Does your period make you hungry?
Yes, period cravings are very common. There are a variety of reasons behind these cravings: some are completely natural, while others may indicate hormonal imbalance and menstrual cycle problems. So if you often find yourself wondering "why am I more hungry on my period", this post is for you!
Natural reasons behind period cravings
period cravings can be a result of increased metabolism in the second half of your cycle (called luteal phase). This means that you may burn a bit more calories and get hungry faster. If you want to know more about different phases of your menstrual cycle, how your metabolism changes and how to achieve hormone harmony through cycle syncing, join my online course here. You will love it!
you may naturally become more insulin resistant before your period, which in turn can also provoke period cravings. I talk about it a lot in my course along with other important strategies on how to overcome this and naturally reduce PMS symptoms by cycle syncing your nutrition and lifestyle!
right before your period your estrogen and serotonin will drop, which may cause an increase in appetite. If you have hormonal imbalance and your body is struggling to rebalance after this drop, you may experience strong period cravings, and sugary cravings in particular.
How to spot hormonal imbalance?
If you have mild period cravings, eating a bit more frequently (or bigger portions) around this time is completely fine. The increased progesterone will boost metabolism and will help you to burn the excess of calories naturally! Just make sure that the extra foods you add are good quality wholesome foods. You may also find it helpful to use my menstrual cycle meal plan for specific daily ideas.
However, if your hormones are not balanced, you will not only be mildly hungry on period, but your cravings will be very strong and persist throughout several days. For example, sugary cravings, especially those accompanied with low mood and irritability, is likely due to imbalance, particularly a hormone called serotonin.
If this is something you struggle with, here are three fundamental tips to help you with this type of period cravings:
Include more serotonin-promoting foods in your diet around this time. Good examples are turkey, chicken, fish, goat milk (read more about milk