I’m getting married in a month! I am so excited to marry the love of my life and celebrate with our closest family and friends in just a few short weeks.
I would be lying if I told you that I was handling everything in the best way possible. Just like you, I tend to take on too many things at once, and I’ve noticed that I’ve been short and moodier than normal with everything that I have on my plate.
As a holistic health coach, I must practice self-care so that I can support you on your own health journey.
The past few weeks has been a good time for me to practice what I preach with my clients. I’ve been expressing my time limitations to others so that I can create more time in my own life. I cut back on my hours that I was spending with my corporate wellness and at the yoga studio, and I’ve been cooking more and sleeping in.
Taking time for self care has helped nurture my body. But I still noticed that during my “down” time my energy levels were lower than normal. I was honestly feeling run down so I decided to shake up my diet.
One of the most important things I added into my diet in the past several weeks is more chocolate. I usually eat a lot of real chocolate. If you’ve been following me on this blog you might have heard me mention how magical chocolate is, but I am now eating chocolate for breakfast.
Why & How Chocolate Can Balance Hormones Naturally
Chocolate in it’s purest form (Raw Cacao) is a superfood. It has tons of iron, magnesium, vitamin C and fiber, plus it has no sugar in it!
Women tend to crave chocolate the week before their period because the iron and magnesium levels in their body drop rapidly. This causes our mood and energy levels to drop too. By adding in more iron and magnesium with chocolate we can keep our hormones and mood balanced and our energy levels high.
Cravings tend to get a bad reputation. Instead of thinking that craving chocolate or salt is a punishment, think of your cravings as a healthy hug from your body. It is our body’s way of whispering to us and sharing what we need.
I know that when I crave things I’m either missing certain nutrients from my diet, I need more self care, or should move my body a little bit more.
Stress is the number one cause of hormonal imbalance.
When our hormones are imbalanced, like when you’re planning a wedding, working on a huge work project or have tons of family obligations, we tend to crave more magnesium.
Most of us are deficient in magnesium levels in our body and often mistake a headache or loss of appetite with our stressful day not what might be missing in our diet.
We tend to eat a bag of peanut butter m&m’s (my old vice) instead of giving our body the real stuff. This only causes our body more stress and more imbalance.
In one of the most popular studies ever performed on stress, chocolate was found to significantly lower cortisol levels in our body. By lowering cortisol our body is able to fight off sickness and handle stressful situations better.
The best thing that you can do for your body is to eat real chocolate so you can balance your hormones naturally.
I have been adding in more chocolate into my life and it is keeping this bride-to-be very happy. I have been putting raw cacao into my green smoothies for breakfast and I have been eating some raw chocolate macaroons after I have been drinking my green smoothie.
This added nourishment has helped to balance my hormones and keep my cortisol levels in check so that I can plan my wedding and manage my business and support all of you.
If you are feeling a little high strung, I encourage you to add some real chocolate into your diet. This with yoga, calming tea and deep breathing is one solid step that you can take towards balancing your hormones so that you can balance your life, the best way that you can in this moment.
If you are feeling like me, a little busier than normal and a little more moody let’s chat. I can help you balance your hormones so that you can feel vibrant and energetic.
Want more healthy dessert recipes full of chocolate? I have a recipe book full of simple, healthy and delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert recipes for you.
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Katie you are so right about the chocolate,I’m in perimenopause and I’ve been craving 100% dark chocolate ….been eating it everyday as a meal and it elevated my mood and kept my weight down …but I felt guilty and tried to stop …I felt lower mood and it was horrible fighting the craving …so I’m back including my dark chocolate everyday and it makes me feel great .. gives me lots of energy ..and no weight gain ….it’s right to listen to your body …. I love and look forward to my chocolate meal everyday …
Great article x
Hi Tracy,
So happy to hear that you are listening to your body. Have you tried the raw cacao? That is the best type of chocolate to add into your life! Thanks for sharing your journey and yes cravings can be your BFF to help you discover what your body truly needs!
Keep in touch,
Katie