7 Ways to Beat PMS Symptoms
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Periods don't just come once a month; they bring along a whole rollercoaster of emotions, cravings, and cramps. If you’re one of the women who struggled with discomfort during their cycle, this episode is for you.
Welcome to Embrace Your Real podcast. In this episode, we're tackling a common yet often misunderstood issue: PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome). We’ll dive deep into the world of PMS and uncovering seven practical tips to help you conquer menstrual cramps. From heat therapy to nutrition, hydration to relaxation techniques, supplements to sleep, we'll explore a range of strategies to ease discomfort and support your well-being throughout your cycle. Get ready to empower yourself with the knowledge and tools to navigate PMS with confidence.
What I discuss:
Heat therapy
Lean into fruits and veggies and foods high in omega 3 like nuts, seeds, red meat, and salmon.
Stay hydrated and maybe even use some electrolytes
Don’t skip your workouts…
Allow yourself to relax…
Supplements like Iron, B6, Omega’s and Magnesium
Prioritize sleep and sleep quality…
If you loved this episode, be sure to tune in to…
Episode 363: Navigating Your Fitness Journey According to Your Menstrual Cycle
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Transcript:
[00:00:00] Hey, beautiful human, can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter. I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace a real. Let's get it. Let's go. You. [00:00:28]
[00:00:28] Hello and welcome back to the Embrace Your Real. I am highlighting real because we are getting real on today's podcast, the bonus episode, we're talking about a serious woman problem and that is PMS aka premenstrual syndrome. How many of you guys knew that's what PMS actually stood for? So we all know that PMS can bring kind of a wave of unwanted symptoms, including unwelcome cramps that can disrupt your daily routine, leave you feeling terrible, and getting you off track from your fitness goals. But before you give in to the discomfort, I want you to know something. And that is that there are some effective ways to kind of manage these cramps and navigate your cycle with greater ease. And so that's what I want to dive into in today's bonus episode. But before we dive in, I want to share this trivia comes from Smiley Cake big love that username so much. She gave a five star review and said, complete mindset shift. I was in such the mindset that I needed to be in weight loss mode and if I lost the weight then I would be happy. But Julie laid it out perfectly and helped me share my mindset that I don't actually need to deprive myself. But I can enjoy food and workout in a way that's effective and actually helps me to get the body that I want. [00:01:38][70.0]
[00:01:38] I love my new mindset and feeling strong. I love this so much. Smiley Cake Bake. Thank you so much for taking time to leave a rating and review. They help out the podcast more than you know, so thank you for doing that in advance. Okay, so let's dive into the seven ways to beat PMS symptoms. Hopefully, if you're not PMS ING right now, maybe you know in the future you will and you'll be able to bookmark this episode so that you'll be able to have this resource the next time you are struggling with those symptoms. Number one is heat therapy. So when the PMS cramps strike, applying heat, that can be a very simple yet effective way to find relief. And here's why you might have done it before. Maybe you've had that. You know you're living with your heating pad for that week of you PMS ING or the week even leading up to your period. But heat actually helps to relax tense muscles in your abdomen and lower back, which are often the primary source of cramping discomfort. So by improving that blood flow and promoting relaxation, he can actually decrease that annoying and painful tension and ease the cramping sensation, which is something that, you know, just kind of set to get a little sciency on you. That's why it feels so good when you do have heat during that time a month. Plus, he actually triggers the release of endorphins, which we oftentimes think of, of as our happy hormones. But they also are your body's natural pain relievers. They can help to raise your pain threshold and reduce the perception of discomfort associated with cramps or pain in your body. And by applying heat, this actually helps to increase the blood flow to the area, so that more blood flow means more nutrients are getting to the cramped muscles, which again, can make them feel at least feel less cramped in the moment. [00:03:22][103.5]
