Alleviating PMS Symptoms with Proper Nutrition

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For many women, controlling PMS symptoms is a monthly struggle. They keep a heating pad and pain relievers close by, give in to cravings for sweets and salty food, and avoid wearing any pants with a zipper. But believe it or not, the things you eat just before your period can keep PMS at bay and your favorite jeans from feeling too tight.

The Problem with Salt

If your stomach or breasts feel huge and heavy right before or during your period, reduce the amount of salty food you eat during the week before and on the first day of your period. Salt causes water retention and increases bloating. There are the obvious sources of salt that you may crave before your period – pretzels, potato chips and French fries – but there are also hidden sources, like frozen dinners and lunch meats, that don’t seem too harmful but can contain a lot of sodium.

Kick the Caffeine

Caffeine in any form can seriously alter your mood, especially if your hormones are already in high gear. If you want to bring your pre-period moodiness to a minimum, try replacing your favorite coffee or espresso drink with a decaf version. Take a week off from sodas, chocolate and caffeinated teas, too.

Water, 100 percent fruit juices and caffeine-free herbal tea are better beverage options right before and during your period. Many drugstores and health food stores even sell special “PMS tea.”

Make Healthy Eating Part of Your Lifestyle

Food Pyramid

Don’t wait until that time of the month to eat well. If you make a healthy diet and exercise part of what you do every day, it won’t seem so hard to keep up during your period. A nutritious diet is also more likely to alleviate your worst PMS symptoms. Just give it a try it for three months. That’s all the time it takes for all sorts of good benefits to start showing up and for your junk food cravings to subside.

Have a Good Morning.

Along with a balanced breakfast, consider a multivitamin as part of your morning routine. Look for a vitamin with all of the recommended daily allowance of the vitamins most necessary in your diet. Multivitamins specifically formulated for women are also available.

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What others are saying.

C, 6/23/2008 11:07:45 PM
y would any woman in their rite mind stop eating chocolate during their PMS and period?! its sooo helpful

cassidy, 7/1/2008 4:45:18 PM
HAHA i know right! its like my security blanket/savior haha

girl08, 7/13/2008 9:48:44 PM
they say that chocolate is actually a relaxant! I tried it one day when i was stressed about my period and going though PMS and it hepled me just fine! IT ACTUALLY WORKED! So while other caffeine should be kicked out of your diet chocolate is a definate stay in mine!!

someone, 7/15/2008 10:39:04 PM
wow......... eating healthy NEVER helps me

N+A, 7/16/2008 4:35:32 PM
ha yeah chocholate is a girls best friend it helps and you know what else helps ibuprofen 800 mg. ahahaha i would know and umm water caffiene is my best friend and oh ugh cramps suck but i eat a lot on my period so i excersice...

Amy, 7/16/2008 7:49:40 PM
I find eating food high in iron helps, this may be meets like beef, or fruits like strawberries. Chocolate definitely helps too.

Warm liquids like tea and hot soup also help.

anon, 7/16/2008 9:51:02 PM
I am thrilled that Kotex is recommending non-medicinal remedies. We all know about taking ibuprofen, but if there are other things we can do, I'm all for trying.

Of course, I have to agree on my morning mocha - the chocolate just has to stay. But, I will be trying out decaf next month.

Choconut, 7/16/2008 10:51:54 PM
chocolate soo helps. it gets rid of my cramps and stuff. plus when your on your period and you eat chocolate you DONT GAIN weight. which is soooo awesome!

crystal, 7/17/2008 12:50:34 AM
I can't stand chocolate at all it breaks me out but now my coffee and pop aren't going anywhere it doesn't seem to bother me when i'm on my period... I think it keeps me sane....lol...

Chrissy, 7/17/2008 4:34:40 AM
I find some healthy foods like broccoli, brussel sprouts and especially any kind of bean causes really bad gas during my period...worse than usual and the pressure actually seems to intensify my cramps. And giving up my diet coke is soooooooooooooo NOT going to happen lol you think pms causes mood swings wait till theres hundreds of pms'ing woman with caffeine withdrawl!

Dogma, 7/17/2008 8:45:17 AM
For me, a small piece of dark chocolate works wonders, also taking calcium supplements helps too. It is important to eat healthy food during the PMS and menstrual times. If I want pasta, I'll use whole wheat instead of white. It's better for you and more satisfying.

Joni, 7/17/2008 10:47:11 AM
I also increase my calcium intake and I take Estroven PMS. I swear by it, it so helps my moodiness, bloating, etc and it's all natural. I sleep a lot and people leave me alone...and I'm fine during PMS!! LOL!

VS, 7/17/2008 11:13:33 AM
Caffeine is a diuretic. It helps reduce fluid buildup and cramps. Along with iron, calcium is very helpful for reducing cramps. The biggest surprise to me was gingko, the herb that's touted for memory. It reduced my extreme PMS symptoms, a completely unexpected bonus. Whether it helps my memory, I'm not sure, but I take gingko every day now and don't have the anger, breast pain or phantom cramps before my period. Everybody's body is different, but I wish someone had told me about this a long time ago!

sharon, 7/17/2008 11:59:25 AM
no salt? but that is what i want during that time. I can tell when I have PMS by going to the store. My cart is full of chips. I don't usually eat chips at other times.

