Hormonal Hunger: How to satisfy your period cravings

You know those days that you wake up feeling ravenous, fantasising about gorging on chocolate? You may have noticed they’re often around the time that your period arrives – but is it ‘normal’ to feel super hungry when you’re menstruating? Women are more likely to crave high-calorie foods during their period, research from market leaders of nutritionally complete food, yfood, suggests, finding that 60% of women in the UK are more likely to gorge unhealthily when they are feeling hormonal.

These foods that we crave around this time are typically high in carbohydrates and sugar, providing instant but short-lived energy. Subsequently, you are left feeling hungrier and more fatigued too. This is why it is important to incorporate protein-rich food into the diet during periods. To that end, the functional foods company are advocating for a more conscious eating strategy of maintaining a nutritionally balanced diet anytime and anywhere, by introducing the concept of ‘Smart Food’.

Why is protein good for you?
Protein provides the essential amino acids your body needs every day and keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Studies by the American Journal of Clinical nutrition show that eating between 20 and 30 grams of protein at each meal suppresses your hunger hormones. Nutritionally complete food – yfood – champion protein-rich food products by compacting around 34 g of protein, which is 68% of your daily protein needs.

Top three foods high in protein:

Nuts: Most nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and they’re a great source of protein. They also contain magnesium and various vitamins.

Chicken: Chicken is another iron- and protein-rich food you can add to your diet. Eating protein is essential for your overall health, and it can help you stay full and sated during your period, curbing cravings.

Lentils and beans: Lentils and beans are rich in protein, so they’re good meat replacements for vegans and vegetarians. They’re also rich in iron, which makes them great additions to your diet if your iron levels are low.

What is ‘Smart Food’ and yfood?
yfood occupies a yet unheard of a nutritional category named ‘Smart Food’, a concept still very much in its infancy that aims to raise awareness and facilitate balanced nutrition that is appropriate to all life situations.

Now available in Holland & Barrett, yfood has established itself as the market leader in the Smart Food category in Germany, and is quickly emerging in the UK market. Since the launch of yfood Labs GmbH in Munich in 2017, Ben Kremer and Noel Bollmann have been revolutionising the food industry with their products. Innovative “complete food” in the form of drinks, bars, powders, and hot bowls represents a new way of eating that perfectly fits today’s modern lifestyle. All yfood products are balanced, fully mobile (drink) meals and thus combine fast-paced nutrition with a conscious diet.

Noel Bollmann, CEO and co-founder of yfood comments:
“Smart food is not intended to replace classic eating with fresh and high-quality foods – on the contrary: a varied and diverse diet is and remains essential. Nevertheless, the reality is that many people do not always manage to eat a balanced diet due to lack of time or availability problems. Smart Food is made precisely for these situations and is intended to help people eat better in the long term.”