Sweet Potato Quick Bread (gluten free, vegan)

This Healthy Sweet Potato Quick Bread will satisfy your PMS craving without breaking the calorie bank. Don’t allow cravings to wreak havoc on your normal healthy eating routine, be prepared for when they strike.

A quick bread recipe for when cravings strike

Do you find yourself craving carbs and sugar during your pre menstrual week? You’re not alone sister! Yours truly too : Krystal – Clean Eating Nutrition Coach falls victim to the occasional craving the week before my period aka the Luteal Phase. This usually happens when I haven’t followed through with cycle syncing my diet, but either way, instead of fighting what will no doubt be a losing battle against cravings, what do I do? I bake a healthy treat.

What’s a quick bread anyways..

According to Wikipedia a quick bread is any bread leavened with leavening agents other than yeast or eggs.

The main advantage of quick breads is of course the convenience of preparation. They can be prepared much more quickly and easily compared to yeast breads. 

Examples of quick bread include

• pancakes
• scones
• muffins
• brownies
• biscuits

You’re 3 steps away from your sweet potato quick bread

Quick breads are as easy as combining wet ingredients with dry ingredients. Here’s what the process looks like in a nutshell:

• blitz the wet ingredients in your food processor
• combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl
• pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix

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Ideas to dress up your healthy sweet potato bread

Slice and top with:

• seasonal fruit
• coconut yogurt
• chia seed jam
• seed cycling seeds
• Baileys Irish Cream – I took this bread to a Friendsgiving lunch and couldn’t believe it when one of the guest poured some of her Bailey’s drink on it. Why didn’t I think of that?!

Storing your healthy treat

Because the vegan version of this sweet potato bread does not contain any perishable ingredients such as eggs or dairy the bread keeps well at room temperature for a couple days. Beyond that and I would recommend storing it in the fridge or placing slices in parchment paper and freezing it.

How to handle PMS cravings – advice from your Menstrual Cycle Nutrition Coach

Why am I craving carbs and sugar?!

There are two main reasons for cravings during the luteal phase

1. During the luteal phase estrogen and progesterone plummet taking with them your serotonin levels. Serotonin is the feel-good chemical in your brain. When serotonin levels are low we crave carbs and sugars because the body uses carbs to make serotonin. Makes sense huh!
2. During the luteal phase your body is extremely sensitive to insulin levels. This means that if insulin levels dip your body will compensate by ramping up the production of leptin and ghrelin which causes insatiable hunger that manifests as cravings. This is your body’s way of protecting a potential foetus. Something to note on this point –  if like myself you do intermittent fasting you’ll want to be especially diligent at listening to your body during this week. I often find that during my luteal phase I struggle to maintain an 16/8 spilt of fasting and that’s A-Ok.

To some extent cravings are ‘normal’ at this time but more serious symptoms such as breast tenderness, insomnia, headaches etc indicate an imbalance.

What foods help period cravings

Eat foods rich in potassium, magnesium & B vitamins like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, bananas and dark chocolate. The Luteal phase is our internal autumn and if you think of the foods that we would normally eat at that time you can see why this sweet potato bread is a good choice.

 

Eat healthy fats. Foods like coconut, avocados and nuts will keep you satiated and prevent your blood sugar from going on a roller coaster ride.

 

Eat high protein foods to keep blood sugar levels balanced. Include protein with every meal or snack. Foods such as free range eggs, chicken, turkey, fish and almonds.

At the end of it all it’s important to know that it’s not all cravings and gloom during your luteal phase. You’ll be happy to know that during this week your metabolism also increases and you tend to burn an extra 100 calories daily without effort. Please note than 100 calories is equivalent to about 1 medium sized banana so don’t use PMS as a free pass to eat whatever you want ok… lol  The types of food you choose are just as important.