Dubaiwoman

PMS.. I used to laugh about this, joke around and raise my eyebrows at ladies who were affected by it.  Aaliyah has a song about it even.  I remember how my bestfriend back in the University didn’t want to see her boyfriend whenever she was about to have her period.  She’d be totally pissed off seeing him and any word he says ticks her off.  Not a good scene actually.  I still thought at that time that it was a teen thing and it wasn’t serious.

Well, not for long.  The past few days, I was completely irritable and could not hold my temper. 

I had a huge fight with hubby and did not even stop to smile and chit chat with my colleagues during lunch time.  I refused to talk to anybody at work as I might end up being all the more irritable.   I wasn’t at all in the best mood even to talk to my clients.  This is really bad.  I can’t afford to lose my family, job and friends over this.   I had to do something. 

So I then googled PMS and found the following tips on how to battle this seemingly “harmless” disease:

Eat healthy. Don’t forget to include fruits, veggies, fish, nuts and whole grain to your daily meal. 

Go easy on sugar.  Sugar can cause reactive hypoglycemia (abnormal decrease of sugar in the blood) which can intensify feelings of irritability and anxiety.  Fruits would be a good option for sweet cravings.

Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant which will only make you feel more down and fatigued.

Cut down on caffeinated beverages.  Caffeine can intensify irritability, anxiety and mood swings.. Now we wouldn’t want that either.

Eat small but frequent meals.  Waiting too long between meals could cause blood sugar to drop, triggering reactive hypoglycemia. Plus, sometimes hunger pangs alone are enough to make a person grumpy.

Cut down on Salt. Table salt and high-sodium foods such as bouillon, commercial salad dressings, catsup, hot dogs, and a host of other processed foods can increase fluid retention, bloating, and breast tenderness.

Exercise aerobically.  Working up a sweat not only eases stress, but it causes your body to release feel-good hormones called endorphins that act like natural opiates. Furthermore, increasing blood circulation in the pelvic region can help the body flush out some of the extra fluid often retained during PMS.

Choose an activity that will get you huffing and puffing, such as jogging, stair-stepping, or bicycling. Better yet, sign up for an aerobics class — a little socializing with friends at the health club is an added bonus that may help improve your mood. If you are just too fatigued to exercise when your PMS is at its worst, don’t. Being active the rest of the month should help in itself.

Sleep tight.  Interruption in regular sleep rhythms can interfere with your regular cycle and cause irritability and fatigue.

Talk it over. Dealing with members of your family can be one of the biggest sources of stress for a woman coping with PMS. Feeling guilty about snapping at a spouse or child, then finding the strength to apologize for your outburst, can be emotionally draining. Try to limit the fallout by explaining to your loved ones and close friends the reason for your erratic behavior. Ask them to understand the problem and realize that when you lash out at them during such times, you are not as in control as you would like to be.

 This openness about your condition could help not only lower your stress level, but avoid hurt feelings. For example, if a rambunctious child has you climbing the walls, explaining that it’s a bad time for him or her to make you upset may serve as a cue for the child to give you some peace and quiet by playing outdoors. Keep in mind, however, that PMS is a medical condition, not an emotional crutch. In other words, don’t use your menstrual cycle as a defense for being nasty.

These are just a few tips i checked on.  Pretty tough to follow though…  But i guess pretty much worth it than have all the people around you hate you for being irrationally nasty.