Welcome to "Wonderfully Made" 00:00:16.42\00:00:18.39 Today on the program we have Dr. Cherie Lon Fernandez 00:00:18.42\00:00:21.09 to talk to us about the hot topic of PMS 00:00:21.12\00:00:25.58 Welcome to the show Dr. Cherie Lon 00:00:25.61\00:00:27.39 Thank you for inviting me. 00:00:27.42\00:00:29.33 PMS, now it's NOT all in your head. 00:00:29.36\00:00:32.38 PMS - premenstrual syndrome 00:00:32.41\00:00:34.50 Actually, this was first coined around the 1980s, I believe, 00:00:34.53\00:00:38.29 in Britain which is my home country, 00:00:38.32\00:00:40.35 and many times women were caught and accused of being 00:00:40.38\00:00:44.54 guilty of various crimes and their excuse was... 00:00:44.57\00:00:48.40 "Officer, I had premenstrual syndrome... 00:00:48.43\00:00:50.85 I was about to start my menstruation" 00:00:50.88\00:00:53.10 And so it became criminal cases; 00:00:53.13\00:00:54.56 it became known in criminal conversations. 00:00:54.59\00:00:56.93 So, tell us a little bit about PMS, 00:00:56.96\00:00:58.93 and how many women are affected by this? 00:00:58.96\00:01:01.07 Oh, it is some 20 to 50% of women that suffer from this, 00:01:01.10\00:01:07.01 and many just do it from day-to-day thinking that it's 00:01:07.04\00:01:12.83 just a regular thing actually... 00:01:12.86\00:01:14.48 But it can be SO SEVERE that the woman really is 00:01:14.51\00:01:21.03 incapacitated... and it can even go to what you call the 00:01:21.06\00:01:27.52 "premenstrual dysphoric disorder" 00:01:27.55\00:01:33.16 When the woman is now clinically affected by 00:01:33.19\00:01:36.67 depression, she has clinical depression associated 00:01:36.70\00:01:40.66 with these premenstrual problems of bloating, 00:01:40.69\00:01:44.64 or headaches or irritability, and she's always tense, 00:01:44.67\00:01:49.58 she is always sad or depressed, always anxious, 00:01:49.61\00:01:55.83 and excessively irritable... 00:01:55.86\00:02:01.43 Very high irritability at this time just prior to menses, 00:02:01.46\00:02:07.06 and that's what PMS is. 00:02:07.09\00:02:10.23 So it's affecting almost half the female population 00:02:10.26\00:02:14.50 at some time in our lives. 00:02:14.53\00:02:16.04 And of course, whatever affects her also affects him, right? Yes 00:02:16.07\00:02:20.32 So if we have any male viewers, and I'm sure we do, 00:02:20.35\00:02:22.50 and I hope we do, please stay with us 00:02:22.53\00:02:24.43 because you're going to learn, today, some things that 00:02:24.46\00:02:26.65 could really help you to help the special lady in your life. 00:02:26.68\00:02:29.88 So when a woman goes to the doctor with PMS-type symptoms, 00:02:29.91\00:02:33.91 typically, what would the doctor be looking for? 00:02:33.94\00:02:36.48 PMS - there is no blood exam for it, you know. 00:02:36.51\00:02:41.84 So the doctor usually will say... 00:02:41.87\00:02:43.91 Maybe if you didn't go to your doctor - if they haven't gone 00:02:43.94\00:02:47.55 to their doctor yet, it would help them to know that 00:02:47.58\00:02:51.18 before you go to your doctor, so that you just go 00:02:51.21\00:02:53.73 straight and have your help right away, 00:02:53.76\00:02:56.79 it would be necessary that at 00:02:56.82\00:02:58.52 LEAST you get 2 months of charting of the menstrual cycle 00:02:58.55\00:03:03.56 and all the manifestations. 00:03:03.59\00:03:04.96 Every day you say this... "Today, this is what happened. " 00:03:04.99\00:03:08.56 Tomorrow and the next day - EVERY detail of the 00:03:08.59\00:03:12.26 menstrual days - up to the next menses and the next. 00:03:12.29\00:03:16.60 So a total of 2 cycles, you chart down 00:03:16.63\00:03:19.91 ALL your manifestations, 00:03:19.94\00:03:21.89 and then the doctor can work on that. 00:03:21.92\00:03:24.25 Okay, so you would even include things like - 00:03:24.28\00:03:27.44 When I started to open the refrigerator 00:03:27.47\00:03:29.28 and eat everything inside, 00:03:29.31\00:03:30.81 and how I got irritable with my husband, 00:03:30.84\00:03:33.64 every symptom, not just physical discomfort. 00:03:33.67\00:03:37.10 Yes because PMS is BOTH physical and emotional. 00:03:37.13\00:03:42.19 When we have menses, we probably have just a little 00:03:42.22\00:03:45.07 emotional problem - this is because of the pain... 00:03:45.10\00:03:48.13 But this one is NOT because of the pain, 00:03:48.16\00:03:50.24 NOT because of bloating, not because of that, 00:03:50.27\00:03:52.45 that's only one-half of the manifestation. 00:03:52.48\00:03:54.65 The other half, which is really very problematic, 00:03:54.68\00:03:58.01 is when she starts to have emotional problems. 