Are you prone to a problem with 'Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)'?
Find your imbalances and create a diet for your Reproductive System by taking the
free reproductive health quiz:
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AYURVEDA PERSPECTIVE ON PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS)
Pre-menstrual syndrome refers to a group of symptoms women experience between ovulation and menstruation, including one or more of mood swings, irritability, depression, food cravings, fatigue, headache, back ache, tender breasts, water retention & bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. Varicose veins may also ache during menstruation.
Premenstrual syndrome is thought to be caused by hormone imbalances. Alteratives, liver tonics, and hepatoprotectives are a foundation for normalizing hormones. Rest, stress management, and a dosha appropriate diet & routine may support a smoother pre menstrual time period.
Here are some approaches to specific symptoms of PMS:
- PMS Blood congestion - Uterine congestion builds as estrogen stimulates growth of the endometrium. Congested uterine blood causes general pelvic blood congestion & stasis, leading to feelings of heaviness, achiness, pain, & backache. Estrogen receptors in blood vessels lead to vascular changes inducing blood stasis. Astringent decongestants and blood movers help in this case, including Yarrow (Achillea), Angelica, Horse Chestnut (Aesculus), and Witch Hazel (Hamamelis). Progesteronic and/or anti-estrogenic herbs may help reduce these estrogenic effects.
- PMS Fluid retention - Estrogen receptors lead to fluid retention, causing pelvic blood congestion and breast tenderness. Diuretics and remedies for blood stasis will help. Diuretics for PMS include Parsley (Petroselinum), Nettles (Urtica), Dandelion (Taraxacum), and Horestail (Equisetum)
- PMS Headaches - If congestive, treat similarly to blood stasis. Chastetree (Vitex) and Black Cohosh (Actaea) are specific to PMS headaches. If migraine type, consider alteratives.
- PMS Mood Swings - Nervines, nerve trophorestoratives and HPA-Axis nuetrotransmitters may help. If these don't work, the symptoms may be liver related.
- PMS Depression - Dopaminergic herbs will lift the mood.
- PMS acne - High testosterone makes the skin oily. Consider anti-androgens, alteratives, cleansing toxins, & supporting the liver. Supplements include Vitamin A, Beta-carotene, Zinc, and Essential Fatty Acids.
Disclaimer: 'Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)' could be serious and should be checked by a medical doctor.
WHAT HAS ALREADY HELPED YOU HEAL PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS)?
Improve the accuracy of your recommendations by letting us know what is working.
DIET REMEDIES FOR 'PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS)'
Answer some questions about how foods make you feel. Then you'll receive a full food report customized for you.
COMPUTE MY DIET FOR PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS)
OR, GET A GENERAL DIET FOR BALANCING PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS)
Augment your diet with these specially chosen ingredients below which may be useful for 'Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)'.
Individual results vary depending the cause of your imbalance and by constitution.
Please research the ingredients below to find which are most helpful for you, and check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.
HERBS & SUPPLEMENTS FOR 'PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS)'
Please check with your medical doctor before making any changes to your health & wellness routine, and for the proper use of these products.
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH TIPSDISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body.
The information on this page is for educational purposes only and should not be used to treat a medical condition. It is not a substitute for medical care.
Please check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.
Balance Your Body with Diet, Herbs, & Lifestyles Having These Biocharacteristics
Everything you eat has an effect on your body, which Ayurveda categorizes in a simple and easy way, using
biocharacteristics (gunas).
Biocharacteristics are qualities (like cold and hot) that describe the effect a food or herb has on your body.
Cooling foods like cucumber, decrease metabolism.
Heating foods like chili pepper, stimulate your body and increase metabolism.
For 'Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)', you should select foods with the following biocharacteristics.
Individual results will vary, based on your body type and the root cause of your imbalance.
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Brain Tonic BRAIN-TONIC
An herb that strengthens the brain and thereby enhances memory or other cognitive functions and improves mental stamina or stability.
SEE ALL 'BRAIN-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS
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Nervine NERVINE
Balances the nervous system. They can help with stress, memory, early alzheimer's, and even chronic pain. Often they are aromatic in nature.
SEE ALL 'NERVINE' FOODS / HERBS
Alterative ALTERATIVE
Restores the proper function of the body by cleansing the blood and balancing blood chemistry. In Ayurveda terms, they pacify Pitta in rakta. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter.
SEE ALL 'ALTERATIVE' FOODS / HERBS
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Diuretic DIURETIC
Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure.
SEE ALL 'DIURETIC' FOODS / HERBS
Cholagogue CHOLAGOGUE
Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines.
SEE ALL 'CHOLAGOGUE' FOODS / HERBS
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Hepatoprotective HEPATOPROTECTIVE
An herb that is capable of preventing liver damage. Many hepatoprotectives work via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
SEE ALL 'HEPATOPROTECTIVE' FOODS / HERBS
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Livotonic LIVOTONIC
An herb that strengthens the liver. It is helpful for people with a history of substance abuse, chronic liver issues from hepatitis and hemolytic anemias. Generally, liver tonics are oily, cool, sweet, mildly sour, or contain beta-carotene.
SEE ALL 'LIVOTONIC' FOODS / HERBS
Anti Estrogenic ANTI-ESTROGENIC
Reduces estrogen, which reduces thickness of the uterus endometrium, pelvic congestive disorders like fibroids, and frequently dysmenorrhea as well.
