This is for the ladies- the best foods to eat during your menstrual cycle. During this time we need extra self-care, self-love and nourishment as our body is going through a shedding process and also losing a lot of iron through the blood. The foods on this list are extremely nutrient rich, high in iron, vitamins and magnesium, nourishing our body with a particular focus on strengthening and healing our ovaries, brain, mood and other female parts.
"PMS is not normal" said the 'Hormone Whisperer' and Best Selling Author of Woman Code Alisa Vitti on my radio show last week. We have accepted that periods are horrible and that we have to suffer PMS. If you suffer from PMS it can be fixed and you do not have to endure terrible periods for the rest of your life. Ladies you can enjoy a good monthly cycle. I honestly enjoy my time each month, I do not experience pain and I don't mind gaining an extra few pounds, as it's normal and part of the process.
When our bodies are full of toxins from too much junk foods and chemicals, it throws our hormones off and causes a very unpleasant unnatural period experience. Our monthly cycle is a great excuse for us to take extra time to ourselves. And did you know that in tribal days, when indigenous women got their periods they would gather together for 3 days and braid each other's hair, make necklaces, prepare food and would have no contact with men? They used this time as sacred to honor their bodies. These days we have become too busy and out of tune so this is a great reminder to nourish ourselves more than ever during this time of the month.
1. CACAO
Real chocolate made with cacao is so high in magnesium that it relaxes our muscles and our mood. Even just the thought of knowing we are about to eat chocolate can relax us and put us in a good mood. Chocolate is not bad for us, cacao comes straight from nature but you want to make sure you have chocolate that is without refined white sugar, dairy, soy and preservatives, as those harsh toxins can throw the hormones off balance and do not help the body, they just cause the body to work overtime in digesting it out of the system. During our cycle we want to get the nutrients like magnesium without making the body have to work hard for it.
Raw Three-Ingredient Chocolate Balls
This recipe is made with just three ingredients, so it will be easy for you to remember how to make it for the rest of your life. Making healthy chocolate is easier than you may think. This is one of the most popular recipes I offer. This chocolate can stay fresh in the fridge for 14 days and in the freezer for three months.
Total time: 10 minutes
Makes 12 balls
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup nut meal (finely ground almonds or other nuts)
¼ cup cacao powder
3 tablespoons maple syrup or raw honey
ACTION:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, then roll mixture into 1-inch balls with your hands. If dough sticks to hands, add more nut meal. If dough is too dry, add water.
TIPS:
Roll them in coconut for Chocolate Coconut Truffles.
You can use this mixture to make brownies (just make square forms) or a dessert pie (simply press into a pie plate with your fingertips).
These are ready to eat now, but can also be stored in the fridge or freezer for a different texture.
Calories: 106 | Total fat: 7g | Carbohydrate: 13g | Dietary Fiber: 4g | Protein: 4g
2. TIGERNUTS
We need to make sure we are getting high amounts of iron during this time as we are shedding a lot of blood. Foods high in iron like TigerNuts are a great source! TigerNuts actually have the same amount of iron as read meat, however they are a vegetable root, not a nut, so they are light on the body, and most of us need to consume more vegetables anyway! You can eat TigerNuts straight from the bag or soak them and add to cereal. I also blend the nuts with water to make a refreshing TigerNut Milk!
3. FIGS
Figs contain a wealth of beneficial nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, sodium and potassium (good for the brain). I also learned from the indigenous people that we should eat foods in nature that look like the particular organs we are wanting to treat, and so when we cut open a fig it literally looks like our ovaries. When you are eating a fig imagine the nutritional benefits are going straight to your ovaries and helping your cycle be as pleasant as possible.
4. SMOOTHIES
Smoothies are so lush, energizing, refreshing, packed with nutrition and plus can make us feel like a true goddess at one of our most challenging times of the month! You can literally put anything you want into a smoothie! Here is one of my fav go-to recipes when I am having my monthly cycle.
Chocolate Berry Smoothie Bowl
Total time: 10 minutes
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS:
Smoothie:
2 cups frozen berries (strawberries, raspberries and blueberries)
¾ cup water
3 tablespoons almond butter
1 tablespoon cacao powder
1 tablespoon raw honey
Toppings:
1 teaspoon bee pollen
2 teaspoons hemp seeds
1 tablespoon roasted chopped almonds
½ tablespoon roasted chopped hazelnuts
1 tablespoon fresh blueberries
4 strawberries sliced
Sprinkle of blue green algae
ACTIONS:
Blend all the smoothie ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into bowls and then add the toppings.
Calories: 400 | Total Fat: 21.6g | Carbohydrate: 43.4g | Dietary Fiber: 12.8g | Protein: 13.5g
5. DATES
Dates are a good source of various vitamins and minerals. We often crave more sugar during our cycle because we need more energy to release everything, and so it's important we eat clean nourishing sweets like dates, which is a pure natural sugar and a good source of energy and fibre. Essential minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc are found in dates. It also contains vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin A and vitamin K.
6. POTATOES
Did you know potatoes are extremely high in Vitamin C which boosts the immune system?! No wonder we crave them! They are also grounding which can really help during our cycle and we need our immune system to be as strong as possible. I love to boil them and add some coconut oil and Real Salt on top, or slice them and make French Fries.
7. APPLES
Apples are nature's candy, so pure straight from nature. The more whole foods we can eat the better, so when you are craving something sweet go for an apple first. Even if you make a deal with yourself to have an apple first and then a raw chocolate brownie afterwards. Apples also contain immune boosting vitamins. After you eat an apple you will be so proud of yourself that you went for that instead of a bag of candy.
8. GINGER TEA
Ginger is a natural pain remedy, so if you are experiencing pain during your cycle incorporate fresh ginger in your juices when you make them, in smoothies, in cooking and in tea which is my favorite way to get ginger. Use actual ginger root, but if you cannot access that go for ginger tea bags. It is very refreshing, and it reduces inflammation and bloating.
Let me know below if you have any questions or comments!