| Millions of women experience a time towards the | | | | dietary advice are men. So what if, in order to |
| end of their cycle when they feel low, angry, | | | | truly break the taboo around PMS, we choose to |
| anti-social and unable to cope with daily tasks. | | | | respond to our feminine symptoms as opposed |
| Many women also experience physical pain and | | | | to resisting and reacting to them? |
| discomfort at this time. | | | | The menstrual cycle is nature's way of preparing |
| The symptoms and causes of problems | | | | our bodies to create new life. As women we are |
| associated with hormonal change and | | | | blessed with the creative ability to conceive and |
| pre-menstrual syndrome are attributed to a vast | | | | nurture life from its very beginning. What if we |
| array of triggers - from imbalances in estrogen | | | | learned to accept and embrace our monthly |
| and progesterone, animal growth hormones, food | | | | experience by tuning into our body, hearing its |
| intolerances, poor diet, little exercise or too much | | | | message, and responding in a way that respects |
| alcohol and caffeine - and there are now reams | | | | what it is telling us? |
| of therapeutic advice available recommending this | | | | Historically the western world has marched to the |
| or that remedy and lifestyle change. | | | | beat of a masculine drum. Male hormonal cycles |
| Of course, that the condition of PMS is being | | | | are much shorter, usually taking 24 hours, rather |
| taken seriously is a positive step. Western society | | | | than the 28 days of the female cycle. This |
| - women and men included - has spent too long | | | | shorter frequency means we tend to view men's |
| believing that PMS symptoms are a liability, or are | | | | behaviour as more constant and predictable, while |
| psychosomatic, and need to be dismissed entirely | | | | women have gained a reputation of blowing hot |
| from the imagination in order to achieve a | | | | and cold depending on the time of the month. |
| smooth and homogenous daily experience. | | | | Breaking the taboo around PMS involves women |
| However, with so many remedies, lifestyle | | | | discovering the gift that there is in our symptoms. |
| changes and health approaches being | | | | It means deepening our self-awareness about |
| recommended, we are in danger of seeing the | | | | how to respond best to our experience, and |
| taboo of PMS swinging the other way. Instead of | | | | learning how to conduct the powerful |
| being something about which society is in denial, it | | | | conversations in our lives to be able to march to |
| is now being treated as an unacceptable feature | | | | the beat of our own drum. |
| of life, against which positive steps must be taken | | | | This way I am sure our modern way of living and |
| for eradication. | | | | working will have the best chance of transforming |
| This "find it and fix it" mentality is a very male | | | | into something which supports and honours |
| one, espoused as much by men as by women in | | | | women's particular skills and contribution, which in |
| modern society, though it is no surprise that | | | | turn may just transform the world. |
| many purveyors of health supplements and | | | | |