Your Body Is Speaking Before Your Period. Are You Listening?

Your Body Is Speaking Before Your Period. Are You Listening? – A few days before menstruation, your body may begin to change.

You may suddenly want something sweet or spicy, or you may start adding much more salt to your food.

You may feel more irritated, restless, tired, or heavy.

We often put all of these experiences under one word: PMS. (Pre-menstrual Syndrome)

But every woman’s experience is different, as everybody is different.

There is no single way a woman’s body moves through her menstrual cycle, and there is no single way PMS feels.

From an Ayurvedic perspective, this is an opportunity to become more observant of the body rather than simply trying to control its symptoms.

Because sometimes a craving is not just a craving.

It is an experience worth listening to.

The Days Before the Period

The menstrual cycle is cyclical, and the body goes through certain transformations in that cycle.

There are days before the period when you start feeling differently from other days of the cycle.

You can observe changes in your appetite, energy levels, emotions, digestion, and cravings.

The key point here is not to think that all women experience the same thing.

It is rather to pay attention to your own pattern.

How are you feeling before your period?

What do you crave?

What is the condition of your digestion?

What happens to your energy?

How do you react emotionally?

Here is where your conscious living starts.

When You Crave Something Spicy

Sometimes it is rather specific what you crave.

You want chilli.

You want something spicy.

You need more spice in your food than usual.

Instead of satisfying your desire, stop for a second and ask yourself: 

How are you feeling?

Do you become more impatient?

More restless?

More easily irritated?

In Ayurveda, pungent foods are considered heating and stimulating.

When taken in excess, they can increase qualities of heat and irritation.

But it does not necessarily mean that if you crave chillies, you are angry.

Your body is too complex for this.

It just gives us some information to pay attention to.

Perhaps the more interesting question to ask is:

What else is going on in me right now?

If You Crave Something Sweet

Cravings for sweets are very common before your menstrual period.

Suddenly, you want to have something like chocolate, candies, or sweets after a meal.

The sweet taste feels very comforting.

However, after having a huge portion of such food, you might also feel heaviness, sluggishness, and lethargy.

According to the Ayurvedic approach, we should consider the quality of food, not only the taste of it.

The sweet taste can give you nourishment and make you feel comfortable, but too much might lead to heaviness.

There is also one more thing that we might pay attention to.

Do I need comfort right now?

This does not mean that every craving for sweets shows some emotional problems in you.

It means that in some cases, emotions and food start to correlate.

Perhaps you just need some rest.

Perhaps you just need nourishment.

Perhaps you just need tenderness.

The important part is to notice before automatically reaching for more.

When You Crave Salt

Some women notice that they want much more salt before menstruation.

You may add extra salt to your food.

You may want salty snacks.

Or you may simply feel that your food needs a stronger salty taste.

Again, pause.

Notice what is happening in your body.

Excess salt can increase thirst and, in some people, may contribute to fluid retention and a feeling of puffiness.

In Ayurveda, salty taste in excess is also considered heating.

So instead of immediately asking:

“How do I satisfy this craving?”

Try asking:

“What am I actually looking for?”

Are you looking for a stronger taste?

Comfort?

Grounding?

Something stimulating?

The answer will not be the same for everyone.

Don’t Fight the Body

This is where our relationship with the body can change.

We are often taught to fight our cravings.

Control them.

Suppress them.

Ignore them.

But Ayurveda invites us to develop a different relationship with ourselves.

Watch first.

Then comprehend.

Then make a conscious decision.

The aim is not to become scared of chilies, sweets, or salt.

The aim is not to become obsessed with all the sensations produced by the body.

The aim is to become more conscious.

Your Body Has a Language

Your body is constantly changing.

Your appetite changes.

Your energy changes.

Your emotions change.

Your cravings change.

Instead of seeing these changes as inconveniences, you can begin to become curious about them.

The next time you have a craving before your period, stop.

Breathe.

Reflect on this question:

How do I feel right now?

What is going on in my body?

What do I really want?

Sometimes you won’t be able to come up with an answer.

That’s perfectly fine.

Listening to oneself is a skill.

Ayurveda is not just about figuring out what to eat and what not to.

It can turn into a means of discovering your patterns.

It can help you get closer to knowing yourself.

Maybe your body has been trying to tell you something all along.

Maybe the process is about learning how to listen.