This used to be my cycle:

I was capable of staying the clean-eating course all month long, except for one week out of each month when I would want to eat pizza for breakfast, fries for lunch, and a cake for dinner.

A hormonal force bigger than us takes over, and we’re left picking up the bloated pieces for the next three weeks.

The vicious cycle is never-ending, and as much as we tell ourselves that we won’t fall into the trap the next month, we leave the restaurant (pants unbuttoned) wondering if there is ever going to be an escape from this roller coaster of food cravings and overall disdain for everything and everyone.

Should we just buy stock in sweatpants and prepare for the inevitable? Not just yet. I have six solutions for your PMS woes.

1. You need more magnesium.

Magnesium supplements have been studied to decrease the symptoms of PMS including mood swings, irritability, depression, anxiety, bloating, fluid retention, breast tenderness, sugar cravings, headaches, and poor sleep, which affect 75 percent of women. In an earlier study that involved 192 women taking 400 mg of magnesium daily for PMS, 95 percent experienced less breast pain and had less weight gain, 89 percent suffered less nervous tension, and 43 percent had fewer headaches.

Werbach M. "Premenstrual syndrome: magnesium." Townsend Letter for Doctors. June 1995: 26.

My Recommendation: Take 400-600 mg of magnesium glycinate daily. Use raw cacao in smoothies and healthy dessert recipes. Cacao has tons of magnesium and is the base of chocolate (no wonder why we crave it)!

Supplement: Magnesium Glycinate

Here is the link to register for an account to order through Xymogen (enter "NutritionalWiz" for the referral code and "Pollack" for the practitioner name and you should be good to go!)

2. Experiment with different herbs.

I’ve had tremendous success with my PMS by using supplements along with these other guidelines. There are a few herbs that have been shown to decrease PMS symptoms, but my favorites are Chasteberry, also known as Vitex, and maca. After a few months of taking them daily, you can take them for two weeks out of the month. Start right after ovulation and take them until your period comes.

My Recommendation: 100mg twice daily of Vitex agnus-castus 10:1 ratio preferably on an empty stomach. Can be taken on day 15 of your cycle (after ovulation) and continued until your period begins after 2 months of being taken daily. Maca can be taken daily to help with hormone balance and energy! I also love a good combination product, listed below.

My favorite products:

Maca Powder

Femquil

Here is the link to register for an account to order through Xymogen (enter "NutritionalWiz" for the referral code and "Pollack" for the practitioner name and you should be good to go!)

3. Increase your omega 3’s

Increasing the dosage of your omegas has shown to be a promising holistic treatment for PMS. Women with PMS may be abnormally sensitive to the hormone prolactin, a phenomenon that could be related to reduced levels of prostaglandin E1, derived from dietary fatty acids, which can mitigate prolactin's effects. Taking your omegas helps to balance these prolactin levels contributing to reduced symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome.

My recommendation: 2 grams omega 3 fish oil with food daily

Supplement: Monopure 1300

On January 17, 2011. University of Pernambuco in Brazil, journal Reproductive Health “Improvements in Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) in Women Given Supplemental Fatty Acids”.

Here is the link to register for an account to order through Xymogen (enter "NutritionalWiz" for the referral code and "Pollack" for the practitioner name and you should be good to go!)

4. Let your loved ones know.

Who suffers more during this awful week, you or the people closest to you? Tell your partner or roommate that you are about to start your period and that you are feeling emotionally off. Ask that they be sensitive and careful about what kinds of food they bring into the home. When I do this, I feel like my husband and I are in it together, he’s sensitive to my needs, and he gives me alone time.

My recommendation: Take more time to yourself and have your partner clued into what you are going through. Then they know when to buy you flowers and 90% dark chocolate (Which, by the way, has a ton of magnesium).

5. Ask less of yourself.

We ask so much of ourselves on a daily basis. As our hormones shift, we need to adjust our level of self-expectation. Social commitments should decrease, which in turn will also decrease your temptation for food and alcohol. Self-care increases as you treat yourself to that monthly massage, facial, mani/pedi, and so on.

My recommendation: Don’t be blindsided by this week. Put it on your calendar (I use the app Period Tracker) and pre-book yourself a self-care session (whatever that looks like to you, as long as it's not food-related!). Practice saying no to people, events, favors, and anything else that drains your energy and leaves you craving junk.

6. Get your hormones tested.

A simple saliva or blood test can give you and your gynecologist a deeper look into the exact cause of the hormonal imbalance. In testing my own hormones, I found that I had estrogen dominance, which is a lack of progesterone, right before menses. It was causing a dip in energy and spike in food cravings. Through supplementation and adhering to the above guidelines, I’ve seen so much improvement.

My Recommendation: If you are really suffering every month, don’t guess, test. Try these tips first and if you see no improvement, ask your gynecologist about testing your hormones during the worst part of your cycle. If recommended by your gynecologist, a natural bio-identical cream could change your life.

Want to grab any of all of these supplement recommendations? Here is the link to register for an account to order through Xymogen (enter "NutritionalWiz" for the referral code and "Pollack" for the practitioner name and you should be good to go!). Want us to order for you instead? Email us and we will ship them to you!