why, why do you forever crave crap before your period. It's so annoyingly hard to stick to clean eating right before.

I would rather eat chips and ice cream.

It's a complete test of your will power. blarg.

I completely agree! What a pain! I had one the other day, but it wasn't menstrual-related. I was CRAVING chocolate and starbucks. I ended up with a starbucks brownie (this thing was SO chocolatey) and a peppermint mocha frap. Oh my gosh just typing that makes me want it. SOOOOOOOOOOO good.


I know what you mean! :-x

Carbohydrates really help to raise our serotonin levels, and when they're low, we feel crappy.

I don't know if you really were looking for the real scientific answer, but there are a couple of explanations at medicinenet (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56732):

PMS packs a double whammy against a diet, Wurtman says. "First, you have food cravings, usually for sweet, starchy foods with an underlay of fat, like chocolate ice cream. And then, your bad mood makes you say, 'To hell with it!' You lose your willpower to exercise any control over what you are eating."

The hormonal ebbs and spikes that occur throughout a woman's cycle are the major culprits in PMS. As levels of estrogen go up and down, so do levels of the stress hormone cortisol. "It's a very potent little partnership. The body wants to keep them aligned."

...

So how can a woman combat PMS cravings and keep from gaining weight?

Eat complex carbs
Avoid processed sugar
Try foods high in essential fatty acids
Drink plenty of water
Shun salt
Avoid fat
Cut meals in half (eat up to six meals a day instead of three larger ones)
Limit coffee and cola
Abstain from alcohol
Avoid stress
Get plenty of sleep
Have a routine
Tackle Food Cravings With Exercise
Take a Multivitamin/Mineral and Eat a Nutrient Rich Diet

I think the advice "avoid fat" might be a little off the mark, but the rest seem to be pretty sound.

And I believe there are some supplements that can probably help you out if you want to get really serious about it.

This link (http://www.naturalnews.com/019327.html)recommends

Tryptophan
L-Tyrosine
GABA
Dl-Phenylalanine
Omega-3 fatty acids
Chromium
B-vitamin complex
L-glutamine

to help control mood-related cravings.

I would add to that list St. John's Wort, which has sometimes been helpful for me. Normally, however, I attempt to almost force feed myself with loads and loads of fresh fruits and vegetables at that time of the month. It seems to be the easiest thing for me to do, while still allowing me to mostly meet my nutrition goals, and not feel an absolute and complete mess.

thank you! that was alot of info!:)