00:03:58.04\00:04:01.46 I think we can all relate to that... 00:04:01.49\00:04:04.25 At some point in our lives PMS seems to affect us... 00:04:04.28\00:04:07.09 especially as we get older, 00:04:07.12\00:04:08.49 maybe because of hormonal imbalances. Yes 00:04:08.52\00:04:11.83 Certainly I can relate to that personally. 00:04:11.86\00:04:14.53 I actually had PMS, probably at least 5 years... 00:04:14.56\00:04:17.99 But, we're going to talk about some of the solutions 00:04:18.02\00:04:20.40 that have really helped me. ... That would be good 00:04:20.43\00:04:22.42 So tell me a little bit about the hormones... 00:04:22.45\00:04:24.25 What's really going on, and when we talk about 00:04:24.28\00:04:26.76 hormonal problems, exactly what is it? 00:04:26.79\00:04:28.97 Is it too much progesterone? 00:04:29.00\00:04:30.37 Is it too much estrogen? 00:04:30.40\00:04:31.77 What is it? There are 2 schools of thought 00:04:31.80\00:04:38.44 I got it - 2 schools of thought; 00:04:38.47\00:04:41.20 one school says that there is too much estrogen 00:04:41.23\00:04:45.18 The other school of thought says TOO MUCH progesterone. 00:04:45.21\00:04:50.82 But the thing is, it's whether it's progesterone or estrogen, 00:04:50.85\00:04:55.15 there is always too much of one. 00:04:55.18\00:04:57.52 Also then, there is a relative imbalance between the 2 hormones 00:04:57.55\00:05:02.65 So when there's a relative imbalance between these 00:05:02.68\00:05:05.09 2 hormones, you know, these hormones you already know, 00:05:05.12\00:05:09.72 I cannot say enough of this - it's very important. 00:05:09.75\00:05:12.61 ALL cells of the body are affected by the female hormone. 00:05:12.64\00:05:16.17 I mean for the female body. 00:05:16.20\00:05:17.75 It's affected by the female hormone. 00:05:17.78\00:05:22.10 Especially our brain, it's soaked with 00:05:22.13\00:05:25.79 receptors for the estrogen and the 00:05:25.82\00:05:28.45 progesterone. Really, I didn't know that. 00:05:28.48\00:05:30.03 When you have the estrogen and progesterone problems, 00:05:30.07\00:05:33.39 it affects the hormones in our brain 00:05:33.42\00:05:36.78 like serotonin and beta endorphins. 00:05:36.81\00:05:39.13 you know, these substances in our brain - neurotransmitters 00:05:39.17\00:05:42.52 that affect how good we feel about ourselves, okay? 00:05:42.55\00:05:46.35 Or how SAD we feel about ourselves. 00:05:46.38\00:05:48.61 The endorphins, now are they 00:05:48.64\00:05:50.01 what we call the "happy hormones?" Yes! 00:05:50.04\00:05:51.41 So I'm guessing the beta endorphins would be diminished 00:05:51.44\00:05:54.91 during the PMS phase. 00:05:54.94\00:05:56.31 Is that why we start feeling miserable and sad? Yes 00:05:56.34\00:05:58.74 So it really is physiological the reason that we feel sad 00:05:58.77\00:06:01.98 and depressed. 00:06:02.01\00:06:03.38 There is a physiological reason behind it. 00:06:03.41\00:06:07.51 So it's not just all in our minds? 00:06:07.54\00:06:09.47 That's good news, that's encouraging! 00:06:09.50\00:06:11.71 So, how can you tell without a blood test necessarily 00:06:11.74\00:06:16.17 that you have PMS... because there was no 00:06:16.20\00:06:18.21 blood test, as you said. 00:06:18.24\00:06:20.03 Yes, it is important, therefore, that you know your plotting 00:06:20.06\00:06:24.74 of your daily activities and whatever happens... 00:06:24.77\00:06:28.35 it's important that you put this down because 00:06:28.38\00:06:31.22 the manifestations are the ones that WILL give the doctors 00:06:31.25\00:06:35.49 the diagnosis that you're having PMS. 00:06:35.52\00:06:39.55 Now the rise in PMS, so maybe it's not really rhythm, 00:06:39.58\00:06:44.00 and it's just that we're more aware of it 00:06:44.03\00:06:45.57 because of the culture we live in. 00:06:45.60\00:06:47.17 We're very conscious about health issues, 00:06:47.20\00:06:48.88 and help is more readily available than it was 00:06:48.91\00:06:51.08 100 years ago, but the rise in PMS seems to correlate 00:06:51.11\00:06:54.64 with the rise in obesity in women. 00:06:54.67\00:06:56.84 Is there a hormonal connection with the obesity? 00:06:56.87\00:07:00.06 Yes there is... lifestyle has so much to do with 00:07:00.09\00:07:03.89 every part organ and system of our body, 00:07:03.92\00:07:07.97 but mainly there are more obese people - what you said 00:07:08.00\00:07:14.09 Now obese people have more fat in the body... 00:07:14.12\00:07:19.69 Unfortunately, FAT can be converted into ESTROGEN 00:07:19.72\00:07:26.64 in the body. 00:07:26.67\00:07:28.04 So you are ovulating, so you are having your 00:07:28.07\00:07:30.98 menses regular and you have your normal estrogen, 00:07:31.01\00:07:34.26 but you have your fat producing even MORE estrogen! 00:07:34.29\00:07:37.60 So then you have more estrogen than your body can handle. 00:07:37.63\00:07:41.48 More estrogen than your brain cells can handle 00:07:41.51\00:07:44.96 because your fat cells can convert this cholesterol 00:07:44.99\00:07:51.39 into estrogen. 00:07:51.42\00:07:53.83 And the more estrogen you've got floating around, 00:07:53.86\00:07:56.27 the more PMS symptoms - Very interesting 00:07:56.30\00:07:59.41 So one of the indicators would be to try to lose weight 00:07:59.44\00:08:02.50 as much as possible. Very, very important! 00:08:02.53\00:08:05.66 Okay, so how can you tell which of your hormones 00:08:05.69\00:08:09.28 is out of balance if, say you're at the ideal weight 00:08:09.31\00:08:12.19 Obviously, you're not producing more estrogen than you should. 00:08:12.22\00:08:15.19 Can you assume that it's too much progesterone 00:08:15.22\00:08:17.20 or you're progesterone dominant? 00:08:17.23\00:08:21.01 That's why they have these 2 schools and they cannot decide 00:08:21.04\00:08:25.81 They cannot decide which is which! 00:08:25.84\00:08:27.58 Personally, I believe that it's the progesterone that's high 00:08:27.61\00:08:32.72 that causes it, but it's not for me to say... 00:08:32.75\00:08:35.78 I'm only one little ant. Why do you believe that? 00:08:35.81\00:08:40.06 It's because progesterone is released in the second half 00:08:40.09\00:08:44.19 of the cycle... Which is when we get the symptoms. 00:08:44.22\00:08:45.94 That's when you get the symptoms. Right 00:08:46.06\00:08:48.29 But the thing is, the lowering of the estrogen, 00:08:48.49\00:08:51.38 even if progesterone is there... 00:08:51.41\00:08:53.06 So if you have a person who is on the slim side, 00:08:53.09\00:08:56.13 it might be progesterone is the predominant thing. 00:08:56.16\00:08:59.68 If you have a person who is on the heavy side, 00:08:59.71\00:09:02.25 it could be that this were estrogen 00:09:02.28\00:09:05.79 being the predominant thing. 00:09:05.83\00:09:07.20 Okay, so either way, we're not going to be getting 00:09:07.23\00:09:09.08 shots of the compound that we have too little of. No-no 00:09:09.11\00:09:11.51 So either way, we've got an imbalance, 00:09:11.54\00:09:13.49 and so what we need to do is really think about 00:09:13.52\00:09:15.83 how we can correct this imbalance throughout the month 00:09:15.86\00:09:18.45 so that when it comes to ovulation and the phase 00:09:18.48\00:09:21.48 just preceding menstruation, we can breathe a sigh of relief 00:09:21.51\00:09:24.90 and so can our husbands and boyfriends, 00:09:24.93\00:09:27.27 and not have to leave the house! 00:09:27.30\00:09:29.22 They know when... "She's getting it again" 00:09:29.25\00:09:32.96 "It's that time" 00:09:32.99\00:09:34.36 "It's that time, I have to tighten my belt" 00:09:34.39\00:09:37.54 Okay, so let's talk about lifestyle management... 00:09:37.57\00:09:40.95 What can we do that's really going to 00:09:40.98\00:09:42.67 not only eliminate, hopefully, most of the symptoms, 00:09:42.70\00:09:45.45 but make us feel better? 00:09:45.48\00:09:46.97 We cannot overemphasize food being really a very big 00:09:47.00\00:09:53.03 portion - I mean cause of all our problems, 00:09:53.06\00:09:57.42 so especially when you say "salt" 00:09:57.45\00:10:01.41 This is for the physical part of it yet. 00:10:01.44\00:10:03.68 Salt tends to keep water in your body. 00:10:03.71\00:10:09.23 So, you get congestion, you get bloatedness. 00:10:09.26\00:10:12.88 So therefore, in the middle of your cycle, 00:10:12.91\00:10:15.82 when you start in the middle of your cycle, 00:10:15.85\00:10:17.41 day 14- if you would want to say - you know that you're 00:10:17.44\00:10:20.22 going there - start controlling your salt intake - 00:10:20.25\00:10:24.64 so that the end would be you won't be keeping 00:10:24.67\00:10:28.59 too much water, you won't get so much bloating, 00:10:28.62\00:10:31.15 you won't get too much congestion. 00:10:31.18\00:10:33.37 So you're not just talking about table salt, 00:10:33.40\00:10:35.66 and adding it to the food, but you're talking about the 00:10:35.69\00:10:37.60 hidden sodium in canned foods. Yes-yes 00:10:37.63\00:10:40.60 Almost all our processed foods contains sodium. 00:10:40.63\00:10:42.68 If you look on your labels you find that. Yes 00:10:42.71\00:10:44.92 Make it a habit to always look how many grams of sodium 00:10:44.95\00:10:49.72 you have in your food, because it's really a lot hidden 00:10:49.75\00:10:53.15 Right, and cutting down on pretzels, all those crinkly bags 00:10:53.18\00:10:57.41 Okay so salt is one of the main culprits. Yes! 00:10:57.44\00:11:00.87 SUGAR - the opposite! 00:11:00.90\00:11:03.21 Sweet food - well, I don't know about you, 00:11:03.24\00:11:06.77 but I do have a sweet tooth! 00:11:06.80\00:11:08.40 It's hard to get the control, but you have to develop habits. 00:11:08.43\00:11:15.06 You have to develop a pattern of thinking that... 00:11:15.09\00:11:17.67 "This is not good for me around this time" 00:11:17.70\00:11:20.36 ...It's never good for you anyway. 00:11:20.39\00:11:22.22 But EXTRA CARE in the second half of your cycle 00:11:22.25\00:11:26.44 because that's when it can wreak havoc the most. 00:11:26.47\00:11:33.06 And again, there's sugar in many 00:11:33.09\00:11:35.07 of our supposedly savory products. 00:11:35.10\00:11:37.39 Yes, besides when you have a lot of sugar, 00:11:37.42\00:11:39.93 it leaches you of your vitamins and minerals. 00:11:39.96\00:11:42.80 In order to metabolize all the sugar to make it 00:11:42.83\00:11:46.76 available to your body and get rid of it or whatever, 00:11:46.79\00:11:49.61 store it somehow, you will need more vitamins and minerals... 00:11:49.64\00:11:52.83 So then you would be leaching your body of that. 00:11:53.86\00:11:55.44 So imagine how bad you would be feeling 00:11:55.47\00:11:57.85 towards the beginning of your menses... 00:11:57.88\00:12:00.70 you know - towards the end of your cycle. 00:12:00.73\00:12:03.05 On that sugar point, what about artificial sweeteners - 00:12:03.08\00:12:06.83 ...sorbitol, aspartame? Yes 00:12:06.86\00:12:10.71 The problem with especially aspartame is it inhibits 00:12:10.74\00:12:17.12 or rather it is something that grabs or - no it's not grab... 00:12:17.15\00:12:22.79 It gets in the way of tryptophan. 00:12:22.82\00:12:27.42 tryptophan is the precursor for the serotonin, 00:12:27.45\00:12:31.03 the good hormone. That's makes you feel good! 00:12:31.06\00:12:32.76 Yeah - the feel-good-hormone serotonin comes from tryptophan, 00:12:32.79\00:12:38.06 and aspartame inhibits tryptophan 00:12:38.09\00:12:41.66 from becoming serotonin. 00:12:41.69\00:12:43.18 So you're going to feel even worse after using 00:12:43.21\00:12:45.51 artificial sweeteners like aspartame. 00:12:45.54\00:12:47.13 Unfortunately, we don't want to gain weight, 00:12:47.16\00:12:49.65 we go to aspartame but it works on our 00:12:49.68\00:12:52.62 tryptophan - serotonin problems happen. 00:12:52.65\00:12:55.22 Okay, so we need to be reading labels, 00:12:55.25\00:12:57.21 making sure we know what we're consuming. 00:12:57.24\00:13:00.06 All that hidden sugar, there's so much hidden sugar 00:13:00.09\00:13:02.10 in our diet, you'd be amazed. 00:13:02.13\00:13:03.68 Okay, what about spicy foods? 00:13:03.71\00:13:05.23 Oh! Can you imagine! 00:13:05.26\00:13:07.21 I can imagine, I love spicy food. 00:13:07.24\00:13:10.78 I can eat spicy food but I KNOW right after 00:13:10.81\00:13:14.65 I eat spicy food, I become... 00:13:14.68\00:13:16.59 you know - you become tense and irritable. 00:13:16.62\00:13:19.10 And imagine what it's doing in your tummy, 00:13:19.13\00:13:21.45 and does in your intestines. 00:13:21.48\00:13:23.45 It is something that EXCITES you! 00:13:23.48\00:13:27.23 Makes you even MORE sensitive... 00:13:27.26\00:13:29.82 So you get irritable, even your brain becomes 00:13:29.85\00:13:32.93 irritable brain. 00:13:32.96\00:13:34.85 So you become what you eat. Yes - FIREY 00:13:34.88\00:13:39.62 And if we're already naturally a little bit fiery, 00:13:39.65\00:13:41.62 we certainly don't want to make it worse. 00:13:41.65\00:13:45.46 Other facts that can exacerbate the problem... 00:13:45.49\00:13:47.79 ALCOHOL also leaches us of our vitamins and minerals, 00:13:47.82\00:13:54.86 and it's stored in fat... 00:13:54.89\00:13:56.51 So, it's not helping you one bit - you know. 00:13:56.54\00:13:59.88 And caffeine too - it causes your sympathetic nervous system 00:13:59.91\00:14:08.63 to be working overtime. 00:14:08.66\00:14:10.81 And it also, the same way as sugar does, 00:14:10.84\00:14:14.01 the same way as alcohol does, 00:14:14.04\00:14:16.71 it also leaches you. 00:14:16.74\00:14:18.11 In order to get rid of these, in order for your body to 00:14:18.14\00:14:20.76 work by the stimulation of the caffeine, 00:14:20.79\00:14:23.47 you are using up your stored vitamins and minerals... 00:14:23.50\00:14:27.36 And it's very important for us to refrain from taking 00:14:27.39\00:14:30.92 these substances. 00:14:30.95\00:14:33.00 When you talk about the sympathetic nervous system, 00:14:33.03\00:14:35.18 I always used to think... Well, sympathetic sounds like 00:14:35.21\00:14:37.30 it relaxes and giving you sympathy, 00:14:37.33\00:14:39.64 making you feel better, but it's actually the opposite. 00:14:39.67\00:14:42.49 It's the parasympathetic that calms you down. 00:14:42.52\00:14:45.29 Sympathetic is one that makes you GO - you're ready to FIGHT! 00:14:45.32\00:14:50.31 That's the one that's highly stimulated at this 00:14:50.34\00:14:52.22 phase in the cycle. 00:14:52.25\00:14:53.62 You don't want to... Okay, I got it! 00:14:53.65\00:14:56.37 So, now let's talk about 00:14:56.40\00:14:57.77 chocolate again... that's another one. 00:14:57.80\00:14:59.17 We talked about that on the last program. 00:14:59.20\00:15:00.58 That is personal to me because I used to be a 00:15:00.61\00:15:03.25 chocoholic... Oh you did? I did. 00:15:03.28\00:15:05.22 I could eat a bag of chocolate. Really? 00:15:05.25\00:15:07.51 Tastes good! I think I was the same. 00:15:07.54\00:15:12.40 So what's wrong with taking chocolate 00:15:12.43\00:15:14.14 to relieve some of the symptoms? 00:15:14.17\00:15:15.90 I mean - what are the negatives? 00:15:15.93\00:15:17.63 OH, not everybody loves dark chocolate besides, 00:15:17.66\00:15:21.49 and nobody wants chocolate without sugar. 00:15:21.52\00:15:23.32 It's too bitter... 00:15:23.35\00:15:24.72 But it's the dark chocolate that they say is good... 00:15:24.75\00:15:27.09 The lesser the sugar - yes, they say because it's 00:15:27.12\00:15:29.55 rich in magnesium, but there is other stuff 00:15:29.58\00:15:32.92 that they put on your chocolate - 00:15:32.95\00:15:34.41 ...the sugar and additives and whatever that 00:15:34.44\00:15:40.08 in the end you would rather not have the chocolate. 00:15:40.11\00:15:43.06 Okay, so what's the alternative? 00:15:43.09\00:15:44.46 For everything we're giving up, 00:15:44.49\00:15:45.86 there's got to be something better! 00:15:45.89\00:15:49.04 We said chocolate is rich in magnesium. 00:15:49.07\00:15:55.51 Of course vegetables - green leafy vegetables 00:15:55.54\00:16:00.22 are very rich in magnesium, very rich in calcium, 00:16:00.25\00:16:03.01 very rich in manganese; all good for the PMS. 00:16:03.04\00:16:06.45 So I'm just going to eat them when I'm having the symptoms? 00:16:06.48\00:16:09.15 NO - you've got to have them 00:16:09.18\00:16:10.70 Again, prevention - prevention is better than cure! 00:16:10.73\00:16:14.73 You've got to have a stock of it before so that 00:16:14.76\00:16:17.25 your body can have it. 00:16:17.28\00:16:18.77 You don't look for it when you need it. 00:16:18.80\00:16:20.73 It's already there because you were 00:16:20.76\00:16:22.55 taking care of your body BEFORE it even happened. 00:16:22.58\00:16:25.01 And of course, you've got all the other benefits 00:16:25.04\00:16:26.82 from the vegetables including 00:16:26.85\00:16:28.22 fiber to relieve constipation and so on. That's so true! 00:16:28.25\00:16:31.60 So you mentioned earlier about tryptophan... 00:16:31.63\00:16:33.93 This is the precursor to serotonin. Yes 00:16:33.96\00:16:36.68 It helps us to feel good. 00:16:36.71\00:16:38.08 Where can we get that tryptophan from so we can feel good? 00:16:38.11\00:16:43.55 Pumpkin seeds is one of the richest plant foods 00:16:43.58\00:16:51.86 that has tryptophan. 00:16:51.89\00:16:53.26 And many of the seeds, you know, the small ones; 00:16:53.29\00:16:57.29 sesame, sunflower, chia, flaxseeds - they are very rich, 00:16:57.32\00:17:05.75 and all the other legumes and nuts are rich. 00:17:05.78\00:17:11.20 So if you have a balanced diet, even of the plant food, 00:17:11.23\00:17:16.07 you know - from the plant food, 00:17:16.10\00:17:18.28 you would have enough tryptophan to help you. 00:17:18.31\00:17:21.18 So are there any other ways that we can maximize 00:17:21.21\00:17:23.34 the serotonin level besides the diet? 00:17:23.37\00:17:26.34 You've got the diet all sorted out and everything is going well 00:17:26.37\00:17:29.15 Oh - SUNSHINE! 00:17:29.18\00:17:31.50 Sunshine really helps you; 00:17:31.53\00:17:33.29 it brings up your serotonin level. 00:17:33.32\00:17:35.13 EXERCISE! 00:17:35.16\00:17:37.20 Exercise is VERY important. 00:17:37.23\00:17:39.89 It helps, you know, your well-being 00:17:39.92\00:17:42.18 which practically is your better endorphins, 00:17:42.21\00:17:46.36 and your serotonin. 00:17:46.39\00:17:47.76 Sleep early so that your body can work and recover, 00:17:47.79\00:17:50.41 and make these hormones - you have to make these things. 00:17:50.44\00:17:53.30 And as we mentioned earlier, many of us are overweight... 00:17:53.33\00:17:56.72 I, myself, was very overweight at one time in my life, 00:17:56.75\00:17:59.69 and I'm sure that contributed 00:17:59.72\00:18:01.12 to my PMS problems. Me too Oh really, you too? 00:18:01.16\00:18:04.97 Yes, I don't want to think about it, 00:18:05.01\00:18:06.84 but it WAS there - it was there at one time. 00:18:06.87\00:18:10.28 Okay, so we want to encourage those of you that are watching 00:18:10.31\00:18:13.36 Maybe you want to lose a few pounds, 00:18:13.39\00:18:14.88 losing them will really help EVERY aspect of your life, 00:18:14.91\00:18:18.09 not just the premenstrual syndrome, 00:18:18.12\00:18:20.07 as symptoms that you may be experiencing but many other 00:18:20.10\00:18:23.46 aspects of your overall health as well. 00:18:23.49\00:18:26.18 So, are there any other exercises that 00:18:26.21\00:18:28.65 you could recommend specifically to help us to relax 00:18:28.68\00:18:31.91 It's really very important that 00:18:31.94\00:18:33.31 you have REGULAR moderate exercises. 00:18:33.34\00:18:35.68 Don't push yourself beyond your limit, that's important... 00:18:35.71\00:18:39.71 And stretching and relaxing because you're stressed now, 00:18:39.74\00:18:45.59 so you get to do relaxing exercises and deep-breathing 00:18:45.62\00:18:51.03 exercises so that you have more oxygen to your brain. 00:18:51.06\00:18:54.25 Even deep-breathing already helps regulate 00:18:54.28\00:18:57.78 your circulation throughout your body. 00:18:57.81\00:18:59.84 And what about hydrotherapy? 00:18:59.87\00:19:03.23 I'm just wondering because PMS is a syndrome 00:19:03.26\00:19:06.05 that lasts for 2 weeks or so, 00:19:06.08\00:19:08.35 so it's really half of a woman's life. 00:19:08.38\00:19:10.11 Is there any hydrotherapy she can use 00:19:10.14\00:19:12.24 during those 2 weeks that will help it to be eliminated? 00:19:12.27\00:19:17.19 I believe... I'm convinced that hot foot baths 00:19:17.22\00:19:25.81 yes - like for the menstruation is very good. 00:19:25.84\00:19:27.98 Then if you can do it every day 00:19:28.01\00:19:30.35 around the time you are having your menses. 00:19:30.38\00:19:33.14 But you could have, prior to that, 00:19:33.17\00:19:35.69 you could have hot and cold shower... 00:19:35.72\00:19:38.72 Every day, every morning, I believe that every morning 00:19:38.75\00:19:41.74 if you have a good shower - hot and cold; 00:19:41.77\00:19:45.57 3 minutes of hot and 30 seconds of cold; 00:19:45.60\00:19:50.87 like 3 or 4 changes. 00:19:50.90\00:19:53.02 This gives you... it's like making your body 00:19:53.05\00:19:57.52 be ready for whatever is coming throughout the day 00:19:57.55\00:20:01.81 for all your systems. 00:20:01.84\00:20:03.21 It sounds very stimulating. Yes, it is! 00:20:03.24\00:20:05.03 It helps your body come to par, you would say, 00:20:05.06\00:20:07.95 and optimum work in its optimum. 00:20:07.98\00:20:10.21 It's simple actually. 00:20:10.24\00:20:11.65 Turn to shower to hot for 3 minutes; 00:20:11.68\00:20:13.62 and then turn it down to 30 seconds, 00:20:13.65\00:20:15.70 then turn it hot again for 3 minutes, turn it down... 00:20:15.73\00:20:18.05 3 to 4 in the first half of your cycle that would be 00:20:18.08\00:20:22.14 really good, then you could have your 00:20:22.17\00:20:23.54 hot foot bath towards the second half of your menses. 00:20:23.57\00:20:26.17 Okay, what about sitz baths? 00:20:26.20\00:20:28.40 I mean, we hear about sitz baths. 00:20:28.43\00:20:30.25 Yes, if your bloating is really bad, 00:20:30.28\00:20:32.97 then you could have your sitz bath. 00:20:33.01\00:20:34.66 You know, you have your big tub and you sit down 00:20:34.70\00:20:38.80 into the tub and it should be deep - up to your navel... 00:20:38.83\00:20:43.12 deep in the tub, your butt goes into the big tub 00:20:43.15\00:20:46.65 that is ICE COLD! 15- 1-2-3... 15 seconds! 00:20:46.68\00:20:53.95 No, it is one of the best things that can help you 00:20:53.98\00:20:57.88 with your bloating - one of the BEST things! 00:20:57.91\00:21:00.69 How does that work physiologically? 00:21:00.72\00:21:02.36 It constricts all the blood vessels 00:21:02.39\00:21:05.03 and it makes the blood go to your circulation. 00:21:05.06\00:21:07.33 Then your bloating, your problem here will just subside. 00:21:07.36\00:21:13.19 You'd be wide awake after that kind of treatment! Yeah! 00:21:13.22\00:21:16.57 Now what about herbal agents? 00:21:16.60\00:21:17.97 This is the bit that you and I love, 00:21:18.00\00:21:20.01 we love studying about herbs. 00:21:20.04\00:21:21.41 So lets tell our viewers which herbs can really, really help, 00:21:21.44\00:21:24.18 and I have my own experience with this as well. 00:21:24.21\00:21:26.86 One of the best herbs - you know I'm not really an 00:21:26.89\00:21:31.94 herb specialist but I read Hoffmann, I read Duke 00:21:31.97\00:21:37.42 and one of the things that stuck in my mind is 00:21:37.45\00:21:40.29 you know 3 or 4 herbs and you know them WELL, 00:21:40.32\00:21:44.11 especially those that are easy to come by with - you know 00:21:44.14\00:21:48.21 And I think chasteberry or Vitex, ginkgo and dong quai 00:21:48.24\00:21:56.46 ...you have a conglomeration of 3 working together. 00:21:56.49\00:22:00.29 The mixture of ginkgo, dong quai and chasteberry 00:22:00.32\00:22:04.54 is very, very effective for PMS. 00:22:04.57\00:22:09.74 It's because they work on your hormones. Right 00:22:09.77\00:22:13.46 So they get to the CAUSE of the problem 00:22:13.49\00:22:15.40 rather than just dealing with the symptom. Yes 00:22:15.43\00:22:17.03 And just for our viewers, to clarify that the 00:22:17.06\00:22:19.62 chasteberry is otherwise known as the Vitex. 00:22:19.65\00:22:21.98 It's actually the same herb; so it's sometimes marketed as 00:22:22.01\00:22:25.39 Vitex, sometimes it's chasteberry, 00:22:25.42\00:22:27.15 and if I could just share at this point... 00:22:27.18\00:22:29.04 I had severe PMS, as I've mentioned, 00:22:29.07\00:22:31.79 and I'm not a herbalist, I can't recommend, 00:22:31.82\00:22:34.93 but this is what I did... I can tell you what I did. 00:22:34.96\00:22:36.91 I took a cup of the Vitex berries, the chasteberries, 00:22:36.94\00:22:40.67 put them in quart of water and just brought them to the 00:22:40.70\00:22:43.75 boil and then simmer for 20 minutes... 00:22:43.78\00:22:45.82 and then strained off the berries keep the liquid, 00:22:45.85\00:22:48.11 and it's a concentrate, and I added some 00:22:48.14\00:22:50.79 blackstrap molasses to make a whole quart 00:22:50.82\00:22:52.67 of the concentrate and keep it in the fridge... 00:22:52.70\00:22:54.96 And I would just take 3 tablespoons twice a day 00:22:55.00\00:22:57.23 throughout my cycle and I got results right away. 00:22:57.26\00:23:00.60 Absolutely NO symptoms, nothing - it was amazing! 00:23:00.63\00:23:04.19 So I just want to share that because I REALLY know 00:23:04.22\00:23:06.26 and I have confidence that these herbs 00:23:06.29\00:23:07.66 really do... Yeah, they do work. 00:23:07.69\00:23:09.06 We see a lot in Wildwood doing these things. 00:23:09.09\00:23:12.79 You've seen these herbs, a lot of women who suffer 00:23:12.82\00:23:15.58 from PMS - they do well after they take the herb. 00:23:15.61\00:23:20.24 But I have to say... You have to do all the rest 00:23:20.27\00:23:24.13 of the lifestyle changes. 00:23:24.16\00:23:25.53 Okay, you can't just use the herb like a drug. 00:23:25.56\00:23:28.81 Usually the herb is something that we fall back to 00:23:28.84\00:23:32.99 like you would do Tylenol or an antidepressant drug. 00:23:33.02\00:23:38.00 But that's not the way it's supposed to be... 00:23:38.03\00:23:40.72 because regular lifestyle would already even help you. 00:23:40.75\00:23:44.65 You might not even need your herbs anymore 00:23:44.68\00:23:47.45 if you were really doing your lifestyle changes 00:23:47.48\00:23:50.01 with real conviction. 00:23:50.04\00:23:51.94 Right, that's a very good point, 00:23:51.97\00:23:53.34 Dr. Cherie Lon that it's very easy for us to just take herbs 00:23:53.37\00:23:57.01 as though they were a medicine just like we would a drug, 00:23:57.04\00:23:59.43 and think it would take care of our neglecting other areas... 00:23:59.46\00:24:02.17 But you know, there really is a blessing in the Scripture that 00:24:02.20\00:24:04.83 if we, in Deuteronomy 7, that if we diligently hearken to 00:24:04.86\00:24:09.89 all these judgments or laws that God has given us... 00:24:09.92\00:24:12.76 and you've really described to us what are the laws that 00:24:12.79\00:24:15.01 God has put in our body to govern us that we may be well 00:24:15.04\00:24:18.01 the promise is that He will bless the womb. Yes, He will. 00:24:18.04\00:24:21.79 And everything associated with the womb, 00:24:21.82\00:24:23.92 which of course, is PMS... 00:24:23.95\00:24:25.32 So we can just take that blessing, take that promise, 00:24:25.35\00:24:27.65 along with doing all we can and expect the Lord 00:24:27.68\00:24:30.50 to really bless us. 00:24:30.53\00:24:31.90 I can truly say that's what He has done in my experience, 00:24:31.93\00:24:34.05 and I'm very thankful. 00:24:34.08\00:24:36.04 Well, Dr. Cherie Lon, is there anything else that you feel 00:24:36.07\00:24:38.26 that our viewers would really benefit from knowing 00:24:38.29\00:24:40.31 regarding PMS - maybe you can give a word 00:24:40.34\00:24:42.44 for the husbands out there. 00:24:42.47\00:24:44.67 The husbands who need to know how to take care of her. 00:24:44.70\00:24:48.34 Yes, you see, a woman - Let me re-phrase... 00:24:48.37\00:24:53.88 God created Eve to be Adam's helpmeet, right? 00:24:53.91\00:25:00.83 It's not that she was supposed to lord over him. 00:25:00.86\00:25:03.50 He got her from the rib, because she was supposed 00:25:03.53\00:25:06.52 to be somebody he was to love. 00:25:06.55\00:25:11.73 So she can only be a helpmeet to him only as much as 00:25:11.76\00:25:17.30 he is supportive to her! 00:25:17.33\00:25:19.15 OH, that's a very interesting point! 00:25:19.18\00:25:21.30 So how can she help him if she's writhing in pain, 00:25:21.33\00:25:26.88 she's crying like mad. 00:25:26.91\00:25:28.82 The husband says - "You're not functioning, 00:25:28.85\00:25:31.18 you're - you're you're! 00:25:31.21\00:25:32.58 It cannot be - the husband has to be supportive of his wife, 00:25:32.61\00:25:35.96 understanding all these... 00:25:35.99\00:25:37.99 And supporting her - okay... "Honey, let's go walking" 00:25:38.02\00:25:42.06 "Honey, let's drink our water" 00:25:42.09\00:25:43.95 "Honey, let's sleep early" 00:25:43.98\00:25:45.66 "Honey, let's eat this, instead of this" 00:25:45.69\00:25:48.75 And he's going to get the benefit too! EXACTLY! 00:25:48.78\00:25:50.78 Not only his wife, both of them! Right 00:25:50.81\00:25:53.44 Imagine having your wife's endocrine system working well... 00:25:53.47\00:25:57.14 yours would too! 00:25:57.17\00:25:58.54 If you don't take care of your woman, 00:25:58.57\00:26:00.67 she won't take care of you! 00:26:00.70\00:26:02.46 Okay, but what about taking care of yourself? 00:26:02.49\00:26:04.91 How are you going to take care of yourself when it comes to 00:26:04.94\00:26:07.28 food and wanting to snack and... 00:26:07.31\00:26:09.76 Oh, because we feel bloated and we're usually overweight 00:26:09.79\00:26:15.98 and you want to lose weight because you know losing weight 00:26:16.01\00:26:18.96 will help you, then you start dieting - going into dieting. 00:26:18.99\00:26:23.90 Is that the answer? 00:26:23.93\00:26:25.30 Oh, maybe, but you know what we usually do is... 00:26:25.33\00:26:28.75 We don't eat, you know? 00:26:28.78\00:26:31.23 Today, I'll only eat an apple. 00:26:31.26\00:26:34.07 And then, you're depriving yourself of the nutrients 00:26:34.10\00:26:37.59 your body needs for the day. 00:26:37.62\00:26:39.32 And finally, when your body is saying - "I NEED FOOD" 00:26:39.35\00:26:43.47 and you've not eaten for some time, drinking water, 00:26:43.50\00:26:46.22 only lemon water and just this little food, 00:26:46.25\00:26:49.93 just this little ice, what do you call this... 00:26:49.96\00:26:52.08 juice drink to lose weight. 00:26:52.11\00:26:55.90 But you're really, really hungry. 00:26:55.93\00:26:58.25 What are you going to do? Danger! 00:26:58.28\00:27:01.57 Because then, when you see food you... 00:27:01.60\00:27:03.54 then you start eating and make up for 00:27:03.57\00:27:06.59 the food that you didn't eat for how many days... 00:27:06.62\00:27:09.28 That's going to just ruin EVERYTHING. 00:27:09.31\00:27:12.71 When you don't eat regularly, which is really the key. 00:27:12.74\00:27:17.68 Don't deprive yourself of eating. 00:27:17.71\00:27:20.80 Just eat the right amount and eat regularly. 00:27:20.83\00:27:24.22 We eat regularly - A LOT! 00:27:24.25\00:27:27.49 Regularly and moderately and a balanced diet, 00:27:27.52\00:27:30.83 but never deprive yourself, it will make problems. 00:27:30.86\00:27:35.44 So that's the key! 00:27:35.47\00:27:36.84 Regularity and temperance in all things. 00:27:36.87\00:27:39.07 Thank you Dr. Cherie Lon. 00:27:39.10\00:27:40.50 And thank you viewers for joining us today. 00:27:40.53\00:27:42.86 Please remember, God has promised to 00:27:42.89\00:27:45.06 bless the fruit of your womb 00:27:45.09\00:27:46.60 as you diligently hearken to these principles. 00:27:46.63\00:27:49.28 God bless you. 00:27:49.31\00:27:51.09