Healthy Eating for Women

Ask any grandparent about their grandchildren and they are likely to mention “how fast they grow up.” A young person today will witness more technological and cultural changes before high school graduation than older generations did in an entire lifetime. And, while sweeping technological advances are changing how much of the world communicates, works, and travels, they are also dramatically altering how foods end up on our plates. In North America, meals at home have been replaced by fast food, and snack food is now everywhere. In Asia, similar influences have allowed an influx of burgers, chicken, and hot dogs to replace traditional rice, noodle, and vegetable dishes. Our bodies, and now theirs, have been hard pressed to cope.
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Progesterone signals the walls of the uterus to fill with blood vessels to nourish a growing baby. If the egg is fertilized, the ovary keeps on making progesterone. If not, production is halted and the lining of the uterus is shed (menstruation). These hormones have many other functions, too. Estrogen is responsible for the changes that occur in girls at puberty, and both estrogen and progesterone influence bone strength.

–PICTURES

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The foods we eat have a dramatic effect on these hormonal cycles. Foods you may have grown up eating—meats, cheese, eggs—easily drive hormonal levels up. Just as fatty foods make your cholesterol level rise, they do the same to your estrogen level. And, the more fat you have in your diet, the higher these estrogens go. This happens with all kinds of fat whether if comes from meat, dairy products, or from oils used in cooking. So as estrogen levels begin to rise with the start of each menstrual cycle, fatty food causes them to rise more steeply and to reach higher levels in your bloodstream.
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If you don’t pay close attention, the only connection you may make between hormonal changes and the foods you eat is the candy bar craving that comes during the week before your period. Of course, there is more to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) than food cravings.

In fact, PMS can encompass many symptoms—up to 150 as recorded by researchers—ranging from mild to debilitating, depending on the individual.
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Other aspects of your diet can affect how you feel throughout your menstrual cycle. Let’s look at current findings on certain food ingredients, medications, and natural remedies you may not have considered.

Calcium There is evidence that getting into better calcium balance can ease menstrual pain, especially milder varieties. In one study, calcium carbonate supplements (1,000 mg per day) reduced both menstrual pain and PMS symptoms. A combination of calcium and magnesium also reduced pain and premenstrual water retention while improving mood and concentration.
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Prozac

About 60 percent of women who suffer from mood disturbances each month find relief from selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac, Zoloft, or Paxil. The dose used to treat PMS is smaller than that used for depression and is therefore less likely to cause side effects. Several other medications are available when SSRIs do not help.

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