The Biochar Blog

The astonishing environment is God’s grandeur that every human being should take care of. Now that our environment faces real big issues such as shattering of its beauty, we suffer. Many catastrophes that happened in the past are because of the unfeeling creatures that only knew how to destroy the surroundings.

There are lots of probable solutions that we can do in order to diminish environmental problems. One of the hoarding problems of our environment is the incessant improper waste management leading to environmental harm. Due to the irresponsible use of human to our environment, it loses its natural beauty while gaining all of its benefits.

Due to several reasons our environment is already on the stage where in it badly needs drastic help in order for it to survive and still be enjoyed by the next generations. There are lots of ways in order to save the environment from the harmful ways of human. We are all aware that one of the leading causes of environmental pollution is indecent waste supervision.

Due to hoarding waste scattered on depot which shouldn’t be there, illness, land depletion, poison and many other disastrous results are being gained. Rivers seem to be like oceans of endless trash, landfills seem like mountains of garbage monsters. In order to totally diminish this destitution, something should be done.

There are many companies that are now participating on environmental causes in which it doesn’t only focus on the company’s growth in terms of its assets but thinks about the welfare of our environment at the same time. There are few who are really doing good job that they fully support each campaign for environmental conservation.

Companies that unites in Saving the Environment

There are companies such as Ahura Scientific, Integrated environmental restoration services and energy recoveries are just few of the companies around the world that cares about the campaign of environmental concerns.

SBSC is also one of the companies that advocates in saving the environment and diminish its number one problem; improper waste management. We are all aware that in order to diminish waste, there are many probable solutions, either hoard them to landfills or burn them to lessen land depletion.

The atmospheric emission that waste burning will cause a tremendous effect to the ozone layer. The carbon emission that it may contribute to the earth’s atmosphere will result to impoverish condition of our climate. With the landfills and rivers hoarded with waste, there is a solution that doesn’t compromise the environment in fixing the issue: biosphere technology.

What is Biosphere Technology?

Biosphere technology was invented and developed by Dr. Chris McCormack, the author of numerous original contributions in scientific literature. Biosphere technology uses a process that generates electricity through waste.

This biosphere machine uses a process is a gasification process that harness combustibility of solid wastes to create a heat source that produces electricity that is green and renewable in form. Using this technology, waste problem will just be a thing of the past, and given a just time frame, the electricity that will gush on every wire at home will be from waste converted to clean power.

There are many ways in order to save the environment; it is just a matter of true promotion in order to save the surroundings. It can be done with small and simple ways, or be involved with different environmental saving program.

Our environment is where we reside, where we grow our food, where we gather materials for our shelter, where we gain everything we need in order to survive in this world. It won’t harm if we do some acts to restore it or it will be too late to do so.

Along with positive ideas come those scammers who are out to make a buck. Even though trading in carbon credits is still in its infancy, there are those who are already taking advantage of what may be a very beneficial environmental program. To first understand how to avoid being taken advantage of, it is important to understand exactly what carbon credits are.

Carbon credits are part of national and international attempts to stop the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. One carbon credit is equal to one ton of carbon. Many individuals are now taking an interest in their carbon footprints, trying to lower their usage, as well as trying different ways to offset their usage. Carbon credits are part of an approach to emissions trading. With a certain amount of greenhouse gas allotted to markets, each individual group is given the opportunity to decide how much of a limited amount can be designated to each area. This allows for industries to control the amount of greenhouse gases they are using. This also allows industrial and commercial processes to market in the direction of lower emissions, or utilize approaches that are designed to not emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This helps to finance carbon reduction schemes.

Many companies sell carbon credits. These carbon credits are sold to companies who voluntarily desire to lower their carbon footprint. Carbon credits are purchased from investment funds or carbon development companies. Many of these companies have saved these credits from other individual products and offset themselves and the buyers by selling them. The quality of the credits is based on the validation process, the type of fund, and the development company. The price is also affected by these things. Voluntary units typically have less value than the units sold through the rigorously-validated Clean Development Mechanism.

There are two distinct types of Carbon Credits: Carbon Offset Credits (COCs) and Carbon Reduction Credits (CRCs). Carbon Offset Credits consist of clean forms of energy production, wind, solar, hydro and biofuels. Carbon Reduction Credits consists of the collection and storage of Carbon from the earth’s atmosphere through reforestation, forestation, ocean and soil collection and storage efforts. Both ways are valid and positively recognized, each used in different situations.

Whether or not you decide that the use of carbon credits are for you, it is important to know how to avoid being scammed.

• First and foremost, do your research on the company you are thinking of buying credit from. It is necessary to see if the industrial companies are actually implementing reductions in carbon use and greenhouse emissions or if they are really doing very little.

• They need to have verification. A shortage of verification makes it difficult for buyers to assess the true value of carbon credits. Reliable third party verification is critical.

