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Carbohydrates and PMS
If you have attempted a low carb lifestyle as more than
a projected 25 million people in the United States have, it is possible that you may experience
increased PMS symptoms, or skipped periods. Note: some low carb diets are also gluten-free such as phase 1 of
the South Beach Diet. If you notice a change in digestion like less constipation, diarrhea, bloating please ask to be
tested for gluten intolerance. Contact the Cycle Diet dietitian for help in asking for the right tests from your primary doctor.
Low Carb Diets are not the best way to lose weight
if you suffer from PMS. The low carb plans are extremely short on the
specific vitamins and minerals needed to handle the natural hormone
fluctuations. Women who suffer from PMS may also be deficient in the
proteases (enzymes) necessary to break down the high intake of protein
from meat and dairy or high-protein supplements. Not to mention the
potential damage done to the kidney's from the high nitrogen load. The
kidney's are also responsible for activating vitamin D. If they are
overloaded or damaged from clearing heavy nitrogen waste from your body,
the tiny tubules won't be able to add that last hydrogen molecule to
activate vitamin D, necessary for calcium absorption. Long-term studies
are not yet available on low carb diets. If you decide to attempt low
carb, be forewarned that your PMS symptoms will return. The Cycle diet
can be modified to help you lose weight of a pound and a half a week over 2 cycles.
Simple vs. Complex In our opinion, the only benefit to come out of the low carb diet
craze is the awareness people now have of the differences between simple
carbs and complex carbs. The simple carbs, sugar and refined starches
like white flour hit your blood stream very rapidly creating an insulin
spike. In order to clear the large amount of glucose, the pancreases pumps out large amounts
of insulin leaving you very hungry after around 2 hours.
Complex carbs take longer to digest, creating a more gradual insulin
response without the rapid hunger response. Complex carbs like beans,
100% whole wheat, grains, fresh fruits and vegetables are the base
of the Cycle Diet. If your PMS is caused by higher levels of
estrogens, staying away from refined carbohydrates may be tough at
first, but cravings should subside after a week following the plan. It
is important to eat healthy snacks between meals for two reasons; first
it keeps your blood sugar from falling too low and secondly it keeps you
from getting too hungry for your next meal and reaching for something
with little nutritional value. Estrogen and Insulin Studies have shown that some women who suffer from PMS
may become more sensitive to insulin during the luteal phase leading to
hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) which could be one of the reasons why they eat 62% more refined carbohydrates
and 275% more sugar than those women who don't suffer from PMS. It's
believed an increase in estrogen levels may enhance the efficiency of
the insulin action. Insulin also aids in fat storage in adipose tissue
making weight gain an additional problem. There are actually 3 categories of carbohydrates:
Simply put, the longer the saccharide chains, some with branch chains, the longer it takes us to break them down in the intestines. Table sugar is actually glucose and fructose held together by only 1 alpha-link, easily broken down and quickly absorbed. Lactose, the sugar in milk is made up of galactose and glucose held together by a beta-link, indigestible if you are short of lactase, the enzyme necessary to break the link. This is also known as lactose intolerance. Many women with PMS are lactose intolerant, which causes painful gas and bloating in the intestines due to the undigested milk sugar. Avoiding all dairy products to avoid the problem is not uncommon. Other calcium rich sources or supplements must be taken to make up for calcium shortfalls. Whole grains like beans or old fashioned oatmeal are
very long, tightly coiled macromolecules with few sites for enzymatic
action, they take much more time to break down. Beans also take the energy of bacteria flora naturally in our
large intestine for final digestion causing flatulence. This is actually a very good thing,
(not the flatulence), but
those beneficial microflora contribute a significant amount
of biotin, an important B vitamin necessary in the metabolism of fats and
proteins. Talk or contact the Cycle Diet Dietitian for help in this area for best results. Limit or Avoid Refined Carbohydrates:
Increase Intake of Complex Carbohydrates:
Reliable Sources about carbohydrates: Harvard School of Public Health: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates.html/ |
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Copyright 2009 Cycle Diet
by Debra Hope RD/LD Date of last modification: 08/05/08 |
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