The classic snack when you’re PMS-ing is chocolate.
I know when my period is about to strike the only thing I want to eat is dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, or ruby chocolate.
We all know we’re supposed to eat a balanced diet based on the food pyramid, to get eight hours of sleep, but this just doesn’t work for me during my period.
Why do you crave carbs and sugar during your period?
In a study from 2016 published in fthe Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal, found that hormones are the cause for cravings.
During PMS, the sugar cravings are down to changes that occur in our hormones. Right before menstruation, there is a drop in the hormones progesterone and a rise in estrogen which then causes the blood sugar levels to go down.
When these drops occur, the brain sends a signal to the body to find more sugar, to replenish what is lost, and thus cravings.
During Menstruation and in particular PMS you are more likely to want to eat carbs and sweets because your body releases serotonin when you eat these unhealthy foods. Serotonin is a chemical that boosts feelings of connectedness and happiness and so is definitely a part of why women and menstruators want to eat these foods, the classic being a chocolate bar.
But what does sugar do to our periods?
When you use sugar to fill up when you’re on your period, you’ll just feel worse in the long run, this is the way it usually happens when you choose to eat unhealthy food.
When you have sugar, have you realized that you always want more? The more sugar you eat, the more sugar you want to consume. You might have heard that sugar is addictive, like the caffeine fix you need in the morning, or how you just can’t eat one piece of chocolate; when you cut out more sugar, you’ll end up craving it less.
There are ways to start changing the way Sugar Controls Us.
Try changing your diet before your PMS starts.
When you’re starting to PMS you’re not going to suddenly going to stop eating that chocolate bar you have halfway to your mouth. But why not try switching to vegetables and more fun fruity snacks to get used to not eating those carbs and sugars.
Instead of eating all the cookies or that slice of cake, just have one cookie and try a smoothie, or apples with honey, or trail mix. They still have a sweet aspect but it will make you feel a little better.
If you need to eat chocolate, try eating some dark chocolate if you want to get the health benefits from the antioxidants and minerals from the chocolate.
PMS will always make you feel stressed and anxious, but there are ways to combat it as opposed to grabbing that handful of potato chips.
If you haven’t tried Jubilance for PMS (an OAA supplement), it is a once daily supplement that can help with the emotional stressors of PMS. In clinical trials, Jubilance was able to help 80% of women feel better during that time of the month, give it a try!
Another way forget about the sugar is to do something else. When you want that piece of chocolate, go for a walk, exercise, you’ll improve your mood just from physical activity.
