This Is The Best Time In Your Cycle To Eat Carbs & Sugar

Carbs, carbs, carbs. They're the best—and the worst—am I right? Like many wellness-minded people, I've had a long history of cutting carbs and bringing them back to see how my body reacts. I've come to the conclusion that my body needs a few complex carbohydrates (I'm talking quinoa and sweet potato) to get through the day without feeling lethargic and generally sad about life.

That said, I've noticed that at certain points in my monthly hormone cycle, I'm more tolerant to carbohydrates than others. (In other words: I'm less likely to get sleepy or bloated after eating a croissant or some oatmeal.) I also crave them more during certain times of the month, which I think most women can relate to.

According to Amy Shah, M.D., integrative medicine doctor and mindbodygreen Collective member, "You have much more carbohydrate tolerance—AKA, insulin sensitivity—in the first half of your cycle, which is called the follicular phase, or days 0 through 14. It seems that the estrogen helps keep away insulin resistance. Healthy or even unhealthy carbs are just better tolerated then."

Sounds pretty simple right? Actually, not so much. According to Stephanie Gray, DNP, MS, ARNP., a functional medicine expert and women's health specialist, even though you might be less insulin resistant during the first half of your cycle, you probably need more calories in the second half of your cycle, known as the luteal phase. "Think of it this way: Your body is under higher demands with ovulation, and your ovaries are working to spit out more hormones, specifically progesterone. Some may argue you need more calories in general during these weeks, including more amino acids, more healthy fats, and yes, even more carbs."

All that said, we can still crave carbs at all points in our cycle, and if you're having really intense sugar cravings, it might be a sign that something is a little wonky with your hormones. And identifying the specific hormone imbalance could explain when and why you're craving carbs. "Women can crave carbs at any point in their cycle, depending on the imbalance," explained Taz Bhatia, M.D., functional medicine expert and mindbodygreen Collective member. "For example, some women crave carbs the first week of their cycle—where they are estrogen dominant while other women may crave them the week prior when they are low progesterone. There are usually more sugar cravings with thyroid imbalances."