[00:03:22] Number two food. Okay, okay, so if you've tuned into the podcast for any length of time, you know that I'm all about eating what you want, when you want, and you can still build the body that you want by eating all of your favorite foods, including ice cream, French fries, burgers, pizza, all those things. But did you know that eating those types of foods regularly, especially during the time that you're missing this, can actually help to make your PMS symptoms feel worse? So while yes, you can absolutely still fit in, you know, ice cream, French fries, pizza into your daily allotment of protein, carbs and fats and not gain weight, it's likely not going to help you to relieve your PMS symptoms, which I know is so frustrating because that time of the month, that's literally all you crave, and that's the only food that you want. So you're like telling, you know, you're probably listening to this saying, Julie, you're telling me that I can't have my favorite foods while PMS saying, and I'm not saying you can't have them, I'm just saying that they can actually aid in making that PMS symptom feel worse. So when you are feeling like really crampy and you're just feeling really blah, there's no other way to describe it. You guys, you know, 99.9% of women have felt it at some point in their life leaning into these foods that are rich in omega threes and fruits and veggies like red meats, nuts, seeds, salmon. This can help your body feel more at ease, which can help to relieve some of those horrible PMS symptoms that you're having. Number three stay hydrated. Now this is something that we all hear all the time. Like drink more water, drink more water. [00:05:01][98.6]
[00:05:01] But you likely have not equated it to PMS symptoms and actual dehydration can make your PMS cramps worse. So you need to make sure that you're drinking plenty of water throughout the day, particularly on your period. And again, sometimes when you feel bloated, the last thing that you want to do is drink more water because you think, well, that's just going to make me feel more bloated. But what you need to keep in mind is that you're. Lights need to be balanced, and an electrolyte imbalance can actually contribute to muscle contractions and cramping, worsening the discomfort, especially during those PMS times. So maybe even adding some electrolytes to your water. This can help to ease the pain. This is something that I've been doing recently. Just when I'm not feeling in the days that I'm like, I just don't want to drink water. I have been adding liquid I.V. this is not an ad by any means, but they have tons of different flavors and liquid I.V. is awesome. It's an electrolyte just packet that you can put into your water, and it will add electrolytes to your water. And it can also just make your water a little bit more tasty. Also, just adding plain fruit to your water can help. Again, just to make add interest anything to to add interest if you're struggling with drinking water can help so so much. But fun fact and kind of a little nitty gritty on the science. But when you're dehydrated, your blood volume actually decreases and this can lead to a reduced blood flow in the uterus, potentially contributing to that uterine muscle contraction and cramping pain that you're feeling during your PMS time. Number four don't hate me, but I am just going to be that older sister, or maybe the younger sister in your life that is going to keep it real with you and to encourage you and to challenge you, but don't skip your workouts. [00:06:40][99.0]
[00:06:41] I know that when your PMS saying sometimes the last thing that you want to do is workout because you just feel like crap and you feel like so bloated and just blah. But rest assured, you don't have to workout as hard as you normally do. Just get yourself to show up. Move your body. Go easier on yourself. But I promise you, when you start moving your body, you will feel so much better, especially during your menstrual phase. Your body does, yes, need you to prioritize rest and recovery, but it also needs you to stay active. And so picking up those 10 pound weights instead of 20 pound weights or doing, you know, a 20 to 30 minute workout when you normally do a 45 to 60 minute workout. Or if you are like, man, workouts just don't sound great at all. Focusing on very low impact activities like yoga, pilates, walking these are going to be key and just moving your body. When your body is moving, your body is a happy body. And again, it doesn't have to be these high intense, these vigorous workouts that you're used to doing on a regular basis. This gentle movement will be it will be enough for your body to get through it. But I actually did a whole episode on sinking your cycle with your fitness that if you're struggling with. And maybe that's been a question that has come up in your mind, whether that is something that you saw online or just in your own life, like, hey, how should I be working out? According to my cycle, I did an episode. It's 363 navigating your fitness journey according to your menstrual cycle. So I will go ahead and link that in the show notes, but I think you'll find that very helpful. [00:08:17][96.5]
