That Time of the Month

This one's for the ladies....

Gentlemen consider this a warning. You may find this blog entry a bit on the gross side. Why men find a woman's menstrual cycle gross beats me. It's our bodies cleaning themselves out once a month. Kinda like your cleaning lady (Oh the day I have a cleaning lady) purging your refrigerator once a month. Throwing out expired condiments, molding vegetables and that mystery food in the tin foil (remember that from Married with Children?). Men for some reason think bleeding from you know where is gross. I can name a million other things that gross me out. For instance, explosive baby diarrhea with traces of whole raisins or the need for men to lift their rear ends to pass a putrid gas that smells of rotting eggs. What's up with lifting their rears anyway? I can't even mention my menstrual cycle to my partner without him scrunching up his nose, turning his head away from me and saying, "Honey, please!" My response, "Really? Not the time! My vagina feels like it weighs three hundred pounds, I can't straighten out my torso from the stabbing pains in my abdomen, I think I may have just lost a litre of blood and I just cried watching  an Ivory soap commercial. Now is really not the time to be grossed out over some blood!" Okay well, I've never really said that to him but it's what I wish I would say when I replay my day.

This past cycle was not too bad. Reason being, I followed my own Nutritional advice that I give to my clients on a daily bases. Even though I'm a Nutritionist it doesn't mean I eat clean all the time and just because I am a Pilates Instructor and a Personal Trainer doesn't mean I exercise every day. I'm a human being and struggle with balance just like everyone else. So finally after a few painful cycles I finally remembered a little write-up I did for a client who was experiencing major mood swings and painful periods. A simple go-to guide on what to include in your diet when it's that time of the month. I hope you find the advice helpful, your periods less painful and moods more balanced.



Foods that Fight PMS

Calcium

Research has shown that women with PMS have lower blood levels of calcium around their time of ovulation compared with women who don’t have PMS symptoms.

Reduce bloating and improve mood by including these Calcium-rich foods into your diet: yogurt, milk and cheese (if no allergy or sensitivity is present), calcium-fortified soy milk (Organic is best), broccoli, white beans, sesame seeds and kale.


Magnesium

In certain studies, women with PMS who ate a diet high in magnesium-rich foods had better mood and less water retention than women who did not get enough magnesium

Some magnesium-rich foods include: pumpkin seeds, spinach, swiss chard, wild salmon, sunflower seeds, cashews, quinoa, potato (with skin), soybeans, legumes, peanuts, peanut butter, chick peas, brown rice, and whole grain bread.


Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is one of the necessary ingredients required by the body to manufacture dopamine, one of the mood neurotransmitters. Some studies show that a diet high in B6 reduces irritability, depression, and breast tenderness.

Vitamin B6 foods include: fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, garbanzo beans (chick peas), wild salmon, extra lean beef, chicken breast, white potatoes (with skin), oatmeal, bananas and lentils.
 
 
Chamomile tea

Premenstrually, chamomile tea may be particularly helpful because it contains properties that relieve muscle spasms, and may therefore help reduce the severity of menstrual cramps. In addition, chamomile seems to reduce tension that may lead to anxiety and irritability.

Guilt-free Chocolate: Cacao

Finally there is hope for chocoholics everywhere! A nutritious and delicious, guilt-free snack. Introducing the Cacao Bean.....

"People always ask me what I eat. Raw, organic Cacao Beans are the primary food in my diet. They have inspired me to eat less and live more. Cacao Beans are truly the food of the gods, the best food ever!" -- David Wolfe, author of Eating for Beauty, The Sunfood Diet Success System and others

What is Cacao?
Cacao is the seed of a fruit of an Amazonian tree that was brought to Central America during or before the time of the Olmecs. In 1753 Carl von Linnaeus, the 18th-century Swedish scientist, thought that cacao was so important that he named the tree: Theobroma Cacao, which means "Cacao, the food of the gods."

