SERIES 2: WOMEN’S HEALTH — LET’S TALK ABOUT IT · ARTICLE 1Decoding Your Flow: How to Harness the Power of Every Stage of Your Menstrual Cycle

SERIES 2: WOMEN’S HEALTH — LET’S TALK ABOUT IT  ·  ARTICLE 1

Decoding Your Flow:

How to Harness the Power of Every Stage of Your Menstrual Cycle

Your cycle is not the enemy. It is your body’s most honest messenger.

Welcome to Series 2: Women’s Health, Let’s Talk About It

In Series 1, we broke the silence around mental health. Now we go further. Series 2 is dedicated to the parts of our bodies that nobody ever properly explained to us our cycles, our reproductive health, our hormones, our changing bodies. We are going to talk about all of it. Clearly, honestly, and without shame.

She had her first period at twelve. Nobody explained it to her. Her mother handed her a pad and said: “It happens every month. Don’t talk about it at school.” That was the entire conversation.

For the next twenty years, she lived in a body she did not understand. She did not know why she felt electric with energy some weeks and completely hollowed out in others. She did not know why she craved salt before her period and cried at adverts for no reason. She just thought that was what being a woman felt like: unpredictable, inconvenient and largely unexplained.

She was not unpredictable. She was cyclical. And there is a profound difference.

This article is for every woman who was handed a pad and told to get on with it. For every girl who was taught that periods are something to endure rather than understand. For every woman who has been living in her own body for decades and still does not quite know how it works. It is time to decode your flow.

First: Why Nobody Told Us

In many BAME, migrant and refugee communities, menstruation is surrounded by silence, euphemism and shame. It is “that time of the month” or “the visitor” or simply something that is not discussed not at the dinner table, not with brothers or fathers, not in any meaningful detail even between mothers and daughters.

In some cultures, menstruating women are considered impure or restricted from religious practice. In others, the silence is simply about modesty the body is private and its functions more so. In almost all of our communities, there is a version of the message: this is not something we talk about openly.

The consequences are real. Women who do not understand their cycles cannot recognise when something is wrong. They normalise pain that should not be normal. They miss the signals their bodies are sending. They live for years with conditions like endometriosis, PCOS or fibroids because they were never taught what a healthy cycle actually looks like.

Understanding your menstrual cycle is not vanity or oversharing. It is health literacy. And every woman deserves it.

“Your cycle is not something that happens to you. It is something your body does for you.”

Your Cycle at a Glance

A menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of one period to the first day of the next. The average cycle is 28 days but ‘normal’ can range from 21 to 35 days. What matters more than the exact length is the consistency of your cycle, its rhythm should be roughly regular.

Within every cycle, there are four distinct phases. Each one is driven by a different hormonal environment, and each one affects how you feel physically, emotionally and mentally. When you understand these phases, your body stops feeling random and starts making sense.

🩸 Phase 1: Menstrual Phase — Days 1–5 (approximately)

The Season of Rest — your body’s winter

⚡  Energy

Lowest. Your body is working hard internally — honour that.

🧠  Mood

Inward, reflective, sensitive. Emotions may feel closer to the surface.

💧  Body

Uterine lining sheds. Estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest.

✨  This is a good time to…

Rest without guilt. Journal or reflect. Reduce your social commitments. Use warmth  heat pads, warm food, warm baths. Be gentle with yourself.

🌱  Phase 2: Follicular Phase  —  Days 1–13 (overlaps with menstruation)

The Season of Beginnings — your body’s spring

⚡  Energy

Rising and building. You may feel more motivated and optimistic.

🧠  Mood

Curious, open, sociable. A natural sense of new beginnings.

💧  Body

Oestrogen rises as follicles develop. Energy and creativity increase.

✨  This is a good time to…

Start new projects. Learn new things. Exercise with more intensity. Schedule important conversations or presentations. Socialise and connect.

✨  Phase 3: Ovulation  —  Around Day 14 (varies)

The Season of Peak Power — your body’s summer

⚡  Energy

Peak. Many women feel their strongest, most vibrant and most confident.

🧠  Mood

Warm, magnetic, communicative. Natural charisma and confidence peak.

💧  Body

An egg is released. Oestrogen peaks; testosterone surges briefly.

✨  This is a good time to…

Have difficult conversations. Negotiate or advocate for yourself. Be visible. Lead. Your voice is at its most powerful, use it.

