How to Make the Best of Your Period

It is no one’s favorite week of the month, but it just keeps on coming back. Managing your period is something that takes time to learn, and is different for every woman. During your period, your hormones are literally jumping all over the map, causing you to be extra emotional, crave food, sleep longer, bloat, and a whole list of other symptoms that often result in excessive chocolate consumption and wine drinking. We get it. 

BUT, there are a few natural steps that you could take to make the best of your period each month! Certain foods and vitamins can reduce menstrual and PMS symptoms, hopefully making your week just a little but easier on you!

Did you know that eating iron rich foods such as kale will make your period pass quicker? Yeah, it really works. 

Vitamin B6 is like a little miracle – it helps reduce menstrual related cravings, balances your mood, reduces water retention, and exhaustion. This can be taken in supplement form, or found in foods like turkey, fish, nuts, chicken, bananas and potatoes. Get as much Vitamin C as possible too!

Got Cramps? Does it feel like there is a little alien crawling around your Fallopian tubes? Period cramps can be crippling, and seriously affect your day. Pain medications are a good solution, but there are a few other methods that can help you feel better. Exercise will help ease your cramps, so as much as you want to curl up on that couch, don’t. Drink lots of water, and eat fiber rich foods – this helps rid your body of excess estrogen which will make your period much easier to deal with. 

Hiding your Face? Stop. Drink some lemon water – this does wonders for your skin and will help clear up the annoying acne that accompanies your period each month. Try and eat foods rich in Vitamin A and D (baby carrots, spinach, watermelon), and keep some tea tree oil on hand. This is an incredible, all-natural product that is antibacterial and antiseptic, and can clear break outs overnight. Fact!

Beat the Bloat. Bloating during your period is like the icing on a really mean cake, I mean, really? This too? It’s true, some women retain up to 5lbs of water weight during menses. This is caused by female hormones, mainly estrogen, retaining water. If you are on birth control that has high levels of estrogen, you could talk to your doctor about switching it up. But there are other ways of beating the bloat. For one, avoid salty foods! Drink more water than usual, season all your food with oregano, and drink herbal teas – green tea is full of antioxidants and other good things, and it will help you feeling great!

Dealing with Cravings. Think your cravings are just a signal of poor willpower? Think again. There are legitimate scientific reasons why your body craves certain foods during your menstrual cycle. Your brain experiences a decrease in serotonin (the part of your brain that manages your mood), and it sends signals for foods that boost the serotonin levels. This includes sweets, and salty snacks like potato chips or popcorn – all things that will only increase the whole bloating thing, great. As hard as it may be, put down the chocolate. Unfortunately, alcohol and caffeine will only make things worse.
But there is hope! Complex carbohydrates (whole grains and legumes) and protein rich foods (turkey, peanut butter, fish) will help curb your cravings. Try eating smaller, more frequent meals, and don’t forget to exercise! 

Staying Healthy! Try and watch your diet all the time – eat healthy foods, and avoid overloading on processed sugars on salt. This way, when that time of the month comes around again, your body will be better prepared to handle the onslaught of symptoms. 

If your cycle is regular and you can predict when you period will start, make sure you are taking extra special care of your body in the few days leading up to your period. This absolutely does not mean to avoid the necessary things in life like chocolate, wine, and coffee, but maybe have a glass of lemon water, or just finish all the junk food in your house so you won’t have anything to grab when your cravings hit.

If any of your symptoms are extreme, talk to your doctor to make sure everything is okay.