Shawna718, 7/17/2008 12:26:27 PM
I drink iced green tea with 50% chamomile tea. Chamomile relaxes moods and cramps and green tea has very little caffiene.

Mary-Ann, 7/17/2008 1:51:37 PM
Chrissy, you're absolutely right about gas...gas and cramps are NEVER a good mix. I usually get very tired when I have my period so I try to just sleep through it. And there's no way I could ever give up my chocolate and caffeine. But they are right about the craving for salty food intensifying...I must have eaten a whole bag of cheez doodles the day before I got my period. So don't forget to drink a lot of water and keep that Advil handy!

NurseG, 7/17/2008 2:50:32 PM
I agree with Chrissy, without coffee I am pretty much the most miserable person in the world. Combine no caffeine with PMS, that is a recipe for disaster! Everyone in my life would be ready to heady for a week long hiatus til my spell passed. No caffeine is not a good idea for me, but I do try to avoid salt and the fast food cravings during that time!

Retta, 7/18/2008 11:24:38 AM
My husband has had many good conversations with the owner of our neighborhood healthfood store. He suggested Valerian Root for my menstral cramps. It smells really bad ( freeze dried capsule form) BUT it works so good. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any herbal supplements though.

Jenn, 7/18/2008 12:18:04 PM
I agree with Joni. Surprizingly Estroven PMS helps me too! Thing is, try and find the little bugger! I can go to Walgreens or CVS and spend the better part of an hour trying to find it only to be told they dont' carry it or something. UGH!
Best bet? Longs Drugs. And while I can give up chocolate, I'm a saltaholic at that time too. Chip me, baby!

Me, 7/21/2008 4:43:18 AM
i have PMDD. I don't care for Chocolate or crave Salt but I bloat and gain over 10 pounds in 2 days. I drink plenty of water and want to know why I need Yaz (the Pill and is supposed to help) and darvocet for the first 2 days. If anyone has any better ideas let me know. I will try the calcium and iron as that is something I haven't done yet.

PJL, 7/21/2008 2:06:13 PM
I'm allergic dairy, so I enjoy a warm cup of chammomile during my period, which I am wondering if anyone can inform me on such, is it normal for the period to be at the beg. of the month for a few years, then start at approx. the 20-24 of the month for a while? This is the third time my period has changed. Is that at all normal??

Janet, 7/21/2008 4:00:41 PM
One to two weeks before my period, all I want to do is EAT!! I'll eat lunch or dinner then 30 to 60 minutes later I'm STARVING!! How do I control that?

emme, 7/22/2008 12:44:23 AM
MAGNESIUM! Can't sell it enough. Just discovered, boy has it helped!

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=VS-1453

for example.

jean, 7/22/2008 1:57:05 PM
does anyone get constipated the wk bf? I do really bad

girl, 7/27/2008 5:39:06 PM
i get constipated the week before too I also crave lots of salt

cee, 7/28/2008 11:55:26 AM
going through the "change +PMS = nuts. what can help the mood swings etc.. There is only so much chocolate in the world...? Thanks

Kelly, 8/13/2008 3:49:15 PM
I was going to say.....isn't Midol consisted of mostly caffiene? I have to take Midol practically EVERY day during my period, plus for the 3 days leading up to it. My headaches are horrible, along with soft stools (yuck). I have a little bloating, but not enough to worry about....just the HEADACHES. They are the worst. I am on the pill (TriSprintec), but I think I might switch to Yaz. Any advice on this new pill?

Marissa, 8/14/2008 10:18:11 AM
Janet, I have never tried this before but one of those Special K drinks might help. Even though they are made for weight loss, they curb your appetite so that you're not so hungry anymore. I'm not saying anything about weight loss, but if you think you need to lose a couple of pounds, this drink wouldn't hurt. Just don't go crazy on it, otherwise you might never eat and turn anorexic. That's not what you would want to happen. I guess they would sell it in maybe like a drugstore like CVS or GNC, or maybe a local one in your town. That's all I can think of that can curb your appetite. Either that or looking at your 80-year-old teacher's hairy legs (BLECH). Anyway, good luck. And you can always ask me for advice. I like this website. I think advice is my thing. XD

emma, 9/5/2008 10:51:12 PM
Why does it seem that the things you crave most during PMS are the things they tell you not to have? I mean, when I have PMS I want chocolate, caffeine (I'm alway tired during PMS), and salty potatoe chips.

