Five Tips For Taming PMS

ProTFitness
ProTFitness Posts: 1,379 Member
edited September 22 in Food and Nutrition
Losing It With Jillian Michaels
Five Tips For Taming PMS
By Jillian Michaels
Print Email Here's a statement I don't think too many women will disagree with: Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, is a little slice of hell on earth. In the five to seven days before their periods, up to 75 percent of women experience at least one ailment in the constellation of symptoms that PMS can cause — from the stereotypical cramps and moodiness to insomnia, fatigue, and nausea. One in 20 women experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a serious and often disabling condition that can cause persistent depression, marked anger or irritability, and severe aches and pains.

The good news is that there are ways to tame PMS naturally. Try these five tips:

Exercise! You may not want to, but get in your workout anyway. The endorphin rush will help relieve cramps and raise your levels of serotonin, a mood-lifting neurotransmitter.

Get some R&R. Adequate sleep and less stress will put you in a better hormonal position to handle the physiological imbalance that PMS brings.

Cut out most alcohol, caffeine, and salt. Alcohol can exacerbate feelings of depression, so steer clear. Reducing caffeine may minimize breast tenderness and irritability, and cutting salt can reduce bloat.

Minimize simple sugars. Ideally, you're doing this all the time, but it's especially important before your period. Simple sugars may increase inflammation, making cramps worse. Eating regular meals and snacks with fiber and protein will help keep your blood sugar stable, which is a lot better for those raw nerves than blood-sugar swings.

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Consider supplements. Calcium may reduce symptoms of PMS, so shoot for at least 1,200 mg a day. Magnesium is also helpful, as are B complex vitamins. To reduce the inflammation of cramps and breast tenderness, try a primrose-oil supplement; it's a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory that may work in ways similar to ibuprofen.

Last Updated: 10/28/2010

Replies

  • Dlibo1013
    Dlibo1013 Posts: 883 Member
    i'll take a raincheck on this topic :-)
  • byHISstrength
    byHISstrength Posts: 984 Member
    Thanks for sharing.

    I have definitely noticed that when I exercise regularly my symptoms are much less severe.
  • mamastuck
    mamastuck Posts: 131
    Thank you because I suffer horribly. I am going to try this
  • denis0313
    denis0313 Posts: 36
    thank you x 10 for sharing this! (I think my husband would thank you too)

    I think I suffer from pmdd. never heard of it before but it would be something to consider bringing up to my doctor. also i still exercise but seriously would consider adding some of these suppelments.
  • TayJoMama
    TayJoMama Posts: 348 Member
    Didn't know sugar can make cramps worse. I'll have to pay attention to that. Thanks.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    Also watch your calcium levels! Low calcium is said to exacerbate PMS. Also take Evening Primrose oil, or drink PMS tea and let me know how you do. I for one and doing all this, plus I'm on birth control to regulate my hormones, and I still get so b!tchy my fiance says he can taste it.
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