Millions
of women experience symptoms of PMS every month.
Crying spells, nervousness, anxiety,
depression, bloating, headache, fatigue…The
list goes on. Each woman is unique as to the degree
of severity and discomfort she will experience and
this will vary from month to month.
One symptom common to many women,
is an increase in appetite - food cravings. There
is a strong urge to gobble chocolate, cheese, sweets
or other goodies (usually not fresh veggies and steamed
fish!).
Though the exact cause of PMS is
unknown, hormonal changes such as estrogen levels
appear to play a part. One report I read, revealed
that many environmental estrogens such as those from
toxic fumes, pesticides, pollutants and hormone fed
cows infiltrate our body.
These are often carcinogenic and
compete with a woman's natural estrogen, resulting
in estrogen overload. This may impair the woman's
ovulation cycle causing the symptoms mentioned earlier.
There are some simple things you
can do to help with your PMS symptoms, exercise and
a healthy diet are chief among them.
Exercise lifts the mood. It reduces
stress, tension and anxiety. By adding in a 30 minute
brisk walk or other activity several times a week,
you are ahead of the game! Stretching also helps
the muscles relax. Try to stretch each day in the
am and pm.
What you eat is a major factor in
how you are going to feel. PMS may be helped by following
the healthy diet of The Path. By eating whole natural
foods you eliminate many of the problems associated
with processed goods, fast foods etc. PMS symptoms
tend to appear about 2 weeks before menstruation.
This of course will vary from one individual to the
next.
During this time if you cut back
on caffeine, alcohol, salt and sugar you can reduce
the discomfort you'll experience. As a follower of
the FatFallacy plan you will most likely be eating
smaller portions of these items anyway and find your
symptoms have lessened since following the lifestyle.
If
you still have uncomfortable PMS try to cut back
a bit more on the salt and sugar.
Up your intake of fresh veggies and lean proteins.
Make sure you eat plenty of carbohydrates – like
good grains to keep your serotoinin levels elevated.
At one time women were thought to
be unstable when PMS occurred. Thank goodness science
now recognizes that PMS is real and women experiencing
it are not crazy! Eat a healthy diet and exercise
to help relieve the symptoms. And don't forget to
eat a little chocolate too. Just make sure you reach
for the high quality bon-bon!
