{"id":172,"date":"2026-10-27T14:24:52","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T20:24:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aurahpharma.com\/?p=172"},"modified":"2026-10-27T14:38:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T20:38:14","slug":"antojos-antes-del-periodo-por-que-ocurren","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aurahpharma.com\/en\/antojos-antes-del-periodo-por-que-ocurren\/","title":{"rendered":"Antojos antes de tu periodo: qu\u00e9 son en realidad"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A week before your period, chocolate is calling your name. And then comes the guilt. <strong>Cravings before your period<\/strong> aren\u2019t a character flaw: they\u2019re your body\u2019s response to specific hormonal changes. Understanding this lets you take care of yourself more kindly and with strategies that actually work.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"que-pasa\" class=\"au-h2c\">What happens in your body <span class=\"lt2\">in the luteal phase<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Hormonal changes:<\/strong> after ovulation, progesterone rises and, toward the end, estrogen and progesterone drop. These shifts influence the signals that regulate hunger and fullness.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Serotonin:<\/strong> as estrogen drops, serotonin may decrease, and your brain \u201casks\u201d for carbs, which help produce it; that\u2019s why cravings tend to be for sweets and refined flours.<\/li>\n<li><strong>More energy expenditure:<\/strong> some studies show that resting metabolism rises slightly in this phase, so your body may ask for a little more food.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sleep and stress:<\/strong> poor sleep increases hunger and cravings; in the luteal phase sleep tends to be more fragile, as we saw in <a href=\"\/en\/sueno-y-ciclo-menstrual-por-que-duermes-distinto\/\">why you sleep differently in each phase of your cycle<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s part of the set of luteal-phase changes we explain in <a href=\"\/en\/ciclo-menstrual-guia-hormonal-basica\/\">the hormonal guide to the menstrual cycle<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"por-que-restringirte-no-ayuda\" class=\"au-h2c\">Why restricting yourself <span class=\"lt2\">doesn\u2019t help<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Forbidding yourself sweets tends to increase cravings and lead to overeating later, with guilt. That reinforces a cycle that\u2019s hard to break. It\u2019s more helpful to <strong>plan<\/strong> instead of forbidding.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"estrategias\" class=\"au-h2c\">Strategies <span class=\"lt2\">that actually work<\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Eat on schedule:<\/strong> don\u2019t skip meals. Extreme hunger multiplies cravings.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Protein and fiber at every meal:<\/strong> eggs, yogurt, legumes, chicken, nuts, oats, vegetables and fruit keep you full longer.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Complex carbs<\/strong> (oats, brown rice, sweet potato, whole fruit) instead of relying only on simple sugars.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Make room for the craving:<\/strong> a piece of dark chocolate, eaten slowly and without distractions, usually satisfies more than resisting. Dark chocolate provides magnesium.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Drink water:<\/strong> sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Get enough sleep:<\/strong> it\u2019s one of the most impactful measures.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Move:<\/strong> a walk or moderate exercise improves your mood and reduces the urge to stress-eat.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eat mindfully:<\/strong> sitting down, without screens, savoring your food.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If you also notice bloating on those days, you\u2019ll find more ideas in <a href=\"\/en\/hinchazon-antes-del-periodo-por-que-ocurre\/\">bloating before your period: why it happens<\/a>; and to build a sustainable routine, <a href=\"\/en\/habitos-para-un-ciclo-menstrual-regular\/\">small habits that support a steady cycle<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"plato-que-sostiene\" class=\"au-h2c\">How to build a plate <span class=\"lt2\">that keeps you full<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A simple way to think about your meals in the luteal phase:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Half the plate,<\/strong> vegetables or fruit, for fiber and volume.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A quarter,<\/strong> protein (eggs, fish, chicken, legumes, tofu, yogurt).<\/li>\n<li><strong>A quarter,<\/strong> complex carbs (brown rice, oats, corn tortilla, sweet potato, quinoa).<\/li>\n<li><strong>A touch of healthy fat:<\/strong> avocado, olive oil, nuts or seeds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With this combination, blood sugar rises more slowly and hunger comes back later, which reduces sudden cravings.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"tipo-de-antojo\" class=\"au-h2c\">Sweet, salty, chocolate: <span class=\"lt2\">what\u2019s usually behind it?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Contrary to what\u2019s often said, cravings don\u2019t reliably indicate a specific nutrient deficiency. What does play a role is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Sweets and refined flours:<\/strong> they\u2019re linked to serotonin and to blood sugar spikes and crashes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Salty:<\/strong> may be related to stress, sleep and water retention; it helps to stay hydrated and not overdo the salt afterward.