Menstruation is an essential part of life for women during their reproductive years, yet for many, it’s far from simple. From discomfort to disruption, menstruation remains a process that causes confusion and  can significantly affect a woman’s day-to-day well-being. In fact, many women continue to face challenges on how to navigate through their cycle and optimise the best of health and well-being.

So, what is the Menstrual Cycle?

The menstrual cycle is a monthly process of shedding of the unfertilized egg, tissue lining, blood and mucus from the uterus. 

Key to reproduction, this process is an interplay of hormones and physiology. 

It begins in the brain, which signals the release of hormones that stimulate egg development. A mature egg then travels from the ovary through the fallopian tube toward the uterus. If fertilization doesn’t occur, the egg is flushed out along with the uterine lining through the vagina—what we experience as a period.

The Phases:

IMAGE SOURCE: Healthline

1. Menstrual Phase (Days 1–5)

• What happens: Shedding of the uterine lining (endometrium) — the period.
  
• Hormones: Low levels of all hormones (estrogen, progesterone, FSH, LH).
  
• Trigger: Drop in progesterone and estrogen due to regression of the corpus luteum.
  

2. Follicular Phase (Days 1–13)

• What happens: Follicles in the ovary begin to mature. One becomes dominant.
  
• Hormones:
  
  • FSH stimulates follicle growth.
    
  • Estrogen rises and thickens the endometrial lining.
    
• Estrogen peaks just before ovulation.
  

3. Ovulation (Day 14)

• What happens: Release of a mature egg from the ovary.
  
• Hormones:
  
  • LH surge triggers ovulation.
    
  • Estrogen drops slightly after.
    
• Marked by a sharp spike in LH (Luteinizing Hormone).
  

4. Luteal Phase (Days 15–28)

• What happens: Corpus luteum forms from the empty follicle and secretes hormones.
  
• Hormones:
  
  • Progesterone rises and stabilizes the endometrial lining for possible implantation.
    
  • Estrogen also remains at a moderate level.
    
• If no pregnancy occurs: corpus luteum degrades → hormone levels drop → menstruation starts.

Menstrual Cycle Hormones Overview

Hormone	When it’s Active	What it Does	Why It’s Needed	If It’s Too Low…
Estrogen	Mostly in Follicular Phase (Days 5–14)	– Grows uterine lining- Helps mature the egg	Prepares body for possible pregnancy	– Thin uterine lining- Irregular or missed periods- Mood swings
Progesterone	Mostly in Luteal Phase (Days 15–28)	– Maintains uterine lining- Keeps it stable for pregnancy	Supports early pregnancy if egg is fertilized	– PMS symptoms worsen-Lining sheds too early-Difficulty getting or staying pregnant
LH (Luteinizing Hormone)	Spikes at Ovulation (Day 14)	– Triggers egg release (ovulation)	Needed to release the mature egg	– No Ovulation-Irregular cycles- Fertility issues
FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone)	Starts rising early (Days 1–5)	– Stimulates egg follicles to grow	Helps eggs mature in the ovaries	– Eggs don’t mature- Weak or no ovulation- Periods may stop

Over the next blog- we’ll give you the perfect cycle syncing guide to ensure your movement, nutrition and health is practiced in a way that epitomizes your well-being!

Wishing you the best of Health,

Srishti & Ashmita

Team Nutri with Ti

The mystery of the gut is one that still hasn’t been unraveled, one that may never fully be solved. But this largely forgotten organ of the human body goes far beyond just a common English reference- it holds the key to the entire physiological, mental, emotional and overall well-being of a human.

Photo credit– International Probiotics Association

So, what is the gut?

Misunderstood as an imaginary space, the Gut refers to both the intestines, although the general population and majority of the microbiome (a.k.a the population of non-human microorganisms that are beneficial to humans) reside in the large intestine. It houses all the key elements that lead to your well-being- equipped with its own section of an independent nervous system. What this ensures is that the gut- its functioning remains independent of the control of the rest of the body.

This independence does come with the trust from the brain- with which it maintains a direct connection via a critical nerve- the Vagus Nerve (an essential spino-cranial nerve).

Now that the physiology is understood- what happens in the gut that is key to our well-being?

When we are about to consume food, the first bite taken in the mouth leads to a process that may last as long as 6 hours (yes- certain food products take up to 6 hours to be fully digested!). The food is slowly mixed with saliva, that softens and breaks down the food with the health of teeth, into mushy small balls that are sent on their way via the esophagus to the stomach.

The stomach is the first major stop of digestion- where the secretions and enzymes begin their job of breaking down and triggering digestion of the main food groups- mainly carbs and fats with small effects on protein. Bile juice and other enzymes along with digestive secretion act on orders of the independent nervous system of the gut and begin their chop and extraction job. Peristalsis or tummy waves help move this through the stomach and small intestine, continuing essentials of breakdown, chemical processes and metabolism until we reach the large intestine of the colon.

