Do you ever feel like a walking-talking cliche while you’re menstruating? You’re cranky because of your cramps, you’re spotty because of your hormones and you just can’t stop thinking about chocolate.
It might sound like something from a cheesy rom-com, but actually craving chocolate during your period is a scientifically-backed fact.
If you’ve ever wondered why you want to do nothing but inhale bars of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk during your period read on.
Why do I crave it?
A study carried out in 2016 found that the changes your hormone levels, estrogen and progesterone will cause you to crave certain foods more than other times of the month. These include high-carb and sweet foods.
But, there’s more to it than just that. When you’re menstruating your serotonin, the feel-good hormone comes crashing down (that’s why you feel like crying at a moment’s notice), and your insulin levels also simultaneously go up, leaving your body desperate for a boost. So, for many people who menstruate it feels like the only way to give yourself a boost of happiness is to grab one of your favourite snacks, chocolate.
What do I do about it?
Well, we love to be the bearers of good news. If you want to squash your chocolate cravings the best thing for you to do is… eat chocolate. Menstruating is an intense thing for your body to go through on a regular basis, so it would be unfair to deny your body and mind of something nice.
In the lead-up to your period arriving stock up on some of your favourite snacks and treats and chomp away on them whenever you feel like having some. If you sometimes feel a sugar crash after chocolate or sweets, you could try to reach for less-sugary options like dark chocolate which will still satisfy your cravings but leave you feeling more balanced afterward.
In addition to this eating plenty of carbs is great to help keep your body strong and healthy during that time of the month too. Things like potatoes, pasta, rice and bread are great to keep your energy levels up throughout the day.
In essence, spend those few days eating up all of your favourite comfort foods. After all, science wants you to.