[00:08:18] But again, just take it from me when I say I know sometimes the last thing you want to do is move, but it is going to help you feel so much better during your PMS time, especially when you're just feeling blah. And that's why another reason why I am a huge believer in dumbbell workouts. They're so effective and they're also just so convenient, right? When the last thing you want to do is put on a cute workout outfit and drive to the gym, all you have to do is keep your sweat pants on. Don't even put your shoes on. Head downstairs for me, it's in my basement. For you, it might be in your garage, it might be. And a spare bedroom might be in your living room. But pull out those just the light dumbbells and just get your body to do some moving in your sweatpants, and you will feel so much better. Number five allow yourself to relax. So during stressful situation, your body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. And these hormones can disrupt the super sensitive balance of estrogen and progesterone that are a key players in regulating your menstrual cycle. And this can contribute to cramping, right? Chronic stress can trigger a low grade inflammatory response in your body, and this inflammation can make your muscle tense and worsen during that cramping sensation that you're having. So during this time, along with this low impact movement, try to also just sprinkle in some extra relaxation time. So get outside in the sunlight, get some fresh air, go for a walk. Allow yourself to veg out on the couch for a few hours. Maybe get a massage. I mean, there are so many things that will allow you to relax, take a bath, just allow yourself to, you know, get an extra hour of sleep or take a nap. [00:09:55][97.2]
[00:09:56] But whatever it is that you need to do to calm your cortisol and adrenaline levels, that will help. Again, so so much. Number six I don't talk about this often because you guys know I'm a firm believer in nutrition first, because supplements in the supplement industry just in general is $1 trillion, multi-trillion dollar industry within the fitness industry that I personally think is and can be a rip off and can just cause so many. So much confusion in people's minds, leading them to spend an unnecessary amount on supplements. However, there are certain supplements that can greatly help to reduce the PMS symptoms. And of course, before taking any supplements, please always consult with a doctor to see what's best for you. But for example, studies have shown that supplementing with a combination of magnesium and vitamin B6 this can actually help to ease the PMS symptoms, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, water retention, breast tenderness and magnesium helps to improve mood, reduce anxiety, and improve the sleep quality. Vitamin B6 may also help to improve mood and reduce bloating. There was actually a study published in the British Medical Journal that found women who received vitamin B6 actually experienced a decrease in overall PMS symptoms compared to those who received a placebo. Also, essential fatty acids like omega threes fish oil. This can help to reduce inflammation and improve your mood as well. Iron might help as well. During menstruation, we lose a lot of iron through the blood loss, and this can contribute to an iron deficiency which many women actually have. And it's very common in menstruating women. And just women in general is just having an overall iron deficiency. So that's definitely something to take into consideration. All of these vitamins are vitamins in my line up that I take on a regular basis, whether it's through a multivitamin that has but B6. [00:11:52][116.7]
[00:11:53] I just talked about Beam Dream. Again, this is not sponsored, but it's a great magnesium drink. It's a hot cocoa that I take at night, and that really helps to just ease my body and relaxes my body. And then you guys know, I'm a huge believer in focusing on my sleep, which I'll talk about in a second. But the offering has been transformative in that. And I've had the ring now for about a year, and man, it has just been so helpful to see kind of the sleep quality that I have or don't have, and then ask myself, okay, what attributed to that did I, was I on my phone, you know, way past my bedtime? Was I scrolling in bed? Was I not being conscious and aware? Was it? You know, sometimes there's just the small things, small things that are I do or don't do that really do affect my overall sleep quality. Because, you know, prior to having the Or rang, I would say, well, you know, I thought I slept for eight hours, so why am I so tired? But having the in-depth actual data to back it up like this is the amount of REM sleep that you have. This is the amount of deep sleep that you have. This is how long your latency, how long it took you to fall asleep. This is how many times you woke up throughout the night. It tracks all of those things. And so that can just it just the more data that you have, the easier it is to kind of bio hack and see what changes you can make to improve that. Which leads me to number seven prioritize sleep and sleep quality. And again, this is so important throughout your menstrual cycle, particularly leading up to your period. [00:13:23][89.5]
