7 Essential Tips for Getting Through That Time of The Month
Almost all women, those of a certain age range, must endure the monthly inconvenience and sometimes pain that is being a woman.
However, if you prepare yourself and follow a few simple guidelines, that time of the month will be a breeze and you can get on with your life.
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You should always take care of yourself, but during your period, it is especially important.
Below are 7 essential tips for getting through that time of the month.
1. Medications
Start with Hormonal Birth Control Pills.
These types of monthly medications aren’t just for pregnancy prevention.
They actually help with cramps and blood flow, by lessening both.
As an added bonus, the ingredients in many of the birth control pills will help with mood swings and monthly acne.
You may also want to try an NSAID, a Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug.
Take this about 12 hours before you typically start cramping and feeling run down.
The most common NSAID is aspirin or ibuprofen.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on name-brand period relief medications since they are almost always ibuprofen and/or aspirin.
2. Avoid Certain Foods
You may be craving salt, sweets and dairy, but these are the worst foods for that time of the month.
Salty foods will contribute to water retention, something you are already doing without any outside help.
Directly before your period, you are more sensitive to higher rises and fall of blood sugar.
Sugary foods will only increase this and will add to mood swings as the sugar wears off.
Dairy is a high GI food and will also cause blood sugar spikes.
It is best to leave the ice cream and cheese pizza for the week after your period.
You can take a calcium supplement to help even out your body’s chemicals as you are losing essential vitamins and minerals at this time.
3. Eat and Drink These Foods Instead
Stay Hydrated – be sure to drink plenty of water, and only water.
Other beverages, especially alcoholic ones, will dehydrate you and make you feel even worse during your period.
Bananas and Veggies – eat plenty of bananas and lots of vegetables to help with hydration.
Any food that has a high magnesium content is good for your body as you shed more water than other times of the month.
Vegetarians seem to have a lot less PMS than those who eat mostly red meat.
You don’t have to completely change your diet, simply cut back on the foods that will increase your pain during your period.
4. Use Heat
Make friends with a heating pad or a hot water bottle during this time of the month.
Bathing your abdomen in heat will help with the cramping, and making you feel less bloated.
Even if it is the middle of summer, it is helpful to curl up with a heating pad or hot water bottle several times a day if you can.
The use of warm steam, like a tube sock with rice in, microwaved for a few minutes, will also work well for heat over your lower stomach.
You may also want to use heat on your lower back, a commonplace of pain and discomfort during your period.
5. Use Epson Salts
Taking a bath with Epson Salts will help to relieve muscle cramps and soothe tension in your entire body.
The combination of warm water and Epson Salts could help the tension in your uterus as well.
Another benefit of soaking in an extremely warm tub is it will help with sleep.
Take a bath or soak in the tub about an hour before bedtime and you will increase your quality of sleep.
Something women need every night and not just around that time of the month.
6. Lighten up on Your Exercise Routine
Just as you need to eat healthier foods, you will need to take care of your body in a slower more deliberate manor.
Do not stop exercising during your period, but you will want to switch it up a bit.
Instead of running, slow it down to a jog.
Instead, opt for more stretches and yoga and avoid the weight lifting and the gym’s large equipment corner.
Once your period is over, you should resume your normal exercise routine.
Some gentle stretching and movement during your period is good for your muscles as well as a mood booster.
Exercise releases “feel good” chemicals in the brain, and you need as many of those as you can get during your menstrual cycle.
7. Keep a Record
You may “know” when your period is supposed to show up, but it is best to keep a calendar specifically to track that time of the month.
Besides avoiding the surprise factor, a good record can show you when something is “off” or different about your monthly cycle.
As you age, you will also want a complete record of your period, which will help in determining when perimenopause begins.
There are cases in which young women, those in their late twenties, have begun to enter perimenopause and so it is good information to have on hand when speaking to your doctor for your annual checkup as well.
Along with tracking the flow and duration, write down your moods, which will help in determining if there are other issues besides physical changes.
There are various “period tracker” apps for your phone so it makes it super easy to maintain a record of what is going on with your body on a monthly basis.
Keep in mind that you are not alone, that every woman is different and will experience their period in different ways.
You are unique in how you handle the discomfort and pain, so take care of yourself and get enough rest.
Very Educative.
I’m so glad I came across this blog, I will surely write them out and follow it properly. Finally I found a good blog that explains women fitness so well.
Thank you.
Thank you Nancy for visiting our blog today.
We are glad you like our articles,and we also glad to have contributed an inch to your already abundant Know.
Please do check back often for more women’s health tips