Healing PMDD Through Subtraction for PMDD
What if managing your PMDD symptoms isn't about adding more to your plate—but about removing what's making things worse? In this eye-opening episode, Jes introduces the powerful concept of "healing through subtraction" and reveals how strategically removing certain foods, habits, relationships, and environmental factors can dramatically improve your PMDD symptoms. If you've felt stuck despite trying everything, this fresh perspective on healing might be exactly what you need to finally see real progress.
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What You'll Learn in This Episode:
• Why healing through subtraction is often more powerful than constantly adding new treatments and how this overlooked approach can break through healing plateaus
• The specific dietary subtractions that support hormone balance including alcohol, caffeine, refined carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners, and inflammatory oils—and exactly why each one impacts your PMDD symptoms
• How toxic relationships, obligation clutter, and people-pleasing drain your capacity to manage symptoms and practical ways to create boundaries during your luteal phase
• Environmental and digital factors that overstimulate your nervous system from doom scrolling and news consumption to physical clutter and constant background noise
• A simple framework for deciding what to subtract first by identifying what's actively harming you versus what's just draining your energy
• Why symptom mapping is essential when making subtractions so you can actually see what's working instead of telling yourself "nothing helps"
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Key Quotes from This Episode:
"Healing through subtraction is not about perfection or deprivation. It's about reclaiming your energy, reclaiming your moods, reclaiming your hormone balance, reclaiming your sense of self."
"PMDD isn't just about what you add. Sometimes the most powerful medicine is removing what doesn't serve you. Your body has incredible capacity to rebalance when given the chance, and subtraction creates space for true healing."
"We're always thinking about what do I need to do? What do I need to add? What needs to change? It's always in the lens of adding more, doing more things, and sometimes that's needed. But healing through subtraction is not discussed enough."
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Episode Highlights:
[03:05] - Introduction to healing through subtraction and why this approach is rarely discussed in PMDD treatment
[06:56] - Dietary subtractions: How alcohol disrupts estrogen metabolism and liver detoxification
[08:59] - Why caffeine increases cortisol and disrupts the HPA axis (and how to transition to water-processed decaf)
[11:22] - The impact of highly processed foods on inflammation, gut health, and the estrobolome
[14:43] - Relational and social subtractions: Evaluating toxic relationships and work demands that worsen symptoms
[18:32] - Mental and environmental load: Addressing physical clutter, digital chaos, and obligation overload
[21:03] - The controversial but life-changing decision to subtract news media consumption
[25:05] - Lifestyle subtractions: Over-exercise, sleep disruptors, and the people-pleasing trap
[27:59] - Framework for prioritizing subtractions: What's actively harming you vs. what's draining your energy
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Resources Mentioned:
• Her Mood Mentor Symptom Mapping Kit - Track your symptoms as you make subtractions to see what's actually working:
• Episode 11: The "I've Tried Everything for PMDD" Mindset - Reframing the damaging belief that nothing helps
• Episode 6: Rest vs. Distraction - Understanding the difference between true rest and doom scrolling
• Her Mood Mentor One-to-One Program - Where values work begins after symptom mapping to align your life with what matters most
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Ready to start healing through subtraction? Begin by choosing just one area from this episode—whether it's swapping to water-processed decaf, reducing screen time before bed, or setting boundaries with draining relationships. Map your symptoms for 2-3 cycles to see the impact, and share your subtraction journey with Jes via DM. Remember: sometimes the most powerful healing happens when you remove what doesn't serve you.
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Every review spreads awareness. Every bit of awareness has the power to save lives.
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Watch the episode on Youtube
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Instagram: @hermoodmentor
Website: https://hermoodmentor.com/
Website: https://hermoodmentor.com/
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Looking for more support?
✦︎ Grab our FREE Symptom Mapping Kit- The first step to healing instead of dealing with your symptoms is to map your symptom pattern.
Ready to learn how to reduce and manage your PMDD symptoms?
✦︎ Join us in the PMDD Rehab Course.
✦︎ Work with us Schedule your Intro Session with our onboarding team and lets run your symptom assessment!