I just read this article today and I have to say, I am intrigued! As a female, anything that can help lessen or even prevent those monthly mood swings is a welcomed suggestion. I think the fact that they add in an actual meal plan is fantastic!
The PMS Diet
Wine
During the week before your period order a glass of wine with dinner. What? Wine! Yes, believe it or not, your PMS may lessen.
The study of Women's Health across the Nation recently linked moderate alcohol consumption (about one drink per day) to fewer pre-period mood changes and headaches. Hello, happy hour!
Sweet Potatoes
Premenstrual mood swings and crazy cravings come down to a shortage of the brain chemical serotonin, says Judith Wurtman, Ph.D., coauthor of The Serotonin Power Diet. "The only thing that helps—and it helps instantly—is to eat carbs, because that's the only way the brain makes new serotonin," says Wurtman, who adds that the serotonin boosters need to be eaten straight with no fat or protein.
Instead try this savory mashed recipe:
In a medium saucepan, combine 1-inch chunks of sweet potatoes and enough cold water to cover them. Cover the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return them to the medium saucepan. A drizzle of honey, and a dash of cinnamon and pepper. Mash until smooth.
Skim Milk
Science backs up the old warm-milk remedy for insomnia and restlessness. Turns out calcium can reduce muscle spasms and soothe tension, says Mary Dallman, Ph.D., professor of physiology at the University of California, San Francisco. A glass of moo juice (preferably skim or 1 percent) may also reduce stressful PMS symptoms such as mood swings, anxiety, and irritability. According to a 2005 study from the Archives of Internal Medicine, women who drank four or more servings of low-fat or skim milk per day had a 46 percent lower risk of pre-period misery than women who had no more than one serving per week.
Ginkgo Biloba
The herb ginkgo biloba can reduce PMS puffiness. In a recent study that was published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, subjects took 40-milligram ginkgo tablets three times a day for two months during the last half of their menstrual cycles, while another group took placebos. The ginkgo takers reported that their PMS symptoms—including belly bloat—were about 20 percent less severe, compared with the group taking the placebo. Ginkgo biloba contains flavonoids, which reduce inflamma-tion and increase blood flow. Both ease bloating, says lead study author Giti Ozgoli of Iran's Shahid Beheshti Medical University.
Spinach
Mighty magnesium has been linked with lessening some of those heinous that-time-of-the-month symptoms. First, the mineral can help lower your stress levels, keeping you less likely to fly off the handle. Also, not getting enough magnesium can trigger migraine headaches and make you feel fatigued. (And almost seven out of 10 of us don't get enough of the stuff. No wonder we're cranky.) Spinach delivers a megaload of magnesium. Just one leafy cup provides 40 percent of your daily value -- so try subbing it for lettuce on sandwiches and salads. Or whip up a hot side of wilted spinach to pair with your next PMS-busting dinner:
Heat a teaspoon of olive oil, a crushed garlic clove, and some black pepper in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, then toss in four handfuls of spinach leaves and turn them frequently for a minute or two.
Want a whole PMS-busting meal plan? Try this combo of mood-boosting, cramp-curing meals for a week and watch your symptoms fade:
Breakfast
Cottage cheese, berries + fortified OJ
OR
Oatmeal + low-fat milk + whole wheat toast
Lunch
Spinach salad, salmon + glass of low-fat milk
OR
Tuna, low-fat mayo, whole-wheat bread + cantaloupe
Snack
Air-popped popcorn (no butter) drizzled with fat-free chocolate sauce
OR
Whole wheat bran muffin + nonfat yogurt with honey
OR
Low-fat cheese + whole-wheat crackers
Dinner
Whole-wheat pasta + garlic, mushrooms, onions in a tomato sauce
OR
Broiled salmon + brown rice + steamed broccoli + blueberries
