1. Eat Your Fruits and Veggies
Maintaining a diet rich in fruits and vegetables helps you battle the bloating, cramps, headaches and mood swings that often occur before your period. Next time you go to the grocery store, spend some extra time in the produce section and fill up your cart with scrumptious veggies such as zucchini, broccoli, cucumbers, spinach, carrots, onions, tomatoes, artichokes, asparagus and lettuce. Don't forget to pick up some apples, pears, strawberries, oranges, grapefruit and plums as well. Include servings of fruits and vegetables in all of your meals and eat them as snacks to relieve your uncomfortable PMS symptoms.
2. Whole Grains Make for a More Complex Diet
You also need to incorporate more whole grains into your diet to relieve your PMS symptoms. Opt for complex carbohydrates such as whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta and brown rice instead of eating simple carbohydrates such as white bread, white pasta and white rice. These types of refined grains have been stripped of their nutrients, making them much less nutritious for you than whole grains. To find foods made with whole grains, look for the whole grain stamp on the label, or read the ingredients and make sure that whole grain or whole wheat is listed as one of the first ingredients.
3. Milk Does a PMS Body Good
When it's that time of the month again, add some more calcium into your diet to combat your symptoms. Eat non-fat dairy products such as non-fat yogurt or skim milk. If you're not a big fan of dairy, you can also find calcium in certain beans, nuts and greens such as black beans, navy beans, soy beans, chick peas, almonds, cabbage, broccoli and cooked spinach.
4. PMS Culprits
If you want to get rid of the bloating, you have to cut salt out of your diet. Salt increases your fluid retention, which in turn makes you feel bloated. Stop adding salt to your meals, and check the sodium content in the foods you're about to eat. More culprits that add to your cramping and bloating are foods packed with sugar and fat. Cut out the fattening desserts and the late night chocolate binges to get through the week before your period with less pain and irritability. Also make sure to drink plenty of water and avoid drinking alcohol, caffeine or soda, as these drinks will only worsen your symptoms.
5. Smaller Meals Equal Less Bloating
Another way to reduce the bloating is to eat four or five small meals a day instead of eating two or three big meals. Yes, this means you can snack periodically throughout the day. But, snack on fruits and veggies instead of on chips and cookies. Eating smaller meals more frequently helps you to feel less full after you eat and causes less bloating.
