Natural Remedies for PMDD

As you may have guessed from my previous post, I do not believe in pharmaceutical drugs to be a solution to PMDD. As such I have belief in the power of natural remedies for PMDD, but I always note that people are quick to label this as something based on poor science, or people jump to nonsensical conclusions that a few herbs and a stick of incense will be the solutions to all of their ailments.

A real natural solution for PMDD requires a lot more than just a few herbal supplements (they are very useful though). A natural program to get rid of PMDD is all about a holistic cure that takes into account many factors on a person and takes a multi pronged approach to look into:

• Physical health both internal and external
• Emotional and Psychological health
• Social well being from your interactions with others
• And even spiritual health (including if you are not religious!)

This is a process that seems arduous to start with changes to your diet, your sleeping habits, the way you think, the way you handle stress, new supplements to takes and much more - but once you put it down in an easy to follow plan it actually becomes very simple. When you start feeling the results this plan starts to become something you want to do, then it becomes a habit which is hard to break and is GOOD for you.

Another important thing to note is that each part of this holistic process works better when combined with another. If you just follow one or two parts of PMDD natural Cures then you will get some benefit - but if you combine a few into one they will all help each other becoming more powerful together than the sum of their individual parts.

To find out more about this, click below to discover more about holistic PMDD healing and how you can simplify the entire process and get your moods, body, and life back on track.

Natural PMDD Treatment Solutions

Information on PMDD Diet

If you are suffering from PMDD, then I bet you must have tried a lot of remedies before. You may have gone to medication drinking whatever drugs you may find that can be used to treat your disorder. While others may have also tried herbal remedies. These drugs and herbs may work but they can be nothing compared to PMDD diet solution. This solution may not have a very big impact at its first instance but it will work best for long time remedies.

But getting into a PMDD diet solution is not easy. It may be easy to say that you will be zealous to the program but just like what they say, it is “easier said than done”. This is why it is also important to know how to approach such a diet for it to become a habit in the future. Once it has become a habit, it won't be a problem committing to the program anymore.

So to get started, what you will need is a good list of the things to have in order to be in this diet and the things to have not. Basically, this list is more like the do’s and don'ts in the diet. It is best to get a head start by doing the changes on a weekly basis.

The Ideal PMDD Diet

Fresh Vegetables

Since we were kids, we were often told to eat those green leafy vegetables. The problem is, we will say yes but there is really no application to it. It cannot be stressed out better that vegetable have very high nutrition level and it can even generate some amount of energy. This will be very be good to our whole system and most especially to the hormonal health. When getting these vegetables, you must make sure that it should be fresh or else the nutrition that is supposed to be there will be lost.

Food Low in GI

In choosing what to eat, it is important that the substance must be low in GI. These kinds of food will help in giving the body power and it can also help regenerate muscles. It is advisable to choose the low GI food because it slowly breaks down glucose which in turn will give energy to your body. If it does in a quick manner, what will happen is that your body will be flooded with hormone insulin which is not good for you having PMDD.

Hydrate Well

When it comes to the fluid that enters your body, nothing can beat water. This is the source of life as many will say and in this article, it is the source of good health. Low intake of water will interfere with your mood and concentration and the opposite will yield to good mood and good performance due to increase in concentration.

Food which are Alkaline

Alkaline food is the opposite of acidic food. Although there are still people who question it but studies have already been conducted about the effect of alkaline food in the body and in health. These studies have shown that the body is better in both the mental and the physical well-being if more food which is alkaline based is taken as compared to its acidic counterparts. It can be explained because alkaline foods are more natural.

Food which are Rich in Protein

We all know that protein is the one responsible in giving us energy. This is why it is really suggested you take in protein rich food. This will help you get rid of anxiety, depression by giving your body a boost of energy. It can surely help you on the symptoms and feelings that you have because of PMDD. There is no problem taking this food because they are good to the taste. Examples of food that are rich in protein are eggs, chicken, dairy products, lean meat and many more.

Things to Avoid in the PMDD diet

Food Rich in Sugar and those which are Processed

Just like getting fresh vegetables over those that are processed, all other processed food may not contain the nutrients needed for a healthier system. Most processed food is those stored in cans, boxes and jars but mind the readers; this is not the case all the time. This kind of food should really be avoided because these are also the kind that is high in GI. Example of these high GI low nutrients food are doughnuts, cereals, powdered juice and many more.

Meat which are Non-Organic

PMDD is caused by imbalance in the hormones. This is why when you pick some meat to eat, especially with chicken; you have to be careful not to pick one that has been induced with hormones. You see, some producers are inducing growth hormones to these chicken or other livestock so they can grow fast and grow big. These will generate more money to them which will cause more irritation to those who suffer from PMDD.

Additional Diet Tips for PMDD

Never go Shopping when Hungry

What will likely to happen when you go shopping when you’re hungry is that you will buy and buy food without consulting what it is consisted of. This may then break your PMDD diet and may cause some problems soon or in the near future.

Make a List for Shopping

Aside for making it easier, it is also good to keep your PMDD diet when you have a list when you shop for the food that you will need at home. This will serve as a reminder that you are on your fight against this dreaded disorder.

Snacks is a No-No

Simply put it, never buy snacks. You may try to justify this by telling yourself it will not be for you but for friends or family members but to be safe, do not buy it anymore. This snack will stay in the house and the temptation that goes with it will be nearer than when it is in the store.

