Meals She Eats

What if the meals you ate could transform not only your health but your relationship, your fertility, and even your understanding of your own body? In Meals She Eats, Rachael and Tom Sullivan invite you into their kitchen—and their love story—to show how cooking with intention can heal the hormonal chaos of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and bring back rhythm to a woman’s body. This is far more than a cookbook; it’s a holistic manual for living in sync with your menstrual cycle, managing PCOS, and rediscovering vitality and emotional well-being through everyday rituals of nourishment and self-care.

Rachael’s candid storytelling and Tom’s methodical cooking guidance make this book highly relatable. It’s rooted in their viral journey that began with a ‘secret Instagram account’—Tom’s private log of the hormone-friendly meals he was cooking for his wife—which soon touched millions of lives online. Their success came not from medical authority but from lived experience, curiosity, and compassion. Throughout the book, they argue that the body’s seemingly mysterious signals—irregular cycles, fatigue, or mood dips—are not broken but speaking a language anyone can learn to translate with food, movement, and mindful habits.

Understanding PCOS and Its Impact

At its core, PCOS is a hormonal disorder, but for Rachael, it became a journey of agency. The Sullivans explain that PCOS involves elevated male hormones, irregular cycles, and insulin resistance, creating ripple effects on skin, fertility, and mental health. Yet they emphasize that healing doesn’t start in a doctor’s office—it begins in the kitchen. Using a mix of medical clarity (with contributions by Dr. Bryson Whalen) and real-life anecdotes, they demystify PCOS: why periods vanish, why fatigue strikes, and how lifestyle adjustments can restore normal ovulation. The authors position food as both fuel and therapy, replacing restrictive dieting with empowerment through hormone-conscious choices.

Cycle Syncing: The Heart of the Approach

The book’s standout concept is cycle syncing—aligning foods, workouts, and habits with the four phases of the menstrual cycle: menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal. Instead of treating the body as static, Rachael and Tom view it as a dynamic system with shifting needs. For example, during menstruation, they opt for warming soups and iron-rich stews to replenish nutrients. During follicular days, fresh greens and vibrant grains stimulate renewal. In ovulation, detoxifying salads with asparagus or brussels sprouts help the liver process excess estrogen, while luteal recipes—like sweet potato hash or pumpkin chili—support progesterone stability. Every phase becomes a distinct culinary rhythm.

The Lifestyle Beyond Recipes

While Meals She Eats offers abundant recipes (from miso soup to blackened shrimp tacos), its deeper message lies in holistic living. The Sullivans explore emotional and physical self-care: journaling symptoms, practicing yin yoga while menstruating, taking walks under sunlight for vitamin D, and treating sleep as medicine. Rachael reframes experiences like cramps and hormonal acne as signals rather than sufferings. She blends science and humor—detailing “anal bleaching” jokes alongside menstrual blood color charts—to keep readers grounded and entertained. Tom complements her warmth with practical advice: cooking tips, pantry swaps, and shopping strategies to simplify daily implementation.

Community and Compassion

Equally powerful is the community element behind their story. From feeding North Carolina college students to interacting with followers who share their hormone challenges, the Sullivans highlight food as connection. Their home became an informal wellness center—a place where nourishing others sustained hope. As their following grew, they received testimonials from women who regained cycles or conceived naturally through dietary adjustments. These collective triumphs solidified their belief that shared knowledge and love-driven care can rival any prescription.

Why It Matters

Ultimately, Meals She Eats is a manifesto for turning pain into partnership. It matters because it challenges the idea that hormonal issues are permanent, shameful, or lonely experiences. The Sullivans show that balance is within reach when science meets sensitivity—when partners cook together, track cycles together, and turn “what she eats” into “what we learn.” They argue that the reward isn’t just restored health but restored connection—to one’s body, one’s partner, and one’s sense of purpose. In a wellness culture often fragmented between fad diets and sterile medical jargon, their approach reminds you that healing can taste delicious and feel intimate, one meal at a time.

Tom and Rachael break down what PCOS actually is—neither a disease nor an invisible curse, but a constellation of symptoms that demand personalized care. They explain it as a syndrome of excess androgens, irregular ovulation, and insulin resistance that disrupts the body’s hormonal harmony. But the revelation in their narrative is how understanding these elements can empower self-management rather than victimhood.

