Foods that aid in PMS

[Luna]

When it comes to soothing premenstrual symptoms (PMS), the best medicine may be found in your kitchen. Studies have shown that a number of foods can actually eliminate the mood swings, bloating, blemishes, breast tenderness, and fatigue that often precede menstruation. "The majority of PMS symptoms are the result of an imbalance in hormones, such that there is too much estrogen in the body when compared to the amount of progesterone," says Beth Burch, N.D., of Emerita for Health Women's Institute in Portland, Oregon.

To combat this disparity, many experts believe that women should consume more foods that help balance hormones, such as soy, vegetables and fruit, and nuts and seeds. According to a study appearing in Obstetrics and Gynecology (February 2000), a low-fat, vegetarian diet that included legumes and whole grains increased the sex hormone-binding globulin in the blood, which keeps hormones in check and therefore many PMS symptoms at bay. Also, the fiber found in many vegetables and fruits helps to flush excess hormones from the body. Complex carbohydrates like whole grains can also boost serotonin levels in the brain, which helps to keep mood elevated even during those difficult days prior to one's period.

For many women excess estrogen also causes breast tenderness and bloating the week before menstruation. In those instances the isoflavones found in soy-based foods such as tofu bind to estrogen receptors and block the body's own estrogen from causing such symptoms.

Numerous clinical trials have also shown that both magnesium and calcium play crucial roles in the prevention of PMS symptoms. For example, consuming 200 mg of magnesium daily (which is slightly more than a cup of cooked spinach) was found to reduce the bloating, weight gain, and breast tenderness (Journal of Women's Health, November 1998). Other magnesium-rich foods include peanut butter, lima beans, kale, and nuts. Another study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (December 1999) showed a daily dose of 1,200 mg of calcium (found in spinach, broccoli, and soymilk) cut food cravings and mood swings, most likely because calcium enhances the brain's processing of serotonin.

Burch adds that avoiding certain foods is also important. For instance, refined carbohydrates and sugar-filled foods, such as breads and desserts, disrupt blood-sugar levels causing fatigue and mood swings. Also, sodium contributes to bloating and breast tenderness, while non-organic dairy products and meats contain hormones that can cause inflammation and thus worsen cramps and bloating.

[Ginger Snap]

And drink lots of water.

[Jersey Thug]

i just forwarded this to myself like 5 different ways.

thanks Luna :)

[HoopsTer]

GREENS are you best friend and cure for everything.

ALSO, try to cut out non-organic milk and meat from your diet (at the very least) the week before you're due. Non-Organic Milk and Dairy have TONS of additional hormones and estrogen in it (Dairy and Beef cattle are injected with large quantities of estrogen to increas milk production and weight). PMS is caused my fluxuating estrogen levels, the last thing we want to do is ingest even more estrogen.

If I could get on my knees and BEG my female friends to stop drinking non-organic milk, I would. :sad:

[Amethyst]

heh, she said get on her knees :naughty:

:funny1:

Unfortunately I never drink un-organic milk.. in fact, i rarely even drink milk so you wont be getting on your knees for me.. :lol:

sorry, yeah, I'm PMSing so my head is in the gutter! :lol:

As for other foods, I'll try anything to make my boobs stop feeling so swollen! ouch!

[Wende]

GREENS are you best friend and cure for everything.

ALSO, try to cut out non-organic milk and meat from your diet (at the very least) the week before you're due. Non-Organic Milk and Dairy have TONS of additional hormones and estrogen in it (Dairy and Beef cattle are injected with large quantities of estrogen to increas milk production and weight). PMS is caused my fluxuating estrogen levels, the last thing we want to do is ingest even more estrogen.

If I could get on my knees and BEG my female friends to stop drinking non-organic milk, I would. :sad:

Does it have to be Non Organic? Can't it just be *no hormones used*?

[musicmomma]

* for tomorrow reading. thanks luna.

[JamOnIt247]

heh, she said get on her knees :naughty:

:funny1:

Unfortunately I never drink un-organic milk.. in fact, i rarely even drink milk so you wont be getting on your knees for me.. :lol:

sorry, yeah, I'm PMSing so my head is in the gutter! :lol:

As for other foods, I'll try anything to make my boobs stop feeling so swollen! ouch!

