Do you hate having your period? Well, if you do, you are definitely not alone. When you realize that time-of-the-month is creeping around the corner, especially when you feel premenstrual syndrome (PMS) coming, do you get down in the dumps? Do you have bad food cravings and want to eat everything in sight, even if you know the foods aren’t good for you? Do you feel groggy, and need some uplifting? Well, here’s some good news. By eating the right foods and getting a Period Package from Le Parcel when your period comes, that time of the month can get a lot easier.
There are scientific reasons why women crave unhealthy foods when they have, or when they are getting, their periods. Estrogen, testosterone and progesterone—the main reproductive hormones in your body—decrease in the days leading up to your period, and they remain at a low lever for the first few days. Because there is a sharp decline of these hormones, the result is a plummet in levels of mood-supporting brain chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine, which is the main causation of food cravings for foods such as chocolate (dopamine) and starchy food (serotonin). Due to the low levels of serotonin and dopamine, your body craves substitutes, though the foods it craves are not good for you.
During your period, try to watch what you eat. Aim to keep healthier food in your house during those tough days. Three cups of air-popped popcorn has high fiber, and less than 100 calories, and you can always make your own trail mix by mixing unsalted nuts, whole-grain cereal, and dried fruit.
Here are some other foods that cure cravings and help fend off PMS symptoms:
· Nuts, nut butters (i.e. peanut butter, almond butter), seeds and soybeans stabilize your blood sugar.
· Spinach, lentils and chickpeas boost your iron level.
· Blueberries and raspberries to help offset the symptoms of low estrogen.
· Dark chocolate, packed with polyphenols, to elevate mood.
Eating right during your period is not the only thing that can add a little happiness to that time of the month. Le Parcel is a website that creates a “Period Package” for you. You go to their website and choose your preferred period tampons or pads and a type of chocolate, and every month during the time of your period, La Parcel will send you a box of tampons/pads, your selected chocolate, and a free monthly gift. All you do is pay $15 a month, tell La Parcel when you expect to get your period, and get your package delivered to your door!
So before you worry about gaining weight and feeling down and gross during your rough time of the month, remember to eat the right foods, and it is easy to have your mood lifted!