- Do you ever wonder
how much of the whole PMS thing is for real?
Or do you think women are just complaining
to get their way with you?
Whether you're a lady person or a male person,
I know you sometimes wonder.
I'm gonna break it down for you
as a lady person and a doctor.
And no, I'm not a medical doctor,
but I have a PhD in neuroscience,
which means you still have to call me doctor.
(eye twinkle rings)
But first let's give a shout out to Clue app
for sponsoring this video.
Clue is a period tracking, fertility tracking,
and female health app, how awesome.
They help you understand your cycle better
so that you can live a healthier and fuller life.
Clue also helps you keep track
of when your next period should be,
when you're ovulating, and also when to expect PMS.
You can also track things like changes in your mood,
your cravings, even changes in your hair, your skin.
It helps you know your body better
and it also helps you have that information
readily available in case a doctor
or midwife ever asks you about it.
Clue has a ton of information about the science of your body
and your cycle, and it's available for iPad, iPhone,
Android phone, or tablet.
Click the link in the description below
or search period tracker in your app store
and it should pop right up.
I highly recommend subscribing to Clue Plus,
which has a lot of really, really cool features
which I'm really enjoying myself.
Obviously for more about your body and all things PMS
go to groknation.com.
OK, let's get back to PMS.
So I'm sure you've heard women
say these kinds of things before, right?
I'm PMSing so hard right now.
I can't, I have PMS.
Or maybe this. (groans wearily)
Or perhaps. (whimpering)
And maybe you've heard guys say things like this.
Dude, she's got PMS.
Do not talk to her right now.
I don't know, she's got her period, ew.
She just broke up with me and threw my stuff out the window
'cause I cheated on her but I think it's 'cause she has PMS.
General rule of thumb, women don't like
when men dismiss our behavior because of PMS,
but we'll get to that later.
In the meantime, let's break this PMS thing down.
Number one, like it or not, PMS is real.
When your body prepares to expel an unfertilized egg
from your uterus.
I know, it's sexy talk time. (porn groove music)
It also needs to shed some of the lining of the uterus.
Yes, it just got sexier.
This takes energy, and all of this process
is moderated by hormones.
These hormones are strong and they're intense.
They do things to your body and brain
which cause changes to your body and your mood.
That's real, every woman will react differently,
and an individual woman may react differently
from month to month, and that's normal.
But generally speaking, PMS is real.
Number two, PMS rocks your body,
and not in a 90s hip-hop way.
For example, cramps may happen.
For some women, they may be really severe.
Curling up in a fetal position and moaning
may be the only thing that feels good.
A heating pad on your belly also feels good sometimes.
Skipping school or work or any sense of responsibility
also feels good if that's an option, but sometimes it's not.
Many women experience,
trying to think of the way to say this, an upset tummy.
Poo-poo tummy, changes in bowels
for the first couple days of their cycle.
That's not unusual, this is all hormonally regulated.
Many of us get migraines with our cycle.
This didn't used to happen to me, then it did happen
very regularly for many years,
and now it doesn't happen anymore.
'Cause Mother Nature, she's hilarious.
She just changes it up.
Just change it up.
For some women, cramping will make them vomit.
That's not pleasant, as you might expect.
There are medications for all of these things,
but honestly learning to relax the muscles of your abdomen,
learning to breathe a different way,
that can also be really helpful.
Guided meditation and even specific yoga poses
can also be really helpful.
Also, kind of random, but also very important,
the pain perception volume knob on your body
is basically turned up at this time of the month.
So avoid anything that sometimes is mildly unpleasant
'cause at this time of the month
it's gonna be very unpleasant.
Things like tweezing your eyebrows or waxing.
Don't do 'em during the week before your period, trust me
and any woman who's made that mistake.
Number three, PMS affects your emotions.
The hormones driving the expulsion of an unfertilized egg
are intense, and yes, even if you're on the pill
and not actually producing an egg
you still are going to have some PMS symptoms.
My emotions the week before my cycle
can be really huge, really huge, big.
