Real talk: PMS sucks. 80% to 90% of women are effected by some sort of emotional or physical change due to PMS every single month. Each time that time of the month comes around the majority of us experience at least one of the following symptoms: Cramping, bloating, crabbiness, irritability, heightened sensitivity, short temper, headaches, nausea, paranoia and even depression. Mood swings are probably the best way to describe them. If you’re prone to these symptoms, you’re going to love these natural remedies for PMS!
Some people take medication for their PMS symptoms, but natural PMS remedies are much better for you. If you don’t know how to get rid of PMS naturally, you’re not alone. It can be tempting to pop OTC meds to ease the pain, but once you know natural PMS cures, they’ll help you get rid of your symptoms every single time.
If you want to know how to stop PMS in its tracks, take a look at 5 natural remedies for PMS that work!
Watch Your Diet
Your diet has a huge effect on how you feel, especially during PMS. Refined flour, sugar, processed foods, and salt can lead to major bloating, caffeine can elevate anxiety and irritability, high amounts of sugar can destabilize your mood, and alcohol can worsen depression.
Focus on filling your body with whole foods, proteins, fruits and vegetables a week before your period for PMS help. Eat evenly throughout the day and don’t skip meals.
Know Your Stress Triggers
Stress only makes PMS worse, so make sure you know your stress triggers and avoid them as much as you can, especially pre-period. Find ways to relieve stress by doing relaxing things you enjoy, whether it’s meditating, taking a bath, reading, hanging out with friends, or whatever makes you feel good. Also make sure to get the proper amount of sleep to reduce stress and save your energy levels.
Use Essential Oils
Essential oils have amazing healing properties, and some seem to be made for relieving PMS and menstrual cramps. Lavender helps improve blood flow, reducing cramps, but also has calming mental effects. Eucalyptus is loved for its anti-inflammatory properties that reduce menstrual cramps. And rose stimulates proper hormone cycle, alleviating mental and physical PMS symptoms.
Drink Herbal Teas
Herbal tea is one of the best medicines when it comes to PMS. Chamomile tea is one of the most relaxing for your mind and body. It can reduce stress and ease anxiety and irritability during PMS. Peppermint tea is amazing to beat the bloat, and ginger tea is known to help with nausea and cramps. And if you’re prone to sore boobs prior to your period, dandelion tea will be your saving grace.
Yoga Poses for Cramps
Yoga is one of the best ways to get natural PMS relief, especially for cramps. The breath work will help you clear and sooth your mind, and stretching is a great way to relieve discomfort in your abdominal and lower back. Exercising releases endorphins and painkilling hormones, which protect the nerves and stop the pain signal from reaching the brain.
Menstrual cramps are caused by uterine contractions, and the right yoga poses can help relax your muscles and ease the contractions. Here are 5 poses to do if you want to use yoga for menstrual cramps.
Child’s Pose. If your menstrual pain originates in your lower back, child’s pose is going to be a huge help for easing your pain. Gently stretch your lower back muscles, and focus on breathing into your back. Relax through the hips and rest your torso on your thighs so you can fully unwind. Child’s pose is great for soothing back aches, menstrual pain, and quieting the mind.
How to do it: Start on your knees, and touch your big toes together, with your knees spread wide apart. Sit up straight and lengthen through the crown of your head. When you exhale, sink back, bow forward, and drape your torso between your thighs. Extend your arms in front of you with your palms facing down. Take 5 to 10 deep breaths.
Supine Twist. Twists are known for detoxing your body and refreshing your inner organs. They reduce pressure in the lower back by enhancing circulation and increasing flexibility. You can ease your nerves and abdominal pain by holding a supine twist and breathing into the pose.
How to do it: Lay down on your back relaxing your legs, shoulders and hips. Put your arms out beside you so you’re in a T shape. Bring your left knee up and twist over to the right, keeping your left shoulder down on the ground. You can hold your left knee with your right hand if you’d like. Hold for 5 breaths and repeat on the other side.
Locust. Locust pose massages the abdomen and reproductive organs, eliminating your menstrual cramps.
How to do it: Start laying face down with your big toes touching. Inhale and raise your head, looking forward, lifting your chest off the ground and reaching your arms along either side of you. At the same time, use your inner thighs to lift your legs towards the ceiling. Breathe for 5 deep breaths.
Forward Fold. To lengthen the spine and open the hips, a forward fold is a go-to yoga pose. It lengthens your legs, stretching the hamstrings and calves and eases pain around the lower back. It’s calming to the nervous system and helps alleviate menstrual cramps.
How to do it: Stand with your legs a little closer than hip-width distance apart. Bend forward from your hips and slowly swing your arms down, bending your elbows and grabbing elbows with opposite hands. You can stay in that position or swing gently from side to side.
Cat-Cow. Transitioning through cat-cow gets your body moving and warms it up, which will help ease your period cramps. Both poses stretch and tone your abdominal and back muscles, helping to relieve your pain. Move slowly from one pose into the other to reap the full benefits.
How to do it: Start on your hands and knees. Arch your back, open your chest and lift your head, then slowly curve your back, contracting your abdominals and draw your head down towards the floor. Inhale to rise with Cow pose and exhale with Cat pose.
PMS is never fun, but there are ways to remedy it so it doesn’t affect your life so much. Use these natural cures to ease pain and kick mood swings!
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