Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

The best way to treat premenstrual syndrome (PMS) depends on the nature, timing and severity of your symptoms, so it is important to talk to your doctor so treatment can be tailored accordingly. In addition to counselling and lifestyle changes, there are a number of medications and supplements that may help. Medication options include taking the oral contraceptive pill or other hormonal treatments, anxiolytics (anti-anxiety medicine), antidepressants, anti-inflammatories and diuretics. Some women with severe mood swings may benefit enormously from taking antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication.

For women for whom significant fluid retention is a problem, your doctor may recommend the judicious use of a low-dose diuretic to assist with this. In terms of supplements, options include evening primrose oil, fish oil or krill oil, vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium or herbal extracts such as chaste berry or St John's Wort. Again, your doctor is the best person to guide you through the pros and cons of each treatment.

Dietary changes such as reducing sugar, increasing complex carbohydrate intake, minimising salt, sodium, alcohol and caffeine can be very beneficial. Quitting smoking, exercising and improving your sleep habits can all help enormously too. Relaxation therapy, counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy can help you develop skills to cope with severe symptoms and stressful situations, especially when these coincide.

The location of pimples on your face or body could relate to your health

The appearance and location of pimples often point to their cause. Identifying the cause of the problem will mean you can treat it appropriately. Regardless of the cause, the general skincare rules still apply – regular cleansing and moisturising, drinking plenty of water and eating healthily.

Here’s a general guide to what causes pimples in each location.


Cheeks
These are often the sign of a food intolerance such as dairy. Avoid milk, cheese, yoghurt, cream, butter, chocolate and processed foods that contain milk protein for a month to see if there is any improvement. The nutritional impact of eliminating or reducing dairy foods is not dire. After all, the majority of people on the planet have not traditionally eaten dairy products. However, if dairy is off the menu, you do need to ensure you are consuming sufficient protein and calcium from dairy-free sources such as nuts and seeds, tofu, green leafy vegetables and canned fish containing bones such as sardines and salmon.



Jawline, chest, back and shoulders
These cyst-like pimples are most likely hormonally triggered. Hormonal imbalances take time to resolve but you should see improvement in four to six weeks. Vitex agnus castus, zinc and vitamin B6 all help to balance hormones. Evening primrose oil is an anti-inflammatory for the skin and helps regulate hormones. Take at least 4g daily.



Chin
These reflect poor digestion or constipation. Drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly and taking a fibre supplement such as chia seeds or psyllium husks should help.



Clusters of small pimples surrounded by red
These can  signify a localised infection just under the skin. Removing sugar from your diet will help, in addition to taking blood-purifying herbs such as echinacea, burdock, calendula and clivers. If sugar is the culprit, and you have eliminated sugar from your diet and still have sweet cravings, take a supplement for improving sugar metabolism. These usually combine various vitamins and herbs such as gymnema together with chromium. Take one with each meal.

How to be a better runner

Whether you want to run longer, faster or just more often, follow these expert training tips to improve your performance.

1. Set the right goals

Among the most important factors in becoming a better runner is simply setting clear, achievable goals and then reaching for the. Maybe you want to run more frequently, for instance, so you set a goal of running four times a week this month, and don't worry so much about the distance.

Choose a goal that's meaningful for you and will make you enjoy running more, not less, and if it's a longer-term goal, set sub-goals to reach along the way. A part of getting better could be just keeping it fun, enjoying the outdoors and making it social, improving times in races or favourite routes, or even just feeling better. 

And make sure you have a good tracking system, too. It could be as easy as writing on a calendar, or you might want to treat yourself to a higher-tech system. There are a lot of monitoring options now which will also make it easier to track and quantify your progress.

2. Eat right

Your body needs fuel before and after your run — and during, if you're going long distances (an hour or more). And while you might feel fine doing 20 minutes on an empty stomach in the morning before breakfast, you're likely to run better with a bit of food in your stomach.

But every body is different, and what works for your best friend might be wrong for you. Experiment with different sizes and kinds of pre-run snacks — a banana with peanut butter, an energy bar or some dates and nuts are common options — to see what makes you run best. After your run, be sure to hydrate (just water is fine) and have a nutritious mini-meal that contains both carbs and protein. And if you're out for long runs, pack an energy gel or snack that will keep your muscles fueled for the duration.


 

3. Cross-train

Running more will make you a better runner, but so will doing other sports — and the more variety in your workout routine, the more balanced and less injury prone your body will be. Popular and useful cross-training routines for runners include swimming, cycling and yoga.

Strength training is also important and many runners say a stronger core makes them faster and improves their endurance. A spring or summer boot camp might be the push you need to get in better shape. Many runners have benefited from cross and boot camp-style training. Traditional weight training focuses on specific muscle groups, whereas cross-training fires more intrinsic muscles and many people find it overcomes the potential boredom of pumping iron.

4. Visualize success

Believing you'll improve is the first step to getting there, and if you're running races, good visualization patterns can help you get the time you're shooting for.

Trying is to "train under adversity" — that is, don't just be a fair-weather runner. Hitting the road in bad weather, for instance, will give you a greater sense of accomplishment and a belief that you'll be able to do well should rain or wind be in the forecast come race day. Mentally planning your route and what you'll say to yourself when things get hard will help you get there, too, whether the goal is your first marathon or your first mile.

5. Change things up

The more you do something, the easier it gets — but when you're trying to get fitter, that's not necessarily a good thing. 

