PMS is not ‘normal’, here is how to eliminate it

Pretty much every woman on the planet has experienced some symptoms of Pre-Menstrual Syndrome before. Nowadays, women just seem to accept that for a week every month, they are going to experience a whole host of unpleasant symptoms. Society, especially in the mainstream Western world has normalized having bad cramps, taking painkillers, irrational mood swings, acne, and low moods; when actually in most cases the severity -if not the occurrence of ANY of these symptoms is preventable.

The key to understanding why more and more of our female society struggles with PMS and many other common cycle-related issues is understanding the culprit- hormone imbalance.

The menstrual cycle of a female has always seen a drop in estrogen and progesterone in the luteal phase (which is typically the week leading up to your period). This drop typically means you will feel less energy and less of a positive mood due to this natural process. However, the presence and severity of PMS has increased dramatically in our Western society alongside many hormone-related diseases plaguing women like PCOS, Endometriosis, Infertility, and Ovarian & breast cancer.

We have been fooled into thinking that having all these symptoms and issues with our female reproductive system is the norm, and that there is nothing we can do about it. It is the same narrative that sits now regarding our chances of getting something like breast cancer- we’ve been told it’s primarily genetic but the reality is, that is not the truth anymore. These hormonal based diseases and cancers are more than 80% due to lifestyle now, which means, what we ingest, what we surround ourselves with, and how we act and think.

In the case of PMS, our environment today contains so many hormone-disrupting chemicals, in our food and our products, that is is VITAL to understand this and make the changes you can for optimal health.

The main things that disrupting hormone levels in women today leading to PMS are:

• processed/junk foods/lack of adequate nutrition
• cosmetics, chemical products,estrogen-disrupting products
• alcohol
• lack of exercise
• constant stress– nervous system disregulation
• lack of good sleep
• chemicals in plastic
• the pill
• poor gut health

PMS can be relieved in a matter of months once a lot of the things above are cleared up. When I work with clients and educate them on behaviours and lifestyle changes that will help balance their cycle, they usually notice a drastic reduction in PMS or painful periods within a cycle or two.

The foundation for restoring hormone balance and improving your cycle lies with the following:

• Eating a whole food predominantly plant-based diet, removing junk and processed foods, limiting/removing dairy.
• Eating a high intake of cruciferous vegetables for liver metabolism and detox
• Eating sufficient Omega 3’s, (Can be found easily in chia seeds or flax, wild-caught fish in certain parts of the world is a good option here too but only if you don’t have any underlying disease you are trying to reverse)
• Exercise- if you are not already, move your body a few times a week, limiting the high-intensity cardio exercise if you do a lot, and bringing in more mindful low-impact movement.
• Stress reduction practices regulating your nervous system ie, regular somatic practises, breathing practices, meditation
• Seed cycling ( a practice where the first two weeks of your cycle you ingest flax seeds daily & then the second half you ingest seeds high in omega-6 like sunflower seeds for progesterone production)
• Lifestyle changes like 8 hours of sleep, limited blue light, rising in the morning, and taking sunlight.
• Some natural supplements assist PMS too, such as magnesium.
• Slowing down and tuning into our natural cycle more, learning how to rest and when to push our body rather than pushing daily.
• Changing what menstrual products we use, products that disrupt the flow I have seen with many clients to bring more cramps. From my own personal experience as well, switching these out for things like resuable period underwear reduced cramping.

Together these changes can go a long way, and your discomfort can be eased getting your body on track for a much healthier cycle and overall health.

If you are curious or would like more information about how I work with clients to restore hormone balance, you can see more about working with me here or book a call here.