Source: Alexandra Pope

Tester: Fran Montague

Test Date/s: 2005

Problem: Inability to see how experiencing PMS can be positive

Solution: Alexandra Pope suggested that women are actually more themselves during their pre-menstrual phase, rather than, as I lived my life believing, that during this time I am ‘just not myself right now’. Further, she advised me to see this time as one of truth, sensitivity and insight. To expand on this, she explained that during the pre-menstrual phase the “inner world is amplified so that we are reminded about what’s most important to us—our guiding principles.” She continued “What you normally suppress comes through and so this is a time for scripts to be re-written. Notice amongst the turbulence those moments of detachment when you feel distant, cool and have greater discernment and clarity. Think of ways to use this time and the insights you gain positively.”

Trial: I tried listening more closely to issues that recurred for me during the time of the month when I felt more sensitive. This gave me an insight into experiences that had occurred recently and way back in the past that I wasn’t comfortable with. Doing this gave me deeper knowledge about what I can sit with, what is important to me. I reflected on this knowledge during the beginning of my next cycle, when I was less highly sensitive, and checked with myself whether the insights I had gleaned still rang true. It then became possible for me to start changing my behaviour in order to get a stage where my choices and actions are not in conflict with who I am as a person.

Result: The result is less anxiety and emotional disturbance during the premenstrual heightened time of my cycle and a much calmer experience all round.

Source: Jane Clarke’s Bodyfoods for Women

Tester: Fran Montague, Sarah Rozenthuler, Tia Azulay

Test Date/s: 13th October 2007

Problem:

Solution: Thought I’d share a few easy* recipes that I made yesterday for Tia and Sarah. The ‘menu’ for our lunch was put together with the aim of nurturing our bodies and soul. The key ingredients of the dishes I describe below contain vitamins, minerals and properties which all act in service of women’s health (and men’s!) and are especially comforting during pre-menstrual phases when the body’s defenses need a helping hand, emotional feelings can be heightened and we all benefit from looking after /taking special care of ourselves more.

Specific ingredients used in the recipes below and how they help:

• Yeast Extract; Spinach; Yogurt; Eggs. Rich in Vitamin B = helps alleviate symptoms of PMS
• Mackerel. Oily fish rich in Fatty Acids = helps reduce inflammation that results in breast tenderness and womb/period pain
• Natural live yogurt. Contains acidophilus and bifidus cultures = puts good bacteria into the gut
• Carrot cake made with wholemeal flour and olive oil: satisfies the sweet cravings but with lots of fibre. Uses olive oil (rather than butter) which is an unsaturated “good” fat. NB. I am going to experiment making this cake with Sorbital next time, rather than cane sugar, which is a non-artificial sweetner made from a S.American plant which I’m advised is good for making cakes – if it works this cake will be even healthier!!

*NB, ‘easy’ recipes for me are recipes with only a few ingredients in!

Trial:

• French Onion Soup: Put a good splosh of olive oil (eg. 2 tablespoons) in a large sauce pan, and add 3 chopped onions. Cook until golden brown. Add 1.3 litres of organic vegetable stock and a teaspoon (a little over) of yeast extract (marmite), mixed herbs and salt/pepper. Simmer for 15 mins, and it’s ready.
• Smoked Mackerel Fish Cakes: Boil and mash 4 large potatoes. Grill 2-3 smoked mackerels (aim for about 300g) for 5 minutes and then remove the skin, and place the flaked mackerel in a bowl with the mashed potatoes. Add around 150g fresh spinach (which you might cook first in a tiny amount of butter, then drain it so there is no water/liquid) to the mackerel/potatoes. Add 50g butter, 1-2 beaten eggs, a handful of chopped dill, 1/2 teaspoon of fresh grated nutmeg (not essential), and a spoon of natural yogurt. Mix all together. Aim to get a fairly firm consistency so go easy on adding the eggs and yogurt. Heat a frying pan and add olive oil. Make fish cake shapes with your mixture and fry on both sides for 5 minutes.
• Warm Tomato and Broccoli Tapas: Grill 8 organic tomatoes (cut in half and brushed with olive oil, salt and pepper) for about 15 minutes until browning on top. Chop the tomatoes roughly and put in a bowl with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 chopped garlic clove, around 12-14 chopped black olives, a handful of fresh chopped parsley and teaspoon of dried marjoram (not essential). Add to this the florets of a large broccoli which have been cooked for around a minute in boiling water. Mix together and serve still warm.
• Potatoes with basil, yogurt and honey: Boil organic potatoes (approx 1kg serving for 4 people) until tender, and leave to cool. Place about a handful of chopped fresh basil, add 150ml of natural yogurt, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of clear honey. Add the warm potatoes to the yogurt/basil sauce.
• Carrot cake: Peel 175g organic carrots. Line a 7inch cake tin with non stick baking paper. Whisk 2 eggs (medium) and 100g organic sugar (unrefined) together in a bowl using an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Gradually whisk in 85ml of olive oil into the sugar/egg mixture. Add 100g sieved wholemeal self-raising flour (good source of fibre), 1 teaspoon of mixed spice, 1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg, 50g raisins and 50g sultanas. Mix together, and then pour into the cake tin. Bake for 20-30 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 190C. When ready it will look golden brown and be firm to the touch. Only then test with a skewer (if it comes out clean it is ready). Leave the cake in the cake tin on a wire rack to cool.
• Optional Sweet citrus topping: Beat together 40g organic butter (unsalted, but not essential) and 75g of light brown organic sugar, then add the zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange. Once you have put the topping on the cake, grate a little more orange/lemon over the cake and place some whole walnuts on top.

