Got PMS? Then you probably have cravings as well, especially for sweet or salty foods. But as much as chocolate sounds like a good idea during that week leading up to your period, it's not -- at least not in high doses. Salt, alcohol, and caffeine can exacerbate your symptoms and leave you feeling more miserable than before. If you really want to beat the bloating, cramping, and irritability, choose foods rich in these nutrients instead:

• calcium and magnesium: may improve mood and reduce bloating
• vitamin B6: may relieve depression and breast tenderness
• magnesium: is thought to regulate serotonin
• manganese: may relieve irritability, tension, and depression

In addition, drinking chamomile tea can relieve muscle spasms caused by cramping and drinking it can be soothing and relaxing. So you can still eat your way through that week leading up to your period (in moderation, of course), but by choosing the right foods you can reduce or eliminate some of those miserable symptoms.

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There's always a silver lining, right? Women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome rarely have anything good to say about it, but now it appears that there may be a benefit to having the disorder -- better memory and increased awareness. Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas recently did a study involving women at different points in their menstrual cycle. Some of the women suffered from premenstrual syndrome and others did not.

What they found is that women who suffered from the syndrome had better recall and recognition skills during parts of their cycle than women who did not have PMS. The women who scored better on the tests showed an increased sensitivity to their environment, something that is key to memory performance. Researchers believe this finding may be due to fluctuating hormones or increased levels of serotonin. Interesting!

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