I guess I could try to go to bed earlier and eat more fruits and veggies. My chocolate isn't going anywhere though! Whoever said not to eat chocolate during your period was obviously an umarried (and incurably stupid) man!

tonia, 9/24/2008 2:21:21 PM
I hate the sick feeling

the PMS helper, 9/26/2008 3:18:22 PM
i know that when im on my PERIOD i get tired, my back hurts, my head hurts and i cramp... sometimes its not all those things at once, but its usually a few of them! :]

Midol REALLY helps as well as pamprin, they relieve all the symptoms caused by your period/PMS

Talk to your mother, tell her that you need something to relieve it.
its better than ibprophen and Asprin. :]

to emma, 9/27/2008 11:02:28 AM
I agree with you. I love chocolate, especially during my period. I can't eat anything salty though, it make the cramps worse, or I just have bad timing and every time I eat something salty i get cramps. I have started to eat healthier before i start, but I love my chocolate and am never going to give that up.

jane , 10/14/2008 2:25:51 PM
evening primrose oil helps the moodiness for me

Claire, 12/7/2008 1:06:10 PM
I don't normally have a sweet tooth but during my period I really crave chocolate. I also suffer from stomach cramps and slight nausea, but only on the first day thankfully, but the most annoying thing is the need to pee more often, it's such a pain when I'm at work.
A hot water bottle and a comfy sofa it all I want.

Lola, 12/20/2008 7:47:08 PM
Whenever i get my period, i crav liquids (water, cool aide, soda, juice, etc) someone told me that drinking too much will cause bad bloating. i have noticed that I bloat, but not that bad!! helppp meeee!~!

mimi :], 1/8/2009 7:15:50 PM
ii finD that inerestinq bcuz althouqh ii crave aLL that sweet stuff durinq my period.. it actually qives me O.D. pain .. but onLy last the 1st 2or3 days

Amber, 1/10/2009 9:00:15 PM
I started taking Yaz about 6 months ago. I've heard a lot of bad about it. But I'm still taking it. The first 3 months I was nautious, but didn't actualy throw up like I usually do. It also seems to keep my hormones more level. Best part is knowing exactly when to expect your cycle. Its worth it to me, but may not be for everyone.

Jaquline, 1/14/2009 7:47:14 PM
its so nice to know that you are not the only one going through this! until viewing this site, i did not know why i was binging on salty food and chocolaty food. i thought i had a problem.

Cleo, 1/15/2009 8:36:22 PM
Thanks for the info.

Delaynie/HELP ME!!, 1/30/2009 8:15:38 PM
when i got my first periond which was a few weeks ago the week before my period i felt sick to my stomach but did not throw up why is that is it normal HELP ME!!!

Lisa, 2/1/2009 6:53:41 PM
Anyone get PMS symptoms two weeks before your period? Such as breast pain?

Cleotilde, 3/12/2009 1:25:22 AM
i LOVE this article. i use 2 always drink soda n eat chocolate. but i got HORRIBLE cramps. i LOVE KOTEX !!!!!!!

Mary, 4/20/2009 8:12:30 PM
Making sure I get enough calcium really does lessen the symptoms of PMS for me.

plerticeratryuoiher, 5/18/2009 9:26:19 PM
Exercizing really helps! omg i exersized and omg i had the lightest period

Lori, 6/8/2009 10:07:43 AM
I have pms for a good 2 weeks it seem I only have one week free and that's it. I get very bloting any advice for that. Exercise helps pms but I have to do a lot of it.

nikki, 6/8/2009 3:38:19 PM
I am 13 and have been using kotex ever since I started my period (at 11) When did you start yours????????????

hallie , 6/10/2009 6:58:52 PM
to Cleotide

the reason why you have horrible cramps are beause you drink soda which has a lot of caffeine which makes cramps worse. so dont intake anythhing w/ caffeine

Twilight Lover =), 6/20/2009 9:02:45 PM
I fully recomend drinking water during ur period./....it makes your skin look better and it helps with the periods.

eleven, 7/5/2009 9:21:00 PM
so helpful girls they are so right

Prisilla, 7/30/2009 7:21:34 PM
Is it normal to want throw up and have intense headaches right before getting your period? I also heard that anything cold causes more cramps, is that true?

Nickie, 8/13/2009 5:52:21 PM
I don't understand why the clotting and cramps have progressively gotten worse since turning 35. Also, I recently started having headaches. My cycle is very inconsistent. It will stop and then start again suddenly with no warning. I have had the uterine ablation but the symptoms have returned. My dr. said the next step was the big hysterectomy but I really don't want to do that, even though I know I have several fibroid tumors. I just can't go on like this. I can't work some days, it is so bad. And if anyone even thinks of trying to take my chocolate away they will regret it! lol. I have found an alternative tho....chocolate protein bars. There is a "Zone" brand..dark chocolate/almond and also Snickers has some good ones out. At least I'm getting protein with it?? And, Hallie, caffeine might exacerbate the cramping, but it by no means causes it for me. I cramp no matter what and nothing helps.

becca, 9/22/2009 9:06:50 PM
I love kotex is the only trampon i use best design eva

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