If your chocolate cravings feel possessed the week before your period — or you find yourself reaching for every carb in sight — you’re not alone. And if you’re working on healing Candida or gut imbalances, this can feel like a major setback.
But here’s the thing: these cravings aren’t just a lack of willpower. They’re deeply rooted in your hormones, neurotransmitters, and microbiome — and understanding the “why” can help you respond with strategy instead of self-blame.
Hormonal Swings & Sugar Cravings
Right before your period, two major things happen:
- Estrogen drops
- Progesterone drops
These hormonal shifts influence everything from your mood to your metabolism.
When estrogen dips, your body becomes more insulin resistant, meaning your cells don’t absorb glucose (sugar) as efficiently — so your brain thinks, “MORE sugar, please!”
When progesterone drops, it can increase water retention, bloat, and sensitivity to pain — all things that make comfort foods like carbs and sweets even more tempting.
The Neurotransmitter Link: Serotonin & Dopamine
Right before your period, your levels of serotonin (your feel-good, calming neurotransmitter) naturally decrease. Your body knows that eating carbs will temporarily boost serotonin — especially sugary ones.
Chocolate, in particular, contains compounds that:
- Boost dopamine (pleasure/reward)
- Slightly elevate serotonin
- Contain magnesium, which many women are low in pre-cycle
So yes — that craving has a chemical logic behind it.
Candida’s Role: The Gut-Brain-Hormone Axis
If you’re dealing with Candida overgrowth or gut dysbiosis, your cravings can feel even more intense.
Here’s why:
- Candida feeds on sugar and starches
- Around your period, the drop in estrogen and progesterone reduces immune surveillance, giving pathogens like Candida a window to flare
- Candida can signal your brain to crave more sugar to keep feeding it
So not only are you hormonally craving sugar — your microbiome is literally hijacking your brain to do it.
Mineral Depletion = More Cravings
During your cycle, your body uses up more magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins — all of which are crucial for:
- Blood sugar balance
- Neurotransmitter production
- Hormone metabolism
When you’re low in these, cravings for salt, chocolate, and carbs intensify as your body searches for quick fixes.
How to Calm the Cravings (Without Going Crazy)
- Balance your blood sugar — all month long.
- Protein + fat at every meal
- Avoid naked carbs
- Don’t skip meals — especially during luteal phase (after ovulation)
- Replenish magnesium + B vitamins.
- Try magnesium glycinate or citrate
- Use methylated B vitamins (especially if you’re MTHFR+)
- Support gut health + Candida balance.
- Antifungal herbs (stool test can reveal which ones are best for your microbiome)
- Probiotics + prebiotics
- Avoid refined sugar even during cravings — opt for a clean treat like stevia-sweetened chocolate or fruit + nut butter- I love raw cacao powder/nibs
- Track your cycle + cravings.
- Knowing when cravings spike helps you prepare with healthy swaps and extra support
- Be kind to yourself.
- These cravings are biological, not moral.
- Having a backup plan for when they hit (like a smoothie with cacao and cinnamon) keeps you feeling empowered.
Final Thought
Your cravings are information — not failure. If you’re battling Candida, SIBO, or gut dysfunction, and noticing they ramp up around your cycle, it’s not a coincidence. It’s a sign that your gut-brain-hormone connection needs attention.
You can heal this. It starts with understanding your body’s signals and supporting it before the cravings take over.
Need help mapping your cycle and gut plan? That’s exactly what we do at Modern Medicine.
Jade Green, TNC, CHHC