🍂  Phase 4: Luteal Phase  —  Days 15–28

The Season of Turning Inward — your body’s autumn

⚡  Energy

High then declining. The second half can bring fatigue and heaviness.

🧠  Mood

Detail-oriented early, then sensitive, emotional and inward as progesterone falls.

💧  Body

Progesterone rises, then falls sharply before menstruation begins. PMS symptoms may emerge in the final days.

✨  This is a good time to…

Complete tasks and tie up loose ends (early luteal). Slow down and simplify (late luteal). Reduce caffeine and alcohol. Nourish your body with iron-rich and magnesium-rich foods. Prepare for rest.

The Symptoms Your Cycle Causes and What They Mean

Many of the things we experience across our cycle mood shifts, physical discomfort, changes in appetite or libido are not random. They are hormonal. Understanding their pattern gives you power over them.

Symptom; Why It Happens, What Helps, Period pain (dysmenorrhea)

Prostaglandins cause the uterus to contract to shed its lining. Some cramping is normal; severe pain is not. Heat, anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen and mefenamic acid), magnesium, exercise. Severe pain warrants a GP visit.

PMS (premenstrual syndrome)

Falling estrogen and progesterone in the late luteal phase affect serotonin levels, causing mood changes, bloating and fatigue. Reduce salt, sugar and caffeine. Increase magnesium. Gentle exercise. Track your symptoms awareness helps enormously.

Breast tenderness

Estrogen and progesterone fluctuations cause breast tissue to swell. Common in the luteal phase. Supportive bra, reduce caffeine, evening primrose oil (consult your GP if you recognize any unusual mass).

Headaches or migraines

Estrogen drops just before your period can trigger migraines in susceptible women.

Track timing relative to your cycle. Discuss with your GP hormonal migraines have specific treatments.

Bloating

Hormonal shifts cause water retention and altered gut motility, particularly before your period. Reduce salt and processed foods. Stay hydrated. Gentle movement helps.

Changes in sex drive

Libido often peaks at ovulation (testosterone surge) and dips during menstruation. This is entirely normal. No action needed simply understanding the pattern reduces anxiety about these changes.

Mood swings

Serotonin is sensitive to estrogen. As estrogen fluctuates, so does mood. This is biology, not instability. Consistent sleep, blood sugar balance (eat regularly), reduce alcohol, talk to someone you trust.

Low energy before your period

Progesterone has a sedative effect. Combined with iron loss from bleeding, fatigue is expected. Rest is legitimate. Iron-rich foods (leafy greens, lentils, red meat). Avoid over-scheduling.

To ease menstrual discomfort, avoid quitting caffeine abruptly, as this can cause headaches and fatigue; instead, gradually cut back over a week before your period. You can also swap strong caffeinated drinks for gentler alternatives like green tea for calm energy, chamomile tea to help relax cramping muscles, or ginger tea, which acts as a natural pain reliever.

When Your Cycle Is Telling You Something Is Wrong

Not all period symptoms are normal. Knowing the difference between typical hormonal variation and a symptom that needs medical attention could change your life — and it has for many women who spent years told their pain was just “bad periods.”

Please speak to your GP if you experience any of the following:

Warning Sign

May Indicate

Severe pain that disrupts your life

Endometriosis, adenomyosis or fibroids. Pain that stops you functioning is never ‘just a bad period.’

🔴

Very heavy bleeding

Fibroids, hormonal imbalance, thyroid issues. Soaking through a pad or tampon every hour for several hours is not normal.

🔴

Bleeding between periods

Hormonal imbalance, infection, polyps, or less commonly, cervical changes. Always worth investigating.

🔴

Periods that have stopped (and you’re not pregnant)

PCOS, thyroid disorders, premature ovarian failure (POF), extreme stress, low body weight or perimenopause. Absence of periods is not a bonus, it is a signal.

🔴

Cycles shorter than 21 or longer than 35 days

Hormonal imbalance or thyroid issues. Irregularity that is sudden or persistent deserves investigation.

🔴

Severe PMS or PMDD

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder is a recognized medical condition that disrupts quality of life. It is treatable. Please do not suffer in silence.

🏥  A note on BAME women and late diagnosis

Research consistently shows that Black and minority ethnic women wait significantly longer than white women for diagnoses of endometriosis, PCOS and fibroids. This is not because these conditions affect us less fibroids, for example, are 3x more common in Black women.

 It is because our pain is more likely to be dismissed, minimized or attributed to cultural

difference rather than investigated.

