Menstruation is one of those topics that women talk about, but then again they do not talk about. Every month, millions of women are bothered by PMS symptoms such as cramps, heavy bleeding, nausea, mood swings, depression, weight gain, and more. Most suffer the entire course of their menstruating years feeling like there is no way out except maybe with birth control. Unfortunately, there is a price to pay with birth control. Birth control artificially "controls" how your hormones behave with each other with a truckload of side effects such as migraines, random spotting, nausea, and mood swings. In addition to these side effects that oddly enough resemble some PMS symptoms, once women stop using birth control, their PMS symptom horrors amplify even worse than before using birth control!
Through many years of experimentation and research, I noticed that the type of foods eaten right before and during the cycle makes a remarkable difference in the intensity of PMS pain. Some foods have the ability to make your life a lot easier and ease PMS symptoms while other foods exaggerate the pain. It is not about going on a diet, but by avoiding certain types of food, at least just for one week every month. If the cravings are unbearable, then find an appropriate substitute or eat a small portion of your craving.
Here are some tips to adhere to at least a day before your expected cycle going into the end to ease period pain.
1. Avoid Cow Based Products
Dairy products includes cheese (say no to pizza!), milk, ice-cream, etc. It does not matter if it is organic or not, since organic dairy products still contain hormones. Dairy products exaggerate menstrual cramps so it is wise to avoid them. If you crave ice-cream, substitute with using almond milk substitutes, but eat only a small amount (like one serving or less) because they are sugary and sugar is not a friend of a menstruating woman either.
2. Avoid Chocolate
This may be very difficult because many women crave chocolate during their PMS episodes. But, have you noticed how you feel after eating a lot of chocolate? The initial stage is a great feeling but is then followed by a devastating crash. This crash is worse when you are on your cycle because a cascade effect occurs where not only do you feel exhausted but cramps are amplified as well. Try to substitute it for ginger candies, but if you really have an irresistible craving for chocolate, then eat only a very small amount of it. It is best to avoid it, but sometimes a craving just overpowers.
3. Eliminate or dramatically reduce any sweets intake like candies (except for a small portion of ginger candy), cakes, pies, cookies, tarts, etc. Substitute with fresh fruits like grapes, figs, and mangoes.
4. Do not overeat.
Overeating wrecks havoc on your health, state of mind, energy levels, and the whole works. Overeating is just plain bad for you, not just during menstruating time! You may still eat your favorite foods within reason during this time, assuming they do not have dairy or chocolate in them, but it is best to eat them in small portions. The reason why overeating is worse during menstruating time is because many women have bloating as a symptom. Overeating only adds more trouble to this issue. An easy way to help prevent overeating is to eat slower and smaller meals throughout the day.
5. Drink a lot of water first thing in the morning.
What is "a lot" of water, right? Well, this will depend on a variety of factors such as your body weight, exercise levels, climate, etc. It is best for water to be room temperature or hot (like in a decaffeinated tea). If you can get in around 64 ounces first thing in the morning (that's about 2 cups) that would be a good start to the day. This will of course cause you to want to use the bathroom within the next 20 minutes or so, but that's the point. You want to clear your system out first thing and while on an empty stomach; this will help reduce bloating and cramping. The body is able to better absorb room temperature or hot fluids. And it induces a soothing feeling in the body, which is what you want especially during this time. You do not want to consume many cold fluids while on your cycle.
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