Urgh ladies we have all been there – every month, once a
month and we will be until we are in our 50’s, maybe even our 60’s! Yep the
monthly visits we all dread. Period. (Joke intended!!) Tiredness, pain,
bloating, mood swings and craving are sprinkled on us by mother nature for a
few long days and what long days they are. I have had a monthly battle (as it
has become known) for about 21 years of my life now with this – to the point
where laughing it off, eating chocolate and skating round a la a body form
advert in white skinny jeans was nowhere near an option. For 5 days a month I
go from being happy, calm and optimistic to being what can only be described as
a possessed crazy lady. To my friends, family and lovely man I can become
unrecognisable. So after years of struggling, hating myself and it being listed
as a reason to end a relationship with me I decided 6 months ago it was time to
deal with this beast head on.
The first step was my GP. Who, by all accounts knows me
well and is a lovely lady with a wicked sense of humour. Despite my fears she
took me seriously and started me on some medication which, although felt
extreme, has helped massively. But like any good practitioner she encouraged me
to look at lifestyle changes, self-help and holistic therapies to help tame
this monster. So here is my list of helpful tips that will hopefully work for
you –
·
Chamomile - in tea form - you'll want one
which contains the flowers not the leaves too, preferably Dr. Stewart's, as it
contains the essential oils too. Add sweet freedom agave syrup, otherwise it's
an acquired taste. This will relax you. Dr. Stewart's also do a brilliant
herbal tea called "Tranquility" which really does de-stress you
powerfully. It doesn't taste very nice, and you will want to add some sweetener,
but it certainly does the trick!!
·
Evening Primrose Oil capsules - helps with
mood swings, and water retention. Always a good idea for women to take this
every day, as it's good with balancing oestrogen (so I understand).
·
Essential oils (either a few drops mixed into
a carrier oil for massaging into pulse points if you're on the go, or a few
drops in the bath, or used in an oil burner - put some water in the dish, add a
few drops and light the tea-light, making sure the dish doesn't burn dry):
Lavendar (relaxing), clary sage (reviving, mood-balancing, uplifting), rose or
ylang ylang (uplifting). Geranium, chamomile, and neroli are all uplifting, and
frankincense is relaxing, uplifting and good for meditation (always a good idea
when suffering from PMT) and clear-headedness. I personally swear by Neals Yard
Womens Balance, I use it in the bath, mixed with oil as a moisturiser and mixed
with their baby balm on my pulse points.
·
Dark chocolate releases endorphins into the
bloodstream, helps boost the immune system, and is a super-food (more of the
good stuff and less of the fatty stuff than you get in milk chocolate). So I'd
recommend eating a few squares of that if you need an extra little lift.
·
Yoga is extremely helpful when fighting
Mother N. And I am not talking full on hand balances and back bends. I am
talking comforting like child’s pose (my favourite and most comforting), the
cat / cow transition sequence and happy baby. Positions you can crawl to in
your PJ’s if needs be (yes I have done this!)
·
Release serotonin into your brain. This is
not some scary Frankenstein idea but the chemical that makes us feel good. A
depletion in serotonin is what happens when you have a low mood or extremely
low levels equals depression. Whilst SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitor) medications can be used to increase serotonin production you can
help it along by ensuring you eat healthy carbs such as a whole meal bread,
pasta and brown rice as they help the brain to produce serotonin. A top trick I
have learnt to get the brain to release serotonin (which I love) is watching YouTube
videos that make you feel good. Cute cats, daft dogs and babbling babies – whatever
floats your boat as long as they distract you and make you giggle.
·
A vegan diet. Yep it has been proven that a
diet high in whole grains, bran, nuts and dark green leafy vegetables provides us with enough calcium and magnesium
to help prevent muscular contractions, headaches cramp and bloating. It also
has an impact on certain brain chemicals and hormones (serotonin again and dopamine)
which help lift your mood.
·
A good old fashioned hot water bottle.
Hope this helps, and remember you're not alone in this – we
all struggle and it really is just a case of finding what works for you but just to make you smile - check this out....
Cute cats!
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