5 Foods That Are Making Your PMS Worse

It comes and goes with a vengeance. Or sometimes, it comes and goes with ease. Maybe it’s so erratic that you really don’t know what to predict. 

I’m talking about your period. Your monthly flow helps to flush toxicity from your body, it’s the reason you are a WOMAN and most importantly, can allow you to make a baby! Your period is powerful. 

I dreaded my period back in my teenage days. I mean no one wants to get their period when it’s long weekend and everyone’s getting ready to party and you’re curled over with cramps, feeling bloated and your mood swings are fierce! It’s not pretty. 

But like all the other teenage girls, I went on the birth control pill and completely shut down my endocrine system, ovulation and impaired my gut health and created deep hormonal chaos. You can read more on that story by clicking here and learn why the pill is ruining is your health. 

The pill never really “solved” my PMS. I was still popping advil and using a hot water bottle to ease my cramps. Not to mention the bags of chips I would demolish in an attempt to fix my erratic cravings. Salty? Sweet? I wanted both!

I never really paid attention to what I ate during the month, or how it could relate to my PMS. It wasn’t until studying nutrition and adopting the Qualitarian diet that everything came into perceptive. I ditched the pill and healed my hormones, with food. 

I also learned the very foods I needed to avoid in order to balance my hormones and heal my PMS for good. So if you can relate to this story, which I’m sure so many women can, I highly recommend you ditch these 5 foods that are making your PMS worse. (*they are also causing weight gain, unstable moods, digestive upsets, fatigue, aging and impairing your liver). 

So listen up ladies… 

It’s time to grab the bull by the horns and heal your hormones naturally by eliminating these inflammatory culprits from your diet. High inflammatory foods cause hormonal chaos, spike insulin levels, lower immunity and make PMS symptoms worse. 

You Ready?

FOOD CULPRIT #1 – Sugar. Ugh! I know you’re sick of me talking about ditching the sugar, but this inflammatory food is impairing your liver, spiking your insulin and is the very reason behind your cravings, irritability and mood swings. Now when I say sugar, what I am referring to is a high concentration of fructose + glucose, such as soft drinks, candies, sweets, baked goods, breakfast cereals (yes, I know, I said cereal! It’s high in sugar so ditch it), fruit juices, large amounts of fruit, honey and chocolate (typically milk chocolate). Starches in the form of sweet potato, quinoa, squashes and rice are ok to eat. They still fall into the “carbohydrate/sugar” category but are much more nutritious then eating baked goods and cereals. Stick with these dense, more nutritious starches are you’re golden. 

FOOD CULPRIT #2 – Wheat. I’m sure you’ve heard that gluten and wheat are the root of all evil. And well, for some, it most definitely is. It really all depends on the state of your digestive health. If you are a celiac or suffer with crohn’s or colitis, then you most definitely need to ditch the gluten. The problem with our wheat today is that it is hybridized. It is NOT produced the traditional way and contains a ton of herbicides and pesticides. I use gluten and wheat interchangeably here because wheat contains gluten, so if you avoid one, you avoid both. Wheat is an inflammatory food and most people find they suffer with bloating, gas, digestive upsets, headaches and migraines and some women who have ditched the wheat, have found a dramatic improvement with their cycle and pre menstrual symptoms. 

FOOD CULPRIT #3 – Dairy. Second to wheat, dairy is a very common food sensitivity. Aside from the antibiotics and hormones which you are eating and drinking, dairy contains a protein called A1 casein. This protein is inflammatory and over stimulates your immune system. As a note, A1 casein is found primarily in Holstein cows and very small amounts in Jersey cows, goats and sheep. With my one-on-one clients I eliminate dairy to help calm down the inflammatory response which in turn helps to support a health menstrual cycle. Also, I eliminate dairy in ALL my clients who are suffering with eczema, acne, sinus infections and asthma.  