• Be careful of companies or individuals that are over-pricing their carbon credits. Why are their credits more expensive? What is their value? Have their prices increased or decreased due to changes in their emissions reductions?

Do the research before purchasing carbon credits. It is important to find if the organization has any history of selling worthless credits which do not yield reductions. There is no point in purchasing carbon credits if they do not benefit you or the environment.

Defensive cycling is all about staying safe while you are on the road, enabling you to enjoy the benefits of cycling. And the benefits are enormous. Here’s some of the health benefits associated with getting on your bike. You will feel and look better.

This is a fact. As you pump away the miles on the road, your heart is beating faster and getting stronger, blood is pumping around your system sending oxygen to places it hasn’t visited for years. Your breathing will improve as your lung capacity increases. Regular cycling reduces the risk of serious conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure to name a few.

A recent calculation suggests that cyclist who just ride a regular short distance can reduce their risk of heart disease by 22%. Helps to keep your weight under control. There’s no doubt that cycling is a great way to help control your weight. While you’re peddling away, enjoying the fresh air and sights that you never noticed while sat in your car, you are burning energy and fat.

A short bike ride to work of around 15 minutes will burn off the equivalent of 11lbs of fat in a year. I’m talking about a short ride to work here. You then add to this more leisure and training cycling over the week and think about how this will transform your body. The government’s health advisors recommend that we all do 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. Just by cycling to work, you will achieve this. I’ve been cycling for over thirty years and considered my daily cycle to and from work as just a commute

. I was happy to hear I’m actually exercising and surpassing government health advice. Cycling makes you happy. What! It’s true that cycling can improve your mood. You can pump away all your frustrations and pent up anger on the road rather than keeping them festering inside. We all have bad days at work.

There’s been plenty of times that I’ve left work feeling fed-up but by the time I’ve arrived home, my mood has changed completely. I’ve left all my frustrations on the road behind me. Regular cycling will help maintain your strength and co-ordination. This is a major benefit, as we get older.

Staying fit will help to keep your co-ordination finely tuned, reducing your risk of falling and injuring yourself if you do fall. A study by the department of transport concluded that even a little cycling improves fitness significantly. The study found that aerobic fitness was boosted by 11% after just 6 weeks of moderate cycling. That’s cycling a short distance four times a week, increase the distance and the fitness level increases.

For example cycle to and from work, five time a week at a distance of 4 miles each way and the fitness benefits increase to 17%. And here’s another amazing statistic from the same study. People who haven’t exercised for years and start cycling move from the third of the population who are least fit to the fittest half of the population within months! Improve your leg strength. This is more important than you realise. Strong legs are the basis of all our mobility.

Try getting out of a chair when you have a bad leg. Keeping your legs strong will increase your mobility and reduce the risk of falls. What about traffic fumes? I hear you say. Well unbelievably, and studies prove this. Pedestrians and cyclists absorb less traffic fumes than motorists do.

Think about it and the logic begins to unravel. When I take my wife to work sometimes. I have to sit in traffic under a tunnel for about 10 to 15 minutes. While I’m sitting there absorbing all those fumes I think to myself, if I was on my bike, I could by-pass the tunnel and avoid all the fumes. Anyone can cycle. It’s an exercise that you can tailor to your fitness level. If you are fit and have exercised for years, you can get on a bike and go for a training run for 30 miles hard cycling.

Find a nice quiet road and just go for it. I do this regularly and love it. Just the road and me.  I cycle on routes that take me on back roads avoiding traffic. If you’re just starting to get yourself fit after years of inactivity then you can do some gentle rides until your fitness level builds up. What makes cycling so attractive is that it’s so easy to start and fit into our lifestyle.

Many people don’t like the gym; don’t want the hassle of going through a boring routine, waiting to get onto exercise machines and everything else the gym involves. Cycling is by far the fastest and most enjoyable way to fitness.

I know I’m biased but I believe it’s true and the evidence backs me up. There are no age barriers to cycling but people who have not done any exercise for years or suffer from health problems should always check with their doctor before embarking on any training program.

The air that we breathe is very important in our daily lives. We need it to live; we need it for our existence. We surely need it for our existence. Just imagine what would life be without air? The current air pollution is at its worst although there are still places in this country which is said to be less polluted.

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The air we breathe is like the smoke that comes out of factories, industrial plants and those emitted by cars. The current air pollution problem needs to be addressed very well with a strong teeth and a little fist. If not then what will become of our world? Will it still be safe for our future generation to enjoy? If we are not to act now, surely this place will come to nothing.

Air pollution is not only present outdoors but also indoors; it can trap pollutants inside the buildings. Air pollution is present ever since the Ancient world began and can be caused naturally and of course, a larger chunk of it is cause by human activity. Although we cannot blame it all on us for as we progress, our air pollution problem only becomes worst.

