There are a billion-and-one reasons why all women should consider themselves to be extraordinary beings with supernatural powers. Shoot, I am reminded of this every time my period rolls around. Although I've been fortunate to not experience a ton of cramping or any real menstrual-related discomfort, I do bloat, I am drained, a period pimple or two is sure to pop up (and leave a mark), the first two days are like bleed central…and, then there's the cravings. The week before and a couple of days into my period, anything processed and/or sugary, I'm all for it!
If you can totally relate to that last part, don't let anyone cause you to think that it's all in your head. The sugar that you desire is due to the drop in progesterone and estrogen that your body is experiencing. The dip in your serotonin (the feel-good hormone in your system) is why you want carbs like potato chips, pastries and all things white (white rice, white bread, white pasta, etc.). Problem is, while these foods may taste really good, they actually can make your period so much worse due to them causing things like fluctuating hormones, dehydration and a lack of sleep.
So, what exactly should you be eating in order to have a more pleasant menstrual cycle? According to science—and a little taste-testing on my end—here are some that will definitely make that one week a month, so much easier to bear.
1. Dark Chocolate
In every way and form that I can possibly think of, dark chocolate is dope. On the health tip, all of the antioxidants in it makes dark chocolate good for your heart, libido, blood pressure, vision and moods. And yes, get totally excited because dark chocolate is something that you shouldn't feel the least bit guilty about eating when you're on your period.
If you eat a high-quality form of it (it needs to have at least 65 percent cacao in it), the magnesium that's in dark chocolate will reduce the intensity of your cramps and trigger the endorphins in your system so that you feel happier—or at least less stressed.
2. Bananas
A naturally sweet way to get a good amount of potassium and fiber into your system is to have a banana. Some other cool things about this particular fruit is it can help to prevent diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. If you've got a Charlie horse, bananas can bring instant relief and, the Vitamin A in bananas make them a great way to keep your eyes healthy and strong.
Eating a banana is good for you during your period because oftentimes cramping worsens as the result of having too little potassium in our bodies. Not only that, but the Vitamin B6 that's also in this kind of fruit can soothe any back discomfort that your period may bring to your body.
3. Watermelon
When I'm writing on topics like this, I like to mention when foods are in season; that way, you can get them when they've got the most nutrients and they taste the best. As far as watermelon goes, it's a fruit that is at its peak from May-September. This is a food that will not only keep you hydrated (something that you definitely need when you're on your period; more on that in just a sec), it also has a good amount of vitamins A and C, is able to help prevent certain types of cancer, reduce bodily inflammation and, if you eat some of it following a workout, the citrulline (an amino acid) that is in watermelon can help to decrease any muscle soreness that you may be experiencing.
Since watermelon is made up of so much water (92 percent), it, along with its natural sugar (6 percent), can also soothe your period cramps. It's definitely a healthier alternative to OTC meds.
4. Infused Water
The reason why we all need to drink more water than usual whenever we're on our period is because it's the shift in our progesterone and estrogen levels that causes us to feel bloated and can sometimes end up causing constipation. If you'd honestly rather drink anything but water, make your own infused kind. That way, the water will have a little extra flavor to it, plus the fresh fruits, veggies and/or herbs will give your system some more of the nutrients that it probably needs.
Whatever you do, just make sure that you don't eat a billion bowls of cereal or get a large milkshake. Dairy contains something known as arachidonic acid that can trigger cramps or make them more intense. Also, soda and coffee aren't really your friends either. They are good at putting your hormones on even more of a roller coaster ride. Who wants that?!
5. Saffron
Let's throw a spice in here, shall we? When's the last time you cooked with a little bit of saffron? It's got the kind of antioxidants that fight cancer, lower blood sugar levels, reduce heart disease risk and can increase the libido in both men and women (if you take a 30 mg supplement on a daily basis, that is).
What a lot of people don't know is saffron is also pretty awesome at treating PMS and mood swings. On the PMS tip, saffron soothes food cravings, headaches and any pain that's associated with your period. Also, if you typically find yourself feeling kinda blue (or straight-up pissed) during that time of the month, this a spice that is effective at treating mild depression (again, so long as you consume it on a regular basis).
6. Popcorn
OK, before you get too excited, I'm not talking about movie popcorn that's doused in butter and salt. But yes, popcorn (especially if you pop it yourself—on the stove and not in the microwave) that has as little "extra" on it as possible is a multi-grain food that contains vitamins B1, B3 and B6, magnesium, manganese (a ton of that!), zinc, potassium, copper, phosphorus and iron. Something else that popcorn has in it is a good amount of antioxidants. So yeah, possibly without you even knowing it, it's the kind of snack food that can boost your immune system.
