It is very common that the days before menstruation we believe we feel hungrier, however, that is rarely what happens to us, what we have is anxiety typical of Premenstrual Syndrome that we calm down with food.
The foods that we most want, in addition, are those that make us fat, such as sweets, pastries, chocolate and pasta. The reason is that they are precursors of serotonin, the ‘happiness’ hormone, which gives us pleasure and well-being.
Do all women suffer from these premenstrual cravings?
The answer is no. Anxiety to eat during the premenstrual phase occurs mainly if the woman ovulates during her cycle. According to a study conducted by Columbia University involving more than 100 women, those who ovulated consumed more calories than those who did not.
In this way, women who use a hormonal contraceptive method that prevents ovulation, do not feel that “need” to eat more.
What to do to calm anxiety about food in the premenstrual phase?
- Eat slowly. The feeling of satiety reaches our brain about 20 minutes after eating, so if we chew well, do not swallow and take our time, we will know if we are really hungry.
- Regulate your schedules and try to eat five meals a day of small amounts each.
- There are ‘ anti-anxiety ‘ foods such as green fruits, tomatoes and nuts, which in addition to being satiating, provide us with energy.
- If we feel a very strong need to snack between meals, we will replace fried foods and fats with healthy foods, such as pickles, ham and turkey, and nuts.
- Keep busy with activities that distract you from the fridge: listen to music, read a book, go for a walk, practice a relaxation technique.
- Do sport. In addition to keeping you busy and relieving PMS, you’ll burn off the extra calories you might have caught if you couldn’t resist eating something you shouldn’t.
