• Reduce salt: Too much salt = extra bloating and water retention. The big- gest offenders are typically processed and pre-packaged foods, which you’re avoiding already, anyway, right?
• Red meat and dairy: To be clear, red meat and dairy are not inherently bad. Assuming the meat and milk is from pastured, organic cows, there are some folks for whom one or both can be ab- solute positive game-changers in terms of their health—not so much if you’re a PMS sufferer. Red meat and milk con- tain a substance known as arachidonic acid that stimulates prostaglandins and intensifies cramps. If you’re craving iron pre-menstrually (or menstrually), and prone to cramping, better to reach for plant-based sources like chickpeas, beans and lentils.
• Sugar and refined carbohydrates: We’d all be well-served to eliminate or dramatically reduced our intake of these pro-inflammatory substances, but this is true for none more so than the PMSer. They increase inflammation in the body, contribute to fatigue and bloating, and can wreak havoc on your volatile PMS moods as they manhan- dle your blood sugars. Set them free. If you need help managing cravings, seek out acupuncture for support.
Move your body in a joyful way: Walk,
run, stretch, breathe, lift, dance, laugh, love. Your body was meant to be fully
inhabited. Find a way to move it that lights you up and makes you smile. Repeat often.
Practice mindfulness: We hear this all the time, but what does it mean? Incorporating mindfulness into your daily life doesn’t have to be a huge (stressful) undertaking. Do you brush your teeth every day? Drive your car every day? Wash your dishes every day? Turn on your computer every day? Make a habit of punctuating the start of any recurring event with a moment of attention. All you need is a pause, a slow deep breath in, and a slow deep breath out. Be still. Notice that are you doing what you’re doing. We throw our attention mindlessly out into the world all day, every day. Start to pepper your day with brief mo- ments of drawing that attention back into your body, back into the right now. If you’re unsure of where to start, start there.
Remember how we said PMS is like a monthly stress test? Your goal with these lifestyle and dietary interventions is to reduce the overall stress load on your system. Think of your body as a rain bar- rel. All kinds of general stressors fill up the barrel—lack of sleep, poor nutrition, a fight with your partner, sitting all day long. We ignore the fact that our rain barrel is filling up because often we cannot “see” the level in the barrel. Then one day—in this case, one pre-menstrual day—the rain barrel overflows and we experience symptoms. “My boobs hurt!” “I’m pissed off!” “That car commercial made me cry!!” We tend to look to the last drop of “stress” that fell into
the barrel and blame it on our symptoms, as if that drop were working the joint all alone. “You!! Yeah you!! You’re the prob- lem!” In fact, if the whole stress level in the barrel was lower to begin with, that “last drop” of stress would not have had any visible effect—you would have managed your pre-menstrual hormone shift just fine. If you had instead been well rested, or eat- ing healthfully, or peaceful in your primary relationship, or walking every evening, you likely would have gone into your pre- menstrual time with your stress barrel far less full.
It is important to note that in some cir- cumstances, dietary and lifestyle interven- tions alone will not be enough to resolve your symptoms. Have no fear! There is no shame in seeking out professional help; sometimes life hands us more than we can manage or regulate on our own. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are incredibly effective at restoring balance to your system, and can dramatically improve all aspects of a woman’s heath. Seek out a provider with an affinity for women’s health and she or he should be able to get you back on track, lickety split (or within a few months). Happy menstruation!
*In Chinese medicine your “Liver” rep-
resents your liver organ but also (and more often) your whole Liver system—a collec- tion of physical and emotional processes that are governed by the “Liver” energetic.
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