Periods, also known as menstruation, is the process through which a woman’s body discharges blood, vaginal secretions, cervical mucus and endometrial tissues from the lining of the uterus every month. A woman gets her periods regularly from her puberty to her menopause, except during pregnancy. The period cycle is a natural process which makes a woman capable of giving birth.
The thought of bleeding every month can be scary, but it is just the way our uterus prepares itself for pregnancy! While we get our periods, we face a lot of issues like mood swings, cramps, and fatigue, but, do you know that just like you can eat your way to clear skin, better memory, and healthy hair, you can also eat your way out to tackle with the period problems! Even though it seems totally right to binge onto unhealthy snacks during periods, but, you shouldn’t be doing so. Whatever you eat can actually impact you a lot; a lot more than you think! So, if you want to feel better while you are having your periods then, take a look at the list of foods that you should and shouldn’t eat while menstruating!
WHAT TO EAT?
1. Banana: With a high content of vitamin B6, banana is a great food for boosting your mood and keeping you happy! It is also rich in potassium and magnesium, which reduces bloating. Along with that, it also helps indigestion. So, enjoy bananas during your periods and keep those period problems at bay!
2. Oranges: Citrus fruits can regulate your mood. It has essential nutrients that our body needs to stay healthy and feel good. Oranges can also help in reducing cramps and other PMS symptoms.
3. Dark Chocolates: Being a good source of magnesium, an element that is responsible for balancing the mood swings, dark chocolates are a great choice when it comes to snacking during periods.
4. Kale: This leafy vegetable can help you meet your daily required amount of iron. During menstruation, your iron levels can drop, so to keep that balanced, you need to have iron-rich foods like kale.
5. Salmon: It is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help in relaxing the muscles, which in turn, can reduce those troublesome cramps. So, eat more salmon during your periods to feel better.
WHAT TO AVOID?
1. Alcohol: When it comes to the list of things to avoid during periods, alcohol is the first thing which comes to our mind! While many believe that alcohol can reduce the cramps but, the results are just temporary. Drinking alcohol can worsen your PMS symptoms and make your periods irregular over time. It also makes you feel more bloated, so, you better avoid having it during your cycles!
2. Caffeine: Caffeine drinks can worsen your conditions by increasing your blood pressure and heart rate, which leads to anxiety. If you really need a caffeine fix, go for green tea as it is good for health!
3. Processed foods: Fast foods, pickles, and canned products may seem very tempting while you are on your periods but, they are not the best type of foods that you should be consuming during this time. These foods have unhealthy ingredients and preservatives that can interfere with hormones causing more discomfort to you. So, instead of having those foods, have homemade meals to reduce your symptoms.
4. High-fat foods: Fatty foods can lead to cramps and digestive issues. Also, during these days, your skin is already sensitive and chances are high that you will face various types of skin conditions. So, to prevent the symptoms from worsening, avoid fatty foods and drink a lot of water!
5. Salty foods: Having foods that have a high content of salt can increase bloating and flatulence. So, it is better to avoid those high-in-salt foods while you are menstruating.
