Is PMS Real?

For most women, premenstrual syndrome is no joke. It has different faces and comes in multitudes of shades.For some, the abdominal cramps are sobad that it leaves them doubled over in bed, completely helpless. For others, their breasts become so swollen that they start to feel like they're carrying around a bag of billiard balls on their chest - in fact, they can become so tender that even going over a road hump is painful. Certain women will become ravenous for chocolate or really anything they can find in the fridge. But the list doesn't end there.Lucky for us, PMS also comes with a hint of emotional agony; some women become extremelyirritable, sensitive, angry or just downright sad (yay!).It's like being stuck on a rollercoaster and not knowing how you got on it in the first place or howto get off. People will ask what's wrong, but you won't know how to answer that because what is really wrong? You know your Aunt Flo is due into town next week, and you try to convince yourself that it's not you, it's just your hormones but to no avail - you're still crying over the insurance commercial on TV.Soon enough, it all passes and you greet the red stain in your underwear with a sigh of relief. I wasn't crazy after all. But is PMS real or is it some man made legend that has psychologically trickedus into acting irrational for a week?According to a group of researchers led by the University of Toronto, there is no clear link between women's negative moods and the pre-menstrual phase of their cycles. They reviewed and analyzed 47 different studies that followed women's moods and saw that only 15% of them showed the link between worsened tempers and PMS. Another 38% of the studies found no link between the two."The major finding of this review was that clear evidence for a specific premenstrual-phase-related mood occurring in the general population is lacking," the authors concluded. (Quote found on Time Magazine)So are our mothers, sisters, girlfriends, wives, and friends crazy? Are my cravings for gooey browniestopped off with caramel ice cream just another excuse to binge on sugar?I don't think so. For me (and for most of the womenI know), PMS is very real. It doesn't creep up on me every month, but when it does, I feel it in full swing and it's not a fun ride (just ask my boyfriend!). It affects me in many ways and most of them take meby surprise as I find myself crying over the most ridiculous things (I'm talking about running out of Lucky Charms, not Mufasa dying because The LionKing makes everyone cry).So, I decided to take control of my hormones and steer the ship, which is my uterus. Myth or fact, we can't shove how we feel under the rug. No matter what it is - a case of the Sunday blues or actual PMS - here are some things that may put you in a more positive state of mind.1. Exercise!There is a direct correlation between alleviated moods and working out. Multiple researches haveshown that exercising can ease symptoms of anxiety and depression due to the release of the feel good hormones in your brain. Heard of endorphins and the runner's high?It also increases your body temperature, which can have calming effects, and is a great distraction from your cycle of negative thoughts.It's usually my go to remedy; whenever I feel angry I put on my sports bra and break a sweat. And by the time I'm done, I feel more grounded and realizethat I had really had nothing to be angry about in the first place.2. Read a bookThere's nothing like escaping reality by picking up a book. A study at the University of Sussex has shown that just six minutes of reading can reduce your stress levels by up to 68%. This is because reading stimulates creativity as you enter a parallel universe and an altered state of consciousness.3. Eat something nutritiousSure, it's easy to tear the wrapper off that candy bar you've been eyeing at the back of your fridge but it really won't help you feel any better afterwards. I find cooking to be more therapeutic. You don't need to go all Gordon Ramsay on yourself; stick to making a fresh smoothie or a yogurt parfait. Whatever you decide to do, the process will keep you occupied and you'll end up smiling with pride when you're done!(My go to mood alleviator is 2 spoons of Greek Yogurt, a handful of blueberries and raspberries, and a dash of Maca powder and almonds. Delicious and nutritious!)4. Talk to your girlfriendsVent, complain, bitch, laugh and cry it off with yourgirlfriends. They, too, have uteruses and know what you're going through. Misery loves companyand that's because expressing ourselves is literally like taking the weight off our shoulders.5. Get creativeHead to your favorite coffee house with your laptop and get writing. Color, draw, paint, blog - whatever it is that get your creative juices flowing. Our body will respond to that and produce feel good chemicals in our brain, which will in return slowly kick PMS in the butt.Different things work for different women. What works for you?Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Maram_J/2201501