You are allowed to advocate for yourself. You are allowed to say: this pain is affecting

my life, and I need it to be taken seriously. If your concerns are dismissed, ask for a referral

to a gynecologist. You can also ask Afia Clinic for support in navigating the system.

How to Track Your Cycle

Tracking your cycle is one of the most powerful things you can do for your health. It transforms vague feelings into patterns. It gives you evidence. It helps you communicate with healthcare providers. And it helps you understand yourself. You do not need an app to start. A notebook works perfectly. Here is what to record:

🗓️  What to Track Each Day

Day 1 of your cycle (the first day of full bleeding)

Flow: how heavy (spotting / light / medium / heavy / very heavy)

Pain: where it is, and a number from 0–10

Mood: one or two words is enough

Energy: low / medium / high

Notable symptoms: headache, bloating, breast tenderness, skin changes, sleep

Discharge: colour and texture (this tells you where you are in your cycle)

After three months of tracking, patterns emerge. You will start to recognize

your luteal crash, your ovulation energy peak, your pre-period sensitivity.

Your body becomes readable.

Apps you can use:

•      Clue — evidence-based, no pink stereotypes, used by researchers

•      Flo — widely used, good symptom tracking

•      Natural Cycles — fertility awareness method, also useful for general tracking

•      A simple paper diary or the notes app on your phone is equally valid

If you use an app, be aware that some share your data. Check the privacy settings, particularly if you have concerns about your immigration status or are in a country where reproductive rights are restricted.

Nutrition and Your Cycle: Eating With Your Hormones

What you eat can significantly affect how your cycle feels. This is not about dieting or restriction it is about giving your body what it needs at each stage.

Phase - Your Body Needs, Eat More Of…Menstrual

Iron (lost through bleeding), warmth, anti-inflammatories

Red meat, lentils, leafy greens, ginger tea, warm soups, dark chocolate (magnesium)

Follicular

Energy, protein, healthy fats to support rising estrogen

Eggs, fish, fermented foods, fresh vegetables, seeds (especially flaxseed)

Ovulation

Antioxidants, zinc, fibre to support healthy ovulation

Colourful vegetables, berries, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, fibre-rich foods

Luteal

Magnesium (reduces PMS), complex carbohydrates, calcium

Sweet potato, wholegrains, dark leafy greens, bananas, chickpeas, almonds

“Your body is not unpredictable. It is cyclical. And there is a profound difference.”

Faith, Culture and the Menstrual Cycle

For many women in our communities, menstruation intersects with faith practice in significant ways. In Islam, menstruating women are exempt from prayer and fasting this is not a punishment but a mercy, an acknowledgement of what the body is doing. In some African traditions, menstruation is considered a time of spiritual power. In others, it is a time of restriction. We want to honor all of these frameworks while also saying clearly: none of them require you to suffer in silence. Pain that disrupts your life is not a spiritual test to endure without medical support. Irregular cycles that signal underlying conditions are not a matter of faith they are a matter of health. You can hold your faith and your health at the same time. They are not in conflict. Understanding your body honours the creation of it.

Your Body Has Been Trying to Tell You Something

If you have been living with your period as something to manage, endure or apologize for we understand why. That is what most of us were taught. But your cycle is not the enemy. It is not an inconvenience or a weakness. It is one of your body’s most sophisticated communication systems reporting on your hormonal health, your nutritional status, your stress levels, your sleep, your overall wellbeing. Learning to read it is not an indulgence. It is one of the most practical things you can do for your long-term health.

The next time your body does something you don’t understand, before you dismiss it write it down. Notice when in your cycle it happens. Start the conversation with yourself. And if you need support starting it with a healthcare professional, Afia Clinic is here to help.

💜  Questions About Your Cycle? Come and Talk to Us.

Afia Clinic offers free peer support sessions, women’s health workshops and health

awareness events designed specifically for women in our communities.

Our trained facilitators can support you in understanding your body and navigating

gynecological health appointments with confidence.

📍  North East of England

🌐  Women Empowerment and Wellness Network (WEWN) North East, England

✉️  info@wewn.org.uk

All sessions are confidential and culturally sensitive.

Interpreter and translation support are available upon request.

⚠️  Medical disclaimer

This article provides health awareness information only. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you have concerns about your menstrual health, please speak to your GP or a gynecologist. Do not delay seeking help for symptoms that are affecting your quality of life. Know a woman who was never properly taught about her own body? Share this article with her.