I can’t help but correlate eating clean, healthy foods with feeling great before and during my period.  Yep, you read it correctly, we can kick PMS to the curb and actually feel great during this time of the month.  And I’m a total testament to the idea that we don’t have to live with PMS —  feeling moody, anxious, bloated and on an emotional roller coaster. It’s all about the choices we make.

Are you ready to choose clean eating, increased energy and PMS that’s barely noticeable?

The key, as I’m sure you can guess, has everything to do with how we treat our bodies.  And not just how we treat ourselves during our period (eating a sleeve of Oreos, succumbing to all our cravings, etc.) but the weeks leading up to it and then once it’s over.

I can see the difference between this month when we’ve been eating clean, fresh, locally grown food full of nutrients, and last month when we were vacationing and having fun, yet I was eating my fair share of goodies, that weren’t so good for my body (even though I convinced myself I was doing pretty well!).  Last month, I had a hard time shaking PMS — lots of cravings, bloated, irritable, crampy and just not feeling my best. But contrast that with this month when I’ve felt so light and energetic that I barely remembered it was that time. And guess what? No sugar cravings! I think I can thank those blueberry, mango and watermelon popsicles, in part, for helping me over the hump. A little agave nectar was all the sweetener I needed!

Simply put, we need to eat clean most of the month, eating copious amounts of whole, natural foods that aren’t coming pre-packaged from the grocery store.  More fruit, more veggies especially dark leafy greens, whole grains, lean protein (antibiotic-free if you’re eating meat is best) and lots of water. And I’m not suggesting everything has to even be organic, but my point is to ditch or reduce the caffeine, sugar, salt and processed foods you may be used to ingesting when, or even before, PMS strikes.

Those things that taste so good — fried foods, ice cream, sugary snacks, your favorite supercharged Latte at Starbucks and those potato chips you just can’t put down — can do a real number on our body.  Those foods make us feel bloated, lethargic, anxious, moody and brimming with PMS.  Yuck!

I’m all for healthy eating throughout the month with a few dalliances along the way, but keeping a simple intention for clean eating that supports my mind and body and puts the kibosh on PMS.

What do you notice about your body when you eat a clean diet full of whole, nutritious foods? Do you notice when you’re eating clean vs. when your not and how that affects PMS?

Filed under: Cravings, Fruit, Greens, Healthy Meals, PMS, Whole Food Nutrition, clean eating