Sweet Potatoes & PMS Symptoms
Have you ever experienced PMS symptoms leading to many different symptoms from extreme fatigue to mood swings to physical pain? If you say yes, you are not alone. Did you know that 80-90% of people who menstruate experience at least one PMS symptom which ranges in severity? Along with this, so many of these people may struggle to find the answers to how to make it stop. This was me as well until I found that nutrition was one of the best avenues to go down when finding the solution to these symptoms (cue the sweet potatoes haha)!
My Experience:
I have struggled with symptoms of PMS during monthly cycles for the majority of my life. The symptoms I would experience would oftentimes be debilitating to me either physically, emotionally, mentally, or all at the same time. I would often face overall fatigue, mood swings, headaches, pain, and more every month.
After I switched some major lifestyle habits and began exercising and eating healthily, I experienced one of the most drastic shifts in these symptoms; they vanished. This was shocking to me as I had been told that this was something I would just have to live with. One of the most amazing foods that helped and continues to be my go-to in my luteal phase is sweet potatoes!
Why Sweet Potatoes?
At the time that I was experiencing this drastic drop in symptoms, I didn’t even realize it was the sweet potatoes and nutritious foods I had introduced. After further research, I learned that specifically sweet potatoes can be a major contributor to the reduction of PMS symptoms. Why? Well, let’s dive a bit deeper into that.
Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, which is a nutrient within plants, and plant foods, known to give the yellow-orange color. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant, known to help regulate hormones and the metabolism of estrogen and thyroid hormones. This has become increasingly evident in reducing the negative impacts of PMS and can be a way to prevent and minimize the symptoms!
What’s Next?
Are you interested in how to incorporate sweet potatoes into your life? Click here for my go-to sweet potato brownie recipe!
Or maybe you’re interested in learning more about how nutrition can impact the balance of hormones and overall well-being. Let’s chat and discover how we can work together!