What to eat to beat PMS and what to avoid
2. Avoid excess sugar and white carbs
You may be craving them, but you should avoid sugary foods and processed carbohydrates (such as white breads and pastas and baked goodies). Sugar may prevent the body from metabolizing estrogen, so eating it can encourage estrogen levels to rise, Woolven reports.
Women with high-sugar diets tend to have PMS symptoms more often than those who don't, writes Michael Murray in the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (Three Rivers Press, 1997). To satisfy your sweet cravings, try a natural sugar substitute like stevia and eat fresh fruits such as melons, berries and apples.
3. Cut caffeine
According to Woolven, if you suffer with PMS symptoms such as depression, anxiety, breast tenderness or sleep disturbances, ditch all sources of caffeine, including coffee, black tea and soda.
If you're sensitive to caffeine, also avoid decaf tea and coffee, because they contain small amounts of the stimulant. Caffeine aggravates the psychological symptoms of PMS, and it can deplete your body's stores of zinc and B-vitamins, which help relieve and combat PMS.
4. Eat soy
Soy battles PMS because it contains phytoestrogens which bind to estrogen receptor sites in your body, bump regular estrogen out of the way, and encourage your body to excrete it.
In short, soy helps to balance your estrogen levels, so remember to eat your tofu and tempeh (a fermented soy item rich in B-vitamins) for a better period.
5. Cut down on salt
Sorry to say it, salt cravers, but sodium-rich treats like potato chips can worsen PMS. Salt leaves you feeling bloated because it puts stress on your kidneys and hampers their ability to deal with fluid regulation. And that's a recipe for with water retention.
Instead of choosing salty snacks, satisfy cravings for something crunchy with raw vegetables such as carrots and celery.
Click to continue to learn about the vitamins and minerals your body craves to relieve PMS...
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