[00:13:23] It's crucial to reduce potentially the severity of your PMS cramps for two reasons. Number one hormone regulation. So sleep plays a key role in regulating hormones, including those involved in the menstrual cycle, such as estrogen and progesterone. But during your sleep, your body actually naturally produces these hormones in a balanced way. So disrupted sleep can disrupt the delicate hormone balance, which could potentially contribute to these worse and PMS symptoms, including the cramping that you might be experiencing. And number two, pain perception. Getting quality sleep helps to regulate your pain perception pathways in the brain. So when you're sleep deprived or when you're not getting this quality amount of sleep, your body's ability to manage pain signals can be compromised, which can potentially amplify the perception of the cramping discomfort that you have. So again, my goal and my encouragement to you is to try to aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep, if possible, and really focus on the quality of your sleep. And you'll see that sleep just plays such a crucial role in so many aspects. You know, I've talked about sleep in relation to reaching your health and fitness goals when it comes to, you know, you're staying on track with your workouts, you're staying on track with your nutrition, but then you're looking at maybe the scale and you're like, what the heck is going on? Why am I jumping so much in my numbers on the scale? And a lot of that has to do with sleep, sleep regulation, sodium levels. I mean, there's so many different factors, but sleep plays such a crucial role in that. And it can also help talking about the PMS symptoms like we're talking about in today's episode. So again, the things that I talked about were B6 and magnesium, as well as making sure you are not iron deficient. [00:15:07][103.7]
[00:15:07] And this is where having a CBC panel can really help. I'm just a basic blood panel. You can get them, you know, every six months. If six months seems excessive, try to get it at least once a year and just see where your levels are in terms of your blood, because this will help you when it comes to actual. That you need or don't need. So don't just buy into, you know, your favorite influencers talking about this, this amazing supplement that is supposed to help with X, Y, and Z. That might not be what you actually need based on what your blood panel is telling you. So, go to your doctor, ask them for a CBC panel, and I think that will tell you a lot. Okay, so let me quickly recap those seven tips. Number one, we talked about heat therapy. Everyone loves a good heating pad, especially during your PMS time. Number two lean into fruits and veggies that are high in omega threes like nuts, seeds, red meat, salmon. Just keep in mind I will never tell you that you cannot eat them, but just keep in mind that fried and sugary foods that might make your symptoms feel worse, especially around this time. Number three stay hydrated and maybe even use some electrolytes. Or just add some pizzazz to your water, whether that is fresh fruit or something else that helps you to drink more water. But just make sure that you are getting enough water per day. Number four don't skip your workouts. Again, this doesn't have to be the same intensity that you're doing on a week to week basis. You can definitely decrease the amount of time. So if you're used to doing 45 to 60 minute workouts, try to do 20 to 30 minute workouts. [00:16:40][92.1]
[00:16:40] I would much rather you stay consistent with a 20 to 30 minute workouts than you trying to do these 45 to 60 minute workouts, and only maybe getting one workout in a week, versus you being able to stay consistent 3 or 4 times a week with the 20 to 30 minute workouts. Number five, allow yourself to relax. And number six supplements like iron, B6, Omegas, magnesium those can all aid in helping with your PMS symptoms. And lastly, number seven prioritize sleep and sleep quality. That is going to be crucial in terms of just your hormone regulation as well as your pain perception. The episode that I talked about earlier in today's episode, if you're interested, is episode 363. It is navigating your fitness journey according to your menstrual cycle. So I will go ahead and link that in the show notes below. I hope that you found this helpful. I hope that at least maybe one or a few of these things were maybe something that you knew or didn't, maybe you didn't even know, or you didn't even correlate it with your PMS symptoms and making them feel worse or heightening them. So hopefully you found this helpful. If you have a friend, a coworker, or someone in your life that you feel like would really benefit from this episode, or just the podcast in general, I just ask that you share it out with them. You can always copy the link sent to them in a text message. You can also screenshot this and post it up on your Instagram story. But that is all that I have for today's episode. I love you so dang much! I made it and I'll talk to you in the next one. [00:18:03]
[00:18:03] All right sister, that's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A Ledbetter. Yes, it's within a in the middle for that daily post workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks, and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real because you're worth it.