Understanding PMS and How to Manage It

Video Transcript

00:00:01 Hi there and I'm Rochelle and today we're going to be discussing PMS and I think it's a topic that a lot of people don't really think about. It's something that they think is completely normal and they should be just getting over it and dealing with it but actually there's a lot that can be done for PMS and that's what we're going to touch on today. So what is PMS? PMS is a very large variety of symptoms that will happen the 10 days before your period and then disappear large variety of symptoms that will happen the 10 days before your period and then disappear during or shortly after the bleed. So if these are symptoms that you're having already at other points of your cycle, but you're finding that they are getting exacerbated by the period,

00:00:47 then this is different. This is premenstrual magnification. So it's important to really take note and track when these symptoms are occurring. And the symptoms can really vary between emotional and physical symptoms. So emotional symptoms can really be anything from between emotional and physical symptoms. So emotional symptoms can really be anything from irritability to sadness to anxiety. And the physical symptoms can, again, really vary. Things like fluid retention in the ankles, abdominal bloating, brain fog, pimples on the skin. So everyone can respond quite differently. But I think it's important for people to realise that PMS is actually very beneficial for the body. The rise and fall of our hormones is actually

00:01:25 PMS is actually very beneficial for the body. The rise and fall of our hormones is actually really needed. And it's important to bear in mind that a lot of the time taking a birth control pill is just suppressing these hormones, which are actually really important. And even though the PMS symptoms can be quite a lot on the body, there are things that we can do to try and manage this and improve what we call your resilience to PMS. So what is it that causes PMS? It's the cyclical pattern of ovulation. So as we move through the cycle, the oestrogen levels will increase pattern of ovulation. So as we move through the cycle, the oestrogen levels will increase and this increase is completely beneficial and normal for the body but if sometimes the oestrogen

00:02:13 can get too high, people can find that this, what we call estrogen dominance, can really have an increased impact on PMS symptoms, things like breast tenderness or irritability. And when this estrogen then drops down later on in the cycle, this crash of estrogen can also negatively impact estrogen then drops down later on in the cycle, this crash of estrogen can also negatively impact on things like mood, causing the depression and anxiety symptoms. And we need the progesterone to counterbalance the oestrogen. So if we're not having that progesterone later on in the cycle to take us through the second part of the cycle, we can find that when our oestrogen crashes and we don't have that progesterone to counterbalance, that can also have a negative impact and cause

00:02:59 these PMS symptoms. So there are different factors that can have an impact and different hormones. these PMS symptoms. So there are different factors that can have an impact and different hormones. And some people are known to be more susceptible. Those studies have shown that some people do have a genetic component to PMS. So you might find that your mom or your sister has PMS or PMDD. So there are some people who are more susceptible to it. So what could PMS be telling you about your body? There is no evidence to show that PMS impacts on fertility. There is no evidence to show that PMS impacts on fertility.

00:03:33 however people who do have a enhanced PMS and maybe they may have more pain than other people may have more irritability than other people these could be signs that you may have that estrogen dominance so maybe a higher level of estrogen than other people or it could be that you have that lower progesterone than others and these two things can potentially impact on fertility you have that lower progesterone than others and these two things can potentially impact on fertility but they also could be signs of other conditions. So things like endometriosis, polycystic ovaries, or even just links to anxiety. So it's important to look out for how bad your PMS is because it could be telling you about other things that could be going on

00:04:19 in the body. So what can we do about PMS? There's actually a lot that can be done. A lot of the time, the orthodox answer is to provide the contraceptive pill to people think A lot of the time, the orthodox answer is to provide the contraceptive pill to people think to stabilize the hormones, but actually what that's doing is suppressing those hormones. And like I mentioned before, we need the hormones for many benefits in the body. Estrogen and progesterone have many other benefits that aren't related to the fertility or hormonal system. They help your bones, they help your skin, they're beneficial for your mood. So it's really important that we don't actually suppress these hormones. Not to say that birth control is negative,