We still can do something about it on our own little way. By living a healthy and environment friendly lifestyle, one can definitely get into the groove and get work done. Those with large population and automobiles, as well as highly industrialized and developed countries are most likely polluted.  Air pollution affects the ecosystem and if that ecosystem is destroyed, we humans are surely to be destroyed as well.

We should not let these things happen. Let us come together and let us help one another. We must be all aware of the current air pollution problem in order to make this world a better place to live in.

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Over the years we have manifested in forging the new environment that eventually degraded our resources and alter them. The naïve days are long gone and our planet is experiencing continues abuse from its inhabitants. With the rapid demands for the earth’s natural resources, the growth in population is the major drive of our global environment. Millions of species are at risk as climate change poses critical threats and eventually change our world.

As we come to realize of the grave environmental consequences- chemical pollution, landslides and the consecutive effects on the natural environment that fails to apprehend the course of life on earth. Our global environment lays at the edge an enormous effect that leads to climate change. We have evaded our biological ecosystem and destroyed the equilibrium that our planet endows us. As the increasing populace grows, the industry had endowed a dramatic change towards the global environment.

Various solution and being developed and refined in order to save our environment from man-made pollution that adds up to the effect that only destroys our planet. These various technologies allows us to nurture our environment back to health at the same time endowing eco-friendly benefits that nevertheless; depletes our natural resources. These innovations are created to abide the global environment standards set forth in their perspective industry.

Numerous technologies that are created for the benefit of our environment strike the causes of climate change and aims to eliminate them. They are presented into the green industry to prove that not all innovations are bound to have a negative effect on the environment. These technologies allows us to address are growing concerns towards proper waste management and recovery, high priced fuel and electricity as well the depletion of our natural resources.

Both developing and developed countries are continuously degrading our natural resources however; that is about to change. New technologies and innovations are being deployed in order to modify our global environment. They developed and redefine these technologies to conserve and restore the components that we have abused from our ecosystem. They provide sustainable and efficient products and services that allow the general populace for consumption.

The current state of our global environment is in critical levels despite this, we struggle to find new and better ways towards addressing these concerns. Fighting climate change is a difficult task to undertake however; it is not impossible. We could make a difference and save our global environment for the benefits of our generation and the next.

I have been an avid cyclist since my days on my first tricycle (with the stabalizers) and have through the years been in and out of love with cycling depending on what has been happening in my life. I have even been through the “serious” time of joining a local club and buying all the ‘garish’ coloured outfits and even the cycling shoes – then going on the outings with the semi professionals and becoming totally disheartened by it all. The money I have spent on cycles over the years has been sometimes outrageous and something I feel that I could never do again. How wrong could I be – as I have become hooked again and started to ‘train’ myself up properly this time.

Let me first be honest and say, there is no magic bullet or pill you can take to turn yourself into a professional cycling machine. Sure, you could take some sort of illegal performance enhancing drug and see some good improvement quickly. However, you still need to get the fundamentals right to see improvement from that. There are several key ingredients that work in synergy and can provide exponential improvement. In other words, when things work together the affects are multiplied so the increases are greater. One of the most important ingredients to performing well on the bike is choosing – what riding you do and when. Most people do not get the foundations right and when they try to build their training up, the walls come crashing down around them. You really have got to think of your body like an engine. There are certain systems in your body that need to be trained first before you jump in and try to get other systems working.

A good analogy is to imagine you want to build a fast race engine for a car. Before you would begin bolting on parts that make the engine go fast, you need to work on the existing block to make sure it is strong enough to handle the horsepower.  Once you know that this foundation is solid then you can bolt in a nice cam, a big carb and a turbo knowing that the rest of the engine can handle it. If you made a choice to bolt a turbo and go fast parts on a standard engine that was not correctly prepared, you couldn’t expect it to go as fast as it potentially should. Even worse, it is likely to break down and damage the engine when pushed hard. Cycling is very similar in that you must ensure you are timing the type of training you are doing correctly to see maximum results.

There is an almost endless array of different training sessions you could select to do on any given day. The question is “which one is going to give me maximum bang for my bucks so to speak”?. In other words, if you have certain objectives that you are trying to achieve (for example, building strength), what session is going to yield the best results for the time you invest?.  This is where experience comes into play. Any number of sessions might “theoretically” work. It is only when you try them in practice do you discover what produces the best results. Many people love cycling but do not have as much time as they would  like to ride their bike. This means that they want to maximize the gains they can achieve on each ride.

When you are out cycling who is going to pay the bills if you are out on your bike all day?. That is why you should be applying the great principle named after a famous 18th century Italian economist to your cycling. It is called the Pareto principle. It is also known as the law of the vital few. The principle states that the majority of effects come from the minority of causes. To put it in more simple terms, this means that the majority of improvements that most people see in their cycling performance for example, originate from just a few of the things that they are doing right. So if you are riding 10 hours a week, it is likely that only 2-3 of those hours are bringing the majority of your improvement.  Which of course should make you think “why don’t I do more of the hours that are bringing the majority of improvement and fewer of the hours that don’t do much at all”?.

