During the period, women go through various changes: bad mood, aches, etc. Everyone experiences this cycle in different ways, but there is something that they all agree on and that is present every time they are in menstruation: cravings.
The reality is that you feel hungrier during menstruation and when this happens, the foods that we most crave are those that are not the healthiest, but rather those that provide us with the most calories, such as sweets, chocolates or pasta.
Why are you hungrier during your period?
During ovulation (around 12 to 16 days before menstruation) your body is preparing for a possible pregnancy, so hormones during that time trigger a hunger response. Also, your body’s basal metabolic rate accelerates just before and during the first part of your period to fuel the menstruation process. It burns up to 15% more calories (about 100 to 300 more calories per day) so you can feel hungrier.
These hormones can cause us cravings that we know are not so healthy, the problem is that the more we refuse to consume them our hunger instinct becomes even stronger.
What role do hormones play in hunger during menstruation?
Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone levels, which are the hormones that cause this hunger effect, can also affect neurotransmitters like serotonin, which plays a role in mood swings and food cravings.
When serotonin levels reach their lowest level before menstruation, consuming sugar and carbohydrates raises them again, along with dopamine, this makes your mood rise and you feel better. However, long-term care must be taken: overeating of these carbohydrates can lead to obesity, diabetes, and other health problems.
What dangers can binge-eat menstruation have?
While all women can experience cravings, some may have other more serious eating disorders, such as bingeing.
When there is an increase in hormones after ovulation, the risk genes for eating disorders are more likely to be activated. This susceptibility can create a vicious cycle, as recent research has found that women are increasingly concerned about their weight after ovulation.
To understand it better, it is a kind of reaction to binge eating: after our body tells us that we are consuming excess calories, we are left with concerns about weight and body shape.
What can be done to avoid cravings during menstruation?
First of all, you should eat iron-rich foods in your pre-period stage. Foods like red meat, fish, and green leafy vegetables can help replace the iron that you are losing just before and during your period. This will create a “feedback loop” in the body.
In the long term, this will help us stay in tune with what our body is asking for. If you are dealing with an insatiable type of hunger and you ate just an hour ago, wait 20 minutes before eating again, hunger can pass, if you are still hungry it does, do not deprive yourself, but try to consume a healthy snack.
Be aware of what your hormones are causing: If you know you are prone to bingeing, tracking your cycle can control your appetite. To do this, try to follow the following tips.
- Practice portion control.
- Always have a snack rich in iron in your kitchen
- Try to wait 20 minutes before eating: remember that the feeling of fullness reaches our brain during this time after eating.
Reference
- Rachel Nussbaum, The real reason you’re always hungry around your period. For Greatist [Revised August 2016]
