Okay — So I know I’m far from alone when it comes to undesirable symptoms when my period hits. And over the years I’ve learned what works to help alleviate it all — cramps, nausea, anxiety, depression, and that general feeling of malaise.

Below are my tried and true tips + favorite products. AND I’m linking all my delicious chocolatey recipes because chocolate really does help!. In my mind, chocolate (and okay maybe red wine too) is the ultimate cure-all.

8 Simple Yet Effective Ways to Beat PMS

Drink Hot Tea

I think of drinking tea as two fold.

1) It acts as an internal heating pad helping to relax and soothe your uterus.

2) Depending on the type of tea brewed it can also decrease bloat and lessen cramping.

My favorites leading up to and during my period are:

Eat Smaller Meals

A lot of the time our digestion gets messed up when we start to menstruate. For me, I get incredibly nauseous with mild diarrhea for the first day or so — maybe TMI, but we’re friends here!

What I’ve found is eating smaller, easy to digest meals helps tremendously. So instead of 3x larger meals and a snack, try 5-6 smaller meals so your digestion doesn’t get overwhelmed.

A few of my favorites smaller, easy to digest meals are:

Pureed soups or smoothies
Two scrambled eggs with spinach and cauliflower rice
Peanut butter or avocado on gluten-free sourdough
Roasted veggies with tahini

Be Smart About Carbs

I get it — gimme all the carbs! But you can feed the craving while also fueling your body with what it needs. Bagels and cream cheese aren’t the answer.

These are:

Oatmeal with added flax and hemp to balance blood sugar
Brown rice pasta with pesto and lots of veggies
Roasted sweet potato with almond butter
Avocado toast using sprouted or gluten-free bread

Chocolate Always Wins

There’s a reason we crave chocolate — it’s loaded with magnesium which helps relieve bloating, cramps, fatigue, and depression. Plus it’s just so darn comforting!

A few of my favorite recipes:

And for when you just need something asap, a few of my favorite chocolate brands are:

Hu Kitchen
Theo
Eating Evolved

**Look for 70%+ or higher when choosing dark chocolate fo you get the maximum benefits and avoid all the added sugar.

Try a Heating Pad

Similar to hot tea, applying heat externally with a heating pad (or taking a bath) will help relax your muscles.

You could also try an infrared sauna to warm the body and increase circulation.

Get Moving

There’s a lot happening down there. And for me, getting in gentle movement helps everything flow and unwind. I’m not talking a HIIT class, but rather yoga, pilates, a long walk, or light jog.

I find exercise also helps me get out of that general malaise and reduces any built up anxiety (a common PMS symptom).

Take a Magnesium Supplement

Almost everyone is deficient in magnesium, and it’s especially important for us ladies when menstruating to (again) help relieve cramps.

Instead of popping NSAIDs, I’ll front load with magnesium a few days before I’m supposed to start my cycle so that my muscles are already primed and relaxed.

I personally prefer Natural Calm as it offers the quickest relief for me.

Decreases Your Salt Intake

I personally don’t crave salty foods, but I know so many who do! Too much salt however leads to water retention, which when we’re already feeling puffy is the last thing we need.

Avoid packaged, processed foods and if you do add salt make sure it’s a high quality sea salt and used sparingly. I’m a big fan of spices, lemon zest, and seaweed to boost flavor (and nutrition!) without adding extra salt.

8 Simple Yet Effective Ways to Beat PMS