By joining the unique “My Cycling” program you will have access to their indepth major areas concentrating on:

Beginners training program

This is their 8 week beginners program to help you go from zero to hero as quickly and as painlessly as possible.

Traditional training programs

These are their traditional 13 week programs focusing on developing maximum form. They have got several options depending on available training time.

Rapid results training programs

If you need to get fit fast, these are their 4 week intensive programs. Designed for maximum results in minimum time.

Secret pro sessions

They let the cat out of the bag with their secret professional sessions. These include 6 x climbing and 9 x sprint sessions.

Specific focus training programs

They have several programs targeting specific training outcomes. Including climbing and sprinting options, as well as a century program.

Resources and video guidance

Specific articles and video guidance on all areas of cycling. These include techniques, tactics as well as stretching and core strength.

Access to real expert help

They are also there to help you. While this is not a one-on-one service, they do have a team of highly skilled experts including ex-professional cyclists on hand to assist.

Cycling training does not need to be as complex as most people make out. If you have ever bought a cycling training book you will see just how convoluted and unnecessarily complicated they are. You practically need a science degree to follow them. Your cycling training does not need to be that complex. Should you find yourself on the inner circle of the professional peloton, you will find that most professional cyclists training regimes are not anywhere near as complicated as those programs. If you can’t understand what you are supposed to be doing, how on earth can you be expected to fully trust that what you are doing is going to work?. This is where your mind and body meet. Even if you follow it to the letter, if you do not believe in what you are doing, your mind will not support your body and you will not see the maximum results. In contrast, when applying the My Cycling program elements you understand what you are supposed to be doing on the bike and fully trust that it is going to generate positive results, you will do everything without reservation. You will work the sessions harder and keep motivated throughout the whole process.

Have you ever noticed how champion sports people often make the comment, “I am just really enjoying my sport at the moment” just after they have won a big event?. It is not surprising. When you are enjoying what you are doing, your mind is supporting your body and your central nervous system is more responsive to deliver what your body needs. In the same way, when you are enjoying what you are doing, you are more motivated and more energized and you complete the tasks with increased enthusiasm. It is only natural that you will find yourself getting better results.

By joining the unique ‘My Cycling’ program you will have unlimited access to the following benefits:

Powerful unique training programs for time poor people. From the beginner right through to the racing cyclist. Advise and resources created by professional and ex-professional cyclists alike to ensure that you are given the RIGHT information first time. An online training log that will help you keep track of your riding and help keep you motivated to keep improving. Whether you are a beginner or a long time campaigner, they have got the correct unique training and resources you need.

Remember if you are dreading getting on the bike because you can’t stand the thought of the training you have got to do, you will never be able to experience the benefits that these principles bring. This aspect to performance is often ignored. However, it is fundamental to seeing your cycling success and the unique My Cycling program will prove it to you.

Air pollution is prominent all around us. Have you observed whether or not the air that we breathe is already polluted? Have you observed that the environment you are in is trying to pollute the air? If you do, then what should you do about it, what should be done to solve it? Controlling air pollution is the likely answer.

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There has been a rise in global awareness of air pollution but despite of this awareness, efforts to stop air pollution has been useless. Various sectors in the society try to prevent and lessen air pollution as much as they can but it seems like it is always put in vain. Awareness about the current air pollution is a good start to have. It may not seem to be an effective way but just being aware first can go a long way.

The most important people who need to be aware about controlling air pollution should be legislators and head of governments. Why is it so? It is for they can easily control their people and they can implement laws. They have to work together with environmentalists as well as educators in teaching children what they can do in making this world a better place to live in.

We people should also be aware that we need to do our part in controlling air pollution. We have to do our own role by not smoking, by not using aerosols, sprays, chemicals and other factors that can contribute to air pollution.

If you know deep in your heart that something can be done to stop air pollution then do it. Do not wait for somebody else to motivate you and make you do something. The effort to control air pollution must come within you and not from anyone else. Do it now.

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If you’re a woman, the following portrait – or certain aspects of it – may ring a familiar bell:

Yesterday you were oddly, and perhaps irrationally, irritated by your coworker’s innocent mistake. Today you’re bloated and your face has broken out like it did when you were a teenager. Tonight you ate enough take-out to feed a family of three, your breasts hurt, and you started crying during a T.V. ad for toilet paper. If you’re a female, and some or all of these symptoms seem to occur on regular basis – say, every 28 days or so – you may be victim to a well-studied phenomenon called premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Women may be understandably annoyed at such an assumption (particularly when it’s inaccurate), and while somewhat amusing, it may point to a larger lack of understanding of women’s cycles.