It is here that our metabolized mush, earlier called food, meets our beneficial body tenants- aka the microbes, to extract the remaining nutrients from the mocktail before it is sent to excrete from our body. The tenants though- have a clause in their contract. To do us good, they require their food- in the form of fibres. Dietary fibres or Prebiotics are now one of most sought out nutrients in any individual’s plates, with supplement companies catering to these needs with an abundant variety of supplements. These fibres, undigested and largely unharmed via the entire process, find themselves as fuel for our beneficial friends. So, in short- fibre is fuel for the gut microbes to keep us healthy (in addition to also keeping us full and helping aid in satiety).

However, like any other organisms, these too have a lifespan. In order to continue the occupation of the friendly microorganisms in our body, we continuously consume live microorganisms that fill up slots in the compartments of the gut and brain in newer levels of overall well-being. In more commercial words, these are fermented foods called Probiotics. Think of a bowl of curd or yogurt, a serving of kimchi, or even a glass of buttermilk or kombucha.

Now that we know what the gut is, here is a simple prebiotic recipe that is perfect as breakfast, dinner or even dessert.

Taken from the recipe books of every Sindhi household, this wholesome broken wheat porridge (or as in Sindhi Kank jo baath) comes with a blend of subtle spices, abundant fibre  from the broken wheat, healthy fats from the oil/ghee desired to use.

Sindhi Broken Wheat Porridge Recipe:

NOTE: ADD IN MORE LIQUID IF YOU DESIRE A MORE LIQUID CONSISTENCY.

Once done, add the jaggery, salt and mix well. Consume it warm or cold.

If this resonated with you- we’d love to see you as a part of our Nutri with Ti family.

We look forward to not only decluttering a lot of the nutrition mess in present days (to the best of our capabilities!) but also nudging you to explore your pantries and kitchen with some nutritious and delicious recipes and other fun activities.

Here’s to a Happier, Healthier you!

Srishti & Ashmita

Team Nutri with Ti

Nutrition and Diets. Perhaps, the 21st century’s most overused but under-understood terms.

Previously as simple as a plate of grains, meat, dairy, veg – food and nutrition has now been revolutionized as an ergogenic, socio-economic symbol often used to keep up with “trends” as opposed to being consumed for its real function.

So, then what is nutrition?

Scientifically, nutrition is the life science of understanding how basic elements constitute our food, impact the body for betterment and functioning. But in reality, the food we eat goes beyond just fueling the body. It plays vital roles in genetic expression, immunity while being psychologically crucial as a mood uplifter and balancer. 

Recent times, however, have seen a rather disturbing fact- The very food we’ve been told will make us happy, healthy, and fulfilled started making us fall sick. The processed sugars, additives and fats that were once celebrated as revolutionary are now linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Enter the diet fads.

At first, it’s the low-fat revolution of the ’80s and ’90s—an attempt to “fix” the problem by cutting out fats. But by the time everyone’s swapping butter or margarine, a new twist emerges. The Atkins diet, the Mediterranean diet, the raw food movement—they all promise different things. They offer hope, but they also confuse. For every expert who swears by one approach, another pops up insisting that a completely different path is the only way to go.

In this whirlwind of diets, one thing becomes clear: it’s not just about what we eat, but how we think about food. Is it nourishment? Or is it a guilty pleasure? Is it a necessary commodity? Or is it a luxury to savor? The human relationship with food is no longer simple, and the consequences are becoming more apparent by the day.

And that brings us to the closing end of the circle- if there is anything that the last decade (particularly the Corona Virus and illness epidemics) taught us, it is that fundamentally- Food is perhaps the only medicine that our body requires ever. Its secret lies in eating natural, nourishing, nutrient dense food that is grown with the right intentions and consumed even more so rightly. The food that we eat functions like a bank account- healthy food choices are the deposits that work like a long-term health, while unhealthy food choices cause withdrawals that deplete your overall well-being.

At Nutri with Ti, that is our core belief. Naturally fueling your nourishment, with nature’s nurturing ingredients. Your kitchen contains all the keys to unlock everything that your body requires not only to grow, but to grow and sustain well. Fundamentally- at the end, we wish to help individuals build a happier healthier lifestyle that is sustained through your life cycle.

If this resonated with you- we’d love to see you as a part of our Nutri with Ti family. 

We look forward to not only decluttering a lot of the nutrition mess in present days (to the best of our capabilities!) but also nudging you to explore your pantries and kitchen with some nutritious and delicious recipes and other fun activities.

Here’s to a Happier, Healthier you!

Srishti Chatlani

Founder and Chief Nutritionist

Nutri with Ti