PMS Factor

Most women experience fatigue, moodiness and physical discomfort a few days before getting their period. However, for up to 20 per cent of women, the symptoms are so severe that they interfere with normal activities and personal relationships, warranting an official diagnosis of PMS, or premenstrual syndrome.
Perhaps what these women need is not another dose of ibuprofen but a daily lunch of yogurt, a multivitamin with dinner or a glass of skim milk before bed. Women who escape the wrath of PMS tend to eat more foods with calcium and vitamin D, a mineral that allows the body to absorb and use the calcium in food, according to research that looked at the diet of over 1,000 women over the course of 10 years.
Women who get the most calcium and vitamin D in their diets — about four daily servings of low-fat diary products — are 30 per cent less likely to feel miserable before they get their period. However, women who eat fatty dairy products like whole milk seem to get less of a benefit, researchers have reported.
It may be possible to get the same PMS-busting benefit from a calcium and vitamin D supplement, scientists theorize. But the study included too few women who took supplements to answer that question. Exactly how calcium and vitamin D might work their mood magic is unknown. Previous studies have shown calcium supplements may relieve premenstrual symptoms, but calcium and vitamin D may prevent PMS from developing in the first place.

So, if you don’t suffer from PMS, does that mean you’re getting the calcium and vitamin D that you need? Not necessarily. And that may be because people are well aware of the importance of calcium for bone health, but they may not know that they also need vitamin D in order for the calcium to find its way to the bone.
Nearly 75 per cent of women falsely believe that green leafy vegetables contain vitamin D. The only foods that provide the mineral are fortified milk and orange juice, certain cereals and fatty fish such as salmon and sardines. The easiest way to get your vitamin D is to take a walk in the sun for a few minutes per day. The body can manufacture its own D from sunlight. Studies show sunlight alone is a mood booster, especially in winter months when the days are short.
Still not convinced? There are plenty of important reasons to drink your milk (or fortified orange juice). Calcium and vitamin D are also linked to lower rates of Crohn’s disease — an immune disorder — as well as of breast, colon and prostate cancer.

I often tell women that one missed or “weird” period per year is nothing to worry about.

The series of events that produce a “normal” period are complex and involve many components. Remember that our calendar is based on a “solar” system, whereas the true meaning of month is related to the moon. There are slightly more than 12 lunar cycles in a calendar year, so your period won’t fall on exaetly the same day of the month, every month, unless you are artificially regulating with a birth control pill. The average length of a menstrual cycle (from the first day of bleeding to the next month’s first day) is 29 days. However, anything from 23 to 45 days can be normal.

A woman usually needs at least 20% body fat to menstruate regularly. Low body fat is one reason female athletes do not have regular periods. Stress, travel and a change in sex life are other factors that can change the rhythm of your period.

Regarding the progesterone you were given: When you stopit, you should get your period within 1.° days. If a “progesterone push” indeed produces a period, then your gynecological system is working and your period should normalize on its own. If the progesterone does not produce a period within 10 days, then further testing is required.

There is a new product out there that I believe is rather fabulous. I am very much into healthy products to help control my fibromyalgia and to keep me moving around. I have been hearing about these three fruits and their incredible benefits:

Acai Berry
Mangosteen
Goji Juice

The problem was, I didn’t want to pay $120 to join a company to get just one of these products, let alone $120 to join 3 different companies to get the benefit.

Well, a 20-year old company has come out with a product that combines all 3. You can get it in powder or capsule for $49.95 per month. That is a HUGE bargain, even from the local health food stores. It even states on their company brochure that it has beneficial effects for people with several disease conditions, relief from things such as PMS, and several immune disorders.

I have been taking it now for about 1 week, and I must admit… I feel great. Absolutely great!

Now, if you have diabetes, they do recommend the capsules because the powder has 2 mg of sugar. I personally like the powder. I mix it with water, juice, put it in my yogurt, etc.

Here is where you can learn more and buy some: Amigo Juice

Ask any woman: It can be difficult to weather “that time of the month” and “the change.” But managing these episodes when you have diabetes adds a whole set of complications. Here’s what you need to know to make these two experiences smooth sailing.

A new wrinkle to your menstrual cycle

Some women with diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) find their blood sugar levels don’t stay steady over the week before and during their period. “Most commonly, we see women having higher blood sugars pre-period, and then these drop down when they begin to menstruate,” says William Petit, MD, medical director of the Joslin Diabetes Center affiliate at New Britain Hospital in Connecticut. The culprit: those fluctuating hormones that accompany your cycle. But not everyone is the same, and you need to determine how your body is affected. “Each woman needs to recognize her own pattern,” says Dr. Petit, because the effects can be variable.

To see if hormones affect your blood sugar levels, make a note of the days when you have your period in your blood glucose record book. Here, you should already be recording blood sugar levels (at least four times a day if you have type 1 diabetes) as part of your standard diabetes management. You can look for emerging patterns and speak to your endocrinologist or other health-care practitioner about the best plan for managing your diabetes at various times of the month to keep blood glucose levels optimal.

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