Though the above scenario may fall on the more extreme end of the spectrum, many women suffer from symptoms of PMS at some time or another during their lives. Though it’s a well-documented syndrome, many people are unfamiliar with the mechanisms behind it. Nowadays, a commonly used phrase to explain or dismiss a woman’s moodiness is: “she must have PMS.” Women may be understandably annoyed at such an assumption (particularly when it’s inaccurate), and while somewhat amusing, it may point to a larger lack of understanding of women’s cycles. Men in particular may also view PMS as an unsubstantiated scapegoat for female moodiness, and question whether it is real biological phenomenon at all.

There has always been some mystery and romance associated with the female cycle, perhaps stemming from its synchrony with the cycle of the moon. But aside from that, many people (women included) may not know exactly how the female reproductive cycle operates – specifically, what hormones are involved, how they are controlled, why PMS occurs (including both the physical and behavioral symptoms), and when exactly in the cycle fertility is possible and impossible. This article aims to clarify how the female cycle works overall, and just how the changes to the body and behavior occur throughout the course of a month.

The Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle, by definition, begins on the first day of a woman’s period (the day that bloody discharge begins), and ends on the day before the following menstrual period. The discharge occurs because the body is ridding itself of the preparations that it had made during the previous cycle in the event that pregnancy might occur. In other words, it is getting rid of the thick uterine lining it had made (which would have been a cozy spot for a fertilized egg to implant itself), and it is getting rid of the egg that went unfertilized during the previous cycle. With the new cycle the body will now begin to set itself up for once again releasing an egg and preparing for pregnancy. The phases of the reproductive cycle are dependent upon the interaction of several key hormones (see below).

Hormones 101

Many people have heard of the two major hormones involved in the female reproductive cycle: estrogen and progesterone. Though these two hormones are indeed central players, there are also other hormones that are crucial to the cycle’s functioning – and all are ultimately under the control of two main brain regions. One area is the hypothalamus, which is important in basic bodily processes like hunger, sleep, and sexual arousal. The other is the pituitary gland, which is adjacent to the hypothalamus.

FSH is mainly responsible for signaling the ovaries to begin preparing mature eggs, or more precisely, mature follicles, which include several types of supporting cells that nourish and surround the egg.

The hypothalamus releases a hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which is an important hormone in both women and men.(1) This hormone signals the pituitary gland to make and release two additional hormones that actually signal the sex organs to start working: in women, these are follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).(2) These hormones begin to rise prior to ovulation (the release of the egg from an ovary), and signal the body to begin preparing for ovulation and potential pregnancy.

FSH is mainly responsible for signaling the ovaries to begin preparing mature eggs, or more precisely, mature follicles, which include several types of supporting cells that nourish and surround the egg. LH is responsible for the mature follicle to be released from the ovary during ovulation. In the male, FSH is important in signaling the supportive cells in the testes to begin producing sperm cells, and LH is necessary for testosterone to be synthesized.(1)(3)

Phases of the Female Reproductive Cycle

The reproductive cycle is divided into three phases: the follicular phase, the ovulatory phase, and the luteal phase.

Follicular Phase In the beginning of this phase, which begins on the first day of the menstrual period and usually lasts for about two weeks, estrogen and progesterone levels are low (assuming the egg from the last cycle was unfertilized). This dip in hormone levels signals the uterus to shed its lining, and a menstrual period begins. During this time, the pituitary gland is beginning to produce FSH. The FSH increase stimulates the ovaries to release estrogen and progesterone, and signals the main event of the follicular phase to begin: the preparation of mature eggs in the ovaries. Actually, somewhere between 3-30 follicles, each containing one egg, begin to grow(6), but ultimately, only one is “chosen” to become fully mature and released from the ovary. (The follicle itself also produces estrogen, which is highest right before the next phase – ovulation – occurs.) The follicular phase ends when LH levels spike, signaling ovulation to begin.

Ovulation Phase The ovulation phase usually lasts for about 16-32 hours.(6) When a mature follicle is ready to be released from the ovary, a large surge of LH results in the follicle being pushed out of the ovary. When this happens, the egg also bursts out of its protective follicle and finds its way to the fallopian tube and down into the uterus. The side of the body on which ovulation occurs doesn’t appear to follow any routine pattern (it doesn’t alternate from one side to other every month), and it’s unclear what determines which ovary releases an egg each month. There is a smaller surge in FSH, but the exact reason for this is still unknown.(6)

It should also be mentioned that pregnancy is more likely to occur when sexual intercourse takes place prior to ovulation – specifically, in the six days preceding it…

By definition, the ovulation phase ends when the egg leaves the ovary. A woman can only become pregnant for about 12 hours after the egg has left the ovary.(6) It should also be mentioned that pregnancy is more likely to occur when sexual intercourse takes place prior to ovulation – specifically, in the six days preceding it, as found in one study.(4) In other words, fertilization is most likely to happen when sperm is already present in the reproductive tract of the female when she ovulates. Interestingly, some other studies have also found that women tend to be more sexually active in these six days preceding ovulation(5), which suggests that the body seems to “know” when its fertile time is.

