Vegan, Gluten-Free Chocolate Bites For PMS Promise To Banish Your Ogre Moments
PMS Bites Now Exist To Help With Your Premenstrual Woes
Natasha Hinde— The Huffington Post UK
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The week before your period can be pretty fraught.
The smallest and most insignificant things can bring you to tears, your face resembles a dot-to-dot and you begin to hate everyone. Basically, life well and truly sucks.
But those intensely frustrating days could soon be over, as passionate foodie Tania Green has created a selection of healthy PMS Bites to nibble during the worst of your premenstrual turmoil - in the hope that they'll make things that little bit easier.
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The idea behind the gluten-free, all-natural and 100% vegan bites is that they help feed your PMS cravings without inserting a load of sugary crap into your body. (Yes, pizza and ice cream, we're looking at you.)
Premenstrual syndrome is believed to be caused by a flux in hormones - namely oestrogen and progesterone - just before your period.
During this time, women are more likely to reach for that chocolate brownie because their cortisol levels (responsible for making you feel stressed) spike and their serotonin levels (responsible for making you feel good) dip, says Amanda Bontempo, dietitian at New York University Langone Medical Center.
"This fluctuation makes your body crave foods with lots of sugar and fat because they boost levels of serotonin and combat cortisol production, making you feel happier and more relaxed. That is, until you crash and need another sugary or fatty snack," she adds.
To help get her PMS-busting chocolate out into the public forum, Green launched a Kickstarter campaign, which has already hit its $5,000 target in just under 24 hours.
She wrote on the site: "We've all been there: boobs swell, stomach bloats, feelings hurt, friends and significant others become annoying, work becomes overwhelming, and the only relief seems to be a pound of chocolate and a good cry.
"Pre-menstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a real problem - and it bites. Eighty to ninety percent of women suffer from PMS, and thirty to forty percent find symptoms debilitating enough to interfere with their everyday lives."
Green felt inspired to launch the company after setting herself a New Year's resolution to record how each day panned out for three years. She soon noticed a pattern: "Most of my bad days were around my PMS time."
Not wanting to spend potentially 122 days of the year in a bad way, Green began experimenting in the kitchen to come up with a healthy snack - which still included chocolate - to counteract her cravings.
The chocolates come in three flavours and are made up of: dates, fair-trade cocoa powder, almond butter, gluten-free oats, coconut oil, brown rice syrup, dandelion root, Siberian ginseng, camomile, pecans and coconut (all organic, of course).
And for those worried about consuming too much of the stuff during PMS time, take heed from author Judith J. Wurtman.
"As long as portion control is monitored, fat is decreased and a vitamin pill is taken," says Wurtman. "No real nutritional harm will come from a once-a-month indulgence in this wonderful mood food."
Amen to that.
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Top 10 Stupid Period Myths
MYTH: Don't exercise when you are on your period (01 of24)
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TRUTH: Run, bike, dance — do whatever you want. These are just some of the so-called "strenuous" activities you can still do while you're on your period. Unless you're in a lot of pain, feel free to exercise or partake in any other type of activity. In fact, some studies even suggest exercising can help with painful periods.
MYTH: Don't go swimming (02 of24)
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TRUTH: There was a time when young girls were told strange things like if they went swimming in the ocean, their period scents would attract sharks, or their tampon would swell with water, causing them to drown. These are pure myths. Tampons, for example, make it easier for women to enjoy swimming or beach days during periods.
MYTH: People can tell when you're on your period (03 of24)
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TRUTH: Unless you're carrying a big red sign that says "it's my time of the month," nobody will know you're on your period. If you're embarrassed about pad lines (even though you can hardly tell), try wearing a tampon. Sometimes, you may also have a period odour. Again, nobody else can smell it. If you are worried, change your tampon or pad more often.
MYTH: Teens shouldn't use tampons(04 of24)
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TRUTH: Tampons are perfectly safe for both teens and adults. If you still haven't used a tampon and you're worried about discomfort, make sure you read the instructions carefully. And no, using tampons doesn't mean you lose your virginity.
