Article: - Using diet to get PMS under control
Some teenagers get PMS a little, whilst others get it a lot. Either way, it isn’t much fun and it would be nice to get it under control – both for you and the benefit of everyone around you!
The first step for getting your PMS under control is realising that you have it. Admit it, you are a woman and you have periods and you get PMS. Lots of women have no idea that their moodiness is occurring at the same time each month so aren’t able to do anything about it and have to live with the feeling that “perhaps I am just moody.”
If you aren’t sure whether you have PMS, try keeping a mood diary. Mark down how you felt on which days for three months or so and see if there is a correlation on the days leading up to your period, for example: Monday – moody; Tuesday – not so moody; Wednesday – seriously moody.
Diet and PMS
Most people think there isn’t much you can do about PMS, but they’re wrong! What!?! YES!! Changing your diet to include certain vitamins, vegetables and other foods can help to combat some of the symptoms of PMS naturally so it is definitely worth giving some of these tips a go.
When you start to feel the onset of PMS symptoms, change your eating habits so that you eat little and often – perhaps a small meal or snack every three hours. Try to keep it healthy and balanced though, eating junk food won’t help. Cereals, leafy greens and fruit are all good, whilst red meat and foods high in fat, sugar and salt should be avoided.
As well as changing the pattern of when you eat, you may also wish to concentrate on including some of the following in your diet:
- Vitamin B6 supplements. This will help your body to make the ‘happy hormones’ dopamine, serotonin and melatonin.
- Magnesium supplements. A magnesium deficiency has been linked with PMS-type symptoms so there’s no harm in topping up – and plenty to gain!
- Eat lots of calcium-rich foods, such as yoghurt, broccoli, leafy greens and sardines. Calcium has been shown to help with a range of PMS symptoms.
- Chasteberry – also known as agnus castus – supplements. This has been found to help a lot of women with not only PMS but also helping keep periods regular. It is also rumoured to help with acne!
- Evening primrose oil supplements. This will help if your breasts get tender coming up to your time of the month.
Do check the dosage instructions for any supplements you decide to take because it is possible to have too much of a good thing!