Hormonal Harmony: Natural Ways to Relieve PMS Symptoms

For many women, PMS (aka premenstrual syndrome) is something they’ve lived with for much of their lives.

The symptoms can range from mild to severe and can include everything from mood swings to headaches, tummy pain and bloating to irritability, from acne to anxiety, and more. And in many cases, we’re told, or we assume, that we have to just live with it.

But what if I told you there are many things you can do yourself that can help you manage your PMS symptoms naturally? Relatively small changes to your lifestyle can have a big effect on your symptoms, as well as regulating your cycle.

Let’s have a look at some of the things you can try to help you take control of your PMS naturally.

Seed Cycling

Seed cycling is gaining popularity among women for its effectiveness in hormone regulation, which can result in cycle regulation and symptom reduction.

The basis of the approach is that since fluctuations in our levels of progesterone and oestrogen are the cause of PMS symptoms and irregular or heavy cycles, eating foods that are known to either stimulate or regulate production of one or the other at the right time in your cycle helps to create hormonal balance.

During the first half of your cycle (the follicular phase), including freshly ground flax seeds and pumpkin seeds in your diet (by way of a smoothie, for example) can help balance oestrogen levels. Once you ovulate, you enter the luteal phase of your cycle, during which progesterone is meant to rise; switching to freshly ground sesame seeds and sunflower seeds during this time can help stimulate your progesterone production. The overall effect is hormonal balance and a reduction in unpleasant PMS symptoms.

As a side note, research lags behind when it comes to providing studies to back this method with scientific data. But there is a fast-growing stack of anecdotal evidence that it works, and most importantly, unless you have an allergy to one or more of the recommended seeds, it is a safe method to try and see if it helps you.

Exercise

I can hear you rolling your eyes from here, but I promise: low-impact forms of exercise can help PMS symptoms enormously.

I’m not talking about going to exhausting HIIT classes or taking up marathon running; gentle is better for this phase of your cycle. Think yoga, Pilates, walking, or swimming, forms of exercise that get your body moving without straining it.

The key is that it should be enjoyable and not too taxing, as your body is already under a lot of stress just dealing with fluctuating hormones and PMS symptoms.

Diet

When you put the wrong fuel in your car, it doesn’t perform to capacity. Similarly, put the wrong fuel in your body, and it won’t, either.

Many health complaints, including PMS, can be lessened by being choosy about the fuel you give your body. Your body needs the right nutrients in order to maintain all its various functions and systems, so make sure you give it food that provides those nutrients.

As a general rule, a diet that includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins is a great place to start. Foods high in magnesium can help with bloating and cramping, so be sure to add in plenty of dark, leafy greens, as well as seeds and nuts.

And don’t forget hydration: most of us go about our day in a constant state of mild to moderate dehydration. Be sure to get at least two to three litres of water each day to allow your body to function to the best of its ability.

Supplements

In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need supplements; we’d be able to get all our nutritional needs met by the foods we eat.

In reality, though, that’s difficult to achieve even for the most dedicated among us.

Magnesium is a supplement that can be especially helpful for those struggling with bloating, cramps, and even sleeplessness during PMS. If you experience breast tenderness, Vitamin B6 may help, and for mood swings and inflammation, Omega-3 fatty acids can be enormously helpful.

It’s wise to chat to your GP before starting supplements, as some are contraindicated with certain conditions or medications.

Stress Management

Stress is one of the biggest factors in the severity of PMS symptoms. The more stress you’re under, the worse your symptoms will be, and the worse your symptoms are, the greater your stress will become. It’s a vicious cycle.

Reducing your stress levels as best you can is vital to managing your PMS symptoms. Take a long, hard look at your life to see where the stressors are and cut out or reduce the ones you can. That friend who drains your energy with endless complaining and negativity might be someone you need to reduce contact with; the client who won’t respect work hours and calls you at 11pm may just need to find your phone switched off, or better yet, be referred to someone else.

For those stressors that you cannot reduce or cut out of your life, introduce stress management techniques to help. Relaxation techniques like mindfulness, breathing techniques, and meditation can really help wind down your stress levels and settle your nervous system.

There’s a lot of information on each of these techniques available on the internet, some of it right here on this blog – see our blog on The Zen Zone: Stress Management Techniques for Women.

PMS is frustrating and can be debilitating, but it doesn’t have to rule your life. You can take control and learn to manage it quite effectively by exploring some of the above techniques to see which ones are right for you.

Remember none of these things will help overnight. It will take time for your hormone levels to stabilise, so give it several of months of consistent practice at least for each technique before you decide it’s not working for you.