Member Advice on PMS > Reviews (6)

PMS/PMT - both really mean the same thing: PMS - Pre-menstrual Syndrome and PMT - Pre-Menstrual Tension. Either way its bad news!

Anyway im going to tell you how to recognise the symptoms, who gets it, how to avoid it, what to do when you've got it and how foods can help! YES really.....

So who gets it?
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Women being the obvious answer i know (D'oh) but as many as 8 out of 10 women have physical and emotional symptoms - known as PMS. These symptoms can cause women to be uncomfortable and upset and emotional challenging for no particular reason. In short the answer is "COZ I SAID SO".

PMS can be easily managed. One way is a healthy diet and the other is self-care - to reduce the stress of every day life during this time.

How do you know you have got it?
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You can or may have PMS if you have these physical symptoms for up to two weeks before your period, in my case it is normally before, during and after, depending on how im feeling, how stressed i have been and who has ticked me off!

The symptons of PMS
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Exhaustion; sleep disturbances; breast swelling; bloating; weight gain; acne; cravings for sweets; constipation, then diarrhea - Yes come on girls admit it, we all have at least half of this 99% of the time and the one symptom i have missed is MEN - they always think its "Our time"! How annoying is that?

Emotional symptoms can be even more difficult to deal with than the physical. For example the Common emotional symptoms include irritability and depression as well as anxiety; confusion and feeling out of control. So not just a case of being a Dumb blonde then!

So how to cure it with food?
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This is what you should Eliminate (i was told this by my GP)
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Sugar (including honey, syrup, and "-ose" additives like fructose or sucrose), caffeine (in coffee, chocolate, and cola drinks), artificial sweeteners, cigarettes, and alcohol. My first response was "Are you serious, your taking the p*ss" There was no way i could have forgotten about any of these, i would have to sit and eat lettuce and carrots whilst drinking some herbal crap like nettle soup...... But i was fed up of feeling like i did so i decided that just for once i would take some advice and i would try it and see how i got on.

Well i turned into mega-bitch for the first few days, i needed caffine i was tired, i wanted sugar because my cornflakes tasted like cardboard....but i persisted and gradually began to feel better.

What to Emphasize (the next bit of advice)
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Whole grains (bread, pasta, brown rice), dried beans, nuts, fresh vegetables (especially spinach), and fruit. - Right so this is supposed to help me is it? Im going to turn into Popeye whilst being a complete cow!

So this is what you AVOID......
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Salty and smoked foods, and dairy products. If bloating is a problem, limit fruit and eliminate fruit juices.

So there you have it, the best way to reduce PMS whilst changing your diet.

I myself have actually done this and it does work surprisingly enough, although it does take a while to get used to, im one of those people who cannot deal with people and their faddy dieting, i cant do weight watchers or anything like that, if i want to eat it then i will do, i dont like people telling me what i can and cannot eat.

More help is at hand
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Other than changing your diet, there are of course many other ways to relieve symptoms - these are purely physical ones though, so i can see you all turning your top lips up in disgust that ive not discovered a magical pill -sorry guys it has to be natural methods. So here goes......

Rigorous exercise will reduce both physical and emotional symptoms - for me this meant i went to the gym 3 times a week and then i joined a Tae Bo class which i liked so much i went all the time. Then i tried Kick boxing, which is such a fab way to get rid of all that anger and rage, so i would suggest to anyone try kick boxing, at the same time you get toned up!

Relaxation through meditation and deep breathing - to me this meant yoga, so again i tried this, off i went to my local church hall where i thought i would be surrounded by saggy old ladies. Alas there was a lot of young people there, first time mums trying to get bck into shape and students, whom i think were just bored. Well it does work, you do feel relaxed, so much so that i fell asleep during the meditation part. I didnt go again. I bought Geri's video instead.

Walking, having a massage or taking a hot bath will reduce tension.

For those of you who have sleepless nights, tossing and turning, the simple answer is naps to reduce tiredness which causes stress.

So there you have it, Rachel's guide to getting rid of those PMS symptoms. Just a word of warning to the guys though, dont just assume that when we are in a bad mood it is "our time" "on the blob" or whatever you want to call it! Because just sometimes we are MOODY.