Nutritional Recommendations to Minimize PMS

Are you suffering from the effects of PMS?  Well, the road to feeling better has approached your doorstep, just follow-it, and your symptoms will start to improve.  PMS is a condition which is presented by many symptoms due to imbalances in our body.  Anxiety and irritability are likely associated with excessive estrogen and a deficiency in progesterone levels while your breast tenderness is due to increased fluid volume, an excess of the hormones aldosterone and prolactin.  Aldosterone is produced in the adrenal glands and causes water retention, and usually becomes elevated 2-8 days before we begin our period.  Prolactin increases as a result of stress, too much estrogen, or a magnesium deficiency and leads to PMS symptoms of breast tenderness and swelling, anxiety and irritability. The good news is that these symptoms can be reduced with making some small changes in your diet.  I am happy to suggest five dietary recommendations that should help to alleviate your own symptoms.  With this in mind, I want you to realize that decreasing symptoms can take time, and you may not notice complete dismissal of all symptoms during your next cycle; rather it may take 2-3 cycles. 

1.  Increase consumption of fibre-rich fruits.  Specifically, you can start by eating an apple every day.  Apples are packed with pectin, a type of dietary fibre that is very effective for carrying estrogen out of the body through regulation of your bowels.  This will help balance your hormones and decrease your PMS symptoms of anxiety, irritability and pain. 

2.  Take 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil daily.  Flaxseed oil supplies omega 3 essential fatty acids, which will reduce inflammation and corresponding pain associated with PMS.  

3.  Reduce Caffeine Intake. Caffeine consumption is strongly related to the presence and severity of anxiety and breast tenderness as it impairs estrogen metabolism.  Reducing the amount of caffeine will therefore help the process of eliminating the estrogen so that you have a better balance in the body.   Another great effect that reducing your caffeine will have is the ability to maintain vitamin and mineral content in your body, since caffeine is a diuretic which flushes the body of many of these essential components. 

4.  Include a high quality multi-vitamin/multi-mineral twice daily.  When selecting your brand, there are some specific aspects to look for as they will be beneficial in reducing your PMS symptoms.  I am going to give you some ranges, simply to make it easier as there are many multi-vitamins/multi-minerals on the market that have different dosages. Look for magnesium citrate (200-300mg) to help improve premenstrual pain threshold and emotional instability.  Please avoid magnesium oxide, magnesium glyconate, magnesium sulfate or magnesium chloride as they are not absorbed as well and have more laxative side effects.  Next you want to look for Vitamin B₆ (50 -75mg) also known as pyridoxine as it shows positive effects on all symptoms of PMS by reducing estrogen levels and increasing progesterone levels throughout the cycle.  B₆ will also help to keep the magnesium in the cells of the body, resulting in better sleep which may lead to less anxiety.  Zinc 200-300IUs) is a mineral that will help reduce your breast tenderness caused by reducing prolactin levels.  Finally, the multi should contain 200IU of Vitamin E.  There are different forms of Vitamin E but I want you to look for d-alpha-tocopherol as it is the more natural versus synthetic form. Vitamin E helps with anxiety and will also help to decrease breast tenderness.  In addition, it increases energy which will be beneficial while reducing your coffee intake.

5.  Take a Probiotic.  Our GI tract should contain thousands of bacteria beneficial to our health.  A side effect of taking antibiotics is the destruction of these beneficial bacteria.  Since you are taking Tetracycline, we want to re-inoculate the GI tract with some beneficial bacteria.  You are specifically going to look for a brand containing acidophilus and bifidus bacteria with 5 billion viable cells. This should be taken 2X daily with meals, (away from birth control pills) and is extremely safe.  You should not experience any detrimental side effects but should notice a decrease in symptoms of gas, and bloating. 

The sooner you make the changes, the faster you will note improvements.  Keep in mind, complete ratification of symptoms takes time and may take more adjustments.  Contact me for a free 15 minute consult so that I can specifically help you on the road to health.  Together we can evaluate your improvment and take more steps to reaching more stability of your cycle. 

