A Diet Plan That Will Cure PMS Forever

So many women suffer with PMS every month. The cravings, the irritability, fatigue. A really and truly miserable time. Some women suffer monthly and accept it as just par for the course when naturopath Dr Lara Briden says it isn't necessary. She says, "Premenstrual symptoms such as irritability and cravings are common, but they're not normal." As any woman who has ever sought medical treatment for PMS knows, it tends to get easily dismissed. Previous research has not been able to detect any differences in the hormone levels of women who suffer with PMS and those who do not. Oestrogen and progesterone rise and fall through the month as they are supposed to. Dr Briden has a different take. She believes PMS is not caused by the hormones themselves but in the body's response to the hormones. She says:

Your response to hormones depends on the health and resilience of your hormone receptors, which are the tiny docking stations for your female hormones, and are found in every tissue, including your brain.... When your receptors are healthy, they're flexible, and they adapt to rising and falling hormone levels by simply dialling up and dialling down their response (depending on the level of hormone). That means no PMS.

When your receptors are not healthy, on the other hand, they cannot adapt to changing hormones, and that leads to premenstrual symptoms.

It appears that the health of hormone receptors are significantly impaired by inflammation. Chronic inflammation can be caused by stress and smoking but also by eating inflammatory foods. What does this mean for you? Making a few changes in your diet could spell the end of your PMS.

Eat Fewer Inflammatory Foods

The most inflammatory foods are of the deep fried or high sugar varieties. Avoid juice, desserts and soft drinks. These foods cause inflammation in everyone but you have to watch out for wheat and dairy too. If you are sensitive to wheat or dairy, it can contribute to inflammation. In fact, food sensitivities are common in PMS suffers. Avoid wheat and dairy for 3 months to see if anything changes. If you aren't sure, talk to your doctor or a nutritionist.

Eat More Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Think brightly coloured fruits and vegetables like berries, spinach and kale. Fruits and vegetables provide essential nutrients like folate and magnesium and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are plant compounds that reduce inflammation by stimulating your immune system.

Supplement with Natural Anti-Inflammatory Nutrients

In clinical trials, mineral magnesium and vitamin B6 have done really well to treat PMS. They are both easy to find and safe to use so definitely worth a try. If you need a little extra guidance, check out Dr. Briden's 'No More PMS Diet' found here. Seems easy enough, right? Small adjustments to relieve what can be big suffering. Give it a shot and let us know how it works for you.