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About every three or four weeks, my hormones impact my life. My body aches and my moods fluctuate. Just as bad, my spiritual life suffers too. All three of those reasons are why Jump off the Hormone Swing by Lorraine Pintus was a personal purchase for me.
Jump off the Hormone Swing is divided into three parts:
- Physical Symptoms
- Mental/Mood Symptoms
- Spiritual Symptoms
Each section starts with a checklist and contains five chapters. The chapters contain medical explanations, personal anecdotes, lots of lists, and several charts. There are also short prayers at the end of each chapter.
I read Jump off the Hormone Swing in a single evening. As soon as I finished, I made some changes to my life. First, I tried to start viewing PMS as a normal part of my life. In other words, it’s something that I have to contend with, but it’s also something that can enhance my life. With these truths in mind, I installed a software program to track my cycles. This way, I can better prepare for the highs and lows of my cycle.
After that, I made other changes too. To help with my physical symptoms, I altered my diet by adding more fruit, vegetables, and protein. At the same time, I reduced my white flour and my sugar intake. I began allowing myself to take more naps, sit more often to listen to music, and even installed some brain games on my computer. Water, snacks, heating pads, and warm baths have also become a greater part of my life. There are other suggestions too, some of which had already been part of my life, and others of which I have yet to work into my lifestyle.
To help with the mental symptoms, I began to incorporate more reflection time in my life. Part of this involves an attitude adjustment. For example, there are attitudes that can make PMS worse such as the belief that a woman’s cycle is a curse or that we’re too busy to listen to our bodies when PMS hits. As for the tension busters suggested, a few useful ones included: create something, get a massage or make-over, or pop some vitamins. A challenging chapter for me revolved around the idea that one needs to learn to control one’s thoughts and words. Of all times in a woman’s life, PMS tends to set off the careless words, tirades, and even curses. Just because my hormones are making me feel insane, does not give me an excuse to be unkind.
To help with the spiritual symptoms, one might again need to make an attitude adjustment. For me, I had to start battling negative thoughts with spiritual truths instead of just trying to struggle through my emotions on my own. In doing this, Pintus says one will win the PMS battle, believe one has value, and even accept God loves hormonal women. She also lists ten disciplines to practice. Some such as journaling, studying the Bible, practicing solitude, and serving others had already been part of my life. Others…. well, let’s just say, I’m working on adding them!
After I finished reading Jump off the Hormone Swing, I asked my husband if I could share highlights with him. If I’m going to manage PMS, it’s something we’ll need to work on together. Jump off the Hormone Swing is also a great guide for those who are both younger or older than me. Pintus covers how hormones impacts young, middle-aged, and menopausal women.
I bought Jump off the Hormone Swing sight unseen, based simply on reviews. I’m happy with my purchase. Whether you experience hormone fluctuations yourself or know someone who does, this is a comfortable and informative read.
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Allison's Book Bag 
February 25, 2015 at 4:41 pm
sounds like an interesting read – I never had a problem but many of my friends did – when I had a nutrition clinic I often advised a change in diet to help control the symptoms depending on their profiles.
February 25, 2015 at 7:36 pm
Jump Off the Hormone Swing covers diet, among other suggested changes. There are many foods that can exasperate PMS symptoms.