Sync & Savor: Cycle-Based Nutrition for Hormone Health and Balance

by Paige Lindgren

Genres: Cookbooks

256 pages, Hardcover

Published April 14, 2026

Reviews

[Sadie E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Clarkson Potter for the ARC

2.5: The author is a TikTok star slash nutritionist slash hormone specialist. Immediately suspicious. No shade (okay, there's probably going to be a lot of shade), because she seems lovely and enthusiastic, but scroll through Instagram or TikTok and you’ll see dozens upon dozens of foodie influencers claiming to cure your diseases and pay off your mortgage if you drink enough fruit juice.

You know what a real hormone specialist is? An endocrinologist. This woman is not one. The name changes, the branding changes, but the snake oil always stays the same.

This book is very aesthetic, in a slightly beige way. But it's your standard healthy eating cookbook in different packaging: breakfast muffins, smoothie bowls, energy balls, overnight oats. Seen it all before. Protein and fibre are presented as revolutionary.

The birth control section made me want to throw this book across the room. According to the author, birth control is bad and destroys your body. Excuse me? Telling women to come off birth control in the current climate isn't just bold and reckless, it's borderline insane. Birth control is personal and sometimes life-saving. This isn’t just bad advice, it’s actively irresponsible. Women have enough going on without being nudged off contraception because some crunchy, smoothie bowl guru implied their hormones will magically align and every wish will come true if they eat flaxseed.

The book talks about how we crave certain foods at certain points in our cycle. I mean, yeah. Who hasn’t craved chocolate when PMSing or crisps when stressed?

We're told to eat fermented foods only in the follicular phase because our gut is working most optimally. Uh, no. Fermented foods like kimchi are good all the time, especially when your gut's a little off.

I also really don't like the constant mentions of detoxing. Our body's detoxing, we need to detox, etc. I'm sorry, but I can't stand the word detox. It screams crash diets.

There’s also plenty of brand shilling. But to her credit, the recipes are simple and accessible for anyone a little nervous about cooking healthy.

The photography's nice, and the author’s tone is kind and friendly. Some breakfasts are genuinely lovely (huge win for a breakfast avoider like me), though the majority of recipes have existed forever.

But at the end of the day, this book is aesthetic beige fluff masquerading as science. Porridge with a hormonal rebound.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like that this is broken up into sections based on cycle phases, followed by time of day. Each section begins with some details about the science of that phase. It’s not something I learned much about when I was young, so I’ve been wanting to learn more. I find that the things I crave at these times tend to align with what’s being said, so it’s nice having ideas of how to integrate them into meals.

As someone with PCOS, I appreciate the details and background this book provides. I’ve been trying to add more fiber and get my blood sugar in a better place. These are two of the first call out in the book, so I’m happy to have stumbled across this cookbook!

Attaching each phase to winter/spring/summer/autumn was such an interesting visual that will help me better remember. The food photos are also stunning and really drew me in.

Butternut squash mac and cheese, ginger chicken crunch salad, and a roasted harvest bowl are the standouts for me. And there’s even an entire section on soup!

As always, take everything with a grain of salt when it comes to health and wellness advice.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love the idea of cycle based nutrition. As someone that had been on birth control for 13 years, going off the pill only in the last year to start a family, I thought I knew my cycle. But they do not prepare you for the changes and journey your body goes through hormonally when going off the pill, or when trying to conceive. I love the idea of working with your body where it’s at , and using food and drink to help. Organized into phases, this book is so helpful and easy to use. A must have for any woman! I love the information included at the beginning, to help with understanding what our bodies as women are going through. The recipes are easy to follow and so yummy! So glad to have this in my kitchen arsenal.

Thank you to NetGalley and Paige Lindgren for the ARC!

[Suzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting to eat based on your cycle can seem daunting but the breakdown in this book was helpful and made it not seem overwhelming. She mentions that even she started small- swap one meal or go for a walk instead of your planned workout. I loved that there are brand suggestions that she likes that are clean, it’s a good place to start. The book is broken into each follicular phase, starting with details about that particular phase followed by recipes breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. This is such a neat reference and the recipes look very tasty!
Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press | Ten Speed Press for my advanced digital copy!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Healthy and easy recipes to help during the stages of a woman's cycle. This book includes recipes and tips that would be helpful during all stages of a woman's life and healthy for her family too. I received this book as a digital arc copy but have pre-ordered a copy for my own upon release so that I can try and use the recipes.

[Margaret Balwierz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This informative and eye-catching book is a great resource for those looking to align their nutrition and activity with their menstrual cycle. Filled with beautiful pictures and laid out by each phase, this is easy to read and use as a reference. The introduction touches on some very important points, which was refreshing as it comes across as researched and not just what worked for one person. There is also cute recipe names, which adds a bit of whimsy to the rougher parts of your cycle.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for this eARC.