Mood swings are a common symptom of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), or during the perimenopause transition into menopause. I used to think that being irritable was just a part of being a woman and there was nothing to do to improve my mood. My husband and kids can probably tell you about my yelling and irritability (just ask my boys about monster mom who was awakened at 1 am from their loud movie).
Through my research and learnings, I have found out that mood swings and irritability can also be caused by eating too much sugar, hormone imbalances or micronutrient deficiencies. Because of this, there are some things we CAN do to improve our mood.
Here are 6 ways to help stabilize your mood:
- Stay hydrated
- Make sure to drink plenty of water (add lemon for some vitamin C)
- Get magnesium
- Eat dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, collard greens)
- Take a bath with epsom salts (with magnesium)
- Take a magnesium supplement
- Eat a small piece of good quality dark chocolate (70% or more cacao)
- Increase intake of B vitamins
- Chickpeas / hummus
- Whole grains (brown rice, oats)
- Vitamin B complex supplement
- Reduce simple sugars
- Simple sugars (processed foods, white bread/ pasta, junk foods) can cause the blood sugar to spike and then crash causing irritability
- Eat complex carbohydrates such as beans/ lentils, sweet potatoes, whole grains (like oats, millet, brown rice) to maintain a stable blood sugar level throughout the day
- Eat healthy proteins
- Avoid/ reduce animal and dairy protein as these can cause gut inflammation (especially in the week before the menstrual bleed)
- Eat lentils, beans, chickpeas
- Get enough sleep
- Getting 7-8 hours of sleep at night is helpful to reduce irritability
- Try waking up and going to sleep at the same time every day
I hope you find these tips helpful. Try them for a month and see if you notice any changes in your mood. I certainly notice a change in how I am feeling (and monster mom doesn’t show up as often anymore).