PMS -Premenstrual Syndrome- a word that through the years has received negative connotation and many times is thought to be in women’s heads.  The truth of the matter is, is that PMS is a real thing with real experiences.  There are many reasons why women could be suffering from PMS…a poor diet, lack of exercise, mineral and/or vitamin deficiencies, day to day stressors as well as emotional stress.  Would you believe me if I told you that pain in any form in the body could be there for a reason, as if it’s trying to tell us something about ourselves…what we need to change, take charge of or heal?  This blog entry is not about the emotional connection to PMS.  However, if you would like to read more about emotional healing please read our blog entry Healing Emotional Pain.  Instead within this blog entry we will be discussing some basic nutritional tips that will help you to start taking control of your PMS and begin reversing the symptoms.

Many times PMS is brought on by inflammation, particularly caused by an increase in prostaglandins and other inflammatory chemicals.  Below is a list of factors that contribute to PMS:

• High consumption of dairy products
• Excessive consumption of caffeine products
• Excessive consumption of foods that raise blood sugar quickly
• High levels of Estrogen that can come from extra body weight, the livers inability to breakdown estrogens or a deficiency in the B vitamins especially B6 and B12.
• Low levels of progesterone
• Poor diet that leads to increase prostaglandin production. This is seen with a diet high in processed foods and trans-fatty acids
• Low levels of vitamins C and E and selenium and magnesium
• Lack of exercise

Tips for managing PMS

 A great place to start for reversing the symptoms of PMS is to begin by decreasing inflammation.  Below are some basic tips to get you started:

• Eliminate C.R.A.P. from your diet: Caffeine, refined sugar, alcohol and processed food.
• Decrease your consumption of red meat and egg yolks as these are high in arachidonic acid (AA) which can contribute to cellular inflammation.
• Decrease consumption of dairy products: ice cream, cottage cheese, yogurt and milk
• Start an exercise program: walk at least 20-30 minutes daily
• Start a multi-vitamin-mineral supplement
• Make sure you are getting enough essential fatty acids: these are found in raw nuts and seeds, cold water fish such as salmon or sardines and green leafy vegetables
• Stress reduction: yoga, meditation, going for walks by yourself so there is time for reflection, journaling, taking a hot bath or anything that allows you to take time for yourself.
• Positive thinking: check in with yourself daily and pay attention to the thoughts you are having. Are they positive or negative and if they are negative why are they negative, what are these thoughts trying to tell you? Do you hate your job that is keeping you from living your true passion, are you in a relationship that does not feed you etc

We hope these basic tips get you started to reversing your PMS symptoms.  If you would like more information about hormones we recommend you attend our hormone lecture entitled: How your Hormones affect your Weight, Energy and Mood. We also recommend reading Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom by Dr. Christine Northrup.

Lori Metroka

Nutrition & Wellness Specialist

Resources:  Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom by Dr. Christine Northrup

Picture by:  www.prevention.com/naturesmedicinechest/image.