Sincerely,

Deanne Dietz, CNP

905-538-8611

deanne@coachdeanne.ca

Reduce Constipation! The Secret Weapons – Calcium and Magnesium

In an earlier post, I stated that in an ideal world, we would visit the toilet 1-3X daily to have a bowel movement (1 meal in = 1 meal out), otherwise we are constipated.  I received many emails asking me what to do to help promote better bowel health so I decided I would post a couple of tips to help.

First of all there are the 2 basics.  Drink enough water, 8-10 glasses daily, and consume enough fibre about 40grams.  Fibre is the bulking agent and water helps keep everything flowing.  Keep in mind that if you drink caffeinated beverages, your water intake needs to increase as caffeine is a diuretic.

If you are consuming enough water and fibre, you may be lacking in calcium and/or magnesium.  Though there are many other things that could be the cause, it would be best to consult a Holistic Practitioner to do a full assessment, and so, for the purposes of this quick post, I will keep it very simple.

Magnesium helps reduce constipation

Magnesium is a gentle laxative that helps relax your colon walls when you are under stress or anxious.  Unfortunately that is almost a constant concern in today’s society. Magnesium also attracts water so supplementing on magnesium or eating foods high in magnesium will help to get water into the colon, which is necessary to keep your stools softer.   

Calcium helps reduce constipation

Calcium combines with excess bile and decaying fat (in your colon) to form a harmless insoluble soap, which is excreted with your stool. That’s right Calcium acts like a bath for your intestines! 

Best Supplemental Forms and Dosages

Using calcium and magnesium in the right quantities can prevent or relieve constipation.

The dose for supplementation varies from person to person, so start with a lower dose, and increase as needed.  You will know when you reach your upper tolerance of Magnesium because your bowels will become very loose.  At that time, reduce the dose.  Unlike irritating laxatives, magnesium does not create laxative dependency.  There are many forms of magnesium supplements, but I recommend purchasing magnesium oxide or magnesium citrate.

The same is true for Calcium.  Look for calcium gluconate or aspartate, preferably gluconate as it closely resembles the calcium you get from milk and vegetables.  This form is easily absorbed by individuals with weak digestion.  Natural Vitality has a product called “Natural Calm with Calcium” that I enjoy before bed as it mixes with water and is a soothing and calming warm beverage.

The key to remember is that without magnesium, calcium can actually cause constipation.  As a result I would recommend taking 400-500mg of calcium 3X daily at the same time as 200-300mg of magnesium.  (Maximum daily intake should be 1500mg of calcium and 1000mg of magnesium)

Side Effects of Calcium and Magnesium

Every beneficial supplement may still pose a risk for certain populations.  If you are taking a thyroid hormone, beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, or antibiotics, calcium supplements can interfere with adsorption of these drugs. It is best to take calcium around 2 hours before or after taking these and other drugs.

If taking magnesium, do not take it within 2 hours of taking any kind of drug.

If you have severe kidney or heart disease, you need to avoid magnesium and consult with your Health Care Practitioner.

It is important to note that Calcium and Magensium are safe for pregnant women.

Increase Magnesium and Calcium with Whole Foods!!

Before considering supplements, remember that whole foods are best and quite often will do the trick.    

Calcium Rich Foods:

Goat milk, egg yolk, fish, lemons, rhubarb, cheese, skimmed milk, bone broth, seeds, dulse, kelp, greens, nuts, cauliflower, celery, cottage cheese

Magnesium Rich Foods:

Greens, berries, wheat germ, grains, nuts, cornmeal, apples, apricots, oats, pears, pecans, spinach, tofu, lentils, honey, fish, cabbage, avocados, cashews, peas, prunes, soy milk, chard

Summing it All Up!

Regardless of the method you choose, consuming a balanced diet with a few servings of Magnesium and Calcium rich foods daily along with lots of water and fiber and your bowels should be moving in no time.  Along with this will come many health benefits including a stronger immune system, less parasitic and candida infection risk, and better absorption of nutrients.  It’s a win-win situation!

All the Best in Health,

Coach DeanneJ

P.S:  If you are chronically constipated (less than 1 bowel movement daily) consider having a full assessment done by a qualified Holistic Nutritionist.  Call or email me for a free 15 minute consult @ 905-538-8611 or deanne@coachdeanne.ca