00:04:56 that we don't actually suppress these hormones. Not to say that birth control is negative, but to say that a lot of the time it's potentially overused. And there are things that we can do naturally to support our hormone levels. So there are three main things we need to look at. We need to look at stabilizing our estrogen and looking at how we metabolize the estrogen, looking at how we break it down and get rid of it easily. Also looking at how we can support and enhance our progesterone and our GABA. So this is the calming neurotransmitter in the body. We'll talk a little progesterone and our GABA. So this is the calming neurotransmitter in the body. We'll talk a little bit more about this in a sec. And also looking at how we can reduce inflammation. And inflammation

00:05:38 is really key when we're looking at premenstrual syndrome, because it's that inflammation in the body that can really exacerbate those symptoms even more. So how do we reduce inflammation? there's many ways that inflammation can be tackled and it really does depend on you and your body and your personal experience to foods but there are specific things that have been found to correlate your personal experience to foods but there are specific things that have been found to correlate with a few with numerous people one of them being sugar sugar is inflammatory and everyone has a different response to sugar one person might be able to cope with a little bit someone else might be able to cope with a lot more but sugar is inflammatory so it is important to be mindful that

00:06:24 sugary foods even too much fruit in the diet if we're having like an excessive amount that can all be inflammatory to the body and so can alcohol it used to be looked at that maybe that can all be inflammatory to the body and so can alcohol it used to be looked at that maybe moderate alcohol would be okay but actually a lot of the most recent studies have shown that even moderate alcohol can be inflammatory and can exacerbate PMS symptoms. And vegetable oil, vegetable oil is full of polyunsaturated fats, which if you're not heating, or if you're having them in their least processed forms, they're fine. But the issue with vegetable oil when it's heated, them in their least processed forms, they're fine. But the issue with vegetable oil when it's heated,

00:07:06 it can become inflammatory, as it's not stable to heat. So it's important to bear in mind that there are things that can be changed in the diet and things that can impact on our PMS symptoms. Food insensitivities is also another factor. So if you find that you've got a sensitivity maybe to wheat or to dairy, there are other sensitivities. You can be sensitive to anything, but these are wheat or to dairy, there are other sensitivities. You can be sensitive to anything, but these are common sensitivities. This can also cause an inflammatory response in the body and can exacerbate PMS symptoms. So I always tell people to track your food. If you notice that you are having a sensitivity, do a weak tracking, have a look and see, is that coming up again? And this

00:07:50 can be a really good thing to have a look and see if that is causing or exacerbating your symptoms. There is another factor called histamine intolerance. So there are specific foods, There is another factor called histamine intolerance. So there are specific foods, things like red wine and ricotta and fermented foods that are found to have high levels of histamine. And for some people, these histamine foods can really exacerbate specific symptoms of PMS, things like headaches, anxiety, brain fog, or you might get a rash on your body. So again, it's really important to look at the symptoms that you're having, because they can all symbolize different things. And there are specific foods that are known to support that ability to limit

00:08:26 different things. And there are specific foods that are known to support that ability to limit inflammation. So things like oily fish, really beneficial in terms of reducing inflammation. If you don't like fish, you can do supplementation, but food is always best. And things like nuts and seeds, and really trying to get a plant, a lot of plant-based foods in the diet. And again, if you really don't like getting vegetables or in your diet, a variety of different diet. And again, if you really don't like getting vegetables or in your diet, a variety of different colors. You can do supplementation of this, but it's important to get a really good quality. So it's important to speak to someone who really knows before just supplementing with anything.

00:09:12 So if we're looking at how to stabilize and metabolize estrogen, we touched on before the signs that you may have potentially that estrogen dominance and that ability, you're not processing oestrogen and eliminating it as you should. So things like an irritability leading up to the oestrogen and eliminating it as you should. So things like an irritability leading up to the period, breast tenderness or depression can potentially be signs that there are these very high levels of oestrogen that are then potentially crashing. So things like alcohol, which we touched on, but also what we call endocrine disrupting chemicals. So things that can mimic oestrogen in the body, these can really have an impact. And these are found in things like fluoride and plastic.