FOOD CULPRIT #4 – Vegetable Oils. Soy, corn, canola, cottonseed, safflower and sunflower oils are cheap, contain toxic trans fats and are highly inflammatory. These cheap oils increase your Omega 6 fatty acids. Although omega 6 is important, we want to ensure we get these fatty acids from nuts and seeds instead. Too many Omega 6’s will throw off the delicate balance to Omega 3’s which are anti inflammatory and needed for a healthy hormonal response. Replace these oils with grass fed butter, ghee, coconut oil, fish oil, avocado and olive oil. 

FOOD CULPRIT #5 – Alcohol. Your liver is your main detoxifying organ and one of it’s many jobs, is to metabolize hormones. Alcohol will slow down your livers ability to detoxify, which in turn will slow down how effectively you eliminate and metabolize excess hormones. Alcohol is also highly estrogenic and 2 glasses of wine a night can increase your chances of breast cancer by 250%!!!! That.Is.Crazy! Eliminate or drastically reduce your alcohol intake and if you’d like to enjoy a glass of red or white on the weekends (notice I said GLASS, not glasses), try mixing it with some kombucha. 

Make the effort to reduce or eliminate these foods from your diet and your hormonal health will improve drastically. PMS symptoms is all about managing hormones and being able to provide our body with the right nutrients and support throughout the entire month, not just 1 week prior to your period. An easy breezy period with little to no PMS symptoms is a sign that your hormones are in a good ratio, healthy and happy.

Women are often confused as to what they can eat to optimize their hormones. In my book, The Qualitarian Life I provide a delicious and healthy meal plan with over 60+ recipes you can choose from. All recipes are great for supporting your hormones and are free from all the inflammatory culprits. You can get my book by clicking here. It’s a digital book and can be downloaded instantly.  

If you’re looking to dive deeper into healing you hormones, easing your menstrual cycle, regulating your cycle, reducing or eliminating your PMS symptoms or thinking about ditching the pill, feel free to reach out to me at samanthagladish@gmail.com. We can set up a 20 minute consult call to discuss your health and outline the best approach and protocol for you. 

In the meantime, comment below and let me know how you manage your PMS symptoms, what foods you need to eliminate and what your PMS cravings are! I’d love to know 🙂 

Cheers to healthy & happy hormones
Samantha xoxo

 

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Feeling Like S@%! This Could Be Why…

You may have visited countless doctors complaining about your irregular cycle or your indigestion or constipation issues. Or maybe you just feel off. Fatigued, no energy, and just plain exhausted. I’m sure you were told, “oh, it’s nothing to worry about, here, take this,” as you were handed either a birth control pill, antacid or some other pharmaceutical “band-aid’ to heal your pain. 

I know the feeling. Years ago with constant headaches and migraines and an irregular cycle, my doctor put me on the birth control pill and handed me some migraine med’s as the cure all. 

Well, let me tell you. It wasn’t a cure all, and in fact, my health issues only got worse. 

Maybe you’re at a point in your life where you feel desperate for answers and almost hopeless. You’re confused and fed up and just really want a change.

From deadlines, to lack of sleep and eating on the run and just not having enough time to fit everything in, we’re all running around with our eyeballs bulging out of our heads, sleep deprived and suffering with anxiety, hormonal imbalances, unmanageable stress and an extra tire around our waists. Let’s face it, it sucks!

There’s a few things that could be causing this…

1. Stress – you are running through your day like a chicken with it’s head cut off and just can’t seem to “catch up.” You feel tired and wired all at the same time and can barely catch your breath. Your body can’t tell the difference between the stress of running from a tiger or the stress of a deadline at work. It’s all the same thing. Which means, if you can’t manage your day to day tasks, projects, relationships and everything else that fills up your day, your body is tirelessly running from a tiger that isn’t there! 

2. Food – you’re filling yourself up with fast food, toxic food, hormone induced food and poor quality food. This isn’t about becoming a tree hugger and going all out organic, but you do need to have more conscious awareness about what you’re eating and where it’s coming from. Made in a factory, ditch it. Grown on a farm, eat it!

