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" Tracy Paul, a 32-year-old mother of one in Bernards Township, New Jersey, is a regular stay-at-home mom \u2014 three weeks out of the month. &amp;quot;A week before my period, I turn into another person. I&amp;#039;m much more emotional and moody,&amp;quot; she admits. &amp;quot;One minute I&amp;#039;ll start crying because my daughter looks so beautiful sleeping in her crib; then the next I want to kill my husband for leaving his shoes in the middle of the floor!&amp;quot; Sound familiar? About 85 percent of women deal with PMS on a monthly basis. Whether you have emotional symptoms or more physical ones \u2014 cravings, bloating and back pain \u2014 PMS can seem like a necessary evil. But you don&amp;#039;t have to put up with it: Research from the PMS Management Program at the University of California, San Francisco, reveals that simple changes in lifestyle (a healthy diet, exercise) were as effective as medication in eliminating symptoms. Lead researcher Diana Taylor, Ph.D., an author of Taking Back the Month: A Personalized Solution for Managing PMS and Enhancing Your Health, explains: &amp;quot;During PMS your hormones fluctuate, and for many women, there are high peaks and then a crash, and that&amp;#039;s like being on a hormonal roller coaster.&amp;quot; Luckily, there are several easy ways to fight back. Here, everything you need to know to feel like yourself all month long. The Pill: PMS Prevention? If you&amp;#039;re on the Pill, you may have already noticed that it can ease PMS. But now there&amp;#039;s research to prove it! &amp;quot;The Pill suppresses ovulation and the resulting surge of the water-retaining, mood-altering hormone progesterone,&amp;quot; says Shari Brasner, an ob/gyn at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. And since the Pill provides a steady hormone level, it prevents the emotional roller coaster Taylor mentioned.  Any version of the Pill can regulate the menstrual cycle, reducing blood flow and hormone fluctuation and usually decreasing physical symptoms such as cramping and breast tenderness. But a recent study of a new Pill called Yasmin showed that it holds promise for treating even more PMS symptoms (a larger study to determine if these preliminary findings are accurate is under way). Yasmin contains a unique progestin that is similar to a diuretic. Users have reported reduced bloating, fewer negative moods and reduced acne and food cravings, according to Ellen W. Freeman, Ph.D., of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, who helped conduct the study. Ask your doctor if it could help you.  Is Stress Making Your PMS Worse? We know that stress causes headaches, depression, colds, back pain and just about every other ailment, it seems. So it should come as no surprise that it also contributes to PMS. The easiest antidote, say researchers at Harvard&amp;#039;s Mind/Body Medical Institute in Boston, is to relax. Their study showed that just chilling out \u2014 we&amp;#039;ll explain how in a minute \u2014 results in a 57 percent reduction in three key PMS symptoms: irritability, anxiety and cravings. (It&amp;#039;s also proven to lower blood pressure, ease muscle tension and decrease the production of stress hormones.) &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s not surprising to me that this eases PMS, even though we don&amp;#039;t understand the exact physiology that makes it work,&amp;quot; says Alice Domar, Ph.D., founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute&amp;#039;s Center for Women&amp;#039;s Health. &amp;quot;Stress can influence every organ in the body, so if you counteract the effects of stress, the physical symptoms get better.&amp;quot;  But it&amp;#039;s not as easy as plopping yourself in front of the television. Here&amp;#039;s what works: Two times a day \u2014 say, in the morning and before bedtime \u2014 take 10 to 20 minutes to sit quietly in a comfortable spot, close your eyes, relax your body and focus on your breathing while repeating a word, sound or phrase (&amp;quot;I am calm&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;Peace&amp;quot;) to yourself with each exhalation.  Bloat Begone! The secret to a bloat-free belly? Working out. &amp;quot;Sweating helps reduce fluid retention, making you less bloated,&amp;quot; says Leslie Bonci, R.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. In addition, research shows that moderate exercise soothes cramps, headaches and lower-back pain, improves sleep and reduces fatigue. And exercise boosts endorphin levels, which helps improve your mood. Try to include three weekly sessions each of aerobic exercise (it can be anything from Rollerblading to dancing around your living room) and stress-relieving workouts, such as yoga and stretching. Adds researcher Taylor: &amp;quot;Set a realistic goal of, say, 20 minutes a day, three times a week for each, and go from there. 