What not to eat during menstruation and why your appetite increases. How to eat during menstruation What to eat during menstruation to

During menstruation, women experience a lot of stress due to constant mood swings. To keep stress to a minimum, you need to choose special nutrition during your period. Make changes to your diet, because some foods during menstruation are beneficial, while others are harmful.

Eating well during your period will help you stay in a good mood throughout this period. Tips on exactly how to eat during menstruation are in our article.

Nutrition during menstruation: healthy foods

Legumes

In beans, peas, lentils and other legumes contains a lot of fiber that absorbs water.

Fiber will keep your stool more moist. This, in turn, will free the body from its excess, normalize digestion and reduce the risk of both constipation and diarrhea.

Legumes are also an excellent source of B vitamins. The latter prevent cramps and fatigue during menstruation. If you're concerned that peas and beans are making you gassy, ​​eat legumes in small portions and gradually increase their volume.

Vegetables and greens

Vegetables are rich in calcium, potassium and- useful elements that prevent and relieve spasms and colic.

Besides, they have a calming effect on the nervous system and reduce irritability.

Green vegetables and greens themselves contain vitamin K, which increases blood clotting. This vitamin helps prevent excessive bleeding.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Hormone-like substances that are involved in muscle contraction and at the same time cause pain during menstruation are called prostaglandins. The pain they cause can be alleviated by consuming omega-3 fatty acids. These acids are found in salmon, nuts and flax seeds.

A pineapple

Researchers at the American Center for Human Nutrition in Grand Forks, North Dakota, found that young women consuming small amounts of manganese had up to a 50% increase in menstrual flow.

It means that Those who suffer from pain during their periods need to consume more manganese. It is found in many fruits, but most of all - in pineapple. At the same time, pineapple contains a lot of bromelain, which helps muscles relax and thereby relieves pain.

Tea

Tea is another source of manganese, but tea that contains caffeine should be avoided during your period. It can only make you feel worse.

Ginger tea can help relieve nausea and bloating. Chamomile infusion will help relieve muscle spasms and relieve tension, which leads to irritability and depression.

Water

Excess water in the body can lead to pain in the abdominal area. Oddly enough, you can combat this by drinking more water. If you are drinking too little fluid, the body will make up for the deficiency by retaining water in the body. This leads to swelling and discomfort.

Whole grain products

British doctors have found that eating small portions of carbohydrates every 3 hours and an hour before bed get rid of 70% of women.

In addition, whole grains are an excellent source of manganese, as well as B vitamins and vitamin E. The latter help relieve fatigue and combat depression.

Yogurt

Yogurt contains live cultures and bacteria that promote healthy digestion. In addition, it is an excellent source of calcium. To relieve menstrual pain, women are advised to consume double the amount of calcium.- not 600, but 1300 mg per day.

True, like meat, dairy products contain arachidonic acid, which promotes the production of prostaglandins and, consequently, cramps and pain. So you can choose a different source of calcium during your period. For example, look for broccoli, savoy cabbage, canned salmon, juices and cereals.

Foods to avoid during your period

Caffeine

During menstruation, avoid products containing caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, carbonated drinks).

Caffeine constricts blood vessels and dehydrates the body. This can lead to headaches and unnecessary worries, especially unpleasant on critical days.

Semi-finished products

Reducing your sodium intake will help maintain fluid balance in your body. It is best to avoid canned food, processed foods (for example, frozen meat), cheese, and soy during menstruation. Also avoid other foods that contain more than 200 mg of sodium per serving.

Fried foods

Foods that contain a lot of fat (butter, meat, fried foods, dairy products - except low-fat) increase the level. This applies equally to both animal and vegetable fats..

Maintaining stable estrogen levels is necessary to ensure that changes in the uterus are not too sudden and do not cause pain.

Sugar

Refined sugar increases blood sugar levels. As a result, we feel drowsy and are in a bad mood. Avoid sweets during your period, avoid cakes, sweets, breakfast cereals and wheat flour. This will allow your body to process the resulting sugar faster.

Try eating smaller meals more often rather than having 3 large, three-course meals. Proper nutrition during menstruation will help maintain normal blood glucose levels.

During menstruation, many women feel unwell. Sometimes the pain is so severe that you have to take painkillers. As a result of the deterioration of the general condition of the body, irritability increases, interest in life disappears to some extent, and sleep is disturbed. Sometimes, when there is a lack of magnesium in the body, convulsions of individual parts of the body begin.