Like, I'll be cuddling my cat,
which happens many, many times a day,
but all of a sudden I'll be overcome with my love for him
and then I will be sobbing into his soft fur
in anticipation of his death,
which may not be until 15 years from now.
Or someone will say something that at a normal time of month
might just make me annoyed or slightly irritated,
but at this time of the month I get furious and enraged
and I am prepared to blow up the relationship!
It is over, get out!
Don't come back ever!
Take the trash out while you're walking out.
It's not that my period being on its way
makes me create emotions that don't exist.
It just takes the ones that are already there
and it just ratchets them up and it makes everything
need to be dealt with right now,
like must solve everything right now, right now or else.
Many well-meaning people might suggest
that you take PMS medication to manage your symptoms
and in particular your mood swings.
These medications are often taken like Tic Tacs
and they're given to tweens and teens
as some sort of rite of passage.
It's often not necessary to pop these pills,
and oftentimes other things
can help alleviate those symptoms.
Don't assume that your rite of passage of becoming a woman
means popping over-the-counter pills,
which actually have to be processed by your liver
and sometimes have unpleasant side effects.
Number four, PMS makes you want to eat crappy food.
(laughs) Totally true.
And I'm not just saying that
to justify all of the crappy food that I eat
when I'm premenstrual.
It's actually a science thing.
Craving food that's high in fat and calories
is kind of our body's way of protecting ourselves
from all the nutrients that are lost
when we shed that egg and the uterine lining.
I'm back to sexy talk. (clicks tongue)
For many of us those cravings also are a craving for comfort
and comfort food at what can kind of feel
like a rough time of month.
For some of us, it's the highlight of that time of month.
All the crappy food we get to eat.
And yes, you're gonna feel bloated
probably no matter what you eat at this time of month,
so go head and have that French fry or 50.
So, what helps PMS and what hurts it?
Exercise, believe it or not, exercise helps it.
Keep your body moving even if it's hard.
Walk, stretch, anything.
Then you can have that French fry or 51.
Natural stuff, drink plenty of water.
Essential oils applied to your temples and to your wrists
can help a lot.
I use lavender and peppermint oil at that time of month.
Hot baths and even anything that feels nice
to make you feel better will help.
It's science, trust me, I'm a doctor.
Keep your life as simple as you can when you're having PMS.
This is not the time to have meaningful conversations
with anyone or make any big changes to your life, really.
It's taken me about, oh, 40 years to figure that out
but it's as true as anything I've ever known.
So hold off on anything that doesn't need to happen
during that week.
If you have a honey, receive love.
Let someone love you, let someone hold you
when you're not feeling 100%.
Recall that women for most of history
in traditional cultures have used a red tent at this time.
Sure, many of those cultures feared women
and thus put them in a tent when they were bleeding,
but the actual purpose of a red tent
was to have women support each other
at a rough time of the month.
Truth be told, I often feel I should be kept
the heck away from most people during that time of month
so I kind of get it.
Find ways to create your own sense of privacy and safety.
Basically do anything you can
to not completely blow up your life.
So the next time you're premenstrual, lean into it.
Don't fear it, don't fight it.
Don't feel shame, and don't try to white knuckle it
and push through it.
Know that your body is working something huge out.
Avoid feeling imprisoned or grounded by your body
or punished by your hormones.
Your body is amazing.
It has the capacity to create life.
Honor that process by guarding it at this time.
That's the way we show our bodies respect.
And to the men and even the women
who sometimes speak disparagingly about this time of month
here's the thing, sometimes women are just testy
and annoyed with you.
It may not be because of PMS.
And honestly, learning about your body
and tracking your period is one of the most empowering
and respectful things you can do for your body.
So again, thank you to Clue app for sponsoring this video.
Thank you for creating such a fun, interesting,
and easy app whereby women can track
everything about their body, learn more about it,
and become more empowered to make healthy choices.
Don't forget to click the link below to download Clue
and subscribe to Clue Plus
for all the fun and exciting features.
For more about women's bodies, and especially one
of the most popular posts ever go to groknation.com
about people getting their periods at Disneyland.
Thanks for watching, subscribe to this channel.
Like it if you like it, see you next time.