How To Deal With PreMenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) often causes discomfort to most women. PMS is caused by hormonal changes that occur around the time of menstruation. Women suffering from PMS often experience painful cramps, stress, acne breakouts and fluid retention. Women are also likely to face headache, mood swings, tiredness, irritability, back or lower abdominal pain and feeling of bloating.
It is that time of the month and you are are feeling irritable and awful. Here’s what you can do to get relief:
1. Drink plenty of water. Water helps to cleanse your system and get rid of toxins.
2. Avoid food that is too cold, like curd, iced water, ice creams, and cucumbers.
3. Avoid eating 3 heavy meals. Instead, consume smaller and more frequent meals throughout the day, say 5 to 6 times a day. Women with PMS need to stabilize their blood sugar levels.
4. Reduce your intake of salt and sugar.
5. You may think that a cup of coffee can boost your mood instantly, but caffeine infact, depletes essential Vitamin B from the body, which in turn can cause hormonal imbalance. Coffee increases depression, irritability and anxiety.
6. Get enough sleep during the night. Listen to some soft music, read a good book, or take a warm bath to relax you before hit the bed.
7. A good diet and exercise helps a lot. Eat a balanced diet, containing enough fruits and vegetables. Eat a diet that contains plenty of complex carbohydrates like wholemeal bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc. Also include enough potassium in your diet by including broccoli, fish, beans etc.
8. Exercise regularly. You can do aerobics or jogging. Exercise helps to get relief from PMS symptoms, but it should be done regularly, not just when you suffer from PMS.
9. Eat plenty of beans, nuts and seeds.
10. Avoid red meat and fatty foods, as it increases estrogen levels in your blood and can aggravate the symptoms of PMS.
11. Take magnesium supplemets daily to get relief from PMS symptoms. Calcium supplements may also help. Intake of vitamin B6 also helps in blood circulation and water retention.
12. Take a hot bath to relax the muscles and relieve your cramps.
13. Avoid stress at home and work.