Hello girls,
How are you all doing?
Not every girl is blessed with an easy way out of her periods. I certainly am not that lucky girl! Like the most of you, I suffer from a lot of bloating, cramps, mood swings and stomach ache during those first 3 days; the first and second being the worst. I keep getting a lot of advice from my friends and mom to ease the pain out a bit, but nothing seems to work. So I decided to experiment a little and see what works for me. Today I’ll be sharing some tips on healthy diet that you can follow during your periods.
Eating right can actually ease some of the not-so-pleasant side effects of being a woman. Yes, planning your meals beforehand helps as you do not indulge in unnecessary snacking. I am not asking you to diet during these days, but you can definitely try to eat healthy. Try and incorporate the foods mentioned below in your diet to control those midnight cravings and consume the adequate amount of nutrients needed by the body.
1. Whole grains
Replacing your normal white bread with whole wheat or multigrain bread is a good idea as our body requires a lot of vitamins. Whole grains are rich in magnesium that helps in reducing muscle tension. They are also a great source of Vitamin B and E that help to fight lethargy, fatigue, and depression. I usually eat sandwiches made with this bread during breakfast and sometimes to curb midnight cravings.
2. Bananas
Being a good source of Vitamin B6, potassium and magnesium, these help in reducing water retention and bloating. I love to eat whole bananas as mid-meal snacks or dip them in some caramel sauce and consume as after-meal desserts.
3. Milk and yogurt
We need calcium for our bones and extra energy. Milk with added flavors like chocolate or vanilla can be consumed. Yogurt is my all-time favorite. I love having it as it is without adding salt or sugar. Otherwise, mixing some seasonal fruits and ice can result in indulgent smoothies.
4. Fresh fruits and vegetables
Yes, you need to gobble up on as much fiber as you can. I love to munch on broccoli, oranges and watermelon the most. Broccoli, being rich in fiber, helps in getting rid of gas and water retention. Oranges are high in antioxidants and help in easing out cramps. Watermelon, on the other hand, are rich in water and natural sugar. They help in combating diarrhea and bloating. They also fill you up quickly.
5. Proteins
Adding lean proteins helps in stabilizing blood sugar, therefore reducing those nasty cravings. A dash of almond butter on your favorite slice of multi-grain bread is a great combination. You can also consume eggs.
6. Iron-rich food
This is the most important of all as you lose a lot of blood during your periods. Dates, beans and pomegranates are some great sources of iron. I always keep myself loaded with dates to compensate for the lost iron and they work great as after-meal snacks as well.
Apart from incorporating these foods in your diet, you should try and stay away from excess salt, processed, artificial sugar, alcohol and excess caffeine. These things increase PMS depression, water retention and make you sluggish.
Right food can counter muscle pain, blood loss and water retention. So, you need to snack smarter to say goodbye to cramps, bloating and cravings.
Happy munching! 🙂
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This post came just right on time Tanya! These tips seem very useful 🙂