Book Review: Quit PMS: End Your Menstrual Misery

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I love to read and to learn. I am often reading several books at a time. One for pleasure and several others for educational purposes. I have decided to start sharing some of the books that I find helpful here on my blog. From time to time, I will be posting book reviews. I hope that you find them useful. Today, I am giving you the low down on Lauren Geertsen’s book, Quit PMS: End Your Menstrual Misery. This book was especially interesting to me as I have worked in women’s health for most of my adult life.

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Quit PMS: End Your Menstrual Misery

I want to start out by saying that Lauren had a great idea when she decided to write this book. Many women do not realize that it is not normal to have painful and uncomfortable periods. They suffer through it month after month not realizing that a woman’s menstrual cycle is supposed to be an inward, quiet, cleansing time of the month for her body…not a raging, angry, painful hormone explosion! Lauren nails it in this book as she explains in detail how to balance out your hormones so your body can go through it’s natural cycle without all of the drama. The idea is to manipulate those hormones into balance with diet and lifestyle changes, and the unpleasant symptoms will disappear. AWESOME!

Lauren is the author of Empowered Sustenance, an awesome grain-free, REAL food website. If you haven’t been over there, check her out. I am always impressed by her creative recipes and well-researched information on GAPS diet, allergy free cooking, natural healing, and holistic living. My favorite is Easy Paleo Lemon Mousse.

What You Will Learn:

All about estrogen dominance, a common hormonal issue that underlies PMS symptoms like cramps, bloating, acne, weight gain and moodiness
All about the macronutrients (fats, proteins, and carbs) and how they affect hormone balance
7 dietary principles that affect your hormones
All about Good vs Bad period foods
All about detox and elimination
How stress affects you and how to manage it
Supplements, The Pill and Hormone Replacement
Awesome solutions to your skin
And lots of great recipes

Did you know?

PMS, cramping, bloating and all the rest of it is the result of imbalanced hormones. Your period is NOT supposed to be miserable.
Thyroid function, which is low in many people, greatly affects your menstrual cycle.
You can get excess levels of estrogen from your diet if you consume feedlot (CFAO) beef and dairy products, since cows are frequently given a dose of estrogen, in combination with other hormones, to fatten them up.
Raw carrots contain a special fiber that binds to estrogen in the digestive tract and helps move it out of the body.
The proper balance of good quality SATURATED fats, carbohydrates, and proteins is needed to have happy, balanced hormones.
The phytoestrogens in nuts and seeds disrupt hormones and are best consumed minimally if you are having hormonal issues.
Birth control pills cause the depletion of folic acid, vitamin B, and zinc as well as calcium-magnesium imbalances.

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This book is a wealth of information and a must-read for anyone who suffers from menstrual discomfort. Lauren did here research here so you don’t have to. From hormones to diet, she’s got you covered. She even includes some recipes to help you on your journey to balanced hormones.