Lifestyle changes, natural remedies to ensure trouble-free periods

Lifestyle factors can play a crucial role in alleviating period discomfort. Here are tips and tricks to help cope with menstrual pain, nausea, and bloating.

If you are someone who suffers from cramps, nausea, bloating, mood swings and irritability during your monthly cycle you must make modifications in your lifestyle to ensure trouble-free periods.

Eat healthy: A healthy diet can help you cope with the struggles related to menstruation. Eat whole grains, salads, fruits and vegetables to nourish your body. Bananas, oranges, watermelon, broccoli, chamomile tea are all period-friendly foods you must add to your diet.

Avoid salt and coffee: It is recommended to avoiding adding too much salt to your food when you are expecting visit from Aunt Flo. Reducing caffeine intake can also help as too much tea and coffee during your periods can slow the flow of blood. It can also cause bloating and inflammation.

Sleep well: Giving your body some extra rest during your monthly cycle is a good idea as a well-rested body can help one cope with pain better. 

Daily exercise: Research shows that regular exercise can help reduce severity of PMS symptoms which includes mood swings, pain and cramps and bloating. 

"A balanced diet, avoiding salt in cooking and eating, lowering caffeine intake, correcting your sleep cycle, regular daily exercise, and stress reduction may help enhance your quality of life and greatly lessen the intensity of PMS symptoms, such as moodiness and painful periods," says Dr Sushruta Mokadam, Consultant Obstetrician at Motherhood Hospital, Kharadi, Pune as she shares some natural remedies for pain relief during menstruation. 

"Certain over-the-counter medications and home therapies, such as using a heating pad, may help decrease period cramp discomfort. Avoiding certain meals may also be beneficial," adds Dr Mokadam. 

Yoga can relieve menstrual pain: Regular yoga practice can help with cramps, whether it's the stretching of your muscles or the soothing effect of the postures. 

Use a heating pad to ease period cramps: Heating pad can help improve blood circulation and boost flow of oxygen to abdominal muscles, thereby helping them to relax.  

Acupuncture: It may play a crucial role in relaxing the nervous system and aid with cramp relief. This traditional Asian medicinal technique is supposed to calm the nervous system, increase blood flow to internal organs, and reduce inflammation. 

Tea to relieve period pain: Because they are relaxing to the body, chamomile and peppermint teas are frequently advised for menstruation discomfort. Teas prepared from cramp bark, ginger, or fennel are also connected with dysmenorrhea.