CYA PMS !
Alright girls, let's talk PMS. We all need some help (myself included) when it hits. Here is my guide to nagivating the dreaded arrival of your least favorite aunt so you don't sabotoge all your hard work and health goals!
1. First off you need to arm yourself with an arsenal of healthy snacks that won't completely break your "caloric bank." Lets be real, when it hits there is nothing that will stand in your way between you and the pantry. So when it turns into a you vs. the pantry scenario instead of wallowing in guilt over that entire pantry of food you ate (been there!) be prepared with some healthy snacks that will satisfy the worst of cravings and won't destroy your health goals. Below are some of my favorite guilt free snacks for when the painters come to town.
Kale chips - These are one of my favorite snacks in general because you can eat an entire bag for under 300 calories! and they don't have to break the bank. They are onsale all the time, so lookout for sales and stock up! Or if you have a Trader Joes near you, you can find them there for $3.99!
Popcorn - the good kind, not the microwaved bags (which are terrible for you- read about that here). I love popcorn as a snack because the fiber really fills you up and you can have 4 cups for only 150 calories! Popcorn helps me ease that bottomless pms stomach. You can make your own over the stove with organic popcorn kernels, sea salt & coconut oil or you can find Non-Gmo already popped popcorn at almost any grocery store, Target or Walmart. Make sure your popcorn is organic (non-GMO corn). These are the only ones I will buy:
70% or higher dark chocolate - Every girl knows you cannot pms without some chocolate in hand (er in mouth, lets be real). Make sure you get some good quality dark chocolate. The higher the cacao content, the higher the antioxidants (aka the health benefits of chocolate) and the lower the sugar content. Theo and Endangered Species make my favorite chocolate bars.
Raw veggie chips - Like kale chips, you can eat an entire bag for under 200 calories. For once you can actually brag to your girlfriends about finishing an entire bag of chips- guilt free! These Dill pickle snip chips are to die for (see photo up top) and they come in other flavors like cheezy herb truffle and chipotle lime cilantro. I also have a love affair with Alive & Radiant's Veggie Crunch. Again, these are on sale all the time, so snatch them up when on sale or find them online!
Organic greek yogurt - I am not a huge dairy eater but for some reason on my period I sometimes find myself craving greek yogurt. It's great cause it's high in protein so it will fill you up! Buy the plain to avoid crazy high amounts of sugar (and make sure it's organic to avoid antbiotics, hormones & GMOs) and sweeten with vanilla stevia drops. These are the ones I buy. I like to dip organic strawberries in it, it's like a creamy dessert dip!
Chia Pudding - it's not only delicious, but it will fill you up while satisfying that sweet tooth! Not to mention it's dessert that you can eat for breakfast and it's actually healthy for you! Here is my recipe for it
2. Alright now that we got the most important thing out of the way let's talk remedies.
Ah, the dreaded bloating! Enter Gaia Herbs Gas and Bloating Tea or as I like to call it Fartea. I drink this tea every morning and every night when I am PMSing and it really helps to bring down the bloat.
Cramps. I have been really fortunate to not suffer very much from these (knocks on wood), but when I do this natural Cramp Relief really works! I must say that if you suffer from really bad, debilitating cramps this stuff may not be enough for you. You will probably want to go see your doctor because sometimes it could mean a more serious problem or hormonal imbalance.
Lemon water ALL DAY- it will help keep you full and lemons naturally detoxify the liver and help with bloating.
Leave a comment below with your favorite healthy PMS remedies!