3. Sugar – from impairing your liver’s ability to detoxify, from imbalancing blood sugar and a whack of other hormones (insulin, cortisol, adrenaline and estrogen to name a few), your body is on a sugar roller coaster than has more lows than highs. Sugar makes you want more sugar, it makes you fat, it gives you anxiety and it slooooows you down, mentally, emotionally and physically. Stop eating it!

4. Environmental Toxins – yes, we are exposed to many that we can’t avoid, but we do have control over a lot of them. From the food we eat, to the products we use to clean our house with and the body care we use (this includes, toothpaste, deodorant and hair products), we can choose healthier, cleaner options that do not contain a boat load of ingredients that we can’t pronounce. Look for products free from SLS, parabens, colourings, perfumes, alcohol, dyes, ammonia, bleach (and the hundreds of other chemical compounds) that increase our estrogen levels and put us at a risk for developing cancer. 

So… it’s pretty obvious that we need to manage these above 4 things if we want to improve our overall health and stop feeling like shit, but we can go deeper. 

Detoxification is the missing link to having balanced hormones, a happy and healthy period (goodbye bloating and PMS symptoms), optimal digestion, a vibrant libido and a slimmer waist line. In fact, detoxification will help to rid your body of the chemicals and toxins lurking around your system that are slowing you down and causing you to feel the way you feel. 

So how do you detox? 

If you are new to detoxing, I personally don’t recommend you run out a buy a 10-day detox kit. Although these can be effective, they can also cause you to spend many days in the bathroom, if you know what I mean. 

It’s all about the food when it comes to detoxification. Food is healing and food contains the necessary nutrients to support your body’s ability to detoxify. 

Enrolment into my online Spring Detox is going on now and I would love for you to join! I cover everything you need to eat and include in your diet to support detoxification, plus I take the overwhelm away of what to eat (and not eat) with my delicious and detoxifying meal plan. I’ve also included a ton of detox resources, such as my 3-day Juice Cleanse and Essential Guide to Detoxing ebooks which guide you every step of the way to truly healing and assisting your body in coming back into balance so you can feel good again. CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE SPRING DETOX TODAY!

In the meantime, include these 4 delicious and healthy foods into your diet to support detoxification and get a kick start on feeling damn good again!

1. Broccoli – this incredible veggie includes cancer protective compounds and nutrients that help to flush heavy metals from your system and sweep out excess estrogen from your gut. Yes, it does all of that! Cauliflower and brussel sprouts do this too!

2. Turmeric – more of a herb than a “food.” this herb supports the livers ability to regenerate, assists in protecting your cells from oxidative damage and helps to flush out toxins and chemicals fromm your system. Include it in your dishes. I like to put it on my eggs or mix it into my cauliflower mash. 

3. Citrus – lemons, limes and grapefruit all support the health of the liver, plus they support the gallbladder and can reduce the risk of developing gallstones. These fruits are detoxifying powerhouses and can easily be included into your diet daily. 

4. Cabbage – go for the purple kind as it contains almost 8 times more vitamin C than the green cabbage. Vitamin C is an important nutrient that helps to support the detoxification pathways. Plus, due to it being high in antioxidants like vitamins A and E, it also has the ability to support your adrenal glands and manage your cortisol levels. In other words, it’s a de-stressing food! 

This is a great detoxifying start! Incorporate these above foods, manage stress, reduce sugar, eat quality food and be cautious of environmental toxins and you are well on your way to radiant health and a better quality life. 

I would love to hear from you and what detoxifying foods you like to include in your diet. Share with us!

Cheers to Detoxing,
Samantha xo

P.S Our Spring Detox closes in a few days. Be sure to join today and grab all your amazing bonuses! CLICK HERE TO JOIN NOW!

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Underground Wellness Podcast

Less than a year ago, I contacted Sean Croxton of Underground Wellness via Facebook and told him how much I loved his podcast. I remember it was a hot August day and I was thinking how exciting it would be to be a guest expert on his show one day. Well…that day came, and it came faster than I ever would have expected!