Um, excuse me little lady, but Ur head seems to be in the gutter ALL the time, not just when ur PMS'ing. :devil: :lol:
Just like me ;)

Also ... Im not so sure if Im just strange or not, but even tho they're very tender at this point, I really enjoy when my Breastessesssess swell up. They look more firm & voluptuous :naughty:
Im not fucking 20 anymore. :lol:

:bubbles:

[JamOnIt247]

Thanks for the info Lunakins. :yahhh:

[Ginger Snap]

hoopster, how much more expensive is organic milk than non? We go through a ton of milk in my house.

[HoopsTer]

Organic milk can range anywhere from $1 to $4 more expensive than non-organic.

if you're talking about the difference between hormone free and organic milk as it applies to PMS or the hormones, no there isn't a significant difference. The dairy cattle are all rBGH, recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, or rbST, recombinant Bovine Somatotropin free when the milk is labeled as "hormone free".

That being said, I think people buy and support organic (dairy/farmers) for many more reasons than simply being hormone free including sustainable farming practices, higher nutrient quality and presumably a better quality of life for the animal.

[HoopsTer]

< mini soapbox >
Hormone-free milk isn’t officially organic because it doesn’t meet all the requirements and doesn’t cost as much to produce. So it can enjoy the marketing cachet of natural foods and be priced higher than conventional milk but still cost less than organic.

The movement, which is entirely consumer-driven and began in the Northeast and on the West Coast, is now rippling across the United States. This week, Dean Foods Co. announced it’s expanding the marketing of rBST-free milk and recently began rolling out its hormone-free Schepps brand in Dallas.

Next year, the trend is expected to converge in the Midwest, including Illinois, according to a recent article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. And unbelievably, it could mean we’re in the early days of the end of the unnecessary use of bovine growth hormone.

The consumer rejection of Posilac has been something of a shock to Monsanto, which has set up a Web site (www.make10.net) with a handy profit calculator showing dairy farmers how the use of Posilac can increase profits.

But to most consumers, the issue is one of health and unknown consequences of added growth hormone, not economics.

Though the FDA says rBGH milk is safe and indistinguishable from natural organic milk, Samuel Epstein, professor emeritus of environmental medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, finds the notion ludicrous.

In his new book "What’s in Your Milk" (Trafford Publishing, $24.95), he charges that rBGH milk can increase the risk of breast, colon and prostate cancer and is profitable to Monsanto while posing dangers with no benefits to consumers.

Then there is the question of whether rBGH milk is a biotech solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. In the introduction of Epstein’s book, Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and president for Business Leaders with Sensible Priorities argues that:

rGBH is not needed to increase America’s supply of dairy products. Oversupply by factory farms is a problem, not an answer. rGBH is not needed to improve the health of dairy cows. The manufacturer’s own label warns that the growth hormone can trigger a wide range of harmful effects. rBGH is not needed to help family farmers. Their costs already are too high, without another artificial chemical to buy. And the artificial hormone makes cows sick, leading to higher costs for veterinary care and antibiotics. rBGH is very different than natural milk and poses cancer and other risks to consumers.

And more than 60 percent of the milk produced in the U.S. is used in the production of cheese, yogurt and other products. So even if you buy hormone-free fluid milk, you might be getting a dose of Posilac in your cheese pizza or your coffee frappuccino.

[musicmomma]

i think people should cut large amounts of cow milk out of their diets. organic hormone free whatever... human bodies are not meant to digest cow milk. just my $.02 though. :monkey:

[Wende]

There is no way organic farming can feed our booming population. No way!

And it's super sad that, like myself, family of 5, normally can't afford to feed the family organically. Sad.

I like the old days, where you were pretty self sufficient and what you didn't farm, your neighbor did. I believe in self sustainment the best you can. We are such a consuming country, I think we've lost our ability to do anything for ourselves. :loL: Ya know? Ugh. I love the farmers markets but they are always sold out of everything. Too many consumers not enough farmers.

And we've been drinking other mammals milk forever.