The Medical Foundation

Dr. Bryson Whalen contributes clinical clarity to the book, showing that while many physicians acknowledge lifestyle changes as key to PCOS treatment, few guide patients adequately on nutrition or exercise. This gap inspired the Sullivans’ mission: to create the practical handbook that medicine often lacks. They insist PCOS cannot be cured but can be dramatically improved through sustained habits that regulate hormones.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

The couple illustrate symptoms through Rachael’s own experience—weight gain, acne, skipped periods, fatigue, and emotional crashes. Using plain terminology, Tom explains diagnostic frameworks like the Rotterdam criteria: two of three indicators (excess androgens, irregular cycles, polycystic ovaries) can confirm PCOS. They also caution that not all cases are identical, so understanding your unique triggers is vital.

From Fear to Action

Rachael recounts being dismissed by doctors who prescribed birth control as a blanket fix—a moment that represents millions of women’s frustration. Instead of accepting hormonal suppression as normal, she sought to reclaim menstruation as a cyclical indicator of wellness. The turning point came when she tracked symptoms and realized food was influencing them more than medication. This shift from suppression to observation forms the moral center of Meals She Eats—a call to turn confusion into curiosity.

Long-Term Stakes

The book warns that untreated PCOS brings long-term risks: fertility struggles, diabetes, and heart disease. But with proactive lifestyle management, these can be mitigated or avoided. Rachael’s restored, predictable cycles after diet reform prove that small changes yield profound physiology shifts. As Tom says, healing PCOS isn’t a sprint but a dance—the goal is harmony, not perfection.

One of the book’s most transformative teachings is to treat your menstrual cycle like a compass for your well-being. Instead of fighting cyclical changes, the Sullivans show how to synchronize food, exercise, and mindset to each phase of the cycle. Think of it as living in seasonal rhythm within your own body.

Menstrual Phase: Rest and Replenishment

During bleeding days, hormones drop and energy wanes. Rachael advocates restful self-care and warming foods—like pork stew, miso soup, and beet salad—that replace iron and ease digestion. Yin yoga and gentle walks replace high-intensity workouts. The message: slowing down isn’t regression; it’s respect for the body’s labor.

Follicular Phase: Innovation and Renewal

Here estrogen rises, creativity sparks, and Rachael jokes she becomes her funniest self online. Foods like citrus, peas, and leafy greens restore vitality. Recipes such as broccoli salad or carrot noodles echo renewal. It’s the ideal time for goal-setting and new experiences—not dieting, but expanding horizons.

Ovulation Phase: Confidence and Connection

At peak hormonal balance, libido and sociability bloom. Tom’s recipes—pecan-crusted salmon or citrus brussels salad—help the liver detox excess estrogen to maintain equilibrium. Rachael encourages embracing sensuality and boldness during ovulation, comparing its energy surge to ‘fearlessly asking your boss for a raise.'

Luteal Phase: Comfort and Reflection

Progesterone peaks here, cooling the pace. The Sullivans design cozy meals like pumpkin turkey chili and sweet potato hash, and teach managing mood dips through magnesium-rich foods and meditation. Journaling during this phase becomes preventative therapy, helping anticipate emotional shifts rather than be blindsided by them. Their proposal: use food to nurture, not to numb.

The book’s culinary heart lies in transforming everyday foods into hormonal allies. Tom meticulously shows how micronutrients interact with endocrine function—from fiber regulating insulin to omega-3 supporting progesterone. Each recipe doubles as therapy, not restriction.

Real Food Over Fads

The couple reject crash diets in favor of sustained whole-food living: organic produce, pastured meats, dairy-free alternatives, and gluten-free grains. Their ‘real food’ philosophy echoes Lily Nichols’s work on nutrient-dense eating (see Real Food for Pregnancy). Tom explains how seasonal, minimally processed foods aid absorption. The recipes balance macronutrients to stabilize blood sugar and prevent insulin spikes—the nemesis of PCOS.

Elimination and Replacement

They reveal their dietary evolution—starting with Whole30, then refining it into an anti-inflammatory lifestyle. Gluten, dairy, soy, and added sugars are out; avocado oil, nuts, and bone broth are in. Their swaps are practical, not punitive: replacing butter with Miyoko’s vegan alternatives or using almond flour for breading. These pages demystify restrictive diets by showing flavor never has to suffer.

Balanced Blood Sugar

Tom articulates blood sugar control as hormonal balance’s foundation. Skipping meals or consuming isolated carbs leads to crashes, cravings, and cortisol spikes. Frequent, balanced meals—proteins with complex carbs—keep energy steady. Their recipes demonstrate this visually: adding seeds and proteins to yogurt or pairing sweet potatoes with fiber-rich greens. Food becomes a stabilizer rather than an emotional rollercoaster.