But the most offensive thing is that it is not only the girl who suffers morally and physically during this period - those around her also suffer from her bad character.

Necessity of diet

The process in which pain is felt in the lower abdomen during menstruation is called dysmenorrhea. And it can be avoided if you eat healthy foods on such days.

Proper nutrition during menstruation can cope with some problems:

• Don't let me get better.
• Reduce the amount of blood released.
• Relieve pain syndrome.

The diet during menstruation is compiled taking into account the individual body’s tolerance of the selected products. After all, the diet should provide a woman with all the necessary nutrients without causing harm.

To relieve pain

The factors that cause pain during monthly bleeding vary from woman to woman. That is why be sure to consult at the antenatal clinic what you should do about this problem. It is impossible to independently determine the cause of pain, which means you cannot self-medicate.

During menstruation, pain can be caused by:

1. Muscle contraction (the intensity of contractions affects the strength of pain).
2. Hormonal imbalance.
3. Nervous overstrain.
4. Diseases of the genital organs that are becoming worse at this time.

But whatever the reason, you can calm the pain even by simply eating healthy foods.

Women sometimes find it difficult to change their diet, especially if they have a busy day. Often it is not possible to go shopping for special products and cook for yourself separately, and this is not necessary. Diet during menstruation involves controlling the amount of food consumed. The pain will not be severe if you increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. These are natural antioxidants containing large amounts of magnesium and calcium. Preference is given to:

• Apples.
• Oranges.
• Currants.
• Plum.
• Melons.
• Watermelons.
• Pineapple.
• Red cabbage.

Magnesium in products perfectly relieves muscle tension. All legumes, nuts, and grains are rich in the element. The menu includes:

• Beans.
• Buckwheat.
• Brown rice
• Peas.
• Walnut.
• Almond.

It is worth remembering that such food causes bloating, so you need to eat it little by little and no later than 3 hours before bedtime.

Fatty acids contained in fish and seafood help reduce pain. Especially useful:

• Salmon.
• Tuna.
• Trout.
• Sardines.

Omega-3 fatty acids contained in these types of fish alleviate pain caused by prostaglandin substances during menstruation. Flaxseed oil has a similar effect.

You can drink decoctions of chamomile, yarrow, tansy, and mint. They are famous for their analgesic and calming effect.

To reduce blood volume

The amount of blood released during menstruation depends on many factors. A diet during menstruation aimed at increasing the level of iron in the blood will reduce the amount of discharge.

Of course, it is not recommended to make decisions on your own to reduce blood loss. It is better to consult a doctor. If the gynecologist does not find any pathologies, then fasting days can be arranged on the second or third day. Products are removed from the table:

• Dairy.
• Meat.
• Fried.
• Smoked.
• Fatty.
• Salty.

Drinking plenty of fluids, especially herbal decoctions, will also help. You can brew nettles or shepherd's purse. And raspberry or mint leaves can be brewed in a teapot along with regular tea leaves. Drink like regular tea.

The menu is compiled with the introduction of products:

• Apples.
• Sea kale.
• Shellfish.
• Grechi.
• Cocoa.
• Pumpkin seeds.

Fruits (peaches, lemons, oranges) and vegetables (red peppers, cucumbers) contribute to better absorption of iron. In addition, dishes should be generously sprinkled with herbs (parsley, dill).

How to avoid seizures?

An acute lack of magnesium and calcium in the body can lead to seizures. They occur at any time of the day, especially at night, and are extremely painful. The condition is complemented by headaches along with a bad mood. In this regard, you should use:

• Bananas.
• Cottage cheese.
• Kefir.
• Yogurt.
• Buckwheat porridge.
• Brown rice

With a lack of magnesium, the level of dopamine, the mood hormone, also drops. Eating the right foods will help maintain the balance of microelements in the body, making a woman’s life much easier.

In order not to gain weight

During delicate days, women’s appetite increases and they want to eat a lot and constantly. In order not to gain extra pounds, you need to regulate your consumption of fatty and sweet foods.

Since the blood sugar level is low during this period, you crave chocolate, cakes, and cookies.