SEE ALL 'ANTI-ESTROGENIC' FOODS / HERBS
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Antiandrogen ANTIANDROGEN
Reduces androgen (testosterone), which can reduce excess growth, drive, and libido. Reduces skin oiliness. Helpful for prostate enlargement.
SEE ALL 'ANTIANDROGEN' FOODS / HERBS
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Progesteronic PROGESTERONIC
Progeserone is the pregnancy hormone. It raises body temperature (Pitta), and suppresses menstruation. It is generally more extroverted.
SEE ALL 'PROGESTERONIC' FOODS / HERBS
Constituents:
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Beta Carotene,
Choline CHOLINE
Precursor to acetylcholine. Essential nutrient that supports liver and brain development, metabolism, and muscle and nervous system function. It is lipotropic (aiding fat metabolism in the liver).
SEE ALL 'CHOLINE' FOODS / HERBS
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Inositol INOSITOL
Inositol is an alcohol sugar made naturally in the human body from glucose. It is lipotropic (aiding fat metabilism in the liver). It affects a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, steroid, growth factors and water.
SEE ALL 'INOSITOL' FOODS / HERBS
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Omega 3 Fatty Acids,
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Zinc
Joyful Belly is a recognized college of
biocharacteristics medicine.
HOW TO ADDRESS ISSUES IN STAGE OF DISEASE #2
PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS) IS IN STAGE OF DISEASE #2 -
AFFECTING BLOOD & EMOTIONSAffecting Blood: Initially, imbalances are localized, often in the digestive tract.
As an imbalance grows, it starts to affect your body systemically, via the blood.
If you have symptoms in this category it means that your imbalances are starting to spread,
have entered the bloodstream, and are now systemic.
Pay particular attention to the biocharacteristics, tastes, and doshas out of balance systemically,
so you know how to strengthen your body as a whole, and reduce physical stress on your organs.
At this stage of imbalance you will begin to experience generalized discomfort, imbalanced emotions,
and may develop sensitivities to temperature.
It may take several weeks of strict adherence to a specific remedial diet to clear blood level imbalances.
Blood cleansing herbs may reduce symptoms.
A several day cleanse may shorten the recovery time.
(See all disease stages on JB)
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AVOID DIETS, LIFESTYLES & HERBS THAT AGGRAVATE THESE EFFECTS
According to Ayurveda, one or more of the following
doshas
and
biocharacteristics may aggravate 'Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)'.
If you have an excess of one of these doshas or biocharacteristics below, Ayurveda recommends reducing foods and lifestyle habits that aggravate them.
Click on the biocharacteristic to learn what foods and
lifestyle habits should be reduced.
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Symptoms Tell A Story
The first step to healing is learning patterns from your symptoms.
Symptoms are clues that reveal underlying imbalances.
Symptoms show you where your body is weakened.
Ultimately, all disease has a root in tissues too weak to defend itself.
Ayurveda describes these patterns of weakness using doshas & biocharacteristics.
If you notice a biocharacteristic or dosha appears next to many of your symptoms,
it helps you establish a pattern that may be systemic.
RELATED SYMPTOMS & HABITS
The following symptoms & habits may be related to 'Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)'.
See your
quiz results for a computerized assessment of your body type.
Please click on the symptoms below to learn more about them.
DISCOVER YOUR BODY WITH YOUR FREE INDIVIDUALIZED BODY MAP
Find ideal foods, herbs and lifestyle tips.
See your imbalances, and locate intervention points.
Your body map contains a complete analysis of your Ayurvedic imbalances, organ by organ.
Give your chart to your functional medical doctor or any alternative health practitioner.
GET MY FREE BODY MAP / CHART
HOW AYURVEDA WORKS
ARE YOU WONDERING HOW AYURVEDA CAN HELP YOU?
WHY IS AYURVEDA THE RIGHT SOLUTION?
Ayurveda strengthens the body while opposing disorders. It takes a holistic,
systemic approach that looks at the whole body. Ayurveda
shows how to interpret signs and symptoms of imbalance, and how to address them
using diet, lifestyle adjustments, and herbs. It shows a person how to optimize their health on a continual basis. You can't
take the doctor home with you, but you can take Ayurveda home with you.
Ayurveda is the most advanced and easy to use home system for self healing.
HOW DOES AYURVEDA WORK?
Ayurveda starts by identifying your
body type,
which identifies certain tendencies in your body to get sick (as well as identifying your strengths).
It uses body type to determine the likely root causes of your disorders.
Next, Ayurveda analyzes the nature of your disorder.
It fits all your signs and symptoms into a pattern, expressed as a combination of
biocharacteristics (gunas).
For example, you may have a heat disorder, a cold disorder, or an oily disorder, etc.
This simple categorical approach shows you how to correct systemic imbalances and strengthen your body as a whole.
On Joyful Belly, we've created an extensive categorization of food so you can easily match food to your imbalanced biocharacteristics.
By eating an optimal diet that balances your biocharacteristics, your whole body is strengthened
and the conditions that created the disorder are removed. Once the root causes of the disease
are removed, the disease lessens in strength or disappears altogether. Additional remedies -
such as herbs and lifestyle practices - focused on the specific disorder, can greatly enhance
your healing.
GET STARTED
To get started on your Ayurvedic journey, we first recommend that your find your body
type by taking our free quiz. In Ayurveda, every solution is based on your unique body type, so
by taking this quiz, you’ll get the best results.
FIND YOUR BODY TYPE
5 WAYS TO HEAL YOUR BODY
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