Every month, billions of women get their periods and for many, it’s a dreaded event.
In fact, a whopping 75% – 90% of women experience some sort of premenstrual symptom.
If you’re reading this, then you’re most likely one of those 75 – 90% of women.
And you want relief. Right. Now.
So, in this post I’m going to share 4 simple, yet effective, tips that you can use whenever those intrusive PMS symptoms strike!

THE ROOT CAUSE OF PMS

Before I get into the specifics of my PMS remedies, let’s take a few moments to look at what’s happening in the body during the menstrual cycle.
From a technical perspective, there’s a fluctuation of hormone levels, with estrogen increasing and progesterone decreasing.
This fluctuation is naturally designed to occur.
But contrary to popular opinion, it is not the root cause of PMS (unless you believe that nature is your enemy and out to get you).
The root cause of PMS lies in how the body reacts to the natural hormonal change.
How the body reacts to natural hormonal changes is what manifests as PMS symptoms.
So you might be wondering: what affects how the body reacts? Well, the answer lies in our lifestyle.

HOW LIFESTYLE AFFECTS PMS

As I already mentioned, nature has programmed estrogen to increase during our monthly cycle.
Since estrogen is already high, if our lifestyle exposes us to extra estrogen, we become estrogen dominant.
These days it’s very easy to be in a state of estrogen dominance, thanks to things like:

pesticides in food (pesticides are estrogen based)
processed oils, processed sugar and processed food in general (some contain estrogen-based chemicals and/or chemicals, as well as chemicals that directly interfere with our hormone system)
plastic bottles (they contain compounds like BPA, which is estrogen-based)
unfiltered water (common water pollutants interfere with our hormone-regulating processes)
cosmetics (contains chemicals that disrupt our hormone production system)

Estrogen dominance is no joke and it can go on for years, undiagnosed.

Now, with all of these toxins floating around and inside of us, does this mean you have to live in a bubble?
Not at all!
You simply have to make choices that boost your health and that build on each other.
As you do this, your PMS symptoms will eventually dissipate!

4 NATURAL REMEDIES FOR PMS SYMPTOMS

1. Take a Detox Approach

Did you know that your period is actually a monthly detox?
Think about it: a detox is simply about eliminating things the body doesn’t need or doesn’t have any use for.
And detoxing is something you already do everyday when you have a bowel movement or when you pee.
You’re simply eliminating waste that the body doesn’t need.
And when there is no pregnancy, the uterine lining is not needed.
This means the body has to eliminate it!
Now, going back to bowel movements for a second, what do you usually do when you’re constipated or have diarrhea?
You adjust your diet. You don’t blame your colon for being stupid, right?
So, when it comes to PMS, we don’t need to buy into the idea that it’s just our hormones being difficult.
Instead, we need to make dietary and lifestyle changes that support the body’s detoxification pathways.
This means:

eat whole, unprocessed foods
avoid alcohol, caffeine, processed sugar and artificial sweeteners
eat more organic, non-GMO foods
avoid strenuous exercise (particularly during those initial heavy flow days) and participate in relaxing activities like yoga, tai chi or walking

2. Eat Healthy, Unprocessed Fats

Having a good supply of raw almonds or other raw nuts is so soothing during your cycle!
With all the bloating, cramps or mood swings that come with PMS, the wrong food choices frequently make things worse.
However, naturally fatty foods are very filling and they provide the type of fats that the brain and gut love.
This is significant because:

the brain is over 60% fat and mood swings/irritability are often the result of not not eating enough fat or not eating the right types of fat.
the gut is where a lot of hormones are made but conditions like leaky gut syndrome, can lead to hormone deficiencies. Healthy fats are excellent for healing the gut and restoring hormone balance.

Some healthy fats to load up on include:

raw nuts
chia seeds
organic, antibiotic-free butter or ghee
coconuts and coconut oil
olive oil
avocados

3. Flush Out Waste with Water and Herbal Teas

During your monthly cycle, your body is quite literally flushing out waste.
To make the task easier, make sure to stay hydrated by drinking enough water.
Also, drink herbal teas like ginger tea and red raspberry leaf tea.
Ginger is an excellent anti-inflammatory and in a tea form, it’s an effective detox agent that you can sip on all day.
As for red raspberry leaf tea, it’s full of vitamins and minerals, it’s great for removing excess estrogen and it has an affinity for the reproductive organs.
Red raspberry leaf feeds the reproductive system with the nutrients it needs and brings balance to your flow.

4. Load Up on Fruits and Veggies

Eating more fruits and veggies during your cycle does wonders for soothing your symptoms.
I particularly like to focus on water-rich fruits and veggies (watermelons, cucumbers, oranges, and so on).
Their high water content and living enzymes help with cleansing the body, while the fiber (particularly from the veggies) heals the gut, satisfies hunger and keeps your regular.

CONCLUSION

When it comes to PMS symptoms, always remember to work with your body’s natural ebb and flow.
As you understand what your body is doing – and why! – you can make healthy choices that will make your flow days just another day!
I’d love to hear about your experience with PMS. Have you tried natural remedies before, and how did they work for you? Feel free to share in the comments!

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