I am sure all of us girls experience real bad menstrual cramping quite often. Cramps are not only painful but are also usually associated with fatigue and interfere with your ability to move around and go through your daily life chores. If regular medication and exercise are not helping you, do make some modifications to your diet.
The best gynaecologist in Karachi says that diet is equally important as medicine. A combination of both can save you from intense cramping. There’s a number of foods that can help you and on the other hand, some are extremely unhealthy for you.
A list is given for you to adjust your diet and stock up on foods that might help with cramps.
Menstrual Cramps: Foods to Eat and Avoid
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Foods to Eat
Here is a wide variety of foods to choose from:
Bananas
Bananas are great for menstrual cramps. They are generally easy to find and known to be good for period cramps. They are extremely rich in fibre content and help to ease bowel movements. As a result that, you may feel less bloated and experience lesser pain overall.
Bananas do have a lot of magnesium, which is known to reduce the severity of cramps during periods. They are rich in natural sugars, so do consume them in moderate amounts.
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Lemons
These are rich in vitamins. Vitamins C particularly. It helps the body absorb iron from your food into the bloodstream and the tissues. Because during your periods, it is likely to lose red blood cells more than you are making. So, it isn’t a bad idea to take some lemon and absorb iron.
Lemon is said to be rich in fibre, that helps in preventing muscle spasms.
Kale
Among other foods, Kale is also a great option to relieve cramps. Just like other greens, kale is also very beneficial as it is rich in magnesium and calcium. Having a calcium deficiency can increase muscle spasms and contractions.
You can saute kale or add it to your smoothies. Either way, it helps to boost your immune system and eases cramps.
Ginger
A mug of ginger tea can improve certain symptoms of menstruation. It has anti-inflammatory effects that soothe achy muscles. It may also reduce nausea which often occurs in women with bad painful periods.
Don’t consume too much ginger though, as more than 4 grams of ginger a day can cause heartburn and acid reflux.
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Foods to Avoid
Although a lot of foods help manage the cramps, it is also important to avoid the foods that worsen the symptoms. These include:
Sugar
It is completely fine to consume sugar in moderation, but eating too much can cause a spike in energy followed by a crash. This worsens the mood. If you tend to feel anxious, depressed, or moody during your cycle, watching your sugar intake might help a lot.
Coffee
Caffeine causes water retention and bloating. It can cause frequent headaches too. So don’t cut out coffee completely if you’re used to having a few cups every day. It also causes digestive issues. If you tend to get diarrhea during your periods, reducing your coffee intake can stop this from happening.
Alcohol
Alcohol can have a number of negative effects on the body which can exacerbate the symptoms of your period cramps. Alcohol dehydrates your body which can worsen headaches and bloating. It can also lead to digestive issues like diarrhea and nausea. With that, a hangover also brings the same symptoms as during your period, including:
- Vomiting
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
Red Meat
Your body produces prostaglandins when you are on your period. These compounds help the uterus contract and get rid of the uterine lining, resulting in menstrual flow. However, if higher levels of prostaglandins are formed they cause cramps.
Red meat is high in iron, but it is also high in prostaglandins and should ve avoided during menstruation.
Final Thought
Certain foods are good to consume and others can worsen your cramps. The food you choose to eat and avoid depends on your specific symptoms and food sensitivities.
Author – Bio:
I am Kiara Waylen, A Knowledgeable and Qualified Blogger based on Australia. I love to write about on lot more extensive categories with useful information which help to get more ideas.