The reason why it's perfectly fine to curl up with a bowl of popcorn and binge-watch your favorite show while you're on your cycle is because popcorn also triggers the production of serotonin in your system. When serotonin is flowing, you end up being in a better mood and getting a sounder night's rest too.
7. Spinach
Spinach is a low-calorie (25 of 'em per serving) vegetable that offers all sorts of nutrients. It's got vitamins A, B6, C, E, K, folic acid, calcium and iron in it. It also contains plant compounds like lutein, quercetin and zeaxanthin. All of these nutrients make it possible for spinach to fight off free radicals, improve your vision and lower your blood pressure. At the same time, if you are prone to kidney stones, you probably shouldn't eat spinach on a daily basis; the calcium and oxalates that's in it could actually cause a kidney stone to form (#themoreyouknow).
Since spinach does have a lot of iron in it, eating some is a good way to get your blood back on track. And, since it also contains Vitamin E, a little green juice or spinach salad can decrease any menstrual discomfort you might be feeling too.
8. Blackberries
The peak season for blackberries is July thru August. I recommend getting some because, not only do they have a lot of vitamins A, C and K in them, they also are full of fiber and manganese too. Aside from the fact that, the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties in blackberries can keep the cavities away. And this fruit can boost your brain health too.
Another plus with blackberries is they are able to bring balance back to your hormones (that just may be all over the place during your period). Also, if you are naturally low in estrogen, they just might give that a bit of a boost as well. (For the record, blueberries can also accomplish a lot of these same things.)
9. Cramp Bark Tea
Gee, it's almost poetic that the herb viburnum is also known as cramp bark. Because it contains properties that suppress muscle spasms and reduce muscle tension, it's the type of herb that can relieve symptoms that are related to inflammation, tension headaches and even arthritis. If you're dealing with symptoms related to perimenopause or menopause, it can reduce some of those as well.
Since this is the type of herb that works so well with muscle discomfort, it makes perfect sense why it would be a great herb to treat menstrual cramps. Not only that, but the phenolic compounds in cramp bark can also aid in treating endometriosis or speed up the physical healing process of a miscarriage.
You can take this herb in supplement form, but I recommend drinking it as a hot tea because that can feel super soothing. A brand of cramp bark that's good is Tea Haven's Cramp Bark Tea.
10. Lentils
I don't know about you, but something that I find to be a great comfort food (especially when the cold weather sets in) is some homemade lentil soup. It's a good source of protein and fiber, contains a pretty impressive amount of calcium (38 grams per cup) and, if you're pregnant, it's also a good way to get some (more) folic acid into your system. I decided to end this particular food round up with lentils because two other nutrients that it contains are iron and magnesium.
Due to all of the blood that is lost during our period (the average is around 16 teaspoons), we need the iron replenishment, for sure. And, as far as magnesium goes, if you tend to have trouble sleeping during your period, having some lentils for dinner may help you to get some much needed z-z-z's so that you—and your period—can tackle another day. (If you want to make some of your own soup, Chef Mama Rosa has a recipe for you here. Enjoy!)
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So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
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And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
Then there were those who gave up their zip code altogether and found a permanent home in the skies. After years spent recruiting students for a university, Lisa-Gaye Shakespeare became a full-time travel influencer and founded her travel company, Shakespeare Agency. And she's not alone.
These stories mirror the experiences of women across the world. For millions, the pandemic induced a seismic shift in priorities and desires. Corporate careers that were once hailed as the ultimate “I made it” moment in one's career were pushed to the back burner as women quit their jobs in search of a more self-fulfilling purpose.
xoNecole spoke to these three Black women who used the pandemic as a springboard to make their wildest dreams a reality, the lessons they learned, and posed the question of whether they’ll ever return to cubicle life.
Answers have been edited for context and length.
xoNecole: How did the pandemic lead to you leaving the cubicle?
Randi: I was becoming stagnant. I was working in mortgage and banking but I felt like my personality was too big for that job! From there, I transitioned to radio but was laid off during the pandemic. That’s what made me go full throttle with entrepreneurship.
Gabrielle: I moved around a lot for work. Five times over a span of seven years. I knew I needed a break because I had experienced so much. So, I just quit one day. Effective immediately. I didn’t know what I was going to do, I just knew I needed a break and to just regroup.