[HoopsTer]

i think people should cut large amounts of cow milk out of their diets. organic hormone free whatever... human bodies are not meant to digest cow milk. just my $.02 though. :monkey:

I totally agree with you, Missy. The US consumes way too much of the foods that are subsidized by our government (dairy, meat, corn). And they do so because it's cheap but unfortunately it's at the expense of their own health.

And I totally disagree that organic farming cant support the people of our nation. There are more than enough farmers markets that need support. If the government stopped paying farmers to NOT grown and started subsidizing organic fruits and vegetables the mark up wouldnt be as high and people would be a lot healthier.

[Wende]

Ok, so you're saying that organic farming can support our fat asses as long as there are changes? My point pretty much exactly.

Lots of things can happen with changes. But as of now, if we were to all buy organic, there would be a hault. How do we make those changes happen? I mean, if it's this important and I completely agree with you that it is, how does it change and who's to say that the farming won't just turn right back into what it is today, MASS PRODUCTION!! Wasn't all farming organic until the whole boom in our population? How can we be organic and still produce what we need to to sustain us unless we all starting farming.
We keep reproducing with no skills on how to take care and feed our children other than going to the store to go shopping. oh boy, thats a whole other topic right there. Sorry, i'm done ranting. :) I love you guys, I don't mean to sound rough. I'm working on that. :lol:

[bsktcase]

Ok, so you're saying that organic farming can support our fat asses as long as there are changes? My point pretty much exactly.

Lots of things can happen with changes. But as of now, if we were to all buy organic, there would be a hault. How do we make those changes happen? I mean, if it's this important and I completely agree with you that it is, how does it change and who's to say that the farming won't just turn right back into what it is today, MASS PRODUCTION!! Wasn't all farming organic until the whole boom in our population? How can we be organic and still produce what we need to to sustain us unless we all starting farming.
We keep reproducing with no skills on how to take care and feed our children other than going to the store to go shopping. oh boy, thats a whole other topic right there. Sorry, i'm done ranting. :) I love you guys, I don't mean to sound rough. I'm working on that. :lol:

Maybe it's silly or just a whim but ever since I read Anne of Green Gables for the first time, I wanted to live in that time. Where everyone had their own farm animals, you ate (mostly) what you grew or killed and almost everything you lived off of was home made. Sigh :wink:

I've been buying organic rice milk. There isn't anything bad about that, is there? It's very sweet...I like it a lot.

[HoopsTer]

I fully believe that communities should grow their own food and support local growers. Community gardens and growers are important to our socio-economic system. A good portion of what's wrong with america right now is our overconsumerism and the suburbia explosion.

Change doesn't happen over night. Changes requires grass roots efforts and hard work. Change starts with one person, then that person changes the mind of another and so on. The "we're fat american consumers" argument is trifled and an outdated it's a selfish excuse.

[georgi]

Why is cow milk bad for us? I'm too lazy to look it up. :lol:

[Wende]

Maybe it's silly or just a whim but ever since I read Anne of Green Gables for the first time, I wanted to live in that time. Where everyone had their own farm animals, you ate (mostly) what you grew or killed and almost everything you lived off of was home made. Sigh :wink:

I've been buying organic rice milk. There isn't anything bad about that, is there? It's very sweet...I like it a lot.

Exactly, I tend to gear towards Little house in the Prarie actually. :)

I teach my children every day that excess is just that. They are amazingly grounded non materialistic kids, that require NOTHING. Amazing. So my change starts right here, in my home...in hopes that these kids will get out there and make the changes I am teaching them to make.

We are also starting a garden this year. On my way to the library now to buy my first book. Any tips?
We have enough land up here to sustain ourselves and even some other families. Anyone wanna join me? I'm sort of serious here.

I may be a fat American, but I sure as hell am not fat, dumb AND selfish. Just fat. But that is changing. :)

I am soooooooo PMS'ing.

[HoopsTer]

Why is cow milk bad for us? I'm too lazy to look it up. :lol:

Homoginized, pasturized milk is bad for you. If you're going to drink milk, you should drink raw milk. When it's pasturized all valuable enzymes are destroyed (lactase for the assimilation of lactose; galactase for the assimilation of galactose; phosphatase for the assimilation of calcium). Basically we take everything out of it that gives us the ability to digest it and what makes it "good" for us.

