Make Your Period Feel Less Awful With A Few Simple Diet Changes

Before your period even hits, you can feel the emotional mood swings, mind-numbing cramps, and uncontrollable cravings coming from a mile away.

You will do just about anything to make this next week a little less miserable, but chances are that you’re probably already adding to the pain as it is.

With your hormones going haywire and your body in a constant state of fatigue, it’s easy to think three slices of pizza and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s will be enough to brighten your day.

Spoiler: It won’t. In fact, you might actually end up feeling worse than before if you go this route.

Elite Daily spoke with Molly Rieger and Leah Silberman, registered dietitian nutritionists who run the personalized counseling service Tovita Nutrition, to figure out a better period plan.

First of all, certain foods can either make or break your period. You can end up feeling way more energized or totally down in the dumps, depending on what you eat.

Before you plan out what to eat for the week (it’s smart to plan ahead), figure out what you’re really craving. 

Most of us will eat anything and everything in sight when our period hits, so it’s important not to use your body as a trash disposal.

Craving chocolate? Rieger and Silberman recommend eating a spoonful of nut butter or a banana to get the magnesium your body is craving, without the added sugar spike and crash of chocolate.

Like any other woman, going to the bathroom on your period is an event you’d probably rather have a little more control over.

To make the experience a little more, um, smooth and solid, start eating more fiber before your period even begins. This will also help you stay full when your hunger gets out of control!

Finally, hydrate—we can’t say it enough! Drink water all day, every day, as often as you possibly can.

Seriously, dehydration on your period will make you feel even more tired, sluggish, and groggy than usual.

This, of course, means you should cancel Wine Wednesday this week. Not only will the alcohol dehydrate you, but it may also mess with the way you sleep!

Do you have any tips to add? Let us know in the comments!

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