Physical Health

9 Things Every Woman Should Know About Hormones, Food And PMS

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Hormones. They’re messy and telling and can create either incredible balance or complete terror within our bodies. The word hormone is actually derived from the Greek word impetus—and hormones indeed have the power to either activate or inhibit our cells and organs. But just because something is powerful and often unpredictable, it doesn’t mean it can’t be controlled. Many things, like diet, impact our hormonal balance both positively and negatively.

I became all too familiar with the topic in grad school when my doctor diagnosed me with premenstrual dysfunction disorder (PMDD), which means my hormones go crazy during the seven to ten days before my period. Generally, I’m a positive, outgoing, sociable human. But I would find myself in a terrible state of pre-period irritability and irrational hunger. Basically, if I didn’t get a piece of pie, I was irate. One night after my third bowl of ice cream (which truthfully I didn’t even want), squirming with stomach pain and annoyance at myself, I decided to Google: How do hormones affect your hunger? The results spun me into a web of research and learning that has forever changed my life.

Here are are ten quick things you should know about your hormones and their impact on your body.