PMS sucks. There’s no way around this fact. Nobody likes feeling like crap for 1-2 weeks every month.
But while PMS might never stop sucking, that doesn’t mean it has to suck that badly. There are natural ways to handle PMS, ways that our body actively seeks and rewards us for.
The Importance of a Good Diet
A lot of problems commonly associated with PMS from intense mood swings, anxiety, to low energy, are actually caused by estrogen and progesterone (two main hormones in the menstrual cycle) being out of sync.
Estrogen and progesterone are heavily influenced by diet, with certain nutrients supporting their production and other nutrients helping with their detox. What this means is that you can build your diet around managing your hormone levels to mitigate the effects of PMS.
Omega-3s for Mood and Cramping
Omega-3 fatty acids are the most well researched nutrient out there when it comes to solutions for period pains. They reduce inflammation throughout the body, which is what causes those terrible cramps, all the while supporting brain health, which can stabilize mood swings.
As for sources of Omega-3, the best one out there is Flaxseeds, especially for women. These seeds also contain lignans which are plant based compounds that help your body detox excess estrogen levels.
Chia Seeds and Walnuts are also great sources of Omega-3s. But if you’re looking for combining that with a good source of protein, the best choice will be fishes like salmon or sardine.
Magnesium for Anxiety
Magnesium deficiency is sadly common, which is a tragedy considering how many of the worst aspects of PMS are tied to low levels of this mineral. Its role is to help you relax, smoothing your muscle tissue (which includes your uterus) and helps the body produce serotonin.
If you want to boost your magnesium levels, a great food-based option is to invest in pumpkin seeds, which are absolutely loaded with it, to the point where a single ounce is equivalent to half your daily requirement.
Other good sources of magnesium include sunflower seeds, dark chocolate, spinach and black beans. In fact, whenever you feel a craving for chocolate before your period, that’s your body asking for magnesium.
That being said, we don’t recommend you sate those cravings with candy bars, instead, go for at least 70% cacao to get the benefits without a sugar crash.
Zinc and Selenium for Skin and Hormone Detox
There’s no worse feeling than getting an announcement for your period in the form of acne. Hormonal acne is the result of your progesterone levels dropping and allowing androgens to become dominant.
Once again, to avoid this, a great way is pumpkin seeds, but you can also give yourself a boost with sesame and tahini since both are also rich in zinc, especially if you combine all three at the second half of your cycle.
Selenium, on the other hand, is another mineral trace mineral, with the difference that it’s way underrated. This is the stuff your liver uses to detoxify used hormones and clear them from your body. Without it, you have excess estrogen floating around your body which makes PMS worse.
Sunflower seeds are chalk full of selenium, but so are Brazil nuts, to the point where you can meet your daily quota with just two per day.
Vitamin E For Swollen Breasts
Sore and swollen breasts are a symptom a lot of women experience. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps reduce that breast pain and sensitivity that ramps up as you get near your period.
Some great options for Vitamin E include sunflowers seeds almonds, avocados and spinach are also great for meeting your daily goal.
Putting it All Together
You might have noticed that we mention a lot of seeds in this. There’s actually a naturopathic protocol called ‘seed cycling’ that offers a food-based way to mitigate cycle related symptoms. It involves having different seeds at different stages of the menstrual cycle according to the nutrients your body needs at that time to best support it in balancing estrogen and progestrone.
- First half ( from period day 1 to ovulation): Consume 1 tbsp ground Flax and Pumpkin seeds daily.
- Second Half (From Ovulation to your next period): Consume 1 tbsp ground Sesame and Sunflower seeds daily.
How you include these into your diet is entirely up to you. There are hundreds, if not thousands of ideas online for smoothies, salads, yogurt bowls, and more, just pick your favourite! But let’s be honest, not everyone has the time to prepare these snacks. That’s why brands like CycleSnax exist, to make it easy with grab & go energy bites that are loaded with the daily dose of seeds.
For more information, just visit: https://cyclesnax.ca/