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Nutritional therapist, Susie Perry Debice, shares her expert nutrition knowledge giving an overview of the top PMS symptoms suggesting diet, lifestyle and supplement strategies that she has found to be effective throughout her years of clinical practice for PMS.
There are times in a women’s life when her PMS seems to be more severe than ever and other times when if feels totally manageable. So what can women do to help get their symptoms in check when their PMS seems to be building in intensity? Fortunately PMS is a condition that responds well to diet and lifestyle intervention and the smallest of changes can have a big impact on those monthly highs and lows.
Interestingly PMS can be split into four subcategories and once you know which category your monthly symptoms predominantly fit onto then you can start to follow specific guidelines to help you cope better.
PMS-A – this group tend to have symptoms that relate to ‘Anxiety’ so if you fall into this group then you are likely to notice that your PMS tends to be expressed as anxiety, panic attacks, worry, tension, irritability, nervousness and mood swings. Swap out coffee and tea for a good quality green tea and eat plenty of foods containing phyto-oestrogens such as soya yoghurt, edamame beans, flax seeds, alfalfa sprouts, lentils and oats.
PMS-C – this group tend to have symptoms that relate to ‘Cravings’ so if you fall into this group then you are likely to experience increased appetite, cravings for sugary or starchy foods, headaches, energy dips, fatigue, palpitations, fainting and the shakes. Follow a diet for balance blood sugar to help get on top of your symptoms. Start the day with an oat based cereal like porridge or muesli, don’t leave long gaps between meals, swap refined carbs for wholegrains (white bread for brown bread, white rice for brown rice and paste for wholewheat pasta) and eat plenty of slow release carbs such as brown rice, pulses, lentils, quinoa and fresh fruits and vegetables.
PMS-H – this group tend to have symptoms that relate to water retention or ‘Hydration’ so if you fall into this group then you are likely to notice symptoms of breast tenderness, swelling, swollen hands, face and feet, weight gain and bloated tummy. Stress can be a big factor for this group so it’s important that you find ways to deal with your stress – yoga, mediation, relationship counselling or a better work-life balance. Recuing caffeine and salt can also help to reduce water retention as can supplementing with omega-3 fats.
PMS-D – this group tend to have symptoms that relate to ‘Depression’ so if you fall into this category then you are likely to experience changes in your mood such as depression, low mood, tearfulness, confusion, insomnia, clumsiness, feeling withdrawn and lack of co-ordination. Since alcohol is a known mood suppressant it’s really important to cut back or even avoid alcohol. Focus on good mood foods like avocado, turkey, cottage cheese, fish, yoghurt and oats.
When it comes to taking nutritional supplements there are so many to choose from that it can become a little confusing. My advice is always to look for a supplement that combines omega-3s with isoflavones, vitamin D and B-vitamins so that you tackle your PMS from many directions! The good thing about Cleanmarine for Women is that it contains all these nutrients in an easy to take capsule and provides great nutritional support for all four PMS categories!