Another phenomenon that can occur during ovulation is that a slight pain may be felt on one side of the body around this time. This pain is known as mittelschmerz (which translates into “middle pain”(6)), and it seems to occur on the side of the body on which the egg is being released from the ovary. It can last anywhere from a few minutes to up to 48 hours.(6)(7) Though the phenomenon is not well-understood, it seems to occur prior to, during, or just after ovulation(7). Since ovulation involves the follicle literally bursting through the outer surface of the ovary (there is no opening from which it is released), the pain may originate from this action.(7) Or alternatively, it may come from the rupture of the follicle, which releases some fluid into the abdominal cavity, and could potentially cause some degree of inflammation, leading to the discomfort.(7)

Luteal Phase This phase also lasts for about two weeks, and ends on the day before menstruation begins. In the luteal phase, progesterone levels are increasing markedly, mainly due to the action of the ruptured follicle: after it breaks open to release the egg, it recloses and is now called the corpus luteum. It releases increasing amounts of progesterone, which helps prepare the body for potential pregnancy by thickening the uterine lining (endometrium) so that it will be able to house and nourish a fertilized egg. If the egg goes unfertilized, however, the corpus luteum breaks down after about two weeks, and the cycle ends and the menstrual period begins.

It’s important, particularly for those having trouble getting pregnant, to note that fertilization will be less likely to occur after one’s body temperature has risen.

Progesterone is also responsible for increasing the body temperature. Many women may know that body temperature can be us as a marker to determine whether ovulation has occurred, and some women who are trying to become pregnant find that charting their basal body temperature for a few months may help predict when ovulation occurs.(8) It’s important, particularly for those having trouble getting pregnant, to note that fertilization will be less likely to occur after one’s body temperature has risen because, as mentioned above, the days preceding ovulation are a woman’s most fertile days – and the temperature increase from progesterone indicates that ovulation has already occurred. But if a woman charts the rise and fall of body temperature over a few months, noting her specific pattern, she will be able to determine how many days there are, on average, between the start of her period and this rise in body temperature. Having sex in the days prior to her body temperature increase may be the best odds for becoming pregnant. (See NIH’s website for more information on predicting fertility.)

The higher levels of progesterone and estrogen during the luteal phase not only prepare the uterus for potential pregnancy, but the breasts undergo changes as well, which many women notice as menstruation approaches. Most notably, the breasts may enlarge slightly, due to the hormones’ effects on the milk ducts, which are dilating in preparation for pregnancy. And this swelling may cause the breasts to feel sensitive or downright painful during PMS.

Premenstrual Syndrome

The cycle of hormones and the body changes they signal set the stage for premenstrual syndrome. As described in the opening of this article, many women experience at least some symptoms of PMS at some point in their lives. Symptoms include bloating, breast tenderness, food cravings, weight gain, skin problems, irritability or aggressiveness, difficulty concentrating, changes in libido (sex drive), depression, and feeling tired or lethargic.(9) The severity of symptoms can range from mildly annoying to seriously incapacitating. Some women have to miss days or work or school because their symptoms prevent them from functioning normally at these times. The more severe form of PMS is known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and women who are diagnosed with it must suffer have at least five different symptoms, with at least one being significantly related to mood (i.e., depression, anxiety, irritability, etc.).(10) (See discussion of PMDD below for more information on symptoms and treatment.)

It is estimated that 5-8% of women suffer from moderate to severe PMS(10), but some studies have found the overall number to be higher, possibly as many as 28%.(11) But because so many women suffer from at least mild symptoms of PMS, some researchers believe that some level of “discomfort” in the days preceding menstruation can be considered “physiological not pathological”(10) – in other words, it’s just a normal part of the cycle, rather than something to be considered an illness.

It is estimated that 5-8% of women suffer from moderate to severe PMS(10), but some studies have found the overall number to be higher, possibly as many as 28%.

So what causes PMS symptoms? The symptoms appear to be related to fluctuating hormone levels in the body. But this has also been confirmed through several kinds of studies, including those in which women suffering from severe PMS symptoms have undergone complete ovariectomies (removal of the ovaries) to stop them from cycling, and have reported that after the surgery, their symptoms stop completely.(12) But believe it or not, the exact reasons behind the changes in hormones leading to both the physical and psychological symptoms have not been fully mapped out. It has been shown(13) that while both physical and psychological symptoms are stable from month to month, it is the psychological symptoms – anxiety, depression, mood swings – instead of the physical ones that lead to the women encountering problems functioning normally in their daily lives.(13)

Mood-Related Symptoms

It’s believed that rising levels of estrogen right before ovulation and progesterone right after ovulation may be responsible for at least the psychological symptoms that many women feel.(14) And of these two hormones, some have suggested that the monthly rises in progesterone may be more responsible than estrogen for the undesirable mood changes felt during PMS, but some of the supporting research comes from menopausal women taking estrogen-replacement therapy (and these women report decreases in depression).(14) But other studies have suggested that estrogen and progesterone may have equal effects in causing moodiness. A nice study(15) looked at women who suffered from PMS, and whose symptoms were stopped when the researchers administered a specific compound to prevent them from ovulating. Then, when the researchers gave them either progesterone or estrogen, their symptoms started up again. This suggests that the two hormones may both play roles in bringing about the mood changes in PMS.

