Love Stories

Actress Janaé Basemore recently shared (via Threads) how she found it perplexing that her husband bought what she called “an obnoxious amount” of bananas—not that she minded, per se, as she was eating them daily—and tuna fish, which she found strange. Not only that, but the hubs offered to cook trout for dinner, which wasn’t exactly a dinner staple in their household.

Lo and behold, the oh-so endearing motivations behind this perplexing grocery haul became clear once Basemore was cleaning the house and found copious notes on her husband's desk.

The subject of these notes? Each phase of her menstrual cyle—and how best to support her through them.

Basemore’s husband seemingly left not stone unturned—from jotting down which foods are best for each phase (trout and bananas are particularly great for the follicular phase) to anticipating what her moods would likely be (“follicular phase=likes me,” “luteal phase=hates me”).

Down in the comments, people called this an undeniable “green flag.”

“Marry him again sis,” one person quipped.

“I’m gonna need a copy of this for my husband,” said another.

The greenest flag. media1.giphy.com

This list is especially helpful considering that Basemore is diagnosed with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), a more severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) where symptoms like extreme irritability, depression, anxiety, and other symptoms like fatigue, sleep disturbances, and changes in appetite typically start in the week or two before menstruation and usually subside a few days after menstruation begins. However, those symptoms can be managed by a diet that helps to restore hormonal balance and manage inflammation.

But really, even if a woman doesn’t have PMDD, a diet that helps restore balance during each of their phases can be extremely beneficial. That, and a little emotional support from their partners.

Granted, this kind of intel (along with most aspects of the female body) aren’t exactly well known even to many women, much less to the men who love them. That’s kind of what makes this whole story so sweet. Her husband clearly made an effort to learn something that wasn’t common knowledge. Some folks murmured that the handwriting in his notes looked like it belonged to a female…but, even if that were the case…who cares? It was still him applying those notes in real life. The trout, people!

And for those guys (and gals) looking to learn more about how to best support each menstrual phase, here’s a quick general rundown, courtesy of London Clinic Nutrition:

Menstrual phase: Day 1 to 3-7

This is the ‘period’ stage of your cycle, when the uterine lining sheds causing you to bleed and estrogen/progesterone levels are low.

Foods to eat:

• Shellfish
• Pork
• Pumpkin + flax seeds
• Black + kidney bean
• Red: Beets, berries, grapes, peppers
• Seaweeds

Avoid: heavily processed foods, alcohol, spicy foods and sugar as these can contribute to inflammation which may cause painful period cramps to be more severe. That said, it’s okay to slip in a couple of comfort meals.

Follicular phase: Day 3-7 to 12

This phase begins on the first day of your period (overlapping with the menstrual phase) and finishes when you start to ovulate. Energy levels might increase during this phase, making it a good opportunity to add some more vigorous exercise. This is a time to up magnesium-rich foods to reduce heavy periods and PMS symptoms.

Foods to eat:

• Trout
• Chicken, eggs
• Pumpkin + flax seeds
• Lentils, mung beans
• Berries, grapes
• Green: Broccoli, lettuce, zucchini, avocado
• Citrus, pomegranate
• Fermented foods
• Barley, oat, wheat

Ovulation: Day 12 to 16

Estrogen levels reach their peak in this phase, so eating foods high in fiber can help to reduce those levels and avoid estrogen dominance.

Foods to eat:

• Salmon, tuna
• Lamb
• Sesame and sunflower
• Red lentils
• Berries, grapes
• Spinach, tomato, eggplant, dandelion, brussels sprouts
• Apricot, cantaloupe, fig
• Chocolate, coffee, alcohol (in moderation)
• Corn, quinoa

Luteal Phase: Day 16 to 28

Unless a woman becomes pregnant, this phase is commonly associated with premenstrual symptoms as the body prepares for the next period. Again, foods high in magnesium can help mitigate pain, low energy, and low libido that can occur during this phase.

Foods to eat:

• White fish
• Red meat, turkey
• Sesame and sunflower
• Chickpeas, navy bean
• Berries, grapes
• Cruciferous + bitter veg: garlic, ginger, onion, sweet potato, cauliflower, cabbage, dark greens
• Apple, date, pear, peach
• Mint + greens powder
• Brown rice, millet