Last Updated on July 31, 2021
Many women suffer from PMS during that time of the month.
Common signs of PMS (Premenstrual syndrome) are:
- bloating
- excessive stomach pain (especially at the lower area)- the pain is similar to a mild labor pain
- lower back pain
- tired
- sometimes headaches or migraines
I used to have PMS during the years when I was inactive and not exercising. However, after I started exercising, the time of the month feels just like any other day. The only problem I would encounter is if I eat the wrong kind of food. The older generation had taught me about some food to avoid- no harm trying.
Some tips may help to make the condition more bearable:
- avoid iced drinks- especially real ice ones like smoothies. In Eastern beliefs, ice makes the womb cold and so, weakens it and increases the pain
- reduce tea and coffee intake. If you must have coffee, stick to lower caffeine doses and try to avoid strong ones like lattes and expressos.
- certain ‘cooling’ fruits such as watermelon, honeydew, pineapple and sometimes mango
- too much starchy/ hard to digest food that will further encourage bloating such as creamy soups, cakes with lots of creams.
- chillies
What will help:
- drink lots of warm water (no chilled water please). Water reduces fluid retention and bloating
- ‘warm’ food- try to put more ginger into your cooking. You can cook sliced ginger with chicken and if you take white wine, add a bit to the cooking. It warms your body.
- take warm soup (not those laden with cream)
- definitely- exercise. Exercise helps a great deal- especially yoga because you will stretch your body a lot and increase the circulation of your lower body. It’s very effective especially if done about one day before the menses (keep a calendar of the time and you will be able to estimate the date).
Once, I had bloating, cramps and headache during that time of the month. I attended a yoga class and after about 15 minutes into the sun salutation and stretches, the headache just went off. I felt so much better.