Lisa-Gaye: I was working in recruiting at a university and my dream job just kind of fell into my lap! But, I never got to fully enjoy it before the world shut down in March [2020] and I was laid off. On top of that, I was stuck in Miami because Jamaica had closed its borders due to the pandemic before I was able to return.
Randi O
xoN: Tell us about your journey after leaving Corporate America.
Randi: I do it all now! I have a podcast, I’m an on-air talent, I act, and I own a public relations company that focuses on social media engagement. It’s all from my network. When you go out and start a business, you can’t just say, “Okay I’m done with Corporate America,” and “Let me do my own thing.” If you don’t build community, if you don’t build a network it's going to be very hard to sustain.
Gabrielle: I realized in New York, there was not a lot to do for Black lesbians and queer folks. We don’t really have dedicated bars and spaces so I started doing events and it took off. I started focusing on my brand, Raw Honey. I opened a co-working space, and I was able to host an NYC Pride event in front of 100,000 people. I hit the ground running with Raw Honey. My events were all women coming to find community and come together with other lesbians and queer folks. I found my purpose in that.
Lisa-Gaye: After being laid off, I wrote out all of my passions and that’s how I came up with [my company] Shakespeare Agency. It was all of the things that I loved to do under one umbrella. The pandemic pulled that out of me. I had a very large social media following, so I pitched to hotels that I would feature them on my blog and social media. This reignited my passion for travel. I took the rest of the year to refocus my brand to focus solely on being a content creator within the travel space.
Gabrielle
xoN: What have you learned about yourself during your time as an entrepreneur?
Randi: [I learned] the importance of my network and community that I created. When I was laid off I was still keeping those relationships with people that I used to work with. So it was easy for me to transition into social media management and I didn’t have to start from scratch.
Gabrielle: The biggest thing I learned about myself was my own personal identity as a Black lesbian and how much I had assimilated into straight and corporate culture and not being myself. Now, I feel comfortable and confident being my authentic self. Now, I'm not sacrificing anything else for my career. I have a full life. I have friends. I have a social life. And when you are happy and have a full quality of life, I feel like [I] can have more longevity in my career.
Lisa-Gaye: [I'm doing] the best that I've ever done. The discipline that I’m building within myself. Nobody is saying, ‘Oh you have to be at work at this time.’ There’s no boss saying, ‘Why are you late?’ But, if I’m laying in bed at 10 a.m. then it's me saying [to myself], 'Okay, Lisa, get up, it's time for you to start working!’ That’s all on me.
xoNecole: What mistakes do you want to help people avoid when leaving Corporate America?
Randi: You have to learn about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. You have a fast season and a slow season and I started to learn that when you're self-employed the latter season hits hard. Don't get caught up on the lows, just keep going and don't stop. I’m glad I did.
Gabrielle: I think everyone should quit their job and just figure it out for a second. You will discover so much about yourself when you take a second to just focus on you. Your skill set will always be there. You can’t be afraid of what will happen when you bet on yourself.
Lisa-Gaye: When it comes to being an influencer the field is saturated and a lot of people suffer from imposter syndrome. There is nothing wrong with being an imposter but find out how to make it yours, how to make it better. If you go to the store, you see 10 million different brands of bread! But you are choosing the brand that you like because you like that particular flavor.
So be an imposter, but be the best imposter of yourself and add your own flair, your own flavor. Make the better bread. The bread that you want.
Lisa-Gaye Shakespeare
xoNecole: Will you ever return to your 9 to 5?
Randi: I wouldn’t go back to Corporate America. But I don’t mind working under someone. A lot of people try to get into this business saying, “I can't work under anyone.” That’s not necessarily the reason to start a business because you're always going to answer to somebody. Clients, brands, there’s always someone else involved.
Gabrielle: I went back! I really needed a break and I gave myself that. But, I realized I’m a corporate girl, [and] I enjoy the work that I do. I’m good at it and I really missed that side of myself. I have different sides of me and my whole identity is not Raw Honey or my queerness. A big side of me is business and that’s why I love having my career. Now I feel like my best self.
Lisa-Gaye: I really don’t. For right now, I love working for myself. It's gratifying, it's challenging, it's exciting. It’s a big deal for me to say I own my own business. That I am my own boss, and I'm a Black woman doing it.
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Featured image courtesy of Lisa-Gaye Shakespeare
Originally published on February 6, 2023