Take THAT, PMS!

Do you suffer from PMS? Of course you do. I don't think I've spoken to a woman yet that said "Eh, I don't even know my period's coming. It's all of a sudden just here with no symptoms preceding it." Whether it's bloating or irritability, sore breasts or lack of focus, headaches or insomnia, we've all got our own special cocktail of issues that come along with our monthly visitor. Until recently, I thought all I could do to combat them was maybe some extra rest & some Midol (& a referee for the arguments?). Just as I was about to give up & find a job that allows me to work from home, locked in my room one week out of the month, I started wondering about my diet. Turns out there's an incredible amount of info available on what to (and not to) eat to help with PMS symptoms. Makes sense. If your car isn't running well, they might tell you to reconsider the oil or gas you are using. My life wasn't running well during the fourth week of my cycle, so it was time for a tune up!

After much research, these seem to be the top 3 things you can change in your diet to make a difference in the way you feel before your period. Some of them I am still trying to master while others I have down pat. Now, I'm not saying these are easy changes, but if you change just one thing each cycle, I bet you anything you've got easier days coming.

STOP USING CAFFEINE TO WAKE YOU UP.
Yep. I said using. I know, I know, how could your Starbucks be evil??? As it turns out, Caffeine not only increases cortisol (stress hormone) but it also blocks vitamin & mineral absorption, lowers Serotonin levels, messes with your sleep cycle & increases breast tenderness.
INSTEAD-Try some fresh squeezed orange juice or if there's no time for that, an apple. Make sure you get some complex carbs in you & if all else fails, do some jumping jacks.
NOT SO FAST, SMARTY PANTS- "I'll just have a decaf" I heard that! I tried it, too. Sadly, it doesn't work that way. There's still caffeine in Decaf & furthermore, it's highly processed which is equally no good. I switched to Green Tea & it made a HUGE difference. I still need to step down another notch to make my mornings 100% caffeine-free.
THE PLUS- If you have acne, you may be surprised to see it clearing up when you give up Caffeine.

IF YOU EAT MEAT, HOLD THE HORMONES
I used to go to the store and get the best looking, most cost effective boneless chicken breasts. I didn't consider any other information in my shopping decisions. Now I know to look for added hormones because they wind up in me and drive me absolutely nutty. Seriously, you won't believe the difference!
INSTEAD-Hormone free meat is definitely more expensive, so if you need to cut costs, you can always have a meatless meal (or two) throughout the week. Beans & lentils are fantastic for you at this time of the month, so whip up some Bean Burgers or Lentil Joes. Fish is great for you, too. I've taken quite a liking to Salmon Salad sandwiches these days, and I hate Salmon (relish is the secret).

REMEMBER FRUITS AND VEGGIES? THEY MISS YOU.
I looked at a whole day of my food intake once and realized I hadn't had one fruit or vegetable. Then I started looking back further and found I was the queen of meat and potatoes. and sugar. and salt. There's a whole world of natural food out there just waiting to be enjoyed. If you eat most of your meals out of a box like I used to, you're not giving your body what it needs to battle PMS...you're actually feeding your PMS.
THE PLUS- If you start eating more fruits and veggies as your snacks and sides, you won't be able to fit enough calories in your meal to gain weight. You might even lose some.

Now, these things are most important during the last 2 weeks of your cycle, but did you know it's easier to make a change during the first 2 weeks? Yep. You're most even keeled in your first & second weeks so breaking a habit is easier. It's not important that you change all of these things 100% and never go back, but it IS important that you start to look at what could be causing your PMS and take steps to help yourself. I wrote about these 3 things because I have personally made these changes & found it to be incredibly helpful with my symptoms.  Baby steps are fine. What's your worst PMS symptom? Look up what causes that symptom and make a change. Then, move on to the next.

Next on my list? Sugar. But I'm not there yet.

References:
http://www.pmswarrior.com/why-caffeine-and-pms-dont-mix/
http://life.seven-seas.com/premenstrual-syndrome#axzz1z1M972Sl
http://feby.com/news/10-foods-that-fight-pms/
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/body/head-to-toe/the-best-days-of-the-month-to/

A bit of Yoga to help relieve your PMS symtoms

Its Sunday another start to another week at AuntRuby! Usually Sundays are for relaxing and getting some little things done around the house. Since I am so fortunate to have the great weather this morning I am going to make this blog post short. I wanted to share a yoga video I came across that assists in PMS symptoms. I will be keeping my eyes on the lookout for other tips/videos like this in the future. I do hope that you share them with your friends and family to help deal with the issues surrounding our monthly periods. Its a quick sample video that all of you should take a look at and either get the video or seek out other videos involving yoga for PMS. Yoga as you know is good for not only PMS but overall health in general! Even though I always try and make an excuse on a nice day to skip Yoga, I am sure glad I did my exercises this morning. I hope you give yourself the chance to do a little Yoga today, you wont regret it. See you this week with more tips! Enjoy your day!  http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/yoga/yoga-for-pms

Immaculate Conception, Alien Abductions & Your Period. There’s Insurance for That!

