Foods that help fight PMS
Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) can occur in the days leading up to your period with around 85% of women experiencing some sort of PMS.
PMS varies for everyone, it can be anything from breast tenderness, low mood, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, headaches, fatigue to diarrhoea or constipation!
So you’re probably wondering why does this have to happen to me every month? Unfortunately, there is no definitive reason for it. However possibilities include a hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiencies, abnormal neurotransmitters, or the influence of stress.
Below is a list of nutrients and foods that you can include into your diet to help relieve some of these feelings of PMS:
Magnesium reduces anxiety, fluid retention and muscle cramps in relation to PMS. Magnesium rich foods include leafy greens, legumes, avocados, and my favourite dark chocolate.
Omega-3 fatty acids (one of my absolute favourites) have been shown to improve mood and reduce period pain through providing an anti-inflammatory response. Foods to include such as avocado, wild salmon, hemp seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and extra virgin olive oil.
Zinc plays a role in improving mood, reducing anxiety, irritability, and insomnia through regulating neurotransmitters. Foods high in zinc include pepitas (sunflower seeds), flaxseeds, cashews, chickpeas, lentils, oysters and meat.
Low calcium levels have been associated with higher irritability, pain and fluid retention. Calcium rich foods include milk, sardines, canned salmon, fortified plant milks, sesame seeds, almonds, lentils, leafy greens such as spinach and kale.
Vitamin B6 deficiency has been associated with low mood, and increased anxiety. Foods rich in b6 include oats, bananas, sweet potato, tofu, eggs, pork and chicken.
Vitamin D has been shown to reduce anxiety, irritability and improve mood. The best source of vitamin D is to be exposed to natural sunlight for about 10minutes minutes every day mid-morning or mid-afternoon while exposing the chest and arms. Food sources of vitamin D include eggs, salmon, sardines, and red meat.
Hopefully next month you won’t even realise you’re due for your period.