PMS and how blood sugar balance can help
PMS feels SO unfair.
It's another one of those 'women's things' that it feels easier to brush under the carpet and grin and bear once a month.
But there comes a time when it's just not bearable. Where our mood, our discomfort, even our rage, interfere with family or work life. Like so many things it's an indicator of a need to make some changes.
Sometimes the rage shines a light on where we need more support, or more rest, or less responsibility. Sometimes it feels like it comes from nowhere.
There's definitely a hormone story to tell, one in which declining levels of progesterone and oestrogen have an impact on our brains and therefore our mood.
But I thought I'd share a titbit of information which is useful whether we struggle with PMS or not.
Blood sugar balance helps our hormones and our health.
There's another hormone to think about here too, insulin, the hormone that signals to our cell to take up the glucose circulating in our blood supply (released by our pancreas when our body detects high levels of sugar in the blood stream). Some women in their pre-menstrual phase experience more blood sugar sensitivity, which means both craving sugar/processed foods and experiencing blood sugar crashes and exhaustion.
And those blood sugar crashes can really affect our mood (we've all experiences Hanger, right?).
Balancing blood sugar has many benefits but it can really help our mood in the pre menstrual phase.
How do we do it?
Eat balanced meals containing protein, healthy fats and plenty of fibre
Stick to wholegrain and complex carbohydrates (whole meal breads, brown rice, oats, starchy vegetables)
Snack between meals if you need to - but include protein/fat to keep blood sugar stable. Carrot sticks and humous, apple and peanut butter, avocado, nuts and seeds with berries, and keep the chocolate dark and high in cocoa content and low in sugar.
Regular exercise - even a walk helps manage blood sugar - as our muscles will use the stored energy supplies.
A good night's sleep. Poor sleep can really upset our stress, appetite and cravings, which then have an impact on our blood sugar. Aiming to get 7-9 hours a night is a good plan, especially in the pre-menstrual phase.
It can help to plan meals and batch cook in preparation for this phase in your cycle too. It's harder to be led astray by the take-away menu if you know you've got something tasty and home made in the freezer. And delegate as much as you can. That definitely helps with the cooking rage!
Want a little more detail? Join me in tomorrow evening's workshop (12 May). I've got SO much more to share!