My daughter had two friends sleep over last night, her friends left a few hours ago, the house has been cleaned and I have showered…. and now to write… But I’m feeling like I need a little something something… maybe a glass of wine?? or a cup of coffee?? I reached into a bowl of stale popcorn from last night and as soon as I put it in my mouth, ouch! I knew what I needed to drink… something with blackstrap, unsulphured molasses.
A few days ago I felt the roof of my mouth was sore which is something I have noticed over the years happens before my moontime if my iron is low. So I’ll save the wine for later, instead I’m having ginger and molasses tea, a few minutes after my first sip the pain subsided!
Pre menstrual symptoms can be managed with diet. Most of us know that as women we are likely to have iron deficiency. The best time to load up on iron is at least two weeks before our period starts, or around ovulation. A common mistake is to try to get iron from meat, our body does not absorb the iron from meat easily, plant based iron is best, so eating leafy greens such as collards, kale and spinach and of course the food of the hour molasses which comes from sugar canes.
Molasses is a super food that ironically is a “byproduct” of making white sugar! Unsulphured blackstrap molasses is full of iron, potassium and calcium. Take 2 table spoons a day a for two weeks before your period, it has a strong taste so you can also have it in smaller doses by adding it to oatmeal or making a tea with ginger and/or lemon. If you mix it with almond milk add some sugar or honey and maybe cinnamon it tastes like hot chocolate!! My daughter thought this was hot chocolate for the first few years of her life!
Try it out for the following premenstrual symptoms:
- fatigue
- sore gums
- cramps
- bloating
Let me know how it works for you!
Wise African Woman 