Ask for Help

Doing things alone may not be as effective as when you are getting some help with somebody else. So always remember to ask help from someone close to you so you can sustain this PMDD diet plan that you do.

PCOS and PMDD - Are They Linked?

I’ve been getting a ton of emails lately on the subject of whether or not Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and PMDD are correlated. Although that assumption is not entirely without merit, I have yet to find substantial proof that can safely assume their connection with each other. However I was able to talk to people online who had both conditions at the same time, which helps give that theory some credit.

PCOS is similar to PMDD in the regard that it has a lot to do with imbalanced hormones. So if you happen to feel violent mood swings or spiked emotions, that can only mean that you are susceptible to both PCOS and PMDD disorders.

PCOS likely stems from deficiencies in insulin, which is a hormone that must be produced in certain amounts in order to stream blood properly. Due to the lack of adequate insulin, the body then produces more androgens than needed, clogging hormone pathways which severely malfunctions the ovaries, causing more symptoms to manifest themselves.

Women who have had history of hormonal imbalance run a greater risk of having conditions like PCOS and PMDD, however the reason as to why they manifest under such conditions is currently a mystery to researchers. So it is safe to assume that the only real “cure” when it comes to PMDD or PCOS to mediate its ill-effects. There are a lot of medication as well as therapy out there that can maintain or normalize your hormonal levels, thus easing the process of your pre-period mood swings.

PMDD Medication and Drugs

PMDD medication and drugs in general are something that can be difficult to get away from in the medical system. Doctors are very quick to sign off a prescription on their pad for you to deal with the immediate symptoms of PMDD. This might help in the short term but does nothing to end the condition itself - it will just mask the problems (while giving you a bunch of other side effects to worry about!)

Here are a few of the typical drugs you might have heard of or are taking now.

• Pills for birth control which can help deal with some symptoms but of course come with their own challenges.
• Hormone medication - the logic is that you can balance hormones by adding MORE hormones of a different type that might be needed. This might help for a short time but the original reason for the imbalance remains and will quickly make these drugs worthless.
• Anti-anxiety Drugs such as Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan and so on have been shown to give short term relief to sever anxiety. Again, not a lasting solution, just a band aid measure.
• Antidepressants – Drugs such as Zoloft, Paxil CR and others are a mainstay of dealing with depression, but are certainly not a long term solution and have been proven to have some serious side effects. 
• Pain relievers are also used quite often for headaches and cramping, in short amounts these can be helpful because you at least KNOW they are a short term solution for some ease not a cure.

I am not going to totally blame your doctor for this though. They are very busy and must see many patients very quickly and giving them all the in depth advice on exactly how to deal with these hormonal problems takes some effort. Also many people do not follow this advice so they often end up just giving vague directions and helping with the symptoms. Of course some doctors just do not believe PMDD exists either which is very frustrating and humiliating to the poor women who see them.
Doctors are not completely to blame for this; there are many reasons why they do not give you the help you need to really eliminate PMDD such as:

• Busy - They simply need to see as many patients as they can to help as many as they can so your ailments might seem like an easy fix with drugs
• Lack of information - some doctors still do not understand PMDD properly
• Jaded - Some doctors used to give lots of advice to people about how to eat right, and change their lifestyles but find their words rarely heeded in favour of drugs (I know a doctor like this - it is sad)
• Unbeliever - Some doctors simply do not believe PMDD is as bad as it is and put it down to over reacting to PMS which can be humiliating for a woman to hear as it is not true!

So in my opinion, PMDD medication and drugs are not a solution - they are a short term pain reliever that you will need to become addicted to every month if you do not tackle the root cause of the disorder using natural and holistic measures that bring LONG TERM benefits to PMDD sufferers!

PMDD Symptoms and Causes

Those who suffer form PMDD know just how appalling this condition can make their lives. In fact, until recently PMDD was not acknowledged widely as a proper disorder because the causes and symptoms were not well understood, and often confused with PMS.

This has now been remedied and it is recognised as a psychological disorder, but the real causes of the condition are actually quite biological.

Causes of PMDD

This disorder is actually caused by sever fluctuations in hormones just like PMS is, but on a much greater scale (and you probably have a genetic disposition towards PMDD as well). The exact connection between this change in hormones and how it causes the symptoms is still not fully understood, but there is a strong correlation between the two making it unmistakable they are linked. This crazy hormone time interferes with the mood regulators in the brain and can also lead to other problematic hormonal conditions such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome as well.

Symptoms of PMDD

There are a number of ways this shows in a woman’s mood and body, below are a list of common symptoms associated with PMDD. You need to have these in the last week of your menstrual cycle, at least one must be in the first 5 points listed, and they must ease after the onset of bleeding also to be classed as PMDD.

• Depression and self deprecating thoughts
• Anxiety and feeling on edge and frazzled
• Sudden crying and sadness, also a sensitivity to criticism
• Anger, irritability and outbursts that lead to conflicts with friends and family
• Less interest in usually activities and hobbies
• Difficulty in concentrating on even simple tasks.
• Lethargy and lack of energy
• Increased appetite and sometimes a craving for some foods.
• Sleeping too much, or too little
• A feeling or sense of being overwhelmed and out of control of things
• Other physical symptoms, such as breast tenderness or swelling, headaches, joint or muscle pain, a sensation of bloating, or weight gain