Premenstrual Syndrome, Recipes to Prevent and Treat PMS

A comic rendition of how fierce a woman suffering from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can be was well portrayed in the 1990s sitcom Mad About You, when the protagonist’s younger sister was allowed to go home alone in New York City—armed with PMS and a stun gun.

The moods that sometimes result from PMS can indeed be formidable. Yet, during their reproductive years, some 80 percent of young women have to cope with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). In up to 8 percent, PMS is incapacitating. Happily, for most women, symptoms are mild.

PMS describes a cluster of symptoms that gang up on a woman in the days before her periods only to ebb at the onset of menstrual flow. They include fluid retention, abdominal bloating, headaches, breast tenderness, low back pain, constipation or diarrhea, fatigue, insomnia, sugar cravings, forgetfulness, irritability, decreased self-esteem, social withdrawal, anxiety, and mild depression.

PMS symptoms can cluster into subgroups, depending upon whether the predominant complaint is fluid retention, carbohydrate cravings, anxiety, or depression. A severe form of PMS called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) causes marked psychological symptoms: irritability, mood swings, depressed mood, and nervous tension.

The cause of PMS remains a medical mystery. Clearly, monthly oscillations in reproductive hormones have something to do with it. Risk factors include psychological stress, being overweight, and smoking.

Doctors sometimes prescribe hormonal contraceptives to smooth out the normal fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone and, occasionally, diuretics to reduce fluid retention and breast tenderness. Antidepressants, either given continuously or only during the last two weeks of the monthly cycle, are helpful for PMDD and when psychological symptoms predominate the PMS picture.

Recipes to prevent and treat PMS

Pre-Attack Snack Mix
¼ cup (36 g) raw almonds ¼ cup (25 g) raw walnut halves ¼ cup (35 g) raisins ¼ cup (21 g) banana chips ¼ cup (21 g) dried apple slices or (32.5 g) apricots ¼ cup (44 g) carob chips
Preparation and use:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Mix the nuts and spread on a baking sheet. Toast for about 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and pour into a bowl. Toss in the dried fruit and carob chips. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: 6 servings
How it works:
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is thought to account for at least some PMS symptoms. Keeping your blood sugar steady with healthy snacks can also help you resist sugar cravings.

Crunchy Blood Sugar Balance
1 apple 1 celery stalk 1 to 2 tablespoons (16 to 32 g) peanut butter
Preparation and use:
Slice the apple, with its peel, into multiple pieces. Slice the celery width-wise, so you retain the dip in the center. Put a dab of peanut butter in each piece of celery and each apple slice. Crunch away.
Yield: 1 serving
How it works:
As stated previously, hypoglycemia is thought to account for at least some PMS symptoms. Keep your blood sugar steady with healthy snacks like this one. In addition, the fiber in the apple and celery will avert constipation, a PMS plague. Note: Keep your peanut butter servings to dabs, as it is high in calories and easy to overdo.

PMS Super Salad 
1 cup (47 g) torn romaine lettuce 1 cup (28 g) torn red leaf lettuce ½ cup (50 g) torn escarole ½ cup (10 g) torn arugula ¹∕3 red onion, sliced thinly ½ red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thinly 4 cherry tomatoes 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil 1½ teaspoons (8 ml) balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Preparation and use:
Toss together the leafy greens. Add the onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes. In a separate small bowl, beat together the oil, vinegar, and lemon juice to make a vinaigrette. Add a pinch of black pepper. Drizzle over the greens and toss. Serve.
Yield: 2 Large or 4 small servings
How it works:
Some health experts believe that high-fiber, low-fat diets may reduce PMS symptoms. In theory, such diets improve elimination of estrogen. The fats to avoid are hydrogenated (trans) fats (in many processed foods) and fat subjected to high heat (present in chips and other fried foods). Healthy fats include monounsaturated fats (e.g., olive oil) and polyunsaturated fats (flaxseed oil, fish oil, evening primrose oil, borage seed oil, and black currant seed oil), which benefit you by reducing inflammation.

Juice It Away
1 cup (235 ml) low-sodium tomato or V8 juice 1 cup (30 g) torn baby spinach, rinsed and drained 1 cup (67 g) torn kale Salt-free herbal seasoning, such as ½ teaspoon (0.5 g) herbes de Provence Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation and use:
Pour the tomato juice into a blender. Gradually add the spinach and kale, mincing it a little at a time so the leaves don’t clog the blades. Once minced, blend at high speed to fully pulverize the greens into a liquid. Add more tomato juice if the mixture is too thick. Pour in a tall glass and season to taste with salt-free seasoning and black pepper.
Yield: 2 servings (about 2 cups [475 ml])
How it works:
In addition to providing fiber, dark green leafy vegetables contain calcium and magnesium. Low levels of these two minerals are one of the postulated theories about the cause of PMS.

Friendly Fat Salmon-Flax- Avocado 
Melt 1 can salmon, (4.5 ounces, or 127.5 g) drained ¼ cup (30 g) diced celery 1 tablespoon (10 g) minced red onion 1 teaspoon (4 g) coarsely ground flaxseeds 1 tablespoon (15 g) low-fat plain yogurt 1 teaspoon (5 ml) wine vinegar Freshly ground black pepper 2 slices whole wheat bread ½ avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
Preparation and use:
In a bowl, mix together the salmon, celery, onion, flaxseeds, yogurt, and vinegar. Top each slice of bread with half of the salmon mixture. Spray a skillet lightly with canola oil cooking spray. Cook the open-faced sandwiches over low heat for about 5 minutes until the bread is toasty. Top each sandwich with the avocado slices.
Yield: 2 servings
How it works:
Some studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils, avocado, nuts, flaxseeds, and olive oil can help reduce bloating and discomfort associated with PMS. One recent study showed that women who ate 25 grams of flaxseeds every day had reduced premenstrual breast pain. A possible explanation is that flaxseeds contain lignans, which act as phytoestrogens (natural estrogen-like substances).

When Simple Doesn’t work
• A recent analysis concluded that acupuncture produces promising results in women with PMS.
• Chaste tree berry (vitex agnus-castus) extracts have been shown in a half-dozen studies to safely and effectively reduce PMS.
• St. John’s wort (hypericum perforatum) extracts appear to help manage psychological symptoms associated with PMS and PMDD. The herb is safe but does have some precautions:
(1) It can increase sun sensitivity. If you’re fairskinned, cover up or use sunscreen.
(2) It should not be combined with prescription antidepressants.
(3) Concentrated extracts speed the breakdown of a number of medications, including hormonal contraceptives. In the case of hormonal contraceptives, breakthrough bleeding and pregnancy can occur.

When to call the Doctor 
• You have recurrent PMS unabated by home remedies.
• You become significantly depressed or anxious prior to your menses.
• PMS impairs your ability to function.
• You also have severe headaches around the time of menstruation.