Premenstrual Disorders

regimen : A regular course of action, a systematic plan.

els. She found that by eating the right combination of foods—lots of carbo- hydrates with moderate proteins—at certain times throughout the day, the volunteers gained a sense of well-being and reduced food cravings. Before her death in 2004, Dr. Kath-

arina Dalton was another advocate for controlling PMS symptoms with diet. As was mentioned earlier, Dr. Dalton was one of the forerunners in studying PMS and for many years played a signifi- cant role in its treatment. Dalton believed in the 3-Hourly Starch Diet. She said that women should never go longer than five hours between eating, while women suffering with PMS symptoms need to eat more frequently, having small meals or snacks that must include starches. For those who worry about consuming ex- tra calories, she suggested eating only half a sandwich at lunch and saving the other half for a mid-afternoon snack. This eating regimen regulates blood sugar levels, keeping them even rather than too high or too low. Dr. Dalton encouraged her patients to carry emergency supplies of food with them at all times. Then if a woman is caught in traffic, held up at a meeting, or just running late doing errands, she has food with her to maintain her blood sugar level. She also insisted that women keep to this diet routine throughout their menstrual cycle. She insisted it would not work unless adhered to on a regular basis. Besides the benefits to PMS symptoms, eat- ing small meals has been proven to lower cholesterol and increase weight loss. In another book, called Natural Prozac , author Dr. Joel Robertson shares information from studies that show various foods, activities, thoughts, and behaviors can influence the brain’s chemistry. Ath- letes experience a high from strenuous activity; persons who experi- ence a traumatic event experience emotional backlash for days or weeks afterward, and when you have a fight with a friend you may feel upset for an hour or even days afterward. All of these may alter

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Alternative Treatments for PMS