle some flax seed and stop with sliced bananas and berries!

This is seriously one of my favorite things to make. It’s so simple and turns tastes like something so deliciously gourmet. Try it out using your favorite fruits and/or flavors.