What should I eat to maintain my period? What to do about dysmenorrhea?

A couple of days ago, an entry #High-speed rail does not sell sanitary napkins is reasonable# has been on the hot search.

Xiao Lizi wondered what was there to argue about, and it wasn’t some unreasonable business, but the normal physiological needs of female friends who account for about half of the world’s population!

Without menstruation, there would be no human reproduction; to facilitate menstruation is to facilitate the entire human race. So, how should we take care of the “big aunt”?

Little chestnuts are here to help!

menstrual fatigue,

What can I eat to supplement?

Menstrual women’s estrogen and progesterone levels drop, and they experience tiredness, weakness, dysmenorrhea, and a feeling of weakness and exhaustion that they just want to slump in bed. What to eat to nourish and relieve this pain?

From a nutritional standpoint, these ingredients are the most nourishing

Iron

The loss of some blood during menstruation can put women at risk for low iron levels, causing low energy and fatigue, one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in women of reproductive age .

Therefore, women should make up for lost blood by eating more iron-rich foods during menstruation.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that not only helps boost immunity, maintain healthy skin, help wounds heal, but also helps our bodies absorb iron better.

So, when we add iron-rich foods during menstruation, we need to pair them with vitamin C foods such as oranges, oranges, green peppers, tomatoes and leafy greens.

For example, stir-fry pork liver with bell peppers, stir-fry duck blood with leeks, boiled pork slices with rapeseed, or squeeze some lemon juice over salad vegetables.

B vitamins

Deficiencies in B vitamins can cause fatigue, dizziness, and nervousness.

If you are taking birth control pills, you should pay more attention to vitamin B supplementation, because birth control pills will consume vitamin B. Foods such as clams, tuna, chicken, and fish are good sources of B vitamins.

In addition to the above three nourishing elements, we should also pay attention to not drinking caffeinated beverages with meals. Coffee and caffeinated teas, such as green and black tea, contain inhibitors such as polyphenols that may interfere with iron absorption.

Abstaining from coffee drinks 1 hour before and after meals can help you maximize iron absorption.

In addition to diet, adequate sleep is also a must-have for menstruation. A regular biological clock affects hormone production, including melatonin, cortisol, thyrotropin, and prolactin.

These hormones help people maintain good energy during the day and sleep well at night. If these hormones are disturbed, the menstrual cycle will be affected.

A study found that women who work irregular shifts are more likely to have irregular periods. This may be because when we change our biological clock, we are also changing our fertility hormones, thus affecting the menstrual cycle.

dysmenorrhea,

How to improve with diet?

Women have varying degrees of dysmenorrhea during menstruation. From a diet and lifestyle perspective, we can do these things to improve:

Eat ginger

Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties. Cut into slices and soak in water to relieve discomfort such as dizziness and dysmenorrhea.

But be careful, don’t consume more than 4 grams of ginger slices per day. Eating too much ginger can cause stomach pain and heartburn. Feel.

Supplemental Omege-3

Studies have found that the severity of dysmenorrhea is related to levels of prostaglandins, which stimulate the contraction and breakdown of the lining of the uterus.

Increasing omega-3 intake can help lower prostaglandins and relieve menstrual cramps. Premenstrual period should pay attention to supplement Omege-3.

A high-fat diet raises prostaglandin levels, which may make menstrual cramps feel more painful.

Therefore, while supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acids, you should also pay attention to a balanced intake of other nutrients, match high-quality carbohydrates, and eat more vegetables and fruits to maintain nutrition and blood sugar levels.

Exercise in moderation

Estrogen and progesterone during menstruation are very low. This endocrine imbalance can cause discomfort such as back pain, hot flashes, sweating, and decreased physical strength.

However, there is also some research suggesting that light exercise may relieve dysmenorrhea by releasing endorphins. Not only do endorphins improve your mood, they also relax your body, which can relieve menstrual cramps.

