FitSugar

Fight PMS With Shiitake Tofu Lettuce Cups

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:59:20 PST

When PMS cravings strike, skip the Doritos and try this recipe for Shiitake Tofu Lettuce Cups, created by chefs at Dr. Andrew Weil's True Food Kitchen instead. The flavor profile - salty and crunchy - is sure to please your palate, while the ingredients work to alleviate the symptoms that accompany Aunt Ruby's monthly visit.

If getting healthy is one your goals for the year, be sure to check out our Get Fit For 2012 giveaways with prizes to jump-start your January: a year's worth of sneakers from Asics, a $500 gift card for Under Armour, a new food processor from Magimix, and KIND snacks for a year!

100-Calorie Sweet Treats to Satisfy PMS Cravings

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:51:25 PST

If decadent desserts are what you crave that time of the month, here are some sweet, low-calorie, healthy options you can feel good about indulging in.

One small apple (77 calories) drizzled with half a tablespoon of honey (32 calories): 109 calories
Six dried apricots: 100 calories
Yogurt and fruit: Half a container of vanilla Greek yogurt (60 calories) and half a cup of frozen organic blueberries (35 calories): 95 calories
One and a half Newman's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups: 90 calories
30 frozen grapes: 101 calories
One four-ounce cup of Santa Cruz Organic Applesauce (50 calories) topped with eight chopped peanuts (47 calories): 97 calories
One Julie's Organic Sorbet Bar: 60 calories
One So Delicious Mini Chocolate Sandwich: 90 calories
Two clementines (70 calories) and two pieces of Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate with Cherries (36 calories): 106 calories
Half a Cherry Pie Larabar: 80 calories

Source: Flickr User slgckgc

4 Ways to Fight PMS

Leta Shy — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 02:01:26 PDT

Most women experience some form of PMS every month, ranging from a slight irritability to full-blown moodiness. And while we can't prevent all symptoms from occurring, there are some important lifestyle changes we can make to make the most of that time of the month. Here are four ways to combat PMS.

Change your diet: Many times, experiencing harsh PMS symptoms can be attributed to what you've been eating. Eating salty foods, for example, can cause bloating from fluid retention, which can lead to sore breasts. It's not just about limiting your diet, however. Adding certain foods can help reduce PMS symptoms. Check out our list of five foods that fight PMS here.

Don't stop exercising: Feeling fatigued, moody, bloated, and sore? Chances are your daily gym trip is the last thing on your mind. But instead of dragging yourself from bed to work to couch, try to stick to your normal routine, just make your workouts lighter in intensity. Regular exercise can help fight PMS fatigue, and if you stick to it now, you'll be more apt to continue exercising when your period starts - which can help relieve menstrual cramp pain. Here are low-impact exercises perfect for workouts during that time of the month.

Find two more proven ways to fight those dreaded PMS symptoms after the break.

Feeling Crampy? Low-Impact Exercises For That Time of the Month

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:19:16 PDT

During Aunt Flo's monthly visit, feeling crampy, fatigued, or bloated may make it hard to stick to your normal fitness routine. Instead of skipping out on exercise completely, swap high-intensity workouts with something less intense - light exercise can actually help alleviate symptoms associated with PMS and your period. Here are some low-impact workout ideas to send your period's symptoms packing while also shedding a few calories at the same time.

Go for a brisk walk with a girlfriend: Head out on your lunch break for a 20- to 30-minute walk in the park or around your neighborhood before dinner. This light form of cardio is enough to get your muscles moving and your heart rate up, which is the type of exercise recommended for cramp relief. For an added bonus, chatting it up with your gal pal will let you vent about work, your BF, or other things that especially set you off during that time of the month.
Go swimming: Hitting the pool is a great way to relieve cramps and get your exercise on. Since your body feels so light and free, you can move your limbs in all directions without having to expend much energy to hold your body weight. I wouldn't try to beat your best lap time, but rather focus on moving with ease through the water, and doing what feels good. All that movement and increased blood flow is sure to lift your energy levels and relieve your headache (if you have one), and I find spending time underwater also calms my mind.
Do strength training moves that target your abs: I know this seems a little odd to purposely tense up the area that already feels like it's in knots, but doing ab work can actually bring relief. The relaxing Scissor Abs move will target your lower abs as well as loosen tight hips and hamstrings - all of which can contribute to menstrual cramps.

Continue reading to hear more exercise ideas to relieve period symptoms.

A Reader Asks: How Do You Tame the PMS Monster?

Fit Community — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:27:06 PDT

FitSugar reader WarmnessOnTheSoul needs your help: her PMS is making it even harder to stay on her new diet and exercise plan. She posted her question in our Weight Loss Support group.

OK ladies, I need some support/advice. I've been on a diet program for about a week, eating healthy, exercising every day, feeling great - until Mother Nature decided to attack! I've been completely sluggish, extremely achy all over (car-accident-day-after achy), waking up with a good amount of energy just to barely keep my eyes open three hours later - and I'm hungry!

