During their menstrual cycles, women’s bodies undergo a natural process that may cause bothersome symptoms. Women can experience depressive moods, painful cramps, breast tenderness, food cravings and bloating.

Senior Kiara Moad said, “When I have my period, I always get major cramps and I become a lot more irritable than normal.”

Here are a few tips to ease these symptoms.

During a cycle, diet is important. Although women may crave fast food or sweets, resisting these temptations will lead to uplifted moods.

Women should cut back on processed foods, chips, crackers, caffeine and salty foods during this time as well. Processed foods can cause irritable moods, fatigue or constipation. Intake of chips, crackers and salty foods can lead to bloating and mood swings. Caffeine causes jitteriness, causing difficulties in concentration, sleeping or coping with stress.

Senior Ashley Barley said, “When I have my period, I always crave iced coffees; however, I have to resist drinking them because when I do, I feel jittery and more emotional than usual.”

In addition, studies show that some foods influence moods. According to a study done by the Mayo Clinic, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, tryptophan, B vitamins and chocolate have shown an indirect link to an improved mood.

Junior Haley Clark said, “I try to maintain a balanced diet all the time. Although it gets hard to resist certain cravings, I am a less irritable person when I eat the right types of food.”

The sugar from complex carbohydrates can alleviate sugar cravings. These include fruits, grains and cucumbers. Dark chocolate settles cravings and is linked to boosting serotonin, a hormone that improves mood. Foods rich in magnesium, such as beans, tofu and peanuts, have proven to reduce bloating.