Instead of running the same route over and over, try changing things up with a new course or speed. Add a track workout, hill repeats or stairs to build strength — it's the most efficient way to become a faster runner — or simply go north instead of south when you walk out the door. Just make sure not to change too much too soon to prevent injuries.

6. Take care of yourself

The harder you train, the more work your body has to do to recover and rebuild damaged tissue. That means if you're burning the candle at both ends due to work or family responsibilities, it might not be the best time to drastically step up your running.

Conversely, if you are adding difficulty to your fitness regimen, you'll stay healthier and avoid injury by babying yourself a little, too. Get more sleep than you think you need, eat your vegetables and healthy fats and treat yourself to regular massages to keep your muscles in top form. And if something feels tweaky, take a rest day to keep the little aches and pains from turning into big ones.


 

 
 

These goodness-filled foods that will feed and repair your muscles

When it comes to eating, consider the different needs of each of your body's constituent parts.

Here's our guide to foods that specifically cater to the needs of your muscles.

Watermelon

Nutrients: B vitamins, vitamin C, E, K, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc

Benefits: A great rehydrating food after training, it’s rich in B vitamins, which restore energy levels, and vitamin C to soothe overworked muscles. Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, also helps reduce cell and tissue damage while training.

Cashew nuts

Nutrients: Monounsaturated fats, copper, magnesium, phosphorous

Benefits: Magnesium keeps bones strong and combats muscle fatigue. Copper boosts energy and protects joints, while monounsaturated fats reduce inflammation.


 

Cottage cheese

Nutrients: Protein, calcium, phosphorous, iodine, selenium

Benefits: Cottage cheese is an excellent source of glutamine to fuel muscles.



 

Cherries

Nutrients: Antioxidants, particularly anthocyanidins, vitamin C, potassium, calcium

Benefits: Anthocyanidins help prevent or repair the damage done by free radicals, reducing inflammation and aiding muscle recovery. They also lower the risk of tendonitis, bursitis, arthritis and gout, and replenish electrolytes and calcium to aid recovery.


 

Do you burn more calories in a morning workout than an evening workout, or is it just a myth?

Your body burns calories at the same rate no matter what time of day it is. So, contrary to popular opinion, training in the morning does not burn more calories than later in the day. If you train on an empty stomach before breakfast, any calories burnt will be replaced when you eat breakfast.

Weight loss will only occur if you burn more calories than what you eat for breakfast.


There are certain benefits and disadvantages to working out at specific times, though:

• You can push yourself more in an afternoon workout. Your body is most suited to physical exertion at this time. Your strength and endurance capacities are improved and your body temperature is at its highest between 4pm and 5pm, decreasing the risk of injury.
• A morning workout lifts your mood. People who train regularly in the morning feel more energetic and happy throughout the day.
• Exercising before you work ensures you get regular exercise. It can be too easy to put your gym session in the "too-hard basket" at the end of a long and tiring work day.
• Exercising late at night can work against some people's natural hormone cycles and make it more difficult to fall asleep.

These foods to supercharge your six-pack

1. Vegetable Juices - High in nutrients and low in kilojoules, hearty organic veggie juices are an ideal meal replacement for strength and vitality. Make green-leafy veggie juices a daily routine if you want your six-pack abs sooner.


2. Mushrooms - Mushrooms are a six-packers magical wonder food; high in vitamins and low in kilojoules; they are one of the only foods that stay expanded in your stomach and give you that ‘full’ feeling.


3. Tuna in spring water - High protein, low fat; real six-pack food.


4. Vegetables - Eat many vegetables, very often.


5. Eggs - The amino acids in eggs are converted into muscle more efficiently than any other protein fuelled food or drink. Recent research shows that eating eggs has very little, if any, effect on blood cholesterol levels.


6. Lean Chicken - High in muscle-building protein, lean chicken breast is a best friend in the kitchen.

Six-pack stoppers
Alcohol, white bread, white rice, white pasta, cheese, chocolate, ice-cream, sweets, chips, fries, crisps, soda/soft drinks, fast-food, processed foods/meats (bacon/sausage/salami etc), butter, margarine, commercial fruit juice, processed & packaged foods.

These tips can head off your headache before it ruins your day

 

Press Pressure Points

There are two pressure points known to relieve headache pain. One is on your forehead. Press a thumb between your eyes while pressing down on your hairline with your first two fingers. The other pressure point is at the base of the web of flesh where the bones of your thumb and forefinger meet. Press hard with your opposite thumb.

 

Use Your Nose

Whiffs of peppermint can alleviate tension headaches. Some research, however, suggests that aromatherapy may only be useful if you like that particular smell. If you despise the odor of peppermint, try sniffing a green apple, another scent that has also had some success.

 

Sip Some Coffee

A jolt of caffeine as you feel a migraine coming on might sidetrack the attack. Try having some strong coffee, cola or a caffeine-laden energy drink.

 

Just Breathe

Learning how to relax can help combat tension, a common migraine trigger. Breathe slowly and deeply, with your eyes closed, concentrating on nothing but your breath.

 

Step Away

Go for a brisk walk. Mild exercise improves circulation, which counters the constriction of blood vessels that is a common precursor to headaches.

 

Apply Frozen Veggies

Grab a bag of frozen peas and apply it to the base of your neck while lying in a quiet, darkened room. Ice is an effective anti-inflammatory and it numbs pain—so try it on your throbbing temples, too.

 

Put Your Mind to Work

Close your eyes and imagine your pain as an object—a burning sun, perhaps—then picture it shrinking into the distance, or douse it with water, until it disappears. This technique, called visualization, takes practice but has been proven effective.