For women, PMS really doesn’t feel good and we know it. Our moods and reactions are off. We can be more anxious or depressed, our sleep cycles can be off, and we have painful cramps. There are over 200 symptoms associated with PMS.
In fact, I often tell women, “If you only hate your husband 2 weeks a month, it’s probably not your husband… it’s your hormones.”
(Guys, you can thank me later for giving you some fully supportive tips below.)
Ladies, I’ll share with you a few ways to bring back the joy premenstrually and in the perimenopause stage, or even when we are suffering from anxiety and depressive symptoms in general.
But first I’ll explain what’s happening to our bodies.
From the time of ovulation until menses, our ovaries secrete progesterone. The intention is to prepare the uterus and body for pregnancy. Our bodies are designed to respond to progesterone, which gets us to stick closer to our partner, to feel more connected and intimate, and closer to home by caring for our home and loved ones.
However, when our bodies aren’t secreting enough progesterone because it’s blocked or being used up faster, and there’s more estrogen circulating (including xeno-estrogens and endocrine disruptors from our toxic environment!) we become more estrogen dominant.
Being estrogen dominant can lead to:
- Severe PMS
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Irregular or heavy menstrual cycles
- Breakthrough bleeding
- Ovarian cyst
- Bloating
- Weight gain
- Decreased libido
- Acne
- The monster within us emerging!
6 Tips To Balance Your Hormones In PMS And Perimenopause
1. Get A Good Night’s Sleep (7-9 hours)
- Create a relaxing nighttime ritual.
- Take an Epsom salt bath.
- Turn electronics off at 9 pm.
- Practice meditation, deep belly breathing and stretching before bed.
- Take supplements to support sleep, such as melatonin or magnesium.
- Add progesterone cream at night from ovulation to your period (I especially like my Balance Cream)
2. Eat Alkalizing And Detoxifying Foods
- Detoxing excess estrogen is essential to a healthy hormone balance.
- Enjoy cruciferous vegetables daily. Increase your intake of broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and dark greens like kale, collards, and chard.
- Make a green smoothie and add in Mighty Maca which is a combination of detoxifying, alkalizing and hormone balancing nutrients.
3. Indulge With Dark Chocolate
I am all about indulging and soothing the senses during this time. Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and I stand behind the research that supports it!
4. Nourish Yourself
Eat healthy fats and proteins at each meal, and in the evening add complex carbs like sweet potatoes. Avoid snacks and dairy. Add probiotic-rich and fermented foods.
5. Schedule In Playtime
Add in daily activities you love with people you love. This will help increase the hormone oxytocin and will help you connect with those around you. Restoring hormones of connections can help balance these feelings of isolation and loneliness and will increase serotonin and dopamine, which will keep you happier and calm.
6. Herbal Supplements (these are some of my favorites):
- Chasteberry
- Dandelion
- Dong Quai
- Red raspberry
A Few Tips For You Guys!
Guys, a warning to you! Saying things like the below may wind up severely upsetting your significant other.
- Is it that time of the month?
- I can tell your period’s coming!
- Honey, your hormones must be off!
Or, as my sweetheart has said to me, “You’re awesome except for those couple of days a month.”
When he found out I was giving a physician training on PMS and Perimenopausal Mood Disorders this month, he said, “Take good notes!”
(Ladies can I hear an, “Oh no... he did not!”)
So guys, learn to avoid saying things like the above, and you will most likely avoid hearing things like:
- My hormones are making me crazy because you’ve pissed them off!
- The couch misses you, time to stay there for a few nights.
- Sobbing!
However, doing the below will be of great benefit to you in the long run:
- Keep it to yourself.
- Be extra nice, helpful and supportive.
- Make a hot bath for your loved one.
- Cook up an alkalizing bone broth and yummy meal.
- Serve a special treat, like the Pumpkin Spice Shake below.
- Take the kids out for a while.
Your efforts will be appreciated, I promise, with love.
P.S. - Ready to banish PMS?
Try out Zenful! I've formulated it specially to ease the most common symptoms of PMS and promote estrogen detoxification so you can feel like yourself all month long.
