Q: What is the best way
to ward off PMS related food cravings?
Marla Ahlgrimm: Most experts recommend managing carbohydrate
cravings by keeping an emergency “survival kit” at home, work or in
your purse. Low glycemic vegetables, yogurt, nuts, or a few complex
carbohydrate crackers are snacks that should be considered. Maintaining blood
sugar levels by eating 6 small meals a day goes a long way in decreasing
cravings for chocolate, refined white flour snacks or salty snacks.
Q: What is the best way
to get the family involved when changing your diet to alleviate PMS symptoms?
Marla Ahlgrimm: If you have children, it is best to let them help
with grocery shopping and allow them to pick out healthy foods and snacks
for themselves. It can be difficult to convince a child that healthy changes
are not only important for their body but taste good as well. When children
have some sense of control over what they eat, they are more likely to stay
away from processed foods and indulge in creative and
healthy eating.
Q: How important is
sleep when you have PMS?
Marla Ahlgrimm: Regular sleep is the necessary for the body to
repair itself after daily activity. While it can be difficult to sleep
premenstrually, it’s vital to help manage fatigue and
irritability.
Q: What is the best way
to keep track of PMS symptoms?
Marla Ahlgrimm: Managing PMS means keeping a daily list of when
and how severely symptoms affect you. It is best to use a menstrual
calendar daily so that symptoms can be recorded before sleep and
evaluated monthly.
Q: Is meditation helpful
for PMS?
Marla Ahlgrimm: Meditation,
yoga or even just a few quiet minutes alone can decrease the stress hormone
cortisol and recharge the body and mind, making it easier to manage many
symptoms of PMS.
