Tend to blow up like a puffer fish during Week 3 when rising progesterone triggers water retention? Try nibbling watermelon! This summery sweet treat is a natural diuretic that helps your body shed excess fluid.
[photo: D'Arcy Norman]
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bloat
If your diet isn’t high in fiber and water, you’ll probably be struggling with constipation during the second half of your cycle as progesterone slows down your digestive tract. For quick relief, try nibbling rye bread. A new study in the Journal of Nutrition reveals it works more effectively than laxatives and probiotics at relieving constiption thanks to a type of fiber that ferments in the intestine and triggers contractions that move contents along. What’s more, it does the job without cramping or other uncomfortable side effects.
[photo: Grongar]
A report in the Archives of Internal Medicine that analyzed over 10 years worth of data shows that a daily intake of 1,200 mg. of calcium and 400 IU vitamin D (the equivalent of about four servings of skim or low-fat milk, fortified orange juice or low-fat yogurt) can reduce your risk of developing PMS symptoms—such as food cravings, mood swings and bloating—by 40%. The reason? “These two nutrients may vary during the menstrual cycle along with estrogen and progesterone,” theorizes lead author Elizabeth R Bertone-Johnson, Sc.D. So adding them to your diet may help balance things out.
[photo: Sanja Gjenero]
In a recent study, PMS sufferers who popped 40 mg. of this herb daily during the second half of their cycle had 20% less breast tenderness, bloating, irritability and other premenstrual woes, reports The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Credit goes to flavonoids in Ginkgo biloba that reduce inflammation, improve blood flow and reduce the stress hormone cortisol.
[photo: jam343]
Are you a smoker who’s bothered by premenstrual backaches, bloating, breast tenderness or acne? Believe it or not, your plunging hormones may be less to blame than your cigarettes. A recent analysis of the famed Nurses’ Health Study reveals that smoking makes women more than twice as likely to develop moderate to severe premenstrual syndrome. The link? Smoking [more…]
Bothered by premenstrual bloat that adds inches to your waistline and makes your breasts tender? Blame goes to progesterone, a hormone that triggers water retention during the second half of your monthly cycle. To beat it, try munching celery, watermelon, eggplant, fennel, asparagus or parsley or drinking dandelion tea. All are natural diuretics that help rid your body of excess fluid by encouraging your kidneys to release salt and water.
[photo: hill.josh]