00:09:57 So it's important to bear in mind that a lot of foods come with added fertilizers. So we need to So it's important to bear in mind that a lot of foods come with added fertilizers. So we need to be very careful about what it is we're bringing into the body. And our gut bacteria are really key when it comes to breaking down and eliminating estrogen. So our gut bacteria, they're not just where digestion happens they are where neurotransmitters are made in terms of our mood they are where hormones are broken down it's where our immunity is focused so we must make sure mood they are where hormones are broken down it's where our immunity is focused so we must make sure our gut is working to its best so if you're finding that you've got maybe constipation or

00:10:38 you've got other digestive symptoms it's really important to get on top of these and to speak to someone because these could be having a knock-on effect your PMS symptoms and that's the same with detoxification we need the liver to be working as it well as it should again to make sure that we are eliminating those hormones so even something like having a nice glass of water in the morning are eliminating those hormones so even something like having a nice glass of water in the morning with some lemon can really help to flush out those toxins from the night before and help to get all of the hormones moving as they should and a healthy body weight is really important with estrogen As we get larger, our fat cells don't work as they should, and they start to produce estrogen.

00:11:22 So it's really important to make sure that we are optimizing and working towards focusing on being in a healthy weight. We've touched on inflammatory foods, but also there are specific foods called phytoestrogens. And these are foods that they can go both ways. They can either support estrogen levels if necessary, but they can also reduce estrogen levels. So they help to really find that balance. Things like soy and flaxseeds can really be beneficial and used to really support different points in the cycle. And if we're looking at progesterone and how we can enhance progesterone levels and GABA, that calming neurotransmitter, And if we're looking at progesterone and how we can enhance progesterone levels and GABA, that calming neurotransmitter, it's important again to look at the signs that you're having potentially if you're having that

00:12:10 spotting or bleeding going premenstrually going into the period this could be a sign that your progesterone may be slightly low or maybe very heavy menstrual bleeding or maybe you're having cervical mucus but you're having it premenstrually so with cervical mucus you can get it at different cervical mucus but you're having it premenstrually so with cervical mucus you can get it at different points of the cycle, not necessarily when you're ovulating, but if you are getting it premenstrually, this may be a sign that you have got potentially lower levels of progesterone. So again, making sure that you're looking at those inflammatory foods. So again, things like we've touched on before, but also if you're having too high an intake of saturated fats,

00:12:52 dairy, saturated red meat, this can all be inflammatory as well. We've touched on alcohol, But also specifically with progesterone, stress management is really key. But also specifically with progesterone, stress management is really key. And studies have shown that when we are stressed, it alters our body's production of progesterone. So really trying to tap in and have a look at are we stressed? Are there things that we could be doing to really get on top of our stress management? So things like yoga, things like abdominal breathing. But there's lots of other ways of really trying to tap in to our stress management.

00:13:28 So even like during the day, there are things like somatic exercises, even just doing some gentle humming can really help to calm the nervous system. So even like during the day, there are things like somatic exercises, even just doing some gentle humming can really help to calm the nervous system. And exercise is really key. We need to be making sure that we're not overdoing it, but exercise has been found to make sure that it does enhance that progesterone and support those PMS symptoms. So in conclusion, PMS is a wide variety of symptoms. and there are things that can be done about it and it's important to really bear in mind I think a and there are things that can be done about it and it's important to really bear in mind I think a lot of people think that PMS is just something that has to happen or PMS is just something you

00:14:07 have to deal with and that's actually not the case it's a necessary part of the cyclical pattern but there are things that can be done to improve our resilience to PMS. Diet we've touched on supplements are something that are very much individual to the symptoms that you're having but I will be touching on this in another video so stay tuned and thank you so much for coming but I will be touching on this in another video so stay tuned and thank you so much for coming and look forward to speaking to you soon.