When it's homogenized (taking out the butter fat) the body cannot absorb and utilize the vitamins and minerals in the water fraction of the milk. Along with valuable trace minerals and short chain fatty acids, butterfat is America's best source of preformed vitamin A.

Synthetic vitamin D, known to be toxic to the liver, is added to replace the natural vitamin D complex in butterfat. Butterfat also contains re-arranged acids which have strong anti-carcinogenic properties.


We are the only species on the planet that continues to drink milk after we're weaned.

This site has lots of information: http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/dairy.html

[HoopsTer]

We are also starting a garden this year. On my way to the library now to buy my first book. Any tips?
We have enough land up here to sustain ourselves and even some other families. Anyone wanna join me? I'm sort of serious here.

I may be a fat American, but I sure as hell am not fat, dumb AND selfish. Just fat. But that is changing. :)

I am soooooooo PMS'ing.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - by Barbara Kinglsover. It will change your life :wink:

And when I said that about americans, I wasnt directing it at you, i definitely did not intend to call you that. Im really sorry if I typed it up that way. I meant that it's simply the philosophy of most americans. It's an issue I get crazy about....along with splenda and vaccines. :lol: :heart:

[bsktcase]

Exactly, I tend to gear towards Little house in the Prarie actually. :)

I teach my children every day that excess is just that. They are amazingly grounded non materialistic kids, that require NOTHING. Amazing. So my change starts right here, in my home...in hopes that these kids will get out there and make the changes I am teaching them to make.

We are also starting a garden this year. On my way to the library now to buy my first book. Any tips?
We have enough land up here to sustain ourselves and even some other families. Anyone wanna join me? I'm sort of serious here.

I may be a fat American, but I sure as hell am not fat, dumb AND selfish. Just fat. But that is changing. :)

I am soooooooo PMS'ing.


My first tip for gardening is getting or making a compost bin. You may be able to get a discounted one where you live through city hall or whatever. I'll look for a link. http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/compgnt.htm this one is for MA but you may be able to find a similar site where ever you are. (I have the one on the right). Also, there is a forum for composting in the website below. There are links and instructions for making your own. :)

Also, any questions you may have about gardening can be answered through the website http://www.gardenweb.com/ I don't think you have to sign up unless you want to post questions. These people have fantastic advice from all over the country.

Gardening advice....I tend to keep seeds from tomatoes or peppers that I buy and start them indoors. Onions are easy because if you buy an onion and keep in a cool dry spot in the dark...it sprouts after a while. You could throw that in the ground and try to grow it. I was also told you can do the same with celery (I've never tried it).

I suppose hoarding seeds isn't as helpful as buying plants from a farm or a greenhouse but if cost is an issue, it works.

SORRY FOR HIJACKING THE THREAD, LUNA!!

[jemita]

ok there is so much info in here i gotta come back and read it all one day when i gots me some more time...

but all i know is that a bottle of chardonnay, a sleeve of Oreo cookies, and half a HUGE Hershey bars does NOT help PMS symptoms. but will make you disgusted in the morning when you see the aftermath! :)

end story.

[HoopsTer]

ok there is so much info in here i gotta come back and read it all one day when i gots me some more time...

but all i know is that a bottle of chardonnay, a sleeve of Oreo cookies, and half a HUGE Hershey bars does NOT help PMS symptoms. but will make you disgusted in the morning when you see the aftermath! :)

end story.

:lol:

(((((wine & chocolate)))))


Oh and I totally went on a thread derail tangent.

[Wende]

We all did. It happens. :)

[musicmomma]

it wasn't really too off topic but i love all the info. :lol:

[Ginger Snap]

I totally agree with you, Missy. The US consumes way too much of the foods that are subsidized by our government (dairy, meat, corn). And they do so because it's cheap but unfortunately it's at the expense of their own health.

And I totally disagree that organic farming cant support the people of our nation. There are more than enough farmers markets that need support. If the government stopped paying farmers to NOT grown and started subsidizing organic fruits and vegetables the mark up wouldnt be as high and people would be a lot healthier.


