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PMS
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Darlene Booth
R.N.H |
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.... Is your family on red alert for a week or two every month? In the days before your period is due, do you find yourself tempted to steal candy from babies in the check out line at the supermarket or crying over spilt milk at the drop of a hat? If so, you are not alone. PMS affects many women of child bearing years and symptoms can range from extremely mild to severe enough |
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forget to laugh! Life does not have to be so serious.
...Keep your body clean and free of toxins. Clean up your diet. Get rid of the junk food and start weaning off the stimulants like coffee, cigarettes, drugs and alcohol that help get you through the day. Build your menus around fresh wholesome fruits, vegetables, grains, |
to interfere with daily activities on an ongoing monthly basis.
...Premenstrual Syndrome [PMS] refers to a wide variety of symptoms experienced by women in the week or two before their next period begins. Relief from the symptoms normally coincides with the onset of menstruation. These symptoms are different for everyone and can include any number of the following: mood swings, bloating, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, breast tenderness, personality changes, joint pain, backache, headaches, food cravings, skin eruptions and so on.
Just as the display of symptoms in PMS is highly individual, there is no such thing as one single cause. Symptoms of PMS are ambiguous at best and may be linked to |
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nuts, seeds, legumes and quality fats and proteins. If bloating and water retention are a problem watch your sugar and salt intake and be sure to drink plenty of water. Diets high in processed and refined foods lead to deficiencies of nutrients like zinc, vitamin B6, magnesium and omega 3 fatty acids which support hormone production. By switching to a wide variety of whole foods you can improve your overall health greatly. Dietary supplements can help fill in some gaps if needed but it is best to try to fill the requirements with diet first.
High fibre foods such as whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables and beans also promote healthy eliminations. Improving digestive and bowel health is essential for insuring toxins are not reabsorbed back into |
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hormonal imbalances. We are often encouraged to treat individual symptoms when disease sets in but if we look at the bigger picture, the symptoms are there to alert us to an imbalance in our system as a whole. This is especially true in the intricate hormonal network.
...The first step in bringing the body back into balance is to get a full check up with your doctor. If nothing obvious shows up, it is time to honestly evaluate your nutritional habits and lifestyle. Often by making some simple changes in the way we live in the world, we can minimise our discomfort. Life is so much more enjoyable when we are comfy!
...A healthy body is equipped to handle stress, however many of us live life in the express lane and this creates multiple problems over the long haul. A prolonged period of stress disrupts communication between the hormone controlling glands which results in throwing the whole system off balance. Moderate daily exercise is an excellent stress buster and a great way to promote natural “feel good” hormones called endorphins. Take more time for yourself; |
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the body where they can put stress on the liver. Your liver is one of the busiest organs in the body. One of its many jobs is the processing and elimination of toxins in the body. It is also a key player in processing hormones. Food additives, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and chemicals of all kinds affect the ability of the liver to function well. By cleaning up your diet and environment you will be helping your liver to function at its optimal best, this will reflect in an overall sense of well being. It may help to jump start your new diet by following a cleansing diet. Spring is an ideal time for this approach. Do your research and find an approach that will fit your lifestyle.
...When we approach health holistically it is important to have patience. It takes time and plenty of inner detective work to hone the body back into its natural state of wellness. We can often get discouraged and easily fall back into old patterns. You may find it helpful to enlist the help of a healthcare practitioner to find direction, stay motivated and focused. Good health to you!
....Blessings and good health to you! |
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