|
Dealing with the Monthly Blues
By: Andrea Putting N.D
Dealing with the Monthly Blues
Premenstrual syndrome
Sometimes it all gets too much, it feels as if the world is closing in on you. Nothing is going right. Your body may be bloated and breast aching, maybe your not sleeping. You just can't seem to keep things under control.
The way women are effected at the lead up to their period is as individual as themselves, but there are many common symptoms. One thing is sure, that the imbalance in hormones can certainly stir things up. Everything seems to become far more intense.
Some of the most common symptoms are anxiety, mood swings and nervous tension. This is caused by an imbalance of Oestrogen and Progesterone. The first thing to look at with this type of PMS is how much dairy products and refined sugars are in your diet, make sure they are not in excess as they can effect the absorption of Magnesium. Magnesium, Vitamin B6 and Zinc are the vital nutrients here; they are essential in the brain to produce the chemicals, which control these symptoms. These nutrients also assist in the clearance of the excess oestrogen. A diet high in vegetable proteins and fibre also assist this process.
Cravings are common at this time, especially for chocolate and other sweet things. Increase appetite, headaches, fatigue, dizziness or fainting and palpitations may also be experienced. It is best when suffering from this to eat small meals regularly to help prevent the falling glucose levels. 5-6 small meals a day of healthy nutritious food, incorporating complex carbohydrates, will be of great assistance. A supplementation of Chromium can help in stabilizing blood sugar levels.
The symptoms of depression, crying, forgetfulness, confusion and insomnia are what some women go through. A diet including plenty of raw foods and grains is recommended in this case. It is related to low oestrogen: high progesterone balance and a clean healthy diet, high in Magnesium can help towards regulation. It would also be advised to work on cleansing the liver, if the liver is functioning well, then it will assist in clearing out the excess hormones.
If you suffer from fluid retention, weight gain, swelling of extremities, breast tenderness, or abdominal bloating, salt and red meat should be decreased. An herb, which can offer some relief from this, is Ginkgo. Also of benefit are Vitamin B6 and Vitamin E.
Evening Primrose Oil can reduce the crampy pain that announces to many women that their period is approaching. Calcium/Magnesium supplements can also bring relieve.
Many of the symptoms of PMS are related to dietary imbalances and nutritional deficiencies. The following are basic dietary guidelines that can be useful regardless of what symptoms you suffer.
* Avoid refined and processed foods, i.e. sugars, soft drinks, cakes and sweets especially prior to onset of period
* Avoid alcohol, tea, coffee, chocolate and tobacco.
* Reduce salt intake
* Increase consumption of fish (cod, tuna, and salmon) and oil seeds. Evening Primrose oil is of great benefit to most types of PMS and for relief of period pain. It also offers the added bonus of being good for a variety of different complaints, such as skin problems, arthritis and all kinds of inflammatory problems.
* Restrict intake of dairy products to two servings per day.
* Limit the intake of animal fat.
* Increase the consumption of green leafy vegetables.
* Increase the consumption of foods rich in Magnesium (i.e. wheat bran, almonds, wheat germ, cashews, spinach, rice), Zinc (brazil nuts, almonds, rice, seeds, wheat, olives) and Vitamin B6 (walnuts, Yoghurt, Hazelnuts, wheat germ, Sunflower seeds, Soya beans).
* Some herbs that can be helpful when dealing with PMS are: Vitex - which helps to balance hormones, Hypericum - for depression, Skullcap and Vervain - help to calm the nerves, Dandelion - works with the liver to cleanse and remove excess hormones.
* Tissue salts that can be of benefit, both for PMS and for menstrual cramps come in combinations that include Calcium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate (Kali Phos) and Magnesium Phosphate.
* Flower essences are very effective at dealing with some of the emotional issues around PMS. Australian Bush Flower Essences has a special blend just for women - Woman Essences, available in both drops and cream. This, or other flower essences, may be a great assistance.
* Essential oils can be use in an oil burner, a few drops in a bath, or mixed with oil for a massage. Some of the following could be mixed or used alone. For calming and balancing hormones - Chamomile, Geranium, Lavender, Rose and Sandalwood; Emotionally uplifting - Bergamot, Jasmine, Juniper and Sage; Fluid retention and cramps - Fennel, Laurel, Tarragon and Cypress; Energizing - Peppermint
PMT could easily stand for Pre Menstrual Truth. During this time, woman can become quite emotional and all sorts of feelings come to the surface. These are very often the very things that we don't want to look at, or face. We can spend the rest of the month not dealing with want really is hidden underneath, but when PMT hits, suddenly it's there. All the things that aren't working in your life come and hit you in the face. Allow yourself to cry if you want to, it will help you get in touch with want is really important to you. Start writing a journal. This may help you to recognize what issues you need to deal with. Write down all your feelings and frustrations that surface while you are premenstrual. Recognizing this and working with it can be the first step of dealing with PMT.
Most importantly take time out each month to celebrate your womanhood. The onset of a period is a reminder of who you are and is a special time to pamper yourself: Buy yourself flowers, have a special treat, have a massage, take a bubble bath, or whatever makes you feel special. It’s the time to make time for you! .
About the Author
Andrea Putting N.D., Naturopath, Writer and creator/owner of health sites including, http://www.puttingitright.com.au, http://www.naturopathsresourcefile.info, and http://www.naturalhealth4cats.info . Explore the world of Natural Medicine; take your health into your own hands. Know how to be healthy and stay healthy.
email this
page
Return to
Nutrition and Supplement Index
Haven't found what you were looking for?
Try this search:
Free Email
List Reveals health,
fitness and wellness tips - secrets and information - delivered
directly to your inbox
How to Benefit from the Mind-Body Connection
(excerpt)
You are about to gain insight into the
mind-body connection. The number of
people who truly understand these principles on our
planet are relatively few.
There is an undeniable connection between our minds and
bodies, you can learn to use this fact to your benefit.
Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of "Love, Medicine and
Miracles" was once a distraught cancer surgeon until he
began to understand the greater principles of the mind-
body connection. He felt dragged down by the artificial
barriers that existed between patient and doctor, and the
helplessness he often felt as a result of his inability
to effectively serve those patients. Eventually, those
barriers were disintegrated by Dr. Siegel's recognition
and growing understanding of the mind-body connection and
how it could serve his patients and himself.
Dr. Siegel, or Bernie as he began to have his patients
refer to him, had some
startling realizations as a cancer surgeon. He found that
there were actually
quite a few people in the world that successfully beat
the statistics on cancer
survival. He began to recognize that a patient's ability
to defeat something as
serious as cancer had to do with the patient's mind and
attitude about their
disease.
If you would like to see the rest of
this article, please go here:
http://www.tobeinformed.com/repository/mind-body.html
copyright 2004 - David Snape
|
|
