The Better Period Food Solution: Eat Your Way to a Lifetime of Healthier Cycles

by Tracy Lockwood Beckerman

Overview

“Cravings, headaches, mood swings, fatigue, bloating—you can manage these PMS/period symptoms through your diet! Tracy Lockwood Beckerman tells you how.” —Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, health and nutrition expert for NBC’s Today show

Sometimes it feels like there’s just no way to feel good during your menstrual cycle. It seems like ibuprofen and sick days are the only way to get through—until now. The Better Period Food Solution teaches you how to eat for a better, healthier, more comfortable period!

This helpful guide shows how nutrition and certain foods can not only help alleviate painful period symptoms, but also heal your body through every stage of your cycle. Whether you suffer from painful periods or low energy, or a more chronic problem like endometriosis, The Better Period Food Solution will guide you through the nutrition choices that are best for your body. The book also includes sample meal plans and recipes that allow you to enjoy a lifetime of healthier cycles.

“The book that every woman with a period never knew she needed, but she does. She really, really does. Tracy Lockwood Beckerman empowers readers to use real food to take control of their cycles, from ‘feisty hormones’ to fertility. She writes with charm, wit, and a solid evidence base. Beckerman’s expert advice and approachable voice make this book the most entertaining non-fiction I’ve read all year.” —Maggie Moon, MS, RD, author of The MIND Diet

“[Tracy] makes it easy (and fun) to learn how food can help reduce menstrual cramps and PMS and manage other conditions like amenorrhea and PCOS.” —Rachel Berman, RD, author of Mediterranean Diet for Dummies

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612439518
Publisher:	Ulysses Press
Publication date:	06/29/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Tracy Lockwood Beckerman is a registered dietitian and leading women’s health expert in New York City. Tracy is a nationally known nutrition expert, influencing millions through media with magazine and online features, podcasts and YouTube videos. She is the health and nutrition consultant at Betches Media and host of health and wellness media company, Well+Good’s YouTube food and nutrition series, “You Versus Food.” Tracy holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Nutrition and completed her dietetic internship from New York University and received her Bachelors in Nutritional Sciences from University of Wisconsin-Madison. She lives in New York City with her husband and her large collection of snacks, books, and food puns.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Period 101

Hormonal Helpers 5

The Menstrual Cycle Deets 11

New Phase, Who This? 13

2 Food Cycling 15

Making Sense of It 18

Better Periods, No Matter the Phase 19

Food Cycling: The Best Foods for Each Phase 28

3 Seed Cycling 45

Hormonal Balance for All 46

Flaxseeds, Phase 1 48

Pumpkin Seeds, Phase 1 51

Sunflower Seeds, Phase 2 52

Sesame Seeds, Phase 2 54

The Verdict 56

General Seed Cycling Guidelines + Other Useful Seed Tips 57

4 Blame It On The Phase 62

May I Have Seconds or Thirds, Please? 63

The Luteal Phase Brain Wants What It Wants: Carbs + Fat 63

Buh-Bye Hunger, Hello Hanky-Panky 64

Losing Weight in the Luteal Phase, No Way, José! 65

Once You Pop, the Fun Don't Stop 66

The Luteal phase Food Solutions 67

5 Premenstrual Disorders 71

Nobody Puts the Hormones in the Corner 72

How Do I Know if I Have It? 72

A Closer Look at PMDD 73

PMS Symptoms 74

Let's Treat It Please! 76

General PMS/PMDD Guidelines 77

Nutrients to Be Reckoned With 79

Tracy's PMS Symptom Management 96

6 Polycystic Overian Syndrome 98

What Is PCOS? 99

How Do I Know if I Have It? 100

How Did I Get If 101

Management of PCOS 102

Tracy's Top 10 Tips for PCOS 115

7 Endometriosis 120

How Do I Know if Have It? 120

What Do I Do Now? 121

What Else Does the Science Say? 122

Reduce Gluten-Only if You Have Symptoms 124

Cut Back on Red Meat 125

Increase Omega-3s 126

Increase Antioxidants 127

Up the Vitamin D and Calcium 129

Estrogen Squashers 130

8 Thyroid Dysfunction 132

Hypothyroidism 133

Hyperthyroidism 133

How Did I Get It? 134

How Do I Know if I Have Thyroid Issues? 134

What Do I Eat Now? 135

Cruciferous Vegetables 136

Soy 137

Calcium + Vitamin D 137

Glutathione + Selenium 139

Zinc 140

Alcohol 141

Iron 141

Gluten Update 142

9 Amenorrhea 144

How Do I Get It? 144

What Went Wrong? 146

Let's Break It Down 146

More about Hypothalamic Amenorrhea 147

Female Athlete Triad 148

How Do I Know if I Have Amenorrhea? 149

What Da I Do Now? 150

Managing Amenorrhea 151

10 Boost Fertility 159

Eat for Fertility 160

Fluid Effects 169

Organic Produce Is Best 170

Kitchen Tips 171

Maintain a Healthy Weight 171

Tracy's Top Fertility-Focused Guidelines 174

11 Recipes 177

Sample Meal Plan 178

Breakfast 184

Snacks 202

Lunch 214

Dinner 235

Dressings/Sauces 254

Dessert 257

Resources 264

Index 269

Recipe Index 274

Acknowledgments 276

About the Author 278

Editorial Reviews

"This book is leading the revolution in breaking the taboo surrounding periods. Tracy dissects the real nutritional science that supports how to eat for your cycle. She makes it easy (and fun) to learn how food can help reduce menstrual cramps and PMS and manage other conditions like amenorrhea and PCOS. I'm so happy a book like this is available to separate the myths from the facts" - Rachel Berman, RD, author of The Mediterranean Diet for Dummies.

"The Better Period Food Solution is the book that every woman with a period never knew she needed, but she does. She really, really does. Tracy Lockwood Beckerman empowers readers to use real food to take control of their cycles, from “feisty hormones” to fertility. She writes with charm, wit, and a solid evidence base. Beckerman’s expert advice and approachable voice make this book the most entertaining non-fiction I’ve read all year." - Maggie Moon, MS, RD, author The Telomere Diet & Cookbook: A Scientific Approach to Slow Your Genetic Aging and Live a Longer, Healthier Life

"Better Period Food Solution is a wonderful gift to women! Based on evidence-based science and written by a registered dietitian nutritionist, this book dives deep into the female anatomy without requiring you to have a PhD. Tracy's straightforward yet friendly tone helps make a complicated topic easy to understand and implement in one's daily life. Plus, her delicious recipes focus on a whole foods approach to having a "better period", once and for all! No gimmicks or fads, just the facts! " - Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN, CLT, CPT, Nutrition Expert at ShawSimpleSwaps.com & Author of Fertility Foods Cookbook & The Stress-Free IVF Nutrition Guide

"The Better Food Period Solution is a fantastic resource that every woman should read to help manage her cycles in a positive way. Tracy does a fabulous job of digging into the science and explaining what it all means in a simple and entertaining way. Her nutrition recommendations are practical and effective. I highly recommend this book! -Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, LD, CLEC, and Author of Fueling Male Fertility

From the Publisher