Yep, I went there. Apologies to my gentleman readers—today’s post centers around a topic I get a lot of questions about from female clients: PMS symptoms—Bloating, mood swings, fatigue, cramps, cravings (especially for sweet and salty food) and other awesomeness. The good news is that eating the foods your body needs throughout different phases of your cycle can make a huge difference. Demystifying cravings and getting a handle on how to respond can help you feel more stable rather than feeling like you’re at the mercy of your hormones.
Though everyone is a little bit different in terms of what they need and how much, some specific nutrients I like to focus on to manage PMS symptoms and keep my clients feeling stable during their period are:
- Potassium: To ease bloating and cramping
- Magnesium: To help manage cramps, headache, and irritability and support regular digestion
- Calcium: To soothe cramps and headaches
- Protein: To promote satiety and help stabilize blood sugar
- Fiber: To promote satiety and good digestion
In honor of National Trail Mix Day (August 31st), Nuts.com is teaming up with Brittany from Eating Bird Food and hosting a trail mix recipe contest. You can join the party by posting your own trail mix recipe by August 29th.
My trail mix recipe features lots of stabilizing PMS-fighting foods like pepitas (rich in protein, fiber, and potassium), antioxidant-rich tart dried cherries and goji berries to fight inflammation, and magnesium-rich dark chocolate and cacao nibs. The fat in the pepitas and coconut also help promote stable blood sugar by slowing digestion so you don’t burn through your meal or snack as quickly—important for keeping hangry meltdowns at bay.
Enjoy this trail mix on its own or sprinkled over yogurt or oatmeal as a garnish. It would also be delicious over my favorite avocado dark chocolate mousse.
PMS Avenger Trail Mix
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup peptitas
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon egg white
- Dash of sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tbsp cacao nibs
- ¼ cup goji berries
- ¼ cup dark chocolate-covered espresso beans
- ¼ cup coconut strips
- ¼ cup dried tart cherries
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Toss pepitas with brown sugar, egg white, a dash of sea salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Spread on lined baking sheet and bake 20-30 minutes until pepitas are browned but not burned, stirring a few times to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- When pepitas are cool enough to handle, toss with remaining ingredients.
Ladies: What do you crave during that time of the month?
Disclaimer: This recipe is for a contest hosted by Brittany from Eating Bird Food in partnership with Nuts.com. Though I did not receive any compensation or product for this, by creating and posting a recipe, I’m agreeing to be featured on their blog and entered to win a (non-monetary) prize.