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The Cycle Guide.

Where you are this week, and what that means for fasting, training and what to eat. Built for a body that runs on a month rather than a day.

Who this isn't for. If you have a history of disordered eating, if fasting has ever felt like control rather than care, or if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or managing a medical condition — please skip the fasting parts entirely. Nothing here is unreachable through sleep, protein, fibre and movement instead.

And if you're on hormonal birth control, most methods suppress the cycle this is built on. The principles still hold; the week-by-week map doesn't apply to you.

Step one

Where are you?

Enter the first day of your last period, or just pick a phase if you'd rather not.

or
Step two

The check

Four signs that fasting isn't serving you right now. Tick any that are true — this changes what the guide tells you, which is the point of asking.

MENSTRUALFOLLICULAROVULATIONLUTEAL
Menstrual.
Rest over restriction

Hormones are low. Your body is repairing — this is not the week to prove anything.

This is not the time to push.

Fasting window

12–13h

or no fasting at all

  • A gentle 12–13 hour fast, or none
  • Warm meals, minerals, iron-rich foods
  • Prioritise sleep and nervous-system calm

Training

Walking, gentle mobility, stretching. Nothing that needs recovery you don’t have.

Schedule

Reflection, planning, admin. Don’t schedule the pitch.

What to eat

Iron-rich, and warm rather than raw.

BeetrootBlack lentilsTahiniQuinoaPumpkin seedsDried apricot
Reference

All four, at a glance

Her four phase cards, unchanged. Day numbers assume a 28-day cycle — count from the first day of bleeding and adjust the proportions rather than forcing the dates.

PhaseWindowTrainingFocusPrinciple
Menstrual12–13h
Days 15
Walking, gentle mobility, stretching. Nothing that needs recovery you don’t have.Beetroot, Black lentils, TahiniRest over restriction
Follicular16–18h
Days 613
Strength, higher intensity, the VO2 session. If you’re going to train hard, train hard now.Protein at every meal, Fermented foods, Leafy greensThe green light phase
Ovulation13–15h
Days 1416
Strength is fine, but watch recovery. Cortisol is already elevated.Coconut water, Electrolytes, WatermelonModerate, not extreme
Luteal12–13h
Days 1728
Pilates, light weights, walking. Lower the intensity before your body lowers it for you.Sweet potato, Rice, OatsStability over stress

The other thing a carousel can't do.

Pick what you're dealing with, and find the foods that support you most.

Try the Decoder →