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You know when you are experiencing PMS symtpoms by the foods you crave every month. Suddenly you have to have every piece of chocolate in the house, an entire bag of potato chips and drink a lot of caffeine. And that's exactly what you need to avoid during your menstual cycle. Eating foods rich in certain nutrients will actually alleviate symptoms of PMS. And certain foods you eat can make PMS much worse.

PMS is the physical, emotional and psychological symptoms that women experience during their menstrual cycle. Nearly 80 percent of all women get premenstrual syndrome. Researchers have discovered that there are 150 symptoms associated with your menstrual cycle such as bloating, cramping, insomnia, pain, headaches, sometimes nausea, stress, and mood swings?

FOODS TO AVOID

Foods that you eat contribute to this hormonal fluctuation time. Foods that contain high caffeine amounts, high sugar content and a lot of salt will wreak havoc with your monthly cycle. Experts aren't sure why a woman has PMS in the first place, all they know is that women do and certain food makes it worse. So, by exercising and eating the right foods, you can will feel better and not cause your partner to head for the hills during "that time of the month."

GET MORE CALCIUM

What foods should you be consuming to help stave off those nasty, irritating, sometimes painful PMS symptoms? According to researchers, the strongest weapon you have in fighting PMS is calcium. Several studies have shown that PMS sufferers have an altered calcium balance. A Turkish study on PMS symptoms in adolescent girls found that higher milk consumption was associated with reduced cramps and food cravings. The suggested allowance to keep cramps at bay is 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily. You can get calcium in low fat yogurt, nonfat milk, cottage cheese, spinach, soy nuts, tofu, and butternut squash. Take calcium supplements to be sure you are getting the correct amount or take two Tums a day for a 48 percent reduction in symptoms.

GET YOUR B VITAMINS

Vitamin B-6 may help keep PMS related depression at bay as well as some physical symptoms. Try to get at least 50 to 100 milligrams a day of this vitamin to help out. Many women don't get enough of the B-6 vitamin in their daily diets and this could be why so many women suffer from PMS. The foods to eat that contain vitamin B- 6 are one banana, four ounces of cooked salmon, one baked potato, about four ounces of cooked shrimp, and four ounces of light chicken or light turkey. You are better off taking B-6 supplements though, because you would have to be continually eating these foods to get enough B-6 because they only contain small amounts.

Here are a few more diet and lifestyle tips to stave off PMS:

Keep your blood sugar at an even level, by not skipping meals, and not consuming high sugar content foods. You should also avoid caffeine at this time and eat a healthy balanced diet of foods containing fiber, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans. Experts agree that a high fat diet may be one of the causes of PMS breast pain. Do yourself a favor and cut out the fat to avoid breast pain. The best herbal supplement that experts agree as a PMS remedy is chaste berry. Chaste berry is a dried extract of the fruit of the chaste berry tree.

Help yourself and keep loved ones near by eating a low fat, calcium rich diet. Avoid excess caffeine, high sugar content, and hide that saltshaker. This way you will lessen the impact of PMS and feel like your old self, not like Godzilla anymore.

Learn more about this author, Kate Johns.
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