Progesterone-Boosting Foods to Eat in the Week Before Your Period

The week before your period — days 20 to 28 of a typical cycle — is when many women feel their worst on intermittent fasting. Energy drops, cravings spike, mood dips, and sleep suffers. Fasting aggressively through this phase often makes all of these worse.

The reason comes down to one hormone: progesterone.

Why the Luteal Phase Needs Different Nutrition

After ovulation, progesterone rises sharply and dominates the second half of your cycle. Progesterone is your calming, stabilising hormone — it promotes sleep, emotional balance, and a sense of ease. But it needs specific nutritional conditions to thrive.

Unlike estrogen, which performs best with low blood sugar and low insulin, progesterone actually prefers slightly higher blood sugar and more carbohydrates. When you fast too aggressively or eat very low-carb during this phase, you deprive your body of what it needs to produce progesterone. Cortisol rises to compensate, and cortisol is progesterone's primary antagonist — the more cortisol, the less progesterone.

The result: PMS symptoms worsen, cravings intensify, and the fasting window feels much harder than it did earlier in your cycle.

The solution is not to stop fasting — it's to eat differently during this phase. Learn more about how to sync intermittent fasting to your menstrual cycle.

What Is Hormone Feasting?

Hormone feasting is the nutritional approach designed specifically for the luteal phase. It means temporarily increasing carbohydrate intake — up to 100–150g of net carbs per day — from whole, unprocessed sources that support gut diversity and progesterone production.

This is not an excuse to eat junk food. The carbohydrates that support progesterone are dense, fibre-rich, and nutrient-loaded. They feed your gut microbiome, which in turn supports the estrogen-progesterone balance through what's known as the estrobolome — the collection of gut bacteria that regulate estrogen metabolism.

The foods below are specifically selected to support progesterone production, calm cortisol, and help you sail through the week before your period. Read our deep dive on the luteal phase and fasting.

Root Vegetables: Your Progesterone Foundation

Root vegetables are the cornerstone of luteal phase nutrition. They provide complex carbohydrates that raise blood sugar gently, support gut bacteria diversity, and contain the micronutrients progesterone needs to be manufactured in the body.

Sweet potato — Rich in vitamin B6, which is essential for progesterone production and is one of the most studied nutrients for reducing PMS symptoms. One medium sweet potato provides around 30% of your daily B6 requirement.

Squash — Butternut and acorn squash are high in magnesium, which helps regulate cortisol and supports the nervous system. Lower cortisol means better progesterone.

Parsnip and turnip — Gentle on the gut, high in folate and vitamin C. Vitamin C has been shown in small studies to support progesterone levels and corpus luteum function.

Beetroot — Supports liver detoxification, which matters during the luteal phase because the liver must clear excess estrogen to allow progesterone to dominate.

Legumes: Gut Microbiome Support

Legumes are one of the best prebiotic foods available, and they contain zinc, magnesium, and B vitamins that directly support sex hormone production.

Chickpeas — High in vitamin B6 and zinc. Add to salads or roast with olive oil and cumin during this phase.

Black beans and kidney beans — Rich in folate and magnesium. Pair with animal protein to ensure a complete amino acid profile.

Lentils — Easier to digest than other legumes, high in iron (especially useful if your period brings heavy flow) and B vitamins.

Note: During other phases of your cycle, particularly the low-estrogen phase at the start (days 1–10), you can return to a stricter low-carbohydrate approach. Legumes are a luteal phase tool, not an everyday staple for all fasting women.

Vitamin B6-Rich Foods: The Progesterone Nutrient

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is one of the most well-established nutritional supports for progesterone. It plays a role in the production of the corpus luteum — the temporary structure on the ovary that produces progesterone after ovulation — and it helps convert amino acids into the neurotransmitters that stabilise mood in the luteal phase.

Poultry — Chicken and turkey are excellent sources. A 150g serving of chicken breast provides around 60% of your daily B6 requirement.

Wild-caught fish — Salmon, tuna, and mackerel are high in B6 and also provide anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats that help reduce PMS-related inflammation.

Beef liver — Among the highest concentrations of B6 of any food. It also provides B12, iron, and zinc — all critical during the menstrual cycle.

Seeds: The Phase-Specific Tool

Seed cycling is a practice supported by clinical observation, if not yet large-scale RCTs. In the luteal phase, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds are the primary recommendation.

Sesame seeds — Contain lignans (plant compounds that support progesterone activity) and zinc, which is needed for corpus luteum function. Add 1–2 tablespoons of ground sesame to meals or use tahini.

Sunflower seeds — High in vitamin E, which supports progesterone production and has been shown in small studies to reduce luteal phase defect symptoms.

Practical Approach: Shorter Fasting Window

During the luteal phase, consider reducing your fasting window from your usual length. If you normally fast 16 hours, try 13–14 hours in the week before your period. The hormonal environment during this phase is less tolerant of cortisol stress, and aggressive fasting adds to that stress load.

Your eating window opens with protein and healthy fats. Later in the window, add root vegetables, legumes, or other complex carbohydrates. This approach keeps blood sugar stable without creating a cortisol spike from calorie restriction.

See our complete guide to what women should eat after breaking a fast.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I crave carbohydrates before my period?

This is a genuine progesterone signal. Progesterone requires slightly elevated blood sugar to be produced efficiently, and the carbohydrate cravings you experience in the week before your period are your body's way of requesting the fuel it needs. Honouring these cravings with whole-food carbohydrates (root vegetables, legumes) rather than sugar will support your hormones without the energy crash.

Should I stop fasting in the week before my period?

You don't need to stop fasting — but shortening your window is helpful for most women. Moving from 16 to 13–14 hours in the luteal phase reduces the cortisol load on a system that already has high hormonal demands. Many women find symptoms improve significantly with this adjustment alone.

Which vitamin is most important for progesterone production?

Vitamin B6 has the strongest evidence. It supports the corpus luteum function that produces progesterone after ovulation, and low B6 is associated with higher rates of PMS. Poultry, fish, and beef liver are the richest food sources.

Can eating the wrong foods in the luteal phase cause PMS?

Yes, dietary patterns directly influence PMS severity. High sugar intake, excess caffeine, and very low carbohydrate eating during this phase all increase cortisol, which suppresses progesterone. Shifting to hormone feasting foods during days 20–28 can meaningfully reduce PMS symptoms over 2–3 cycles.

Are legumes good for women during fasting?

Legumes are specifically valuable during the luteal phase as a prebiotic, hormone-supportive carbohydrate source. They are not ideal for the first half of the cycle if you are pursuing a strict ketobiotic approach. Think of them as a phase-specific tool, not an everyday fasting food.

Related Articles

• How to sync intermittent fasting to your menstrual cycle
• The luteal phase and fasting: why the week before your period needs different rules
• Best foods for women to eat during the eating window

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any fasting protocol, especially if you have an existing health condition.