Tracy Lockwood Beckerman - The Better Period Food Solution: Eat Your Way to a Lifetime of Healthier Cycles

BETTER PERIOD

FOOD SOLUTION

Eat Your Way to a Lifetime of Healthier Cycles

TRACY LOCKWOOD BECKERMAN

MS, RD, CDN

BANISH BLOAT AND BREAKOUTS, BALANCE HORMONES, AND REDUCE PAINFUL CRAMPS

Text copyright 2019 Tracy Lockwood Beckerman. Design and concept copyright 2019 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the internet) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Published in the United States by:

ULYSSES PRESS

P.O. Box 3440

Berkeley, CA 94703

www.ulyssespress.com

ISBN: 978-1-61243-939-6

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019942124

Printed in Canada by Marquis Book Printing

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Acquisitions editor: Bridget Thoreson

Managing editor: Claire Chun

Project editor: Renee Rutledge

Proofreader: Kate St. Clair

Indexer: Sayre Van Young

Front cover design: Malea Clark-Nicholson

Cover photos: CarinhaScobeleva/shutterstock.com

Interior design and layout: what!design @ whatweb.com

Interior art: Diana Arzoomanian

NOTE TO READERS: This book has been written and published strictly for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as medical advice or to be any form of medical treatment. You should always consult your physician before altering or changing any aspect of your medical treatment and/or undertaking a diet regimen, including the guidelines as described in this book. Do not stop or change any prescription medications without the guidance and advice of your physician. Any use of the information in this book is made on the readers good judgment after consulting with his or her physician and is the readers sole responsibility. This book is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition and is not a substitute for a physician. This book is independently authored and published and no sponsorship or endorsement of this book by, and no affiliation with, any trademarked brands or other products mentioned within is claimed or suggested. All trademarks that appear in ingredient lists and elsewhere in this book belong to their respective owners and are used here for informational purposes only. The author and publisher encourage readers to patronize the quality brands mentioned in this book.

To all the ladies (myself included) who have had to hide
tampons or pads up their sleeve on their way to the
bathroom. This ones for us.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Jeans that wont zip, stubborn cheek pimples, relentless chocolate cravings, uncontrolled tears after watching tiny puppies play. Does any of this sound familiar to you? If your period had a voice, she would say, Sweetie, its not you, its me. You better believe that your period and reproductive health have more control over you than you think, for better or for worse.

Because no one dares to voice the truth about their period (weve been stuck in this period suppression for eons), its been nearly impossible to become informed and truly understand what the heck is going on down thereuntil NOW! This book is going to help tackle the menstruation taboo, aid in the menstrual revolution, and teach you how to nutritionally support yourself toward a better period. Period.

I want this book to empower you, squash menstrual shame, and make you feel like an absolute boss when it comes to your period. It will help you break free from the shackles society has placed on periods and menstrual health. Understanding what foods and nutrients your body needs to amplify your cycle will ignite you to support your cravings, mood swings, and hormonal fluctuations, and, finally, take control of your periodnot the other way around.

A bit about me. A big reason why I even got into the field of nutrition was because I wanted to know exactly how food affects the body. No one really talks about why food makes them feel a certain way, and that didnt seem right to me. Why did some foods make me feel happy while others down in the dumps? Why did some foods make me feel tired or more energized? And why was I craving certain foods more (ahem, chocolate) right before my period? In order to find the answers I was looking for, I became a registered dietitian and pursued a masters degree in clinical nutrition from New York University.

If you dont know what a registered dietitian is, we are basically doctors of food. We dissect every metabolic system, every organ, and every medical ailment and learn how food and nutrition can prevent disease and even heal or treat a medical condition. It may sound strange but when we see food, we see medicine.

Registered dietitians are also scientists. We dissect evidence, data, and stats to compile sound, ethical, unbiased, and well-researched answers. We are required to work in hospitals and have to get matched to a dietetic internship program to complete a residency program (similar to what doctors have to go through). We also have to pass a national dietetics exam before we can legally practice as a registered dietitian. My point is, registered dietitians know what we are talking about.

I decided to specialize in womens health because I wanted to teach women how to nutritionally support their periods, enhance their fertility, and improve their reproductive health. My clients often ask me, Is it even possible to eat your way toward a healthier menstrual cycle? As I immediately smile, I cant help but exclaim, Yes, it is possible! Good nutrition can keep your reproductive system going like a well-oiled machine, powered by real foods.

Besides being professionally qualified, I personally understand how impactful nutrition (and self-care) is for a healthy menstrual cycle. After I stopped taking the pill, it took me a long time to restore my natural menstrual cycle. Like an old iPhone that hasnt been powered in years, I had to adjust my lifestyle, eating patterns, and, ultimately, my perspective of health to bring my period back to life.

I was in need of real, science-based nutrition facts while I was going through my own journey; something relatable, digestible (pun intended!), and evidenced based, and I did not have anywhere trustworthy to lean on. This book will ultimately fill that gap as it tackles the topic of nutrition for periods, so think of it as my gift to you. I hope this book will empower you to lean in toward FOOD as medicine to help you surf the crimson wave, as Cher Horowitz from Clueless puts it, and feel even more like a fearless female (though you already are!).

This book will introduce you to food cycling, a novel concept I created thats been extremely beneficial for women to help understand their bodies and their menstrual cycles better. Food cycling teaches the importance of eating particular nutrients during each phase of the cycle to promote hormonal balance, enhance well-being, manage mood, reduce premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and boost energy. Certain phases during your cycle mess with your appetite, mood for specific foods, sexual desire, and even your personality. This book gives you guidelines on how to work within those parameters rather than trying to escape them. No matter if you are 13 or 45, studies upon studies have shown that food cravings and even our appetite is influenced through feisty hormones that ebb and flow during our cycle. Regardless of age, we should all learn how and why hormones have the ability to magically transport us from our couch to our kitchen.