Result: These recipes are quaranteed to make you feel great and taste so delicious and nourishing. “Hi Fran. It was a great day on Saturday. Thank you so much for taking so much care of us – we left feeling very warm and satisfied in body and soul! Tia” “Hi Fran. It was a great day yesterday. I woke up feeling very satisfied this morning after going to bed a very happy bunny too…I’d love to see the recipes. Sarah”

Source: Kathy

Tester: Fran Montague

Test Date/s: ongoing

Problem: Being unprepared for emotional volatility/fragility/depression that can affect your behaviour negatively, even though it occurs monthly

Solution: Mark your PLAY days in your diary in advance as a “Please Look After Yourself” reminder. These are the days immediately preceding menstruation when most women experience a slightly altered state of heightened sensitivity. If you anticipate them and plan to reduce your workload, rest more, or pamper or care for yourself then, you will feel calmer and more in control.

Trial: More on tip CH01

Result: More on tip CH01

Source: Alexandra Pope

Tester: Fran Montague

Test Date/s: October 2005

Problem: Feeling that PMS is completely negative; something to be embarrassed about and try to cover up

Solution: During her workshop, Alexandra Pope talked about how societal opinions towards menstruation today are equivalent to the feelings towards homosexuality in the 1950s. “In fifty years, will people look back in amazement that women were treated in this way, that menstruation was regarded with disdain … and that women themselves were as guilty as others of covering up/rejecting who they really are.” We discussed how many women who feel negatively about their periods try to control or suppress their emotional and physical monthly changes, and experience pre-menstrual tension as a result.

Trial: From this point on I had a new perspective on my cycle and PMS to explore. Could it be that my experience of PMS was a real part of who I was, and that I shouldn’t try to ignore it or cover it up? Could it be that there wasn’t a malfunction in my body? Could there be anything positive happening during the second half of my cycle?

Result: I started to feel much more caring towards my body and to criticize it less. I am convinced that this shift in attitude and thought processes has contributed to easing the premenstrual negative feelings. One school of thought here is that trying to control your monthly emotional or physical monthly changes can actually worsen premenstrual tension.

Source: Alexandra Pope

Tester: Fran Montague

Test Date/s: ongoing from 2005

Problem: Difficulty recognising and anticipating phases of one’s own cycle.

Solution: Chart your cycle and your feelings at different times of the month.

Trial: I mark up my diary with the days of my cycle. I mark up my pre-menstrual time with the letters P.L.A.Y. (Please Look After Yourself) and on the days of my period I draw a star. Day 1 of the monthly cycle is the first day of your period. For me, around day 12-13 is the time when ovulation occurs (mid cycle). The first half of the cycle is the postitive, action orientated, “out there” phase, whilst from around day 16-17 I typically enter a more inward focused state, which leads to my pre-menstrual phase.

Result: How thankful I am to myself (and Alexandra for the tip) that on the days when I am pre-menstrual, typically days 23-28, I have consciously not made an arrangement that relies on me being “out there”. Whilst one cannot control some things such as, for example, a meeting or a deadline that is fixed, it’s a blessing to know that on the days when I am most likely to feel extra tired, a bit vulnerable  and sensitive, I haven’t arranged to do anything after work. As a result, my practical life feels much more intune with my body and who I am as a person (rather than as a ‘doing’ machine), and I feel more centred for knowing where I am in my cycle. Emotions and feelings can be checked against where I am in my cycle. One other example of where this helps is during days 10-14 (around my ovulation time) when I typically feel so energised, positive and “out there”. This is  great stage and one I enjoy so much. But it’s also often the time in the month when I feel like I am invinsible: I can do anything! Here is when I am happy to say yes to suggestions which involve me “doing” new things. Whilst this is great, I also now take a breath before committing to new things to ask myself whether the new commitment I am about to make is really what I want to do, or is my “ovulatory invinsible mind” getting over excited! I recognise that the cyclical nature of me (of a woman) means that I will, in a week or so, need some quiet time, need to slowdown and reflect on the past month. I pause therefore before committing to something ‘new’ (which is optional!) which has either a deadline or a social aspect to it during days 23-28. Finally, the P.L.A.Y. days are a call/reminder to myself that typically the immune system is a little low during this time. If I can take some care to eat well, lots of fresh raw food, little alcohol, little sugar, sleeping more, etc. then I am less likely to pick up a cold, feeling unwell or come down with something.

