Inside: Those intense sugar or salt cravings before your period aren’t a lack of willpower — they’re biology. Learn what your body’s asking for and how to support it with balance, not guilt.
Cravings out of control when on your period, or during pms? I used to feel like I would lose control of my body during that time. The cravings I’d experience when on my period and the week before were intense. I’d wake up swearing to myself that I would stay on track with food, but by mid-afternoon I was elbow-deep in a bag of mini chocolate bars.
The bloating, brain fog, and guilt that followed made me feel like my body was working against me. I thought it must be a lack of willpower, but in reality? The cravings weren’t my fault.
Why are Cravings so Strong Right Before and During Your Period?
You wake up with the best of intentions no sugar today. By 3 pm, your energy crashes and the chocolate in your desk drawer suddenly feels like medicine. By the end of the night, the snack cupboard has won again.
If this is you, there is a reason. Cravings when on your period are a biological response not a weakness.
Here’s what’s happening:
• Hormonal Changes: in the luteal phase (the week or so leading up to your period), estrogen drops, and progesterone rises. This causes a natural increase in appetite, at the same time serotonin -the chemical in your brain that helps stabilize moods- decreases. Essentially, your body wants the fastest-acting serotonin boosters: carbs, sugar and especially chocolate [1].
• Blood Sugar: hormonal changes can make blood sugar harder to regulate. A decline in blood sugar sends urgent hunger signals to the brain. That’s why it’s possible to be feeling “fine” one minute and suddenly feel desperate for a snack another minute.
• Stress and Cortisol: Stress hormones can exacerbate the situation, as cortisol encourages craving energy-dense foods, while irritability from PMS can then make you more likely to give into cravings. Disturbed sleep prior to starting your period can further exacerbate cravings because sleep deprivation negatively impacts hormones that regulate hunger, namely ghrelin and leptin [2].
• Emotional Conditioning: Many of us grew up with the idea that chocolate and “comfort foods” were the “go to” when we had our periods. Your body is already trying to find a mood boost, and your brain has learned that chocolate has a positive effect—so it continues to reinforce the cycle.
Once I found this out, I stopped beating myself up and started to be curious: what can I do to support my body instead of working against it?
What do Women Commonly Crave (and why)
Not all cravings are the same; however, most women will notice some of the same cravings:
- Chocolate 🍫. Other than sugar, chocolate contains magnesium, which can often drop before your period! Low magnesium is linked to worse PMS symptoms like cramps, irritability, and cravings, so no wonder chocolate tastes extra good that week [3].
- Salty snacks 🥨. Hormonal changes during your period can change fluid balance, which can also lead many women to crave salt to hang onto water and minerals.
- Carbs 🍞. Bread, pasta, or pastries will quickly raise serotonin (though it’s short lived).
- Caffeine ☕. More coffee or energy drinks seems like survival, yet, caffeine use can exacerbate anxiety and cramps when consumed in excess.
- Fatty or fried foods 🍟. When a woman feels depleted, calorically dense foods provide instant comfort and energy.
None of these cravings imply something is wrong with you. They are yet more signals. The problem is finding a way to respond that makes you feel better, not worse.
How Can Cravings During PMS, or When on Your Period Make Symptoms Worse
The tricky thing about cravings when on your period is that the foods you reach for to feel better can often make your symptoms worse:
• Insulin spikes from consuming sugar can lead to inevitable crashes, leaving you feeling even more tired and irritable than before.
• Salty foods can lead to increased bloating and water retention.
• Caffeine can disrupt your sleep, leading to increased cravings and PMS-related fatigue.
• Processed foods can inflame your digestion, causing discomfort.
I lived in this cycle for a long time—satisfy the craving, crash harder, feel guilty, repeat. Once I learned to approach cravings with curiosity instead of shame, things began to shift.
Those salty, sweet, or caffeinated cravings before your period aren’t random — they’re messages from your hormones.
What Finally Changed for Me
The turning point for me was discovering functional nutrition and functional testing. Through functional nutrition, I began to understand that my cravings were not “all in my head.” There were real biological reasons for everything I was experiencing. Hormones, blood sugar, stress, even gut health—it all played a role.
The real breakthrough for me was realizing that cravings could be managed with the right support. I could work with my body instead of against it.
And that is what I want to share with you—because once you know the why, you can actually do something about it.
Five Actionable Strategies
Here are five tips to manage your cravings when on your period—without having to feel guilty, or using extremes, or toughing it out the entire time.
1. Balance Your Blood Sugar
Consider your meals as the foundation. When you start your day with a muffin and coffee—good luck with what happens later!
• Always include protein and healthy fat with breakfast: eggs & avocado, Greek yogurt & nuts, or a protein powder shake.
• Always pair your carbs with protein (apple + almond butter, crackers + cheese)
• Never skip meals—this sends you along a downward spiral towards crashing in the afternoon.
2. Upgrade Your Cravings
Don’t deprive yourself of foods, upgrade them!
• Want chocolate? Pick dark chocolate (70%+) and pair with almonds for magnesium.
• Want salty and crunchy? Roasted chickpeas, olives, or air-popped popcorn.
• Crave carbs? Roast a sweet potato, sprinkle with cinnamon then add almond butter!
These upgrades hit the same spot without dragging your energy down.
3. Slow Down Your Stress Response
Stress exacerbates cravings. Cortisol is always going to try and have your body crave the easy comfort food [2]—Engage in small stress resets to interrupt the cycle of habitual stressing:
• Take a five-minute walk outside in nature
• Do a few rounds of deep belly breathing
• Write in a journal, or brain dump everything you think
• Do some yoga stretches, or do the legs up the wall pose before bed to settle your nerves
4. Stay Hydrated (with Electrolytes)
Dehydration often feels like hunger. Our fluid balance tends to shift along with our hormones around our period.
• Aim for 2 litres of water each day
• Make sure you add a pinch of sea salt, ounce of lemon juice, or an electrolyte powder to your water
• Sip on peppermint, or chamomile tea for gas and bloating, or when you need to relax
5. Plan Ahead for PMS Week
Don’t wait until your cravings are screaming at you. Give yourself an advantage before cravings arrive.
• Stock your fridge with prepped proteins like boiled eggs, hummus and chicken.
• Have squares from a dark chocolate bar portioned out, so you can enjoy your squares indulgently, without guilt to help balance your sugar cravings.
• Have magnesium-rich foods such as pumpkin seeds, spinach and dark chocolate on-hand.
Planning is not restriction, planning is support.
When Cravings Mean Something More
For some women cravings are just cravings and manageable. For some women cravings are so extreme—they include eating binges, crashing emotionally and being exhausted afterwards for days. If this is you, cravings mean something different for you.
Blood sugar regulation, gut health and hormonal conditions like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or thyroid disorders can intensify cravings and PMS symptoms [4]. If you have tried everything (the ‘tips’ and more), and you feel stuck, testing can determine exactly what your body is dealing with below the surface.
That’s what I support women with through The Calm & Clear Method, a process to support you for 3 months through comprehensive testing, a personalized protocol, and intensive coaching support. It’s not a diet or detox. It is about rebuilding your foundation, so that you are able to experience steadier energy, calmer digestion and freedom from cravings, all month.
Low energy, brain fog, or feeling run-down can be signs your iron needs support. This free guide and meal plan share simple, food-first ways to support iron absorption, steady your energy, and rebuild your iron levels naturally.
Closing Thoughts
If you find cravings challenging when on your period know this: you are not broken, weak, or lacking willpower. Your body is talking. With the right tools, you can feel calm, clear, and in-control again.
Start small. Add protein to breakfast. Try dark chocolate with almonds instead of milk chocolate. Do breathwork for 5 minutes when your stress level rises. Every choice is a step towards steadier energy and less cravings.
If you want to read more tips for managing sugar cravings check out my blog on sugar cravings.
And if you’re ready to get more support, I would love to help!
👉 Download your FREE Guide in the freebies library.
👉 Or find out more about my 1:1 coaching program, The Calm & Clear Method — a personalized 3-month program with testing and nutrition support designed to help you finally break the crash-crave cycle.
Because you deserve to have a body you can trust, not one that feels hijacked once a month.
Be well,
Alysha Breanne
References
- Hormes, J. M., & Niemiec, M. A. “Does culture create craving? Evidence from the case of menstrual chocolate craving.” PLOS ONE, 2017;12(7):e0181445. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5517000/ PMC
- Harvard Health Publishing. “Why stress causes people to overeat.” https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-stress-causes-people-to-overeat Harvard Health
- Cleveland Clinic (Salena Zanotti, MD). “Magnesium Supplements for Period Cramps: Do They Help?” (Jan 28, 2025). https://health.clevelandclinic.org/magnesium-for-period-cramps Cleveland Clinic
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). “Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).” https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/premenstrual-syndrome ACOG
More Wellness Reads:
Alysha Breanne, CHN, CFNP — Certified Holistic and Functional Nutritionist helping women with iron deficiency, low ferritin, fatigue, and absorption issues restore steady energy using personalized nutrition and testing when needed.