What's all the hype about?
Until you've tasted the Cacao Bean or Nib (a peeled cacao bean) you really don't know what you've been missing. Not only is it delicious, the raw cacao bean is one of nature's Superfoods offering the highest source of Magnesium than any other food. Magnesium builds strong bones, balances brain chemistry, supports the cardiovascular and digestive systems and is associated with happiness. Need more reasons to eat raw cacao? These little pearls of Nature are great sources of Iron, Vitamin C, Chromium (helps balance blood sugar), Anandamide (The Bliss Chemical), Theobromine (Your heart's helper), Antioxidants (the immunity boosters) and a bunch more of Vitamins, Minerals and EFA's you probably never heard of. For the weight conscious person out there you'll be relieved to know that raw cacao beans contain no sugar and between 12% and 50% fat depending on variety and growth conditions. Cacao is actually one of the great weight loss foods because within its extraordinary nutrition profile it contains the minerals and molecules that shut off the appetite. You read correctly, it shuts off your appetite! It doesn't get any better than this!


My favourite brand: Sunfood Nutrition Cacao Beans and Cacao Nibs

* Raw and Organic: This is a 100% raw product that is Certified Organic by Skal International.
* Sunfood cacao beans are around 40% fat content (low compared to other nuts).
* Low Microbe Count: Any foreign microbe/bacteria activity is virtually nonexistent on the skin and inner nib because of the exceptional processing standards in which these beans undergo. This is rare feature considering that cacao beans come from a moist and slimy fruit grown in a humid atmosphere where bacteria thrive. No other cacao bean sources can claim this safety feature. Other Cacao beans and nibs available on the world market are typically heated, fumigated, conventionally-grown and are contaminated by bacteria and fungus.
* No Roasting = High Flavor and nutrient-dense
* Low Acid levels

Where to buy:

www.Sunfood.com

www.Upayanaturals.com

The Big Carrot

Whole Foods

Support local businesses and your community by checking out your local Health Food Store

The information presented here is not intended to replace professional medical care when needed. Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner for disease diagnosis, therapy choice, medicine selection and dosage.

Yummy Whole Foods

Add two or all of these Yummy Whole Foods in your diet and discover the delicious benefits of a Whole Food diet.

Beans - High in iron, great source of fibre and keep you satisfied for hours.
Romano Beans + thinly sliced red onion + extra virgin olive oil + sea salt + freshly ground pepper = The best bean salad EVER (a.k.a. My mother's bean salad recipe)
Raw cashews - High in B Vitamins cashews are my favourite bad-mood busters! Try Raw Cashew Butter on toasted Ezekiel bread drizzled with Agave nectar.....yum!

Kale - This Superfood is high in calcium and B vitamins. Try replacing your boring iceberg lettuce with this delicious leafy green! Tip: if you shifinod the kale it tastes better. I don't know why...it just does.

Avocados - The Vitamin E powerhouse! Avocados are the best fruit source for Vitamin E, an essential vitamin that helps promote heart health. Add it to your smoothie, fruit salad, green salad, squeeze fresh lemon juice on it or just eat it as is. One of Jackson's favourite foods, mine too.

Goji Berries - This Superfood has 500 times more vitamin C per ounce than oranges. Not only are they a tasty snack ( I keep a stash in my purse) they are also a rich source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and E and contain a full complement of protein with 18 amino acids and 21 trace minerals....and frankly, they have a cool name.

Raw Cacao- Not only is it delicious, the raw cacao bean is one of nature's Superfoods offering the highest source of Magnesium than any other food. Magnesium builds strong bones, balances brain chemistry, supports the cardiovascular and digestive systems and is associated with happiness. Need more reasons to eat raw cacao? These little pearls of Nature are great sources of Iron, Vitamin C, Chromium (helps balance blood sugar), Anandamide (The Bliss Chemical), Theobromine (Your heart's helper), Antioxidants (the immunity boosters) and a bunch more of Vitamins, Minerals and EFA's



Quinoa – Known as “the mother of all grains”, quinoa is gluten-free (therefore easily digested) is a natural complete protein (this means that it has all the amino acids). It is rich in magnesium, iron, calcium potassium and copper. Quinoa helps prevent cataracts, heart disease, gallstones, type 2 diabetes and childhood asthma.



Blueberries - Rich in antioxidants, Vitamin C and soluble fiber. Blueberries contain more disease-fighting antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable.



The information presented here is not intended to replace professional medical care when needed. Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner for disease diagnosis, therapy choice, medicine selection and dosage.