Source: Fran Montague

Tester: Fran Montague

Test Date/s: June 2006

Problem: I always fancy a glass or two of wine in the week before my period starts (usually to perk me up!!) but usually it results in me reacting to situations or comments in a way that I can see afterwards was an over-reaction, and doesn’t really sit with what I feel. Alcohol during this time just sends me do-lally!

Solution: “Watch alcohol now as you are already in an altered and heightened state!”

Trial: I have worked out that the 2-3 days before my period may be an “Achilles heel moment” for me, and I really try to avoid alcohol completely.

Result: Taking alcohol out of the equation during this time has kept me safe. I can more easily check on myself and if I feel strongly about something that happens during that time, at least I know it isn’t a reaction to the alcohol.

Source: NAPS (National Association for Premenstrual Syndrome) Annual Conference 2006; notes taken by Fran

Tester: Tester Required!

Test Date/s:

Problem: Poor diet affecting aspects of your cycle, in particular, period cramps, bloating, constipation, water retention

Solution: Eat more starches, fibre, fruit and veg, calcium, vit D, omega 3, vinegar. Reduce saturated and transfats, alcohol, salt.

Note: You may be interested in this summary where each element of the dietary change is separately discussed.

More on diet and cycle on tip EE04

Trial: Result:

Source: Dr. Taryn Jacobs, Homeopath specialising in women’s health.

Tester: Fran Montague

Test Date/s: Sept 2006

Problem: Sometimes it’s the little things that people say to you that can have a huge impact on your experience. Over the past couple of years I have noticed my dreams in the week before my period get quite disturbing, and I have been known to wake up in a state of emotional distress, my mind busy replaying the incidents in the dream. This can stay with me all day and lead into the next night’s sleep.
As is my natural way, I would analyse these dreams (I know nothing about dream analysis) and believed that the dream was a literal reflection of some hidden desire or need in me. Therefore, in the example of dreaming of a painful past relationship and feeling distress at being left, I would interpret this as a sign that I still wanted to be with this person. This would be very stressful for me, and I would add to that the many other incidents in the dream until I was completely confused and distressed.

Solution: I was talking this over with Taryn one day and she could really relate to what I was saying. She had been looking into this herself, and her research led her to endorse a view that dreams can actually be (excuse the expression!) “subconscious vomit”. An aggressive term, but it isn’t actually meant that way. The explanation for it is that there are feelings and experiences lurking in our sub-conscious that sometimes our body just needs to get rid off, and that the only way for our bodies to do this is when we are in a dream state, actually allowing the subconscious to access our primary thoughts.

Trial: The next time I had these dreams, I reminded myself that my vivid, distressing dreams aren’t necessary literal.

Result: I found this concept helped me not to read such literal interpretations into my disturbing dreams and put them in perspective, which meant my reaction to them was more a matter of choice that automatically one of worry or anxiety.

Source: Sjanie Hugo, Hypnotherapist, fertility specialist and member of the Wise Women network

Tester: Fran Montague

Test Date/s: Ongoing

Problem: Obsessive negative thinking

Trial: This involved a stretch of the imagination to create, but we came up with the following sentences: “I am experiencing pre-menstrual ease and calmness every cycle. I am also experiencing lightness, security, confidence, balance.”

Result: My PMS was much less turbulent during my next cycle, and I believe that focusing on this positive aim was the reason. I also enjoy saying these sentences when I am out walking, waiting for a tube, having a massage (I never knew how to ‘relax my mind’ in massages before, but this really does the trick), and especially when I can feel myself have a wobble! I can do it when relaxing, in the bath, at a massage, or falling asleep. The sentence I am repeating over and over in my head has evolved slightly over the years and of course I’m free to change it to reflect any developments or my needs at the time. Currently, it’s: “I am experiencing calmness and peace throughout my entire cycle. I have options, opportunities and hope.” It’s comforting, the kind of thing that the best, most loyal, most insightful friend would say to you just at the right time.

Source: Alexandra Pope

Tester: Tester Required!

Test Date/s:

Problem: Rejection of oneself as a woman and consequent difficulty in developing styles of acting and relating consistent with female realities.

Solution: We can benefit from acknowledging and accepting our femininity, and our differences from men—particularly important in our society where women are encouraged (by themselves as well as by other women and men) to be more like men, rather than to express and promote their differences.

Trial:

Result: