If you are a woman, you may have certain food cravings during "that time". I certainly do, and the older I get, the worse the cravings have become. Believe it or not, there is a real hormonal connection to these cravings. The changes in your levels of progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone can cause a dip in that feel-good brain chemical, serotonin.
When serotonin levels are low, you can feel depressed or anxious. And the first things we think of to eat when this happens are simple carbs and sugars. And eating junk does work, but only for a short amount of time. Soon your ass will be crashing from that sugar high, then you'll feel worse than before! Reaching for a healthier snack with complex carbs can help more in the long run, as it will help regulate your blood sugar and help your body to metabolize progesterone.
I'm guilty of the junk food cure during this time of the month, too. Ya'll know me. So I'm working on a list of healthier alternatives to all the junk I crave. But please keep in mind, that if you really feel like your only two choices are either eating eleven cookies and washing them down with chocolate soy milk or taking a baseball bat to the windshield of the car of that douche who just cut you off in traffic, then I'm all about the cookies. Plus, handling traffic douches: that's what your middle finger is for!
my biggest cravings during PMS week and the week that follows are: Sugar, Chocolate, Fat, and Salt. So let's make a list.
Instead of: eleven chocolate Jo-Jo's washed down with chocolate soymilk while driving
Try: an almond butter sandwich on whole wheat bread
Instead of: an entire bag of Tings, eaten over the sink while crying
Try: unsalted, raw cashews
Instead of: twenty two Sjaak's caramel mini-bites eaten while defensively responding to an angry email at work
Try: a deep breath
Instead of: an ice cream sundae made with an entire pint of Purely Decadent Turtle Trails, chocolate syrup, salted peanuts and whipped cream eaten while watching the debate
Try: eating the same sundae while watching a zombie movie. Because at least zombie movies aren't real.
Now it's share time. What foods do you reach for while you're planning Aunt Flo's visit?
8 comments:
I ate brownies while watching the debate, and I was not PMSing at the time. I think watching it causes the same loss of serotonin, though. A zombie movie would have been a much better choice!
chocolate with salt spinkled on top...strange, but oh so good! :)
Well, I ate three individual sized pumpkin pies in one day this month... yeah, that healthy thing? Sometimes not so much. :)
Leigh, this list made me laugh SO HARD. Especially #2.
My period foods are mostly the salty/fatty variety: guac and the greasiest chips possible, crackers and fake cheese, tofurkey sausage fried up with broccoli and potatoes. The greasier and saltier the better! All of this, of course, is consumed while mentally listing my enemies and how I will destroy them.
Seems like you and I have enjoy the same PMS-comfoting food! Oh it will be so hard to put down those tings but I'll try! Cute post!
i like to keep a nice chocolate bar around for these occasions. i can usually get away with just eating one row a day. go me! also, it's nice that those salt & vinegar kettle chips come in mini bags so you don't find yourself scarfing a big one.
You eat one row of a chocolate bar per day?!
...lightweight ;)
You crack me up. I'm afraid the news is going to turn into a zombie movie. I swear Palin is the undead.
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