If you’ve experienced premenstrual syndrome (PMS), you’re not alone. It can hit you out of nowhere! If you think there isn’t much you can do to improve your symptoms, continue reading to learn our top holistic approaches to help keep it under control.
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What Exactly Is PMS & How Do I Know If I Have It?
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) has a wide variety of symptoms, and it is estimated that as many as 3 out of 4 menstruating women have experienced some form of premenstrual syndrome. PMS can be a physical and emotional combination of symptoms that many women get after ovulation and before the start of their menstrual period.
Some of these changes can include mood swings, cramps, tender breasts, food cravings, fatigue, irritability and sadness. For some women, they menstruate without any signs of PMS or only very mild symptoms. For others, it can be so severe that it makes it hard to do daily activities like going to work or school.
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Get To Know Your Body’s Unique Patterns & Explore Holistic Lifestyle Changes
The best approach to improve PMS is to learn your unique patterns and what solutions work best for you at relieving your symptoms — everyone is different! There are an abundance of ways to manage PMS, however, not all are scientific or evidence-based. Whether it be a hot bath with epsom salts, or a bar of chocolate, you don’t always need evidence to know what makes you feel on the mend.
If you are curious to know some evidence-based solutions for PMS symptoms, here are some holistic tips!
- Eat a well-balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables (preferably organic if possible) — nourish your body with nutrients that will support you throughout your cycle.
- Drink plenty of filtered water — properly hydrating daily can help reduce bloating, aid in digestion, and support your skin especially if it’s sensitive during menstruation. Get creative and add lemon, mint, and cucumber slices to enhance flavour if you’re not used to drinking lots of water.
- Move your body regularly — exercising is a vital part of a balanced lifestyle, so get active for your overall wellbeing. It's best to keep exercise an ongoing routine, rather than only when symptoms arise. Explore new sports or activities to make it fun!
- Reduce stress — if you tend to experience anxiety or irritation around your period, calm your nervous system by taking deep and long breaths, gentle and slow stretching, social media breaks, spending time in nature, and supplementing with magnesium.
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Support Your Menstrual Cycle With Nature’s Medicine - Herbs & Superfoods
You can balance your hormones even further by incorporating herbs and superfoods into your PMS approach. There are a variety of botanicals out there that have been known to assist and have been used for centuries to improve PMS symptoms and support a female’s reproductive system.
Check out the Wanderlust Chaste Tree Berry - PMS Support. Native to the Mediterranean through to Asia, this small flowering shrub is also referred to as Chasteberry, Chaste Tree and Vitex! This brilliant berry is used for medicinal purposes to; help reduce the occurrence of premenstrual tension symptoms, maintain a healthy menstrual cycle, reduce menstrual cycle irregularity, and relieve breast tenderness.
The WelleCo The PMS Elixir is also a great choice, which contains a blend of iron, sea buckthorn berry, chaste tree, selenium, ashwagandha, and magnesium, which assists in supporting a healthy hormonal balance, and also your blood sugar!
Keeping tabs on your physical and emotional shifts around your period, and tracking any of the above approaches you are implementing into your routine, can really help you determine what's working for you, what’s not, and any improvements!
If your symptoms are moderate to severe, it may be time to get in touch with your healthcare provider to explore your symptoms further.
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