Food Journals, Diet Mountain Dew And "that Time Of Hte Month"

[kaki-clam]

So, I have been keeping a food journal...and so far the only trend I have found occurs around "that time of the month"! I cook my own food..lately it's been a lot of modified Chinese, Indian, and what I lovely refer to as my own little pizza bits. (Thank you the Chebe's bread mix that allows me to make such a delicious concoction!)

In my food journal, I haven't found any trends around possible allergies to other foods. I tolerate dairy, chocolate, all vegetables..seems like gluten is my only foe. What I have found is that foods that I don't normally have a reaction to cause major brain fog the week before I get my period. Growing up, I always had terrible cramping pain (enough to make me have to stay in bed at time), terrible gas, bloating, nausea and headaches. Since going gluten free, I found that during that week, the symptoms have decreased. HOWEVER, the week before is so much worse. I get cramps, and brain fog. Certain foods make these symptoms worse, like diet Mountain Dew, my life blood....I have tried to quit the Dew a number of times, but I can't and I have to accept that. During the week before, I crave candy like it is the only food on earth. That combined with the Dew nearly does me in. I don't sleep (well, lets face it, I don't sleep anyway, but during this week, it's worse), I do stuff that I don't remember..for example, I got up at some point during the night last night, grabbed my pillow and a blanket out of the closet and came out to the living room to sleep on the floor. I have never done this before and would have no reason to do this as I only share my sleeping space with my dog. Other times I have sorted laundry, cooked, packed my lunch for work the next day....ZERO RECOLLECTION OF ANY OF THIS!!!

I take Vitamin D, Fish oil and a B complex vitamin. During that time of the month, I will occasionally take Iron if I feel I need it. I think I may need it more then I think I do.

I suffer from severe constipation, which my doc said I could have surgery to remove parts of my intestines if I wanted...I don't want..he said the surgery wouldn't be guaranteed to solve the problem and in his opinion, my condition isn't the worse he has seen...so I am not even considering this option. I find that the week before my period, I pretty much am a non-stop pooper. Two to Three times per day!! This is pretty much the only time I go

Anyone else experience this? Any suggestions?

Thank you!!!

[lischro]

I don't think I'm going to be much help, but I also suffer from horrible, chronic constipation. The only thing I have noticed about the time I start my period is that I get completely and utterly wiped out. I feel like I have the flu or something. It's hard to focus and be productive because I feel like everything is shutting down and I need to SLEEP. The thing, for me, is that I don't seem to have any change in my bowel (or lack of...) movements during my period. I have noticed before that on the day that I start I have experienced some minor diarrhea, but that's rare.

Anyway, just wanted to say what I've experienced, although I realize I didn't exactl help! Sorry. I think it's good though that you havent found anything "bad" in your food jounral! I really need to start one.

Thanks for your post!

[sickchick]

Hi kaki! Do you take probiotics?

lovelove

sickchick