Doctors recommend replacing sugar with complex carbohydrates. They are digested more slowly and help curb your appetite. Whole grain bread, durum pasta, bran, among other things, contribute to the production of serotonin. As a result, your mood will improve and your sleep will improve.

You should also increase the amount of unsweetened fruits (pomelo, grapefruits), vegetables (turnips, cabbage, carrots) and greens (lettuce, spinach) consumed.

It is healthier to split your meals into small portions and eat every 3 hours throughout the day.

What drink?

The diet during menstruation includes drinking plenty of fluids, at least two liters per day. This is due to the characteristics of the female body: during menstruation, it is prone to fluid retention. But when purchasing mineral water, you should choose non-carbonated water with low sodium content.

There is no need to abuse coffee, tea, various lemonades and alcohol. Drinking caffeine causes blood vessels to narrow, which can trigger headaches.

It is useful to replace regular tea with herbal tea or decoctions of diuretic herbs. And instead of sugar, you can add a little honey to the cup.

Prohibited Products

The designation “prohibited” is quite arbitrary. Nutritionists identify certain groups of foods that can increase pain and discomfort during certain periods of a woman’s life.

So, what to eat during menstruation has been defined above. Now let's take a look at what foods you should avoid:

1. Processed prepared foods. Canned and processed foods always contain large amounts of salt. Excess salt in the body will retain fluid, which, in turn, will lead to pain in the lower abdomen.
2. Fried foods. Fried foods increase the level of estrogen (steroidal female sex hormones). Moreover, both animal and vegetable fats act this way. With an increase in estrogen, changes in the uterus become sharp, pronounced and cause pain.
3. Sugar. Refined sugar leads to high blood sugar levels, which causes drowsiness and irritability. It is better to put dishes made from wheat flour, muesli for breakfast, cakes, and sweets away until better days. Those with a sweet tooth can replace their usual sweets with persimmons, peaches, dried apricots and bananas. If you still want chocolate, it is better to choose bitter.

Eating foods such as:

• Chips.
• Crackers.
• French fries.
• Other fast food.

These are heavy foods containing large amounts of salt or fat.

You should avoid alcohol completely. By dilating blood vessels, it has an ambiguous effect on the nervous system, stimulating it. Vasodilation can lead to increased secretions, and irritated body systems do not need toning, but relaxation.

All food of animal origin is prohibited. We remove butter, full-fat milk, fatty meat, sour cream, avocado, olives, and seeds from our dishes. In this case, pork can be replaced with chicken and fish, and it is preferable to snack on dried apricots or walnuts.

The ban does not apply to yogurt. It contains live bacteria that aid digestion. In addition, yogurt contains a lot of calcium, and its consumption during menstruation should be doubled (up to 1300 mg per day).

Proper nutrition should be followed not only during menstruation, but also on other days. But with all other diets you should be careful not to harm the body.

Menstruation is a very difficult time in the life of any woman. Most of the fairer sex feel very unwell, some of them experience severe pain in the lower abdomen and lower back, and some develop heavy bleeding. They often find it difficult to cope with everyday responsibilities during this period, and sometimes they are even forced to lie in bed all day. Many women experience nervousness, anxiety, tearfulness or even aggressiveness during menstruation.

Each woman experiences her critical days differently. They have practically no effect on some of them, while others suffer greatly from their manifestations. But for any representative of the fairer sex, the physiological processes in the body change dramatically. Since failures occur quite often, every month, it is necessary to take nutrition during menstruation very seriously in order to avoid the most negative manifestations of the onset of menstruation.

Changes in a woman's well-being

The peculiarities of production during menstruation are reflected in all areas of the body of representatives of the fairer sex. Their progesterone production sharply increases, causing swelling and even the addition of new kilograms.

You need to start using a special diet two to three days before the expected one. Then you can significantly reduce the manifestations. During this time, many women experience sudden changes in mood, insomnia at night and drowsiness during the day, and also constantly want to eat. Such problems lead to the fact that their fat tissue reserves increase, and... General metabolism also suffers.

Often during menstruation, women experience very strong pain in the lower back. They are caused by severe spasms and significant muscle tension.

The main prerequisites for their occurrence are:

• sudden contractile movements of the uterus;
• disruptions in the functioning of the nervous system;
• muscle tension;
• slowing down endometrial regeneration processes;
• congestion in the pelvic area;
• swelling, etc.