3 Instant Mood-Boosters During the first two weeks of the menstrual cycle, your estrogen levels increase, and with them, levels of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin,&amp;quot; says Marie-Annette Brown, Ph.D., an author of When Your Body Gets the Blues. &amp;quot;But about five to seven days before your period starts, estrogen \u2014 and serotonin \u2014 plummets, leading to moodiness and irritability for many women.&amp;quot; Brown and her colleagues at the University of Washington in Seattle created a program that would compensate for these hormonal ups and downs \u2014 and ended up cutting depression scores in half in just eight weeks. Check out their three-step no-stress program for curing your PMS-induced blues:     Head outside In your home you&amp;#039;re exposed to only 75 lux (a measurement of light), but outside on a sunny day, you get 30,000 lux. (Even on a gloomy day, you get 3,000 lux outdoors). And natural light stimulates serotonin, improving concentration and mood. Just 20 minutes outdoors daily is all you need to reap the happy benefits.    Shake it up By now you&amp;#039;ve heard all about the proven mood-boosting benefits of exercise. Head outdoors for a brisk 20-minute walk and you do double duty (you&amp;#039;re moving and getting that much-needed sunlight).    Pop a pill After reviewing all the research on vitamins, Brown found that these were the most effective mood-enhancers: B1, B2, B6, folic acid, D and selenium. You won&amp;#039;t get the amounts you need in a multivitamin, so she suggests taking a B50 complex containing 50 milligrams each of B1, B2 and B6 and 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid; a vitamin D supplement of 400 international units; and a 200 mcg supplement of selenium daily. Three pills too much to swallow? After studying Brown&amp;#039;s research, Geneva Health created a supplement that contains everything on this list. Get it at geneva-health.com.  12 Foods That Fight PMS You may feel that what your body really needs is a mound of greasy french fries, but Bonci has some healthier (and more helpful) ideas.   Douse your symptoms. To beat bloat, try a natural diuretic drink, such as a cup of chamomile or dandelion tea or a glass of noncarbonated water with lemon or lime.  Count on calcium. To max out your calcium intake, make an Orange Julius: Blend together a small container of vanilla yogurt, a cup of calcium-fortified orange juice, a cup of skim milk and a dab of honey \u2014 and enjoy!  Indulge yourself. To boost your mood and satisfy your cravings for things sweet and salty, Bonci recommends eating rich, satisfying comfort food (in reasonable amounts). Try a PB&amp;amp;amp;J on whole-wheat bread, a scoop of chocolate frozen yogurt with chocolate syrup or three mini Snickers bars (freeze them first to make the enjoyment last longer).  Load up on fruits and veggies. &amp;quot;A low-fat, high-fiber diet will help lower the levels of estrogen and progesterone that are circulating through the bloodstream,&amp;quot; explains Bonci. And that in turn may mean fewer nasty PMS symptoms. Full-of-fiber choices to try: a baked apple or pear topped with a sprinkling of brown sugar and raisins; a baked sweet potato.  Select soy. There&amp;#039;s evidence that the phytoestrogens in soy help your body absorb the extra estrogen and progesterone that play a role in making you feel moody, bloated and crampy. So munch away on good sources, such as soy nuts and edamame (boiled, lightly salted soybeans in the pod).  Battling Back Pain An aching back is common among PMS sufferers. Here are two simple moves that stretch the lower spine to ease back pain and relax body tension and cramps, from Dawn MacLear, creator of Evolved Yoga in Washington, DC:    The Cobra: Lie on your stomach with your hands directly underneath your shoulders, palms down, forearms on the floor. Gently push yourself up onto your elbows or hands, stretching your lower spine and concentrating on elongating your upper body; your pelvis should be on the floor. Hold for one to two minutes, breathing deeply.  The Spinal Twist: Lie on your back, arms spread out to the sides on the floor. Bend your right knee up to your chest and cross it over to your left side, toward the floor. Relax, breathe deeply and hold for a count of one to two minutes. Return to the start position, switch legs and repeat.  Beat Breast Tenderness The newest cure for painful breasts? A tuna steak. Eating more fish containing omega-3 fatty acids, such as tuna or salmon, or taking an omega-3 fatty acid supplement daily eases soreness in many women, says researcher Taylor. Simply cutting back on caffeine and bloat-inducing sodium can also help minimize breast tenderness as well as reduce swelling. On the herbal front, a study published in the British Medical Journal showed that 20 milligrams of chaste berry eased breast tenderness in more than half the women who took it.  