I am normally a really calm, happy and balanced person.

But for those couple of days leading up to my period every month this is not the case. I get emotional, stressed and anxious. I struggle to sleep, feel like I am more tossing and turning my way through the night than actually sleeping. I forget things, loose things, feel bloated and yucky and just generally feel like I am not myself. Sounds familiar? PMS is a real pain, isn't it? And while not everyone suffers to the same extent, so many of us are in the same boat every month, and although we know by now it is a temporary thing, those few days are still seriously miserable to the extent I am actually delighted by the time my period actually comes and I know life will again return to normal. The thing to remember though – PMS is totally normal and a result of our hormones becoming unbalanced, with estrogen levels increasing and progesterone levels decreasing. Such is life when you are a woman of childbearing age. However, experts agree we can make this hormonal imbalance worse by certain lifestyle and diet choices, such as not sleeping enough, stressing, drinking caffeine and eating a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. Alcohol is also a big no-no, and should really be avoided in the days leading up to your period, as it damages the liver and prevents it from excreting excess estrogen. Having been a slave to my hormones and suffering with serious PMS for years, I am always on the hunt for any tips about how to make it better, how to relieve some of the symptoms – and trust me, I have tried a lot of them over the years. A friend recently told me about the importance of taking a magnesium supplement – and having it tried it the last couple of months, it really has made a difference. I like the supplements from Solgar, and so this is the one I have been taking. Magnesium is known to be good for helping soothe the nervous system and relieve painful muscles and cramps, so taking it for menstrual cramps kind of makes sense, no? To up your intake of natural magnesium you can try eating more leafy greens, nuts, chickpeas and salmon. Another great tip I have come across is taking a bath with some Epsom salt thrown in, as Epsom salts are made up of magnesium sulfate – and also, a hot bath in general is know to both soothe pain and release tension and stress. I ordered this Epsom salt recently, and will be adding this to my monthy routine too:

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