Exercise may also distract you from discomfort, try walking or yoga. However, be careful not to do abdominal squeezing exercises, such as glute bridges and crunches.

Hot compress

Hot water bottle and drinking hot water are the same principle, which can promote blood circulation in the pelvic cavity and relieve dysmenorrhea to a certain extent.

However, Please note that long-term severe dysmenorrhea cannot be changed by diet and lifestyle adjustments. It is recommended not to endure it by yourself, but to go to the hospital for a diagnosis in time to see if there are diseases such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, and symptomatic solutions.

A woman’s reproductive age is half of her life. Having menstrual disorders such as dysmenorrhea, endometriosis and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can have a serious impact on a woman’s life and it is important to diagnose these problems promptly and treat them in the most appropriate way.

Is it reliable to lose weight during menstruation?

Many friends who are obsessed with “weight loss” may have heard the rumor that “menstrual period is the golden fat loss period”, and want to limit intake and increase at this stage Exercise to lose weight.

Xiao Lizi recommends that my friends not restrain their diet too much, menstruation is already accompanied by a certain degree of nutrient loss. Going on a diet, wouldn’t it make things worse?

Some friends may even crave for sweets before menstruation. This is also very normal. At this stage, girls have low leptin levels and high estrogen levels, so their appetite will increase, especially for carbohydrate-rich sweets.

It’s hard to control your own hormone levels, but when you watch your appetite change, think: “I’m about to enter a period of exhaustion and I have to give myself Stock up on some good fuel, sweets aren’t the best option.”

If you eat a lot of sweets, your mood, energy, and blood sugar will go up and down like a roller coaster, making you feel more fatigued and lower.

We can choose some tasty carbohydrate foods that keep us satisfied for longer. For example, overnight oats, guacamole toast, or roasted sweet potatoes.

Quality carbohydrates and proteinEating food together will help keep our blood sugar levels more stable.

Many people also experience constipation before their period, which may be caused by high progesterone levels. Foods that increase insoluble dietary fiber are a good solution. For example, quinoa, whole grains, turnips, carrots, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, nuts, etc.

Take care of Auntie,

Pay attention to these things too

Do not over-diet

Due to economic, cultural and other factors, women tend to be more anxious about their bodies and suffer from eating disorders.

Studies have found that the lifetime prevalence of anorexia nervosa in women is 0.9%, with an average age of onset of 19 years [1], which is quite a number when converted to the entire female population Woolen cloth! Among those with an irregular diet, about 58% suffered from menstrual irregularities.

Do not over-exercise

Excessive exercise and low body fat rate can lead to endocrine disorders and irregular menstruation in women.

The body is very sensitive to fluctuations in caloric balance. When a woman’s diet is too restrictive, such as by dieting, eating disorders, or when strenuous exercise triggers low body fat, the body gets a “survival alert.”

In order to survive, the body shuts down “non-essential” functions such as fertility, which results in “hypothalamic amenorrhea.”

After all, fertility can only happen when you have a balanced diet and enough energy.

▲Moderate exercise is still good

Do not apply too much pressure

Modern women face many life and psychological burdens such as emotional distress, employment discrimination, childcare burden, work pressure, etc., which are very stressful, which is also one of the reasons for irregular menstruation.

Women’s long-term irregular menstruation, if they do not receive timely scientific conditioning, will face the risk of easy fractures and premature aging.

So, be sure to take good care of our “aunt” friends!

Period Care Recipe Show

References

[1]Hudson JI, Hiripi E, PH G Jr, Kessler RC. The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the national comorbidity survey replication. Biol Psychiatry. 2007;61:348–358 . doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.03.040.

[2]Hennegan J, Shannon AK, Rubli J, Schwab KJ, Melendez-Torres GJ. Women’s and girls’ experiences of menstruation in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis. PLoS Med. 2019 May 16;16(5):e1002803. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002803.

Editor: Jasmine

Design: Grapefruit