Tips to Fight Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Are you yelling at the people around you this week? Suffering from mood swings? Get depressed and anxious for little things? Do you feel bloated and irritated? Feel exhausted and suffer from headaches. If you said yes, then go on and check the calendar dear, it might me that time of the month.

Almost four in ten women suffer from physical and emotional symptoms of PMS that are so severe and agonizing enough to affect the daily routine and activities.

PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) is associated with almost 200 different symptoms. But the most common symptoms are irritability, tension, unhappiness, crying spells, dizziness, stress, anxiety, food cravings, depression, bloating, abdominal cramping, headache, fatigue, insomnia, mood swings, swelling or tenderness in breasts, cyclic acne, joint or muscle pain. The list of symptoms can go on and on. But let's just concentrate on the various ways by which you can ease PMS.

Tips for easing Pre-menstrual Syndrome

Keep an eye on your diet and reduce the consumption of sugar and salt from your dietary routine especially for the last few days before your period. Doing this can immensely help to reduce bloating, breast tenderness, fluid retention and swelling.

Caffeine and alcohol affect your mood and appetite; aggravate anxiety, affect your sleep, cause depression and breast tenderness. Thus try to avoid caffeine and alcohol especially before the periods.

Have small, frequent meals few days before the periods as eating from time to time helps to keep your blood sugar stable and also aids in avoiding food cravings.Drink lots of water to reduce premenstrual bloating. Skipping meals at the time of PMS is what we tend to do often, but remember skipping food is a great way for PMS disaster. So keep in mind that not eating does not reduce bloating, cramps, headaches, nausea, or irritability.

Increase the intake of calcium and potassium in your daily dietary routine as it helps to reduce many PMS symptoms like depression, bloating, pain, mood swings and food cravings. From now on drink fresh juices, eat bananas religiously, incorporate whole grain and beans into your regular diet. Eat nuts, yogurt, and tuna, salmon, chicken, lean meat regularly.

Indulge in some exercise as staying physically active helps a great deal in reducing PMS symptoms. Exercise helps to enhance your mood, burns your calories and is rightly regarded as a natural stress - reducer. Brisk walking, jogging, swimming or cycling help a great deal to relieve PMS symptoms. Breathing exercises, mediation, aromatherapy and yoga too help to reduce stress and relax you immensely before periods.

Pamper your self, try to relax by treating yourself to what you love the most. Express your emotions do not hide at all, give priority to your needs and do what makes you happy.

From now on make dietary and lifestyle changes your first line of defence to fight against PMS. Remember to ease PMS by following the new abbreviation P - Physically Active , M - Maintain Healthy Diet , S - Share Sentiments