Dietary & Lifestyle Support for PMS
Welcome to part 2 of Supporting your PMS symptoms! Part 1 can be found here and I recommend reading that blog first so you understand the drivers of the many different types of PMS and associated symptoms.
Let’s now look at what you can do right now to support PMS.
Dietary support:
Adopt as many of the following principles as you can to support healthy hormone production and clearance.
Eat your fibre – at least 25 - 30g daily for women. An example of a high fibre diet looks like:
½ cup cooked steel cut oats = 5g
1 cup of cooked cauliflower = 4.9g
¼ cup raw almonds = 3g
1 large carrot = 2g
½ cup cooked chickpeas = 7g
1 cup of raspberries = 8g
1 gold kiwi fruit = 2g
Total = 31.9g
Follow 5:2 - 5 serves of veg and 2 serves of fresh fruit daily (not the intermittent fasting plan)! This is simple advice but I hardly see anyone eating 5 serves of veggies daily.
1 serve of veg equals:
½ cup of cooked vegetables eg broccoli, spinach, carrots, pumpkin
1 cup of raw leafy salad greens
½ cup starchy vegetables eg sweet potato, beetroot, potato
1 medium sized tomato
½ cup of cooked corn
½ cup of cooked legumes
1 serve of fruit looks like:
1 medium apple, banana, orange, pear
2 small fruits eg apricots, stone fruit, kiwi fruit
1 cup of berries
Enjoy an abundance of magnesium rich foods:
Leafy greens
Wholegrains – particularly oats and barley
Legumes – navy, pinto, kidney and chickpeas
Nuts and seeds – peanut butter, sunflower seeds
Seafood
Meat
Dairy products
Ensure you eat your beautiful brassicas - mostly cooked:
Broccoli
Cauliflower o Cabbage
Kale and cavolo nero
Brussels sprouts
Rocket
Mustard spinach
Kohl rabi
Bok choy
Turnip
Include omega-3 foods regularly:
Fatty SMASH fish (salmon, mackeral, anchovies, sardines, herring) x 3 times weekly – wild caught seafood is fabulous if you have access to it
Supplement with fish oil
Vegan omega-3 options include chia seeds, flaxseed meal and oil, walnuts, and algae oil
Be mindful that sugar, caffeine, alcohol, deep fried foods, and cows dairy may have an impact on your PMS symptoms. Not all of these foods will effect everyone’s skin, so please don’t cut everything out! Trial and reintroductions with a practitioner is a good barometer.
Lifestyle support:
Exercising has a clear PMS symptom reducing effect. Studies show that regular exercise is effective in improving physical PMS symptoms including pain, bloating, breast pain, anxiety, and mood swings, amongst many other I hear from my clients regularly
Stress management and reduction in some way most days. See this blog for support
Utilise heat therapy for pain. A hot water bottle, heating essential oils/blends (such as Peppermint or a heating balm such as Tiger balm), and tens machines are great options to have on hand
Talk therapy is extremely beneficial to assist with mood symptoms
Pain killers – know what works for you and have them on hand. There is little use being in extreme pain every month. Please, take the pain killers if you need them whilst you work on addressing the root cause of your period pain
Acupuncture is fantastic for managing and reducing PMS symptoms, including pain
For nutritional and herbal supplementation treatment options to assist your PMS, please read part 1 of this blog series here.
Ask me your questions below, and feel free to reach out or book a session if you are looking for one-on-one support with your PMS or other hormonal condition.
Jaclyn is a qualified Naturopath with a focus on hormonal complaints, reproductive and fertility care, skin, and adrenal health.
Author
Jaclyn Cave
BHSc (Nat), BComm (Soc)
Masters Womens Health Med (UNSW - completing)
References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31928364/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3208934/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11129515/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7527439/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1028455909602710
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23642943/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3033240/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4540034/
https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day/serve-sizes
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31987230/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2927749/
https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/aetiology-diagnosis-and-management-of-premenstrual-syndrome-2167-0846-1000193.php?aid=57738