Many women do not even think about what they ate and drank on the eve of the development of pain. Meanwhile, during menstruation, mineral balance is more important than ever. Sometimes it is enough to give up a specific product or drink and your health will immediately improve.

Eating during menstruation

Therefore, during such a period, maintaining a correct lifestyle becomes very important. And one of the main requirements for it is a special diet. In general, you should make healthy food and meal choices every day, but this becomes especially important during menstruation. Of course, every woman has her own restrictions, but you can choose the basic rules to follow during your period. If they are strictly followed, the well-being of the fairer sex can significantly improve, and such a choice of food will bring enormous benefits to the body.

The main dietary recommendations during menstruation are:

• reducing the volume of blood lost;
• eliminating pain;
• normalization of hormone synthesis;
• stabilizing the activity of the nervous system;
• improving general well-being.

Therefore, it is necessary to choose products taking into account that they do not retain fluid in the body and do not cause a rush of blood to the pelvis. On the contrary, you need to strive to ensure that food brings maximum benefits and is rich in minerals.

If premenstrual syndrome develops, you should already consume more vegetables, fruits, grains and cereals a week before the start of your period. It is required to constantly use seafood, nuts, bran bread, and apples. It is also important to give preference to foods rich in fiber. It helps fight constipation and swelling. Dishes enriched with protein and high in iron, magnesium and zinc should come first.

It is equally important to monitor the level of potassium in the blood. It normalizes electrolyte balance, helps the functioning of the heart muscle and prevents spasms. In addition, it is able to increase the overall tone of the body. Therefore, it is worth including greens (parsley, lettuce, celery, dill), raisins, dried apricots, and prunes in your diet.

With blood loss, the level of hemoglobin, the main part of which is iron, falls first. Therefore, it is advisable to eat more pomegranates, buckwheat, squid, meat, fish, cauliflower, and apples.

It is very important to monitor the quality and quantity of fluid consumed. It should not be allowed to accumulate in the tissues, sharply worsening the state of health and making the woman less attractive. In addition, it may increase pain. Therefore, monitoring the normal level of drinking water and following a diet can completely balance mineral metabolism and lead to a healthier body as a whole.

Optimal composition of products on critical days

At this time, ladies especially need iron, potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium and zinc. They improve the condition of blood vessels, prevent the development of anemia, normalize water-salt metabolism and improve the production of hormones.

The best rule of nutrition on the eve of the onset of menstruation is fractionation. Meals should be divided into several small portions, taken five to six times a day.

• buckwheat;
• liver;
• lean varieties of fish and meat;
• bird;
• bran bread;
• seafood;
• millet;
• lentils;
• milk;
• yogurt;
• kefir;
• cottage cheese;
• eggs;
• vegetables;
• corn;
• pumpkin;
• beans;
• parsley;
• celery;
• dill;
• little sunflower;
• fruits;
• nuts.

Such a set of food products will completely normalize hormonal levels, stabilize mineral metabolism, significantly improve digestion, increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood and enrich the body with vitamins.

Plant foods contain many antioxidants. They reduce the intensity of pain during menstruation and prevent the occurrence of complications. The most beneficial properties are found in eggplants, which are rich in potassium and magnesium, as well as cauliflower, which has high levels of folic acid and calcium.

This food can eliminate anxiety, migraines and reduce congestion. It contains many vitamins A, B and E. Their effect is to improve the functioning of the nervous system and stabilize hormone levels.

This diet composition has nutritional properties and quickly saturates the blood with essential substances.

During menstruation, such nutrition makes it possible to prevent pain, eliminate spasms of striated and smooth muscles, prevent the development of swelling, reduce the load on the heart and blood vessels, and also get rid of constipation.

Excess glucose, fats and carbohydrates have a negative effect on the body during menstruation. Therefore, it is better not to get carried away with sweets, cookies, cakes and ice cream. It may be much healthier to include honey, dried fruits and berries in your food. The most important are raisins, dried apricots or prunes. They are often mixed with nuts, cottage cheese or cereals. They will improve your mood, avoid weight gain and normalize vascular activity.

If your period is heavy, you need to closely monitor what you drink during the day. Alcoholic drinks should be strictly prohibited. You should also avoid drinking coffee, strong tea and lemonade. They have a pronounced diuretic effect and lead to the loss of vitamins and minerals. This can cause uterine spasms, which can lead to abdominal pain.