Full Transcript

[00:00:01] Hi there and I'm Rochelle and today we're going to be discussing PMS and I think it's a topic that a lot of people don't really think about. It's something that they think is completely normal and they should be just getting over it and dealing with it but actually there's a lot that can be done for PMS and that's what we're going to touch on today. So what is PMS? PMS is a very large variety of symptoms that will happen the 10 days before your period and then disappear large variety of symptoms that will happen the 10 days before your period and then disappear during or shortly after the bleed. So if these are symptoms that you're having already at other points of your cycle, but you're finding that they are getting exacerbated by the period, [00:00:47] then this is different. This is premenstrual magnification. So it's important to really take note and track when these symptoms are occurring. And the symptoms can really vary between emotional and physical symptoms. So emotional symptoms can really be anything from between emotional and physical symptoms. So emotional symptoms can really be anything from irritability to sadness to anxiety. And the physical symptoms can, again, really vary. Things like fluid retention in the ankles, abdominal bloating, brain fog, pimples on the skin. So everyone can respond quite differently. But I think it's important for people to realise that PMS is actually very beneficial for the body. The rise and fall of our hormones is actually [00:01:25] PMS is actually very beneficial for the body. The rise and fall of our hormones is actually really needed. And it's important to bear in mind that a lot of the time taking a birth control pill is just suppressing these hormones, which are actually really important. And even though the PMS symptoms can be quite a lot on the body, there are things that we can do to try and manage this and improve what we call your resilience to PMS. So what is it that causes PMS? It's the cyclical pattern of ovulation. So as we move through the cycle, the oestrogen levels will increase pattern of ovulation. So as we move through the cycle, the oestrogen levels will increase and this increase is completely beneficial and normal for the body but if sometimes the oestrogen [00:02:13] can get too high, people can find that this, what we call estrogen dominance, can really have an increased impact on PMS symptoms, things like breast tenderness or irritability. And when this estrogen then drops down later on in the cycle, this crash of estrogen can also negatively impact estrogen then drops down later on in the cycle, this crash of estrogen can also negatively impact on things like mood, causing the depression and anxiety symptoms. And we need the progesterone to counterbalance the oestrogen. So if we're not having that progesterone later on in the cycle to take us through the second part of the cycle, we can find that when our oestrogen crashes and we don't have that progesterone to counterbalance, that can also have a negative impact and cause [00:02:59] these PMS symptoms. So there are different factors that can have an impact and different hormones. these PMS symptoms. So there are different factors that can have an impact and different hormones. And some people are known to be more susceptible. Those studies have shown that some people do have a genetic component to PMS. So you might find that your mom or your sister has PMS or PMDD. So there are some people who are more susceptible to it. So what could PMS be telling you about your body? There is no evidence to show that PMS impacts on fertility. There is no evidence to show that PMS impacts on fertility. [00:03:33] however people who do have a enhanced PMS and maybe they may have more pain than other people may have more irritability than other people these could be signs that you may have that estrogen dominance so maybe a higher level of estrogen than other people or it could be that you have that lower progesterone than others and these two things can potentially impact on fertility you have that lower progesterone than others and these two things can potentially impact on fertility but they also could be signs of other conditions. So things like endometriosis, polycystic ovaries, or even just links to anxiety. So it's important to look out for how bad your PMS is because it could be telling you about other things that could be going on [00:04:19] in the body. So what can we do about PMS? There's actually a lot that can be done. A lot of the time, the orthodox answer is to provide the contraceptive pill to people think A lot of the time, the orthodox answer is to provide the contraceptive pill to people think to stabilize the hormones, but actually what that's doing is suppressing those hormones. And like I mentioned before, we need the hormones for many benefits in the body. Estrogen and progesterone have many other benefits that aren't related to the fertility or hormonal system. They help your bones, they help your skin, they're beneficial for your mood. So it's really important that we don't actually suppress these hormones. Not to say that birth control is negative, [00:04:56] that we don't actually suppress these hormones. Not to say that