Taylor suggests wearing a comfortable and supportive bra that doesn&amp;#039;t have seams or lace that will irritate your nipples when you move, sleeping in that bra and sleeping on your side or back. And you may have to invest in a bra with a larger cup size for the times of the month when your breasts are swollen and tender, says Susan Lark, M.D., author of Dr. Susan Lark&amp;#039;s Premenstrual Syndrome Self-Help Book. The 2 Vitamins Every Woman Needs One of the most promising discoveries in the field of PMS is the role that calcium plays in regulating hormones. In one study, women who took 1,200 milligrams of calcium carbonate daily experienced a 48 percent reduction in PMS symptoms (including moodiness, bloating, cravings and cramps). Boost your calcium intake by weeding carbonated beverages out of your diet (the phosphoric acid they contain can cause you to lose calcium), having at least one serving of milk or yogurt every day and taking a 600- to 800-milligram calcium supplement daily. Another option: According to Taylor&amp;#039;s research, women who took a PMS-formula vitamin \u2014 such vitamins are rich in B6 and magnesium \u2014 reported less fluid retention and constipation and fewer problems with concentration and mood (two to try: Ultravite; Schiff PMS Nutritional System).  Is It PMS or PMDD? If your symptoms fall on the most severe end of the spectrum, you may suffer from PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). &amp;quot;PMS and PMDD are often clumped together, but PMDD is a psychiatric condition that seriously disrupts your life,&amp;quot; explains New York ob/gyn Brasner. &amp;quot;We&amp;#039;re not talking about a woman who simply gets a little weepy before her period. Women with PMDD are incapable of accomplishing everyday activities.&amp;quot; To be diagnosed with PMDD, you must have symptoms of anxiety and depression that are severe enough to interfere with your life (e.g., you can&amp;#039;t get out of bed to go to work or take care of your children).  If you&amp;#039;re among the 5 to 10 percent of women whose symptoms are extreme enough to qualify them for a PMDD diagnosis, the most complete relief may be provided by a serotonergic antidepressant, such as Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa or Sarafem (a repackaged version of Prozac approved specifically for PMDD). These medications can greatly relieve PMDD symptoms, even when taken only during the two weeks prior to a woman&amp;#039;s period. A study by Freeman and her colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania PMS Program found that 89 percent of the women who took medication only during these two weeks experienced some relief of their symptoms. If you think you may be suffering from PMDD, talk to your doctor. No More Cramps The reason for your darned-near-debilitating cramps? During menstruation your body releases prostaglandins, the hormones that stimulate the uterus to contract. The easiest solution is to start taking Advil or Motrin a day before you expect your period, or to ask your doctor for a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as Celebrex or Vioxx, which stops the production of prostaglandins. Another option: Continuously applying heat to the abdomen relaxes the muscles and thus decreases pain. As an alternative to a traditional heating pad, try ThermaCare, a thin, disposable heating pad that&amp;#039;s sold in drugstores and that you can wear under clothing; or the new all-natural herbal roll-on cramp reliever Menastil, which you apply to your abdomen for several hours of pain relief (available in health-food stores).  Take Control of Cravings Whether you have a hankering for a salty snack, such as potato chips, or a sugary one, such as Twizzlers or gummy bears, once again your hormones are responsible. In the last two weeks of your cycle, progesterone spikes, acting as a diuretic and causing you to secrete \u2014 and thus crave \u2014 more sodium. And since serotonin (the feel-good hormone) also drops during this time, you may also instinctively eat carbs \u2014 often in the form of cookies or candy \u2014 in an effort to boost your mood. To help head off cravings for sugary, high-fat carbohydrates, increase your intake of whole grains, fruits and vegetables and eat smaller, more frequent meals \u2014 this keeps blood sugar on an even keel, and doing so wards off bingeing.  Can&amp;#039;t fight that cookie craving? Go ahead and give in \u2014 in moderation. &amp;quot;Indulge in the one thing that will really satisfy instead of trying to eat around it,&amp;quot; says Bonci. For example, rather than munch your way through an entire 1,200-calorie bag of chips, satisfy the salt urge with one intensely salty \u2014 and low-calorie \u2014 pickle. If it&amp;#039;s chocolate you crave, have a small, rich candy bar. (Dark chocolate is best because it&amp;#039;s the most flavorful, so you can get the same rich chocolate fix from a smaller portion.) Bonus: Your body actually expends slightly more calories in the two weeks prior to your period (about 200 additional calories a day), so you can treat yourself to small snacks without piling on extra pounds and feeling guilty. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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