Healthy food for your cycle that requires ZERO prep time
If you are looking for healthy AND convenient menstrual cycle food (requires zero prep time!) that can help you to naturally reduce PMS symptoms, combat hormonal imbalance, improve your digestive health, lower inflammation, and overall support a healthy menstrual cycle, CHIA SEEDS might be exactly what you need.
Why? Let’s see…
First of all, just with one tablespoon of seeds (that you can simply sprinkle or mix into your yogurt, smoothie, oatmeal, cereal, salad or any other dish you want) you will get:
- 5 grams of fiber
- 3 grams of protein
- 90 mg of calcium
- 48 mg of magnesium
- 2.5 g of omega-3 fatty acids called ALA
…and a bunch of other important nutrients!
“Whoa,” you might say.” That’s a lot of random numbers!” You are right! Let’s try to decode these one at a time!
FIBER
Fiber is essential for digestive health. And digestive health is essential for a healthy menstrual cycle. Five grams of fiber for such a small amount of food is a really good deal! Depending on your age, five grams of fiber will cover between 15-25% of your entire daily needs. Just like that! In fact, this will exceed the amount you would find in the same number of most fruits, cereals and nuts. For example, if you eat one whole apple with skin, you will get less than 5 grams (don’t get me wrong; apples are still awesome!). Interesting fact: most of the fiber in chia seeds is “insoluble”. This type of fiber will attract water into your stool, make it softer and easier to pass. So, if you want to help your bowels – try chia seeds!
PROTEIN
Protein is very important because we need it to make our hormones! Two and a half grams of protein probably doesn’t sound very impressive, but let’s go deeper. Firstly, chia seeds contain what is called a “complete protein”, meaning it has all nine essential amino acids (or protein blocks), which our body cannot make on its own. Secondly, we are just talking about a tablespoon of chia seeds. On a per gram basis, chia actually has way more protein than other, more famous plant-based foods, such as beans and nuts.
So, if you want an easy and wholesome protein “extra” to help your body to support hormones through menstrual cycle, build and repair muscles, and promote healthy menstrual cycle - chia seeds can be a great way to do it!
CALCIUM
New research shows that calcium can help to naturally reduce many PMS symptoms. Chia seeds seem to be a very good source of calcium, since just a tablespoon provides about 90 milligrams of calcium. Ninety milligrams of calcium is about 7-13% of what you may need in a whole day depending on your age, so it seems to be a no brainer; your hormones will be happy! However, it may not be as simple. Because of some other compounds present in chia seeds, your body is unlikely to absorb too much calcium here. So, I'd say when it comes to calcium it is a great extra, rather than a significant source.
MAGNESIUM
Many scientists point out that magnesium is able to calm the nervous system and normalize the actions of different hormones through menstrual cycle! Moreso, magnesium can be incredibly useful in helping to relax the smooth muscles of your uterus, therefore combating period pain. One tablespoon of chia seeds will cover about 15% of your daily needs, which is quite amazing!
OMEGA-3s
Food scientists are impressed by the amount of omega-3 fats found in chia seeds, particularly omega-3s called α-linolenic acid or ALA. In fact, of all the known food sources, chia seeds contain the highest concentration (2.5 g per one tablespoon!) of ALA.
Although the medical world still debates on what exact amount of ALA is ideal for us, based on the most current research, Health Canada recommends 1.1 grams of ALA daily for women (with slight increase to 1.3 g during breastfeeding and 1.4 grams during pregnancy). Amounts suggested for kids are lower and depend on age, so reach out to your nutritionist for more specific suggestions. In either case, we do know, that omega-3 fats help our brain and nervous system, naturally reduce PMS symptoms, fight hormonal imbalance and even appear to help our bones! So why not to treat your body with some chia seeds?! It is so easy!
Love you all and til next!
Celiac Disease and Food Allergies Note: Chia seeds are naturally gluten-free and may also be a great source of nutrients for people with various food allergies. Studies have not shown any cross-reactivity concerns with other seeds, nuts or legumes.
References
Kulczyński, B., Kobus-Cisowska, J., Taczanowski, M., Kmiecik, D., & Gramza-Michałowska, A. (2019). The Chemical Composition and Nutritional Value of Chia Seeds-Current State of Knowledge. Nutrients, 11(6), 1242. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061242
Barreto A et al. (2016). Characterization and Bioaccessibility of Minerals in Seeds of Salvia hispanica L. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 2016, 7, 2323-2337
USDA. Department of Agriculture Food Data Central. Retrieved from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170554/nutrients