Wouldn't the benefits of drinking regular cow's milk ultimately outweigh the risks of not drinking it? I know my doctors have pleaded with me to incorporate more calcium into my diet, and three glasses spread throughout the day is the way I have done this. After being pregnant, nursing, and being on the depo shot for most of my twenties, they fear my body has not had the calcium absorbtion they would like to have strong bones as I grow older.

Just asking, not being confrontational.

[HoopsTer]

Wouldn't the benefits of drinking regular cow's milk ultimately outweigh the risks of not drinking it?
Just asking, not being confrontational.


(No worries, I know you're not being confrontational. And I sure didnt/don't mean to be either. Im just passionate and multi-tasking :lol: which doesnt bode well for my internet tone....)


I would say, absolutely not. Milk is not the best source of calcium. If you want calcium, eat dark leafy greens (which contain both calcium and magnesium). Milk being the best source of calcium is the result of really good lobbying and a really good marketing campaign: Milk, it does a body good

The dairy debate is huge and totally personal. Half say nay half say yay....but from all the data out there, if you decide that milk is good for you and your body, the choice that gives you the most nutrients is raw milk, not homogenized/pasturized milk.

I didn't eat milk for almost the whole month of march and didn't miss it as much as I thought I would. When i did start reintroducing dairy products back into my diet they just werent how I fondly remembered them to be. :undecided:

I would probably never urge people to never consume dairy, it's a personal choice for each individual. What works for one may not work for another. I would however urge (adamantly) peoople to consume only organic dairy and if they want a glass of milk to go raw.

http://www.strongbones.org/

In order to absorb calcium, the body needs comparable amounts of another mineral element, magnesium. Milk and dairy products contain only small amounts of magnesium. Magnesium is the center atom of chlorophyll:

"Osteoporosis is caused by a number of things, one of the most important being too much dietary protein."
Science 1986;233(4763)

"Countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis, such as the United States, England, and Sweden, consume the most milk. China and Japan, where people eat much less protein and dairy food, have low rates of osteoporosis."
Nutrition Action Healthletter, June, 1993

"What appears to be important in bone metabolism is not calcium intake, but calcium balance. The loss of bone integrity among many post menopausal white women probably results from genetics and from diet and lifestyle factors. Research shows that calcium losses are increased by the use of animal protein, salt, caffeine, and tobacco, and by physical inactivity."
Neal Barnard, M.D., Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, Understanding Health, December, 1999

"Dietary protein increases production of **** in the blood which can be neutralized by calcium mobilized from the skeleton."
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1995; 61 (4)

"About 50,000 Americans die each year of problems related in some way to osteoporosis."
Osteoporosis International 1993;3(3)

"Even when eating 1,400 mg of calcium daily, one can lose up to 4% of his or her bone mass each year while consuming a high-protein diet."
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1979;32(4)

"Increasing one's protein intake by 100% may cause calcium loss to double."
Journal of Nutrition, 1981; 111 (3)

"The average man in the US eats 175% more protein than the recommended daily allowance and the average woman eats 144% more."
Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health, 1988

"Calcium intake demonstrated no protective in preventing bone fractures. In fact, those populations with the highest calcium intakes had higher fracture rates than those with more modest calcium intakes. "
Calif Tissue Int 1992;50

"There is no significant association between teenaged milk consumption and the risk of adult fractures. Data indicate that frequent milk consumption and higher dietary calcium intakes in middle aged women do not provide protection against hip or forearm fractures... women consuming greater amounts of calcium from dairy foods had significantly increased risks of hip fractures, while no increase in fracture risk was observed for the same levels of calcium from nondairy sources."
12-year Harvard study of 78,000 women American Journal of Public Health 1997;87

"Consumption of dairy products, particularly at age 20 years, were associated with an increased risk of hip fractures...metabolism of dietary protein causes increased urinary excretion of calcium. "
American Journal of Epidemiology 1994;139

[Luna]

Wouldn't the benefits of drinking regular cow's milk ultimately outweigh the risks of not drinking it? I know my doctors have pleaded with me to incorporate more calcium into my diet, and three glasses spread throughout the day is the way I have done this. After being pregnant, nursing, and being on the depo shot for most of my twenties, they fear my body has not had the calcium absorbtion they would like to have strong bones as I grow older.

Just asking, not being confrontational.

there are plenty of ways to get calcium w/o consuming dairy