Why do you feel hungry during your period?
Every month you know it's coming - before you even look at your calendar, you're craving chocolate, carbs and salt, which is how you know your period is coming.
Is it normal to feel hungry during your period? Why do you crave certain foods during your period? Your body cries out for certain comfort foods for both biological and psychological reasons, and sometimes even because of marketing. The most important thing you want to know is how to stop period cravings to avoid consuming an estimated 500 extra calories per day.
Is it normal to feel hungry before and during your period?
In short, yes, it is. As usual, you have your hormones to thank for this. Premenstrual syndrome has more than 150 different symptoms, with the urge to menstruate being one of the most commonly reported. While 85 percent of women report experiencing symptoms of PMS, 97 percent of us experience food cravings, which become stronger just before our period begins.
Why do you crave your period, especially certain foods? Fluctuations in hormones affect your neurotransmitters, usually around the time your egg is released during ovulation. Your body craves carbs, fat, and sweets, so you reach for these high-calorie treats.
This is an attempt to increase the lower levels of serotonin currently produced by your body. These feel-good hormones are also needed to counteract any mood swings that may be making you feel down this time of the month.
The change in estrogen and progesterone levels just before your period can cause you to crave carbohydrates and sugar. In addition to the reasons previously mentioned, some researchers believe that endogenous opioid peptides that control appetite are more active during PMS. The connection between estrogen, insulin and blood sugar levels also affects your food cravings and subsequent weight gain. Falling estrogen levels, during the lead-up to menstrual bleeding, can mimic the effects of menopause, leading to an increase in insulin resistance and blood sugar levels. Your body tries to force blood sugar into the cells where energy is needed. This in turn can have a secondary effect on appetite, food intake and weight gain, especially around the diaphragm. Now you know why some women experience weight fluctuations during their menstrual cycle.
Eating regularly – or snacking – also helps regulate our blood sugar levels, so we can stay balanced during this phase.
Food cravings are just a symptom of PMS. You can also expect to feel irritable, anxious, tense, or sad on any given day – or a combination of these.
Why do you feel hungry during your period?
Food is more than just fuel for our bodies. Our emotional attachment to food – whether through memories or sugar highs – makes our relationship with certain foods deeper and harder to break.
While you may use some foods as an emotional crutch, your cells and glands may actually develop cravings for other foods. For example, your craving for chocolate may stem from more than just an emotional attachment. The strong craving for sweet foods is driven by the energy needed to rebuild the lining of your uterus and remove the toxins that have built up there over the past month; therefore, sugar and carbohydrate cravings are strongest during your period.
However, your cells also need magnesium in the days after ovulation. Since cocoa beans contain large amounts of it, the desire to eat chocolate becomes much stronger. You can minimize your calorie intake by choosing dark chocolate over other varieties because it contains less sugar, or by choosing oats, green vegetables or a nutritional supplement to get a larger dose of magnesium. Magnesium can also help with cramps, constipation, irregular sleep, anxiety or headaches.
Your safest bet is to eliminate high-calorie foods from your home leading up to your period; then you're more likely to find a healthier alternative without obsessing over the sweetest and richest thing you can find in the cupboard. If you need a hit of sugar, try a sweet piece of fruit to calm you down.
After sweets, salt is the most common craving on the list. When your hormones fluctuate, your adrenal glands work harder to regulate them. They need more minerals – including salt – to keep up. To meet this need without eating chips, use sea salt in cooking and eat seafood or watery vegetables. Stay away from refined salt, canned goods or other packaged foods.
It's also important to eat a breakfast rich in protein, such as eggs, so that you feel full for the first half of the day. Follow your natural cues and eat when you're hungry, without overdoing it. By eating healthy proteins and fats in the run-up to your period, you are less likely to binge eat when your hormones change.
How can you stop menstrual cramps?
First, realize that the cravings will come and strengthen your resolve – and your supply of healthy alternatives. Get regular exercise by scheduling time with friends; meet them at the gym or take a walk to get away from your kitchen cupboards.
Here are some tips to help you get over it:
- Make sure you eat lean protein to satisfy your hunger, stabilize your blood sugar levels, and support your insulin production and immunity.
- Eat more complex carbohydrates, such as foods containing whole wheat flour, whole grains, brown rice, barley, beans and lentils, to fill you up and leave less room for junk food.
- Reduce refined carbohydrates, fat, salt and sugar. Even a small amount of food makes you want to eat more and often leads to binge eating.
- Drink less caffeine and alcohol, which can also throw you off track.
- Eat more green vegetables and dairy products to increase your calcium intake and restore your serotonin levels. You can also talk to your doctor about your nutritional supplement needs.
- Take vitamin B supplements, such as B6, thiamin, and riboflavin, to relieve symptoms. A dose of vitamin D will make you feel better, whether you get it through a pill, 15 minutes of sunlight or a portion of mushrooms. Vitamin E has also been shown to reduce cravings. Here too, your doctor can advise you on the best options for your health.
Now is not the time to watch that Netflix series about the lonely woman who can't find love and seeks solace in a bucket of ice cream. TV shows can also plant the seed we need to soothe our emotions with unhealthy foods, but we should stay away from such influences at this time of the month.
Drinking six to ten glasses of water a day will also ensure that the minerals get to where they are needed, so drink up!
Disclaimer: This information is intended to answer some of your questions or concerns. If you are concerned about your health, please contact your GP or gynecologist for professional medical advice.
