“I have horrible mood swings around my period.”

“I get a terrible headache and water retention until my period starts.”

“My sleep is really off in the second part of my cycle.”

These are some common symptoms of premenstrual syndrome – a sign that your body needs a detox and some hormone re-balancing.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is the appearance of a variety of uncomfortable symptoms in the 7-12 days before a woman’s normal period. In order for menstrual flow to occur, natural estrogens and progesterone must be broken down by the liver. Unfortunately, in our current world, the liver has a number of other important duties to perform, such as breaking down stress hormones, pollutants, and assisting in digestion. For this reason, if a woman has been under a great deal of personal or professional stress, her liver’s detoxification pathways may be overtaxed. As a result, its breaking down of sex hormones is not as smooth as it could be, leading to symptoms such as:

–    Fluid retention (“feeling bloated”)
–    Breast pain/swelling
–    Mood swings with irritability and weepiness
–    Anxiety or feelings of sadness
–    Lethargy or difficulty concentration
–    Insomnia or an overwhelming desire to sleep
–    Headaches or body aches

Symptoms of PMS can be easily addressed with naturopathic tools. Typically a gentle detox diet is suggested, as well as the use of supportive nutrients for our detoxification pathways – these typically involve B vitamins, herbs such as dandelion, and soluble fiber. Most women notice improvement within 1-2 menstrual cycles and even more so when stress management strategies are implemented alongside the supplemental and dietary treatments.