birth control is negative, but to say that a lot of the time it's potentially overused. And there are things that we can do naturally to support our hormone levels. So there are three main things we need to look at. We need to look at stabilizing our estrogen and looking at how we metabolize the estrogen, looking at how we break it down and get rid of it easily. Also looking at how we can support and enhance our progesterone and our GABA. So this is the calming neurotransmitter in the body. We'll talk a little progesterone and our GABA. So this is the calming neurotransmitter in the body. We'll talk a little bit more about this in a sec. And also looking at how we can reduce inflammation. And inflammation [00:05:38] is really key when we're looking at premenstrual syndrome, because it's that inflammation in the body that can really exacerbate those symptoms even more. So how do we reduce inflammation? there's many ways that inflammation can be tackled and it really does depend on you and your body and your personal experience to foods but there are specific things that have been found to correlate your personal experience to foods but there are specific things that have been found to correlate with a few with numerous people one of them being sugar sugar is inflammatory and everyone has a different response to sugar one person might be able to cope with a little bit someone else might be able to cope with a lot more but sugar is inflammatory so it is important to be mindful that [00:06:24] sugary foods even too much fruit in the diet if we're having like an excessive amount that can all be inflammatory to the body and so can alcohol it used to be looked at that maybe that can all be inflammatory to the body and so can alcohol it used to be looked at that maybe moderate alcohol would be okay but actually a lot of the most recent studies have shown that even moderate alcohol can be inflammatory and can exacerbate PMS symptoms. And vegetable oil, vegetable oil is full of polyunsaturated fats, which if you're not heating, or if you're having them in their least processed forms, they're fine. But the issue with vegetable oil when it's heated, them in their least processed forms, they're fine. But the issue with vegetable oil when it's heated, [00:07:06] it can become inflammatory, as it's not stable to heat. So it's important to bear in mind that there are things that can be changed in the diet and things that can impact on our PMS symptoms. Food insensitivities is also another factor. So if you find that you've got a sensitivity maybe to wheat or to dairy, there are other sensitivities. You can be sensitive to anything, but these are wheat or to dairy, there are other sensitivities. You can be sensitive to anything, but these are common sensitivities. This can also cause an inflammatory response in the body and can exacerbate PMS symptoms. So I always tell people to track your food. If you notice that you are having a sensitivity, do a weak tracking, have a look and see, is that coming up again? And this [00:07:50] can be a really good thing to have a look and see if that is causing or exacerbating your symptoms. There is another factor called histamine intolerance. So there are specific foods, There is another factor called histamine intolerance. So there are specific foods, things like red wine and ricotta and fermented foods that are found to have high levels of histamine. And for some people, these histamine foods can really exacerbate specific symptoms of PMS, things like headaches, anxiety, brain fog, or you might get a rash on your body. So again, it's really important to look at the symptoms that you're having, because they can all symbolize different things. And there are specific foods that are known to support that ability to limit [00:08:26] different things. And there are specific foods that are known to support that ability to limit inflammation. So things like oily fish, really beneficial in terms of reducing inflammation. If you don't like fish, you can do supplementation, but food is always best. And things like nuts and seeds, and really trying to get a plant, a lot of plant-based foods in the diet. And again, if you really don't like getting vegetables or in your diet, a variety of different diet. And again, if you really don't like getting vegetables or in your diet, a variety of different colors. You can do supplementation of this, but it's important to get a really good quality. So it's important to speak to someone who really knows before just supplementing with anything. [00:09:12] So if we're looking at how to stabilize and metabolize estrogen, we touched on before the signs that you may have potentially that estrogen dominance and that ability, you're not processing oestrogen and eliminating it as you should. So things like an irritability leading up to the oestrogen and eliminating it as you should. So things like an irritability leading up to the period, breast tenderness or depression can potentially be signs that there are these very high levels of oestrogen that are then potentially crashing. So things like alcohol, which we touched on, but also what we call endocrine disrupting chemicals. So things that can mimic oestrogen in the body, these can really