Good afternoon everyone! Hope you’re all having a wonderful day 🙂
This week has been so busy, saying goodbye to friends who are leaving to pursue new things, saying goodbye to life as a server (finally!), and getting ready for the weeks to come. It’s also been a week high in caffeine, farewell/catch-up alcoholic beverages and little sleep. It’s been great! But of course, I was waiting for it to catch up with me. And it did. In the form of PMS.
If you’ve ever had PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, you know it absolutely sucks: mood swings, depression, headaches, swollen breasts, insomnia, fluid retention, and worsened cramps are all symptoms one can experience in the week or two leading up to a period. Sometimes I find people (especially those who have never had PMS) are quick to dismiss it, but the reality is that PMS affects approximately 85% of women. And in some cases, it can be quite debilitating.
Thankfully, there are things we can do to help ease the pain of PMS, and most of it is so easy!
1. Cut out foods that worsen PMS, like caffeine, sugar & alcohol, at least one week before the expected onset of symptoms. All of these can deplete energy, cause irritability and mood swings, so make sure to ditch them, at least temporarily. Caffeine can also cause breast tenderness, and all these “foods” can deplete magnesium.
2. Get some Omega-3 fatty acids. I’m not kidding you, this has made such a difference in my mood swings! I’ve been taking a daily supplement for more than a year now, and I no longer suffer mood swings before my period like I used to, and cramps are pretty much non-existent unless I forget to take my supplement. This makes sense, since Essential Fatty Acids are the building blocks of hormones. If choosing an omega-3 supplement, make sure to use a high quality supplement that is sustainably sourced and high in EPA/DHA. Otherwise, include foods in your diet that are rich in EFAs, like salmon, avocados, and raw walnuts.
3. Drink herbal teas that support the female reproductive system. Herbs like Chaste Tree Berry, Dong Quai, fennel seed and wild yam all help with hormone balancing, raising progesterone and lowering estrogen–which is what we want to reduce PMS. You can find PMS tea blends that contain a mix of these herbs almost anywhere now, and in my own experience, they can be especially soothing for cramps!
4. Magnesium is key. How many of us crave chocolate this time of month? Well for good reason, cacao is the richest natural source of magnesium! Magnesium is essential to help the liver detoxify estrogen, improve energy levels and muscle relaxation (which can help with cramps). It is also easily flushed out of the body, so it’s vital that we make sure to get enough magnesium in our diets or through supplementation (aim for 600-1000 mg daily). Sources of magnesium include raw cacao, dark leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains like millet and brown rice. You can also take a bath using epsom salts to get both some magnesium and time to yourself!
5. Get some exercise. Aside from increasing your life span, and reducing your risk of breast cancer, menopause and cardiovascular disease, exercise is a fantastic way to increase oxygen in the blood, which increases nutrient absorption and helps to stabilize hormones. Not to mention it will boost your mood and help fight off stress! Aim for some light stretching or a walk.
6. Check for any immune imbalances, such as Candida. Excessive yeast and bad bacteria can allow estrogen to re-enter the body, worsening PMS symptoms. Craving sweets, weight gain, brain fog and yeast infections are all possible signs of a Candida overgrowth. If this sounds like you, it may be worthwhile to meet with an alternative health care practitioner, like a naturopath or holistic nutritionist, or visit with your family doctor to determine any underlying causes.
7. Ditch Dairy. Not only does dairy block the absorption of magnesium, it also causes inflammation in the body, and for many, it is not well tolerated. For anyone with bad PMS, I recommend removing cow dairy completely from your diet and evaluating how you feel without it. At the very least, avoid dairy completely while on your period. Seriously, try it. If it doesn’t work, no harm done, but you’d be surprised how often cramps appear only after eating dairy products.
Alrighty, I hope this helps makes your monthly cycle a little easier (and maybe even enjoyable?). Thanks for reading and let me know how you guys deal with PMS in the comments below! Also, have any suggestions for my next blog post? Please share it with me, I love feedback!
Have a wonderful day!
-Tisha
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