They say that mood-related PMS symptoms reflect an “abnormal response to normal hormonal changes” that all women experience.

Why do some women suffer from PMS-related mood problems and some women don’t? It could be that the hormone levels in PMS-sufferers are different – but there hasn’t been any research to suggest that this is the case. In fact, in the study mentioned above,(15) the researchers also looked at this very question. They found that when women who never suffered from PMS were given either estrogen or progesterone, they did not feel any changes in mood, whereas the other group of women – the PMS-sufferers – did feel mood changes when either hormone was given. The researchers feel that this suggests that the difference is not in circulating hormone levels, but rather it is in the way the body responds to the hormones that are present. In fact they say that mood-related PMS symptoms reflect an “abnormal response to normal hormonal changes” that all women experience.

So where might the differences lie? Many studies have suggested that differences in the brain chemical serotonin may be at work.(16)(17)(18) For example, one study found that administering a chemical that mimics the effects of serotonin significantly improved symptoms in PMS sufferers.(16) The fact that serotonin is involved in PMS-related mood problems is not surprising, since the compound is a major player in depression, and is very often the target of a class of anti-depression drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). So again, it may be that women prone to PMS differ not in the hormones themselves, but in the way that the brain and the brain chemicals involved in regulating mood respond to normal hormonal fluctuations.

Physical Symptoms of PMS As mentioned earlier, some of the classic physical symptoms of PMS include bloating, weight gain, breast tenderness, acne, and food (or fluid) cravings, but they may also headache, muscle aches and joint pain, fatigue, and constipation or diarrhea.(19)(20) Believe it or not, it’s still unclear what causes these symptoms, and it appears that considerably more research has been devoted to understanding the psychological symptoms over the physical ones. Some studies have failed to find any measurable changes in a woman’s body weight during PMS.(21) But what’s interesting is that despite the fact that there were no changes in body weight in these women, they did show significant abdominal bloating, and they perceived that their body weight had increased.(21) Based on this type of finding, some researchers(10) doubt that water weight gain is the culprit, as has sometimes been suggested.

A woman’s body is going through a lot over the course of a month: the body “prepares” for pregnancy and then scraps that idea if the egg goes unfertilized – and then it does it all over again next month!

Some other studies have suggested that certain compounds that increase the effects of the neurotransmitter dopamine help explain breast tenderness and possibly other physical PMS symptoms, including weight gain(22)(23). These chemicals also seem to work by decreasing blood levels of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for milk production during pregnancy. Though some of these compounds are prescription drugs, one is a natural remedy called chasteberry,(23) which can be found at many health food stores. According to the NIH,(24) chasteberry has been used for millennia to reduce PMS symptoms; but since it may affect dopamine levels in the brain – and potentially hormone levels in the body – you should check with your doctor before using the supplement.

Some experts(10) still question whether the physical symptoms of PMS are indeed due to hormone fluctuations in the body or whether they may be the result of women simply being less tolerant of bodily discomfort while they are experiencing mood-related symptoms. For example, if a woman is irritated, moody, and a bit depressed during PMS, it is possible that she would be more sensitive to her body, and perceive physical symptoms as more severe than they actually are. Support for this idea may come from studies like the one mentioned above, in which women felt that they had gained weight, even though they had not.

However, any woman who has experienced PMS will probably agree that there are some very real physical symptoms involved. While the mood symptoms may heighten the physical ones – making a woman more likely to pick up on discomfort and less able to bounce back from it – it seems likely that the complex, and well-documented, hormone changes throughout the month may be also responsible for physical changes to the body. A woman’s body is going through a lot over the course of a month: the body “prepares” for pregnancy and then scraps that idea if the egg goes unfertilized – and then it does it all over again next month! Clearly more research is needed to sort out the underlying causes of the physical PMS symptoms that so many women experience from month to month.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

Sometimes a woman’s premenstrual mental and physical symptoms become severe. Of the ten major symptoms associated with PMS, women who are diagnosed with PMDD must experience at least five of these symptoms regularly, and at least one must be of the first four symptoms (see list below). The American Psychiatric Association (APA) recognizes the following symptoms as part of PMS and/or PMDD:

Depression
Anxiety
Highly changeable moods
Anger or Irritability;
Problems Concentrating
Fatigue
Changes in Appetite
Sleep Problems
Feeling Out-of-Control or Overwhelmed
Physical Symptoms (bloating, food craving, breast tenderness, headache, etc., all of which fall into this one category)(25)

Interestingly, the mood-related symptom that is most often reported by women is not depression, but rather irritability.

