Unless there is something medically wrong with them, all women will have a menstrual cycle. The vast majority of women also experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Their hormones are all over the place. Many women want to know how to improve hormone harmony naturally during PMS. Some men may want to know, too, so they can help the women in their lives.

* Start with a low-fat, high fiber diet. Beans and lentils are great choices to add during your monthly cycle. They are rich in B vitamins, high in fiber, and provide a number of minerals your body needs. Some people also believe they increase the level of serotonin which calms the brain. If you’re eating lower fat foods, you’re also helping your body produce less estrogen which may ease some of PMS’s symptoms – including anxiety and irritability.

* Reduce sodium in your diet, particularly if you tend to retain water. The problem is many of the foods women crave leading up to their periods are chock full of sodium. Many experts recommend limiting your sodium intake to less than 2,000 mg per day. Too much sodium in the diet can lead to water retention, abdominal bloating, and breast tenderness which most women would like to avoid.

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Most women around the world experience menstrual cramps from time to time. It seems to go with being a woman. However, women experiencing frequent and severe cramps during the first days of their monthly cycle may be suffering from a condition called primary dysmenorrhea.

You’ve probably heard of menstrual cramping but may not have heard of it called by its scientific name – dysmenorrhea. In the simplest terms, dysmenorrhea is a condition whereby a woman experiences severe and painful menstrual cramps and other pain associated with having a period. Dysmenorrhea falls into two categories: primary and secondary.

Primary dysmenorrhea often begins a couple of years after a young woman starts having a menstrual cycle and usually lasts her entire lifetime and has no obvious physical cause. The pain is severe and often happens frequently during a cycle. Doctors agree the severe pain is caused by abnormal contractions of the uterus and believe up to 90% of all women experience this condition at some point.

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Menstrual pain is something that joins women around the globe. Women have tried many methods to ease the pain and some have actually brought relief. One thing you may not have tried yet is treating menstrual pain with magnet therapy.

You know what menstrual cramps are; those mild contractions or aches and pains in your lower abdomen. Normally they occur right before menstruation starts and last a few days. For some women the monthly discomfort is more than they can bear but they don’t want to use medications to ease the pain. Magnetic therapy has been used to treat a variety of aches and pains.

Magnets create a field around them and some believe the magnetic field can block pain. This may be because the pain signals are blocked from ever reaching the brain. The effect is relief from menstrual cramps so you can go about your day free of pain.

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Women experiencing menstrual cramps may be willing to try almost anything to avoid having cramps each month. Did you know you could treat menstrual cramps with nutrition? If you’re tired of having cramps every time you have your period, how can changing your diet hurt? Learn how diet affects the severity of your menstrual cramps.

* Eat a diet consisting of a variety of foods. Low fat, high fiber diets appear to combat the salty or sweet foods women typically crave during their menstrual cycle. Besides helping avoid cravings, you’ll also have more energy and a more stable mood.

* Ensure your body is getting all of the vitamins and minerals you need by taking a multivitamin each day. Minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium are particularly important before and during your monthly cycle.

* Eat more foods containing omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, mackerel, albacore tuna, swordfish, and lake trout. You may also want to add walnuts, Brazil nuts, and olive oil. These foods help stabilize your mood and have an anti-inflammatory effect. They also reduce the effect of cramps because they block the production of prostaglandins.

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What is Premenstrual Syndrome?

PMS is a disorder characterized by a set of hormonal changes that trigger disruptive symptoms in a significant number (estimated 40 million suffers) of women for up to two weeks prior to menstruation.

Often symptoms tend to taper off with menstruation and women remain symptom-free until the two weeks or so prior to the next menstrual period. These regularly recurring symptoms from ovulation until menses typify PMS, premenstrual syndrome.

Characteristics of PMS

Over 150 symptoms have been attributed to PMS. After complaints of feeling “out-of-control”, anxious, depressed and having uncontrollable crying spells, the most common complaints are headache and fatigue. But symptoms may vary from month to month and there may even be symptom-free months.

Characteristically symptoms may be both physical and emotional. They may include physical symptoms as headache, migraine, fluid retention, fatigue, constipation, painful joints, backache, abdominal cramping, heart palpitations and weight gain.

Emotional and behavioral changes may include anxiety, depression, irritability, panic attacks, tension,lack of co-ordination, decreased work or social performance and altered libido. (some useful PMS information)

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