I can't take Midol and I go through ibuprofen like candy. I know I am on the extreme end of PMS symptoms (I've been told this by a doctor) but for insurance reasons (lack thereof) I just deal with it. I'm writing to ask if any of you have experienced the same thing, and if so, how do you reduce cravings/pain, and find the energy to keep exercising? Thanks!

PMS can certainly be a bummer, especially when you're working so hard to be healthy. Read on for our advice (and share your own!) after the break.

5 Foods That Help Kick PMS to the Curb

Michele Foley — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:06:47 PDT

PMS sucks; there's just no polite way to say it. The week leading up to a period can be filled with depression, irritability, cramps, headaches, and that uncomfortable feeling of being bloated - and those are just a handful of the symptoms! While there's no cure for PMS, there are a few things that can help it feel more manageable. OTC painkillers, meditation, and exercise are all great at beating the PMS-blues, and so are certain foods. If you suffer from dreaded PMS every month, keep reading to see which foods you should be incorporating into your diet.

Source: Thinkstock

Tame Your Hormones Naturally

Heather Dale — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:20:25 PST

If you ever suffer from cramps, bloating, insomnia, breast tenderness, headaches, acne, or food cravings, your hormones may be in flux and need to be balanced. Hormones are crucial to our well-being since they impact our bodies at the cellular level and, if stabilized, many of the above symptoms can be alleviated.

According to The Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels, the toxins in processed foods, nonorganic produce, prescription medicine, and the environment can throw our hormones out of whack, wreaking havoc on our systems. In her book Master Your Metabolism: The 3 Diet Secrets to Naturally Balancing Your Hormones For a Hot and Healthy Body!, Jillian talks about the important role our hormones play in our endocrine system and how we can rebalance them through diet, sleep, and exercise.

Reducing stress, drinking lots of water to flush out toxins, and getting your circadian rhythms on track are all steps in the right direction toward getting your hormones balanced out, but to learn about the easiest and most effective change you can make right now, just keep reading.

DrSugar Answers: Dealing With PMS Fatigue

DrSugar — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:25:13 PST

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions.

DrSugar,
I have been trying to get back on track with my exercise routine after those dangerous two months of parties, but I notice that each month when my period comes around, it seems impossible to get past the cravings and fatigue. What causes this and what can I do to get around it?
- Crazy Cravings

The symptoms you describe, food cravings and fatigue, around the time of your period sound like they are most consistent with typical symptoms of menstruation, which, when severe, can be called premenstrual syndrome (PMS). I understand your concern and disdain with these symptoms, as they do seem to counteract your desire to maintain a healthy lifestyle with exercise and eating healthy. To learn more about what causes these symptoms and what can be done to try to overcome them, keep reading!

Most Common Acupressure Point For Pain

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:30:43 PDT

Headache, allergies, PMS? Do this simple acupressure exercise from the OnSugar blog goddessbody.

Hegu (Large Intestine 4) is an acupoint in the webbing between the thumb and index fingers. It is considered one of the most commonly used acupoints and with good reason. LI-4 has a wide range of uses, particularly pain relief all over the body. Here are some conditions this acupoint is known to treat: abdominal pain, headaches, hay fever, allergies, itchy eyes, constipation, stiffness of the arm and shoulder, addictions, and panic attacks.

It is also a point used for gynecological conditions such as PMS, delayed or irregular periods or no periods. This point is a FORBIDDEN point, meaning it should NOT be used during pregnancy. It is known to trigger uterine contractions. If you are trying to get pregnant, do not use this point after ovulation. However, before ovulation it calms the uterus, moving stuck energy and calming the mind which is helpful in balancing the reproductive system in cases of infertility. I don't personally recommend using this point for the pain of dysmenorrhea (pain during period) - it can trigger uterine contractions that may worsen the pain.

To use this point, simply massage between the webbing for a minute, gently pulling your thumb from the webbing to the end of the crease (see photo). You may find this point is a little tender. Remember, since acupressure is an energy system, you don't need to use much pressure to access these points.

Get more fitness tips, videos, and exercises by following goddessbody. And why not start your own OnSugar blog? Your posts could be featured here on FitSugar.

Which Comes First: PMS or Stress?

TresSugar — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:15:01 PDT

Stress. Rather than being a symptom of PMS, stress actually causes it, according to a set of researchers. They found that women who register high on a stress scale are much more likely to experience anger, anxiety, depression, mood swings, trouble concentrating, and other signs of PMS. And if a woman's stress scores went down in a month, the signs of PMS would decrease in her next cycle.

Considering the fact that 75 percent of women experience mild to moderate PMS, I'd bet most of us have too much stress in our lives. Linking the two means that we can treat PMS the same way we treat stress: with exercise, other lifestyle changes, and maybe a day in our PJs watching mindless reality TV.

Source: Flickr User Helga Weber