It is preferable to drink pure non-carbonated mineral or boiled water. Decoctions of medicinal plants are also useful.

Products that are harmful during menstruation

In addition, during your period you should not get carried away with:

• baking;
• baked goods;
• sweets;
• salty;
• sharp;
• peas;
• cabbage;
• potatoes;
• sausages;
• smoked meats;
• pickled food;
• herring;
• bananas, etc.

They are able to retain water in the body, provoke strong convulsive contractions of the uterus and significantly disrupt the overall hormonal balance.

Many women during their periods experience severe problems with bowel movements and also suffer from flatulence. Therefore, you should completely avoid foods that cause such negative effects.

During menstruation, the production of female sex hormones decreases somewhat, which leads to a drop in the amount of serotonin in the blood, which is responsible for positive tone. Therefore, during critical days, women’s mood deteriorates, there is increased sensitivity and a craving for tears. Therefore, it is not advisable to eat spices, garlic or sweets, which will only increase nervous tension.

It becomes clear that during menstruation the problem of nutrition is very acute. It must be taken seriously. Failure to follow a diet will not only lead to a deterioration in your health, but also to a loss of attractive appearance.

After the end of menstruation, you do not need to immediately eat foods that are contraindicated on critical days. It is better to opt for dishes that are not too high in calories, but increase the level of female hormones in the body. You can return to your normal diet only a week after the end of your period, when all the phenomena associated with its occurrence have completely disappeared.

Svetlana Markova

Beauty is like a precious stone: the simpler it is, the more precious it is!

Content

In pursuit of a beautiful body, girls often forget about the physiological needs of their own body and selflessly test all kinds of diets and fasting days on themselves. When answering how to lose weight during menstruation, nutritionists are extremely categorical about such experiments with weight loss during this phase of the menstrual cycle and state that this approach is extremely harmful to women’s health. Find out about safe ways to lose extra pounds during this period.

Why do you gain weight before your period?

The female body is designed in such a way that all processes in it occur under the influence of constantly changing hormonal levels. Therefore, weight and the menstrual cycle are directly related. The fact is that adipose tissue in women accumulates and is distributed under the guidance of the dominant hormones at a given time. Thus, the first (follicular) phase of the cycle is marked by an excess of estrogens, which “order” to put aside everything unnecessary “in reserve.” Subsequently, the balance of power changes in favor of progesterone, which further promotes weight gain.

Appetite

During menstruation, the female body loses necessary substances, therefore, in order to compensate for the lost macro- and microelements, there is a noticeable increase in the need for food. It is worth noting that not all representatives of the fairer sex increase their appetite during menstruation. However, most women, instead of losing weight, on the contrary, gain weight due to cravings for sweets. A situation in which such a need of the body is ignored can negatively affect the psychological balance of a lady already prone to mood swings.

Fluid retention before menstruation

Moderate swelling of the body before the onset of menstruation is considered quite normal. Water retention before menstruation occurs due to the predominance of progesterone in the body. Due to the excess presence of fluid, women often begin to swell their limbs. When answering how to lose weight during menstruation, experts regarding this problem suggest including fiber-rich foods in your diet a week before the start of menstruation. At the same time, you need to eat a balanced diet and not get carried away with monoeating.

Hormones

The beginning of the menstrual cycle is influenced by estrogens, the maximum concentration of which occurs during the ovulatory phase. Under the influence of these hormones, active accumulation of adipose tissue occurs, as a result of which it is not easy to lose weight during this period. After ovulation, the previously predominant estrogen, follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones are replaced by progesterone, which promotes further weight gain. Therefore, the conclusion regarding whether people lose weight during menstruation is obvious.

Over time, the activity of progesterone gradually subsides, which serves as a signal that it will soon be possible to lose weight. Hormones reach their minimum concentration before menstruation. Meanwhile, even before the cleansing stage is completed, estrogens become active, stimulating the accumulation of fat. Therefore, when answering whether it is possible to lose weight during menstruation, experts say a categorical “no”. However, this does not mean that during menstrual periods you need to forget about dietary nutrition and consume a lot of calories.

Metabolism

Metabolism changes throughout the menstrual cycle. At the same time, metabolism during menstruation slows down, which makes it somewhat difficult to lose weight, but in general it only benefits a weakened body. After the cleansing stage is completed, the rate of metabolic processes returns to its previous level. To avoid digestive problems during menstruation, it is better to eat easily digestible foods.

