Cramps can be awkward. They’re not only painful but can also cause fatigue and interfere with your ability to move around and perform at work. If regular medication isn’t enough to help you ease the cramping symptoms, you can do a lot with the right diet choices.
Here are a couple of food products you should avoid during your time of the month.
Canned foods
Canned foods are high in salt, which causes more bloating and more cramping. In addition, they pretty much lack any nutrients. Refined products can be dangerous for the amounts of unhealthy chemicals used to preserve the foods. So when you’re on your period, stick to the healthy food from the farmer’s market and the organic food stores.
Beans
Normally healthy and rich in fiber and vitamins, beans will upset your stomach during the period. You should avoid eating any beans or peas during your period and resort to more lighter foods.
Candy
Store-bought candy doesn’t contain any healthy nutrients, and it’s also packed with sugar. Artificial sugar doesn’t help at all with period cramps. In fact, it can make it worse.
Fried foods
Stay away from anything that will upset your stomach because the cramping pains will worsen at the same time. Fried foods are known to upset the stomach and interfere with healthy digestion. Aside from that, deep-fried foods are associated with weight gain and skin issues. During your period, stick to light boiled, steamed and grilled foods.
Milk and other dairy products
Milk is otherwise healthy, as well as other organic dairy products. However, during your period, your body is particularly susceptible to inflammation. The saturated fats inside the dairy can be inflammatory for your body, which will only worsen the menstrual pains.
Fatty foods
Foods like bacon contain plenty of saturated fats, while some substances found in fatty dark meat increase prostaglandins in your body. This only induces cramping pains, which is why you should stick to lean meats instead.
Bottom line
One of our top tips to survive period cramps is to resort to light, nutrient-dense foods. These foods will help with abdomen pain during periods, perhaps even more than medication.
Aside from choosing the right food to eat during period to avoid cramps, you should also focus on having multiple, regular meals. Try not to skip meals, as feeling hungry will only worsen the cramping pains. Make sure to drink enough water, because dehydration adds to muscle spasms, resulting in more intense cramping.
Don’t forget to be kind to your body during the period, get as much rest as you can and stay comfortable whenever you don’t have to be active.
