| Younger Women
 Women in the menstrual years, especially ages 14 through 35, are susceptible to ever-changing hormone levels that can cause physical and emotional symptoms that may come and go abruptly. Often called premenstrual syndrome (PMS), these symptoms include:
- Breast swelling or tenderness
- Painful joints and muscles
- Headaches/migraines
- Clumsiness
- Forgetfulness
- Bloating
- Swelling of the hands and feet
- Cramping or pelvic/abdominal pain
- Acne on face, back, arms, chest
- Irritability
- Food cravings
- Loss of interest in socializing
- Loss of libido (sex drive)
- Reduced efficiency in job, school or caretaking of home
- Sleeplessness
A clean diet and regular physical activity are vital to achieving hormone balance throughout the menstrual cycle.
What is a clean diet? In simple terms it excludes most packaged foods, eliminates sugar, and curtails breads and pastas. On the other hand, it includes lots of fruits and veggies; whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, spouted grain breads, couscous, millet, barley; good fats such as almonds, walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, olive oil, flax oil, avocados; and organic lean proteins: chicken, turkey, extra lean beef, fish, tofu, eggs, cottage cheese, low-fat cheeses.
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