Losing weight during menstruation

You need to approach the issue of weight loss during menstrual periods with all responsibility. Due to blood loss due to menstruation, a woman constantly loses much-needed iron for the body. A deficiency of this element leads to the development of anemia (decreased hemoglobin levels) with all the symptoms accompanying this disease: weakness, malaise, drowsiness. Therefore, weight loss and the menstrual cycle must be coordinated.

Plus, against the background of the predominance of progesterone before menstruation, many women suffer from excess gas formation and constipation, which also requires nutritional correction. In addition, to lose weight, you need to think about physical activity. Experts do not recommend intensive exercise in the gym, but note that walking or light jogging will only benefit a woman.

Is it possible to lose weight during menstruation?

Some experts strongly recommend abandoning the idea of ​​losing weight during your period. This position is largely dictated by fears for the health of women who are especially demanding of their own figure. At the same time, nutritionists say that losing weight correctly during menstruation is not at all forbidden. In fact, during critical days it is only forbidden to be overly involved in diets and exercise equipment. Otherwise, there are no visible contraindications.

Is it possible to fast during menstruation?

Complete refusal of food in order to quickly lose weight during menstruation is extremely harmful to women's health. Against the background of bleeding, this method of weight loss may lead to a worsening of the condition. For this reason, fasting during menstruation in order to effectively lose weight cannot be done. Thus, refusing coarse fiber will cause the limbs to swell even more. A lack of calcium will cause increased pain in the abdominal area, and magnesium will cause pressure surges.

Diet during menstruation for weight loss

The nature of nutrition seriously affects the process of weight loss during menstruation. It is important to understand that losing weight during menstruation has slightly different goals from ordinary restrictive measures. So, eating during this difficult period for a woman is aimed at maintaining the vitality of the body and replenishing lost minerals, proteins and vitamins. As a result, a diet during menstruation for weight loss should be based on a vitamin diet with a limited calorie content, which will help, if not lose weight, then maintain the same weight. A woman’s diet must include:

• meat;
• fish;
• eggs;
• cereals;
• vegetables (especially cabbage, lettuce);
• bran;
• fruits (citrus fruits (oranges), apples, bananas);
• bitter chocolate;
• dried fruits;
• coffee (no more than a cup per day).

Gymnastics during menstruation

Exercising during menstruation is very beneficial. However, there are some limitations. Thus, women are not recommended to do exercises aimed at strengthening the abdominal muscles. Safe ways to lose weight are to exercise on a treadmill, elliptical machine or exercise bike. Pilates is also considered useful for menstruation. Yoga deserves special attention. So, during menstruation, twisting of the spine is extremely undesirable.

In addition, to maintain water-salt balance in the body, one should not forget to drink plenty of fluids. In the quest for slimness, it is better to give up sweets. If you clearly understand that you are starting to gain weight and cannot lose weight, you should not be upset and drink “handfuls” of sedative pills. It is better to reconsider your diet and start doing gymnastics during menstruation, including the following exercises:

1. Take a horizontal position. Place your legs perpendicular to the wall. Fix the pose. Repeat the exercise 4-5 times.
2. Lie on your back and press one leg with your hands to your stomach. Hold this position for 5-7 seconds and then change legs. The exercise can be performed 4-5 times.
3. Doing the “bicycle” and “scissors” exercises will help you lose weight more effectively.

A woman’s well-being during menstruation is directly related to her diet during these days. The diet should include foods enriched with vitamins and microelements. Also, food should not cause bloating or increased gas formation, because such factors aggravate the general condition. To avoid this, you need to know that you cannot eat during menstruation.

During menstruation, the following unpleasant sensations may appear: weakness, bloating, problems with digestive function, cramps. The manifestation of these symptoms is associated not only with changes in hormonal levels, but also with the reaction to the foods consumed. Therefore, doctors recommend following a diet during menstruation.

An excess of fatty, heavy, smoked foods contributes, that is, the symptom that appears intensifies. Sweets, which enter a woman’s body in large quantities, have a similar effect. Under the influence of sugar, the fermentation process in the intestines is activated, and the resulting gases begin to distend the abdominal area, causing increased menstrual pain.