Beyond food, Rachael reframes self-care as endocrine support. She turns daily rituals into healing acts—sleep, journaling, meditation, and skin-care routines are all tools to regulate cortisol and encourage progesterone production.

Sleep and Mindfulness

Sleep is the book’s “nonnegotiable supplement.” Poor rest elevates inflammation and dysregulates appetite hormones. Rachael’s bedtime checklist—blackout curtains, cool temperatures, affirmations, no scrolling—reads like behavioral medicine disguised as lifestyle advice. Meditation through apps like Calm supports lower stress and steadier cycles.

Journaling for Awareness

Tracking emotions, cervical fluid, and symptoms creates data-driven self-knowledge. Rachael turns journaling into detective work—spotting patterns in acne flare-ups or mood drops. This method aligns with cognitive-behavioral therapy principles: observe, correlate, adjust. The authors even include app suggestions (Flo, Kindara) as entry points for habit formation.

Kindness as Medicine

The Sullivans remind readers that care also means community kindness—giving back, reducing social-media comparison, volunteering. Hormones respond to emotional stress; gratitude and social bonds soothe cortisol. It’s a rare wellness book that sees empathy as endocrine health. In that way, Meals She Eats merges science and soul with remarkable grace.

Few topics bring more anxiety than medical interactions around PCOS. The Sullivans use Rachael’s frustration as a teaching moment, explaining how to partner with doctors without surrendering autonomy. They walk readers through common prescriptions—birth control, metformin, spironolactone—and their implications, empowering you to make informed choices.

Advocacy in Medicine

Rachael’s story of dismissal is sadly universal. By offering scripts such as “What criteria do you use to diagnose PCOS?” and “What nonhormonal options do you recommend?” the book equips you for assertive dialogue. Many readers will feel validated seeing real questions they can bring to their next appointment.

Weighing Hormonal Birth Control

The authors describe the pill as a temporary patch—not a fix—and detail why synthetic hormones create withdrawal bleeds, not true menstruation. Coming off the pill can reveal deeper imbalances. They prefer lifestyle-based healing or supplements like inositol when fertility is a goal. This nuanced discussion avoids vilifying medicine but clarifies intent and consequences.

Alternative Therapies

Tom and Rach cover supplements (magnesium, vitex, zinc) and holistic agents like apple cider vinegar or turmeric, pairing them with scientific context. Their criteria—doctor consultation, NSF-certified sourcing—add credibility. The takeaway: combine medical oversight with mindful experimentation.

Food is not only chemistry—it’s intimacy. Tom’s cooking philosophy threads through the book as proof that care expressed through meals carries emotional medicine. Cooking becomes an act of devotion in their marriage and community work.

Cooking Techniques as Empowerment

Tom meticulously teaches basic skills—baking, searing, sautéing, roasting—so readers can cook confidently without professional training. He shows that technique enhances digestibility and hormone absorption. Even small lessons like oil smoke points serve health: burning oil releases free radicals, the enemy of balance.

Pantry Swaps for Everyday Healing

Their swaps are gentle introductions to gradual change: coconut sugar for refined sugar, cauliflower crust for gluten pizza, nutritional yeast for cheese. With humor, they admit sometimes they fail—but the point is progress. Each substitution signals choice, not deprivation.

Meals as Messages of Love

From feeding college students to serving his wife post-diagnosis, Tom frames cooking as emotional language. His lesson: chronic illness responds not just to nutrients but to care. Sharing food, listening to body cues, and enjoying the process are as potent as any supplement. This culminates in their motto—'the most important ingredient is love.'

Rachael and Tom end their book with a roadmap for sustaining new habits. Healing isn’t linear, they note—it’s built on rituals that become culture. Through humor, vulnerability, and structure, they make the long-term journey doable.

Routine Without Rigidity

Their advice: treat routines like playlists you can remix. Exercise, food prep, and journaling all evolve by phase. Perfectionism collapses progress, so they encourage curiosity and flexibility. A missed meditation isn’t failure; it’s feedback.

Community Accountability

They suggest connecting with online support or local communities. The joy of their North Carolina meal nights for college students shows that sustainable wellness thrives when shared. Mutual encouragement converts lifestyle into lasting influence.

Celebrating Small Wins

The book closes with a 28-day guide of meals—proof that small actions compound into healing months. Each day integrates variety, enjoyment, and rest. In Rachael’s words, 'The lifestyle truly changed both of our lives—for better, pregnancy or not.' That is the sustainable victory they offer every reader: feeling whole, not just well.