Dieting And Menstruation- The Struggles Are Real!

Dieting And Menstruation-

The Struggles Are Real!

Cravings, mood swings, bloating, cramping- when you are on your period dieting and exercising seem like the last thing you want to do, right? Just give me a bottle of wine, a bag of chocolate, and some ibuprophen and stay out of my way for 24 hours! I mean, the struggles are real!

When you have been working really hard at making healthy lifestyle changes, you certainly don't want to "fall off the wagon" one week every month. But women deal with disruptive physical and emotional changes during menstruation that can lead to a downward spiral and sabotage their hard earned dieting efforts if they're not careful. The good news is that you don't have to let PMS kick your butt ladies! Here is how you can take control and kick back!

Cravings

Salty. Sweet. Good grief- just give me a Reese's and be done with it! Sound familiar? This was me, every month for many years! But when I started accepting my cravings as my body's way of telling me what it needs, they became less intense. Now, that's not to say that the translation didn't get lost somewhere between my body's needs and my mind's wants! It was a learning curve, but over time I traded my monthly peanut butter cup indulgence for healthier and more effective options.

There are 2 main cravings women complain about during their monthly cycle: salt and sugar.  Your body is going through physical and emotional changes and is asking for specific nutritional remedies. Did you know when you are craving salt it can be a mineral deficiency? Your adrenal glands are in charge of a lot of your hormonal reactions in your body, and minerals are important for keeping your adrenal glands functioning properly and your hormones balanced. These hormones are responsible for many tasks, including your metabolism and regulating how well your body responds to stress. So giving your body the minerals it needs is important. However, this is not a green light to a bag of salty potato chips or a super-sized order of fries. It is best to avoid processed foods and refined salt. Instead choose sea salt, or sea vegetables like kelp and spirulina, or green leafy vegetables to help those salty cravings!

Sugar is the most popular craving women give in to each month, typically in the form of chocolate. Don't get between a woman who is PMS-ing and her chocolate- am I right? This craving can be your body's way of asking for magnesium. Dark chocolate has a good amount of magnesium, but also sugar, hence our mind's desire to eat all the chocolate! Magnesium helps with cramping, insomnia, mood swings, and water retention- so it is pretty beneficial. A single square of dark chocolate may be enough to bring comfort and satisfaction, and will not completely sabotage your diet. We can also find magnesium in alternative foods such as avocados, bananas, and nuts- offering more nutritional value while kicking your chocolate obsession to the curb!             

Emotional and Physical Symptoms

You are hot, you are cold. You feel like a cow and you just can't get any relief from the cramping. You are angry and irritable, and your family looks at you like your head is about to do a 360 degree spin. Do you recognize this person? Is it you? This describes almost every woman of childbearing age at least one day a month. You aren't alone, and you are NOT crazy. You are just experiencing a hormonal imbalance.  One hormone in particular, estrogen, when elevated seems to be responsible for a good deal of PMS symptoms. "Excessive estrogen leads to water retention and fat storage, as well as playing a role in altering your moods. A diet high in sugar and starch creates spikes in insulin levels, which can lead to higher  estrogen levels, and unfortunately add to your PMS symptoms. Although you will most likely still experience some moodiness during your cycle, you can bring some balance to your physical and emotional well being by giving in to your food cravings- to a certain degree. Try a salad with nuts and spinach and eat fresh fruits that are naturally sweet and wont exacerbate your symptoms. Exercise can help lift your mood by releasing those "feel good" endorphins, and it can help relieve the bloating and cramping. And just give yourself permission to put your feet up, pour a hot cup of tea and read a good book! This too shall pass.