Women who experience PMDD may have significant problems functioning normally in work, school, and even in social activities and personal relationships during this time. They may often miss days of work or school as a result.(25)(26) In fact, one study found that the degree to which a woman’s life is disrupted as a result of PMDD is on the same level of some of the major mood disorders.(27) As you might guess, because PMDD is largely behavioral in nature, it may coexist with or be intensified by the presence of other mood disorders, such as depression, anxiety, panic disorder, and dysthymia (which is less severe than major depression, but can still be long-term), as well as other personality disorders.(25) While it is separate from these disorders, it is not uncommon for there to be some overlap between them. Interestingly, the mood-related symptom that is most often reported by women is not depression, but rather irritability.

The FDA has approved the three following SSRIs to treat PMDD in addition to depression: sertraline (Zoloft®), fluoxetine (Prozac® and Sarafem®), and paroxetine HCI (Paxil CR®). If you feel that you might suffer from PMDD, it is important to talk to your doctor about what steps to take to treat it effectively.

Treatments for PMS/PMDD

Depending on the severity of PMS, treatments can range from natural remedies to prescription antidepressants. And there are other steps you can take to manage symptoms at home before considering other options.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends several treatment methods to try at home.(28) These include:

taking multivitamins with folic acid and calcium/vitamin D supplements
exercising regularly
eating a healthy diet (rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low in fat and “junk” food)
reducing salt intake, which may reduce the tendency to retain water
reducing caffeine
reducing alcohol intake, especially when PMS symptoms occur
not smoking
finding effective ways to manage and reduce stress

Eating several small portions of complex carbohydrates throughout the day has also been shown to reduce symptoms, probably due to the amino acid tryptophan that is present in complex carbs. Tryptophan is a precursor of serotonin, which is the target of SSRIs (see below), so it may act by helping the brain produce more serotonin.(25) For physical symptoms like cramping, headaches, and muscle aches, you may try over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen for temporary relief. Medications that are designed specifically for PMS symptoms like Midol® may also be of help. Exercise helps too(25). Women who exercise regularly or who were sedentary and begin add exercise to their routine report fewer physical and psychological symptoms than women who don’t exercise.

As mentioned earlier, chasteberry has shown to be somewhat effective at reducing some of the physical symptoms associated with PMS. Another study(29)found that it was also effective at reducing PMDD symptoms – in fact, it was just as effective as the SSRI fluoxetine (Prozac® or Sarafem®) in terms of the number of women who responded to it. Fluoxetine was more effective at reducing the psychological symptoms, however, while chasteberry was better at attacking the physical symptoms of PMDD.(29) There may be other natural remedies that could be effective at reducing PMS/PMDD symptoms, but it’s important to research these products thoroughly and talk to your doctor before putting anything new in your body. “Natural” compounds are still chemical compounds, just like prescription drugs, and can affect the body in significant ways.

SSRIs like sertraline (Zoloft®), fluoxetine (Prozac® or Sarafem®), and paroxetine HCI (Paxil CR®) have been shown to work for PMS/PMDD in many cases, and are more effective than other kinds of antidepressants in treating symptoms,(30)and are much more effective than placebo.(30)(31) As researchers have pointed out(10), this finding, along with the fact that SSRIs work much more quickly on PMS symptoms than they do on depression symptoms, implies that their effects are larger than simply acting as antidepressants. This idea is also supported by the fact that SSRIs help alleviate physical as well as psychological symptoms of PMS.(30)

While adjusting the hormone levels in the body may seem intuitive at first glance, as mentioned earlier, since it is unlikely that women who experience PMS actually have a hormone imbalance, this method has not produced any notable effects.(10)What’s been more effective is to give women a compound that increases the effects of the hormone GnRH,(gonadotropic releasing hormone) discussed earlier. This treatment, while somewhat extreme, has been more successful than giving either estrogen or progesterone.(10)(32) However, because this treatment does stop a women from cycling, women receiving GnRH experience some of the unwanted symptoms of menopause.(32) Adding estrogen or progesterone along with the treatment has been effective at alleviating some of the menopause-like side effects.(32)

Final Thoughts

If you feel that you are suffering from PMS or PMDD, it’s important to talk to your doctor about the best ways to manage it. These disorders are real phenomena; they have biological underpinnings that have been well-studied over the years and are, for the most part, well-understood by the medical community. In other words, PMS is not something made up by women to excuse their own moodiness or one made up by men to blame it on. Both the psychological and physical components of PMS should be taken seriously, and there are effective ways to manage both. The female body does a phenomenal amount of work over the course of a month, and while the symptoms of PMS are not always fun, the female reproductive system is remarkable and complex (if a bit mysterious!), and something to be celebrated.

See http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/content/womens_health/art2906.html for Footnote references.