Contrary to it’s clever title, this post has absolutely nada to do with Cypress Hill and everything to do with having ovaries. They need to make bumper stickers or t-shirts that say “The hormones made me do it”. Women, you feel me? I spent approximately 20 of the last 36 months pregnant, so I’m familiar with hormone swings. For those of you that suffer from PMS, there is nothing more frustrating than feeling as those 1-2 weeks out of each month you are besieged by an invisible and volatile invader. Let’s do the math: that means that 1/3-to-1/2 of your life you are living on the verge…the verge of biting your husband’s head off for dripping water around the house after a shower, or flying into a rage at your clumsy toddler because she spilled her pretzels AGAIN, or throwing your shoe at your dog, well, simply because he’s a dog and his very presence at that moment was aggravating to you. Insane? No rational human being would act this way. Welcome to Womenhood. I noticed the ever-recognizable monthly pattern about 5 months after giving birth to my second daughter. My internal dialogue went something like this, “Hello old friend” and “Ah hell no.” The aggression is the most significant reason to seek help, but fatigue, headaches, cramps, and other common symptoms also make it extremely difficult to enjoy every moment of each day. So I did a little research and found a great site with 5 concise holistic steps on rectifying dramatic hormonal swings. I’ll summarize for those of you who need the cliff notes version.
1. DIET – cut out the obvious culprits: refined flours and sugar, processed foods, alcohol, caffeine. Try eliminating dairy and gluten. Consume more fiber, flaxseed and even soy.
2. SUPPLEMENTS – try Magnesium citrate, Vitamin B6 and B12, evening primrose oil, EPA/DHA Omega 3s, Taurine and a daily multivitamin. Boost your healthy bacteria by taking a probiotic. Chasteberry (Vitex) is popular for balancing hormone function.
3. EXERCISE – Try to squeeze in 30 min of aerobic activity at least a few times a week.
4. RELIEVE STRESS – this one has a dramatic physical effect on me, and often it can be a little game of what came first “the chicken or the egg”. Try yoga, meditation, or simply figure out your triggers and nip stress in the bud.
5. Alternative therapies – if you really can’t get the desired relief from the first four, you can try acupuncture and further homeopathy.
Anyone read this list and that these are no-brainers? Like we should be doing at least the top 4 for our general overall health. Well, we all get detoured and need a little reminder that our bodies are not only spiritual temples, but directly related to our mental and emotional health.
So bring a little harmony back to your home, and start with the body you live in.
If you’re interested in reading more, you can check out the entire article at http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/09/17/how-to-eliminate-pms-in-5-simple-steps/ (The author’s name in Dr. Hyman…and don’t you know thats the first thing my husband noticed? If women are crazy, men are immature! so I guess we’ll call it even!) 🙂
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