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Vegetarian Diet, PMS Symptoms And Food Allergies

Can a woman manage her hormones with vegetarian diet?

I am transitioning to a vegetarian diet. I eat fish maybe once a week. My style of eating is similar to Dr. Furhman's Eat to Live Diet.*

I tend to have meat and sugar cravings before my period. How can I manage my diet to avoid these pms symptoms? Also in general how can a woman manage her hormones with a vegetarian diet?

I should also mention that part of my challenge is that I am allergic to dairy and wheat. I look forward to your reply. - P. B.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice

Dear P. B.,

*Dr. Fuhrman's Eat To Live diet is a mostly vegetarian diet based on a preponderance of raw and cooked veg rather than grains.

Meat and sugar cravings (food cravings in general) are signs of nutritional deficiency. Try the SV Everyday Tonic Tea. Let it steep at least 15 minutes, adding dried licorice root and one or two fresh ginger slices for relaxing and detoxing. It'll also help with your PMS symptoms.

I recommend investing in herbalist Susun Weed's books for women: The Childbearing Year, and The Menopausal Years, which has effective herbal remedies for every phase from pre to post menopause and all events in between. They are widely available used, and it'll be the best $10 - $15 you ever spent! Read the SV review and Susun Weed's article 10 Tips for PMS

Ayurveda has lots of good recommendations for PMS symptoms. Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf, who has studied and practised extensively in ayurveda, has written two books on Ayurveda for women, 'A Woman's Best Medicine' and 'A Woman's Best Medicine for Menopause'. Also try the MAPI website for ayurvedic herbs, like Smooth Cycle.

My menstrual days are happily long gone, but I remember that a light cleansing diet for several days before my period, and extra rest, before and during, helped a lot (that's if I remembered to do it!). Chocolate was NOT helpful, even though comforting!

Look for The Food Allergy Survival Guide by Stepaniak, Melina and Aronson, 3 vegan nutritionists. Read the SV review

Two articles with info on vegetarian diet and PMS symptoms:

Dr. Neal Barnard: Do You Suffer From PMS? Ayurvedic PMS: self-help recommendations, John Douillard, DC

Down With PMS! Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian