Karlin Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Hi Ladies, I really need help with this. I am Karlin, 26yo, stay-at-home mom to a 2.5yo and a 1.5yo. Stay-at-home motherhood is a calling for me, but not something I enjoy, though I love my children very much. I find motherhood very hard (partially bc my oldest is challenging), but most days, I cope. Most days. Not PMS days. Ever since starting to eat Paleo, my PMS has gotten worse. I don't have a problem with cramps, and only occasionally do I have a migraine. The problem for me is my mood. On these days, I am an angry, screaming, emotional mom. To the point that I am afraid I could hurt myself or my children. The weird thing is that I never had a problem with PMS before going Paleo. In fact, I was always caught by surprise by my period because I never had any warning signs. As I said at the beginning of this post, stay-at-home motherhood is not something I enjoy, but I still choose this way of life as this benefits our whole family. I was however hoping that by going Paleo, I would shift my hormones so as to start seeing things in another light. The main reason I started a Whole30 was to see if this would ramp up the quality of my sleep, which could only help with my outlook. I think it does help some, for most of the duration of my cycle. But Paleo (and Whole30 even more so) definitely makes things worse during the week before my period. And I am not talking about being unhappy or moody. I am talking about being a danger to my children. I drink bone broth every day. Organ meats several times a week. CLO everyday. Sardines twice a week. Dark leafy greens several times a week. Lots of ghee. Reasonable amounts of coconut oil (about 1.5 Tbs/day). The only thing that I know is lacking from my diet at the moment is probiotic food. I used to make milk kefir, but then life got hard, and then I started this Whole30. I have a jar of sauerkraut fermenting on my counter at the moment however. So, what is wrong with me??? Can you help me??? My kids really deserve a normal mom. Link to comment
Carlaccini Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 How about starchy carb vegetables? They are VERY important. Especially since we are talking about regulating hormones here. If I go too low carb? Stomach gets upset, bloating, hair falls out, become emotional. I have to balance every green leafy veg with an equal amount of starchy (especially for the morning). Other than that are you able put down a couple of days meals to give us an idea on what you are eating so possibly can trouble shoot further? Link to comment
Karlin Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 Hi Carlaccini, Thank you for your answer! I didn't mention the starchy vegetables, because I wasn't sure it was of any importance, but I do eat starchy vegetables. We eat carrots every day, and sweet potatoes every other days I would say, the reason being I cook one meal for everyone, and I believe my kids need the starch. FWIW, the sweet potatoes do not replace leafy greens/other vegs, we have them with every meal. Because of budget constraints, the menu doesn't change much - it's the only way for me to make it work. Breakfast: => homemade chicken liver paté (made with lots and lots of ghee) + a raw carrot + raw tomato with olive oil dressing + coffee with 2 tsp of ghee and a TBS of coconut oil for me, and a piece of fruit for the kids. Lunch: => soup made with bone broth, carrots, onions, and brussel sprouts. Unfortunately, I cannot afford any protein with this meal. I am hoping the homemade bone broth makes up for that at least a bit. The kids get a piece of fruit. Dinner: => some sort of protein: shredded chicken, chicken liver, beef heart, white fish in rotation (rarely - ground beef); spinach, or cauliflower, or broccoli, or collard greens with lots of ghee + some sweet potato (about every other day for me). I try very hard not too snack between meals (eliminating snacking and learning not to use food as a reward is one of my Whole30 goals), but I do sometimes succomb to temptation, most often when a meal happens too late and I am too hungry to function peacefully. I usually have a couple of almonds or half a carrot. Once in a while I will have a piece of fruit after lunch (usually a banana because other fruits make me feel hungry very quickly). I am probably not 'fat-adapted', as the one meal that actually keeps me comfortably full for a long time is dinner with a sweet potato... Link to comment
Karen Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 The week or two before your period, your body NEEDS more carbs to function. It's a biological need to support our bodies during that time. Without them, we get strong cravings that time of the month, irritable, that starving feeling, low blood sugar feelings, etc. You'll have to play around with a level of carbs that is right for you and your body, but just know that your body needs more then. Start there! For me, I need carbs in every meal during that time. Link to comment
Carlaccini Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Also a note about raw veggies - some peoples bodies don't digest them well (I am one of them). So your body is not getting the nutrients it needs from them to help you. Quick fix - have cooked carrots instead. (Taste really good if you season and roast them) Link to comment
Noelle Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I've BEEN there, with the anger, the irritability, the yelling at my kids... The thing that seems to have helped my mood more than anything is eating more fat. It sounds like you eat lots of good fat sources--maybe up your "dose" a little? Also, if you're breastfeeding or your little one weaned recently, that can wreak havoc with your hormones too. Link to comment
Karlin Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 Karen, thanks for the reinforcement about carbs. I will definitely include more of them next month at that time. The reason I was trying to eat less is not so much weight loss, as I don't have much to lose, just a couple of pounds remaining after the last pregnancy, but rather a slight case of (self-diagnosed) insulin resistance leading to, unfortunately, hirsutism. It's too soon to really tell, but it seems as if eating lower carb is helping. Carlaccini, thanks for the heads-up about raw vegetables. I seem to digest quite well, but I know my son doesn't, so we are moving towards cooked (and low fodmap) vegetables anyway in the near future. NewAgeGirl, it feels good to hear that there are others out there that have dealt with it. My kids really deserve better. I have been working on upping the dose of fat so as to diminish the amount of carbs (though in light of the previous replies I will definitely keep a reasonable amount of carbs on the pre-period menu), and I will try some more. As for breastfeeding, I weaned my little girl in early November, and from cycle observations (I do nfp) I get the feeling that hormones are almost back to normal. I really need to get this under control. We have very recently started using Magnesium Oil, mostly to help with my son's sleep, but I am hoping I will benefit from it as well. Do you all think I could be missing some nutrient (in addition to an inappropriate macro-nutrient ratio)? I am wondering about vit.B. Link to comment
Verdana Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Do you all think I could be missing some nutrient (in addition to an inappropriate macro-nutrient ratio)? I am wondering about vit.B. Possibly! Try tracking your foods with Cronometer. I'm coming from a lower carb diet (~40-50 grams/day) and I discovered that my diet was seriously deficient in Vitamin E and B1 (Thiamine) especially. I believe I read somewhere about vitamin E helping with PMS. I know supplementing with it can be tricky, so it's probably best to get it from foods. Red palm oil is very high in E and is allowed on the whole 30. Link to comment
NJ2FL2CA Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Hi Ladies, I really need help with this. I am Karlin, 26yo, stay-at-home mom to a 2.5yo and a 1.5yo. Stay-at-home motherhood is a calling for me, but not something I enjoy, though I love my children very much. I find motherhood very hard (partially bc my oldest is challenging), but most days, I cope. Most days. Not PMS days. Ever since starting to eat Paleo, my PMS has gotten worse. I don't have a problem with cramps, and only occasionally do I have a migraine. The problem for me is my mood. On these days, I am an angry, screaming, emotional mom. To the point that I am afraid I could hurt myself or my children. The weird thing is that I never had a problem with PMS before going Paleo. In fact, I was always caught by surprise by my period because I never had any warning signs. As I said at the beginning of this post, stay-at-home motherhood is not something I enjoy, but I still choose this way of life as this benefits our whole family. I was however hoping that by going Paleo, I would shift my hormones so as to start seeing things in another light. The main reason I started a Whole30 was to see if this would ramp up the quality of my sleep, which could only help with my outlook. I think it does help some, for most of the duration of my cycle. But Paleo (and Whole30 even more so) definitely makes things worse during the week before my period. And I am not talking about being unhappy or moody. I am talking about being a danger to my children. I drink bone broth every day. Organ meats several times a week. CLO everyday. Sardines twice a week. Dark leafy greens several times a week. Lots of ghee. Reasonable amounts of coconut oil (about 1.5 Tbs/day). The only thing that I know is lacking from my diet at the moment is probiotic food. I used to make milk kefir, but then life got hard, and then I started this Whole30. I have a jar of sauerkraut fermenting on my counter at the moment however. So, what is wrong with me??? Can you help me??? My kids really deserve a normal mom. research phytoestrogens and check out paleoforwomen.com. The author makes a compelling arguments about the effects of too much phytoestrogens in your diet. I am starting to research it now. sad to say sweet potatoes are on that list and i love them and eat them almost daily =/ Link to comment