Underground Wellness is one of THE biggest health podcasts and I am extremely grateful to Sean for inviting me on his show and for really helping me to finish my eBooks and get my message out to the world!

My eBooks, The Qualitarian Life and The Qualitarian Cookbook can be purchased here – SHOP NOW. From food to nutrition, exercise, sleep, sex, and detox, I cover all areas of your life and help you to overhaul your health and your body in just 21 days! Read more about these eBooks HERE.

In case you missed the podcast, you can listen in on it here – The Qualitarian Life with Samantha Gladish or click to listen below.

You’ll learn:

* How to “brush away” cellulite while boosting muscle tone at the same time
* How the plaque in your arteries may be coming from your teeth
* The “non-toxic but problematic” ingredient lurking in your toothpaste
* My top household cleaning swaps for a toxin free home!

The feedback from the podcast has been incredible and so many people have purchased my books and are starting to live The Qualitarian Life.

Hope you enjoy the show!

Find Additional Health Podcasts with Sean Croxton on BlogTalkRadio
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Crispy Chicken Fingers – Qualitarian Approved ;)

Have you ever read the ingredients on store bought chicken fingers? It’s not pretty! From sugar, to high salt and a ton of preservatives, (not to mention some very unhealthy omega 6 oils which are PRO inflammatory), I decided to whip up a batch of my own!

These chicken fingers are deeeelicious! I made a very large batch as my boyfriend and I wanted leftovers for lunch the following day.

Feel free to adjust the ingredient servings to your specific needs. Mary’s Crackers Breadcrumb mix was perfect for this recipe! They are gluten free, GMO free, dairy free and organic! They gave the fingers a perfect crispiness 🙂

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Crispy Gluten Free Chicken Fingers
(recipe adapted from JulieDaniluk.com) 

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups gluten free breadcrumbs (I used Mary’s Crackers Crumbs)
  • 3 organic chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 can organic pumpkin purée
  • Sea salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the breadcrumbs in a medium sized bowl along with all seasonings. Mix well.

3. In another bowl, add the pumpkin puree.

4. Cut chicken into 3-inch strips and place the chicken pieces into the pumpkin purée and coat well. Transfer one piece at a time into the crumb bowl and coat chicken strips evenly

5. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes, then turn chicken over and bake for another 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. *Gently turn chicken as breadcrumb mixture is delicate and can fall off of strips.

* I used 3 large chicken breasts, which made a ton of chicken fingers. Based on how much chicken you use, you may need more or less of the breadcrumb mixture.

Finger lickin’ good!

Happy Cooking 🙂

Samantha xoxo

P.S Have you downloaded my FREE 10 Day Detox Guide yet?? If not, head on over here to download it now – FREE DETOX GUIDE

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Why You Need to Eat Brazil Nuts

Heart health, thyroid health, cellular health… all reasons why you need to eat brazil nuts!

Brazil nuts are super creamy and buttery. In fact, they make the perfect nut milk.

Just replace almonds with brazil nuts in this easy to follow recipe here – HOMEMADE ALMOND MILK.

Watch my 1 minute video below explaining why brazil nuts are soooo good for you and your health!

Enjoy 🙂

 

To Your AWESOME Health & Abundance,
Samantha xoxo

HAVE YOU DOWNLOADED MY FREE BEST BREAKFAST RECIPE EBOOK? This recipe book is full of delicious and nourishing breakfast recipes. Some vegan, some paleo; all delicious! There’s something for everyone 🙂

Sign up HERE – FREE RECIPE DOWNLOAD

 

 

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Valentines Day Treats for Your Sweetheart

Valentines Day treats do not need to be unhealthy.

Avoid the unnecessary sugars, unhealthy fats, and poor quality chocolate (cacao is the way to go!) and make your valentine something sweet in your own kitchen!

