What PMS Symptoms Can Reveal About Your Hormones

PMS symptoms can reveal important clues about your hormones. But what can you actually DO about them?

Here are three simple places to start.

1. Eat enough—and eat regularly.

If you find yourself ravenous, craving sugar, or feeling irritable before your period, pay attention to how you're fueling your body.

Try building your meals around protein, healthy fats, and fiber. Think eggs and avocado for breakfast, or salmon with roasted vegetables and sweet potatoes for dinner.

Also, research has shown LESS PMS in women who eat more healthy fats (think avocados, full-fat organic dairy, salmon, sardines, nuts, animal meats).

And don't be afraid to eat a little more if you're genuinely hungry!

2. Give your body more magnesium-rich foods.

Magnesium supports normal muscle and nervous system function, and adequate intake is important for overall health.

Some of my favorite sources include:

Pumpkin seeds
Dark leafy greens
Almonds and cashews
Avocado
Dark chocolate

A handful of pumpkin seeds or a square of dark chocolate can be a simple place to start.

3. Protect your sleep—especially in the week before your period.

If your anxiety, irritability, or cravings intensify before menstruation, poor sleep can make an already difficult week feel even harder.

Try dimming the lights an hour before bed, putting your phone away, and creating a calming evening ritual.

A warm bath, gentle stretching, prayer, or a few minutes of quiet breathing can help you wind down.

You don't need to do everything perfectly.

Start with one change this cycle.

Notice how you feel.

And remember: your cycle isn't something you have to fight against.

It's something you can learn to understand and support.

Whenever you're ready, here are 5 ways I can help:

1. Watch my Free PCOS + Fertility Training
Want to understand how I help women improve PCOS symptoms, restore healthy ovulation, and optimize fertility through a root-cause approach?
→ Watch the training

2. Shop My Doctor-Curated Supplement Protocols
Not ready for personalized care but want a trusted place to start? Browse my pre-made protocols for concerns like PMS, painful periods, heavy bleeding, hormone support, and more—and receive 10% off professional-grade supplements through Fullscript.
→ Find the right support for your symptoms

3. PCOS Fertility Assessment
Doing everything “right” but still struggling with irregular cycles, infertility, acne, cravings, fatigue, or stubborn weight? Let’s look at the bigger picture and uncover what may be keeping your hormones and fertility stuck.
→ Connect the dots in your PCOS story

4. Preconception + Fertility Breakthrough Session
Facing “unexplained” infertility, miscarriage, failed fertility treatments—or simply want to prepare your body for the healthiest pregnancy possible? Let’s take a deeper look at what may be affecting your fertility and what to do next.
→ Discover what may be missing in your fertility story

5. Healthy Hormone Breakthrough Session
Struggling with PMS, mood changes, painful or heavy periods, endometriosis, or irregular cycles—and looking for more than the Pill or symptom management? Let’s explore the root causes behind what your body is telling you.
→ Understand what your hormones may be asking for

To your most radiant health,

Dr. Jessica Whelan, ND

Naturopathic Physician

NaProTechnology Medical Consultant

Creighton Model FertilityCare™ Practitioner