Even though only women know the pain and awful experience that comes with pre-menstrual syndrome (or PMS), men aren't exactly immune to the backlash that comes with it.
Thanks to Elephant Journal, there are some remedies to help alleviate the different kinds of pain that comes with PMS. Girls, all you need to do is eat the corresponding food that pertains to your current experience.
As for guys, gift your women with these food items. They'll think you're thoughtful and understanding with their condition, which will definitely help you be on their good side!
Cramps:
Trying eating cinnamon (or anything that contains cinnamon) when you have menstrual cramps. The spice has anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties that help alleviate those cramps.
Here's a great idea: add cinnamon to your daily cup of tea or coffee, or sprinkle some on your toast for some French toast feels.
Mood Swings:
Watercress, along with its dark leafy greens family, are typically rich in calcium. As it turns out: when you're on your period, doubling your normal calcium intake helps ease those PMS symptoms, such as irritability, anxiety, crying, and depression.
You can also eat kale, tofu, broccoli, almonds, and other food that have high calcium levels.
Bloating:
Fennel contains essential oil compounds that are known to have antioxidant, digestive, carminative, and anti-flatulent properties. Not only are you making yourself healthier, but you're also helping ease that bloating feeling.
You can chew on some fennel seeds or drink a nice cup of fennel and mint tea. You can easily make your own fennel tea by crushing a teaspoon's worth of seeds and simply adding it to a cup or water. Boil the water, cover it, and then steep it for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool and strain before drinking!
Cravings:
Your body naturally looks for carbohydrates. It's not bad to listen to what your body is craving for - but it's always best to stay with healthier alternatives like oatmeal. Mix it with some fruits for a yummy breakfast!
Other alternatives to satisfy carbohydrates and natural PMS cravings by eating brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and beans. Anything that is made up of complex (not simple) carbs will help you feel fuller for a longer period of time - which helps you eat less while keeping your blood sugar levels balanced.
Headaches:
Ginger is undoubtedly a super food. Not only has it been widely used as a natural remedy for nausea, diarrhea and upset stomachs, but ginger can also block your prostiglandins - which stimulate muscle contractions, control inflammation and impact some hormones.
Ginger is more commonly used to treat migraines, but that doesn't mean they can't help with headaches too! Add ginger to your tea or you can always mix ¼ of a teaspoon of ginger with a glass of water for fast recovery.
Fatigue:
Spinach contains a lot of iron. In case you didn't know, iron is necessary in hemoglobin production, which actually helps spread oxygen throughout the body. Not only that, but women on the periods are naturally low in iron due to the loss of blood.
So do yourself a favor and help your body fight fatigue by stocking up on a lot of iron - you'll get more energy in the long run too. Other iron-rich foods include kale, broccoli, sweet potatoes, strawberries, tofu, and beans.
Flow:
When your flow is less than usual, try eating some parsley. It can either be fresh or dried (depending on what you prefer and what's available). To trigger your flow to be more regular, you can opt to drink parsley tea days before you want your period to being. Recommended intake is two to four cups a day. Caution: this can induce miscarriages.
When your flow is too much or double than your usual, your body eventually gets rid of important nutrients like iron and zinc. Increase your manganese intake to ease up the amount of flow. Eat pineapple, garbanzo beans, or spinach.
Sometimes, there is no flow at all. Initial reactions usually involve panic - but if you're not pregnant, this is usually just because of hormone imbalance or lack of enough fats (something vegans and vegetarians would typically encounter). Remember that your body needs a certain amount of fat to help it produce estrogen.
You need some level of LDL cholesterol to synthesize those estrogen hormones, so start eating avocados, olive oil and nuts to give your body some of that good fat.