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Chocolate:<\/strong> it combines sugar, fat and pleasure; a square of dark chocolate also provides magnesium.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"cuando-llega-el-antojo\" class=\"au-h2c\">What to do when <span class=\"lt2\">a craving hits<\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>A five-minute pause:<\/strong> drink water, walk or breathe. Many cravings fade in that time.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ask yourself if you\u2019re truly hungry:<\/strong> did you eat more than four hours ago? If so, have a snack with protein.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Serve yourself a portion<\/strong> on a plate, sit down and savor it. Eating out of the package often leads to overdoing it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Move on without guilt.<\/strong> One meal doesn\u2019t define your week.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"mitos-antojos\" class=\"au-h2c\">Myths about cravings<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cIt\u2019s a lack of willpower.\u201d<\/strong> It\u2019s a physiological response to hormonal and sleep changes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cIf I give in once, I ruin everything.\u201d<\/strong> Consistent flexibility works better than rigidity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cYou have to cut out sugar completely.\u201d<\/strong> Total restriction tends to increase cravings. Also check out <a href=\"\/en\/hinchazon-antes-del-periodo-por-que-ocurre\/\">bloating before your period<\/a> to understand the rest of the week before your period.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"checklist-antojos\" class=\"au-h2c\">Checklist <span class=\"lt2\">for the luteal phase<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Have <strong>three meals<\/strong> and snacks if you need them; don\u2019t skip any.<\/li>\n<li>Add <strong>protein and fiber<\/strong> to each one.<\/li>\n<li>Leave <strong>planned room<\/strong> for the craving you love most.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Get<\/strong> enough sleep and lower your stress.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Move<\/strong> a little every day.<\/li>\n<li>End the day <strong>without guilt:<\/strong> one day doesn\u2019t define your health.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you also notice your cycle affects your mood and sleep, read <a href=\"\/en\/sueno-y-ciclo-menstrual-por-que-duermes-distinto\/\">why you sleep differently in each phase of your cycle<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"aurah\" class=\"au-h2c\">Support from <span class=\"lt2\">Aurah<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"\/en\/productos\/g-help1\/\">G-HELP1<\/a> is an Aurah formula designed to support your metabolism and appetite control, as part of a healthy-habits plan. If the set of symptoms in the days before your period is what weighs on you most, discover <a href=\"\/en\/productos\/spm\/\">SPM<\/a>. They are nutritional supports: they do not replace a balanced diet or medical evaluation.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"cuando-consultar\" class=\"au-h2c\">When to see<\/h2>\n<p>Talk to a professional if you feel a loss of control when eating, eat in secret, experience intense guilt or shame after eating, or if your relationship with food becomes a source of suffering: these may be signs of an eating disorder. Also if hunger and thirst are excessive all month, or if premenstrual discomfort significantly affects your life; in that case, read <a href=\"\/en\/spm-sindrome-premenstrual-diferencia-sensibilidad\/\">Real PMS vs. \u201cyou're too sensitive\u201d<\/a> or book a <a href=\"\/en\/telemedicina\/\">telemedicine consultation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"en-resumen\" class=\"au-h2c\">In summary<\/h2>\n<p>Luteal-phase cravings have a hormonal explanation and aren\u2019t a lack of willpower. With regular meals, protein, fiber, rest and a little flexibility, you can support your body without guilt.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s not a lack of willpower. Which hormones are behind sugar cravings in the luteal phase and which strategies help you manage your appetite without guilt or extreme diets.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":548,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[55,56],"class_list":["post-172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-habitos","tag-apetito","tag-dulce"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurahpharma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurahpharma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurahpharma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurahpharma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurahpharma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aurahpharma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":547,"href":"https:\/\/aurahpharma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172\/revisions\/547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurahpharma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurahpharma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurahpharma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurahpharma.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}