During menstruation, progesterone is actively produced, resulting in an increase in blood pressure. If these days you eat food that has the same effect, the woman will feel a general malaise due to increased PMS and other uncomfortable sensations that appear.

Also, some foods can cause increased pain and excessive discharge. The impact can be associated not only directly with menstruation, but also with the emotional mood of a woman, since some food increases irritability and excitability.

To avoid this, you need to know how to eat during your period. A diet during menstruation will help improve your own well-being by easing discomfort.

What foods are best to avoid during menstruation?

The discomfort that occurs during menstruation can increase if a woman does not eat properly. To prevent this from happening, you must refuse:

• from fatty foods. During menstruation, flatulence is often observed in the intestines, the stomach becomes bloated, and such foods in the diet aggravate these problems, causing increased pain in the abdominal area, deterioration in general well-being (during menstruation, it is necessary to completely eliminate sour cream, full-fat milk, butter, pork);
• spicy dishes. Their use causes a rush of blood to the organs and tissues of the pelvis, which provokes increased menstrual flow and pain, an increase in the duration of menstruation;
• salty foods. They cause thirst, and consumption of increased amounts of salt contributes to fluid retention in the tissues, which causes a feeling of fullness, increased headaches, and worsening general health;
• sweets. The entry of increased amounts of sugar into the blood increases appetite, causes bloating, fermentation in the intestines, headaches, increases the intensity of discomfort in the abdominal area, and worsens the general condition of hair and skin;
• foods that increase gas formation and cause bloating. These include legumes, white bread, cabbage, flour and yeast products;
• alcohol products. Such drinks dilate blood vessels, resulting in increased bleeding;
• coffee. Caffeine consumption leads to brain excitability, irritability, headaches, and increased blood pressure, which significantly worsens a woman’s well-being during menstruation.

A diet for PMS, based on the exclusion of these foods, allows you to combat the unpleasant sensations that arise during menstruation.

What not to eat from prepared food

A special group of prohibited foods is represented by semi-finished products and various canned foods. They contain an increased amount of salt, which contributes to fluid retention in the body and increased pain in the lower abdomen.

You should also avoid fried foods. The fact is that such food helps to increase the level of estrogen, which is why uterine contractions become sharp and contribute to the appearance of severe pain.

Chips, crackers, and French fries can aggravate the overall well-being of the body. Any fast food contains a large amount of salt and fat, which negatively affects the nature of PMS and digestion.

Diet during menstruation

To reduce the intensity of PMS, as well as to prevent a deterioration in overall well-being, a woman must follow the rules of a healthy diet. The first step is to increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables you consume. Such products are rich in vitamins and minerals and have antioxidant effects.

The best fruits and berries to give preference to are:

• currants;
• apples;
• oranges;
• plums;
• seasonal products.

During this period, any vegetables are allowed, except those that cause increased gas formation. The best option for a diet during menstruation is red cabbage, as it has an analgesic effect and has a positive effect on the body's fertility.

To cope with the nagging pain that occurs due to fluid retention in the body, you need to follow a drinking regime. During menstruation, you should increase the amount of clean water consumed. For severe pain, it is recommended to drink a decoction of yarrow, lemon balm, chamomile or tansy.

If a girl complains of iron, the diet should contain foods fortified with iron. The fact is that during menstruation the body may experience a deficiency of this substance, which negatively affects overall well-being. To replenish it, you need to eat apples, shellfish, buckwheat, and seaweed.

Drinking drinks such as:

• a decoction of peppermint and shepherd's purse;
• raspberry and peppermint tea.

Nutrition during heavy periods should be balanced. Fried, fatty, smoked, and salty foods should be excluded from the diet. Among meat products, it is better to give preference to beef; you should also consume low-fat varieties of poultry and fish.

Since during menstruation women show an increased interest in sweets, many representatives of the fairer sex have problems with the appearance of extra pounds. To compensate for this need of the body, harmful carbohydrates should be replaced with dried fruits. It is best to eat raisins, dried apricots, and walnuts. Such products allow you to keep your figure in shape and enrich the body with useful substances, in particular iron.

Following the principles of proper eating during menstruation allows you to normalize the menstrual cycle, the amount of discharge, and also minimize PMS. The listed healthy products have a beneficial effect on a woman’s nervous system, smooth out the emotional background, suppressing irritability.