Talie1706 Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I use rose geranium essential oil for PMT. mine is worst when I am tired, stressed or unwell and it really helps, it gives a mood lift yet calms the urge to kill lol. you can add to a bath (not at night as it may keep you awake) or i think you can dot on pulse points undiluted. You also dont mention whether you get time for yourself? taking care of the family isnt the same as taking care of yourself, and an evening with girl friends occassionally or even just time out to take you to the gym to do something for you can help rebalance. Sometimes you have to be selfish and get that 'me time' to stop life feeling like one big chore. it doesnt have to cost, take an hour to read and drink coffee on your own when the kids are all elsewhere, or go for a walk. Hope that helps x Link to comment
wifebando Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Stay-at-home motherhood is a calling for me, but not something I enjoy You say this twice. How is spending your life doing something you enjoy a)your calling and b)the best thing for your family? Your kids want you to be happy and that will set the best possible example for them. You being unhappy stuck doing something you don't enjoy is not going to be fixed with some avocado. What is your passion? What makes you happy? Happy parents create happy kids. I'm really bothered by this post, and the fact that all the advice is dietary...all the grass-fed beef in the WORLD wouldn't keep me happy if I had to be a stay at home mom. Link to comment
Dutchie Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 The week or two before your period, your body NEEDS more carbs to function. It's a biological need to support our bodies during that time. Without them, we get strong cravings that time of the month, irritable, that starving feeling, low blood sugar feelings, etc. You'll have to play around with a level of carbs that is right for you and your body, but just know that your body needs more then. Start there! For me, I need carbs in every meal during that time. This is interesting bc I've read,in a fitness related article,that it's actually the other way round? Roughly the first two weeks of the cycle,a woman can burn carbs more efficiently,while the last two weeks of the cycle she's better at burning fat. I too am dealing with annoying hirsutism symptoms and I find that the closer I get to my period,the worse I seem to become in handling carbs and also I become more sensitive to food. It's really annoying. Link to comment
Saramarie1973 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I take an amazing herb called Ashwagandha. Its quite inexpensive and can be found on Amazon. It was recommended by my Dr and acts like an anti anxiety medication. I take it twice a day - morning and before bed. It also helps me sleep by relaxing my mind. It may help with the mood issues. Also, being a stay at home mom for years (now teaching preschool) of 2 boys one of which is pretty severe special needs, I hear what you are saying. Do whats best for your family BUT you MUST get out and take care of you, too. Its really, REALLY important. Find time - MAKE TIME. Do what you need to do to find someone to be with your children. I hear some resentment in your words and we don't want that to happen. Sending you love and light..and a promise that it gets better Link to comment
baltomom86 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I also am a mother of 4 year old girl and 2 year old boy. I work part time, probably about 20 hours a week, I spend a lot of time with my children and omg they drive me nuts! when I am not with my children I work as a psychiatric nurse. the most concerning point about this whole post os where you write, "... harm myself or my children. " Frankly I am shocked no one else has said this. If you ever, ever, feel suicidal or homicidal, you must call 911 or a suicide hotline. There are people and places to help you. Perhaps you need some medication. I applaud you for doing W30 to help your children. Maybe there is something else you need to do. Talk to your doctor and tell him/her how you are feeling. Hopefully your doc can make a good referral for a psychiatrist and therapist. I wish you all the best! Take care of yourself. I agree that you need to take time for yourself, but dorfor some of us that's not enough. Link to comment
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