have an impact. And these are found in things like fluoride and plastic. [00:09:57] So it's important to bear in mind that a lot of foods come with added fertilizers. So we need to So it's important to bear in mind that a lot of foods come with added fertilizers. So we need to be very careful about what it is we're bringing into the body. And our gut bacteria are really key when it comes to breaking down and eliminating estrogen. So our gut bacteria, they're not just where digestion happens they are where neurotransmitters are made in terms of our mood they are where hormones are broken down it's where our immunity is focused so we must make sure mood they are where hormones are broken down it's where our immunity is focused so we must make sure our gut is working to its best so if you're finding that you've got maybe constipation or [00:10:38] you've got other digestive symptoms it's really important to get on top of these and to speak to someone because these could be having a knock-on effect your PMS symptoms and that's the same with detoxification we need the liver to be working as it well as it should again to make sure that we are eliminating those hormones so even something like having a nice glass of water in the morning are eliminating those hormones so even something like having a nice glass of water in the morning with some lemon can really help to flush out those toxins from the night before and help to get all of the hormones moving as they should and a healthy body weight is really important with estrogen As we get larger, our fat cells don't work as they should, and they start to produce estrogen. [00:11:22] So it's really important to make sure that we are optimizing and working towards focusing on being in a healthy weight. We've touched on inflammatory foods, but also there are specific foods called phytoestrogens. And these are foods that they can go both ways. They can either support estrogen levels if necessary, but they can also reduce estrogen levels. So they help to really find that balance. Things like soy and flaxseeds can really be beneficial and used to really support different points in the cycle. And if we're looking at progesterone and how we can enhance progesterone levels and GABA, that calming neurotransmitter, And if we're looking at progesterone and how we can enhance progesterone levels and GABA, that calming neurotransmitter, it's important again to look at the signs that you're having potentially if you're having that [00:12:10] spotting or bleeding going premenstrually going into the period this could be a sign that your progesterone may be slightly low or maybe very heavy menstrual bleeding or maybe you're having cervical mucus but you're having it premenstrually so with cervical mucus you can get it at different cervical mucus but you're having it premenstrually so with cervical mucus you can get it at different points of the cycle, not necessarily when you're ovulating, but if you are getting it premenstrually, this may be a sign that you have got potentially lower levels of progesterone. So again, making sure that you're looking at those inflammatory foods. So again, things like we've touched on before, but also if you're having too high an intake of saturated fats, [00:12:52] dairy, saturated red meat, this can all be inflammatory as well. We've touched on alcohol, But also specifically with progesterone, stress management is really key. But also specifically with progesterone, stress management is really key. And studies have shown that when we are stressed, it alters our body's production of progesterone. So really trying to tap in and have a look at are we stressed? Are there things that we could be doing to really get on top of our stress management? So things like yoga, things like abdominal breathing. But there's lots of other ways of really trying to tap in to our stress management. [00:13:28] So even like during the day, there are things like somatic exercises, even just doing some gentle humming can really help to calm the nervous system. So even like during the day, there are things like somatic exercises, even just doing some gentle humming can really help to calm the nervous system. And exercise is really key. We need to be making sure that we're not overdoing it, but exercise has been found to make sure that it does enhance that progesterone and support those PMS symptoms. So in conclusion, PMS is a wide variety of symptoms. and there are things that can be done about it and it's important to really bear in mind I think a and there are things that can be done about it and it's important to really bear in mind I think a lot of people think that PMS is just something that has to happen or PMS is just something you [00:14:07] have to deal with and that's actually not the case it's a necessary part of the cyclical pattern but there are things that can be done to improve our resilience to PMS. Diet we've touched on supplements are something that are very much individual to the symptoms that you're having but I will be touching on this in another video so stay tuned and thank you so much for coming but I will be touching on this in another video so stay tuned and thank you so much for coming and look forward to speaking to you soon.