They hurt, and they hurt bad. Abdominal aches are difficult to deal with. But with a proper diet for menstrual cramps, you could deal with those days of the month that are otherwise a pain. Literally.
If you’re experiencing menstrual cramps, or dysmenorrhea as is medically acknowledged, then like many women, even you’ve had a tough time dealing with the pain, considering that it makes you weak and totally inactive. While many medications might help in reducing the pain, it is always recommended you switch to an all new diet during days of trouble, to keep side-effects at bay.
The diet that is discussed in this write up is dedicated to minimizing menstrual cramps and providing relief. For once, you might think of going for hot baths and consuming pain killers in a bid to achieve quick results, but doing it the healthy way, by just making a few alterations in your diet, will always have its pros. With that said, allow me to explain the correct eating plan for those painful menstrual cramps to reduce your ache with minimal efforts.
Foods that Help in Relieving Menstrual Cramps
While saturated fats such as junk are a big no-no during your menses, healthy fats not only give you energy during those days, but also help in reducing the pain. To start with, whole grains, fruits, and leafy vegetables are the best foods that reduce the pain of menstrual cramps, for they contain lots of calcium that helps in pain minimization.
While fruits and veggies help you in keeping active, food containing fish oils such as salmon, mackerel, canola, flaxseeds, cauliflower, and kidney beans, are considered as good for diet during menstruation because they help in minimizing inflammation, and keep your mood lightened. In addition, you could add nonfat dry milk to your soups and other hot liquids that will lessen the pain.
You know, during those days, the most important thing to be kept in mind is to maintain a balanced diet that contains calcium, potassium, and magnesium in rich quantity. It is highly advisable you consume small healthy meals after every two or three hours as it will not only reduce cramps, but will keep you energized throughout the day. In addition, abstain from alcohol and smoking totally during these days. It will help you retain water in huge quantities.
However, if it’s too difficult, you could have a couple of glasses of wine on a daily basis. Research on complexities involved in menstruation claims that many women consume diuretics that are a drug consumed to elevate the rate of urination in women. Even though diuretics are considered as a solution to reduce period bloating, they eliminate all minerals from your body, thus, negating the effects of a healthy diet.
The following list of foods might come handy every month for you, and could be considered as an addition to your diet during those painful days. Take a look:
- Spinach
- Watermelon
- Oats
- Oranges
- Asparagus
- Fennel
- Tomatoes
- Egg Plant
- Lettuce
- Chicken
- Fish
- Flaxseed
- Brown Rice
- Avocado
- Soy
While chicken and fish are recommended as a diet to relieve menstrual cramps, the inclusion of ‘red meat’ is a strict no-no, because it adds to the prostaglandins into the tissue, thereby, adding to the already painful cramps. Moreover, a little reduction in your salt intake works wonders. However, don’t totally cut on sodium as it is highly essential for a healthy diet. Lastly, cut down on caffeine that is found in coffee, tea, and chocolate.
Yes, they might be a source of your guilty pleasure, but when it comes to health, it’s better to compromise with your favorites for a while, than to aggravate your pain. Moreover, the best thing about this kind of diet is that it’s required to be followed for hardly four days, and you can switch back to your favorite hams, chips, and chocolates once your cycle’s over!