Recently I ran across an old movie “My Blue Heaven” while flipping channels. It starred Betty Grable & Dan Dailey. It made me think of when I was young & the time my Grandmother told me that Betty Grable insured her legs for $1 Million with Lloyds of London. I remember thinking her legs must be made of gold & that was why someone would pay her that much money if they were damaged. Later I figured it all out; she had regular legs just like mine but if something had happened to them, she might not have had a career, so of course she had them insured. As I watched her singing “I Love aNew Yorker” in that crazy outfit (what IS that, anyway? A Maid uniform?), I wondered what other things were so important to people that they wanted to have them insured? If I had been watching the movie at the theater in the day & age it was released, I’d have to go to the library & do some major research to satisfy my curiosity. Thankfully, it’s 2012 and there’s Google (not to mention microwaves, comfortable bra’s & smart phones). Here’s a list of 10 things you might be surprised to find out you can actually get insured:

1.       Falling Satellites - Well, you actually don’t need coverage specifically for this. It turns out that if this were to happen & affect you or your home, most standard homeowner’s policies would cover any damage to the house. The same goes for your health insurance if the satellite actually hit you. If you die as a result, your life insurance will take care of it. If you didn’t die as a result, I’d suggest you play the lottery because those are some odds!

2.       A Career-Ending Argument - Not getting along with your business partner? You might take a lesson from Bud Abbot and Lou Costello, who got a $250K policy just in case they couldn’t make the show go on due to a disagreement. 

3.       Your Marriage - SafeGuard Guaranty Corp. will pay out on your policy once you send them proof of your Divorce. Ok, so I’m not that surprised by this one, are you? 

4.       Immaculate Conception - Goodfellow Rebecca Ingrams Pearson (GRIP) insurance brokers out of London offers a policy for those who worry they may wake up pregnant, through no action of their own. Yes, apparently there is a demand for these policies (4,000 have been sold) & they will pay out if the “Who’s Your Daddy” test points to a divine entity. 

5.      Dis-Member-ment - John Wayne Bobbitt would have received $1.5 million if he had this $150 a year policy. Do I need to say anything else? 

6.       Your Taste Buds - In 1957, the food critic Egon Ronay insured his for $400K. Any food bloggers that need extra cash? Hmmmmm... 

7.       Bedbug Infestation - I wonder if they know they’ve caused such a stir in the insurance industry? Ick.

8.       Fudged Ink 

If you want a tattoo with words & you don’t want to ask your artist if they did well in school, at least make sure they have liability insurance. I sure hope these people  did.

9.       Alien Abduction - Good ol’ GRIP offers this policy, too. I’ve even seen that it pays double if you are impregnated. I wonder if it would be quadruple if you had twins? 

10.   Your Period - Can you imagine anything else that would save you from more embarrassment, mess, or hassle? Yes, there really is Period Insurance. For just a few dollars more than it would cost you to run to the store for your feminine protection, Aunt Ruby (www.auntruby.net) will send it to your door right in time for your cycle, every month. When you figure in ruined clothing, last minute trips to the store & the high cost of base-level product at convenience stores, it actually costs much less. That doesn’t even include all the favor points you ‘spend’ when you ask your hubby to stop watching the game & go to the store for you;) 

References:

http://www.iii.org/articles/are-falling-satellites-covered-by-insurance.html 

http://ozmonmedia.com/2010/02/01/you-can-get-insurance-for-that/

http://www.shortlawfirm.com/CM/Articles/Concerned-about-Divorce-There-Insurance-For-That.asp 

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1318/is_n10_v52/ai_21136401/

http://www.tridentagency.net/About-Us/Our-Blog/Theres_Insurance_for_That
http://articles.courant.com/2011-07-19/news/hc-bedbug-insurance-20110708_1_bedbugs-aon-risk-solutions-willis-north-america
http://www.insurancequotes.com/tattoo_insurance/
http://mcveyinsurance.insuranceblogspot.com/blog/whacky-insurance-claims/
http://kevinspraggett.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-cant-you-insure.html