MYTH: During your period, you lose a lot of blood(05 of24)
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TRUTH: For the first few hours/days of your period, it may seem like you’re losing a lot blood. On average, women lose about 60 ml (4 tablespoons) of blood, and considering a teen who weighs 110 lbs has about 3,500 ml of blood in her body, you can see the loss isn't that big.
MYTH: A tampon can float away inside your body (06 of24)
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TRUTH: No. Just no. There is no way a tampon can "float" away inside your body. Once you insert a tampon, it will stay there until you have to take it out.
MYTH: Don't wear tampons overnight (07 of24)
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TRUTH: You CAN wear a tampon overnight. Most tampons can be worn for eight hours a day or night, keeping in mind you should change your tampon every four to eight hours.
MYTH: During your period, only sleep on your side (08 of24)
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TRUTH: Again, false. Sleep on your back, front, side, whatever makes you feel comfortable. If you're worried about leaks, try pads and tampons that are meant to be worn overnight.
TRUTH: The key to using tampons is to relax. If you don't get it right the first time, don't worry. Practice makes perfect, even when it comes to tampons.
What it sounds like: A really bad horror film about a group of teens who drive their car out into the woods and get haunted by a ghost. But what you're actually referencing: There are cramps, and yes, blood to deal with, but getting your period isn't a curse of any sort — it's part of being a woman of a certain age. Periods involve our ovaries releasing eggs, while hormonal changes prepare our uteruses for pregnancy. See ... not so scary.
(13 of24)
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What it sounds like: A really cool and urban aunt who likes to listen to hip hop and buy vinyl records But what you're actually referencing: Aunt Flo only visits once a month (a 28-day cycle to be exact). She is kind of uncomfortable, annoying and her conversations never stops flowing...
(14 of24)
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What it sounds like: Your really really really old aunt who has a kind soul. But what you're actually referencing: Similar to her sister Aunt Flo, Aunt Rose seems to be the nicer of the two: Because we all know things like rose petals and rose bushes resemble menstruation.
(15 of24)
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What it sounds like: Like you have a giant wound and you can't stop bleeding. Ever. But what you're actually referencing: You're being pretty literal here, but yes, a period means you're bleeding from your vagina.
(16 of24)
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What it sounds like: A really trendy urban cafe. But what you're actually referencing: The dot/dots that appear on your liner, pad and sometimes on your bed sheets and underwear. Also, dot = period.
(17 of24)
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What it sounds like: Not just any friend, but a really annoying friend you don't like. But what you're actually referencing: Sometimes we try to make the best of what life throws at us by staying positive and remembering our periods can be our friends.
(18 of24)
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What it sounds like: When the plumbing went wrong ... for a week. But what you're actually referencing: Again, the leak refers the constant flow of blood coming out of your body. We also assume people are referring to leaks they get on their pants or bedsheets. The worst.
(19 of24)
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What it sounds like: Time of the month sounds like a hush-hush thing that happens to your body that only you and members of a secret club understand. But what you're actually referencing: TOTM refers to time of the month when your period is taking place — just so we're all on the same page.
(20 of24)
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What it sounds like: A newsletter or a magazine that comes out once a month But what you're actually referencing: To add emphasis that everything is cool with your flow and your period only happens once a month.
(21 of24)
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What it sounds like: Teenage slang But what you're actually referencing: PMS actually stands for premenstrual syndrome, and isn't a synonym for your period at all.
(22 of24)
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What it sounds like: A dirty old cloth you use to wash your dishes and floor But what you're actually referencing: The rag is closely related to the pad or tampon we wear during periods... and how uncomfortable it is. It's also an unfortunate visual.
(23 of24)
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What it sounds like:This river in China! But what you're actually referencing: We're not sure with the obsession of words like "river," "water" or "flow" when it comes to describing your period. Our best guess? The assumption that when a woman is on her period, she is forever bleeding.
(24 of24)
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What it sounds like: It sounds like what it is, the bleeding elevator from the 'The Shining.' But what you're actually referencing: Periods are scary and women bleed and if you see/talk about this blood, something terrible will happen. Get a grip, people — the only thing frightening about periods is using phrases like "the shining" to describe it.