5 ways to manage PMS naturally
Eating more whole foods, more fruits and veg, omega 3s and fibre are all important for managing PMS naturally, as well as reducing sugar and processed foods. Research finds that vitamin B6 and magnesium and the herb Agnus castus can all help as well. Try some gentle exercise to ease PMS too.
1. Eat a whole food plant based diet
The first thing that we're gonna look at is our diet. So, first of all, eat more whole foods, particularly a diet that's heavy in plants. It doesn't need to be only plants, but the more vegetables you eat and the more whole foods you eat, the better. They are anti-inflammatory for our bodies. They help with a whole load of different things, all of those good nutrients that we know. "Eat more veggies" is pretty good advice for most health conditions really!
But things like nuts and seeds can be really helpful too. And, in particular, I want to mention flaxseeds. Flaxseeds are really great because they're high in omega-3s which are really brilliant as well. So you could also get your omega-3s in other nuts and seeds like walnuts and also in oily fish. Fish oil supplements or algae-based ones for vegans are good options too. Omega-3 is very important. Flaxseeds are really important for their Omega-3 content but also for their phytoestrogen content. So they've got hormone-balancing properties too which are really great.
And the last thing about the whole foods that's really important is the effect of the fibre. So, fibre is really important for our digestion. Having a good, strong digestion is really important for minimizing symptoms of PMS, especially ones that include bloating and other digestive issues. However, for all the different symptoms, it can be really helpful too.
There is this new area of discussion around something called the oestrobolome. We're all very familiar with the microbiome now but the estrobolome relates to how microbiome affects our estrogen levels, and our hormones that are related with PMS, so the fiber is really important for clearing that extra estrogen as well from the estrobolome in our digestive tract.
2. Reduce sugar and processed food
The next thing when it comes to diet is to limit our sugar and processed food and even though that's really what we often crave, at this time of the month. A great thing to do is to opt for some dark chocolate, preferably with raw coconut sugar or other kinds of sugar that don't necessarily spike your blood sugars as much and are maybe a little bit less inflammatory than typical cane or beet sugar. And, for me, personally, anyway, I find them less addictive. And they don't kind of affect my mood as much as the highly processed stuff.
Processed foods, in general, are best avoided as well, again, because of the inflammatory effect it has on our bodies, which can also, in turn, put our hormones more out of balance.
3. Supplements – B6, magnesium, chromium and iron
The third thing that we need to look at is our nutrient intake. Some supplements that can be really helpful if you're not getting enough in your diet is vitamin B6. A 2020 clinical trial looked at vitamin B6 and how effective it is for treating PMS. (1) An earlier study that was looking at magnesium and vitamin B6 together, making it even more impactful, the two of those together. (2)
I find chromium really helpful too, particularly for the people who crave sugar a lot and maybe have any kind of blood sugar issues, particularly in that week before your period. And iron can be helpful for some women too. I find iron more maybe before and during your bleed, particularly if you have a heavy bleed. But then, if say you have a heavy bleed and then your iron levels are depleted from that period, then you've got lower levels of iron going through the rest of your cycle and that can then have an effect on your PMS premenstrually before your next bleed as well.
4. Herbal medicine – Agnus castus
Number four is herbal medicine because I'm a herbalist. (I've got to talk about the herbs right!) My favorite herb for PMS is Vitex agnus castus. Agnus castus is a wonderful herb for women's hormones. It help the hormones like estrogen and progesterone to communicate better together. Really great, particularly for that case of oestrogen dominance, or more accurately excess oestrogen in relation to progesterone, which presents as symptoms such as bloating, anger and irritability, breast tenderness.
You can get Agnus casts as a tincture. I recommend taking it in drops. You can take 30 drops first thing in the morning, or you can take 15 drops twice a day. And both ways work really effectively. It is important to note that this herb needs to be taken every day of your cycle, not just when you experience PMS.
5. Exercise
The last thing I want to mention is exercise. So exercise is often something that we don't want to do when we're feeling a bit crabby and premenstrual, but getting out and moving can just really, really help shift the mood, regardless of whether it's related to PMS or any other mood issues like anxiety or depression. When we get our bodies moving i releases endorphins and helps give us that feel-good factor.
Particularly, I find exercising in nature really great. I am a nature lover. But there's also a lot of research into things like forest bathing, shinrin-yoku, as they call it in Japan. (3)
I also am a really big fan of swimming in nature. Swimming is such a gentle kind of exercise. You know, you don't want to be really pushing yourself in the gym or running a marathon in this premenstrual week where our energy levels are naturally lower, and we're kind of preparing ourselves, like in autumn, when we're moving inwards more for our inner winter, our bleed.
But it is still good to keep moving. So gentle exercise, like yoga, which I love, of course, and swimming, and walking. Walking in nature in the forest, of course, could be great. And I love swimming in nature, in the cold water. Generally, we don't recommend the freezing cold Irish sea or a very cold river, or stream, or lake, or anything for the days that you have your bleed as you want to stay warm during your period. However in the premenstrual phase, it can be really, really helpful to have that time, cold therapy, as well as the activity of the swimming.
But, you know, if you can't get out in nature, then to the gym. I love going to the gym. It really gets my endorphins moving and pumping. Just make sure you keep it kind of gentle, premenstrually. And, if you can't exercise or really don't feel exercising, listen to your body, but maybe, take that time in nature to get the benefits of being outside and being in nature instead.
Your premenstrual superpower
Yes you read that right! PMS can be a superpower!
The last thing I want to say though before we finish is that PMS is not necessarily a bad thing that needs to be managed. Although sometimes, you know, we might want to manage it. That's why I have all these options for you. But sometimes, PMS can be a really good feedback tool from our bodies to show us when things aren't working in our lives. Your premenstural can give you some real clarity and insight into what you really need.
So maybe we're getting really angry and frustrated at work, or in a relationship, or whatever it might be, and it gives us this sort of clarity like it's a lot of the layers are stripped away. And we're much quicker to snap maybe, but we're also much more able to see things for what they really are.
So it might be just even a shift, a mindset shift of how you deal with these couple of days leading up to your period where things are a little bit more on edge. It might actually be giving you clarity of what and how things can change in your life as well if you've kind of got all the good things going already, like exercise and diet. That might be somewhere else you might want to explore further.
Thank you all so much for your time. As always, if you have any questions, give me a shout, comment below or send me an email. And if you think of anyone that might find this blog helpful as well, please share it with them!
Thank you all so much!
Siobhán x