I love this recipe (adapted from Doug McNish Eat Raw Eat Well cookbook). It’s loaded with heart healthy fats (bonus…February is heart health month!), tons of minerals from rich cacao powder, and lots of antioxidants from sweet raspberries.

It’s simple to prepare and chances are they won’t last long!

Raspberry Cacao Hemp Heartsraspberry

Ingredients:

1.5 cups shelled hemp seeds (soak for 30 minutes, discard water)
2 cups organic raspberries (I used frozen)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup filtered water
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (melt over low heat till liquid)

Directions:
In a blender or food processor, combine hemp seeds, raspberries, cacao powder and maple syrup. Blend until smooth. Add water and coconut oil and continuing blending until smooth. Spread into a baking dish and freeze for 1-2 hours. Remove from freezer and let sit for 10 minutes to bring to room temperature. Cut into squares or hearts using a cookie cutter.

Looking for other Valentines Day recipe inspirations?

I’ve got you covered!

Check out my:

Chocolate Lover’s Massage Butter

Dark Chocolate Goji Bark

Almond Butter Cups

Enjoy!

 

Happy Valentines Day 🙂
Samantha xoxo

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Paleo Bread- No Grains or Gluten Here!

Paleo. What the heck does this mean?

First off… let’s not get so hung up on the word Paleo. Basically, this is a type of ‘diet’ that focuses on eating more like our caveman ancestors. Focusing on wild game, grass fed meats, quality fat sources, such as coconut oil, grass fed butter, olive oil, avocados, etc. As for carbohydrate sources, grains are omitted and replaced by a small intake of fruit (yes, fruit is a carbohydrate source) and squashes and sweet potato.

Grains are pretty non-existent on a pale diet and quite honestly, I am all for that!!

Wheat, whole wheat, pasta, bread….are wreaking havoc on our brains and our waist lines! More on this in a later post.

Bread and Paleo don’t typically go together, but I’m all for breaking the rules! As with any ‘diet,’ there needs to be a little wriggle-room for you to enjoy your favourite foods. Plus, it’s so easy to ‘healthify’ just about any recipe.

So if you’re following a Paleo diet, you might be craving for a big hearty slice of bread. That’s where this recipe comes in.

It’s grain free and made primarily from almond flour!

It’s nutty texture is amazing. I love having a slice of this bread toasted with some almond butter, or as a side to my chilli toasted with some grass fed butter. Either way its delicious!

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

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Paleo Bread

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups almond flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
4 large organic eggs
1 tbsp raw honey
3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 F. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, then add the honey and apple cider vinegar. Whisk to combine. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir together. Pour the batter in a well greased loaf pan (I greased mine with coconut oil). Bake the bread for 45 minutes, until bread is golden brown and a tooth pick comes out clean.

Easy peesy!

* Feel free to add some cinnamon or ground vanilla bean to sweeten to the dry ingredients.

* Or try a more savoury bread by adding in dried herbs such a thyme or rosemary.

 

Enjoy!

Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

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3 Week Holistic Nutrition & Yoga Program. Sign Up NOW!

Spring Cleaning Yoga & Nutrition Program is Here! In this intensive 3 week course we will cover…..

  • Happy Healthy Digestion – learn how to properly combine foods, beat the bloat, gain energy and build and nourish your cells
  • Detox From Head to Toe – learn which foods help to cleanse your whole body, support the health of your liver and give you vibrant glowing skin
  • Debunking the Diet – understanding what foods assist in weight loss, debunking diet myths and helping you to customize your own weight loss protocol

Plus, enjoy a Rockin’ Yoga Class – get your sweat on, increase mobility, get a deep stretch, detoxify, become aware of your body and gain confidence!

Sign up below before May 10th for a $20 savings!

LocationInspire Yoga – City Centre Suite 202 – 626 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W. (Just half block east of Mavis), Mississauga, Ontario. 905-848-YOGA (9642)

SPRING CLEANING

Take advantage of our special early bird discount price before May 10th and save $20! Sign Up Now!

 

Choose Your Sessions



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